Meet Sewfina

I will post larger pictures when I get home. This will have to do for now. I forgot to change the resize choice when I posted them and I am at work now and cannot change them.

Our dear Joan from the Persian Pickle made "Sewfina" for the Quilt Show. Joan is exceptionally gifted.

Update

Last night was class at Barry's......... I got exactly four leaves done on row 20 of my sampler. I took a picture but somehow or other it got lost. I did downsize one for the sidebar. You can see my sad little leaves there. There are 15 leaves on that row and then I will need to add the beads that form the grapes. That sure doesn't look like much but it did take 2 hours. I will confess that I was tired and I took out as much as I put in. There are days like that.

Fussy Cutting

No, I did NOT make this quilt..........But isn't it luscious......... This gives new meaning to the words "Fussy Cutting"..... This is just one of the many quilts on display at our Guild's show this past weekend. I will add more later.

What's On Your Bed?

On Friday SuBee at Pieces of Time asked that question.

At last I got around to taking the picture. I could not however get Honey to move off the bed. After all, she thinks that it is Her Bed. She also closed her eyes just as I clicked the shutter.

The quilt is "Fields and Fences", a pattern I found online at the McCalls site. I left work and went straight to the fabric store. I purchased some of their luscious homespun fabrics and went home and began immediately. I love that quilt....... It is just my kind of quilt.

Focus Projects for November

I have made a few adjustments to the Focus List. The Guild show is over and those projects were completed and I am pleased to be able to move on to the next deadline. That will be the Ornaments. My goal is to have 60 done by Thanksgiving. I have 30 completed.

I have just a wee bit of work to do on a pincushion that I need to get mailed. I will get that going tonight just to get it off the list.

The Wisteria is a Wednesday night class project. I hope to finish the next band this week so that I can begin the Klostern Blocks for the hardanger embroidery on the last row.

The pink socks are all done but running the threads...... Looks like I could get that done.

One black sock is complete and I have 3 inches on the second one. These socks are slow going because the yarn is difficult to work with. There is a television program that Lem and I watch each evening together. That is my knitting time right now..... I really cannot bead and watch tv at the same time...........

I am working downstairs each morning for about an hour........ I have three of 12 baskets done for the class quilt. More of a report on that one later.

A Bit of Weather

We had a rough Saturday. As you can see, a couple of homes are no longer. These were summer cottages that had been built on a spit of land formed by storms long, long ago. Actually where they were sitting was the entrance into the Chatham harbor in 1837. Sometimes people forget that God is in charge and building on the beach is not a good thing.

We were without power for quite some time. Saturday night we sat listening to a battery powered radio as I knitted to the light of an oil lamp. I must make sure to wash the globe on that lamp more often.

My poor Weather Pixie is not working because of the storm..... Perhaps she will be fixed soon.

Class Project

You might remember this stack of fabric from several weeks ago. I got it for a class I was taking.
This is the project we are making. I knew exactly what I as going to do. As usual the plan changed. I have gathered enough fabric to make perhaps two quilts. I would like to do one in the pink fabrics for Mama. I noticed that many of the ladies at Roman Eagle (her new home) have quilts and afghans on their beds.


Here are the blocks I began at class that Saturday and I finally have them all finished. This was the easy part. The basket blocks are next.


This morning I was able to cut the basket block fabrics............... I can tell you that I am out of my comfort zone on this one but my class mates assured me that this was the way to go. I still think I am going to do one following the original plan. Yup, just plain ole vanilla me.

The Four Seasons of Quilting

At last the quilt for the show is complete............ It was great fun but I will think twice before I do this again.


This is Spring - the season when a quilt is drafted. This portion was made by Joan.


Peg designed and made Summer for us. That season is the fun part of purchasing fabric. She even found tiny little scissors for the cutting table in the quilt shop.



Vickie made the Autumn season. The time when all is ready to quilt. There is even silver thread for a needle and the quilter has a wedding ring.


You probably remember my little room. It is finished at last... Complete with clock, phone and a glass vase for the flowers.............


