Slow Sunday Stitching-Moon Over Blackbird

 Slow Sunday Stitching—Kathy's Quilts. 

I’m spending pleasant minutes here and there on a free Lizzie Kate Fall stitch—even though Fall seems a far off place with all the heat/humidity lately. Moon Over Blackbird has been fun to work on  

I like these pre-stretched blanks for quick projects. I’ll put another thread length or two into the project before heading to the sewing room. 

I was at the ironing board last weekend while we were waiting on Hurricane Hilary, it was raining pretty well when the Ojai Earthquake hit. We’re not that far from Ojai so it was very scary—lots of aftershocks. We felt the stronger aftershock a couple of days later—at 4 am—I couldn’t get back to sleep so got up and stitched for a bit. That’s enough major nature events this decade!

Slow Sunday Stitching--Choosing a new project

 Slow Sunday Stitching--see some lovelies on Kathy's Quilts blog. 

Having finished the Lori Holt Stitch Card project last week, I poked around the Hoosier cabinet for a new start. I found two options caught my eye the most.... 

A Blackbird Designs small....no recollection of where I got this but I love the bird and the border.  I have never made a little pillow like this but have seen displays of smalls in old dough bowls that are lovely. 

The other choice is a free pattern I downloaded ages ago. It is from 2018...

I like to color! The giant pineapple and fat blackbird, skinny house and big moon--Lizzie Kate designs are so fun. I'll have to check the floss stash for any missing colors. 

Otherwise, the only handwork I'm going to be doing today is burying a hundred or more threads in the current quilting project....

There will be a lot more to bury after I finish the quilting in the big blocks.  Since this pic the binding was attached--there are a few missed spots to close up that job, too.  Half the day is already gone, I better get moving!

Slow Sunday Stitching--Lori Holt Stitch Card Strawberry Finish

Slow Sunday Stitching--Kathy's Quilts blog.--See more sweet hand- stitching there. I have a finish to share. 

The Lori Holt stitch card project has had more attention and I have finished all the stitching I planned to do.  

I combined motifs from a different stitch card to fill up space on the prestretched Aida blank. I think it turned out sweet. A nice green ribbon around the frame should finish it off. 

These stitch cards are so cute.  I used single strawberries and modified the daisy motif from the top left stitch card.  Next I'd like to stitch the teacup, but likely will swap the cup and zigzag border colors, as I like green more than pink. 

Slow Sunday Stitching--Another Baby Quilt

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

After I finished the teal border on the Lori Holt Stitch card project,  I decided to add a few tiny strawberries in the corners.  I showed the first on a prior post, but ran into counting issues and it has been in time out the past week.  I think I will just go ahead and leave it be, add the last strawberry and see!

Other hand stitching today is quilt binding on a baby girl quilt made from 2.5" strips.  The blocks finish at 6".  My arms got quite a workout turning this quilt  1000 times to ditch stitch all the shapes. 

I had matching backing from the Meadowbloom line; I previously made quilts for another relative's granddaughters.

For the binding, I saved the light print strips that matched the background. 

All ready to stitch down on the back.  The sun is coming out so perhaps I will enjoy stitching on the patio. 

Slow Sunday Stitching--Strawberry

 Slow Sunday Stitching-- Joining up with Kathy's Quilts today with the project of the moment. 

Lori Holt Stitch Cards design.  She stitched her sample on a darker material than what I had on hand, this white Aida pre-stretched canvas. I added a few stitches with a single strand of green to make the strawberry flower stand out more.  Once I finished the teal blue border, I decided to add other motifs to the corners, from another card in the pack. 

The tiny strawberries are cute and fast to stitch.  I may also choose to add the flower and stem, from that same card, along the sides of the border.  Soon I'll need another project to stitch. 

We had a visit from our youngest grandson and our son this morning; Daddy was giving his very pregnant wife a break and they rode over on their bikes. 

Dane enjoyed a cinnamon roll, got his favorite toys out of the toybox, and talked up a storm, as usual. 

Slow Sunday Stitching--Winter Bouquet Finished

 Slow Sunday Stitching--see more beauties on Kathy's Quilts blog. She's just starting a cute new stitch. 

