LANDSCAPES, QUILTER'S PLANNERS AND DUCK LOVE

This past week I finally finished my beach landscape.  I am really happy with it.  

I added some grasses, shells and a few beads.  I am particularly pleased with the quilting especially the very bottom of the piece.  I am not a free motion quilter.  So, it was a real challenge for me to finally decided I was going to make a real attempt at that skill. 

Last month I ordered my Quilter's Planner.  It arrived just last week and along with it I received this pattern for a bookmark for it.  I decided a quick one day project was a perfect plan after finishing my landscape.  Something accomplished in an afternoon was what I needed.

I occasionally do paper piecing.  It always takes a few tries, tear it out, and do it again before I get back into the groove of doing it properly.  

Once I got the paper piecing down it was a very quick finish.

It is done and ready to start the new year in style.  I have used the planners for several years now.  I was a controller for a non profit for 40 years before retiring.  I used planners to keep myself organized and found that I liked the ability to know what was accomplished and where I was with final  project completions.  It seems it carried over into my home life and especially into what was going on in my sewing studio.  I am very active with my local quilt guild, serving as treasurer multiple years along with other quilting activities.  I think it keeps me grounded and at least sometimes organized.

Of course I had to start a new project.  I happened on to a blog this past week of Wendy's Quilts and More.  She featured her Turkish Coffee Quilt and Kaffe Fassett's Quilts in Burano.  I have a bin full of Kaffe scraps and it was the perfect way to work with them.  Simple to make and fun to deal with all those crazy prints.  So that should keep me occupied for the next couple weeks.  We have just slipped by the 6 month anniversary of stay in place Covid lock down here in the mid valley of California so finding something to occupy your extra time is good.

And here is a bit of duck love.  This is my youngest grandson Ben.  As many of you know my daughter has a whole zoo of pet animals.  Besides the chickens and peacocks she has 14 ducks.  This is one of the ducklings that were hatched earlier this year.  She just loves a belly scratch.  The minute Ben comes out in the yard to feed them, she runs up for a bit of attention. 

Design Wall Monday 

Mid Week Makers

Confessions of a Fabric Addict

 

   

 

 

CATS, THE BEACH, AND NORTHERN AMERICAN HERONS

This week has not been terribly productive.  I did work on my wisteria project a bit, but it is tedious and often I just work on it a few hours each week.  Sometimes I just need something simple to do to fill in some mindless time.  

I considered starting a Broderie Perse project, but decided that might not be mindless.  Not up to that.

So instead I found a fabric that somewhat mimicked that idea.  I have two daughter's that live in the area.  The older one is a teacher and works a great deal with an agency that traps and neuters ferrel cats and returns them to their colonies.  They often do fundraisers to pay the vet bills so I though I would contribute to one of her agency's fundraisers.

A quick finished wall hanging or table topper. 

I received the first instructions on my Morewood Mystery quilt.  There is an icon on my sidebar for it on my blog.  Gives one something to look forward to each month that has plenty of time to accomplish.

A quick trip to JoAnn's this week to pick up beads for my beach landscape.  Not really beads except for one, but perfect for that piece.

They are going to be perfect for it.  

This is a photo of a visiter at my younger daughter's home this past week.  He is a Northern American Heron and he brought his lady friend with him.  Unfortunatley they decided to dine on the fish in  pond and devoured all 50 or so gold fish in it.  Not a single fish left!  Ben my youngest grandson, the keeper of the pond,  proclaimed to get his BB gun out and get them.  Mother of course did not allow that, but I don't think they are going to be in a hurry to replace the fish until those two move along to another dining establishment.    

Design Wall Monday

Mid Week Makers

Confessions of a Fabric Addict

 

A BIT OF THIS AND THAT

 This past week has been just a jumble of what's next.  My Bernina 750 is in the shop.  One week down and at least two more to go before I get it back.  On a brighter note after talking to a good friend about that issue I was able to purchase her Bernina 480.  She purchased it new in December and decided it was not for her. 

