First Finish of 2023

Happy New Year! It's always nice to have an early finish for the year. I often play with leftovers, making small mats/wall art. There were a bunch of red and cream four patches from a beloved Minnick and Simpson print.  Some leftover flying geese pieces in white and green joined the party. 

The sunflower print from stash matched so well for the narrow binding, after some stitch in the ditch quilting. Today's task will be to hand stitch the binding, after taking down the Christmas Tree. Yesterday I spent hours removing all the other Christmas decor--storage bin repacking Tetris always takes longer than you think!

Normally we go down to Surfer's Point for a sunset beach walk on the last day of the year, but 2022 brought a lot of rain on 12/31 so there was no sunset to see.  Yesterday it was very very windy, but we headed to the Harbor mouth to catch the last rays. 

The wind was about 25-30 mph and the sand was coming off the beach in waves.  The gulls were having trouble flying straight and no pelicans were around. 

The tide was in and crashing over the jetty protecting our manmade harbor.  I got out of the car to take a couple of pics but soon ran back with a faceful of sand!  This beachwalker had a hood pulled tight :)

Alright, time to pull ornaments off the tree....

Christmas Meadowland Motif Quilting

 Today's sewing room activity was dedicated to the Meadowland Christmas Quilt.  I really want this completed before it is time to clear away all the season's decor!  To that end, I concentrated on the white squares. I drew up a peppermint candy swirl on freezer paper. 

The fabric had a six section red and white candy, as you can see above, but I added another "arm" to the swirl for the large white squares.  I used a six inch plate to draw the circle and then cut apart a fairly freeform drawing of the swirls.  The swirls didn't take too long to draw into the 9 white squares in erasable pen.  Note: the designer's pattern called for smaller squares that met in the corner of the big blocks; I wanted to eliminate those lines so assembled my version differently from Meghan's pattern (Then Came June).

I stitched these in white thread but they would be cute in red or green thread too.  

The nine squares are all quilted, burying the threads is on tomorrow's agenda.  The final quilting job will be the rectangles on the sides.  I'm considering either wooden spoons or candy canes there.  Oh! and the corner squares will also need something...

More Gift-making

We did not get to see our son's wife and son at Christmas Eve, as our grandson had been sick with a high fever for a couple of days prior.  I got a little more time, then, to finish up a few things for my DIL  However, our younger daughter felt a bit under the weather a couple of days after our gathering and it turned out she has COVID, after 3 years of avoiding it!  I am the only sibling of my family who has not had it yet, amazingly.  Luckily, I am not working this week.

I had leftover Windham fabrics from the Sewtopia challenge--my sister gave me her set.  I decided to make reusable gift bags for my DIL.  She is very consumer-conscious, and a minimalist who avoids having lots of "things" around.  These fabrics were right up her alley, I thought. 

I had already made her a mug mat/hotpad.  The tall fabric bag on the left was my trial effort and I did not do the boxed corners correctly on one end.  I'll keep that one!  The remainder came out very well.  I used a tutorial from Sew Crafty Me. I cut my pieces 9x12".  My boxed corners came out a lot better on this set.  I did not have any ribbon or cording suitable on hand, so went to my local fabric store today, wearing my N95 mask.  I found some striped blue and white cording that I thought would work well. 

I bought 5 yards of the cording, which was very inexpensive.  Hopefully it will hold up to some washing and use.  If not, it is easily replaced through the casings.  Another tutorial I perused did French seams for the bags, but I just used pinking shears on these, as they won't likely get heavy use.  

I love Winter sunsets.  There were lots of clouds moving around tonight and I took many pictures. 

 

This pic was taken only 20 minutes later! 

Design Wall Monday--Christmas Vacation

Design Wall Monday!  See more Design Walls on Small Quilts and Doll Quilts blog. 

I hope all who celebrate the season had a lovely time with friends and family.  I got all the mug mats made for my co-workers in time to distribute at our holiday party.  

They were well received, no leftovers to take home!

The backs...As you can see, quilting was kept to a minimum, just the center square for most, but a few got some additional lines.  I am sure I'll make many more...maybe even one for myself, lol! 

