Kiss Countdown

This is a cute Valentine's machine embroidery project I just finished from San Francisco Stitch Company.  It's an advent calendar with small machine embroidery pockets that you create in the hoop on the machine and then you piece a base layer just like a miniature quilt of different size fabric squares or rectangles onto which you stitch the little advent pockets. The top of the little pockets are left open so you fill them candy and love notes!

Kiss Countdown!

Here are a few more detailed pictures. I embellished with a few hot crystals and buttons. Sandwich with batting and backing. Stitch in the ditch and add a binding. Finished!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Slight Progress

I have a few of the hundreds of parts of Easy Street sewn together, or at least partially complete. Here is a picture of what one of the blocks may look like. You can get the idea of the color scheme.  My only comment in a word--- Bright!

If I ever did this again ---(smack me!)---well, as I was saying  "if I ever did" Easy Street again I would choose to do it in the more subdued Stone Hedge "bright" line of fabrics instead.  Love the colors!

Stone Hedge Brights! Love!

Ummm---Brights and black and white scraps from my stash, not so much love going on---

Wordless Wednesday

Clue: see the sewing machine picture on the right side of this screen posting.

Victorian Day of the Week Dishtowels

I'm either avoiding the Easy Street mystery quilt and any machine quilting lately (dusting the long arm)----or I'm having a lot of fun with the embroidery machine!   I think it's a little of both!

 I really am stitching on Easy street between thread changes at the embroidery machine---It's just a bit slow going as some thread changes are minutes apart. There were a lot of thread changes with these design. I used Isacord and Maderia threads.  These are those nice Aunt Martha towels I've mentioned before that come three in a pack that I buy at JoAnn Fabrics. You can just barely see the colored woven bands inside the folds of the toweling. Nice cotton weave.

Here are the latest set of dishtowels. The designs are Victorian looking objects from one of the many  talented digitizers at Oregon Patchworks.

Penelope Day of the Week Towels

I  deserted the Easy Street mystery quilt to do some machine embroidery. Probably because I'm just really tired of sewing on the mystery.  I've been inspired by all the finished Easy Street quilts though, so I will get back to it ---tomorrow.

I needed a machine embroidery fix. "Penelope" is a vintage day of the week design. The dishtowels  are from JoAnn Fabric and can be found in the iron on transfer dept.

A Bit of This & That

I did make a little more progress on the Easy Street Mystery quilt the past few days.  Step 3 is completed. No pictures here, but step 4 is also finished! I'm cutting on step 5 today! Maybe, just maybe I will catch up with some of you speedy stitchers before next Friday.

I've had some quilters email me about the fabric organizers I use.  The plastic ones that I've had for a long time are from  Polar Notions, but I have also found a good substitute.  The 6-3/4 x 10-1/2 comic book backing boards sold by Amazon. 100 in a package for $13.44 (free prime shipping).

These work just as well as the more expensive fabric organizers. The plastic fabric organizer is on the left and the comic board organizer is on the right. Below you can see both placed in the folds of the fabric. Yes, the comic book board is shorter, but it also depends on the width of the fabric. Here the picture is of a a full 45 inch fabric. Once the fabric is on the shelf, the cardboard holder keeps it folded just as well as the taller plastic organizer.

 Fabric organizers. Plastic versus Comic book cardboard holder.

 Fabric stored on shelves with both the plastic and the comic book boards.

Fabric folded on the cardboard comic book holders.  I think they work just as well as the plastic.

 Before Christmas I made quite a few of the padded composition book covers. Most were gifted, but I have a lot more interesting fabrics to play with. If you are making any of these journals or books, Staples Office supplies has a good price on the composition books right now.

 One of my bargain finds is this small mannequin display holder with hooks for the skirt base.
Perfect for hanging scissors at the cutting table! This looks vintage, but it's a reproduction I found at our local Beverly's Crafts and Fabric store.

Have a healthy and happy New Year everyone!

Easy Street

I have fallen behind over the holidays, and now I'm playing catchup with my Easy Street mystery. Maybe I can make some progress this week. Part three has been difficult for me. Lots of ripping and adjusting the turquoise triangle piece of this small block. Replacing some of them.  I'm not sure why---but, I just keep stitching away in hopes it all comes together in the final phase.

I'm loving the fabric colors Bonnie suggested!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone---and a Happy New Year

Winter-Green

 As winter sets in on the hill, the ferns come to life in the winter months.

 These pictures were taken on one of my recent walks after a rain.

 The green ferns will grow anywhere. Here they have found an old tree root.

 Green moss growing on the bark of a fir tree.

Our green meadow.