Showing posts with label Mary Corey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mary Corey. Show all posts

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Framing, Finishing and Frogging (Lots of Pics)

Hello dear friends!  Wow, two weeks have gone by since I lasted posted - I honestly don't know where the time goes sometimes.  I hate always using the word "busy", but that is what it's been around here (again - *sigh*).  I'm going to have to come up with a new excuse, don't you think?

I picked up another piece of framing this week:

Mary Corey
The Goode Huswife
30 ct. Apple Brown Bitty
DMC Threads and Walnut Ink Stain

I just love the frame for this with the bits of red in it.  I thought it went well with the little bit of red in the piece.  Another one down for the sampler wall.  Speaking of which - a lot of people have asked me about the sampler wall.  It's going to be awhile.  Reason being is that Ann Medd is an integral part to the wall.  All my A&E Samplers are going to go up a stairway with an L-bend.  ATS is currently on one wall, Ann Medd is going on the adjoining wall, and the rest placed around the two.  So no pictures of the sampler wall as of yet.  Plus there are still three more to be framed.  But once Ann is finished, and hopefully the other three finishes framed, then it will be time to party.  I would love to put some of them up now, but my DH is so anal about the walls that he gets massive headaches when he sees me with a hammer!  I figure I'll wait until Ann is done and start pounding - if I had to rearrange pieces his eye would definitely zero in on that small pinhole if I moved one.

Speaking of Ann, there was a bit of frogging going on with this woman, and it hampered what little progress I could make on her.

Last post:

This week:

You have to bear with me.  I like to see my before and after picks when I post.  I use it as incentive to not stop working on her.  Anyway, not tons of progress, but some.  But frogging involved that pink thing (flower) and the leaves below it and the leaves on the other side of what is to be the river.  I couldn't seem to get them placed right!  UGH.  I was hoping that I would have all the area around the sheep filled in and his outlining done, but that didn't happen.  I'm still loving this thing so much, but that fill-in can really be a killer!!!

I did manage to have some finishes in the past two weeks.  I managed to get seven more blocks done on the Farmer's Wife Quilt (well, almost done - there is a handle to sew on the basket block):

I'm just loving this quilt.  I had this crazy thought that before I started in on sewing, I would cut all four of the months that I had remaining and then sew.  So that was mainly what I did when I had time - cut out four months' worth of blocks.  All that cutting was just trashing my craft room (when I get on a tear, fabric flies all over the place) and I thought that I would trash it all at once and clean it and could sew in a nice clean area.  Anyway, I just love working on this quilt!!  But I'm going to have to put pedal to the metal because the next installment will probably be here next week!

With all those fabrics, I've been left with a bunch of selvages.  I have seen a lot of quilting blogs talking about selvages and using them in quilts, pin tuffets, purses, etc., so I decided to start saving them.  Thelma posted her selvages that she keeps in a large jar, so I thought that I would post mine.  I think the sizes that these are would make great pin tuffets:

I found this snifter at Walmart a few weeks ago, and thought it would be the perfect place to store these little pieces of fabric until I had time to get around to making something out of them.  You have to love the cashier at Walmart - she asked me if I was going to make a big drink - and she was serious!  I chuckled over that one all day.  But after cutting out all those quilt blocks, I seriously thought about having a drink - although that size would have killed me for sure!

Another finish I had this week was actually a little piece that I worked on while DD was dancing for those two weekends.  There is not much for a backstage mom really to do but make sure that the kids don't do silly things like eating or acting crazy (you know how teenagers can be), so I stitched:

Blackbird Designs
Buttons & Blooms for The Cure

This was such a fun stitch and quick!  Right up my alley.  I was so happy with this one, I pulled out a couple other smaller pieces that I've had laying around.  Have I started them yet?  Of course not, but I hope to soon.

And then there are more pincushions.  At the rate that I'm going - first it was the frogs and now pincushions, I'm going to need two sewing rooms!  I found these and I wasn't even looking for them (and I did find some frogs, but I'll post those another time - forgot to take a picture of them). 

The small one in the very front was a gift from my Sampler Guild, Kindred Spirits, for helping out at their annual auction.  The other two I picked up in a little antique store that I went by one day on an errand run.  I just love, love the little chair, and I was happy to find the globe as I had seen one when Terri and I were out a while ago, but that one was not in very good shape.   

I managed to get a couple more pics of DD while she was in her dance costumes.  Not the best because the weather was horrible and I had to reply on those ugly painted block walls in the school as a backdrop:


Okay, this picture is a little dark, but DD decided to be funny and wear her UGG Boots.  Not quite the look I was hoping for.  I managed to convince her that I needed a better picture.  Ballerinas don't go on stage with UGG Boots:

Okay, that's better dear!


And one in her Jazz costume.  She is my sweetie!!

One other thing that was kind of funny the past couple of weeks was that one day I was driving out of my subdivision and saw this:

A coyote!  I was floored.  But as I found out, this was a decoy that the people who owned the property put out there to keep the geese out of their yard.  For a week or so, you would not have believed the number of people who were gullible (like Moi) and slowed down, took pictures, etc.  A couple days later I went out for a walk only to observe a man pulling up to the curb, getting out of his car and slowly sneaking up on the thing, ready to run if the coyote went towards him.  You would have laughed if you had seen him.  All the while, his wife was in the car taking a video of the whole thing.  I was getting a real chuckle out of it.  When the man realized that it was fake, he looked so dejected.  Now I'm wondering, would it have been more fun for the man if the coyote was real and took after him?  Like what was he hoping for?  Makes you wonder, doesn't it?  Would have made a good piece for America's Funniest Videos, I think!  LOL

Well, that's it in my part of the world.  I hope that everyone is having a wonderful week and will have a wonderful weekend!  And thank you so much again for all your wonderful comments.  I truly love reading each and every one of them.  It's so nice to know that there are kindred spirits out in blogging land and that friendships are made.  Speaking of which, next weekend a dear blogging friend,  Robin is coming into town to visit her mother who lives near me.  Terri and I are going to take her out and fill her full of antique/quilt store goodness.  She'll never be the same!  I'm really looking forward it.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Mary Corey, Stripping and Hooking

Happy Monday everyone!  It's snowing like crazy here in Michigan - up to 8" is what they're calling for.  And wouldn't you know it - everyone is home - DH and the kids!  ACK!!!!!  But they seem to be keeping to themselves which is a good thing (a very good thing if they know what's good for them that is - LOL).

