Slow Sunday Stitching

I’m slow stitching through this lovely Mother’s Day. I hope all you Mother’s are having a great day. I’m working on a second version of the class sample I made a week or two ago. I showed a picture of it last week, but I can repost it again. It will save you from having to back track to see it.
The first version was a test sew to see how it should break down into units for a logical way for assembly. This next version is for taking pictures as I go so I can write instructions for it. I love this process. I love looking at a design, breaking it down and then rebuilding it and describing the process in pictures and writing. In my wildest dreams many years ago I would never have thought that I would design and write patterns and classes. Isn’t it odd how life can throw such curve balls? The biggest news though is that as I said last week, Leo’s Mane is finished. The weather cooperated a few days ago and I was able to hang it up outside and get some pictures. Here’s a picture of the full quilt.

 And a picture of the centre section 

and then the four borders. This quilt has been a challenge and a joy to work on from beginning to end. So now in the midst of working on these smaller class sample projects, I’m thinking on what the next bigger one is going to be. I have plans........

In the meantime, It’s time for lunch and more stitching. I’m linking up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching.

Slow Sunday Stitching

I have a finish! I took the last stitch in Leo’s Mane last week. Yesterday I released all the outer edges from the basting and pressed them open. Then I stay stitched the edges and removed all the papers around the outside edges. It is ready for quilting. Woohoo and yippee!!


So what’s next? I’ve been asking myself that for a while. When Charlene and I were at the quilt show in Shedden working in the vending booth, there were a number of people who made enquiries about possible classes and teaching using basic English Paper Piecing shapes like hexagons and 60 degree diamonds. The small project that I did based on Willyne Hammerstein’s Creme Brullee attracted a lot of interest. But I don’t own that design so I can’t in honesty use the design for teaching purposes. However I do have a design that was done in Electric quilt based on 5 different 60 degree shapes which I started putting together a couple of days ago. This is what I’ve got so far. I’m winging it right now for putting it together. As I am sewing it together I am seeing ways to make it easier and to break it down into units that will make it better for a teaching sample. Once I’ve worked through putting this one together I’ll do another and take pictures as I go. It might end up a written pattern as well.
So, I’m going to link up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching and get back to working on this sample.

Slow Sunday Stitching and Happy Easter

Of all of the days of the year, this one is the best. Easter Sunday, celebrating the rising of our Saviour and Lord from the grave. This Easter is extremely special. Years ago we belonged to a wonderful small but close knit church family. Unfortunately, over time, that church family grew smaller and smaller until it finally could no longer function and it closed. That was almost 20 years ago. Since then we have been searching for a new church family. We have attended numerous churches over the years but never quite fit. Back in January we heard of a new church that had started up in our city, Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, and we began attending. It didn’t take long to realize that the Lord had answered our prayers and that this was to be our new church family. Today we become official members of that church when they extend what they call “the right hand of fellowship” to us. I don’t talk a lot about my faith here on the blog, but it is an essential central component of who and what I am, and also of what I do and why I do, and so when important things arise, I will mention them.

As far as stitching goes, once more not a lot of that has been happening. This past week, once more I was felled by a bug of some sort...... that’s three this winter.... I’m done, no more please!!!! Since that really bad illness that landed me in hospital for 10 days last April, it seems like it’s been just one thing after another. I am so ready to be done with all that. I’ve mentioned to my husband numerous times that I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired. LOL! And each time, the recovery process takes longer. I suppose it must be part of the getting older thing, less immunity, less resistance and less energy at the best of times, let alone when ill. And of course it doesn’t help when I put myself into situations where I’m working at full tilt way beyond my strength and capacity, pushing myself way past where I should. A crash and burn in those circumstances is almost inevitable, as most of my friends and all of my family know and consistently warn me about. So I’ve been in enforced lay down on the couch and rest mode for the past week. I have done a little bit on the last four blocks for the last border of Leo’s Mane. I miscounted the number I need for this border, so I’m scrambling to find the fabrics that I used. I’ve managed to locate everything except the red. If I don’t find it I’ll have to do some creative substitutions. I have the four corner blocks already made. What were missing were 4 side blocks. If I have to, I’ll take the red off the corner blocks and move them to the side blocks, and then add a different red to the corners. At this point, I’m thinking something that is as close to what is already there as possible. But who knows, maybe a flashy contrasting red will work even better. Whatever the case, I have to decide soon, since I can’t go any further on those side blocks without the red.
I’m going to post this, link to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching, and then go red fabric hunting. If I don’t get attacked by yet another bug of some sort, these blocks will be done by this time next week, I hope.

Slow Sunday Stitching

Leo’s Mane continues to grow. I have two of the fifth borders finished and ready to sew onto the main body of the quilt.



