more hand-work "stitchery"

 I thought I'd share some of my hand-embroidery-stitching...

that I call stitchery.

And, you should be able to click on the pics below,

click again and get an enlarged pic

to scroll through to see the coloring up close if you care to.

I have been working on Calendula Patterdrip's Cottage,

a pattern by Crabapple Hill...Block one is traced, crayoned with white & shaded with browns,

then stitching started...

Block one with hand-embroidery stitching done:

(this piece is ~40 inches wide, so it's a big one!)

 Blocks two, three and four (below)

pieced & stitched together,

then traced,

crayoned with white

and shaded (mostly with browns, some green, blue and mauve)...

 Here are blocks 2/3/4 and I have about three-fourths of them stitched...
(I don't know why this pic below is so faded out,
but the one above does the coloring more justice)

(I L-O-V-E coloring with crayons,

and am really enjoying this project.

Coloring is so...relaxing elemental soothing to me.

Takes me back to Sunday afternoons when I was little,

awaiting Sunday-after-church dinner

that the matriarchs in the family were whipping up

while us youngins colored great masterpieces).

Anyway, I will tell you that the blocks 2/3/4 segment above...

I colored and tinted for 6 hours!

Yes, six hours! 

And, it took almost two whole white crayons

for the base coating before the tinting.

That's a whole lot of coloring fun!!!

This one is easy to stitch, as it is only one floss -

Cosmo (Seasons 8041)

20 skeins of floss is called for in the pattern!!!

It's a variegated brown that is just lovely.

And, it seems to be going quite quickly.

I don't know if it will be done for this Autumn,

but as quickly as it's going, it's a maybe!

Happy Stitching!!!

And, Happy End of August (already)!

How I keep busy

or pretend to...

I had a "chunk" of Primitive Muslin fabric
(by Primitive Gatherings/Moda)
that was calling out to me...
I love the mottled-ness of the shading
(I'm pretty sure the color is Tallow).

I think it was calling out to be something with some
hand-embroidery stitching on it...

I traced and then crayon-shaded this cute pattern

called Which Witches Boot by Crabapple Hill.

Then I stitched it:

Well, most of it is stitched...

Still need to stitch the ribbon candy,

the pumpkin's collar and the variegated black in the boot.

I stitched it with the designer's color choices
and used the Cosmo threads called for.

The colors are definitely brighter than I would have chosen, but I liked stitching with the Cosmo threads.  They stitch very smoothly and don't tangle easily.

And it sure is cute!

Back to keeping busy!

out of...

So, I'm out of whack, out of tune, out of...something...

my head is in the clouds, or

like my mind is (figuratively) on vacation.

I blame it on the change of my routine, I guess.

I covered at the LQS for someone on vacation...

and worked four days, not the usual two last week.

Not that that is anything spectacular or honorary or anything like that.

BUT,

I think it threw off my rhythm. 

I didn't know that I was such a creature of habit.

I'm always up for spur-of-the-moment things.

Just ask me, and I'm in. 

This week, though, I am on vacation - literally.

Not a go anywhere vacation though.

And no one is joining me on my vacation.

It's a getting-ready-for-the-family-reunion vacation.

My paternal family gets together here annually.

This is the family that cooks like we are Amish.

So there are great expectations

 in choosing a few dishes to prepare.

Yes, everyone makes not just one or two items, but many.

As hostess, I always make the main course -

this year, the year of the chicken,

(see previous blog postings of wedding, brother, etc.) 

I am making the entree` of sloppy chicken...

(you know, like sloppy joes but with chicken not beef).

Anyway, I still need to come up with something else that is killer.

Any ideas?

So, off the food for a moment and back to the vacation stuff...

It really does NOT take a week

to get the house ready or cook sloppy chicken for the reunion.

I'm lucky

in that some of the family

comes around during the week before reunion and visits. 

Or we take a road-trip. 

Or something else fun.

