Blog hop 2019

If you visited this post before 2 November 2019 then you will have had a different experience to those visiting after that date.  Why, well because of a mix up by my internet provider I had no internet access at home in the run up to Halloween.

Whilst I had my stitching all ready, I had no idea what letter I was to share or access to my blog to share it.

A code and password for temporary wifi access was sadly no help until today as the signal did not reach my home. Not sure what made it work today!

So having tried various options and with a promised fix after the blog date it was off to the library, firstly to read my e-mail from Jo and get the letter and then to get into blogger to write a very basic picture less post that would at least ensure the letter would be available on time for those raring to start hopping as soon as 31^st got underway.

So I am updating now to add the picture that should have made its appearance sooner.

This is based on a free patten from Durene Jones she shared on Facebook this year, she has an etsy  page under Durene J Cross Stitch.  I played around with the size, the thread and left some elements off.  The pattern is delightful in the way it allows for that.

The original design is sewn using two strands on 14 count 27 stitches by 106 giving a finished design size of 1.9 by 7.6 inches and using 5 shades of DMC thread.

Mine is sewn using one thread over one on grey linen.  Actually, on some of the off cuts from framing Nantucket Rose. Resulting in a finished size just over 1 inch by just a shade over 3 inches.

I used random threads form my collection of non-branded thread and 6 shades in total plus a little extra something for the details on the face. 

I think she is rather cute…now some of you who have been popping in for a visit for a while will figure out quite easily what the little extra something for the back stitch is, and for any one else here is a little clue  (it was popular with the Victorians.

So the letter is U...I know nothing fancy but at least it is there I will see if I can pretty it up later if I get the chance.

The next page is http://alchymyst.blogspot.com/

and I hope you have fun with the hop

Just in case you want a little Halloween from my blog try these links to previous years.

bat

bear

pumpkin

witch

Oh and if you did not arrive here from the hop home page just head on over to serendipitous stitching (there is a link on the right of this blog) and join in the fun.

Still making progress and

Descending from the heavens into the sky, this progress is made up of one blended colour and two solid shades.

Stitching goes much faster with the solids when I don't have to keep stopping to blend.

This feels like a lot of progress.

More progress, still a way to go...

Now that I have started with that big empty space in the middle it feels as if this will go better than anticipated.  There are some solid colour stitches in amongst the tweeded / blended stitches and that always feels faster.

Sunday Stitching, conference.

as noted last week Tom has a wait and this more complex project gets worked on for general conference.

There was some ninja hunting, some filling in (smoke) a tiny little extension into that empty middle but mostly the nice straightforward easy edges of the text box at the bottom of the pattern.

My mother is still waiting for more colour?

Sampler Quilt. Honey Bee block finished.

As previously noted I decided to do the needle turn method of the applique elements of this block.  It did indeed produce a nice edge but I did struggle with the placement.

I drew onto the bock where the pieces should go.  I lined up the points with pins, pinned in place and then tacked and then, of course! They magically moved. 

The block remains within the general style of the quilt and the moto of this blog so I am not dissatisfied with my choice.

I used washable marker pens by Crayola to mark out the placement lines and the sewing lines.  This is the block after rinsing and pressing.

Honey Bee

It is squarer than my picture makes it look!

Mulling over the colour choices for the next block.  Admittedly a little with the "replacement" block options in mind.  I doubt anyone who also frequents quilting pages on Facebook will be surprised at what that is going to be.

Then one other additional block to make it up to the 20, sizing and...getting ahead of myself.  Grape basket (also seen it called a flower basket is next) and to paraphrase some scripture  let today's block be sufficient unto the day!

Sunday Stitching..these boots are

red...well aren't they always red on Tom's feet?

Now although Tom is so very close to being finished as it is General conference next weekend my larger project , last seen in my post the-sands-of-time. is more likely to come out to be worked on.

Sampler quilt - Honey bee

Moving on to the next block, now this one is part machine sewn and part hand applique. 

First a nine patch, with a border 

Then for the applique

This is the lay out

Fiddly as I found it, needle turn did give a much nicer edge and it is OK for T.V sewing that is what I intend to do.

Gifted stuff

I have, depending on your point of view a bad or good habit of  accepting gifts of "material" in various forms. I may at the time have no idea what it will go with or even what I will do with it but regardless 9.5 times out of ten if I am asked do you want some material the word yes hurtles out of my mouth. 

That can lead to the gifted whatever it is spending some time as loft insulation before a project for it arises.

So a bit of "see what is in this bag" sorting in the loft and I came across some green material with  little pink and yellow flowers.  I can't recall when I was given it or by who, although I wonder if it was amongst remnants from a craft play scheme, or perhaps not.

It had been a duvet cover, with a slightly different pattern (more flower heavy) on one side to the other. Each side had a very large circle cut from it (cloaks from the crafts, or had someone been making round tablecloths?) So what I had was the corners and some edge bits.

Such an irregular shape it was hard to fold and I figured the best way to deal with it was to emulate some scrap quilters method and just cut it into squares of a set size.  No project yet in mind but they will be there all cut when I do.

Used the 6.5 " square ruler for that and the rotary cutter.  Produced 80 squares and bits. Oh some fair sized bits, too small to get a 6.5 square but to my mind too big to throw away and too big to add to my Bits-A Quilt.  Also as the idea here was to reduce if ever so slightly the loft insulation, putting the bits back  was not going to meet up with that.  So what to do with them.

I have mentioned before that the local council at the annual show often gives away cloth bags as part of their push for less waste (not that they did this year) and I have received those bags.  Indeed it is one of those bags that featured in my post in-to-2017 although the pictures in that post are all of the decoration and not the bag. 

The original bag is cream cotton with the statement "Love Food, Hate Waste" on it in green  with the O as a tomato on one side and "Recycle" on the other.  I had managed to get one of the bags stained with red onion and it would not wash out . So I figured I would used the bag as a lining, the scraps as the new outside for the bag.  For handles I would use the hemmed edge from the duvet. The old handles will come in handy as ties for things in the loft being stored in rolls.

I sewed the bits together  in wide strips the width of the bag until I had one section  double the height of the bag.  Sewed the sides together.  Turned it right side out, slipped the original bag inside then turned the hem over the upper edge.

For extra strength I machine stitched round the top of the bag just below the inner hem (it was a bit too thick to sew on the inner hem itself.

A strengthening row of stitches to the handles and then  added them by hand also. And this is the finished bag.

So all the bits used up then? Alas or perhaps joyfully no.  I have bits left which I hope might stretch to another bag, perhaps with some other bits and pieces.

This is a picture of my joining hem for the outer and inner bag.

 and how the handles are attached, just in case you wondered.

Sampler quilt Needle turned

Well I got it finished, I think I am finished with it...when I come to put the whole top together I might decide it needs another colour in the middle to bring the blocks together.  I did see a variation in the book with a circle in the middle so that remains an option.

The sewing method did grow on me a bit as I progressed and it did produce a smoother  looking edge that the previous turning method so I am not counting it out just yet. Indeed the next pattern in the book is a combination pattern  with the possibility of repeating this method.

I notice that the book has two patterns left to go (not including the skipped one) so once they are done I will have to come up with two more, one to replace the bias binding patch and one to bring the number up to twenty.  The book did allow  for a repeat pattern. 

Sunday Stitching--finding my feet?

well Toms feet. Both shades came with the kit which is a bonus.

funnily enough one of the talks today was about methods of remembering the points made in talks and conference addresses. So in this instance Tom's feet, well they should remind me of that.