Here are all the seasons together on their background quilt. I will be making ornaments every evening from now on..................

Home Again

Here are a few pictures taken in Virginia on the way down.......... The weather was good going to Virginia but terrible rain and traffic on the way home.

It was good to see some of the family again, I just wish the circumstances had been different.

Mama is doing well again. She is now in a rehab facility but it appears that she will not be able to live alone any longer. She lost down to 70 lbs but perhaps she can gain a pound or two back.

I might never get caught up on my blog reading again but I will try............ Thanks to everyone for your prayers.

Traveling

We are on the road again........... Currently in Virginia.

My mother is in the hospital but is doing better now.

We will be returning home on Friday.

Can someone hold my place till I get home?

Thanks

An Ordinary Day

I got the fabric washed and pressed for my class on Saturday......... Doesn't it look nice all stacked up there....... I am not exactly sure which piece will go where but what ever I do it will be a warm quilt.


After work I headed off to Eastham for more dish packs.......... I picked up three again. Now to empty the cabinets and get them packed.

I stopped at my local yarn shop.......... Shawn had called last week to let me know that more sock yarn had arrived....... A girl has to check out all the new stuff.........



Yes, I did find a skein or two for socks...... Shawn is smiling all the way to the bank..........



When I stopped at the library, there was this little building out front....... Not sure what it is for but I took a picture anyway......



Here is the actual library....... I went on Thursday because they are open until 7:00 that day and I would have time to make a good selection. Wrong........... They were closing early yesterday so that the workers could go to a class.
Then home to my wonderful husband who was cooking his usual Thursday casserole.

Sunday Surprise

On Sunday, Kathy, one of the people I met at Curves brought a sewing machine for Robert. I now have two for him to trade for Chloe, the treadle he picked up for me in Georgia. Kathy is giving the machine to me and I will layer and tie a quilt for her.

This machine is a real beauty and in impeccable condition. I think the paint on the Red Eye is so outstanding.

The cabinet is in good shape also.

It even came with a manuel and a box of attachments............

The Springtime of Quilting

The theme of our Guild's show this year is "The Seasons of Quilting". Some of the Pickles joined together to make our own interpretation of this theme. We each selected a season and are making a small quilt representing that season. We will mount these small quilts on one large one that has been entered into the show.

Joan had the season of spring.......... That is the planning stage of a quilt.



I am in awe of her talent. The hands are hand painted. The pencil is dimensional and sewn on. She added interest by cutting out the flowers and ironing them on with cheesecloth she had dyed to soften the picture.


I keep hoping that if I am with people like Joan enough some of their brilliance will rub off onto me.

Update

I do have pictures, they are still in the camera......... I just have not paused long enough for the download....

I am slowly getting a good routine going......... It is difficult sometimes to balance home keeping, stitching, and work.............

I have been working on the beaded ornaments........ I have 28 of them done. That is close to the half way mark.

I have completed the quilt for the guild show and tonight when the pickle meets we can pick the side we want to use and I can begin to add the hanging sleeve to the other side.

I am still working on the bedroom............. That seems to be slow going........ Perhaps Joan and Vickie can give me some ideas and I can get this project done...............

I completed the row I began in class last Wednesday (has it been almost a week already?). Tomorrow night I should be able to add two more rows. That project is progressing nicely.

Now on to the ugly truth.................. I had the urge to practice hand quilting again. So I did. I spent quite a bit of time changing hoops and chairs and positions but I think at last I am getting the hang of this............. I worked on that for the last 3 days instead of my October projects. At least when the November list comes out I will have something to go in it that will be even closer to completion.

Tagged

At long last I have been tagged......... Dear Debbi of DubiQuilts has asked that I participate in the

SEVEN TRUTHS MEME


The rules of this are:


1. Link the person who has tagged you.
2. Tell seven true things about yourself.
3. Tag seven new people.
4. Leave a message with the person you have tagged so they know about it.


