This fun blog hop is starting tomorrow!
has provided the checklist above for all of us to participate.
I am a host for two of the days and
and am making plans to sew along.
Hope to see you sewing along, too!
Sunday, May 31, 2020
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Unsettled and Haunted by Quilty UFOs
My sewing life feels unsettled right now
and my thoughts and dreams are haunted by UFOs.
I have recently pulled out fabrics for two projects and not sewn a stitch.
Both of those have been put aside.
I have two current WIPs that are languishing unfinished ,
even though I love the fabrics and patterns.
I have three larger BOM type projects that I started this year and I have not kept up.
I also have two scrap projects started this year that are also sitting neglected.
I have one project that I started last fall and it was left behind
when I went south in November
and never picked up again when I returned just before Christmas.
when I went south in November
and never picked up again when I returned just before Christmas.
All of these are projects that I really want to finish.
I cannot quite say why I am not sewing.
I could say it is because I am enjoying the warm weather and flowers blooming in my yard.
I am, but usually I go out and enjoy and then come in and sew.
It just is not happening.
I could blame it on the current unrest in the greater world,
but usually my sewing space in my happy place.
Peace by Piece is a personal motto.
I have been cleaning and organizing in my sewing room and closets.
These fabrics are some that recently haunted my quilty muse at night,
so I dug them out to set them in the sun.
These are Timeless Treasure fabrics from 2007.
I hope they are the ones to get me out of my quilty funk.
There are three blocks for a Sampler BOM from 2008
that never made it into a quilt.
This pattern is still available free online
@
It is a vestige left after the passing of this once great Quilting Forum,
one of the places where I learned to quilt.
2008 was the year before I started my quilting blog
so I have no old WIP photos.
You can see how old these stitches are and how imperfect my points and seams were then.
At that point of my quilting journey I was still sewing on my old light-weight
Brother machine, that was getting tired and even trips to the
sewing machine care guy I had at the time did not help.
You can see the seam in one of HSTs that the stitches are too far apart and loose.
I will have to reinforce some of these seams to use these blocks
but I am not taking them apart to try to make them "perfect."
The background fabric is not to be found.
It has probably long since been used in another project.
I do not think I am making the rest of the blocks.
They are what they are and I am going to honor the past
by giving these three blocks a finish.
I will see what the rest of the fabric says to my quilty muse.
Hope to have a finish to show you someday soon.
Wish me luck ... ;)
Friday, May 29, 2020
OMG ~ May 2020 ~ Goal Complete
My May One Monthly Goal is Finished!
I set this goal here in the
It started with this cross stitch work and these fabrics
and finished
I used an artist's canvas and my heavy duty stapler to display this finish.
More how-to photos in the link above.
Happily, I am linking up today with the
I am always very happy when I meet my monthly goal.
Time to think about my June OMG Goal.
I have many, many WIPs and UFOs.
Hmmmmm ... what shall I choose?
Time will tell ... :-)
Thursday, May 28, 2020
I Like Thursday # 57 ~ Considering
Taking time to consider the Lily of the Valley in my garden.
May you and yours be well and safe.
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Suddenly Summer
Summer has arrived and these summery sea fabrics
have landed on my cutting table.
The long weekend became a blogging break.
It also turned into a break from sewing.
I did not get my patriotic project done ... hmmm, maybe by July?
Memorial Day Weekend was very nice, mostly sunny, breezy, cool at night.
Mr Scrapatch and I scratched in the dirt a lot and planted and weeded and mulched.
We were in sweatshirts for our backyard barbecue late in the afternoon
Yesterday the temperatures soared over 20 degrees
and the sudden need for cooler air inside called for quick placement
of our window air conditioners.
There is one more that needs be put in the kitchen window
which will be the Hubs after work job.
Plans are also to go to get milk at the dairy so there will also be ice cream cones.
Anyway, today I am looking to be in an cool place, like
I shall have to settle for these pretty fabrics ...
There is a free pattern for this fabric line here ...
I do have a panel.
I also have a few fat quarters from this bundle ...
Today, though, I only have the various size cuts of yardage on my table.
Now what shall I be making with this?
After much dithering today, I have a plan!
Hope to have more to show you soon.
Monday, May 25, 2020
Saturday, May 23, 2020
Bee Patriotic Sew Along
I am getting ready to sew along.
I have the book that is needed to make the blocks.
The book is Vintage Christmas by Lori Holt
and all the blocks are pieced.
This is a photo of Lori Holt's Quilt,
more photos and info on her blog link.
I love her colors, including the aqua and pink.
which is all lovely blenders that may also be used in other quilts.
Here are the fabric requirements.
It is a very "stash happy" pattern.
