sew what's new?

I got a call from my quilter on friday I could pick up my quilt.  I was in 7th heaven. And I already have it bound and if you look on back where extra plate block is ; that is my label.  Enjoy! Have a quiet night! martha

Yesterday I showed you hoe to make a thread catcher from squares and today it is triangles we will be useing.  I use my 60* triangle ruler and cut two  co-ordinating fabrics out the largest size (the larger the triangle the larger the thread catcher)  . Which for my ruler is approximately 8". I put a knit interfacing, to give it a little body,but not stiffness, on one  back side of one piece. I then sew around the triangle with  1/4 " seam allowance,  making sure to leave opening in the middle of one of the sides.  This is so you will not have to hand stitch the opening closed. It will be sewn together  later. Once sewn , clip off points to reduce bulk. Then you will be able to turn fabric to the right sides out.  Proceed to the iron and press flat. Pull two points together and sew 1/8" away from edges and only half of the way up.  This is where you will sew over opening(that is why it is in middle). Either mark each side...

Today  I find myself playing with hexes.I received acute little fob or bookmark in the mail today from Cheryl Goss of  Willowberry Designs. It was so cute that it inspired me to make some hexes !  I will finish this later. A little  tutorial for you on a small thread catcher.  Cut two squares (can be of any size) these are five inch squares .  I put an iron knit interfacing on one side to give it some body.   This is a mini thread catcher for beside my chair while watching tv. With right sides together  sew around useing  1/4 seam allowance and leaving an opening for turning. Turn right sides out and press. Fold  a side in half and sew only half way up leaving half of top tip unsewn. Keep sewing each side to the one next to it until all are sewn half way up.  You will have little triangle points flaying in the wind ,Ha Ha!  I then sewed buttons on each side to hold it down. I put a mouse button o...

 Slow in some spots and busy little bee in others. Doing house work , dishes,  laundry , making beds and such. I do have a washing machine and dryer.  I do have a dishwasher.  And i only have one bed to make ; so why do things take so long. It must be me ,  wanting to get to the fun part of sewing.  However my car needed a little attention today also. My husband had the fuse it needed for the cruise control.  We did have to make a trip out for the bulb for my license plate.   So I would like to show and share with you Block #5 for my stitch therapy group that I finished. I also prepared the pieces for Henrietta whiskers block # 9.  I placed them down and hopefully tonight I can begin sewing them down.  I also promised a friend I would try and make her some yo yo's.  I hope you all have a fun and productive weekend.  Delight in each breath you take.  martha

My grandmother and my mother  both raised peacocks on thier farms. They enjoyed the beauty of the bird.  It does make  a shrill call that resembles a woman's  scream .  My mother had the top of her cage covered because hawks would come to steal them. While sewing this wall hanging I was reminded of these things.  My mom has since moved off her farm and into town. There is still a border to be added on, but I just had to show you how pretty the blues are in the fabric. I just love it. But I do love my peacocks quiet though.  Make every day count,  martha

Getting there is half the fun.  The process , that is , the learning process. I do enjoy the challenges and the experiences.  Sewing can be an adventure just like life!  Until Just Takes 2   I had not attempted much paper pieceing ; They seem to prefer it.  I have noticed that I am getting much faster at it.  Here are two more blocks. I have finished my mystery blocks for February. I also have my free bom from Raspberry Rabbit    laid out and stitching started. Today I go to my Stitch Therapy class and bring my five flower  blocks to show .  There are 16 all together to do.  I enjoy getting together and seeing what they have accomplished too!  Everyone has a different vision for the same pattern and it is remarkable.  Love all the different thoughts and ways they bring out thier ideas in cloth.  Keep plugging away out there, the more you do the better you get!  Life nor stitching does not always go accord...

Had our meeting of Kansas Troubles at one of the local quilt shops today. It was inspiring  and soul searching. By soul searching I find out more about myself  and my likes and dislikes.  Today's patterns are being streamlined to keep more people (young and old )  in the sewing loop , which is good in one respect.  But I find I value more of the traditional ways and visual pleasures of quilting. Not that I am an expert at them by any means.  However I do take pleasure in the effects of traditioal ways of doing things.  An example would be I like hand applique , does not mean I am any good at it .  But I appreciate it!  I am also of  a mind set the more one does of a thing the better you get.  In hopes that theory is true in its heart ,  I am trying , even though sometimes it defintely is not perfect.  So that being said here are two of the next JUST TAKES 2   blocks. Feeling a little under the weather I did not g...