Five Shadows

Happy Thanksgiving Week to my USA readers!

After a lovely time of traveling to a wedding celebration, time spent in Smoky Mts National Park, and time with friends, hubs and I are home and getting back into our routines.

Daniel & Carrie

View from Newfound Gap

On to quilting and stitching -

To-Do Tuesday for November 9 – 23 

1. Wool Applique  ✔️

2. A Quilter’s Dream Embroidery  ✔️

3. Once home, start on quilted Christmas gifts.  ✔️

1. Wool Appliqué – A little progress was made. I read books most nights instead of doing hand work while traveling.

Tree & bee hive completed. Stems for flowers underway. The stem stitch was new to me. Had to rip out first attempt and practice on another piece. I’m learning! This is relaxing, right?

2. A Quilter’s Dream Embroidery – Before leaving on our trip, I did get the design traced. But I decided to set it aside until the New Year.

3. Christmas gifts – are underway!

I picked up this small holly leaf  hanger from the discount area of a quilt shop a few years ago. I decided to create a little quilt to hang from it for a friend who likes yard art.

All finished and ready to gift! The hanger is 22″ long x 10″ wide. And the little quilt is 5 1/2″wide  x 12″ long.

Next up is a little collage of flowers for a friend who loves the color orange.

The background was filled with a mixture of quilting motifs, and the flowers are fused on top.

The next step was stitching in the flowers and leaves. Binding and done! The tiny quilt measures 6″ x 9″ and the hanger adds another 2 1/2″ to the length. I have 4 more little quilts to make for gifts.

To-Do Tuesday Week of November 23rd

1. Continue making quilted Christmas gifts. I’m making 6 total. 2 completed, 4 to go.
2. Maybe work on the wool appliqué.
3. Enjoy Thanksgiving with family!

Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Linda of Texas Quilt Gal.

This past week I did move forward on two items on my list. Plus I prepped a new project that I thought would be good to take along as Hubs and I travel out-of-state to a wedding this weekend.

Here’s my list for the past week -

To-Do Tuesday November 2 – 8

1. Continue working on Flying Geese at my Thursday quilting group.  ✔️

2. Continue wool applique.  ✔️

3. Maybe pull out a UFO to quilt.  ✗

Here’s how this week has gone -

1. Flying Geese

I finished piecing all the flying geese and started piecing them into blocks. I’ll be using the geese to make 5 small quilts instead of one large quilt. These will be small, 32″ – 36″ square, and are destined for either a charity my church donates to, mostly for people in wheel chairs. This small size is perfect to fit over a lap. Or one or two might end up as baby quilts. I’ll just need to add borders to reach the needed size.

2. Wool Applique

I’m slowly moving along on the wool appliqué. And I do mean slowly! I’m new to this and not fast at hand stitching on wool at all! I finished the tree and started the bee hive, which is sitting on gray rocks.

Stitches show up a bit better in this photo. I’m in learning mode on this piece. The white rectangle is going to be a bee hive. Figures crossed it turns out ok!

And as if I am a glutton for punishment, I’ve purchased and prepped a new handwork piece. This one is on cotton, which I’m just a bit more familiar with so I hope I enjoy it.

The Featherweight Shop offered this kit in two color ways. I bought the brights. The piecing and embellishments around the embroidered Featherweight sewing machine are adorable. Here’s hoping I can manage the embroidery. There is one new stitch for me to learn in this piece. I’m thinking Hubs and I will have some down time over the weekend at the wedding so I’m taking this along and the wool appliqué. Any amount  of progress I make on either will be considered an accomplishment!

To-Do Tuesday for November 9 – 23 (I won’t be home to post next Tuesday, so this is a two week list)

1. Wool Applique

2. A Quilter’s Dream Embroidery

3. Once home, start on quilted Christmas gifts.

I’m linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Linda of Texas Quilt Gal.

It’s already November! Cool weather has arrived here in NE Indiana. The weather seems to be a bit behind schedule this year. Last week was lovely in the 50s and lower 60s most days altho very rainy. Trees seem to be at their peak in Fall colors now.

Our family met at Chain-O-Lakes State Park for a walk Saturday. It was a lovely time, mid 50s, and no rain! We walked a 3 1/2 mile trail that meandered mostly along a stream, which was high because of all the rain. The grand kids loved the foot bridges. And a certain 3 year old did his best to splash in each and every puddle!

To-Do Tuesday October 26 – November 1

1. Pumpkin hot pot pads/mug rugs  ✔️

2. Quilt block mug rug – birthday gift  ✔️

Goals were met this week!