In addition, there are eight more squares finished and ready to sew together into another border. twelve more to go, plus the corners, and these borders are done and ready to attach. These are the last of the borders for this quilt, unless I decide to add a plain one around the whole thing to stabilize it. I won’t know that until I get there. This is what it looks like so far with these borders laying along side the main body.



And here a close up.

 I enjoy this quilt so much! But I must say, I will be so glad to have it finished. then I have to decide on how to quilt it. And at the moment, I haven’t a clue how to do that. If anyone looking at this has any ideas about how to quilt this, I’d appreciate the ideas. In the ditch quilting won’t work because with EPP most of the seams are open, rather than ironed to one side.  Anyhow, I’m going to link up tp Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching, then maybe have something to eat and then get some more stitching done before heading out to church this afternoon.

Slow Sunday Stitching

How on earth did it get to be the 25th of February so fast?!?! Now mind you, I’m not complaining about that. It means we are so much closer to spring and the warm weather to come. In fact, it is sunny and going up to 7 degrees celsius today, and the snow is mostly gone, which means we can dispense with the heavy winter boots, for the next few days at least. It does mean though, that I am not going to make my goal of having this fifth and last border of Leo’s Mane finished by the end of the month...... rats!!

I have the corner pentagons sewn onto 13 out of 44 units. Nine of those units are sewn together. I need to add one more and they will be ready to be sewn onto the side of the quilt. I’ve spent a good deal of time in the last couple of weeks stitching. But a lot of that time was distracted by what was going on at the olympics, where I’d have to stop the stitching and watch what was happening, especially when it came to the figure skating, one of my favourite things to watch. And then I got caught up in all those extreme things like the snowboarding people who looked like they were flying, and the the skiers who were doing the same thing. All I can say is wow.... they are crazy!!
But, now the olympics is over, so maybe I’ll get back to more intensive stitching time. I’ve downloaded an audiobook that should keep me going for a while, which will help.
I’m linking up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching, and then I’ll pick the needle and thread back up for a little while.

Leo’s Mane fifth border progress

We had company this past weekend. Our grandson Avery came and stayed overnight with us Saturday and into Sunday. So there was no time yesterday for a Slow Sunday Stitching blog post, or for stitching either for that matter. By the time we finished looking after our 2 year old grand daughter on Friday and the 6 year old grandson Saturday and early Sunday these poor old grand parents were totally tired out, but in a fabulous and happy way.

I have been making progress with Leo though. All of the units for the fifth border are up to the point where the setting pentagons are going in. This month they have gone from these plus sign units then to having the side units put in and now the corner pentagons. I have three of these completed, with 37 more to go. So close..... so very close....

Slow Sunday Stitching

So close, so very very close to being done with Leo’s Mane. I have over half of the 40 English Paper Pieced units that I need up to the second step.
I have 40 of these, the first step
And 23 of these. the second step.I need 13 more of these for a total of 36 and then 4 of a bit of a different configuration to do the corners of the borders. After that, I put in the corner fabrics that turn these odd shapes into squares and these are done. The goal of the end of February looks like it might be reachable. Here they are, what I have done so far all together. They aren’t going to be laid out this way, considering they are meant for a border, but looking at them here, there are possibilities for further design variations. It would make a really fun scrappy quilt.
I’m linking up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching and then it will be back to more stitching.

Slow Sunday Stitching

I’m making really good progress on the fifth of Leo’s Mane borders. All the centre plus signs for the 40 blocks are done. Today I’m starting the process of cutting the next fabrics, basting them to the papers and sewing the next set of pieces into place. As I thought it would, this border is going together very quickly. Maybe, just maybe, it will all be done by the end of February. That would be so cool!  Here’s a closeup of the block so far. The spaces at the ends of the yellow pieces will be filled with the navy fabric I’ve been using through the whole quilt and will make the blocks square. I’m getting so excited about having this finished! I’m starting to think about how to quilt it. So far, I haven’t a clue what I’m going to do. I’m hoping sometime before it is finished, inspiration will hit. In the meantime, I’ll keep on stitching.
I’m linking up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching.

Slow Sunday Stitching

I’ve finally finished sewing on the fourth border to Leo’s Mane. It needs ironing before I can get a good picture of it. But that means I was finally able to start the fifth and last of the borders. I have to make 40 of these plus sign type sections. They go together quite quickly, though. I think I have 10 of them done already. So I’m hoping to have the whole thing done by the end of February. But more realistically, it will likely be closer to the middle of March.
This is going to be a short a quick post. We’re in the middle of watching a PBS series about Queen Victoria and it’s really good, so I’m going to post this, link up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching and then continue watching and stitching.