The acrylic table came with it.  It does operate in a similar manner like my 750.  After a bit of time with the manual I am sewing again.

I am back to working on my Wisteria project.  I pulled out the pink Batiks I ordered and can now get going on it again.

I enjoyed making my first landscape so much I decided to start another, more of a beach scene.

More rows added which did require a quick trip to the quilt store.

A bit of more quilting ideas beyond the mostly straight line quilting on my first landscape.

And then I decided to really work at including even more quilting variety.

This is treat time for my daughter's chickens.  I think this is kale she grows for them.  Happy little birds for sure.

And my grandson's, most recent project with their father.  They told dad they wanted to make a hot rod.  For years in the shop he has had a motor and the body, so figured it was the perfect project to keep them busy.  Plus a good way to teach them all sorts of skills.

Looks like they have their hot rod well on its way.

Design Wall Monday

Mid Week Makers

Confessions of a Fabric Addict

 

   

ACCIDENTAL LANDSCAPES

 With hours and hours of extra time on my hands due to almost a six months lockdown due to the virus I have found myself searching for classes and sites on line to replace my quilt guild activities.  I stumbled on to the Meander Quilt Guild and it has been a wonderful on line educational opportunity.  I started with an extensive color class, which I have learned so much in, but I also wanted something to make that would keep me busy for a bit.  So a class was offered on the site by Karen Eckmeier called Accidental Landscapes.

So I started layering fabric, using batiks.  I tuned over the top edges and ironed them down and pinned them for top stitching.

Once I got all the strips laid down I squared the piece up.

I added a couple of little trees by just fusing them down raw edge.

The trees seemed to disappear so I top stitched them down to make them more visible.

Most the quilting has been done except for the bottom section.  I had planned to finish it on Friday, but unfortunately my Bernina 750 had a major breakdown and we ended up on a road trip of 2 hours each way to take it in for repairs.  It will be in the shop for 3 weeks, seems they are very busy this summer.

This is a picture taken right off our front porch at about 3 in the afternoon.  I live in California and our state is on fire.  We are very safe in our area, but the smoke is extremely thick.  The sky is almost  orange with smoke and it almost seems dark.  Our dusk to dawn outside lights have been on all day.  You can not go outside the smoke is so thick.  The winds carry the smoke into our area from fires miles and miles away taking place on all sides of us.  

On a happier note this is my oldest grandson Elijah.  He just picked up his letterman jacket on Saturday.  Five years of football and the winning this past school year of the state championship.  Hopefully with this being his senior year of high school football while delayed will start in December or January.  

And on Saturday we celebrated our youngest grandson Ben's  12th birthday.  And, Suren's his sister, our oldest granddaughter 28th birthday.  And yes, no birthday cakes for them.  We celebrate with birthday pies, their choice.

  

Design Wall Monday

Mid Week Makers

Confessions of a Fabric Addict

TRYING MY HAND AT AN ART PIECE

 I have a number of friends in my quilt guild and a small group as well that are wonderful art quilters.  I admire their work so very much, but just have not really pushed myself in that direction for a lack of confidence in that area.

I happened on a picture in an art magazine that appealed to me using a variety of fabrics and I thought that I had some of the similar fabric ideas in my stash, so why not take the leap.  

So I began to somewhat cut and paste some of my fabric choices on to this rather nice Batik background.  

I decided on some thread work to add to it.  I love using my double stitch straight stitch.  

I added a sun with the double straight stitched rays and quilted it with narrow straight stitches.  

Now the rays just did not seem to really stand out.  I recalled that at one time I a variety of beads and beading needles and thread.  I rounded them up and and after a bit of hesitation I figured why not.  

And yes, perfect and fun.  I had forgotten how much fun beading is. 

And it is finished.  I have added a split sleeve on the back of it.  It is now ready to put into the next Mistlan Art Gallery show, that usually takes place in April.  They have a textile art show and allow my guild's members to show and even sell textile art.  

