Christmas Past

 This is my last finish for 2015. I made it in just two days. The fabric is called Twinkle Bright by Anna Griffin.

 I completed the quilt in two days. I didn't have any pattern in mind and actually spent more time looking for ideas than I did working on the quilt. I just wanted to get in done. I had been moving the fabric around in the attic for years and it was finally time to use it.

Gold sparkle has never been my favorite but this fabric was pulling at my heart. I just kept looking at it. I love retro Christmas fabric, however, this time I felt different, almost sad. It was a reminder of how much Christmas has changed. It used to be that we never even talked about Christmas until after Thanksgiving. That was when the first Christmas commercial aired on t.v. It was always the Norelco ads. Then we would start to learn songs in school and at Sunday School. The catalogs would be in the mail and I would spend hours looking through the pages at the new Barbie things, trying to decide what I wanted most. The stores would decorated and soon after that lights could be put on the windows. We would make paper chains to hang on the tree and around the doorways. Construction paper bells and trees would be taped to the living room window. We would go to one tree lot a week before Christmas to get the tree and put it up the same day. It was so exciting! And simple. One program at school and one program at church. We were entertained by driving around looking at the lights.
Christmas is different now. Not just because I'm an adult but because the world has changed so much. I think we have lost something, this is what makes me sad. I don't know how to get it back. I know I want to somehow try.

Change

  I am not a big fan of change, I just don't like it. That's not to say I don't like trying new things, meeting new people or trying a new recipe. I am just content with things as they are. I've lived in the same house for over 27 years, still have friends I went to high school with and carried the same two  purse for three years. I have sat in the same pew at church for ten years, before that I sat one pew over on the left. However, since my heart attack three months ago I've experienced a lot of changes. Some good, some not. I've had to go back to "square one" on a lot of things. I cannot walk long distances without getting winded. When I wake up in the morning it takes 5 minutes to take all my pills. And wherever I go I look for the ladies room before anything else. This doesn't seem like much but to me it can sometimes be a little overwhelming. And just the feeling of being overwhelmed is new to me.
  I keep wondering just how it is that I am able to handle all that has happened in the past few months. I know God has given me peace and  strength to deal with the changes I'm experiencing but He has also provided a place of comfort and familiarity. That is in needle and thread. I have been doing fiber arts for 50 years . The types of projects I do now vary, ranging from quilting to ribbon embroidery. The supplies vary also, but they all have one thing in common, needle and thread. Stitching is like home to me. My grandma taught me to embroider when I was in first grade. I still use DMC floss on some of my projects. I never grow tired of holding the needle or feeling the thread glide through my fingers. Stitching and sewing bring me comfort and pleasure that I cannot find anywhere else. It's as if it is part of my very being. I cannot imagine ever leaving it for very long. I am so grateful God has given me the ability to do this and filled me with a love for this medium.
   Sometimes I have a difficult time focusing my attention. I'm told this is common after trauma. However, again, I am grateful for the constant that stitching provides. It is simple motions, piercing the fabric and drawing the fiber through, over and over. The repetition gives my comfort and joy. I am no longer in recovery, I am just doing what I love to do. The same love I've had for 5 decades.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

   A few things have changed since I had my heart attack. For example,  I am limited, at least for a while, on physical activity. One of the things I haven't been able to do is climb stairs. This means I can't go in my attic. Most women would not be bothered by this restriction but it has caused real problems for me.  I keep most of my fabric, patterns and stitching supplies in the attic and had been going up there a couple times a week to bring things down as I needed them. Jim has offered to go up there for me but...

It would be difficult for me to explain to almost anyone just what I might want and where it is. Because of this I've had to be content with working on what is already in my sewing room. Actually this has been a blessing. Last week I finished embroidering a tablecloth I bought at a thrift store a couple years ago. The past few days I've been working on this quilt and finished it today.

I never would have completed this if I had other things to work on. This fabric is not something I would buy,but someone gifted me a layer cake. Because it is not my taste I used it to try a new technique I saw on You-tube. I was supposed to be a large snow ball pattern with a four patch but I didn't want to make the snowballs so I packed it away. Last weekend I found an embroidered dresser scarf I bought from an antique store and noticed it went with the snowball fabric. As they say...when life gives you lemons . I am so happy with this quilt. I never would have made it if I had other projects to work on. Sometimes I just have to look at things in a different way and treasures will emerge.