This year, a great-aunt and a couple of second cousins and I

are going to road-trip down to Ripley, Ohio

to check out the Rankin House near the Ohio River. 

The Rankin House is a National Historical Landmark

and was an underground railroad station. 

The Rankin House is also part of our family history -

as Sarah Rankin, one of the thirteen children,
 is a great-great-great-something to each of us. 

We're hoping to clear that up in each of our minds! 

Before our minds become cloudy (or cloudier)!

the shop hop saga continues...

so - I shared a few weeks ago

that a friend and I

had gone on a LONG shop hop -

• one where we left before 7:30 A.M.
• arrived at the first shop as they opened their door
• ate lunch in the car so we'd have time to make most of the shops in the hours they were open
• closed out at least two shops as they were closing for the evening
• made the last stop at a shop where they were having an evening class
• and had dinner after 9:00 p.m.
• before driving the two hours home
•  to arrive home after 11:30 p.m.
• completing our 16 hour hop
• and driving over 600 miles

Well, guess what?

My co-hort in quilting WON one of the shop-hop gift baskets.

Guess what that means??
Yep, you guessed it!!!
We will be driving back north this week!
To pick up her winnings. 
She's always winning things!

So, besides the long drive,
we get to re-visit some shops that we really liked
but didn't spend a whole lot of time in.
And, we'll see if we can get a picture of the finished quilt project from the hop. 
The quilt that only a few of the 14 shops actually participated in!!

Another quilting adventure!

grandbaby quilt

Not the typical new baby/crib/layette, I know.

But, a great color/texture/play-on-the-floor-time quilt

(that finished 52 x 52 inches) 

for when he's not a newborn anymore.

Not that I'm wishing time away,
I just know he'll get more use out of this than if it were a newborn size.
And, if I want, I can still make the crib/layette stuff, too, as there are still a couple of months left before he arrives! :)

This is Splash Dance from the book Twosey-Foursey Quilts/Cathy Wierzbicki 

(And, yes, that is the dreaded long-haired-minkie on the back.  It makes you say "grrrrr" when you are long-arm quilting it and it continues to stretch; but so totally worth the effort in the long run!)

meanderings from the last couple of weeks...

I haven't shared for a while - sorry!

I haven't been blogging very well the last couple of months,

and it's NOT because I've been vacationing!

I've been here in my home, sweet home,

just doing the usual, I guess.

Well, some of the usual. 

Seems like I've lacked mojo, or something.
Anyway,

here are some of the quilts that I got to meander across...

First up is Linda's:

She's a newbie and is making each of her grandchildren a quilt.

This is her second off her list, and check out her perfectly matched corners!

I love new quilters!

 Here's the close-up of her corners that she matched perfectly:

 Next up is Annette's using her Kaffe fabrics

that she has been collecting for a few years;

She has been quilting quite a while, and she is sooo artistic. 

I could hardly wait to start quilting on this one!

She named it "you are my sunshine"

 Here's a close-up of her requested stitching designs:

She asked me to quilt each block

specifically for the fabric centered in each "sun".

Not only is she great at color, she is also a great piecer! 

Isn't it a beaut?  So much fun!

Next up- Andrea's wall hanging:

 and Shirley's wall-hanging:

Andrea and Shirley are quilting-buds,

and they get together a few times a week and do charity quilts. 

They took a break from the charity-quilt-making

to do a couple of wall-hangings for themselves. 

These are great - but I'm sure not ready for the W-I-N-T-E-R theme!!!

More tomorrow - promise!
I made a quilt (surprise, surprise) for my D-I-L's shower that I'd like to share.
And, I've been stitching (also surprise, surprise)!

month four of five: Vintage Trick or Treat

Month Four of Five ALREADY!!!

Though I'm not ready to admit that Fall is a-comin'...
Fall must be just right around the corner,
as our "fall project" is almost finished!!!

