Art, Craft and Needlework, August, 2026

[Harriet]

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ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ Progress on our creative pursuits ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ is so satisfying.

Welcome to a place for recording progress, noting obstacles, getting other's thoughts, even complaining!
We're happy for you when you are having fun with your special brand of creativity. And, inquiring minds want to know.

In July,
Mystery Woman embroidered small gifts for friends and shared a photo so we could see.
Gma sewed 3 quilt backings for her missions quilt group and finished her summer shawl.
Nancy's sewing was toward her Christmas prints quilt. And she's researching block patterns.
Kittykatt brought us advice on finding the right yarns, fabrics, such as online.
Harriet machine quilted 9 sections of her current quilt - machine quilting is finished.

[Nancy]

I did some thing for me got bed raisers for under the twin bed in the sewing room so I can lay out blocks easier.

Also got white silk flowers for arrangements here I needed them.
Might get some red ones too but that's for a diff. shipping trip.
For got to look at sheets, I need quilt batting but did not have the band width for it today.
$200 for a quilt is estimated cost, has me thinking I'll make blocks and donate them.

I'm rethinking the configuring and placement of things in the sewing room.
Got the bed risers and put em under the twin bed in there to be easier for lay out of blocks and clearing off stuff if I'm sorting.

I need to bag up the prayer shawls for donating.s / Could not find the bag I thought I had must have used it.
They will stay in a box for now.

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Trying to get my mind to thinking about project on Sat.
it's a challenge when go bag needs to be packed and there is
another couple days of fire watch weather. Sort of stressing on me so I'm going to try to
not watch so much news today.

[Harriet]

Nancy, it would have cost 30 dollars for the batting I bought at Ha ncocks of Paducah for a double batting earlier this year, but I had to get the next size up queen because I was doing it in parts on my own machine and had to have extra inches around the edges of each piece. Shipping would have been 10 dollars but I also bought the backing and small amounts of other fabrics and it went over into free shipping. The cost for the same batting at the quilt shop I visited last month would have been more, but no shipping, just have to drive there.

I've done some large-ish whole quilts with straight-line quilting that didn't take me an awfully long time or drive me too crazy (smile).

Tying is a possibility.

For my next large whole quilt, someday, I am thinking of having it quilted at Modern Textiles Longarm, which is physically closer to you than me - MN. If I'm going to mail it, distance doesn't matter. They (she?) does simple regular designs for 126 dollars for a 60x70 example quilt (plus shipping). And they have a fast turnaround time, understand the concept of not wanting heavy dense quilting, which I wasn't able to explain to the lady who did dd27's wedding quilt. There's a lady closer to me and I have appreciated her before, but she has changed her business and doesn't seem what I want.

The shop I visited last month will not quilt for you, but does offer something I think a lot of stores do. You can take a 3-hour class on their longarm machine for 125 dollars to get certified to use the machine yourself (!) and then that cost also covers 2 hours of time on their machine, so that in theory you would also get a quilt quilted. I don't see that as working for me. They don't tell the price of time on the machine after that.

Right now, I'm doing the bits of quilting that need hand-work. I did the oval embroidered area today. Next up are small portions of MA block, NY block. I think there are a couple other spots I'm forgetting. I need to go over it all and make more notes if I need to before starting the process of putting parts together.

[Harriet]

There are two small projects that are going to have to interrupt quiltmaking at some point in the next few days, with dark colored thread in the machine.
Hemming a pair of navy slacks
Finishing dd27's birthday bookmark, which will need dark or orange thread

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Today I finished quilting the MA block, handwork because it was tedious/tight. DgsC had pondered this one with me, because it needed a different color thread.
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So, it's a lot, but time to name all that is left to do, to get a handle on what's needed.
There are 21 more steps to finish the quilt, some tougher than others:

Hand quilting in RI block
Hand quilting to secure the middle of the oval
Hand quilting in SC block
Hand quilting in NY block

Attach top narrow border
Attach bottom narrow border

Machine-sew together fronts of the top and middle thirds
Trim and hand-join batting between them
Trim and hand-join backing between them
Machine quilt between them

Machine-sew together fronts of middle and bottom thirds
Trim and hand-join batting between them
Trim and hand-join backing between them
Machine quilt between them

Attach left side narrow border
Attach right side narrow border
Trim all around, maybe stay-stitch

Make binding
Bind the quilt
Make sleeve
Attach sleeve

[Nancy]

I thought of a couple of q's for AI to help me with.
How many jelly rolls will it take to make a queen size quilt top. 3
Show me variations of hidden Wells quilt blocks or others too. diamonds in it are great to see with dark and light shades.

I did not do any sewing but have put away projects in book school bags I sorted not currently working on those are in the closet.
Other things got put away like interfacing is now in the dresser. Pressing hams fit in the desk. and I took pillows out of that room.
Put away some next up fabrics in fall colors in the dresser not currently working on. So much better and less cluttered yea!

The pressing hams put away cleared off the sewing desk and freed up a container for the blocks I finished and will be laying out
next to see if I have enough and for what size of bed.

[Gma]

I wore the summer shawl I made to a play tonight. I was happy to have it: It was just right for the significant air conditioning / I otherwise would have been uncomfortable and cold.
I'm making one for dsis2 birthday, which is 1 month from today. I am starting the 3rd skein of yarn tomorrow. Don't know if I will need 4 or not. Hers is a little denser than mine, as I am planning it is for a cooler season.

[Nancy]

Gma way to go!

I pre-washed fabric and got it pressed and with the batch of fabrics to be cut on the red white and green project for Cmas quilt blocks.

Next steps to get batt & back aka order sheet for the back of it or look for fabric.

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I started another prayer shawl today.
Had to stop a storm came through and I felt it in my arms.

[Harriet]

Happy for you on your finish, Gma. Warm and pretty at the same time!

Sounds like great steady progress, Nancy.

I've been back onto mending. And working on pants hemming, I've measured inseams for favorites I already know are either just right or slightly off.

[Gma]

harriet, getting mending accomplished is a great feeling!
Nancy, how is the prayer shawl coming? And you are making a Christmas quilt as well!
I am almost finished with dsis2 birthday shawl. Need to go to Hobby Lobby tomorrow to buy 1 more skein of yard so I can finish it off with a scalloped edging. And probably see if there are frog clasps that I can add to hold it in place, or some other closure system. Then package it up and get it into the mail.
I wore mine to church today, which is how I know it needs some kind of closure so ti doesn't keep falling off. (Got several compliments on it )

[Nancy]

Ty you for your comments and questions gals.

I've paused the quilt for now I need some stuff for it.
Practice on the block design and assemble needs practice and I need a block of time.
I need to cut the reds for that as well.
Had to take a time out to clean after three weeks of focus on it.

I for got to get batting for it.
I need to get a gift card for ordering the back from Amz. I could not do that
b/c the bank was out of gift cards I did not have time to go to the other location b/c I had
ice cream in the cart. I need to order a sheet for the backing. Next week it's on the list.
So ... I started knitting on the prayer shawl just a few rows a day no big push on this one.
It's more for stress relief!