Aunt Martha's Cross Stitch

When I first saw these at an antique store I thought they were transfers. I had no idea Aunt Martha had cross stitch.

I would like to collect all of them. I would also like to find ways to use these. 

Quilt Camp

This past weekend I had my own private quilt camp (without the tasty food). I made this quilt top using Carrie Bloomston's Paint collection. It is one of my new favorites, love this quilt. I also made pillows from two blocks I made years ago with Thangles. I did not like using them so I stopped at two blocks. I added a border to unify them, sewed on a back and their finished.

I also had time to make a make-up bag and a snap pouch from the Paint fabric. I gave this to a young lady at my church. As always with quilt camp I have a project I didn't finish. I wanted to make a couple small pumpkins but never got around to it. I do think it was a successful weekend of sewing.

Scrappy Happy

The first round of the first six blocks in my scrappy quilt. Fabric is leftover from quilts I made two years ago for Kylie, Abbie and Lilie. It's been sitting in a box just waiting for me to find a home for it. Now I have.

What are you working on Wednesday

For years I have been moving this fabric around in the attic, not quite knowing what to do with it. I don't even remember where it came from.  Last week I decided I needed to make something or get rid of it so I brought it down from the attic. When I unfolded it I discovered I had started to make a bag with it, but I don't remember sewing it. Oh well. So today I finished it. It's bright and fun and big, just what I need after this past winter. So what are you working on?

Mini quilt turned placemat

I have half a dozen of the mini charm packs and I want to start using them. I do not like quilts on the walls nor do I need any doll quilts. I finally decided to make a placemat to use outside. Barb had given me a kit and a couple patterns so I got to work. This is made from Cosmo Cricket Odds and Ends for Moda. I love the way it turned out. I ordered the border fabric on line after I had finished the main part. It is about 18" x 20". I love the way it turned out. I am going to quilt it myself, probably stitch in the ditch, and bind it with the same fabric as the border. I actually had enough to do two and I am going to make a small square quilt to set in the middle of the table. I would now like to find two red and white Fire King plates to use with them.

Happy Birth Day 1974

Now that the big day has passed I can post the quilt I made for Heather's 40th birthday.

 I found the calender towel a few years ago and knew I needed to build a quilt around it. I wasn't sure of the design so I put it away until this past October.

 I started the project while in Arizona and was determined to finish it for Heather's birthday.

I am  very happy with the result.

Happy New Year!

Vintage Sewing Cards

I bought these vintage sewing cards last week at an antique store in Crete. They are in very good condition, no tears or discoloration.

Stash-busters

I know it has been a long time since I posted a stash-buster project but my hands have not been idle. I have been knitting these scarves with single skeins of bulky yarn. I have 5 completed and more to come.  Fast and easy.

Stitcher's Pocket

I put the finishing touches on this stitcher's pocket from Milady's Needle this morning. I actually did the stitching a while ago but I was a little intimidated with the idea of finishing it.  I took my time and read through the instructions, changed what I needed to change and this is my completed needlebook and pocket. I am very happy with it.

A few "new" old patterns

 

 

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This morning when I stopped at the thrift store I found stack of old patterns. I was in heaven! I picked up 12 to add to my collection. This last one is a "teen age duster-housecoat", and it's just my size. I would like to make myself a housecoat as soon as I find the right fabric. I really love the heart pockets!

Stash-buster

Last week I found two skeins of Noro Chirimen hidden away in my attic. I think I bought them the first time I went to the yarn expo. I had used Noro this past Christmas to knit Heather and Amanda the Gap-tastic cowl, so when I found this yarn I knew what I wanted to make. Abbie has been asking me to make something for her and the bright colors and loose fit make it perfect for her. This project worked up quickly and was very easy. I've already started another one.

Quilting

This year I promised myself I would concentrate on finishing things I've already started and projects on my to-do list.  I have been wanting to complete this quilt for years.

I can't remember when I started it, but I do remember working on it and then starting another one to go with it. I had a huge collection of homespuns and I wanted to use them up.

I finished this quilt top this weekend.

I also found 18 blocks for this quilt. As long as I was working with the homespuns I decided to finish this one also. I made the last two blocks and I had a second quilt finished.

Finally I found these blocks also made with homespun. I think I was trying to make a "series" of quilts using this fabric. I did not work on this one instead I put it back in the bin for another time.

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