Thursday, February 21, 2013

Patching

Last night I stayed up late (10pm!!) to finish some things.  As I have said many times before, I am trying to work on this enormous fabric stash of mine and get it down before I buy anything else.  The problem is I am bored, bored, bored with most of it.  Some of it I have had for years and years; other bits are left-overs from previous projects that just keep turning up like bad pennies.  I might attempt that scrappy, round the world quilt everyone is going so crazy for these days, but truthfully I can never seem to get my seams to match up properly.  Every morning while on the treadmill I go through all my quilting/crafting magazines and try to find projects that will use up all those bits and pieces.  In an older issue of Quilts and Things I found a pattern for baby bibs that uses charm squares.  Perfect!  I used up 42 squares to make these baby bibs:



Truthfully I could easily make another seven but I did get bored by the end of it.  They are just waiting for some snap closures and they can be put away.  Hopefully someone I know will have a baby soon?

While looking through my fabric I found an enormous pile of red and white fabric strips.  My memory tickled a bit and I can vaguely remember laying them out last year to see how they should go together, but for the life of me I cannot remember what I was going to use them for!
I pieced them together in what I think is a rail fence pattern, and hoped to have enough for a lap quilt.  The frustrating part was that I only ended up with five blocks, not six like I would have preferred.  Since it was close to Valentine's Day I decided to just make a table runner by sewing the blocks together in a single row.

This matches nothing in my kitchen, so it will have to be relegated to the Valentine's or Christmas decorations box.  I do like its scrappy charm though, and it reminds me of my Grammie who always quilted and favourite colour is red.


Today I have the morning at home so I hope to get a few more unfinished projects out of the way.  Some of them are spring-ish which is much needed today with our freezing cold temps outside.

Stay warm,
Jenn

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Catch Up

Here are a few things I have completed in the past few weeks.  Now that Lent has started and I am severely limiting my computer time I am getting quite a few things done!  That's the whole idea:)

I finally used up this Valentine's day fabric that has been sitting in my fabric stash forever.  Like over  15 years forever.  Yup.  Placemats for Valentine's Day dinner, made on the big day itself.  We used them for two more days and then I felt OK about putting them away for next year.


I am trying to work on lots of quilty type projects to use up some fabric.  I used up a lot of gingham fabric for the backing which helps; but really only a little so far!

After posting about my hearts sampler, Sandra suggested turning it into a needle roll.  It worked perfectly Sandra; thank you for the suggestion!


This is a piece I stitched a couple of years ago and have since waffled on how to finish it .  I got tired of all the indecision so I just finished it into a small cushion.  I used a leftover piece of the placemat fabric for the back.





















I also crocheted this ruffle scarf for My Favourite Girl.  We saw a similar one at a church sale before Christmas, and commented how it looks like sea foam.  I found the yarn at the craft store and worked it up for her.  I have to say it was the worst stuff I have ever worked with, but it did come together quickly.  I thought it would be longer, but after looking at the instructions I see the length is bang on.  My Favourite Girl is happy (especially to have it while it's still scarf season!), and we have named it the Mermaid Scarf.



Currently on my crochet hook is a shawl made out of a really pretty variegated yarn.  I like the yarn, but I don't know if the completed project is going to look so great.  I'll use up a ball and then see how I like it.


I still have lots on the go; mostly sewing things at the moment in order to use up some fabric.  I'll post those when I finish them.  The kids and I also completed a 500 piece puzzle over the long weekend.  Actually I should say 499 piece puzzle because the dog gummed up a piece so badly that we could not use it.
I am really wanting to get lots done on my ripple blanket and start some more cross stitch, but we will see.  February is quickly winding down and I'm sure March will zip by just as quickly.

Thanks for visiting!

Jenn


Tuesday, February 5, 2013

February Things



I'm dreaming of spring things to come every time I smell my lovely freesias.  I had white freesia in my wedding  bouquet, and after seeing some last week at the store I told Mr. Crafty World that nothing takes me back to that day like the scent of freesia.  So guess who comes home from work and surprises me with a lovely bunch?  I cut them short so they will hopefully last longer and put them in my sweet Meakin jug I bought at a church sale.  They are on their last few days but have been such a lovely treat to smell these last few days.

I finished my cross stitch Sweetheart Sampler.  Yay!  After three years!  Now I'm not exactly sure what to do with it.  I could frame it I suppose, but as I will have to go out and find the perfect frame I suspect the work will have to sit in the "finished yet unfinished" pile of cross stitch I have in the cupboard.


This past weekend I had both Saturday and Sunday off.  No one was ill so we headed back to Port Perry for a little jaunt.  I was absolutely sure I was going to come home with my very own piece of Shelley chintzware; I just didn't know which piece.  After much hemming and hawing I didn't actually buy any!  There were too many lovely things at this little antique store that I couldn't spend all my money on just one dish.  Instead I came home with a magazine from 1952; a beautifully done cross stitch dresser scarf; and a vintage quilt.


The magazine has all its pages - including lots of recipes - and does not smell like musty basement.  Those are the two most important things to look for when buying vintage magazines in my opinion.  Many a time have I been disappointed in an ebay purchase because of that.  I wonder if my Grammie perused this same issue 60 years ago?

Buying a vintage quilt is not something I ever thought I would do.  I have a number of my own, made by my own Grammie.  I know the stories behind the fabrics used which I don't on a quilt made by someone else.  I couldn't resist this one I saw on Saturday though - I think the pink sashing had something to do with it.


This is just half of it folded over.  Stretched out it will fit a single bed.  There are some really sweet fabrics in the patchwork; my favourite is the blue one in this nine patch:


I don't think I need to explain why!

On Sunday we went skating and then just puttered around the house.  It was a perfect weekend in my opinion, and I hope my next full weekend off is the same.

Have a great day!
Jenn

You Might Also Like

You Might Also Like