Slow Sunday Stitching

 As soon as I’d finished the Skunk critter for The Year in the Woods series, I started right in on the next critter, a Woodpecker. I’ve gotten quite a bit done on it already. I’m doing this one differently. On the last few that I’ve done, I’ve started on the bottom of the charts and worked my way to the top. This one is growing from the top down instead. When I went searching through the threads I already have, while waiting for the ones I ordered to arrive, most of them were for the head, therefore I started there rather than be patient and wait for all the other threads to get here. I also had to change the lighter yellow in his beak. The one called for was too close to the colour of the linen. He’s looking quite handsome so far. I’ll link up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching, and then do some more on this handsome fellow.

What We’re Working On

 We changed our P&S day to Friday this week so a couple of our members who were visiting today could come. It was a great day, full of laughter and sewing and hugs and chaos. And we also got some stuff done. It doesn’t get any better than that. Marg has been working on some little boy quilts for a family in need. These are done, just waiting for their bindings. The one boy is into trucks and also mine craft. Some of the pieced blocks are sort of like some of the mine craft things. The other boy likes mythical creatures and monsters. This panel fit that theme quite well. Marcia is working on putting together her Disappearing Nine Patch. I think she is working on her borders now. Diane took home a couple of big block quilt kits last week. She has the blocks all pieced together. We found the large print the last time we went fabric shopping. There were 2 one yard cuts of it, enough to cut 12 squares measuring 10 1/2 inches for these blocks out of each yard of fabric. There is a blue version and a brown version. 

We have had a request for a quilt for a young boy, 11 years old, undergoing treatment for a malignant brain tumour. His favourite colours are blue and black. He likes fish and moose and lego. There are moose and fish in the fabrics. They are being sewn together to look like large lego blocks. I’ll work more on this at home this week and hopefully get it finished and then layered next Thursday.

I’ll link up to finished, or not, Friday.

Slow Sunday Stitching

 I finished the very cute and totally non-stinky Skunk from The Year in the Woods series. Here it is in all its cuteness. And here is the finished set of three, the bear, the chipmunk and the skunk. I’ve started on the next set of three. But there isn’t anything interesting to see since the beginning is always getting the linen gridded. Highly boring and highly frustrating with the smaller count linen, but absolutely necessary. It has saved me from mistakes so often that it has become an essential part of doing a cross stitch piece. The next critter to be done is The Woodpecker. We often see these large woodpeckers outside our front window so it will be a fun one to stitch.

I’ll link up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching.

What We are Working on

 Another very productive day was had at our Prayers and Squares group yesterday. Marg finished a Disappearing Nine Patch top. It still needs a backing made for it. Dian and Donna, our newest members, took this sweet quilt home and between them finished the quilting and the binding. Tammy has finished the quilt as you go assembly of this sampler. Here’s the back.  Elizabeth has been working on a bear themed quilt. She is planning on adding borders to it with Bear Paw blocks on the corners. Here at home I’ve been powering through some 2 1/2 inch strips. This top is finished and, along with 3 others, was layered yesterday. There were off cuts from each end of the strip sets. So they have been combined with some pastel Kona solids to form hour glass blocks. I’ll hopefully finish putting it together this coming week. I’ll link up to finished, or not, Friday.

Slow Sunday Stitching

 My cute little skunk is almost finished. Actually, the skunk itself is finished. It’s the background stuff that is left. The bottom row of the house remains, and then there are a couple of trees to do. I’ve already ordered the flosses for the next set of three animals and then these will be all done. I’ll have to pull out some unfinished pieces once these are all finished. But that’s quite a while away yet, with each animal taking anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks to finish. I’ll link up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching.

What we are working on

We had a couple of finishes yesterday at our Prayers and Squares group. Elizabeth finished her animal themed quilt that she brought with her to her cottage from home. Diane and Donna, two friends who have recently started coming out to our group, finished the quilting and the binding on the green Punctuation quilt. Marcia is working on some disappearing nine patch blocks. 