Hallmark Mischievous Kitten ornaments on the tree.  The newest is the stripped tabby who knocked over the hedgehog planter.  Ridiculously cute!

The binding change on the poinsettia runner.  In the end, I just liked the striped fabric option more!  I did a narrow binding so it is not too overpowering. 

Refreshing the runner and cancelling out the old ill-made solid red binding makes me happy!

My Christmas Meadowland quilt got its plaid binding while I decided what to stitch in the plain squares and rectangles.  

There are a lot of white squares to quilt! I've decided to do peppermint swirl candy shapes in the white squares, and candy canes in the rectangles. I'll make a freezer paper templates for that job.  The quilt is 65" square, a good lap size. Meadowland pattern by Then Came June.  Off to the sewing room for my first day of vacation--I don't have to go back to work until next year :)

Design Wall Monday--Mug Mat Pallooza

 Design Wall Monday---see more great projects on Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts blog. 

I was scrolling on Pinterest recently for quick gift projects and came across a Coaster pattern by Crafty Staci.  This was for a small mug mag with a faux binding technique.  I've made other projects by this designer/crafter and like her easy directions and tips for her projects. Though she made hers with 2 1/4" squares, I wanted to utilize  2 1/2" charm packs I've acquired, mostly through gift baskets, etc.  I also wanted to upsize the size to a snack mat size. 

I decided to use 9 squares for each mat. 

What fun I had laying all these out and playing with color.  Easy row sewing for assembly.  The pattern calls for 1" wide strips all around; this forms the "binding" when the mat is assembled and ditch quilted. 

Initially I was pulling 1.5" strips from my scrap drawer system to trim down for the narrow borders, but switched to 2" strips for more mileage out of each strip length, since they could be sliced in half lengthwise for the 1" wide border pieces. Lots of backing squares were also cut from scraps and fat quarters.  I sewed up the first couple of mats...

The mats have batting as well as Insulbrite per the instructions, so are pretty thick.  I left the top right mat unquilted except for the faux binding, and on the black/gray/white one I added quilting just around the  center square.  Many of the mats are intended for my workmates. I did want to try the 4 patch size too, and used Christmas charms.  There is a little hand sewing closing the opening after assembling and turning the right side out, but otherwise lots of fun piecing. I've also sewn together  some of the remaining Christmas charms for a larger hot pad.  I'll cut up all the Insulbrite I have on hand to finish all these, no doubt!

Slow Sunday Stitching--More Christmas stitching

 Slow Sunday Stitching--see more beauties on Kathy's Quilts blog. 

My main DMC kit cross-stitch project is perking along slowly this week due to a certain holiday coming up :)  I was able to get started on a new color, the light green of the cat's body.

I am looking forward to getting some more slow stitching time during the holidays. We have 12/24 and 12/31 off as our paid holidays due to the weekend dates, and are closing at noon on the Thursdays before.  So nice!

Other slow stitching did involve cross-stitch.  Many years ago when I worked as a medical historian and transcriptionist for an orthopedic group, I made stocking ornaments for most of the employees, that hung on the reception room Christmas Tree. 

This one was for one of the doctors, who passed away many years ago.  I loved the vintage Santa fabric and didn't have a stocking for Grant, so I made him one by unstitching the top of the stocking and embroidering his name on a new piece of Aida.  

I reused the satin cord as well.  The Dear Santa ornament I made years ago always makes me smile. 

Here's mine.  The kids all have one as well and I've made many more over the years as gifts :)

The final slow stitching this week was tacking down the binding on the secret Santa mat. 

There was quite a struggle to attach these leftover bias binding strips to this little mat, but I am always happy to get those used up. It looks a bit wonky in this pic!

Okay, off to wrap gifts and make a list for the Christmas Eve dishes I've volunteered to bring to our family dinner with the kids. So nice of Elaine and Chris to take it over!

Design Wall Monday--Christmas Sewing

 Design Wall Monday--see more design walls on Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts blog. 

I hadn't sewn much in the past several weeks, but wanted to make some Christmas items.  The Scandinavian folded stars have caught my eye.  I rummaged through a big tub of Christmas fabrics for some fun prints. 

