Yesterday I set up my 790 to embroider. I bought a bunch of cotton napkins a few months ago, thinking that they would be a good gift for my son and fiancé. They have an apartment together in Boston, and I thought the napkins would be an eco-conscious gift they would use. I then had to “design” a monogram that looked good, a C and a J with an ampersand. There was a bit of resizing and turning and placement, but eventually I got something that looked balanced. I have the biggest hoop Bernina makes for my machine, so I was able to stitch out four napkins on each hooping of stabilizer. I’m waiting for the purple pen to fade, then they will be wrapped and sent. I have 12 more napkins to make for my house, I may do them today. They are a bit easier, only one initial. My son was also asking for a table runner, I remembered this one, a UFO from the way back.

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I thought I remembered where I got the embroidery designs from, but I have no clue. I am hoping to find them on a CD I have of all my “old” designs. Luckily my older Mac has a CD drive and it is the one with the embroidery software on it. I still have a pile of floppy discs with designs on them too. I guess it’s time to recycle those, as I no longer have a computer that’ll read them. Obsolete, all those hours I spent collecting and categorizing the designs. Remember when everyone was just getting started with home machine embroidery? There were Linky parties and freebees everywhere. The designs were crude, or simple, but it was fun to find them and dream of the perfect project for them. It was a stash that fit on a floppy or CD.

I got to use my L890, I hemmed a pair of sweatpants. The three needle overstitch was a dream to use. On my former machine, I would struggle for hours, to get it threaded and working, to do a ten minute hem. The L890 has step by step guides to help you, right on the screen. It knows which threads are in it and how its threaded, and the air threading is so neat to watch. If you have ever struggled with a tweezer, or threader to get the loopers threaded, it’s a game changer. This machine/computer holds my hand and makes me like serging again. There is even a help screen, with pictures, of what can go wrong and how to fix it. I may even make a pair of pajamas this week.

The clue for the Grassy Creek mystery is halfway done, I should get those together this week. They remind me of chandelier earrings hanging on my design wall.

Christmas decorating should continue this week too. I want to put up my tree, but first I have to move the furniture around, vacuum, dust and while I’m at it wash the floor. I put up a string of lights outside, it’s festive, I have a wreath up, my Christmas quilts are hanging and the amaryllis is blooming. I should go get a few poinsettias, maybe that’ll spark some cheer.

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Be Kind

According to WordPress, it is my 13th anniversary with them. I was a bit confused by this, since my first post here was November 7th 2012. Maybe it’s the thirteenth year of following on WordPress, that makes much more sense. This blog started it out as a sort of journal to record my quilting projects. The first few years there were sporadic posts, but now I seem to have a rhythm going, this is my 308th post.

I have another thing to celebrate today. I finished stitching this cross stitch project, started in late 1995, so 25 years in the making. It still needs to be blocked and pressed, but it’s done. Now to get it framed. I think I am going to get a round cut mat, maybe green and a square wooden frame. I did “find” two other UFO cross stitch projects recently, but I had promised myself that when I finished the floral wreath, I could work on the “Pet all the Dogs” sampler. I may not get to it until January though.

On the design wall this week was the Farm Charm quilt I made. I had a honey bun, a layer cake, a panel and a few yards of the collection Farm Charm by Gingiber/Moda. I saw this quilt kit over at the Fatquarter shop, and I thought it would work for these fabrics too.

I didn’t do the red center squares, but used 6″ squares of prints. I liked the secondary designs made by the blue, green and pink. So I subbed in the turquoise for the green and red for the pink, and used the floral print for the blue. I had a bunch of Marshmallow white that matched the white in the Farm Charm, so it worked out.

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Notice in the top right photo, a bit of ripping and re-sewing was required. I think it needs some borders, maybe a three inch floral, to contain all the HSTs. I have the honey bun left over and a good portion on the layer cake left. I looked through the other patterns posted for this line, there were a few that would work to use up the rest. Especially the panel, which is all different sized animals.

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I also saw this quilt, as I have a panel and charm pack from this line, Savanna, too. I like the elongated geese in the center, maybe I could use the charm squares. It looks to me like they are geese with two squares sewn on each end. I could cut each 5 inch square into four half square triangles and two 2 ½ inch squares.

Then all I would have left in the Gingiber pile of stash, would be the cats. The Cat panel is a lot like the ones from the Thicket line. I don’t think they would make a very good baby quilt, as cats aren’t really on the top of anyones nursery theme list. While looking through the many Thicket quilt examples on Pinterest, I came across this one, by Ruth at Ye Olde Sweatshop . (Great blog name:)

She uses an African print, some of the Thicket line fabrics and HST’s to frame the animal squares, I really like the way it makes it seem more adult worthy. I have a print that might work in my stash.

One last exciting (?) thing for this week, I picked up my L890 Bernina serger/coverstitch machine yesterday. I haven’t sewn with it yet, but got it all set up and plugged in. It is ready to go, I think the first thing I’m going to make is pajamas, maybe even later today.

