Last minute shopping...some chocolate treats specifically ( I like the Russell Stover Whitman's Sampler for little gifts) and I don't mind at all being there. There's a real hustle and bustle to the place on the eve of Christmas Eve, a certain excitement that I don't want to miss. After all, excitement as such is kind of sparse in my retired adult life, so I will enjoy it where I find it even if it is the local Walmart. LOL
I hope your Eves went well as we close the days to the special one on the horizon . To think a new year is this close to rising boggles my little mind.
But before the new, a quick glance back at the old.
An invitation went out from Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs to write a new post highlighting any number of things that were great about 2018, including the suggestion to write about stitching finishes.
Since my blog is part journal,what a good idea for me to take stock of the stitching side of things and write about what was finished, halfway quilted and still a sad flimsy on a shelf. But no, I shouldn't say sad as I'm not a bit discouraged to see what needs to be finished, I know I will get to it.
This one below was just finished in the nick of time. I called it Scandinavian Redwork with no pattern for the quilting finish when it was begun. I traced some of Zeena Shah's drawings from her Scandinavian Coloring Book and embroidered them with DMC floss. Her book is available here at the Book Outlet and at the end, I thought hearts made a suitable border.
This is my version of Edyta Sitar's Pumpkins pattern found at the marvelous Laundry Basket Quilts.
A great applique project and it did get bound and hung on the wall as glimpsed in the photo above. I want to get her umbrella pattern to make a similar kind of quilt.
I loved embroidering this Leane Beasley pattern, Sew Laugh Love from Leanne's House. It hangs in my sewing room and while I'm not laughing all the time, I'm definitely loving (almost) all the sewing taking place there.
I wanted to work on something fun and brightly coloured and found lots of basket inspiration around the net. I enjoyed displaying this one for the summer months.
These next projects are in the queue acquiring some quilting lines...
This is In the Garden of Contentment from the talented Allie at Allie Oops Design. It was a free Stitch Along and I loved making six of these pretty blocks.
This panel features Bob Fair's painting called After the Snow, a nostalgic looking piece. I am trying to quilt by hand and machine. I enjoyed the process of choosing a block for the border and liked the way the small diamond shaped blocks worked out.
Needing quilting
The Indigo Snowballs- sigh, love this but it is so big!
Painted Lady by Laura Heine- so colourful to work with and stitching wool was surpisingly easy; the pattern is now on a little discount at Mad About Patchwork. Laura's site is Fibre Works and I visit it regularly to find inspiration.
This large block below was the free mystery project this year offered as a Stitch Along by Kathleen Tracey at CountryLane Quilts. Kathleen designs beautiful small quilts. I struggled with getting the piecing straight and had to unsew a lot but learned as I went.
Featuring my bank of projects like this has shown me one thing... as much as I love cloth, the way I like best to put it together is in combinations involving applique and embroidery.
I know my projects are nothing like the gorgeous quilting I love to see over and over at your blogs. I dream of a Brinton Hall or a Dear Jane quilt, for instance. Who knows, maybe someday!
Meanwhile, I am thankful for three things...my fingers that still can stitch, my continued pleasure in this great pastime of ours, and all of you in the blogging world sharing your work and inspiring me!
Happily linking with Not Afraid of Color, Sew Fresh Quilts, Quilt Fabrication, and The Inquiring Quilter.
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