Art, Craft and Needlework, February, 2022

[Harriet]

We had an encouraging, creative January!

Nancy knitted a scarf and a shawl with crochet shell edging
LadyM planned seasonal quilts and shared dream photos
Twins' Mom ordered a variety of new stamping materials
Harmony encouraged and chatted about hand quilting
RamblinRose encouraged and chatted about books, reading
Harriet sewed patchwork bookmarks, chatted about space

February is the shortest month, but it can be chock full of the love of creativity.

What's making your creative world go 'round this February?

[Nancy]

Dgd painted on some craft type stuff today. Lids from juice jugs to look like lady bugs and jar lids for labeling.

[Harriet]

Dd23 requested one of the 2 recent cloth bookmarks. She and I had already chosen the coolest ribbon and bead for ddil. Of the other two, dd liked a green bead best, but the ribbon she liked wouldn't work with it (opening too small). I still made it, with a flimsier ribbon. I may ask dd if her dremel tool would help with that. She had also chosen a blue-stained wooden bead for the third, so if she likes it better, she can switch with me. These had more diagonal seams, so even after extra machine quilting, they aren't as thin a profile in a book as others I've made, but dd gushed over them.

I've discovered that it's fun for little projects like these or ornaments, to have a pattern that could be turned more than one way, so you can change your mind at the last minute about what is "up" for the ribbon. Maybe you won't want them all to look the same.

[Nancy]

I cut out a vest, and lining for it.
Pinned the vest to seam up later.
Knitting is on a pause this month.

[Sunny]

All your projects mentioned sound nice.

I have started a new project, but I wanted to share my wall hanging that I finished and sent to dsis. It took me about six weeks to complete. edit: Well, darn! Says the file is too large to send.

The new work is embroidery. I have been following a group on Facebook called: Stitching A Round. The goal is to stitch an image (or icon) each day, thus making a thread journal for the whole year. Each image is supposed to be only as big as an M&M--- 365 will fit on a 12 inch size hoop.

I'm not sure if I can follow through with all of them, but maybe I can do enough to journal the important events that happen all year. My hoop is only 10&1/2 in wide. It will make a nice remembrance.

[Nancy]

I got some sewing time in and have the lining of the vest seamed up.
Had to change bobbins then the thread was wrong had to correct that got it right phew I was worried for a minute.
Seaming up the top layer of the vest.
Next will be pressing the seams and pinning it together and the arm holes seeing if I can get it to look right on the front points fingers crossed.
Sewing is a great distraction on days like today Val. day, memory days or other days that are more challenging I will have to remember that.

Got the lining & the outter fabric put together, seems to be a comfy fit.
I have pinned and pressed the arm openings yea for that process.
Got them hemmed with a decoritive stitch.

Next trim , press, pin, & seam aka hem the bottom.
Dud that but the fot is off, too big ack.
Oh well was a very nice distraction and great therapy to get my mind off stuuf like when I knit.
Maybe some pne needs a costume.
Big is in style!

[Nancy]

I have decided to do up granny squares in red white and green. Have some left over yarns for this and I have done up two of these.
They are for a vest, to wear on ugly sweater day next year.
I have roughly enough for one fourth of this project completed. Great project during this cold snap.

[Nancy]

I have apx. 23 granny squares done.
They are in various colors I have of on hand yarn.
Got cuff off sweat pants to rehem them.

[Harriet]

Nancy, do you have a serger sewing machine to sew knits like that or do you just do it with the regular?

Sunny, oh well, it would have been fun to see the photo but it's great you got to a finish line, yay! I'm sure it was appreciated.

I've been learning about the charities that send quilts for crisis situations. One I have contributed to in the past was evidently one of the last ones that took all quilt sizes, and is no longer accepting the responsibility to send. Lutheran World Relief is still there, sending boocoodles of quilts, so that's good to know. But they really insist that the size NEEDS to be 60x80 inches or it's just not as much help, and I understand that. They want to send equally-covering covers to everybody, which makes sense. Also, this is best for the usual relief/shelter bed offerings of bunk or twin.

It does mean that what I'd have to send now will not be helpful after all. So, I can let that dream go, which is okay. I want to know the truth. I can send some help in the form of shipping costs for others' donations.

Anyway, I've been organizing my orphan quilt blocks and items I'd actually marked "for charity quilting". I wanted to consolidate it into one sterilite large plastic container (breadbox size), but it's really too much, so it's in two and hopefully labeled well with (generally) what's inside. This way if I find a way to s p r e a d o u t enough here to piece a quilt top, I'm ready with a charity plan.

[Nancy]

No I do not have a surger. [I do not like knits.] I can use decorative stitches on hems or the hem stitch on my machine if needed.
I have a heavy duty singer, basic machine.

I have done 3 more granny squares for that project I have apx. 26 done now.