Oh, I'm Crazy!!!

I decided about two weeks ago that I was going to hand quilt my Hexie project for the

I really have a hard time putting a sewing machine needle to all of that hand sewing and I really want nice clean lines for the project that I am working on.   Let's Say I'm CRAZY!  I have a few weeks to do a lot of hand quilting.

  I finished up the back (I used a sewing machine for that) this week and made my little quilty sandwich.  Well, since I was going to spend all that time hand quilting, I thought I should use a good thread. I kept seeing several quilters using Aurifil 12wt.  thread.  Well, of course my local quilt shop carries absolutely none.  Zero!!  So, I began my search for it and was led to Follow that Thread.  I wanted to match my fabric perfectly, but the Internet just didn't help my color choice.  I e-mailed Donna at Follow that Thread and she suggested that I send her some fabric samples.  Within a little more than a week of the first e-mail, I had this gorgeous thread in my hands and it matches beautifully.  Thank you, Donna!!!

 

Isn't so pretty??  I have done a little quilting with it already and I LOVE IT.  It has a great shine to it and it is wonderful to work with.  It reminds me of spun silk. 

I also invested in a wooden hoop.  It was relatively inexpensive and it is soooo much better than the little hoop I was using. 

 

It is driving me crazy not to show you the whole thing, but August 21st is not too far away.  Right?  Here is a little bigger peek.

Wish me luck, I am going to need a bunch and probably a lot of Band-Aids for my fingers.

The lovely places I link to.....

Summertime Hand Sewing

 

Summer is in full swing here with beautiful weather, blooms and a few finishes.  I have been busy hand sewing all week.  I finished up two of those vintage style tea towels. 

 

 

Can I say again, I love these patterns.  They don't require a lot of your time and they turn out super cute.  Oh, and isn't that little cup so stylish with her little bow and eye lashes.  The blackberries are freshly picked off our bushes.  I am assuming that they were quite tasty because the berry bandits sniped them shortly after I snapped some pictures.

 

I started the third towel and of course how could I forget my hexies.  I think that there are only two more hexies flowers left to sew together.  (Maybe) As I said before, a small hexie project has turned into a LARGE one.  I really can't wait to show all of you next month. 

 

 

How can I leave you without some summer blooms, but I can't claim this gorgeous lily for my own.  My sister has quite a green thumb when it comes to her flower and veggie garden.  This is just one.....

 

 

of many!!!!!

Look at how many blooms was on one lily plant.  Just beautiful!! It was it's own bouquet.  There had to be 40+ blooms on the one stem.

 

 

 

 

Hope you are having a great summer or winter depending on which part of the world you live!  ;)







The lovely places I link to...
Hexie Friday
Such a Sew and Sew
Link a Finish Friday

 

Works In Progress - A little late is...

 

Better than never or so the saying goes.  It has been awhile since I posted my WIP's.  There seems to be quite a few and some that I can't reveal too much about.

 

I decided to keep with the hand stitching but am on and off with several projects. (Waiting on some different fabrics) I picked up these cute kitchen towels at Colonial Patterns a few months back and hadn't decided what pattern to stitch on them until I found.... 

 

The Stitcher's Revolution Kitch'n Stitch'n.  Loved the Vintage Retro look of the pattern.  Too cute!   They have some really great looking patterns in the Stitcher's Revolution for guys, gal and sew crafty. (I need to get this one.)

I (of course) am still Hexing.  Only 5 flowers left.  (Maybe)  The project keeps growing larger and larger and is way different than anything I have done before. It will be the second largest quilt I have made, but alas all I can show you are the few that have yet joined the group already sewn together.  The sign-up for the

 

 

started today.  You better hurry and get a spot if you want to join in on all the Hexing fun.
 

Lastly, the Aurifil BOM July block, which is all hand pieced.  You had your choice of pieced it like you would a Hexagon or hand sewing it all together.  I chose to piece it like I do my hexies.  While I love to piece Hexagons, this is a different story.  A definite learning experience!  I will show you the front after it is all pieced together.  I think I need to do a little seam ripping for the seams to line-up perfectly.  Every time I hand piece a block, I have a new respect for the women of the old times with no sewing machines or rotary cutters.  What artists they were!! 

 

The lovely places I link to....

 

Freshly Pieced

Quilt Story

Freemotion by the River

Hexies and Flowers

 

I have been super busy hand sewing.  I pretty much fell in love after I finished my Hexagon mini last month.  It is my relaxation and take along project for the summer.

I can't show you a whole bunch of the project because it is for one of those great little blog hops at Sew We Quilt.  There hasn't been a sign-up for it yet, but I am going to be completely prepared for it when it comes.  Here are some pretty summer solids that I am using with my hexagons.

 

I am also busy working on my yarn stash.  After a lost tote of yarn was found in May, (let just say it was missing for awhile) was found, I decided to make another afghan.  It is all the remnants of previous projects that I have made in years past.   I am hoping that I will have enough yarn to finish it all up and finish it by October. 

 

Here is how far I have made it.  Row 72.  I only have 68 more to go.  So,  a little over halfway.

 

 

 

It is an old pattern out of a magazine that my grandma made many an afghan out of.  She would finish one of these in a year.  I now understand why it took so long to do.  It is going to be quite large since it is done with double crochets.  And I am going to rid myself of that tote of yarn!!! Yeah! 

 

 

Now,  I thought that I would leave you with a little bit of my summer blooms. 

Have a great weekend!!!

 

The lovely places I link to......