I finally made myself finish up the last of the surface stitching on this DMC kit--Winter Bouquet is complete at last. 

The final areas stitched were the petal lines in the center flower, a few more white details in the blue sprays, and a couple more stems for the bright pink sprays, all in one strand of floss.  This stitchery consumed a lot of hours!  I haven't made a plan for the finishing as yet. 

This first photo was dated April 10, 2022, so it has been a long term stitch.  Of course, there were long periods where the project was napping....

Pondering the next project. I have a few kits on hand but none are striking my fancy just now :) We do have a new baby grandson arriving in a couple of months, and a family wedding sometime in the next year. In looking around Pinterest or Instagram, I see other stitchers' works with more reference line stitching than the North/South, East/West that I have always used, and am thinking about that as a help to keep the ripping and re-stitching down to a minimum!  Ok, off to the sewing room to work on the last borders for the Plaidish2 quilt. 

Slow Sunday Stitching--A Floral Finish in Sight

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

I am pleased to report all the main cross stitching is finished on the DMC kit I have been working on/off for what seems like months.  From the kit, you can see there is a lot of outline stitching and surface embellishment to do as well.

Here's where it was 1/15/2023:

And as of today: 

There was a break of a couple of hours before this pic, when I was ONE strand short of finishing the blue blobs at the top of design.  It is that brighter aqua, an unusual shade, and there was nothing in the several boxes and bags of my floss stash that was even close.  I tried substituting another shade, but it looked odd--so off to Michael's I went. 

We've been having a lot of storms in SoCalif so I brought my umbrella.  Coming out of the store, the cloudy sky was spectacularly dark to the northwest.

Opposite view brought a piece of a rainbow. 

I followed the rainbow all the way home. 

Slow Sunday Stitching--Binding and Boring White

Slow Sunday Stitching--see more pretty hand stitching on Kathy's Quilts blog. 

I intended to get stitching earlier today, but we had a couple of visitors first--our son and grandson were giving Mama a break.  There was rearranging of refrigerator magnets, pulling ALL the toys out of the toybox, a water break, and of course a snack, while Daddy and Papa watched football. 

Yesterday I got the bindings attached to the two small runners I've been working on.  They are trimmed and ready to stitch by hand.  

Designed by Heather Mulder Peterson, from her Mini Charms2 booklet.  These were sure quick to quilt. 

Stitch in the ditch all the way!  No heavy quilting needed for these little quilts. 

Late in the evening there was cross-stitch while watching Harry Potter. 

Very boring fill-in of the white on white, with a tiny spray of a few green stitches there at the center top. Two or three more flowers to add at the top before beginning on the surface embroidery.  I'll get there, slow stitch by slow stitch :)

Slow Sunday Stitching--Christmas Gifts

Slow Sunday Stitching of some mug mats. 

See more Slow Stitching on Kathy's Quilts blog. 

I have another batch layered, sewn around and turned right side out.  It has been fun to work on these. 

These pastel and bright mini-charms are so pretty. I'll sit by the Christmas Tree and enjoy another cup of tea while Hubby watches football.  Another batch awaits machine stitching and that is planned for today as well. I'd like to make more but completely forgot to look for Insulbrite when I stopped by the fabric store yesterday! I was distracted by picking out a binding fabric. More on that tomorrow:)

Slow Sunday Stitching--Flowers

Slow Sunday Stitching--see more lovely works in progress on Kathy's Quilts blog. 

I continue to add more stitches here and there to the DMC Winter Bouquet project.  There was a big stall-out after ripping a bunch, but I finally got the green centered flower on the left upper area right, fingers crossed!

I have started adding white to the flower center on the lower left.  One more large flower will then be added to the upper right.  Lots of outlining and detail over-stitching to add after all that!  It will likely BE Winter by the time I finish this :)  No matter, I pick it up infrequently and in no hurry to finish.

Kids went back in school this week--our school-aged grandsons started 1st and 3rd grade, and youngest grandson turned 2.  Time flies!  We are having a lot of hot muggy weather.  Our new windows do help with keeping the house cooler but don't do much for the moisture. Someday, I guess when our 30+ year old heater dies --we will put in AC :)

Slow Sunday Stitching--Unstitching

 Slow Sunday Stitching--see more pretty things being stitched on Kathy's Quilts Blog. 

