Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Hanging with Ann, Sylvia and Jane

Hey kids - I figured that I should make a blog post before another month ends.  Who knows, I might be able to squeeze in another one before the end of the month.  Although that's probably a lofty idea with the way I've been blogging lately.

I've been furiously working on one thing and another, and not a lot of results in any of them.  I'm still mired in the over-one land of Ann Smith.  Oh, how I love this sampler, but oh, how I hate me those over ones!!!  Well, I guess I don't really hate them as I love the results, I just hate that it takes so much time to do and leaves me each evening with eyes that don't want to focus for a hour or so.


Adam and Eve are finally in!  What a relief!  After that point, things went downhill quickly as far as stitching time.  I only stitch at night and had my son home for a week on his Spring break, so things were a little hectic.  Add to that the fact that frogs visited a couple nights to reek havoc in the Garden, and I didn't get too much further:


I've had a bit of  trouble with the leaves on the right-hand tree.  So much so that a couple nights were lost as far as stitching goes - lots of frogging.  And I kept making mistakes, wised up and just fudged the whole thing.  I want this over one section done so that I can move forward.  Stitching over two is going to feel like I'm stitching on 14 count Aida after all this over one stuff!  But the end is in sight - maybe another week?

When not hanging with Ann, I've been hanging with Sylvia and Jane.  Those two girls have a few tricks up their sleeves also.


Now when you look at these Sylvia blocks, please don't look close (of course, with me saying that you're all going to clicking away like crazy to get the picture to enlarge, so please ignore threads).  Whether you enlarge the picture or not, put your hand over the one on the bottom right.  That block was like some kind of unruly kid and it's going to be done over.  It involved a lot of Y-seams which I'm not knowledgeable about at all.  I did use Y-seams on the flower basket block next to it without too much of a hitch, but what happened with that one on the right is only one's guess.  Could help if I went out into the land of YouTube before I tried to put the block together.  Okay, that would be too easy and so I just went for it.    That was a mistake and I ended up going into YouTube after and then it all became crystal clear.  Still doesn't explain why the flower block came out fine (whatever!!).  I guess I'm like a guy whose lost that won't ask directions sometimes.  Or I get a smart-assed attitude and think that I can do it, and prove myself really wrong!  LOL

Then because I love to give myself headaches (not really) we decided to have a visit with Jane.  She's another ornery one too:


Four blocks and two rectangles.  Some blocks I'm just sewing, others I'm using foundation paper for them.  Or actually tracing paper.  Makes it so much easier to see your guidelines through the back side of the paper.  Those rectangles practically left me with a bald spot on the side of my head!  Fiddly little things, but I'm bound and determined to make this quilt.  I've only been sitting on the fabrics for this quilt for ten years.  It was a BOM and each month I have five blocks and one or two border triangles to do.  As much as it gives me long moments of pause trying to figure out what I'm doing and then making sure that I'm doing it right (or wrong and it still looks good - I'm not picky here), I am really excited to be working on this quilt.  I still have another block to do, but it's applique and I haven't sat down with it to sew it together.  One thing that I found with some of these fabrics -  there are fabrics out on the current market that are just like these fabrics that I received 10+ years ago only in different colors.  I was kind of stunned by that, but I guess that what they about everything that goes around, comes around is true - at least in this case.

After that I decided that I needed a break and just make something easy and fun.  I spied these kits at a quilt store not long ago and picked them up.  I sit on a pillow when I stitch and I thought that these would make the perfect covers for the pillow:


While the kits came with instructions, I found it much easier to do them following a video that I discovered on Pinterest (yep, finally got the clue about the benefits of videos).  I think it took an hour to knock out both of these!!

And last, but not least, I don't do the TUSAL, but the threads were piling up in the ORT basket, so it was time to dump them again.


That's a lot of thread.  But just in time for Spring.  I like to put this out on one of our bushes and let the birds make their nests out of them (no metallics in this pile).  Of course, that is if the birds start making their nests.  We're still in a deep freeze here in Michigan with no end in sight.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it warms up soon!!

So that's it for me!!  Thanks for stopping and paying me a visit.  I love receiving your comments!!  Hope that it's warmer in your part of the world and that you get lots of stitching time in!!




38 comments:

Yvette said...

Loving it all! You are doing a great job. You really need to think about doing an easy project someday. LOL

Vickie said...

Well, I have lots of stitching time, yes. But we are in a deep freeze here in WI too. =(
Beautiful sampler. I am impressed with the quilt blocks.

Annie said...

A&E are looking quite spiffy in their delicate fig-leaf finery. Frogging over-one sounds awful!

I can't see any piecing mistakes in your blocks. I'm not a quilter so I wouldn't ever see the details that you aren't happy with. And everything is so wonderfully colorful and complex!

I didn't know there were trends to quilting fabrics. I guess that's one more way in which I'm not trendy!

Kathy said...

Deb, as always everything looks lovely and I really like the pillows you made!! But, they're almost too pretty to just sit on, lol.

Diane (di) said...

Everything looks wonderful Deb. Especially your quilt blocks... BEAUTIFUL!!!

Mouse said...

fudgeing is the way to make the piece uniquely yours ..lol

and I am impressed with your quilting skills tooo :) think I may have to bob over and have a lesson or two :) love mouse xxxxxx

Laurie in Iowa said...

Ann is gorgeous and so worth all that over one stitching. I love your quilt blocks, even the wonky one, but those triangle blocks are really interesting. I can't wait to see the quilt top put together and where those triangle blocks go.

marly said...

Beautiful blocks. A&E look fabulous despite the work! I need to refresh every time I do over one - just can't remember the correct way. I still hate it.

Linda said...

