I did work on a different segment for Lucy. I need 2 of these sections and the first one is now completed.
Here is what I accomplished during week 4 of hand quilting the Pastor's Attic quilt. I didn't make it to the end of this row. I've started quilting the applique blocks and I really like the contrast of the stencils I added.
This is the right corner. All 4 outside corners have the same stencil design. You can see the heart there though. I'm also stitching along the edge when I've marked with a stencil.
Going to the left, I've used half stencils for the outside edges of the center. The first one.
Second one.
The third design has been quilted and I'm working on the background diamonds and around the applique.
Stitching around the applique makes it looks so nice. Quilting really does bring a quilt top to life.
I'm not going to show the outside borders. They're quilted with diamonds and look the same as last week. Next week I'll take a long photo of the completed row and show you close ups of the applique.
Our trees have been beautiful the last couple weeks even though this maple doesn't seem to show it's brilliancy in this photo. It seems like it took forever for them to change color this year. It rained last week, now the leaves are falling and soon they'll be bare.
Linking to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Show & Tell Monday With Bambi, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, BOM's Away, Moving It Forward, Esther's Wednesday WOW!
The binding has been completed on a couple flimsies I sent to the long arm quilter, Tammy from Three Sisters Fabric.
The first one is the 4 X 4 quilt which I pieced in September from leftover fabrics from Sweet Surrender.
I organized the blocks differently than the pattern arrangement.
I asked Tammy to use the same quilting design, Paisley Flowers, as she did on a different quilt. I think it turned out very nice.
She measures 56" X 64".
For backing I used fabric I had purchased years ago for a different project which was never made.
The second quilt was one of the tractor quilts I pieced earlier this month. I had originally planned to donate both quilts but decided to keep this one for myself. You never know when you'll need a crib quilt and it's nice to have one on hand ready to go.
This crib quilt measures 45" x 49".
I had no idea what overall quilting design I wanted on this quilt. I told her to do what she thought looked good. She used a geometric design with kind of circles. I don't know the name.
For backing I used a JD tractor print with a piece of leftover border to make the backing wide enough.
The corn has been harvested so I couldn't take a picture of the quilt with the cornstalks. Instead I took a photo with the tractor hanging on this little tree.
After spending most of 2018 finishing unfinished projects, I'm actually going to start a brand new project!
Linking to Let's Bee Social, Esther's Wednesday WOW!, Needle & Thread Thursday, Finished Or Not Friday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, TGIFF!, Finish It Up Friday, Let's Make Baby Quilts!, Show Off Saturday, Oh Scrap!
Three weeks of quilting have been completed on the Pastor's Attic quilt. I had thought that I might pick up some speed with the quilting once I got used to quilting again, but that's not happening. It takes me a week to get from the right side of the quilt to the left. This quilt is just going to take a long time to quilt.
There may be less diamond stitching in the applique blocks but I need to stitch around all the applique.
Last week I told you I was quilting up into the appliqued blocks but working around the marked corners. This is what I was talking about.
Next week I'll have quilting in the applique blocks and you'll be able to see the corner designs.
A full side view.
I've been trying to get back into baking every week. I've been baking bread on Saturdays for several weeks and now that autumn is here, fall desserts are making their way into the kitchen too.
This is Apple Custard dessert. The custard does look very yellow but I have my own laying hens and their yolks are much darker than eggs from a grocery store.
The is a recipe from the days long ago when I subscribed to Taste of Home magazine so it's a copyrighted recipe. I like it because it's not overly sweet. The farmer likes it because he likes any dessert.
I didn't work on any Lucy stitching this week. Those needlebooks kept me busy whenever I wasn't quilting.
Linking to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, HQAL, Show & Tell Monday With Bambi, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, BOM's Away, Moving It Forward, Jo's Junction, Esther's Wednesday WOW!
This past week I've worked on needlebooks. The directions are located in Gail Pan's Patchwork Loves Embroidery book but the embroidery for the books completed so far come from Gail's Christmas Patchwork Loves Embroidery.
First I made these books and followed the directions fairly completely.