I am still working on the DMC bouquet kit.  In fact, I get to revisit all the latest stitches put in while chatting with my sister the other night, as they were the wrong color.  I'll blame it on the laughter :)

Look closely and see on the left side of the photo where I unstitched above the 5 pink cross stitches.  Well, at least it was only three small flower blobs that need to be redone! There are not many more colored thread areas to complete before filling in with a lot of white, with lots of surface detail after all the cross-stitches are complete.  

I've been working on the bookshelf quilt for my niece and visiting an old pattern for an addition to her shelves. 

I'll show that tomorrow for Design Wall Monday.  

Slow Sunday Stitching--Fifty Shades

 Slow Sunday Stitching--see more lovely projects being slow stitched on Kathy's Quilts blog. 

My slow stitching today will be a binding for a small quilt. This was from Lori of Humble Quilts sewalong in 2020, Fifty Shades of Brown.  I had a lot of fun making this little quilt, which measures about 14x18".  

I made a simple backing "Bar" style.  The tan fabric is from a fat quarter that has been in the stash a long time!

I used my walking foot and brown Aurifil thread for SITD quilting.  

...And added a few more brown prints with the binding. 

All ready for hand stitching the binding down with the same Aurifil thread.  I think I'll sit outside for this small job, it is a lovely day in SoCal with a nice breeze. 

Slow Sunday Stitching--DMC flowers

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

I hadn't touched my DMC kit stitchery in a few weeks, but pulled it out today to work on while hubby was needing me nearby while he was installing new window blinds in our  bedroom vanity area. 

You can barely see that I've added more of a very light pink color around the center flower.  I had previously stitched most of this section and had to pull it out due to several errors.  It has been weeks since I removed those stitches. I'll probably work my way down to the lower portion of the design next. Now that I've fixed the bad spot, it is more appealing to pick up again!

There are several completed stitcheries from last year that need final finishing/framing.   Why is that so often the hardest part?  lol

Slow Sunday Stitching--Winter Bouquet DMC kit

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

I've slowly been adding more stitches to the DMC Winter Bouquet kit.  More Color!  More Shapes!  I'm avoiding all the white stitching so far :)

Love the brighter colors in this kit.  I'll flush out that center flower before continuing clockwise.  Notice I put a "T" at the top of the Aida to keep me oriented, since my two color center line stitching didn't clue me in enough :)  There were a lot of stitches added on Friday after I got sent home from work again, on Day 11 of this stupid coughing-nose-blowing URI.  The PA wrote me a script for a Zpack.  I'm still coughing and blowing my nose, but it is better.  Maybe I'll be well by Memorial Day...

I've gotten another older quilt top sandwiched and will show that tomorrow, hopefully with some walking foot quilting started. 

Slow Sunday Stitching--Bouquet Stitch in Progress

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

The stitch of the moment, Winter Bouquet DMC kit, is progressing to more color.  Since I was home sick for three days, the opportunity to stitch was enjoyed in between nose blowing and coughing attacks.  

There is a lot of the very light pink to add, but I needed a break from that.  That bright green for the leaves was fun, as was the blue flower/leaf or berry shape. Here's another pic of the kit photo.

I had downloaded a free pattern some time ago---looks like 2018, lol--and colored it in recently.  Love Lizzie Kate designs.

If I start on it after the Winter Bouquet I've been stitching in Spring, do you think by Winter I'll finish this Fall one?  Stay tuned for more exciting updates, haha.

Some sewing room time happened yesterday and I'll share more tomorrow on Design Wall Monday.  

Slow Sunday Stitching--New Start and Easter Decor

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

I made a very lazy decision on my next cross stitch project--it was already in the tote I use for portable projects! This is another $6.00 DMC kit I bought at my local fabric store. 

The kits have this nice large graph.  I like to color mine with pencils. The embroidery thread comes already on the card and the kit includes a hoop, needle and of course Aida cloth.  All you need are scissors!. I marked the center of mine with contrasting thread to help keep me lined up.  Starting in the center is best for me, though I have seen lots of folks start with a border design if included in the chart.  