I am supposed to name seven truths about myself............. and tag seven new people. Since I am making beaded ornaments for the guild I will offer a beaded ornament for the seven people that I am tagging.

Now on to the seven things (this is hard)


1 - I would rather have a good baked potato with sour cream and cheese than chocolate. (will I be banned from the group for this confession?)


2 - I do not like to travel.......... Most people do and for years I thought I should but I am older now and I can say without fear of repercussions that I would rather stay at home with a cup of tea and shortbread than go anywhere. (except shopping for fabric)


3 - I cry when I hear the "Star Spangled Banner". (doesn't take much for me. most movies end up with a box of tissues gone)


4 - I like quiet.......... REAL quiet......... Early in the morning quiet before even the birds are up kind of quiet. (I shower without turning on the light because the florescent fixture in our bathroom hums..........)


5 - I like Lapsang Souchon tea. (you either like or NOT..... this is not a take it or leave taste.....)


6 - I get a lot accomplished when I have a deadline approaching. (because I work on anything else other than the deadline project. I think there are many others out there with the same quirk.)

7 - I like routine. It is comforting to have a routine. Then I know what to expect from each day.

Now to tag seven people............... This is going to be difficult.

I have now selected seven people and sent them an email to let them know.

Wednesday Nights

On Wednesday nights I go to Town Ho Needlecrafts for class. Right now there are only two of us in the class, Briget and myself............ This is Barry, our fearless leader. He knows all about color and how to use it. His work is exceptional. He knows all there is to know about most needle arts. He encourages us to try new stitches and new threads....... Sometime when you ask for his opinion he says "Well, it's your piece." You can tell by the tone whether or not to move forward or to begin taking out...... I could not have had the courage to try some of the things I have done without his encouragement.

This is Brigit.......My only other class mate. We had three others at one time but I think Brigit and I ran them off...... Would you like to join us?


This is the progress I made on Wisteria............ I began cutting the next row. That is row 19 and there are 23 all together. Still in the tunnel but there is a glimmer of light at the end.

Progress

That last bit with the pins will have the quilt together. Then to put the binding on it. I turned down one corner so you could see the other side.

Slowly I Stitch

Last night I was only able to get about 3/4 of my stitching done on the Guild Quilt. Perhaps tonight I will get that last bit done and I can begin putting it all together. I still have to finish my bedroom picture. That will have to be done this weekend because we are to turn them in on Tuesday. I also need to get the hanging sleeve on the quilt I entered into the show. That deadline is coming up fast............................

Saturday

We actually crossed the bridge Saturday.......... This picture was taken as we started across the Sagamore Bridge. It is one of the two bridges that connects the Cape to the Mainland. We went to Walmart and came home with vitamins and tissues and other exciting things.



Now for an update on my progress so far. I managed to get one beaded ornament cover completed. I need 60 and I have completed 19. That is almost one third of them done. The deadline for this project is Dec. 1st. This might make the November list of "Projects".



While we were on the road, I worked on the ubiquitous sock. I got the top done and I have turned the heel. Now to work the gusset and then it will be mindless knitting again. The kind I like to do while I watch Judge Judy.

Other Projects.

I did take out what I had done on the vest and began again. This is my progress so far. I have 4 inches of the 71/2 needed for the first third of the back. This is also something to keep the hands busy while I am watching TV.


I wanted to make sure that something was done on the Wisteria Sampler before I went to class on Wednesday. I completed band number 17 (the green Scotch Stitch). The next band is hemstitching and I will need to cut the fabric. I want to have someone else to count with me before I cut this wrong again.



Last but not least is the quilt for the show. I have all 25 blocks done and all 5 rows together. The hand stitching is complete on all the rows and two of the rows are sewn together and hand stitched. This morning I added another row to the two that were complete and put the other two together. I am hoping that tonight I can get the hand stitching on that part done and put them together in the morning.




I only work downstairs in the morning. I am at my best at that time of day. Everyone else is still asleep and the house is quiet. I can work with no distractions at that time.

I am making progress on my October list and I might even finish a thing or two.