I made the inside pocket finish at 3-1/2" instead of following the directions. I mean, if you're going to have a pocket, make it large enough to hold stuff.
Also the back of the book was supposed to be pieced but I didn't.
I don't like top stitching on the books so for the next 5 I made a few more changes. I did binding on all four sides which I turned and hand finished. I added snaps as my closures because I dislike ribbons on things. Ribbons never stay nice for me. I also sewed a velcro closure onto one side of the pocket to help keep items from falling out.
These embroidery designs came from Patchwork Loves Embroidery. I have to admit it is taking a lot more time to make these books than I anticipated. I'll be glad when they're all completed. You can be sure the people I gift these to will be lovers of hand work and will appreciate all the work I've put into the book.
This one is mine. I didn't notice I had switched the back and front before I sewed them together and I didn't want to take it apart.
There are 6 more books to be made but I'm not going to make them. I'll use the embroidered squares for something else. I just can't make anymore of these! Maybe I'll use them to make more pincushions someday.
Linking to Esther's Wednesday WOW!, Let's Bee Social, Needle & Thread Thursday, Finished Or Not Friday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, TGIFF!, Show Off Saturday
Here is what I accomplished quilting this week. I finished this row with the border applique.
This the left side corner.
Sorry this is a dark picture. If I turn on the overhead light or use a flash on the camera, the quilting doesn't show.
Now a section with just diamonds. A section like this is also on the right side but I won't show it again.
The left side of the center applique.
Center of the applique.
Right side applique.
On the right side of this applique is where the next section of solid diamonds are located.
The right corner applique, same which I had already quilted last Sunday.
This corner is closest to a window so it didn't show up as dark as the rest of the pictures.
The lines in the diamonds are space 1" apart.
I've rolled and started finishing the border.
In the corners of the center blocks are quilting designs. The diamond quilting is going to run into the center except where the alternate quilting is. Those will be stitched in the ditch along the outside edge. Confused? You'll see, just wait a week and I'll show you what I'm talking about.
I did work on some Lucy blocks this week. Block 5.
Block 6.
There are other sections to be stitched for this table runner. I'll start working on them when I'm finished with the hand sewing on the needle books I'm making. The needle books will be the topic of the midweek post.
Linking to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Oh Scrap!, Show & Tell Monday With Bambi, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, BOM's Away, Moving It Forward, Esther's Wednesday WOW!
I purchased more walnut hulls (also known as pet bird litter) and filled the rest of the pincushions. Some fabric/quilt stores have small amounts of walnut hulls for sale in their stores. I just went to a pet store and purchased a 7 pound bag for $12.50. Not all the hulls were used so I'll keep the bag to be used the next time I need it.
Someone did suggest I add batting to the hulls when filling the pincushions. I was afraid they would be lumpy. Buying the hulls in bulk makes them not so expensive.
The Christmas embroideries come from Gail Pan's Christmas Patchwork Loves Embroidery book. Now these designs weren't designated for pincushions but I utilized them for that purpose.
The regular embroidery patterns are from Gail's book Patchwork Loves Embroidery.
There were a total of 14 pincushions made. It was so much fun to make something that sewed together so fast! A nice change from working on quilts that take much longer.
Linking to Finished Or Not Friday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, TGIFF!, Show Off Saturday
Two weeks ago, after I finished sewing the backings and bindings for the tractor crib quilts, I cleaned, dusted and covered my sewing machine. I didn't touch it for a full week while I fall cleaned my house. Well, my home is clean enough and we've finally had the first freeze of the year. Autumn is definitely here and I'm ready to sew again.
Last winter I embroidered many little squares to be used for pincushions and needle books. This week I concentrated on the pincushions.
These embroidery designs are from Gail Pan's book Embroidery Loves Patchwork. They measure 4" by 6" and are filled with ground walnut hulls.
I've made 14 pincushions but only had enough hulls on hand to fill these 5. I'll pick up more filler and show you the rest of them in my next post.
Linking to Esther's Wednesday WOW!, Let's Bee Social, Needle & Thread Thursday