Slow Sunday Stitching

Well, that was a week I’d not care to repeat. Like so many people all over the world, I got hit with one of the flu bugs. What a nasty bug it was!! I was out for the count last weekend and also for the first few days of this week. I had plans, so many plans of what  I wanted to get accomplished.......

However, the good news is I’m all better now, even if I lost a week. I had hoped to have all of the fourth border for Leo’s Mane finished and attached to the main body by now. The last of the fourth border sections is now finished and laying along side the left side of the quilt. After I post this, I’ll start stitching it to the main body. Then I can start in cutting and sewing the fifth borders which is the last one. Whew.... what a long process this has been. But that’s what slow hand stitching is all about, being slow and enjoying the process. I’m linking up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching and then will be finding something to watch on the computer while I stitch.

Slow Sunday Stitching.

This has been a crazy busy week, mostly spent on the computer working on new designs for our Canadian web site Eagles Wings Quilts where we sell English Paper Piecing supplies. We also have a few notions perfect for hand piecing and a few books. I received a request last week for a large English Paper Pieced Mariner’s Compass, so I spent a lot of time in EQ7 and then in Corel Draw getting it ready for the laser cutter to process. And then there was the time required to list it on the web site. But it was time very well spent. It’s available in finished sizes ranging from 33 1/2 inches from tip to tip to 10 inches from tip to tip. If you are interested, here is the link to the web site page for it Mariner’s Compass. Take some time and browse around to see what else we have. I’ve been slow lately adding new stuff to the web site, so this was good incentive, Also included in the same request was a design for an English Paper pieced Double Wedding Ring. That is in progress and will go up on the site in the next week or two.
I also got hit with a fibromyalgia attack on Thursday, which had me flat on my back on the couch not doing a single thing other than resting. All this to say my slow stitching has been slower than normal. I did get more done on Leo, but this particular border, although I love the way it looks, has lots of little pieces and is quite slow going. The finished effect will be quite worth it, though.
I’m in the process of adding in the little edging scalene triangles. On all of the other three borders of this  section, I added them all on after the pieces of the border were sewn into one length. I found that a bit awkward to handle, so I’m trying them as separate blocks instead, and it’s working much better. This will be the way I write it up for the sew along and pattern instructions. I have two more to finish, which I hope to accomplish today, and then I can start sewing the last of this particular border together and then attaching them to the main body of the quilt. My goal is to have them done and attached by the 15th, which gives me a week.
Oh, and the other thing that took up some time this week, much enjoyed time, was celebrating this sweet little girl turning 2 on Friday. How on earth did that happen so fast?!?!?

I’m linking to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching.

Slow Sunday Stitching

I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas, and that the New year will bring blessings. We have been incredibly busy these past couple of weeks due to the holidays and also business related stuff. The last half of the afternoon today was taken up with counting inventory for our Eagles Wings Quilts Canadian English Paper piecing supplies web site. In addition to that, we also had to count all the different cones of thread and all the quilt batts I have on hand for the long arm business. The counting is done. Now comes the task of converting the cost of what I bought in US dollars into Canadian dollars and then adding it up. But I don’t have to do that today. I just wanted to make sure we went into the New Year tomorrow with an accurate inventory count.

The rest of today is going to be spent working  on my long time friend Leo. Or at least it feels like it’s been a long time. In reality I started this project back in June of this year, so I’ve only been working on it for 6 months. Considering the size and complexity of it, that’s not bad. I’m still working on the fourth border. It’s the one with the most pieces and also the most complex piecing, so it’s taking me longer than I had hoped it would, but it is making good progress. The third of the sides just needs its bottom small triangles added and then I can sew it to the main body. And I have most of the parts I need for the fourth side well under way. Another couple of weeks should do it. Here’s what it looks like with that third side of the fourth border laying beside the rest of it.
The fifth and final border is much less complex that this one, so I’m hoping it will go much faster.

I’m linking up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching and then will be spending the rest of this last day of 2017 quietly stitching. I want to wish everyone reading here a very Happy New Year!

Slow Sunday Stitching

As usual, I’m plugging away at Leo’s Mane. I love the project, and the way it is coming together. Here are more parts for the fourth border. I’d say I’m almost 2/3rds of the way finished this particular border. I’m making the individual parts, and the slowly sewing them into the border. I need to get most of the purple units done so I can get an even distributions of the colours.

