A finish

The first Grandchild is expected to arrive at the end of November.  Our daughter is a geologist and enjoys dinosaurs.  She had seen this material back in 2022.  She goes by one of my rules: if you see a material that you think you would like to use in the future, buy it.  It won't be around forever.  (I don't have a big stash.  Just some special material.)

She picked up this dinosaur material with a purpose in mind.  A quilt for her first baby.  In July 2023 she looked at quilt patterns and picked Feathered to a T by Mary Etherington and Connie Tesene at Country Threads.  (They are no longer in business, but you can follow Mary at Country Threads Chicken Scratch.)  The quilt was stitched together by me.  We then chose a flannel sheet backing and cotton batting.

A special machine quilt pattern was desired.  Dave's Dino's by Urban Elementz.  I hope that you can see the three different dinosaurs that are the pattern.  I want to thank Stacey Gilfillan at Little Gilly Quilts for her wonderful work.  She is such a delight, and we are so pleased.

The quilt is now a finish and will be given away today.  We still have a bit of time to pass before we meet the newest member of our family.  

Now, to focus on another project to finish.  My Dirty Dozen number 11 slot has the sheep blankets (a slot for the third time).  Also, more leaves have gone on to the CWB Block.

May you enjoy your threads today.      

Linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

Dirty Dozen, Squirrel

I am very pleased to say that my Dirty Dozen number 4 slot is all appliqued.  Here is Block 6: Hospitality Table from the Bountiful Life Quilt (also known as the Civil War Bride).  The fringe still needs to be stitch on the bottom of the tablecloth and that will be done today while watching football.  Block completion.

Block 5: Pair of Golden Eagles has been started.  This block has many leaves, several vines and the two eagles.  Here is where two evenings of stitching has me.  Stitching will continue.

Jo at Jo's Country Junction had a stitch-a-long that began on 20 September. These are Redwork Pears by Annie Beez Folk Art.  They were stitched on a 36-count linen and with Classic Colorworks silk thread.  Once I started, I couldn't put them down.  Now they are a stitched squirrel.  Shall have to work on getting them sewn together.

The cooler weather has moved in, and it continues to rain.  My hummer feeders are put away for the fall/winter.  I won't put up the seed feeders until the middle of December.  

Linking up to Kathy's Quilts and Slow Stitching Sunday.  Enjoy your day with threads.

 

Dirty Dozen

Mary Etherington at Country Threads Chicken Scratch runs the Dirty Dozen.  It began in July and you either chose to work by number, color, or both.  I joined this year and wrote up my list using the number method.  I have shown it to you before and here it is hanging above my cutting table.  It is to be a constant reminder. 

The first number was 7 and that was my sheep blankets.  They are not finished but are moving along.  Even though you are to pick and work on a new project each month to finish, I will l not stop this project until it is done.  The two centers are now together, and I checked out the borders.  I have four made.  You can see a bit of the lay out.  Only one border fits, the other three I need to shorten, unknit.  Then knit the last four.

But I have to bury the ends and block all the sheep dog parts.  The first one will go under the towels today.  The ends have been buried.

The sheep blankets were number 7 and I added them to last month, number 10.  I didn't have any handwork there.  (I did but more on the framing side.  I'll explain more later.)  

This month is number 4, A Bountiful Life (Civil War Bride).  My mind is so scattered that I didn't remember that I was working on this block when we traveled to Ireland in April.  It was one of two hand projects that I came with me.  I have reevaluated it and am missing four berries.  That I knew, lost them on the plane.  

So today I will make up more berries and get them stitched on and I can begin the table legs and then the table.  I will use my Applipops to make the berries.  They are one of the great inventions of applique.  

I have been invaded by squirrels but cannot show yet.  Thank goodness for the Dirty Dozen list or I would never get anything completed.  Everything would be just parts.  Not that anything is done yet but getting closer.

Linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  Enjoy your threads today.

 

Finish, Dirty Dozen

Jo at Jo's Country Junction has a stitch-a-long happening.  It is the Quaker Wisdom Berries by Erica Michaels.  My three are stitched and even finished!  These are the first berries that I have made.  A video by Vonna Pheiffer showed me how to finish them.  She is a wonderful finisher.  I see what I could have done better but I am very happy.

You can't see all the animals.  A bee for selflessness; a dog for loyalty; a dove for simplicity and peace; and a lamb for humility.

Mary Etherington at Country Threads Chicken Scratch hosts the Dirty Dozen.  July and August were dedicated to getting the centers of my sheep blankets put together.  It was going to be finished in July but it became too hot to work with wool.  The centers are now put together and I now will evaluate the borders.  I thought I had knit them all, but no.  I need to see what I have and what needs to be done.  This will continue to be worked on to get them finished.

For September the number is 4.  On my list that is the Civil War Bride and finishing an Advent Calendar.  I have the calendar out and now need to look at where I am on the Civil War Bride.  My plan of action will be set soon.     

Linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  I do have some slow stitching that I am working on.  Hope to show you next week.  Enjoy your threads.    
 

Something

Mother Nature has been a better gardener this year than I.  I was looking out the kitchen window and saw yellow in a raised bed area that I had given up on.  There is this two-foot sunflower growing.  The birds or squirrels must have planted it.  They are the better gardeners this year for sure.  

I have completed three flimsies this week.  I can only show you Heartfelt at this time.  The Tuna Quilters are meeting tomorrow, and I want them to meet the other two first.  Their pictures will be shown next week.  

I can't believe what a procrastinator I am.  All I had to do was add the final border on this one.  I am so glad that it is a flimsy. Now to decide if it will be hand or machine quilted.  This is the largest quilt I have ever pieced.  It is draped over a queen size bed with lots of hang over.  WOW.  Heartfelt is one of my Dirty Dozen.