I am gathering fabrics
and making plans to sew along.
:-)
Friday, May 22, 2020
Happy Memorial Day Weekend
On my cutting table for this long Memorial Day Weekend.
I have had this kit in my stash for some time.
It has four choices in the pattern.
I do not remember where I bought this kit.
The fabric and pattern is
The strip pack can be found in quilt shops, including
My pattern came with the strip pack and finishing fabrics.
This pattern has directions for ...
Two Table Quilts ...
1) Long Table Runner
2) Square Table Topper
and two Wall Quilts ...
3) "Flag Gems" ... with straight strips
4) "Zig Zag Flag" ... which looks like it is waving in the breeze.
This is my project for this weekend.
Hmmm ... which will I sew?
Which would you sew?
May you and yours have a safe and happy and healthy
Memorial Day Weekend!
Thursday, May 21, 2020
I Like Thursday # 56 ~ Everyday
Good Morning!
Dahlias are one of my plantings of choice this spring.
So this gorgeous burst of color greeted me on our outdoor fire pit table ...
... when I went out to sip my morning cup of frothy latte at 6:00am,
right after Mr Scrapatch left for work at his new "retirement job,"
Dahlias are not a perennial here in my northern clime so I am reading up on them at ...
... in hopes of bringing them back next year.
I have not had much success winter other annuals
so time will tell.
I have pink ones like this one that has just been touched by the sun
peeking around the roof of my neighbor on the east.
In addition to the pink, I have yellow ...
... and some of these beautiful flame touched ones.
I am going to put some in big pots and find the best sunny spots for them
and a couple in the ground and see which fares the best.
I have picked the floss colors for my custom house on the ...
As you can see the design house is mostly gray.
I like the look of their version.
I am just trying to make it look and feel a little more like my little home.
Back inside, I have started stitching my modified version
of our brown roof line and green trim.
I have a plan. Hopefully it will work
and look a little bit more like my home.
I have tried stitching outside,
but my eyes prefer the bright LED light I need to use to get the
needle into the right place in the cloth.
I have tried stitching outside,
but my eyes prefer the bright LED light I need to use to get the
needle into the right place in the cloth.
Nutmeg is helping and checking my work.
I love the way her fur glows orange in the sunlight
coming in the window.
Here is my little Nutmeg on the flower table topper on my round coffee table.
that is the background of these photos.
I made this
a few years back and it is still my favorite.
There used to be a free tutorial for how I made this on Craftsy
but they took it away when the overhauled their site.
Maybe I need to find that tutorial.
It seems to have gone missing in my computer, too.
Maybe I shall have to do a makeover.
Hmmm .... ;)
Anyway ... today all I really want to say is ...
Everyday is a good day.
Playing
on my speakers.
Time to visit my
May you have a good day everyday.
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Stitching Progress
Part 1 is done for my
Maestro helped behind the scenes, of course.
Here she is adjusting the knobs on my
I like to use a
to keep my cloth tight and flat.
This plastic frame is light enough to carry it anywhere
and I do enjoy sitting outside and stitching sometimes.
It has been mostly sunny but is still cool and very windy for May
so most of my stitching has been done inside.
Part 3 was released last Friday so I am very behind in the stitching along,
but I am good with that.
I use all six strands of DMC on my 10 Count Vintage Aida cloth
and a size 18 or 20 Bohn needle.
I can see this easily to stitch and I like the way it looks.
I use all six strands of DMC on my 10 Count Vintage Aida cloth
and a size 18 or 20 Bohn needle.
I can see this easily to stitch and I like the way it looks.
It is a journey, not a race, for me.
I am working on the Part 2 House section
but it will take time as I am making modifications to the pattern
to make it look a little more like my little house.
More stitching soon ... :-)
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Quilty Road Trip ... Social Distance Style
because this is, literally, one of the first things I see in the morning,
after I use my eye drops to unglue my eyes,
as it is on my bedroom wall opposite my bed.
I do not actually "see" the eye drops.
I just reach out to where I know they are, aim and squeeze,
then wait a few minutes for them to take effect.
Usually, there is a blur of my hubby's face
and a fuzzy looking cat or three in view, too.
and a fuzzy looking cat or three in view, too.
Only Katniss is actually fuzzy so I know if the other two look
like they are having a bad hair day
that my eyes are not working yet.
By the time I ask Alexa to turn on the light,
the cross stitch starts coming onto focus.
After saying have a good day to hubby,
going out the door to his new job,
going out the door to his new job,
because the man does not know what the word "retired" means,
or that there is a "stay at home"
... um ... mandate? ... advisory? ... guideline? ...