1. Pumpkins!

These measure approximately 9 1/2″ square. I used orange fabrics from my stash. There is just a bit of foundation piecing in each pumpkin adding interest. I Mistyfused the pumpkin parts to the background fabric and then machine blanket stitched around the parts. The pumpkins with foundation piecing are all my own design.

2. Mug Rugs!

This 8 1/2″ mug rug in purples is a This & That Pattern Company design.  This & That has created a Bitty Barn Block for each month of the year. Above is November’s Bitty Barn Block.

Once I finished the Mug Rug for November I got busy on a gift for December. This 9 1/2″ Bitty Barn Block is December’s design. It goes to a friend whose favorite color is orange.

Although not listed, I did finish the hand stitching on I Picked a Posey design by Jennifer of elefantz.com. -

Now to figure out what to do with it! Frame in an oval hoop? Work into a quilt/quilt block? Mat & frame? The background is 9 1/2″ x 12″ and can be trimmed.

That’s my successful short list for this past week!

To-Do Tuesday November 2 – 8

1. Continue working on Flying Geese at my Thursday quilting group.

2. Continue wool applique.

3. Maybe pull out a UFO to quilt.

Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Linda of  Texas Quilt Gal.

This past week I did make progress on my simple goals for October 19th To-Do list.

1. Some hand stitching. ✔️

2. Prep wool appliqué. ✔️

3. Begin piecing a top for charity. ✔️

1. Ripping out stitching on I Picked a Posey embroidery happened.

Next I added fabric and blanket stitched around it.

I have a few more stitches to add to the top of the vase. The lighting in my sewing room sure changes day to day!

2. The wool appliqué – Sweet As Honey – I am slow going on this!

Pieces are prepped, and embroidery stitches in progress.

All those little pieces, leaves, flowers, bee, might take a while. And then the words. I hope I’ve not taken on too much with this kit!

3. Charity quilts -

Those piles are 88 flying geese. There are 68 more in progress. This is what I’m currently working on at my once a month quilting group. Next time I work on this quilt will be November 4th.

Other happenings in the sewing room -

Playing with quilting rulers! I purchased two of Amanda Murphy’s panels to use for practice quilting with her rulers.

Here is one of the panels sandwiched and ready to quilt.

Instruction book and Lollipop quilt rulers.

Panel quilted, front.

Quilting shows up well on the back.

This has been fun! I’m thinking of adding to the panel to make a lap size (wheel chair size) charity quilt.

A friend asked if I would make her some pumpkin hot pot pads. So that looks like what I’ll be doing this week.

To-Do List for October 26 – November 2

1. Pumpkin hot pot pads/mug rugs

2. Quilt block mug rug – birthday gift

Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Linda of  Texas Quilt Gal.

I’ve not posted on To-Do-Tuesday since April. When I recently went looking for the host, ChrisKnits, I discovered there is now a new host. I’m not sure when the switch happened, but I’m glad to find Linda of Texas Quilt Gal hosting TDT. Thanks Linda!

This week both of the quilting groups I belong to meet. One today, and one on Thursday. That means figuring what to take along to work on. The Tuesday group only meets for about 4 hours with a lunch break. I’m taking along a little hand stitched piece to finish up.

The flowers are a design by Jennifer of elefantz.com. I changed the bottom, and am not happy with it, (sorry Jennifer, should have stuck with your design!) so I’ll be changing that out again. I’m rather new to embroidery, got to be patient with myself!

I’m also taking along Sweet As Honey wool kit by Primitive Gatherings. I have even less experience with wool appliqué, so this might be an interesting week! Here’s to learning!

I’ll be taking my Singer Featherweight and a sewing project to Thursday’s group. Most likely I’ll work on a charity quilt.

Simple goals for this week.

1. Some hand stitching.

2. Prep wool appliqué.

3. Begin piecing a top for charity.

Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Linda of Texas Quilt Gal.

Complications kept me from shopping this past week. Hopefully I’ll make it out the door today to LQS. I also need to drop off my machine for a tune up and cleaning.

I’m taking part in the Project Quilting Season 12 Challenge. This Sunday the third challenge was announced. Virtual Vacation.

My family and I have been talking about doing a trip up to Northern Michigan – visiting light houses along Lake Michigan coast line, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and Traverse City Botanical Gardens. The Gardens are of interest because I learned they have a Fairy Trail there. My granddaughter is at the age where she is all about fairies.

For PQ 12.3 Virtual Vacation Challenge I made a Fairy Pillow for my granddaughter.

Here is the backside of stitching completed for the pillow.

And the front -

I traced a coloring page for the fairy then stitched over the lines, filled in her wings. I added fused & stitched flowers and vine for her to be in a pretty garden.

Close up of our charming little fairy.

Close up of free form flowers.

