REMIX, APPLIQUE, AND DRESDENS

I must admit that going into the 7th week of being confined to the home front has begun to have me less and less in the sewing studio.  Is too much of a good thing, not good?  I have had to get a bit creative to get me interested in spending much time there.

I finally pulled out some fabric purchased in New Zealand on a trip there in  February 2018, and added some light prints from my stash.  I purchased a pattern, Sequoia Sampler Remix by Alex Anderson.  Nice little 6" blocks.  It is a bit of fun mixing and matching to add a block or two each day.

The piece is small, only 36 by 42 inches, and in the end will include some appliqué work.

Speaking of appliqué, with all this time on my hands I have finally decided to seriously work on perfecting my turned under edge appliqué prep.  It has always been a struggle for me and since I have so much time on my hands it seemed a good time to master it at last.  

I am using Floriani Stitch N Wash Fusible Water Soluble Tearaway and turning the edges over with glue sticks and using an old 2008 book by Barb Adams & Alma Allen of Blackbird Designs call When the Cold Wind Blows.  Don't hold me to ever getting a quilt done, I'll start with baby steps like maybe one block done.  

On the bright side I finished a long overdue UFO runner this week.  

I quilted the Dresdens with a circular pattern and the background with straight stitching. 

With the spring weather I spotted some pretty purple flowers in the herb planters.  They turned out to be the chives going to seed.  Never the less they are pretty.

As some of you might recall my daughter's duck hatched 13 little ducklings last week.  Well it appears that motherhood seemed a bit hectic this week and she resorted to sending her brood over to the neighbors for a bit of a rest.  She got tired of watching them, so sent them next door to Colonel Sanders to watch for a bit.  They were just small enough to pop through the fence and he is a very good baby sitter.

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Mid Week Makers

Confessions of a Fabric Addict

  

CHRISTMAS FINISHES

With lots of time on our hands these days I found that I am doing a really good job in catching up with UFO's long overdue for finishing.

This Christmas runner has been waiting for quilting since mid year 2018.

I actually made two, one for me and one for my youngest daughter. This 4 tree runner I quilted with metallic silver and gold thread.  It is a bit of a pain to work with so the 3 tree runner I just used regular cotton thread.  

I treated myself to an extension table for my Bernina 750.  It is wonderful when quilting items to have all that nice extra flat area.

My daughter went to check on her lady duck to see what was going on with her egg sitting.  She said she was pleased to see one new duckling.  Well at that point she decided it best to move her into a fenced in area for her safety and discovered things were much more interesting than one little one.  

Oh my, 13 of them.  Plus one more egg, however that egg is not a duck egg.  She said she noticed one of her hens wondered in there one day while she was feeding lady duck and laid an egg.  She left it there, not wanting to disturb the nest.  She said if it hatches this coming week, mother duck may be fostering a chicken left by that lazy hen. 

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Mid Week Makers

Confessions of a Fabric Addict

MASKS FOR THE GUYS

Like so many of us that are able to sew I have been making face masks for my daughter.  She works in a rehab facility and they ran out of face masks.  The first week I made 10 for her.  Six of them were florals, which she picked up the first day.  She mentioned several of her male workers wished they had some manly ones, the the last four were made from some Star Wars fabric I had stashed away.  

She sent me this picture of them with their new masks.  I have continued to make a few more.  Here in California we have been instructed to now wear masks if we must go out and to limit it to only absolute necessary trips.  So I made a few more for my daughter and ourselves.  

When I made the ones for my daughter she requested a pocket to put a filter in.  

Elastic is no longer available so I ended up using large thick hair bands.  They work really well.  These additional four were made are as much neutral gender fabric I could find in my stash.  

Ginger our Yorkshire Terrior our only pet unlike my daughter with multiples has felt a bit left out of the blog thing lately.  She thinks she is quite the hunter and showed off for a photo of her latest stuffed toy kill.  Our house is littered with her stuffed toys which she races around the house with showing us what a good varmit hunter she is.   

My daughter said her husband was complaining about their TV reception the other day.  She didn't think about it much but one afternoon while out side she discovered the possible reason for the issue.  Time to clip the wings on those peacocks before he rings their necks. 

Design Wall Monday

Mid Week Makers

Confessions of a Fabric Addict

CURB APPLEAL AND A TILDA FINISH

I must say that being stuck in the house has improved the situation with my UFO's over the last couple of weeks.  If one can't get out and about to guild meetings, charity quilt sew ins, and only out to the grocery store when the cupboards are bare you can get a good deal done in the sewing room. 

My Curb Appeal quilt top is well on its way.  I have two more row to go.  It has been sitting around with just the blocks complete for a couple months now.  

I finished the top of my Tilda quilt this past week as well.  This has not been a fun quilt to put the rows together.  With all those seams pressed this way and that getting everything to line up properly has been a chore.  For at least a couple months I only had two more rows to fuss with.  I would pick them up then stash them out of site.  Given all the time stuck in the house with nothing but time on my hands I finally decided I should tackle it.  It is a relief to have it done.  

There was a bright spot this past week.  I receive my monthly box mailing from Quilty Box.  This is such a fun thing to get in the mail each month and now more than ever.  Shopping in our area for other than groceries and truly necessary shopping is discouraged.  Our governor probably doesn't consider the quilt store a necessity.

Along with the 16 fat eights they supplied a great pattern, thread, and a mini rotary cutter.

Plus these great templates and a book full of patterns and instructions for making something with that wonderful fabric.   Now that certainly brightens the day.  

Now I know that a number of you are fans of my daughter's chickens.  These ladies have been very busy.  My daughter is collecting a good dozen eggs and more every day.  Lovely brown, pale green, and some almost pink.  Husband and I along with all her coworkers and neighbors are glad recipients.  She said as long as no one has started slamming the door in her face when she shows up with another carton of eggs all is well.  Spring is in the air now so starting her garden is looking good.  She can then add tomatoes and squash to the deliveries this summer. 

Design Wall Monday

Mid Week Makers

Confessions of a Fabric Addict