I never noticed until I took the pictures that this was called Winter Bouquet.  It looks more Spring to me!

Some Spring/Easter decor got arranged on the sideboard.  I made that Easter card many decades ago and got it back after my MIL passed away.  She saved it all that time! The bunny and bow are cut from fabric. 

Another card made by a family friend, and my favorite glass eggs and bunny.

More bunnies in the vase with an egg tree :)

Some more favorites on top of the lawyer's bookcase--I bought the mini quilt years ago at a guild sale.  Glad the nearly 100 degree temps are gone and our usual low clouds and fog have returned.  Happy Spring!

Slow Stitching Sunday--April 3

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

I haven't been doing any slow stitching, as I can't make up my mind what I want to stitch yet--not a terrible problem to have :)   I showed some older cross-stitch pieces that I am going to add to the Bookshelf Quilt I am making for my niece, Emma. Adding a fabric frame was the job at hand.   I started with the cherries. I finished this one in April 2018 and finished it in the cheap plastic frame that came with the kit, which was black.  

I decided to use a narrow black border of fabric and then found a silver accented fat quarter in stash to use as a wider frame. 

The silver is a Carolyn Friedlander print I picked up at Sewtopia Orlando after her lecture.  I left the frame wide for finishing  width options in the bookshelf quilt. 

Next was a much older cross-stitch project of Southwest cacti. I chose one of the four different cacti and trimmed it to one inch past the stitching boundary.  Due to an over-enthusiastic trimming episode, I had a "design opportunity" for the fabric frame--hence the dotted squares in the corners. 

I like it!  I'll decide if I want to add another cacti later. I chose shelf fabric in a solid brown and the bookshelf  background is black, so the gray frame will hopefully show up well.  I can always add another narrow border in a contrasting fabric. 

From my stitching past, I used an old sampler to test the new-to-me hanger from the thrift shop.

This was the first cross-stitch I ever did--my Godmother gave a kit to me lo those many years ago.  I had the kit for years before stitching it in my late teens. It was mounted on a sticky board for decades, which I have removed.  Perhaps I will lace the piece onto something else, but I actually like it deconstructed too!

Slow Sunday Stitching--an Old Stitch

 Slow Sunday Stitching--see more lovely work on Kathy's Quilts Blog. 

I'm between projects so am showing an old one that is getting a new life in a Bookshelf Quilt for my niece, Emma. 

Many years ago I started this large Beatrix Potter alphabet--it could even have been FOR Emma's nursery! She's about to finish college now...The thread count was high and my time short in those days.  I never completed more than this section.  At one point I had put it in a donation box but took it out--all that work, you know!  I showed it to Emma and she liked the mousies with the S.

I like another charming critter too...

Another mouse, I think, with the strawberry.  I noticed the outline stitching around part of the leaf behind the "P" is missing!  The characters are so awfully sweet. I'll have to be very creative in cutting apart the S stitching--or may have to use the P or L.  If I use the P I'll have to finish the outlining, lol. 

Emma also liked this little embroidery I did much more recently--only four years ago :)

These will be framed in fabric to sit on the bookshelves.  I have a lot of work ahead of me but will enjoy the creative process.  Really wish I had a design wall instead of a design floor.  I've been looking at the retractable design walls and may just have to splurge! 

Slow Sunday Stitching--Still Working on the Cat

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

I've put in only a few stitches on the Cat cross-stitch this week--most of them when the grandsons went to bed when we babysat so their parents could go to a local comedy show.  I had forgotten to put the date on my phone calendar and when Elaine texted us "Are you almost here?", we were finishing up soup and quesadillas for dinner!  They made it to the show, though definitely exceeded the speed limit to get there :)

More White stitches added to the cat's face, around the little flowers in his chin and cheek.  I should be able to complete all the white in another session, and then add the applied embroidery the pattern calls for. 

Next I plan to play with a long, long completed set of cacti--25 years maybe more?  The Southwest decorating schemes were popular when we bought our house 30+ years ago. 

I need to get back to the Bookshelf Quilt I started for my niece, Emma, and I think these would look great framed and sitting on a shelf. Emma did grow up in Arizona!