These are not hard to make but do require cutting and prepping.  I used this tutorial for the cutting sizes and directions.  

Some came out better than others but I like them all.  I'll use some embroidery floss to make a hanging loop.  The red fabric in the lower left star is nearing vintage status...

..well at least legal drinking age!!🤣  I used to really like the sweet Cranston prints back in the day. 

I cut my strips 4x16" and the trimmings during the star point folding were often more than 2" tall.  I cut them all to 2"x4" pieces and made a mini mat and perhaps a future placemat. 

The mat is pretty small--I used a 7" strip for the backing and cut my binding 2" wide.  I think I'll give this to my friend and manicurist when I see her this week.

I'm way behind in my Christmas shopping but did get a few things off the list! 

Slow Sunday Stitching--12/12/21

 Slow Sunday Stitching--see more great handwork on Kathy's Quilts blog.  

I'm still being faithful to one project, the DMC Cat kit stitch.  There's been good progress this week. 

The tail is complete except for a few details and I've made it down to the bottom of the design where the cat's toes are.  Still enjoying this very much.  Otherwise I have a couple of names to embroider for tree ornaments, one of which is my husband's, and that will get done this week.

I went more minimalist for our smaller tree this year, limiting the Christmas balls to red and gold and paring down by at least half on the other ornaments.  As you can see, the tree needs to be small to tuck into everything that is already packing the living room/dining room, including two toyboxes for the grandsons :)

We dropped by my parents' house to check on the new HVAC install.  Mom and I were accidental sweater twins, lol! Otherwise we hardly look alike at all 😉

Mom had this old photo pinned up in her kitchen.  That's my brothers, sister and me mimicking the stairs behind us.  My Dad still stands exactly like that--and so does my oldest brother.  We were at our paternal Great-Grandparents' 50th Wedding Anniversary party.  I posted this pic on Facebook and my paternal cousin confirmed that this was Logan and Lizzie's apartment in San Pedro.  I must have been about 6 years old; I'm the middle child. I remember running around a lot with cousins at the party!  Great memory.  

Slow Sunday Stitching--Cat/Chat Progress

 Slow Sunday Stitching--see more great needle and thread projects on Kathy's Quilts blog. 

I'm getting stitches into the Cat/Chat DMC kit here and there.  I like to prop up in bed and stitch at night--it is certainly warmer upstairs and I have a Ott light I can see well with. 

One thing I really liked about this kit was the embroidery details stitched on top of the cross-stitch, once completed.  I'm looking forward to that part. 

We got the grandsons together the other day after Grant picked up Hunter from school, and I was watching Dane while our DIL was working.  His mama had bought a huge bin of wooden train tracks and all the trains for $20 at a garage sale.  Hunter had a grand time making a big track.  Dane mostly pulled pieces out of the build, but I watched him and put them back. 

He was riding the foam roller earlier :)

Christmas decorating has begun.  We are getting our tree today after I get my COVID booster at the pharmacy. Lots and lots of boxes were opened and rummaged through yesterday.  

I saved room for the tree :)  

This year's Mischievious Kitten is pretty cute.  Santa gets one less cookie!

NYE, Holiday's End

Happy New Year! Our New Year's Eve included a trip to the beach.  I like to take a sunset photo on the last day of the year.  Grant and I wandered up and down the boardwalk above the beach, with lots of other socially-distancing and masked walkers, skaters, bicycle riders, and dog-walkers.  There were lots and lots of surfers, far out from the low tide, stretching from Surfers Point to the Pier.

Someone had made sculptures on the concrete breakwater.  There were more on the sand up and down the beach. 

We got a sunset selfie while waiting for the light show. I took many many photos but felt the quintessential shot with the surfer who walked into the frame was the best :)

Our NYE was a quiet one at home--we watched a couple of episodes of The Crown, listened to fireworks going off all over the neighborhood at midnight, and were more than ready to say goodbye to this tumultuous year, tucking away the good highlights for remembrance!  