Here is a picture of the borders.  

One of the berries has been finished.  The butterfly represents selflessness and the dog is loyalty.  I am trying to decide if I can stitch the other one on the other end of the linen.  The berrry shape will be drawn out and then I think, hard. 

 

Enjoy your threads today.  We are to have more rain, thunderstorms.  I guess I know where I will be.  Linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

 

August

A week has gone by, and I have been working with threads and material, but it doesn't look like very much.  (I try to keep a written record of what I have been working on, and the hours, to show myself I really haven't been lazy.)  I have spent hours outdoors working on the gardens as we haven't had much rain this week.  Only rained twice and it was in the afternoon.  The gardens are a bit of a loss this year.  They are green, gorgeous weeds, too much rain.

Here is the beginning of a kids quilt.  Dinosaur material and 216 2-inch HST.  I have six of the nine blocks done.  I am needing to piece this in parts, so I really don't mess up.  So far it is working. 

I have joined Jo's Country Junction's stitch along.  It is the Quaker Wisdom Berries by Erica Michaels.

I just set up the frame, made a working copy of the pattern, and divided the threads.  This will be my new slow stitching for a bit.

In the land of the Dirty Dozen found at Country Threads Chicken Scratch by Mary Etherington, the number for August is 10.  In that space on my list only embroidery was there.  The sheep blankets have now been placed there.  The sheep blocks need to continue getting joined together.  Onward.

Have a wonderful day with your threads.  Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  See you next week.

 

15 Minutes

Tuesday, we drove up to Maine to see two of our kids.  It is a four-hour drive and I like to work on something while riding in the car.  The second sheep blanket and vertical joining would be a good project to take along.  Fifteen minutes in, I broke the darning needle that I was using and didn't have another.  Best laid plans.......

 

I was able to borrow a darning needle from our youngest.  She is the only one of three girls who likes fibers and threads.  The vertical block joining was completed, and the horizontal row joining begun.  The second blanket is almost done with the joining of blocks.  I will then go back to the rows of the first blanket.  

I do have sad news.  I never finished knitting the border rows.  I only have what I think are the side rows done and still have to knit the top and bottom rows.  When I get the sheep blocks together, I will then reevaluate and see what I have to knit.

When we came back from Maine on Friday, I found that we had 3 inches of rain while we were gone.  It is raining now and to rain all day today.  I will never catch up with my weeds.

May your day with threads be enjoyable.  Linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

 

List, No List

Sometimes it may be good to procrastinate (not really).  When I knit, I knit in the round.  I don't do seams.  I don't really enjoy seams.  I like to have a knitting project done when I am done.  I usually only have the underarms or toes to seam and the sweater or socks are done.

I needed to go to the video world out there to figure out how to join these blocks.  That lead me to the mattress stitch.  It is done vertical and horizontal.  I have the blocks of one of the blankets together with the vertical mattress stitch.  I will (read should have) take a picture to show you the seam.  I am so pleased.  This took about six hours to stitch, over several evenings.  I will vertical stitch the other blanket and then begin the horizontal stitch.

I was picking up and putting away threads from the sheep bag project.  I said to self, "You CANNOT put this scissor fob and pin cushion on the list.  Make them NOW".  So, I went to make them and found out that I had not made the spring or winter ones.  What a non-finish person I am.

The scissor fobs have been made and attached to scissors.  I do have a stash of little scissors.  The purple ones on the right are the best. Whenever I place an order and need just a little bit more to get free shipping, I will add a pair.  Our youngest daughter also has several pairs as I really don't need them all.  But it helped having so many as they always were where I wasn't.  I am finding the fobs work.  I can find them.

Pincushions will be done this week.

Now, it is very important to read the description of a kit very well.  I had seen these Christmas ornaments in a catalog and thought they were cross stitch.  I make ornaments for the kids each year.  (Kids, our adult kids.)  I thought this would be a nice idea and I could get them done quickly.  Well, as you can see, it is not cross stitch.  It is stitching beads onto the paper.  Kinda like half cross stitch with beads.  Don't know that I would have ever thought to do this.  But here I am.  One done, five to go.

Enjoy your day and threads.  I will start my day weeding.  We have had so much rain that I haven't been able to get out to weed.  They are now taller than me.  Beading and mattress stitch will be this evening.

Linking to Sunday Slow Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.

 

Dirty Dozen

Mary Etherington at Country Threads Chicken Scratch has a Dirty Dozen gathering that begins in July and runs for 12 months (projects that need to be finished).  I have watched what fellow Blog followers do and found it interesting.  They complete things.  I decided to join this year and made up my list.  I don't have 12 quilts to finish but I do have knitting and embroidery that also needs to cross the finish line.  I added them to my list.  Today the Dirty Dozen begins, and she called number 7.  OH NO!!!

Back about 1999, I saw this blanket in the Family Circle Easy Knitting magazine.  I sent for the kit and then my sister in Texas sent me a kit for my Birthday.  So, two kits, two blankets.  

All the blocks and the borders have been knitted.  I just never put it together.  It has stayed in this box and basket: just waiting.  I added it to my list thinking its number would come up in the future.  That future was today!  It is on my list as number 7!!  The fiber world is telling me something.  

So, this week I will block blocks, hopefully all of them.  I only have maybe six blocks blocked of about 30 blocks for the two blankets.  

More information in a week.

There is some slow stitching for the evenings.  This is the scissor fob that goes with my sheep bag.  Two of these will be stitched, finished and NOT added to the list.

Here is the pincushion that goes with the set.  A hoop was used for this.  Usually, I use a frame as I don't like to move the hoop and see the hoop marks.  Crazy, I know.  It also will not be added to the list.

You all have a wonderful week.  Thank you for the visit.  Linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.