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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, March, 2010
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 6:47 pm
by Harmony
Harriet, I'm still working my way through the Este (sp?) site you mentioned!
Nancy, you sure keep after your creative ideas!
I've been working on the quilt top, having problems deciding on a pattern to hand quilt the outside border. I have the rest all marked.
I also spent some time looking around the net at quilt patterns. I've had news from DD1 today, and I'm looking at Sunbonnet Sue ones.
Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, March, 2010
Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:49 pm
by Harmony
DH and I have been working on our quilt rack. This was an old thing I found in someone's house and all the bolts, etc., were missing and of course no instructions. DH put it together for me the first time. This time he had troubles figuring out how to do it.
We did figure it out and he has to stop while he's out and get more bolts, etc., cause this quilt is bigger and needs the extention pieces I didn't use before. There was melted duct tape all over it too that had to be removed and the solvent washed off and everything aired.
I think I have that all under control now but the bad thing is even though I have the whole top marked, my arm did not turn out well today and I'm unable to rotate my hand to put the palm straight up. Going to see if I can quilt using the side of my left index finger underneath to feel the needle coming through. If that doesn't work, I guess it'll be a no go. The whole top is not marked in continuous lines, it's marked for hand quilting so doing it in the machine isn't an option.
Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, March, 2010
Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 5:54 pm
by Harriet
((Harmony)), I am so sorry you are having detours. But you are still making progress. It does seem that you could use the side of the left index finger underneath, but of course you'll only know in practice whether it works or not. Wonder if there is a particular type thimble that would help. I'd say try it in short spurts in case you find yourself tensing up your shoulders. That will happen even with no injury at all, of course. Every once in a while, get up and walk around.
Good job Mr. Harmony, getting things just right for the quilt frame.
Nancy, I hope you like the brown. That is frustrating to have to give up on a color. I love making baby doll covers.
I have been using machine piecing as a healing balm today. Yesterday was one of those no-good-very-bad days. So I've paid attention to my need for some creativity today. I've gotten one of those last two blocks made. There were 25 seams to sew and I had to rip out 7 to do over. 
Not my most efficient day, but I'm happy to have that one finished and up to view. Working on the final one now.
Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, March, 2010
Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 10:07 pm
by Nancy
The brown is turning out nice got my knitting quota done this morning!
Might do a few more rows tonight too.
Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, March, 2010
Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 12:44 pm
by Harriet
Nancy, btw, I am using your idea of a "quota" and trying to sew a little every day.
Here are the two blocks made yesterday, up on the design flannel. All 14 blocks are finished now, and they share a variety of 18 blue forest-y image fabrics between them, collected over years, plus the off-white solid. Very scrappy. A couple of the fabrics I managed to use in these were down to such small scraps I had to cut pieces individually and hold my breath. 
The only thing left of them is for my smallest-scraps scrapbasket.
I love cutting and piecing patchwork. Definitely the fun part.ForestBlocksMarch2010.JPG
Steps to finish quilt top:
double-border the medallion center (small project compared to what follows!)
make 14 pieced setting triangles to fill in around the outside
sashing/make into sections
set the sections together
double-border the quilt
Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, March, 2010
Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 3:01 pm
by Harmony
Nancy I hope your DGKids appreciate all the effort you put into their gifts.
Harriet, those are beautiful blocks. The material is nice, I can see the leaves in your pictures.
Last evening the center support to my quilt rack split. Today DH made me another sturdier one. We had all the woodworking tools out just for this one piece. The rack is really nice now. I find I can quilt because the slight dip in the material makes the angle ok for getting my hand in the right position underneath. I am re-learning how to go faster and quilt in all directions again. I sewed about 1 1/2 hours last evening.
Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, March, 2010
Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 10:20 pm
by Nancy
Harmony thanks for saying that!
Dgd loves the puppets that we have here that I've made.
Dgson saw what I was knitting up and asked if it was some thing for him!
The did my heart good!
Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, March, 2010
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 12:47 pm
by Lisa B.
Hello Ladies,
I love your blocks Harriet.
Congratulations on getting your Quilt rack fixed, Harmony.
Your knitting sounds lovely Nancy.
This is just one of the items I've finished whilst I was gone so long from here:
Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, March, 2010
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 12:48 pm
by Lisa B.
A close up of the stitching.
I also made the cushion inner, stuffed it and then made the cushion cover and then the jacket.
Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, March, 2010
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 12:55 pm
by Lisa B.
The following were all stitched on Kona Cotton, colour: Sand with DMC 600.
Once I've finished November and December's stitchery blocks, they will be made either into a wall-hanging or 3 cushions with 2 1/2 inch wide sashings between the 4 blocks per cushion.