Slow Sunday Stitching with my New Toy

Last summer I decided I simply HAD to have a Hinterberg quilt hoop after seeing one at a friend's house.  I didn't realize that they were no longer being made, so I scoured Craigslist and Facebook markets for a used one.  I finally found one in Arizona (I live in California), but since we have a vacation condo in Scottsdale I crossed my fingers that it was still available when we went down in May.  It was meant to be!!  We drove two hours south to get it but it was well worth the trip.  It is a lovely piece of furniture and I'm hoping it will allow me to quilt more in the summer because the quilt won't be on my lap. I'm linking to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching.

I recently completed and gifted this Fleur de Lys quilt to my husband's 90 year old aunt.  She was delighted with the reference to her heritage.  She is Very. French. 

I always say I'm going to get back to blogging and don't follow through.  Hopefully my new I-phone camera will make it easier to take pictures.  I'll share some finished quilts in my next post. 

Slow Stitch Finishes

I finished hand quilting two quilts that I began several years ago.  The first is a mini quilt  that I started at a Jo Morton retreat in Nebraska in 2015.  The 1/2" hexis are fussy cut and paper pieced.  I used this project for car work when we traveled, so it took 2 years. 

 

 

The next quilt was a kit I purchased at Quilter's Corner in Sacramento.  I rarely buy kits but I just loved the border and vertical sashing fabrics in this kit.  Its been pieced for some time, just waiting its turn to be quilted.

 

 

 

I noticed when I hung it that the blocks were going different directions.  I planned it that way.  (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!)

On a personal note:  Finished chemo and thankfully have no lingering side effects other than a nearly bald head.  I will say that wearing a wig is much quicker than drying and fixing your hair.  I like to believe there is always a silver lining to every cloud.  I've completed week 1 of 6 weeks radiation with no problems.  They tell me I may get tired by week 3, but it should be nothing compared to chemo.  I'm happy to be in the last phase of treatment and anxious to get my life back. 

Slow (Hot) Sunday Stitching

I've been getting a lot of hand stitching in lately, as there as days when I don't have much energy to do much else.  I'm so thankful that I have this hobby to keep my mind and hands occupied.  Today I will be stitching on this Fig Tree Frivol.  I'm almost done quilting it.   Just a few more blocks and 3 borders.  Its small, so it is comfortable to hold even in the heat. 

 

Last week I finished up my paper pieced hexagons.  Each hexi is 1/2 inch and most are fussy cut.  I started this back in November 2015 when I attended a Jo Morton hand sewing retreat at Lied Lodge in Nebraska with my friend Nancy.  I haven't worked on it steadily, as it became my car project.  We make several 12 hour trips to Arizona and back every year, and I occupy myself with a hand sewing project or two.  This in addition to having a 17 pound Shih Tzu on my lap!  I have it pin basted and will hand quilt it when I finish my current quilt. 

 

This past week wasn't my most productive week, but this coming week should bring me more energy and motivation.  I did read a great book this week called  Beneath a Scarlett Sky by Mark Sullivan.  It is based on the true story of a heroic young man in Milan, Italy during WWII.  Not the most uplifting of things to read when you're feeling poorly, but it definitely made me realize that things could be waaaay worse! 

 

Have a great Sunday everyone.

 

 

Slow Sunday Stitching

Although I usually do slow stitching on Sunday (in fact, most days), I have been bad about posting pictures to Kathy's Blog.  I'm going to try to make it a habit in 2017.  I'm sorry about the quality of these pics.  I've misplaced the battery charger to my good camera, so I've used my phone.

I had planned on working on my big stitch spider web quilt, but as you can see someone thought it would make a cozy nap spot.  Jack thinks its his personal responsibility to lie on every quilt I make including the unfinished ones.

I'll just work on my hand-pieced Sunburst quilt.  I'm using www.cindyblackberg.com Cindy Blackberg's stamp set, and they are coming together easily.  I've made 8 since before Christmas and my plan is to make 16 for a wall quilt. No hurry, just very relaxing. 

Have a great Sunday stitching.  Stay safe and warm!

