I've been busy. . .

. . .working on my next challenge.

After fusing, I love to machine top-stitch everything down using my Walking Foot.

This time I couched some Birch twigs onto the surface too.

I've added some glass beads, after hand quilting with a metallic thread in a few places. The binding helped frame it all in.

I was pretty happy with the results when I was done.

This was an experiment that I am thinking of using to create a series of four tiles. We'll see how the rest go. . .

. . .and this one lead to the next. . .

My quilting is taking a new direction.

. . .then my friend Kristi gave me a bag of scraps that she otherwise would have thrown away.

The thrill of a new adventure began.

. . .What do you think?

Experimental Journey

Yup, things are changing. . .

Think Spring. . .

Well, this is about as 'pastel' as I get. Here are three lovely full-sized antique quilts from my collection. The ladder idea came from a Better Homes and Gardens book titled: 'Garden Style Projects'.

Not many people have ladders on the interior walls of their homes, but I liked the idea for hanging quilts. I pulled this ladder out of our yard where it had previously been hanging on the fence displaying bird houses. The paint has aged and peeled just right.

My dear hubby was so gracious when I asked him to attach it to the upper wall of our entry (that's why the funny angle of  the photo). It was a little difficult to get the whole thing in the shot. What do you think?

Sweet Heart

A few scraps of red fleece and part of an old woolen skirt. . .sweet! 

Enjoy your Valentine's Day.

Kitty surgery

Well, here is my boyfriend, home from his surgery. The first thing he did was to crawl under my son's desk and settle in. That's one of Jonesy's most favorite places in the whole world - near Eric.

For the next fourteen days he will wear the collar, take medicine and be confined. Easier said than done! (those of you who have cats know what I mean.)

Jonesy had a sizable tumor removed from the underside of his front leg. Hopefully this will give us a few more years together. We love him so much. He truly is a character.

A Northwest Snowman

When the weather changed from Fall to Winter on our calendar here, I embroidered this 'Northwest' version of a Snowman and made it into a pillow for our guest bed.

He's got moss and mushrooms growing on his arms and head. This guy is holding a hot cup of coffee, and of course it's raining instead of snowing. Very typical for our Winters here in Portland, Oregon.

I simply reduced one of my Seasonal applique patterns 50%, and traced it onto a piece of muslin. After I stitched it up, I used a little instant coffee on the whole piece to achieve an 'aged' look. Can't see much of it in the picture though. I would have liked there to be more contrast between the threads and the fabric.

One lesson learned: 'staining' the whole piece afterward also stains the threads!
 

Back in the saddle again. . .

 Today, I'm back in my sewing room again. Yippie! Stress reduction in action.

I thought I'd use up the last of the fabric scraps that Judy returned to me after she stitched up her Christmas gifts for me.

I'd been looking at a small doll quilt in the Winter 2011 issue of the Simple Quilts and Sewing magazine. I  followed the directions and used up as many of the fabric scraps as I could. That pretty much determined the size of my little quilt.

I had been doing some reading recently about matching seams. I wanted to try two things I was curious about.

The first one was, a smaller stitch length.

Quiltmaker magazine's Diane Harris blogged about stitch length in November:

Shorten your stitch length for better piecing all around! I’m always amazed by the settings my students use for their stitch length—way too long. If you’re on metric settings, 2.0 is the minimum I use for piecing. Sometimes I go down to 1.6. (That’s the length of each stitch in millimeters. (Learn more about stitch length here) If your machine settings are measured in stitches per inch, go for 15 or 17 per inch.

A good rule of thumb is that the shorter the seam you’re sewing is, the shorter your stitches need to be. If the seam is only 1/2″ long, you’ll want more stitches in that space in order for the seam to be secure.

The second thing I wanted to try was, a technique for pinning to get better control of matching seams.

This suggestion came from the February 2012 issue of the American Patchwork and Quilting magazine.
 
The article was about making pinwheels, but I applied it to basic matching for any pieced seams. I knew I should be doing this, but never really made the switch to a better habit.

After matching your seams, or 'Butterflying' them (each seam pressed in opposite directions) carefully pin pieces together on either side of the seam line. The article also suggested; stabbing a pin through the point where the block units come together.

 Leave the pins in place just until you are about to sew over them.

 The result will be perfectly (well almost) aligned seams - with smaller, tighter stitches.

Just a couple of small things to make your sewing easier and more trouble-free!

"The journey of a year is drawing to a close. Cherish the moments, all of them, even the ups and downs. Cherish the places you've visited, the people you've seen. Say good-bye to those whose journeys have called them someplace else. Know you can always call them back by thinking loving thoughts. Know all those you love will be there for you when you need them most. Honor the lessons you've learned, and the people who helped you learn them. Honor the journey your soul mapped out for you. Trust all the places you've been. Make a scrapbook in your heart to help you remember.

Look back for a moment. Reflect in peace. Then let this year draw to a close. All parts of the journey are sacred and holy. You've learned by now. Take time to honor this ending-though it's never really the end. Go to sleep tonight. When you wake up tomorrow a new adventure will begin."

-Melody Beattie 'Journey to the Heart'

Honor the Ending. . .

On a shelf in my sewing room, sits this primitive needlework that I embroidered on an piece of linen I aged, then framed a few years ago.

 

The quote comes from the book:  'Journey to the Heart' by Melody Beattie. It is my favorite and has always honored the present year's end as well as the beginning of the next. . .

It reads:  Let the journey unfold. Let it be magical. The way has been prepared. People will be expecting you. Yes, you are being led.

Do you believe?

The wonder of it all

Yes, today was the day we decorated the Christmas tree. How magical it looked with all the ornaments on it!

 . . . and what do you suppose he was thinking? . . .

Root Beer Cookies

My friend Lisa recently shared the recipe for these delightful cookies with me.Yummy! After tasting them at our Christmas Party, I couldn't wait to bake a batch for my family. An extra bonus is the warm smell of Root Beer in the kitchen while they bake! Here's the recipe:

Root Beer Cookies
(Makes approximately 42 cookies)

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter/margarine
1 egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. Root Beer extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp.baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Drop by rounded spoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake 6-8 minutes.

When cool frost.

Root Beer Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp. Root Beer extract
2 TBL hot water