Last week I was busy making my daughter peacock king size pillowcases and putting borders on bath towel for her bed and master bathroom.  We were waiting for this fabric and coordinating fabrics to make her two standard pillowcases as well for the bed.  So I was able to finish them off over the weekend.

These three characters are my grandsons.  They are all ready to go back to school, well sort of!  School is still on line in our area.  Every year my daughter takes a picture of them on the first day of school.  From left to right Elijah 17 a senior this year, Noah 14 starting high school this year, and Ben 12 this month starts middle school.  And yes the two older boys are 6 feet plus tall.  

And no the ducks are not staying in their new fenced in yard with their huge newly purchased swimming pool.  The patio roof and the fish pond are much more appealing.  And they are not above eating the fish either.  I believe wing clipping may be on my daughter's to do list this week.

Design Wall Monday  

Mid Week Makers

Confessions of a Fabric Addict

PILLOWCASES AND TOWELS

 My daughter recently purchased a new bedspread for her bed.  As she has 5 peacocks as pets, what theme could her bedspread possibly be.  However, it did not come with pillowcases or pillow shams.  

So naturally she calls on me to come up with king size pillow shams.  She purchased this fabric on line and it was left to me to make them. She did not want ruffles just very simple pillow coverings.  

When she picked up her pillowcases, she asked if I could put a border on some decorative bath towels to match for her master bathroom.  OK, but we did have a limited amount of fabric left.  The towels she purchased were 30 inches wide and I was scrambling to get sufficient fabric fussy cut to add those borders.  

Well with a bit of additional fabric pieces I just managed to get two 30 inch wide borders done and on the towels.  I really worried about sewing them on to these really thick, fluffy towels, but them sewed on perfectly straight without even one wrinkle.  

And once folded and ready to hang they look perfect.  

One would think after all that going on I would be done with pillowcases, but I received an e-mail from my guild's charity division with a request for pillowcases for children at a local children's hospital.  So many of the pillowcases they get are girlish, so the request was for boy themes.  I had a stash of Star War fabric so pulled these together and have two more cut out to finish this week.  

  This is my daughter with one of her new chickens.  Yes, the silly thing is in her lap sound asleep.  Her husband's sister Sadie brought out five chickens for my daughter to keep along with her flock of over 20.  The chickens had been purchased for Sadie's little boy that has a number of serious medical need.  That little guy cared for the chickens, fed them, cleaned out the coop, and just loved them.  But, a neighbor complained, and even though you can keep chickens in the city, but not roosters, the city said they did not have over 40 feet on all sides around their yard and they had to go.  So they have come out to live with all the other chickens and Elliot can come out any time he wants to visit them.  A real shame when you can see how tame he had them.  The five of them just started laying eggs, so my daughter saves them special just for Elliot to take home. 

Design Wall Monday  

Mid Week Makers 

Confessions of a Fabric Addict  

FOLIOS, PAPER PIECING, & PEACOCK FEATHERS

I am in a slump!  Nothing I should be working on is exciting.  I managed this little Tilda Mimi Folio one afternoon.  But that didn't seem to really make much of a dent in what I should work on or get me very excited.  

So I pulled out this little pattern and thought that it would make a good way to carry a tablet in my purse.  I am forever writing notes on napkins as I never have paper or pen. 

Tilda even had a matching fabric covered button.  So Cute!

And a 5" by 7" tablet or in this case my Quilt Plan tablet fits perfectly on the inside.  

I recently purchased this book.  The patterns are all paper pieced.  I am thinking that that might actually make me think with more excitement about getting and and doing something.

This idea seemed sort of fun.  However, my printer can not increase the pattern in the book to 125%.  So I guess it is mask up and head to the office supply store for some help.  

One of my daughter's peacocks has decided to shed his tail feathers.  They usually do that in the fall.  Looks like she has decided to make good use out of his feathers.  

Design Wall Monday

Mid Week Makers

Confessions of a Fabric Addict