This week was the cretan stitch. I could do this stitch with variations all day. So much variety….so many choices!
My help this morning…and when I play it back on the computer, he runs over and does it again. He can keep this up all day.
Today I will finish my calendar quilt for class, I will work on the CQJP block….and I will clean the pantry out. Anything that I will never use that hasn’t expired will go to the local food bank.
The feather stitch is a fun stitch. Not quite as many variations came to mind as the buttonhole…but close. I think I will revisit the fly stitch in a week or two. I don’t think I did as well on that stitch because I wasn’t yet in “the mode”.
I managed to finish the blue fairy. I’ll give that as a gift after I show it at the guild meeting tomorrow night and the crazy quilt club next weekend.
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 | <---- One of Crazy Judyth’s Dragonflies! |
Next on the hit parade: I finished the guild challenge quilt. Haven’t named it yet. Nothing is jumping out at me yet.
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I’ve nearly finished the top for my class. Calendar quilt with a valentine’s day theme. Started my Crazy Quilt Journal Project. All and all a very productive weekend. And all with the help of Chinky:
This week was a blast! I love the buttonhole stitch. It is, in my opinion, the most versatile stitch there is. I can sit and do the butthole stitch all day and never quite repeat a design.
Combined with a fly stitch or French knot there are endless possibilities. Add a cast on and French knots. The laced double buttonhole would make a really nice centipede LOL.
Circles make wonderful wagon wheels or flowers. Buttonhole leaf was really fun.
I’ve been quilting for at least 27 years and I have never had a real class. Crazy quilting I teach, but it’s unstructured. My intent when I joined the guild a few years ago was to make new friends who didn’t think my “hobby” was a dead language and to learn. I’ve taken workshops with the guild, but they were purses. Yesterday was my first “real” quilting class. What a blast! Yes, it’s using steam a seam and it’s a small wall hanging, but it was fun! I didn’t want to leave at the end. I went because a friend from work was taking her first class and is just getting into sewing. What a riot….the quilt shop opened a tab for her!
I, of course, spent way more than I planned.I always do when I walk into that shop. The owner, Beth, is into crazy quilting and embellishment. So as time goes on, her shop becomes more and more embellishment friendly. Last weekend I was in there and bought a yard of lace hand dyed by Elinor Peace Bailey.
I came home and attempted to work on the wall hanging. Guess I was missed. My helper, Chinky, flopped down in the middle of everything and wouldn’t move LOL
Today I am going to put backing on the little blue fairy. I’m going to try to get the backing on the guild’s challenge quilt. Have to have the done by the end of February.
I’ve added most of the flowers and a few bugs. The flowers need centers and beading. I need to make fairy wand and glass slippers before I can back and finish. Probably needs a few more bugs and maybe a spider web for luck. Coming along very well and I’m pretty happy with the piece. I know my friend is going to flip when I give it to her.
I decided to make muslin 8 1/2 inch by 11 sheets to turn into a stitch book. 52 weeks makes 26 pages back to back. This will be a good reference to go back to later on.
Didn’t think this was going to be hard, but I had sooo much trouble with fly stitch variations. It’s not a stitch that I use for much. I may have to change that, use it more and work a little harder.
 | I started with standard fly stitch variations. |
 | Next a little tighter. |
 | Cross Pattern. |
 | Fly Stitch Leaves and Flower. |
This quilt needs to be done soon. It’s my guild challenge quilt for the show this year. I look at it and feel it needs something more. Can’t decide what. The theme is “A Few of My Favorite Things”. I’m just not sure my heart is in it just yet. I will go out and buy backing for it today and maybe that will motivate me.I now have three tops that need backing and finishing for the show…must get motivated!
I’m going out to Fabric Chicks today to sign up for a quilting class next weekend. I find I’m looking forward to learning proper techniques…..If I learn one good thing, it will be worth the time and expense. And I’ll have fun too. I always enjoy hanging out at that store and chatting with the other quilters. I teach a crazy quilt group there on the fourth Saturday of the month and always look forward to it.
I will post my TAST stitches tomorrow.
Here’s hoping that 2012 will be a better year all around. Wishing you good heath, happiness, and good stitching!
I’ve been working on a gift for the last week or so. It’s a little wall hanging. Only about 14 inches X 16 inches. It’s a picture of my friend’s 3 year old granddaughter and I’m turning her into a fairy. It’s kinda like playing paper dolls LOL. I’m building a princess dress (she will even have glass beaded slippers!) and surrounding her with silk ribbon flowers and butterflies. Lots of rhinestones planned. She will even have a fairy wand! I will post pictures as the block develops. This gives me a chance to practice silk flowers and gold work. Oh and play with my beads and rhinestones a little bit.
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My friend loves fairies so I can’t think of any gift better than to turn her granddaughter into a fairy LOL. |