The stitch-along group at the LQS

has been meeting on the third Tuesday of the month

and working on

Vintage Trick or Treat

by Crabapple Hill:

This month's assignment

was the finish of the

center bottom stitchery block:

The Gang's All Here!

This group reminds me of some of my "gang" of friends :)

Also this month - get all of your machine pieced blocks done

and start assembly:

We'll discuss a little issue
of when to "fly-stitch" between the side stitcheries...
(I disagreed with the instructions
and felt it could have been done sooner and at an easier point in the construction process)


Next month's assignments:

• hand-embroidery stitch the last two blocks: Hoot Owl & Squiggle Mouth

• piece together the two corner blocks with the "Gang's all Here" for the bottom of the quilt (remember to check your measurements against already pieced blocks before you cut!)
• piece together the corner blocks with the stitched "Halloween Banner" for the top of the quilt (remember to check and double check those measurements before cutting your stitchery blocks!)

Next month we'll discuss:

• putting all the machine-stitched blocks together with the hand-stitched pieces
• attaching borders that are the correct length for the center blocks so we do NOT end up with wavy borders
• quilting options
• optional rick-rack and pom-pom-tassels
• doing a scalloped edge border
• binding a scalloped border

last week's meanderings in thread

Guess I forgot to share a couple of quilts

that I got to meander across last week...

First up is Bea's hearts:

 Second is Patty's bright batiks:

Both of these gals are newer quilters.  Aren't they doing great? 

I think they both made wedding gifts this summer
for early fall weddings.
Thanks, gals, for letting me do some creative stitching on them!

That makes me behind schedule...again! as usual, as I'm still working on my niece's wedding quilt - and her wedding was mid-June! 
Bad Aunt, bad, bad Aunt. 
But they love me and they'll forgive me-I hope!

Back to stitching!
Hope your week is a great one!

Whew!

And Phew!
And, too busy! (that's the whew)...
But, too fun!

The D-I-L shower went well - visiting and laughing and such cute baby things. 
I was drawing a blank for "the game" and someone suggested
the "classic - Diaper Doo Discovery"... (that's the Phew)
That's a classic???!!! 
Then I mentioned to another friend about maybe doing THAT game,
and she said she loved it.  LOVED IT??  Cracks me up!
So,
I did the Diaper Doo Discovery guessing game.
You know, melt different name brand chocolate bars in disposable diapers.
Then try to guess what each "mess" is by looking closely in and smelling the "dirty" diaper.

Here are the momma-to-be on the right and my DD on the left,

starting "the game"

I have to say, it was hilarious

watching all of these women

watch each other

in the smelling of diapers!

Even the younger cousins got into the game...

(I didn't share a couple of the photos I would have liked to,

because my Aunts would kill me

if they saw I shared their yucky-face-smelling-the-diaper-faces. 

I know I would kill me if it were reversed! 

 And, the reunion is still coming up, so, gotta' live with them, you know?)

So, today is clean-up the shower dishes - you know, all the little glass plates and the punch bowl and pedestal cakes plates - all the standard shower dishes that have to be hand washed and dried,
but make the shower so pretty and special!

After the clean-up, more Whew, as there is laundry calling.
And, then more fun, as there are quilts calling, too.

Happy Stitching Monday!

Summertime

that means getting ready for:
weddings.
and pool parties.
and baby showers
and reunions.

I think we are finished with the weddings for this year.

And since the kiddos are grown and gone from the nest (yep, that was a mixed metaphor!), the pool parties have slowed down.  I have a "splash party" many times a week - which involves the pool/exercise walking with a friend or two- the splash coming as we get in!

There is a baby shower (or five) coming up (in the next few months). 
My favorite sonny and his girly are expecting this fall.  (As are four of his best buds from high school or college.)  That's a whole lot of baby quilts and excitement (and I'm trying to contain my excitement - I only have one grandbaby-to-be quilt made so far!!!) 

