First up, I finally finished one of the samplers that I've been working on here and there - not a biggie, a small one, but a finish is a finish, right?
The Apple Tree Sampler
Hawkins House
DMC Threads and 36 ct. Buttercream
I didn't know what I felt about this sampler as I was stitching it. All I can say is that stitching the tree was a PITA. I made so many mistakes on it and frogged so much that I'm surprised to see it finished. But here it is. I think I'm going to do something different with this one and make it into a pillow instead of framing it because it's not very large. I'm still sitting on the fence about that.
The rest of my time has been spent putting pedal to the metal in the sewing room and trying to catch up those pesky Farmer's Wife blocks!! And I'm all caught up!! I really have to learn not to leave the trickier ones until last because they just about drove me nuts. But I'm all caught up (at least until the end of the month when one day I'll open the mailbox and that crazy Psycho music will start up again). The first batch:
If you blow the picture up, that block in the upper left - well, that one may be a redo. When I was finished with it, it stood up like a cone! AUGHHH!! A lot of pressing got it to settle down, and it measures the right size, but I'll probably redo it.
Second batch:
The block in the lower right still is not completely finished. I have to miter the points of the red strips, but that's hand work. I tried to cheat on the machine and that didn't work out too well. It's also the only block that I've paper pieced so far because the first one looked like a train wreck when I finished it.
All stacked up and waiting for the next month. Only seven more months to go!!
Once those blocks were done, I felt like I had a huge load off my back and finally, after having a few problems with the instructions, whipped off my sister's quilt:
If the instructions hadn't been so poorly written this would have been done a long time ago. But in my usual fashion, I got a little too frisky with this one and cut the striped border wrong. The stripes were suppose to go lengthwise, not from center to edge. But I like it so much more this way - I think that it gives the quilt more character (and I'm hoping my sister thinks so too - well, there's not much she can do about it now, is there? LOL). It won't be completely finished by the time I see her (next week), but it will be at the shop being quilted.
Then it was time to move to something else. I finally started on the Bliss quilt and managed to get sixteen blocks done. Here are just a couple of them:
This is a really fun and easy quilt to work on. It will look like this when it's finished:
(courtesy of Cluck, Cluck, Sew)
I should have these blocks done in no time. They work up really fast. So, what should I work on next? I picked a couple things and I hope that I can get them done. But with my trip to NY coming up next week and the holidays, who knows. But I picked one new and one old project:
The new project is another jelly roll project (I'm just loving these jelly rolls) with fabric by Three Sisters. This one should work up fast.
Then I picked another one that I've had in my stash for years. This one will take some time, but I figure that if I work on one old project and one new project, then I'm not only having the joy of working with new fabrics, but I'm also cleaning up stash at the same time. Years ago I made a Jinny Beyer quilt, Mirage, as a shop model. It's hanging on my staircase now with the hopes that DH will hang in in our foyer (I'm probably dreaming on that one):
I think this would look much better hanging it's full length on the wall (someone poke DH for me please). LOL This is one of my favorite quilts - I love Ms. Beyer's quilts, so I decided to start working on this one:
I'm doing the pink version since that fits in more with the decor where I'd like to use it. This one is going to take me a while, but it will be so worth it in the end. I hate fussy cutting border fabric!!
And then I went back to an oldie stitching project:
Frances Eden. I laid her down quite a while ago because the colors were just so wonky to me. But I've been seeing this pop up here and there on blogs like Laurie's, and decided to give it a whirl because I love how hers looks.
I have to thank everyone for your comments on my trusty assistant! He is a handful. But he did actually come downstairs the other day with me, plopped himself on the couch and asked me to turn on Animal Planet!! No, not really, but I did and he seemed to enjoy it for a while until he fell asleep. Good Dog!!
You'd think with the bazillion toys in the house that paper he found blowing in the yard would be the last thing he'd want. But he's like a kid and toys - give them a paper box and they're happy!!
In other news that's not stitching or quilting related, my son got early acceptance to two universities! Indiana University and Michigan State University. He's still waiting for two more responses. I'm thrilled, but secretly hope that he picks an in-state college (if U of of M doesn't accept him, he tells me that Green (MSU's colors), don't necessarily suit him. He's a diehard U of M fan and he has all fingers and toes crossed in the hopes that they accept him. But you know, mom and dad would love that In State tuition - more crafting money for mom! LOL No, not really, whatever he decides is fine - I'm just thrilled for him.
Once again, thank you so much for all your wonderful comments. They mean the world to me. Hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend!!