... um ... mandate? ... advisory? ... guideline? ...
whatever the state is calling it now ...
for people our age.
I get my cup of coffee and say hello to my blog which comes up as my home screen
and there is my new favorite quilty project again.
Now that I have put my Quilty Love stitchery there again at the top of today's post,
it will be waiting for me again tomorrow morning ... I like!
it will be waiting for me again tomorrow morning ... I like!
Maybe I will put it at the top of the post everyday this week!
You may get tired of it, but I will not ... :-)
Anyway...
my virtual road trip is rambling off course ...
just like most of our real road trips.
So ...
I wandered Here
so I could get cool with all the square inspiration of the day.
First off,
opened my eyes wide with another one of her multitude of amazing quilty endeavors
and made me laugh with her zany humor.
Then I got as far as
before my road trip completely changed destinations ...
and I bought this ...
and I bought this ...
... because I need a new project like I need a new turn in the road.
I want to make a larger version of this for my very modern niece
who is getting married in the fall.
Because I was at Broadcloth Studio
and I love their Quilty Quizes,
I found
... sew I had to take it ...
"While the road or the car never really changes, the scenery is what brings excitement and variety to the journey! Whether it’s color, texture, or the final quilting, there are a million different roads to take and a billion different adventures to have along the way."
Nine Patch?
Oh, Yes, that is me.
So while I ruminated upon my love of Nine Patch blocks awhile
I remembered a WIP ...
... so I traveled back in time to Here
... revisted Here
... then I had to dig out this pile of Fig Tree scraps
and sewed three more 9 Patch Blocks this morning
... and the morning traveled away with me.
Phew ... what a morning road trip!
Phew ... what a morning road trip!
Time for lunch, a little gardening
and I will get back to blog hopping later today.
I has been a happy quilty morning.
May yours be a good one, too ... :-)
Monday, May 18, 2020
It's Cool to Be Square Blog Hop
My Quilty Love Cross Stitch is finished and ready to hang!
Welcome to my post of the
When I saw this blog hop announcement, I knew just what I wanted to show and tell.
I had recently finished stitching my
I made some design options from the original pattern,
changing not only the colors, but leaving out some of the smaller hearts
and the ric-rac trim.
These finishing fabrics were in the plans before I picked my floss colors,
as fabric is always my first craft love.
All I knew was that I wanted to finish this cross stitch with these fabrics
but was not sure how to set it.
I decided that I did not want a traditional rectangular frame,
or one of the new trendy sticky board and plaque settings with bows and such.
or one of the new trendy sticky board and plaque settings with bows and such.
I wanted something clean, crisp and modern,
like the cross stitch piece itself.
I wanted to hang it on my wall.
My first thought was to make an actual quilt and give it a
... but I wanted something that would keep it smooth and flat.
Then I had another thought!
I bought this this 24" square artist's canvas on a 50% off sale at my local Michael's
just before everything in my state shut down.
I used this artist canvas method many years ago Here
to display another blog hop project
and it has been in my mind to do so again.
I used this artist canvas method many years ago Here
to display another blog hop project
and it has been in my mind to do so again.
It seemed the perfect way to display my cross stitch.
This was very much a figure it out as I cut and sewed project.
The cross stitch design finished at 9" by 12"
so I knew the fabric would have to be pieced to make it fit the square canvas.
I knew from the start that I do not want the cross stitch itself centered
but off-set in the upper right corner.
I knew I wanted the bright aqua print to frame the cross stitch.
I also knew I wanted to feature the lovely large rose print fabric.
This was very much a figure it out as I cut and sewed project.
The cross stitch design finished at 9" by 12"
so I knew the fabric would have to be pieced to make it fit the square canvas.
I knew from the start that I do not want the cross stitch itself centered
but off-set in the upper right corner.
I knew I wanted the bright aqua print to frame the cross stitch.
I also knew I wanted to feature the lovely large rose print fabric.
Sew I cut a 2.5" strips and sewed the fabric to frame my cross stitch HERE
This is how the fabric finished before I attached it to the canvas.
It is square ... about five inches larger than the artist canvas.
I cut a square of thin batting 24" square to pad the top of the canvas.
Then I simply layered batting and "quilt top" and turned it to the back,
stretched it straight and evenly,
and used my heavy duty stapler to fasten it.
The staples are easily removed if I ever want to clean it or change it up.
Success!
I created something simple and uncluttered to show off my handwork and fabric.
I really love this method and will use it again to display my cross stitch projects.
Here it is inside on my sunny yellow bedroom wall.
It makes me smile.
It makes me smile.
May you enjoy all the cool square projects in today ...
Thank you to
for hosting this fun blog hop.
It is very cool to be square ... :)