Well, I am back on the sewing track! All Aboard! Trains have been mentioned in my blogs of late. ….Referring to time chugging out of control. After a bad migraine, and rested hands (which kinda drove me crazy….like to keep my hands busy), my sewing adventure continues.
I have a couple of finishes, and a start, and an in between.
I would first like to share the Stars Upon Thars 81 Patch quilt top. I have it sewn and it is glorious! It looks old fashioned, but with mostly new fabrics. During the last couple of weeks making this work, I took notice that all of the blocks were sewn at very different times. These 64 patch blocks had been started by hand, and then sewn some more with the same thread but by machine, and then sometime later sewn with much thinner thread (I presume polyester). And now it is conjoined with my fabrics and thread, for a old fashioned, scrappy traditional looking quilt top. I would like to take the time to thank all my readers and voters on social media who made this the best possible outcome. Your votes counted, and thank you on helping me make that decision!
We don’t ever look at the back of the work much, but I wanted to show how even some of the stitchings are. And I see feed sack and shirtings, I wonder if this was started in the 40s when money was scarce and sewing machine factories figured out other means for manufacture. Then I presume machine stitching happened after the war probably in the 50s when machines could be afforded on revolving debt. These blocks have waited so long to become something. And now 60+ years later, it is on its way to being done!
Here it is, on the twin bed, which is much too small to show case all its glory!
On the couch! still too big, but you get the picture. I was very afraid that where I had trimmed the 81 patches to square things up, would make it look horrid. But it kinda is lost with all the squares and their uniformity. Far away you do not notice it, up close, yup, it sticks out like a sore thumb, but it is done! I have only two star blocks left over that can be made into a hot pad or large potholder. One was the yellow lady bug one that just did not work with the old look.
And my tree one I cut the wrong way, so it is not in this.
I will have fun at a later time with these orphans.
And after completion of a big project leaves an emptiness in my sewing soul. I had to start stitching, but what….
First I got out my Moda Scrap Bag, sewed a bunch of 3 inch strips with the idea of making a jelly roll race. But the strips were cut with the grain, and were not 45 wide but only 36, and some shorter. So I have a nice start to something to be finished in the future. My plan is to sew some solids to each side and call it modern/minimalist. Too be photo’d at a later time.
Still itching…..in checking the mail, got some correspondence junk mail from a quilting magazine that I used to subscribe too. In their little packet of junk, there was inclosed a free Bonnie and Camille pattern, it was beautiful. So beautiful in fact, that a new project is well on its way. The pattern does not give the block a name, but after looking into my reference quilt block book, quickly found the name of the old block. This is called the Wedding Ring.
Here is the start. I have 4 pink blocks made with several in the works. I am utilizing my skills that Bonnie Hunter has manage to connect and get into this quilters cranium. I am utilizing some wild neutrals, and all shade of pink. Some neutrals are a bit dark, but that is ok, I am using it up. Much of these were scraps, and glad to have them into a piece that will eventually become something other than living dead in a tote LOL.
I have started on my greens, but have not made one yet, just pulled and starched fabrics. My scraps all seem to gravitate to an olive green. Glad to use those up. Probably not the best color to go with the pink, but it will certainly make a statement. In nature these two colors reside side by side in many flowers and greenery. So out of the stash you go into something productive.
And if that wasn’t enough, I made a sewing kit for my purse. This was a nice hand project using things about the house, not having to shop for a thing.
It doesn’t look like much. It is about 4 inches by 1 1/2 inches. I failed to use a fastener. I am just using a rubber band. It works!
You can see the wool helps hold the pins and needles. The container itself is perfect for a small spool of thread, thimble, and a fold up scissors.
And I have managed some time on the longarm, doodling away. Finding out that my one ruler I have, does not have a loopy small enough clamshell for the current design. So ruler work is kinda at a loss for now. I will be in search of a smaller arch. My arch is so flat on these blocks it looks like a sloppily outlined a stitch in the ditch. So major doodling for now.
My mother called to say she was done hand quilting a 100 by 110 quilt and it is soooooo beautiful. And will be mine! With its completion will come bragging rights to this blog. Proud as a peacock, I am.
🙂
I have gotten much done, with a bit more to go, to get me through the monotony of the week, to the weekend excitement of sew-a-palooza. I plan on stitching much, like a marathon. It will require hydration and probably chocolate. I can handle that.
Ready……Set…….SEW!
Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog!
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