Slow Stitching

I had to lay aside the spider web quilt because it is too heavy for summer quilting.  Since I didn't have anything basted, I looked in the UFO closet and found this old beauty.  I made the top in 1988!! and started quilting it.  For some reason, I got tired of it, put it in the closet, and forgot about it.  I have been working on it steadily for about a month, so I only have the border left to do.  This is really sloooooooooooow stitching!

Sunday Stitching

String spider web quilt is in the hoop.  I'm doing a big huge stitch using pearl cotton.  Its going really quickly and I'm enjoying the folksy look. 

 

 

 

This is a big quilt (queen size) and its heavy from all the piecing.  I'd better work fast, because once the weather gets warm it will be too hot on my lap.  I'm linking to kathysquilts@blogspot.com for Slow Sunday Stitching,  Have a great Sunday everyone!

Austin Bluebird Complete

I just finished my Austin Bluebird quilt.  I think this might possibly be my favorite quilt.  I enjoyed every step of the process.  There is something about a sampler that keeps it from becoming tedious.  I hand quilted it, and it was fun to pick different quilting patterns for the various blocks.  It is hard to tell from the pictures, but hubby was just  a little too short to hold up the quilt.  I needed my 6'4" son for this one!  I don't usually do kits, but I loved this quilt the moment I saw in on the Minnick and Simpson blog.  It was my birthday present last January and I was so motivated I finished it within the year. 

I'm linking to Kathy's Slow Stitching, as there are many hours of slow stitches on this baby.

My Hands

Kathy asked that we share a picture of our slow stitching hands today, so here I am quilting the border of my pink scrap quilt.  My hands, thankfully, to not get tired when quilting because I do not rock the needle.  My right hand stays still and pushes the needle.  The left hand (underneath) has a thimble on it and it pushes up.  I started quilting this way long ago because I could never get used to a sore finger underneath.

I remember when I first learned to hand quilt I thought "This is supposed to be relaxing???  You've got to be kidding!"  I thought it was so unnatural and the quilt was always in my way.  Of course it didn't help that I chose the fluffiest batting I could find!  But I persevered and now I agree that hand quilting is one of the most relaxing things a person can do.

This is what happens to the thimble on my left hand.  I have to replace them about once a year when I poke a hole in them.   I'm glad its the thimble and not my finger that looks like Swiss cheese.   I need the metal thimbles with the flat top (no ridge) and they are getting more difficult to find each year.  I've become a thimble hoarder. 

Slow Sunday Stitching

Today I will be joining my friend Nancy and her mother for slow stitching.  We all love to hand quilt..In fact, Vivian (Nancy's mom) has never ever had one of her quilts quilted by a machine of any type.  She hand quilts every single one of them!  Unlike most of us, she doesn't have a backlog of tops that need quilting.  Nancy keeps hoping her mom will run out and quilt some of her tops for her, but Viv just tells her she can do them herself.  Viv is 93 years old and still quilts several hours every day.  I once asked her why she didn't machine quilt and she looked at me like I was crazy.  "I like to hand quilt.  It's my favorite part of the process." she replied.

I'm going to be working on one of two things.  The blue and cheddar quilt is basted and ready for quilting.  I just need to decide on a thread color.

  If it is too hot to have a quilt on my lap then I will applique the leaves and stems on the "Where Poppies Grow" BOM.  I'm falling behind on this BOM.  This is block 4 for me, and block 8 was just released last week.  The piecing and applique is time consuming, so I have to be fully alert and in the mood to start a block.

Enjoy your Sunday!

S'Mores Complete

I love, love, love this quilt!!  It is a Jo Morton design that was published in the February 2013 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting.  According to my records, I started it in December of 2012.  After piecing the top, I couldn't decide whether to hand or machine quilt it.  I decided that hand quilting wouldn't show up, so I would machine quilt straight lines with a walking foot.  After quilting about 12 lines across the top, I HATED it.

  So... I took out all those wobbly machine stitches and decided to hand quilt.  It actually quilted up nicely, but I was right - the quilting isn't very noticeable.  That's ok because I love all the different fabrics and the pattern so it takes center stage.  Don't you just love how the fabric crinkles up once it is quilted and washed?

Now I can get going on the next quilt - it is already basted and ready to go.