And there's always at least one summer reunion every year. 
My paternal family meets here at my house annually to "reunion". 
But it's also to see if we can out-do each other in the cooking/new recipe development/gorging ourselves departments.  Also in the tall-story area that usually involves some animal/growing/catching/cleaning/etc.  Also, we've been working on our family history and will share our "underground railroad" findings about a many-great-grandma Sarah and the Rankin House- our own ties to the civil unrest one hundred and fifty years ago.  I'm sure many things have happened in the past year since we've been all together that we just NEED to share!

Back to plotting planning for the reunion!  I need to re-make try a couple of recipes!!!
Here's one recipe that I haven't made for a long time but may have to be in the running for reunion...

BUN CANDY
bottom chocolate-y layer:

• 12 oz each of semi-sweet and butterscotch baking chips with
• 18 oz. peanut butter -

 microwave/melt together and spread half of this in a buttered 10 x 15 inch pan and chill.

(To the other half of the chip/peanut butter mixture, add

• 1 pound of dry roasted peanuts and save for the top chocolate-y/nutty layer.)

Middle white gooey layer-  cook until hot but not boiling: 

• 1 cup margarine, 
• 2/3 cup milk,
• 1 small package of vanilla pudding-NOT INSTANT. 

When it's hot and starting to thicken, remove from heat and stir in a

• 2 pound bag of powdered sugar. 

Stir well and spread this over the bottom layer chilled chocolate.  Chill again.

Top layer:
Remelt the chocolate/peanut mixture and spread over the top of the white filling.
Chill again - for a couple of hours, then cut and enjoy!
They are rich and a little gooey, but man-oh-man they sure taste like a bun candy bar!!!

AND, I'm sure there are no calories!

Off to bed for me, as I have more stitching to do this week,
along with the recipe-making
and quilt-making
and, oh yea, a little thing called work!

another shop hop/review

A friend and I -
co-horts in quilting,
did a shop hop in north-eastern Ohio recently.
We saw the hop written up in the Country Register July/August edition.

The hop was billed as a
"commeration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
With a quilt and blocks designed for this special event". 
Their words, not mine...

But,
A HOP in COMMERATION 
of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War????!!!
I'm IN!!


14 shops - one day.
Pre-planning and timing are a must. 
Every shop and stop pre-mapped. 
With driving times in-between each figured in.
Left home early enough (two+ hours) that we arrived at the first shop as it opened.
Drove and visited each of the shops.
Stayed longer in some than in others.
A couple of the shops,
well, let's just say, it might have been their first rodeo  hop.

Only three of the fourteen shops
did reproduction fabrics for their block and offered kits. 
The rest, well, they did their own thing, and did not offer a block kit.
And, not mentioned anywhere beforehand-
you could only have your "passport" stamped
if you bought something in each of the shops. 
And, when you purchased,
that's when you got their block pattern for the hop quilt. 
Deceptive, very deceptive.

The purchasing, that would not have been a problem. 
Put me in any quilt shop and I'd find something I liked to buy...
it was the point of issue.

The "requirement" to purchase something 
to have your passport stamped 
& recieve their block pattern was more than a little disappointing.
Especially since that fact was only ever mentioned in the purchased passport!!!
And then to only have 3 of 14 with reproduction blocks
after it was billed as a Civil War commerative Hop??!! 
Yep, disappointed.

I found a few shops that I wish were closer to home, that I'll make the time to go back and visit longer.

And the majority of the folks in the shops, the owners/employees, you could tell loved what they did.

We drove around like banshees -
eating lunch while driving so we'd have time to make each of the shops.

Over six hundred miles.  Yep, you read that right 600 miles. We made it to 13 of the 14 shops.  Then ate dinner after the last shop closed.  Then drove our 2+ hours home.  It was a long but fun 16 hour day.
And like I said, put me in any quilt shop and I'll find something to buy...
stash additions, a pillowcase-to-be and some creamy stitching fabric:

And the company was good!