I've been stitching, sewing and hooking my heart out and I'm having so much fun.  Cari left a comment about being a stripper and a whore and getting stitch ass daily!  ! I loved that!  LOL  So that makes me, what?  A stripper (quilting),  whore (scissors) and a hooker (rugs)!!!  And I do try to get my daily allotment of stitch ass in!  Just don't tell my kids or DH what I'm getting into!

I finished Mary Corey this weekend after having to frog out most of it because, well.....I just can't read a chart.  There was one symbol - a square - repeated in small, medium and large.  Obviously, I couldn't determine what was what and stitched 1/2 of it wrong which resulted in a lot of frogging!  UGH!!! I don't know why it is, but these smaller projects just befuddle me.


Mary Corey (aka Diaper Babies)
The Goode Huswife
30 ct. Apple Brown Bindy and DMC Threads
Distressed with Walnut Ink Crystals

This would have been a real quick, fun stitch if I could have read the chart!!!  I tried my hand for the first time with walnut ink crystals and really like how it turned out!  Bake in the oven for a few minutes, and TA-DA!!!  I may still add a little over to the left side - not sure yet.  I'm going to frame it pretty close to the design, so I don't think that's going to matter.  Oh, and if you'll notice, that fruit basket is just a tad too close to Eve.  I swore that I wasn't ripping out another stitch.  I decided that the basket could be close at hand so dear Eve could reach over, grab that apple, hand it to Adam and get that party started in Paradise!  

I have to thank everyone for their suggestions about the border on the quilt.  I decided to go with it since I had all the pieces cut out.  It turned out to be a biggie:


I have to thank my two helpers - Nick and Catie (whose polka dot robe you can see on the left) for holding this up for me.  I do love how it turned out even with the borders.  I was really on the fence with it and ended up staring at it for a couple of days before finally adding them.

So what to do next?  Well, I threw another sampler on the scroll rods, but haven't much to show for it.  But I did start cutting out the pieces for the Bullseye Quilt


This quilt is turning out to be so much fun.  I still have the two piles of squares in the front to cut into circles, but I can see that I'm going to have a ball with it.  I have to thank Kim for convincing me that even with my anal side, that I would have no problem cutting out circles freehand.  She was so right!!  I plan on layering this baby together this afternoon.

And speaking of quilts - you know, I just can't resist a good sale (I really need to stop trolling the internet!!!!).  Anyway, these things just somehow ended up in the UPS man's truck and into my waiting arms this week:

The bundles are for a quilt called The Farmer's Wife.  It's similar to Dear Jane, but not quite as labor intensive.  It's a BOM (Block of the Month) so I'll have a smile every time these arrive in the mail.  I don't have the book yet, but should soon and then I can get started.  I think that I'm going to have a partner in crime with this quilt (waving at ya Kim).  The tin in the back is for a Pineapple Quilt.  I have wanted to do one of these forever.  And looks what's inside:

You just have to love those rolls of Moda fabric!!!   Quilty goodness!!! This may have to be the next quilt after the Bullseye.  I don't know - it's going to derail my plans to get stash out of the way - but I'll have done two from stash, so time for something new me thinks!  LOL

This is what I accomplished in rug hooking.  I think that I have this baby crammed a little too much with wool.  I also didn't outline the pumpkin sections, which I should have done first!  But the beauty of this is that you can just pull the wool out and start over.  Which I did after I sent this picture to Melody so that she could critique my work.  She said that I've done good, but I did end up ripping this out and starting over.  But I can tell you, I'm going to love doing this!!  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that snow nor sick kids keep me from going to this week's class.  I really can't wait to get started (although I think I saw DH trying to get the credit card out of my wallet!).

One thing I forgot in my last post was to post something for Berit.  We have gotten into a small discussion about the goodies that you can find at Marshalls/Home Goods.  She liked the cabinet I got for my scissors and I told her that I found another goodie there the following week (DD's dance night and me having 2-1/2 hours of time to shop is deadly sometimes).  Anyway, I promised to post my latest find:


I liked the keys okay, maybe not so much what was behind it.  But then I saw that it opened up and that you can remove the keys and saying and that there were little hooks inside.  I still may keep the keys but line it with another fabric - or, perhaps put some scissors in the lid or some stitchy something - the possibilities are endless, I think.  And the hooks could hold fobs or small stitched pieces  (whenever I get my butt in gear to make them)!  So Berit - be on the lookout - I think it was just $14.99 - a deal in my book.

Well, that's it for me.  Everyone is off to their own pursuits.  DD's actually stitching BBD's Eiffel Tower and I hope to have pictures soon, plus she pulled out a needlepunch kit I bought her at Joanne's, so she may be giving me a lesson before the day is out.  That is one craft I haven't tried yet.  But until then,  I plan on going down to the craft room and making myself dizzy sewing circles!

Thanks for all the lovely comments and suggestions again about the border of my quilt!  It really makes me smile every time I read them.  Wishing you a wonderful, stitchy week!!