Everything looks wonderful to me...I am not so great at 32 count...my eyes don't see like they used too...so since I started a few projects I went with 18 count...it's not bad with smaller projects and I can actually see it! Hope you see Spring soon...have a great day!!

Faye said...

Stitching and sewing are looking marvelous!!!!! We don't have spring here in NC either!! Bring on the warmth.....

Evelyne said...

All the over one stitching is worth it!It's looking marvellous! I love to see your sampler!
Your quilt blocks are so beautiful!

Have a great week

Margaret said...

All of your work is wonderful! I love seeing Sylvia, Jane and Ann. Yay on A&E! Isn't it pretty now that you've finished that part? So fun! I'm still envious of your DJ. Very envious.

Ellen said...

Ann is gorgeous! I am also not fond of over 1 stitching on 40ct!

Love your quilt blocks! To me, it takes lots of patience to piece just one block ha ha!

Hugs,

Annette-California said...

Your Ann is beautiful. I laughed reading your post. Beautiful sewing, those quilt blocks are amazing.
Very pretty pillows too. Love all your work.
love Anette

Jackie's Stitches said...

Ann looks wonderful. The colors are really eye catching. The over 1 section is my favorite part!

You know I love your blocks!

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Katrina said...

Love Ann and the quilt blocks are so pretty too!!!!

Cari said...

I am loving your Ann Smith...over 1 or not...the colors are beautiful. Have fun..I know you love her !!

And your quilt blocks are beautiful too!! Quite the over-achiever aren't you?? You put me to shame.

Hugs

Giovanna said...

Great progress on the sampler - it's gorgeous!

Anne said...

Adam and Eve look great in their 1 over 1 paradise even though it's been giving you headaches!! I'm the same as you when it comes to frogging 1 over 1...don't! I just fudge it if I can because picking it out can cause me to say terrible things! Lovely quilts too!! I'm all about the videos when it comes to figuring out sewing tips and how to do something. So much more helpful than written directions. Your orts are mountain high!! It looks like an upside down cake!!

Elizabeth said...

I really do love this sampler! I haven't seen it out there in blog land or in the shops! I have messed up on trees/leaves too many times to count and often end up fudging as well. Sometimes we just can't get the mojo right. It looks beautiful though :)

dixiesamplar said...

Looks like you are keeping extremely busy these days...and everything is lovely too.

Easter is a week away and we are still having the bi-polar weather, LOL! I am ready for true Spring, with true Summer to follow, woohoo!

Jeanne said...

You're making a lot of progress Deb! Those tiny blocks for Sylvia and Jane can be a challenge especially with set-in seams and little pieces.

Adam and Eve is really taking shape too...I will overlook the stitching of the serpent LOL as I'm phobic about reptiles!

Susan said...

Sorry to hear about the frogs - must be those spring peepers. Oh, I remember Y-seams! I have to do them over every time, no matter how much I try. Love the pillow cases.

Sherry :o) said...

You have been busy....love your progress on A&E and your quilting is inspiring, as always!

Loraine said...

Hi Sweet Deb!
It looks to me, as if your account is being taken over by a hacker of some sort! I hate that! I hope you get it sorted out.
I'm sorry for not commenting sooner. I saw your post a day or two ago on my phone, and tried to remember my google password, but could not for the life of me get logged in...I swear that is my life right now!
Love Ann. She is looking so amazing! I am glad you are working through the over one parts.
She will be finished before you know it.
Your quilt blocks are great as well. I'm so happy you've started Dear Jane! Your blocks look perfect. Oh, those triangles look like beasts though! Good luck doing more.

I'm sending you an e-mail, so more will be in there. Great work my friend! You are an inspiration!

Kathy Ellen said...

Even though I'm sure that you are thoroughly tired of over one stitches, you are doing a beautful job on Anne Smith. Sometimes, I find that, when I am exhausted from trying to make my stitching right, and the "frogs" keep invading, I have to lay it aside for a while...overnight perhaps. Otherwise, I might just pull my hair out!

Beautiful quilt squares and rectangles. Those pyramid shapes must have taken a bit of fine stitching to piece together.

Have lots of fun with all of your stitching projects! Blessings!

Patty C. said...

Love the A&E & the pillows!

Poussy Stitches My Love said...

I love the stitching !
Hapy Easter ..

Catherine said...

Great stitching and sewing!!

Sue-Anne said...

Hi Deb, Your Dear Jane blocks are gorgeous, love the fabrics. Sylvia's blocks are great to, what a challenge to make that bottom right block, too many pieces in that one!

Karoline said...

Ann is looking gorgeous. Sorry to hear about the frogs, I hope they leave you alone now.

The quilt blocks are lovely.

Helen said...

I love your DJ blocks and your Sylvia's blocks are lovely. All your work is an inspiring . Thank you for sharing:-)))))

Carin said...

You have done a lot since my last visit !! Love the stitching you have done and those quiltblocks of Sylvia and Jane are just beautiful !!!

Kaisievic said...

Adam and Eve look fantastic! Lots of great projects that you have on the go.

Nancy M said...

Your sampler and quilt squares look great. I love the mini stitching too, but my eyes don't! Pinterest is such a good idea, I love it. You haven't enjoyed any warm up since this post, because we haven't seen any in this part of the state! At least with the rains, some things seem to be greening up. Just wish we could get some leaves on the trees. It's almost May and I'm not seeing any leaves yet!!!

Poussy Stitches My Love said...

Absolument merveilleux votre travail ! bisous my friend

Pam Tanner said...

Your Ann Hill sampler is absolutely gorgeous. Love the colors and may have to put this one on my "want" list. I miss a lot of things about Michigan, but the weather is not one of them. Never fear, spring will arrive, it just might be in June or July this year. LOL