Linking up with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict today for Can I get a Whoop Whoop Friday. She just finished a giant postage stamp Christmas quilt for her own bed, it’s so pretty.

Be Kind

I worked on my version of a Thicket quilt this past weekend. I had four animal prints left over from the two other thicket quilts I have made, and a few yards of the coordinating fabrics from the Gingiber line. The original Thicket is made with one large and three small animals.

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I started by putting the prints on the design wall and cutting the yardage into 5 inch squares. Then it was a matter of adding and subtracting blocks to make it fit into a square. There was a bit of ripping involved. At one point my DD came in and asked me if I was taking it apart or putting it together. It did all fit together eventually.

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I got the Good Times top on to the frame, and started quilting it. I had a bit of trouble at the start, I couldn’t get the tension right between the two threads I wanted to use. Blue variegated on top and cream for the bobbin. I kept getting blue dots underneath and white dots on top. I finally switched over to a King tut variegated off-white cotton on top. I think the problem is that Fantastico and magna glide don’t work well together. By the time that was all sorted out, I was able to do the first row and shut it down for the day.

Linking up with Judy at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts today for Design Wall Monday.

Be Kind

I started on the Grassy Creek Mystery quilt yesterday. The first clue was for gray and gold HSTs. Luckily, I have an Accuquilt die in just the right size. I cut the all triangles in about an hour and a half. Sewed them together a bit later in the day, and ironed them after dinner. I didn’t have to trim them, as they all turned out perfect (lol).

I tried to get the Good Times quilt on to the frame, but the puppy was helping too much. I was able to get the backing pinned on, but then the puppy discovered the pile of batting pieces. Playing “chase me” ended the quilt prepping. Today is another day.

I’m itching to start another project. I found four more Gingiber animal prints, while shopping the stash for the GCMQ. I really like the Thicket quilt, and would like to make another. Although, I did just purchase a quilt kit that will be here next week. It is called Reflected Harmony by Kaye England.

I think its a pretty pink quilt, and it is Accuquilt friendly. I also have the other pink quilt, the Panama Star quilt kit, that I got for Connecting threads. Perhaps 2021 will be the year of the pink quilts?

I have to confess that I did a little Black Friday shopping yesterday, at Accuquilt. They had a buy one get one half off sale. I got two 8 inch Block on Board dies, Winding Ways and Snail Trail. What I like about these two dies is that they accommodate a ten inch square of fabric. This makes for very little sub-cutting of fabric before running it through the cutter. The dies are constructed so that the pieces are all together. Some of the larger Block on Board dies aren’t like that, the pieces are spread out, so in order not to waste a lot fabric, you have to sub cut the fabric to cover the blades of the pieces on the die. It probably has to do with the grain of the fabric, the manufacture of the dies and curves and such. Looking back through this post, it seems like an endorsement for Accuquilt cutters, it’s not meant to be, (no links) I just enjoy using it when I can. I managed not to buy any more fabric or yarn yesterday though. Yay Me!

Be Kind

I started this months Halloween figs bom blocks the other day. The pieced block, (I think its called a tornado block) went together fairly quickly.

The appliqué blocks will take a bit more time. I got them prepped for back basting by tracing the design on the back side of the fabric. I started to use the Uniball gold pen, but went with a #2 pencil instead. The background fabric was a bit too light to hide the gold color. The black bias strips will cover it, but I was concerned that it might show through the orange pieces of the tulips. These should hold me over until Friday and the release of the first Grassy Creek clue.

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Grassy Creek is the name of this years Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt. Six or more weeks of cutting and piecing scraps, wondering if it will all look good in the end. I’m playing with the idea of doing this one half size, not a smaller number of blocks, but ½ the measured size of the pieces. I did this with the Provence quilt, and I really like that it is a wall hanging, and not another bed size quilt. There have been hints of string piecing involved with the GC quilt, but its optional. After doing the Appalachian Autumn strings, I may just go the non-string route. I also want to do the Emerald city quilt, which I was going to do (start) at a retreat earlier this year. I have a bunch of green fabrics I want to use. It’ll be on my 2021 to do list.

I got the ‘Meeting of the Geese’ quilt quilted. I chose a very simple panto called Celtic wave, and it took about 2 hours to get this top done. I want to see if there is enough backing left on the frame to do the rock pool quilt. I need to measure it though, as I only have about 40 inches left. The width isn’t a problem as it is 108 wide.

I measured and the remaining backing was about 6 inches too narrow. I took ‘Meeting of the Geese’ off the frame and got it bound and finished. For extra credit, I made the backing piece wider with a strip of Batik that matches the Rock Pool quilt batik. Maybe, if I get all my prep work done today, I can put that on the frame. That’s a big maybe, I think Friday or Saturday might work better.

Be Kind