Talking Quilt

I didn't make up the name. :o)  I found the Talking Quilt sayings at a quilt show booth.  It's the quilt that was on the frame last Friday.  It's a scrappy friendship star that I made for my sister's birthday.  It has a lot of sentimental nostalgic phrases in the center of each star. "Talking Quilts" has all types of sayings printed on muslin type fabric.  The most difficult part of making the quilt is that for some reason you have to not get a hot iron near the printed fabric.  I press, and re-press everything all the time I'm cutting and piecing.  Amazingly, I did manage to not ruin any of the saying.

Yes, once again I paid no attention to where my quilting went just like when I completed the red work embroidery quilt, and it worked out just fine.  I may never worry about echoing around anything again.

The backing is 108" wide backing I purchased on sale from Hancocks of Paducah a few months ago. Block Party by Thimbleberries. If you do a Google search you will find some sources, but I can't find it on the Hancock's website at this time.

Frame Friday

On these now Summer afternoons, (after the rainy few days we had this past week) I'm indoors and I  loaded a quilt onto the long arm yesterday.  Hope to finish it this afternoon.

 I'm doing one of my favorite pantographs. "Butterfly Garden" I like the small scale of this design and fills all the areas of the quilt nicely. It is also completed in one pass as the design first travels up, curves around, then travels down. Easy to line up and nest.

Wordless Wednesday

Little Pond

I've missed having a fish pond. We had one for years but the last time the raccoons and Egret raided the pond and ate all our friendly fish we decided to fill it in. That space has now become a flower bed for the Iris.

When I saw blogger friend Patrica's water barrels in her gardens I remembered that we had an oak barrel liner I had bought ages ago, but never used. So with that inspiration-------

 Here is the spot near the edge of the patio I decided would work. Here the plastic liner is partially in the ground. The old concrete statue is something I've also saved and moved around the yard over the years.  This idea lingered for weeks while my eyes healed. It's probably a good thing that the liner sat empty because it gave me a chance to see this was not an ideal spot for a little water feature.  Too much sun and a lot of debris from the trees landing inside the barrel. Time to move it.

This past week I found a new space on the north east side of the house. Near the front of the house and partially under the eves.  Just a bit of morning sun and shade for the rest of the day.

This is the beginning of a fun garden project! I'm using this tutorial for ideas

Taking the stress out of Longarm tension.

I thought I would share thee Best Video  EVER on adjusting Long Arm Tension by Jamie Wallen.

Sidetracked Again

I've been busy outside in the mornings as it's been hot here later in the day.  I've been prepping dish towel for machine embroidery.  Washing, spray starching, ironing and sorting out day of the week designs on my computer. Sorting out stabilizers----that I can't find product tags for.

Getting sidetracked cleaning out files and quilt patterns I've collected.

I found a basket under my cutting table with some vintage hand embroideries I had saved. Here are just a few of the dresser scarves. 

They are so pretty!  

----and some pretty old hankies. These are some my Mother collected.

Finally I've sat down to embroidery.  

I think I have some sort of attention deficit disorder as I sure get distracted anymore. 

I'm working on Scottie dog day of the week towels for a customer. I better get my act together and quit digging around in the sewing room inside drawers and under tables. It sure has been fun though! 

Finding stuff I had forgotten about.  

Wordless Wednesday

New Toms

Not Much Stitching

I have not stitched a thing all week, unless you consider some mending ---sewing.  We have been outdoors weed eating, raking, hoeing, sweeping and moving plants around, and I have the blisters to prove it despite gloves.  Soon I will have callous where the blisters are. Thankfully.

Bill cleaning up some prunings. Sassy directing the project!

I did take off Saturday to the local Farmers Market and Quilt show and met up with wonderful friends there. I saw some beautiful quilts. The best part of quilt show for me the inspiration that get  my creative juices going which  makes me want to rush home and dig though my patterns, threads and fabrics and start creating! Such talent at the show! Sorry no pictures. It was so crowded it was difficult to get good pictures.

There are not a lot of vendors at the quilt show, but I still managed to bring a few things home!

 30's prints, some turquoise blender, some colorful stripes, and a novelty print

A placemat pattern I thought was so cute. Mug rug included.

Today I will be doing some machine embroidery. I've been contacted to do several sets of day of week dishtowels. But, first I'm off to town to have coffee with the "Starbuck Stitchers". Friends first! Orchard Supply awaits me later----gardening dept of course! Weeds await me----

Childs Quilt-Extraordinary Colors

I just finished quilting this top I pieced while at quilt retreat.  It's a kit "Extraordinary Colors" from Hancocks of Paducah.  It's a fun kit that comes with an adorable book about mixing colors that I plan to include with the quilt. "Hadley Hippo paints her toes a mix of orange and red. Together these make the color Vermilion.  Hadley thinks it's one in a zillion!" 

I have a special child I plan to gift this too----

I had plenty of fabric in the kit (In the Beginning Fabrics). The designer is Jennifer Heynen. The kit is still available. 

I quilted it with the Circle Lord "Square Dance" template board. One of my favorite designs. 

Extraordinary Colors

I picked a cozy flannel backing.

Cut out square motifs and add triangles and borders to create the quilt top.

Close up of wide border print, and quilting.

Seeing Double

My eyes are improving slowly. Day 10.   Yes, I count the days as I feel so restricted and can't wait until the post-op appointment at the end of the month.  My restrictions are primarily nothing strenuous, not bending over or lifting. I guess we don't realize how much of these are part of our daily activity.

I decided I could do some machine embroidery, that wouldn't be too strenuous. Except for dropping scissors and bobbin several times, (no bending over to pick them up)--- it's gone well.

 I swear I didn't even think about the name of this Anita Good Design reversible project until I had cut all the fabrics and picked out the threads.  "Seeing Double" seems so appropriate as I have experienced some out of focus moments lately! LOL!

"Seeng Double" took about 2 days to complete, and unexpectedly used a lot of thread! Bunches!  I loaded a new Hemmingworth mini cone of Olive Green, and still ran out and had to switch to a cone of Isacord in a close green color to complete the middle section. All of the table topper is done "in the hoop" except for the satin stitch around the middle design section.  That was stitched on the sewing machine.   In the hoop projects still awe and amaze me! I can't even imagine conceiving the concept, let alone digitizing and executing such complex designs. These are some very-very talented machine embroidery Artist. Thank you PJ!

(just a bit of clean up needed to remove stabilizer and loose threads)