Pinks and purples are granddaughter’s favorite colors right now so pink & purple it is for this 16″ pillow. All stitching is with Aurifil 50# threads. The Fossil Fern fabrics are left over from a quilt I made for her bed.

I bombed on my To-Do list. Hopefully this week will be much better.

Last Week’s To-Do List:

1. Shop for fabric?  ✗ Change of weather brought on three days of migraine suffering. Snow was lovely!
2. Start layout and stitching Clam Shells in place  ✗  decided to make one more row of clam shells

This Week’s To-Do List:

1. Make more Clam Shells
2. Since Janome is in for a cleaning, I’ll dig out the old Bernina and see how she is doing.

Linking to To-Do Tuesday and Project Quilting.

In 2019, I followed along with Jacquelynne Steves, Happy Little Things BOM. I choose to use hand embroidery for the flower in the center of each block. I used scrap whites for background fabrics for the flowers.

The rest of the quilt was pieced using a Fat Eight pack of Carolyn Friedlander’s Friendlander line of fabric. This was purchased from Crimson Tate quilt shop in Indianapolis, IN. Finishing this quilt was my OMG for March.

Scrappy binding using up bits of the fabric pack.

The back is pieced from the fabric pack too!

Quilt measures 30″ x 36 1/2″.

It’s my new Spring quilt hanging in my living room.

Linking to One Monthly Goal hosted by Patty of Elm Street Quilts.

For February, I’ll be working towards completing the 2019 Happy Little Things BOM hosted by Jacquelynne Stevens.

I hand embroidered the flower motif for the center of each of the 4 blocks.

Using Carolyn Friedlaner fabrics, I built the block around the embroidered center.

Each block needs to be sashed. Once sewn together, there are two borders to complete. My plan is to get the top all pieced. If all goes well, maybe I’ll even sandwich, quilt, and bind. This will be a nice quilt to display in my living room this Spring.

What are you working on this month? Check out everyone else’s plans at Elm Street Quilts.

Linking to One Monthly Goal.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

Season’s Greetings!

For December’s OMG I planned on keeping up with Helen Godden’s 24 day Christmas Countdown Quilt Along.

Success!

I did keep up with the daily quilting, which was just a little bit each day. Then Christmas Eve was also quilting the background.

Christmas Day I finished with the binding before family came over to Celebrate Christ’s Birth.

In December, I also wanted to make six small quilt gifts for my quilting friends.

I used part of the Christmas Countdown Quilt Along design to create six little quilts.

I made little ‘pillow cases’ and slipped them over clear plastic free standing picture frames.

The Merry Christmas is hand embroidered.

The yellow flame, holly berries, and outline of holly leaf are colored with Sharpie markers.

These were really fun to make!

Happy New Year, All!

Linking to One Monthly Goal hosted by Patty of Elm Street Quilts.

This week filled up with lots of doing, but not much quilting. Here are just a few things I did get to this week.

First, I had to tackle my messing sewing room since I couldn’t get to the cutting mat to continue with Bat Moon Rising!

I did get the mat cleared off, but not the rest of the counter top to the right of the mat.

Anyway, that gave me room enough to cut out more Bat Moon Rising pieces.

I only got a little bit of piecing completed.

Sunday was a day spent with family. Birthday celebration and a Train Show. Our granddaughter thought the Hodges Hand Cars was the best part of the Train Show. Here she is riding a Hand Car.

You turn that wheel round and round to go around the track. She thought it was great fun. Husband thought it was great exercise and a fun way for kiddos to run off some of their energy! LOL

Our grandson, not yet big enough for the Hand Car, sure enjoyed watching the bigger kids!

He stood there going “whoo whoo!” He loves anything with wheels and loves to imitate the sounds too.

Woot! I finished stitching Dropcloth Sampler last night.

I’ll figure out how to frame it, most likely an embroidery hoop, after Thanksgiving. I’ll try to remember to keep an eye out for a hoop while shopping this weekend.

Next up – Thanksgiving baking! Remember those Pumpkin Dinner Rolls I posted last Tuesday? I’m making them today, and putting together the dressing. The turkey is defrosting in the fridge.

I hope you are all enjoying gearing up for the Holidays!

Last To-Do List:

1. Continue with Curve it Up quilting ✗
2. Keep piecing Bat Moon Rising ✔️
3. Piecing block 4 of Happy Little Things ✗
4. Finish Satin Stitch in the Dropcloth Sampler ✔️

To Do List:

1. Thanksgiving baking, cooking!
2. Enjoying Thanksgiving with family and friends.
3. Make and mail a little snowman mug rug for my SIL.
4. Any quilting or piecing I might find time for this Thanksgiving week

Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Home Sewn by Us.