I spent New Year's Day taking down the seasonal decor, with help from Grant.  It seemed to take all day to get it packed up, even though I had put out fewer items this year!  The living room looks dark without the lighted tree.  

Jingle Kitty and vintage Mouse and brush tree went back in the box with Santa and the cross-stitched gifts.

A trip to JoAnn's today for some fusible web was necessary to move on with the Greenpiece project, having made notes of all the steps left for the center applique and borders. While at JoAnn's I remembered I had not shown the finish of a little embroidery kit I had purchased there some time ago for a few bucks.  

It was a good project to work on between telemed patients in December.  As you can see, it came with the embroidery floss and, curiously, a very sharp and long needle, which I soon switched out for a tapestry needle after stabbing myself a few times.  

I added a few more snowflakes than the pattern called for :).  I needed to use needle-nose pliers by the time the finishing 3 strand cross-stitches were added, as the wooden piece of course was not flexible enough to allow me to grasp the needle and pull easily with my fingers.  I dug into my husband's tool chest for a pair, but vowed to buy"cute" ones for my own use.  I found some at JoAnn's today, a small pair in the jewelry fixings aisle, half off with my coupon :)

The ornament went to my sister as a Christmas gift.  It was beyond my calculating skills, but I really wondered how many stitches that 28x28 stitch piece actually took.  The outside holes have two stitches in each hole, but the inner holes have four stitches in each.  That is a lot of pushes of the needle!  I also have this simpler wooden ornament to stitch, which I had bought with the deer one: 

So cute!  One more day off before returning to work.  I plan to spend it sewing on Greenpiece applique.

Design Wall Monday--Christmas, and After Christmas Sewing

It's Design Wall Monday--see more Design Walls on Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts blog. 

Hoping all who celebrate enjoyed their abbreviated holiday traditions.  We had a socially distanced Christmas backyard BBQ in SoCal style, completed with a driftwood tree. 

 Hunter was checking out the packages while brother Cove looked on. 

Dane in his mama's arms, keeping cozy in the carrier.  

Grant bought an Elf hat and cracked up his daughters wearing it.  Someone has a pic of me in this family grouping of our kids, but  I haven't seen it yet :) 

Grandson #1 holding Grandson #3.  So cute!  It was quite windy intermittently outside, but we managed to enjoy all the dining and gift opening activities.  Later I socially-distance visited with my Mom and Dad, who were dining with my brother and sister.  We missed the usual large crowd but there is hope for next year!

My post-Christmas sewing room tasks included making pajama pants for the older grandsons, who are outgrowing last year's pair.  Hunter (age 4) called the plaid pajamas "square pants"--so ever after that is what they are!

This is a very cush woven plaid flannel and should keep him warm this winter.  I then turned to the design opportunity I had created for myself with Cove's Minecraft print pants during cutting last night: 

This was the Minecraft fabric I paid an exorbitant amount to have shipped from an out-of-state Etsy seller, having failed to find any through local or online retailers. Naturally there was not enough to recut the Back pieces. Sigh. Daughter Elaine opted for a strip of the same fabric to fix the error, which worked out okay.  The boys were excited to get their long-awaited replacements and put them on right away--Papa took pics but I don't have them yet. 

I have taken vacation this week--only working 1/2 day on Christmas Eve--and have several priority quilting projects to work on.  Number 1 is the Greenpiece BOM and I got to work on that after delivering the Square Pants. All the wool applique blocks' corner triangles needed to be added.  I marked a bunch of already cut squares and set to work. 

After finishing a few sets of corner triangles, it occurred to me that I should layout the blocks to prevent duplicate fabrics meeting in the corners. All the pieced blocks for this Fat Quarter Shop BOM I had finished years ago. Look how pretty they are with the wool blocks!

I'm so happy to be nearing an assembly portion.  There is a large appliqued medallion center that needs to be made before the top can be finished, but I can sew these completed blocks together in the meantime.  That will be tomorrow's task. Hooray!  I love piecing and got a bunch of leader-ender pieces ready too. Though Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville has just quilted her top made from Easy-Breezy blocks, I am still sewing mine.  Looking forward to lots of piecing!