And Janet is working on doing the quilting on this top that Marg finished a few months ago. Here at home I finished a quarter log cabin quilt top design called Townhouses. And then I brought home a tote that contained pieces for a quilt that I started cutting weeks ago. I never seemed to be able to get blocks of time at the P&S meetings to be able to work on it, so I brought it home. Progress has finally been made on it. It’s a pattern called Fourteen On Point. I’ll link up to finished, or not, friday

Slow Sunday Stitching

 My cute little skunk from The Year in the Woods series is growing quite quickly. I still have a little bit of black left to do in its tail. The good news is that I won’t run out of the black thread. I should have just enough. I’m thinking of taking a little bit of the lighter grey and outlining the top of its head. There isn’t enough contrast between the fabric colour and the white. Its poor head is rather lost on there. I’ll link up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching.

What We’re Working On

 I was a very poor photographer on Thursday at our Prayers and Squares meeting this past week. It was a very chaotic day with lots happening and lots needing to be done, so taking pictures fell to the bottom of the need to do list. We have 2 quilts going out this week to a couple of teenagers whose father is very ill with pancreatic cancer.

The quilts got their labels sewn on and ties put in. We will pray for them on Sunday. 

Here at home I finished a Trip Around The World quilt. And then I started a pattern I’ve been itching to do for a while now called Townhouses. There is one more round to add to these of the dark grey. I think this will be very striking when done. I’ll link up to finished, or not Friday, even though it is Saturday.

Slow Sunday Stitching

My cute little skunk from the Year in the Woods series is continuing to take shape. I got a lot of the white done on its head and front body. I’m now moving onto finishing its back and tail. There’s still lots of black left to do. I’m hoping I don’t run out of that thread. I’ll have a thread emergency and have to order more. Wouldn’t that be a shame......... not!! I’m going to keep this short. It is a lovely day out, so I think I’m going to take this outside for some lovely slow stitching. I’ll link up with Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching.

What We Are Working On

 I didn’t do a “working on” post last week since most of us went on a road trip. One of our local quilt shops is closing since its owner is retiring. The good news about that is she has sold her business and it will be opening again in another location. It is always sad when a quilt shop closes, so that is great for everyone. She had all her stock reduced to $10.00 a metre, a great price so we stocked up on some lovely backings and also some neutrals which we were getting quite low on. Yesterday Marg spent the entire afternoon cutting some of those fabrics into big block quilt kits for future sewing. Meanwhile, Tammy continued to work on the quilt as you go sampler. Pat has been working on these lovely blocks for a while now. I think they are almost finished. And I started a new quilt. These blocks are 14 inches. There is lots more different blocks needed before it can be a finished quilt. I’ll link up to finished, or not, Friday.

Slow Sunday Stitching

 I made progress on both hand stitching projects this week. I have one sock finished, and the second started with about an inch of ribbing done. Our Prayers and Squares group went on a shopping trip last Thursday and so I was able to get in knitting time during the drive. And my skunk cross stitch for The Year in the Woods now has a face. I continue to enjoy doing these and seeing the textures in the designs. I know I said last week that I was going to keep on with the black until it was done, but I couldn’t do it. I’m also noticing that the white on the skunk’s head is not really showing up against the linen. I may need to do a small amount of back stitch to define it. I’ll decide for sure once the whole thing is done. I’ll link up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching.

Slow Sunday Stitching

 Last Monday I went for a visit with Gail and Christine at Christine’s cottage. It was a slow stitching afternoon. But because I need my magnifying glasses and my floor model Ott light to do my cross stitching, I decided to break out the sock yarn and my knitting needles. I started this sock a week ago and have already gotten to the heel turning stage. It’s an interesting yarn. It has a very long colour repeat. But I’ve also been working on my Skunk for The Year in the Woods project. The face is starting to take shape. It is quite a challenge working with this black thread, hence the need for the very bright light. I’m thinking I’m going to continue with the black until it is all finished and get it over with. I’ll link up with Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching.

