My progress with my I Love Xmas design hit a bit of a snag but I'm now back on track.
I've added the pieced border and have layered it ready for quilting.
I plan to machine quilt in the ditch of the stitchery block and inside border. I'll also do the same around the star shapes to highlight them a bit.
I'm then going to do my favourite hand quilting with Perle 8 thread in the squares in the outside border.
Should be good.
Until next time
Lyn
I'm still working on the borders of my I Love Xmas project.
I am pleased with the red inside borders and after thinking about it overnight, decided that a pieced outside border would go nicely.
I cut 2 1/2" squares from the reds and greys and arranged them around the outside until I was happy with them.
Now it's just a matter of sewing them together and then adding them to the quilt.
That's the plan for the weekend.
Lost Postcard....
Remember all of those postcards I posted back to myself from UK? When I was adding them to my travel journal, I noticed that one day was missing. It was a day we spent in Worchester and I was sure I had sent a postcard with a photo of the magnificent cathedral on it.
Turns out I was right because yesterday it arrived in my mail box (only 3 months late). It looks a little bit battered and bruised around the edges (Robin said it looks like it's been on a detour around the world.), but I'm pleased to see it. I can now fill that empty space dated 1 August.
Until next time
Lyn
Since I'm making a Christmas tablerunner, when it came to designing the patchwork blocks I thought a couple star blocks were appropriate.
I found this block in one of my patchwork books - I'm sure it has a name but the book didn't give it one so I remain clueless.
It was surpisingly easy to make and just to add some interest I used two different red and 2 different grey fabrics per block. I did make a third block but the red was a bit too dark and I decided that these two would do nicely.
Once the stitchery was completed I joined it with the blocks for the centre of the tablerunner and then it was a matter of adding the inside borders.
Fortunately the red fabric from my stash worked really well with the red and grey print fabrics. I've cut them 1" (finished) and will now think about the outside border.
Until next time
Lyn
I have finally got my head around the fact that Christmas is fast approaching and that I need to get some Christmas cheer happening around here. To get myself in the Christmas mood I decided that making something Christmassy was the thing to do.
A couple of weeks ago while looking through my stash, I came across this pile of Christmas type fabrics that I bought this time last year and I vowed that they wouldn't still be sitting in my stash this time next year.
I had no clear idea what to make until I started thinking about what I needed in the house and came up with a tablerunner. I quickly came up with a plan with some stitchery and some patchwork blocks.
Along with the grey and red patterned fabrics I found some red fabric in my stash that will match them as well. It will work nicely for the borders and binding.
Because I'm stitching in red thread only, the stitchery is turning out to be very quick to do.
I can see the end in sight already!
Until next time
Lyn
By this time each month, I've started preparing the newsletter for the following month - in this case that's November.
In the November newsletter is the last instalment of the Family Blessings quilt and now that it's over I've started on the quilt for next year's newsletter. The theme is The Word of God and the quilt will have seven large stitchery blocks as well as some small stitcheries (at this stage I'm not sure how many). The really funny thing is that before we went away, I prepared all of the larger stitcheries with the aim of taking them with me and getting some of them finished. But of course, that didn't happen!
I had to be content with starting them when we returned and have now finished three of the stitcheries and about to start on the fourth.
I had a bit of a glitch on the weekend when I didn't like the colours of one of the blocks and ended up unpicking part of it and re-doing it.
When it comes to stitching I have a 'rule' that I don't make any changes (either colour or stitch choice) at night time. If I'm unhappy or unsure, I leave it until morning when the light is better and my brain is working! That rule has saved me a lot of heartache not to mention unpicking.
I'm enjoying stitching the blocks but haven't really decided on the quilt layout yet. It's definitely a work in progress.
Until next time
Lyn
I'm still getting things back to normal after out big trip. My studio was looking a bit overwhelmed with scraps of paper as I finished my travel journals and yesterday I finally got around to unpacking the bag of stitching that I took with me.
Before I left, I prepared a new project and packed up a couple of stitcheries and all the bits and pieces needed to stitch them, into a project bag.
I wasn't sure if I would actually get any stitching done but knew that if I didn't take any I would have been saying "I wish I had brought some stitching."
Well, as it turned out, I didn't do any stitching at all. As I unpacked my project bag yesterday everything was exactly the same as when we left except the stitcheries looked a little bit worse for wear because they had been folded up for 5 weeks.
I gave them a good press; sorted out what I was doing; and re-organised all the things needed to complete them. Now, I can start where I had left off.
The stitcheries are for next year's newsletter block of the month called The Word. I had visions of having a couple of the stitcheries finished by now but that proved to be a bit ambitious. Never mind. But, at least they are all traced and ready to stitch.
Until next time
Lyn
Another block from my newsletter quilt Family Blessings (see the right hand side bar for details) is Home.
What do you think of when you see the word 'home'? To me 'home' is a place that is warm and welcoming; where I don't have to pretend to be anyone other than myself; where I am loved uncondtionally; and where I feel safe.
That's what Jesus was referring to in Matthew 11:28 when he said "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest."
Life can be tiring - lots of things that we carry around in our hearts and minds really weigh us down. Things like guilt, rejection and all sorts of hurts.
When we put our faith in Jesus he takes these things away and we enter into his rest where we receive unconditional love, acceptance, forgiveness... sounds like home!
Except the home that Jesus has for us is for eternity.
Until next time
Lyn
Our big overseas trip is getting closer (18 July) and I'm starting to get excited and a little nervous. I'm planning to take a journal with me to capture some of the things that we do and what does a new journal need? That's right - a new cover.
On the weekend I looked through my fabric to find something suitable and didn't get any further than Anni Downs' Love to Garden range. It's the same range that I used for my Fly Away project but this time I'm using the blue print. I'm also using a matching beige background print, a stripe (or two) and the beige cotton/linen stitchery fabric.
I'm planning to have a small stitchery design on both the front and back covers and will add some ric-rac braid and a twisted cord.
I managed to get the stitchery traced and started on the weekend and hope to have the whole thing finished by the end of the week.
I'm going to call it My Trip.
Until next time
Lyn
Another block on my Family Blessings quilt is Gifts. When I was making my little Birdie key ring the other day I started thinking about God's goodness to me.
Four years ago we sold our house of 25 years and moved interstate. When we started house hunting we made a list of things we wanted in a house but couldn't seem to find one suitable until one day Robin was (literally) running past and saw this one which was up for sale. A week later we owned it! When we checked our 'list' we realized that God had blessed us with a house that had more than we wanted - including a perfect place to put my shed (studio).
The Bible says (Matt 7:11) that God delights in giving good things to his children and that we should never stop asking him. But as beautiful as our house is, it won't last forever while the 'good things' that God wants to give me last for eternity.
Until next time
Lyn
I've put the finishing touches on my Fly Away project so now I'm ready to do just that - fly away!
Finished size of the pouch is 9" x 9" when closed. It's approx. the same size as my Cottage Threads pouch which I find just perfect for my latest stitchery projects. There's plenty of room for the project, my hoop, threads and a needlecase.
The needlecase is 5" x 9" when open and is a similar size to my Love to Sew needlecase. Inside there are 2 pockets for needles and a pocket for threads or my thread cutter. I also added some felt to hold the needles in use.
The pattern is available in printed and pdf formats on my website and pdf format in my Etsy shop.
Now I've finished the bag, I will have to decide what stitchery projects I'm going to take with me.
Until next time
Lyn