What We’re Working On

 What a wonderfully productive day we had at our Prayers and Squares group yesterday. We were missing 2 of our regular year round members, but 3 of our seasonal summer ladies were there. Marcia finished the binding on the quilt she was working on and Susan finished the binding on hers. Marg started a Big Quilt pattern a few weeks ago using a gorgeous sunflower fabric that was way too pretty to cut up. 

I finished the autumn stars quilt. Tammy continued work on the quilt as you go sampler, but I didn’t get pictures of that one. And between Janet and I we got 4 or 5 quilts layered and 2 more ready for layering. One of them was this lovely landscape/animal quilt top that Elizabeth brought with her. She’s working on the quilting. Beverly worked on more bindings. She finished one quilt, which somehow I didn’t get a picture of and stated the bindings for 2 more. What a great group of hard working ladies we have! I’ll link up to finished, or not, Friday.

Slow Sunday Stitching

 A little more progress has been made on my cute and non stinky skunk project. I’m slowly working my way through its tail. There is a lot of counting and keeping close track of where I am in it which is doing its best to live up to the “slow stitching” label. The grid threads are being very helpful. The two dark greys that I’m working with are quite close in value which is adding to the challenge. But that’s ok because I like a challenge. I’ll link up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching.

What We Are Working On

 A great day was had by everyone at Prayers and Squares yesterday. We got so much accomplished. Janet is almost finished her quilt as you go sampler. I think there is one more seam to top stitch through into the back. Marg and Tammy worked together to arrange Marg’s sampler blocks. Tammy is now in the process of learning the quilt as you go technique to put them together. Marcia put together this lovely quilt which she is now quilting. And I have gotten 10 out of 12 blocks done for the autumn stars quilt. I’m hoping to get the last 2 done and the top sewn together before next Thursday. I’ll link up to finished, or not, Friday.

Slow Sunday Stitching

 I didn’t get as much done this week on the very cute and non-smelly skunk as I’d hoped. I’m trying to get myself some clothes made so a lot of my slow stitching time was taken up with hems and buttons. I’m trying to replace the pants I made 3 or 4 years ago that are now getting very thin. My goal was 4 pairs of pants. I have 3 pairs finished and another almost there. I’m also doing some shirts and would like to do a dress, but time will tell if the dress gets done. The shirts are next after the pants are finished. If you are wondering, I buy my patterns mostly from a website called Love Notions. They have PDF patterns to print at home. I’ve been doing the Bridget trousers and the Bluegrass Shirt. I don’t find sewing my own clothes any more economical than buying in the stores, but I do find that I am able to get the clothes to fit properly doing them myself.  I did get some done on the skunk though. A little more of the bottom of the body is now filled in. I’ll do a bit more on it this afternoon. I’ll link up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching.

What We’re Working On

 WE had a good day at Prayers and Squares yesterday. We got 2 quilts finished and layered. Susan has been working on this improvisational quilt for a while now. It started with the four multicoloured squares that were in a box that was donated to us. She has added to those squares to create a bright and happy quilt. It is layered and ready for quilting. I finished off the last of the pinwheel blocks and got them all sewn together. It too is now layered and ready for quilting. I was able to get another sets of stars done. This one makes six, so that’s halfway there. I brought them home to hopefully get them done. Here at home I did a little playing around with some 2 inch strips that were initially cut to make place mats. We have all decided we don’t like making place mats, so I’ve been playing with a block I saw on Facebook called Hidden Wells. It’s kinda fun. I’ll put it on the back burner though, while I work on the stars. And, Just because I cannot work on just one or two things at a time, I drew up a new quilt in Electric Quilt and picked the fabrics for it and brought them home too. Here’s the block and the quilt it makes. Another one with secondary pattern where the block corners meet.

I’ll link up to finished, or not, Friday.