Every now and then I need something that isn’t quite so small and fiddly. This next project has been around for a while but I don’t know if I’ve ever actually taken a picture of it and shown it here. It’s a public domain design from EQ7 called Sapphire Net, and it’s a perfect candidate for English Paper Piecing.
The octagon shapes are 5 1/2 inches long, and are perfect candidates for using up some of my large scale floral stash I have hanging around here. So far it measures 24 inches across. Whether I make it any bigger than this or not is yet to be determined. There will eventually be papers and pattern available for this in our web store. I’ve been working on it this week when I get tired of Leo’s tiny pieces.
I’m linking up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching, before going back to more stitching.

Slow Sunday Stitching

I’ve made good progress this week. Last week my second length of the fourth border for Leo’s Mane looked like this. It had three stars and three of the lantern type units finished. This week the entire border is now finished.
Two down, two to go and then I move onto the last of the borders. As I progress through the quilt the borders are taking longer to do, since the quilt is getting bigger. These two took me a month to make. That’s something I need to keep in mind for writing up the sew along instructions. The instructions are released twice a month, so I’m attempting to divide the steps up to take that length of time.
I haven't  yet decided today whether I’m going to sew these two sides in place, or whether I’m going to continue making more units.
However, my brain is kinda fuzzy today, so maybe the simple sewing these borders in place should win out. Yep, I just decided, that’s what I’m going to do. So, after I link up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching, I’ll get started on sewing these borders into place. 

Slow Sunday Stitching

I need a slow down day today. A day of doing nothing except taking long deep breaths, sitting in my comfy recliner with my feet up while sewing slow relaxing hand stitches.

Yesterday was a whirlwind. It started several hours earlier than my days normally do, since it was our guild’s Quilt Till You Wilt day. I spent part of Friday getting ready, using my Go Cutter to get everything cut and ready to sew. My goal was to do an I Spy quilt for our grand daughter. I’ve had the fabrics for several years, at least. She is starting to talk really well, and learning lots of new words, so this is a perfect time to get one done for her. I shocked everyone, including myself by arriving at the quilt day right on time at 9 am with my essential coffee in hand. With all my fabrics cut and organized and ready to go, I sat and put the pedal to the metal. By lunch time I had most of the blocks finished and was ready to start sewing them into rows. By the time I left at 3:30 all of the rows were sewn together. I still have to piece some partial blocks for the ends of 3 rows, and the the centre of the quilt is finished.  I used partial seams on the rows, leaving myself enough space at each end to add in the missing pieces and the finish sewing the row.
I haven’t decided what to do about borders. I was so focused on getting all this done, I didn’t even think to stop and take pictures. The only reason I have these is because my friend Gail, who blogged about the same day here,  grabbed my phone and took the pictures for me. (Thanks Gail!!)

After leaving the Quilt Till You Wilt time, we came home, picked up our grand daughter, since her parents had won tickets to a concert yesterday evening, and proceeded out to visit with our son Noel, his girlfriend Mel and our grand son Avery who was down visiting for the weekend. We had supper at their place, and then drove down to Port Stanley where there is a house that does itself up hugely for Christmas, or should I say its owners do. The statistics say that it has over 75,000 lights on the property. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t what I saw. It was fabulous! Here’s a link to the Facebook page about it Port Stanley Christmas Lights. Both Abbie and Avery were mesmerized by it. Avery kept telling everyone that “it has 75,000 lights aka 75 million!!” using the phrase “aka" being a new thing with him. Abbie ran...... everywhere... through the lawns, up the deck with the Christmas tree, down the steps of the deck,  up the paths on the hill at the back of the house and back down, then back up, then..... well you get the idea.... Abbie ran, exploring and examining everything and Grammy followed. Grampy would have followed, except he was hampered by the stroller that we foolishly thought Abbie would quietly sit in. Silly us, we should have known better, knowing Abbie..... although by the end of it she was tired enough to settle into the stroller for the walk back to the car. All in all it was a fabulously happy day, full of good friends and loving family. What could be better.

So, back to Slow Stitching. Today I am continuing to work on Leo’s Mane, no surprise there. I have the first side of the fourth border finished. Here it is laying beside the main body.  And a closer view. I’ve started on the second side of the fourth border and hope to get a good long way into getting it finished today, probably while bingeing on the British archeological TV series Time Team. 
 I’m going to link up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday stitching and then get to my own stitching.

Slow Sunday Stitching

Last week at this time I was unstitching a goof. This week, the goof is fixed and continuing progress has been made on the first of the border #4 for Leo’s Mane. I have 7 of the 8 units needed for this side of the border sewn together, and all the tiny side triangles added to it. So instead of an “oh bother" from Winnie the Pooh I can have a happy dancing Walt Disney designed
Winnie the Pooh. I don’t really know why this particular character is stuck in my brain these days, but there it is......
I suppose it’s because there have been a few other instances this week that have caused me to say the “oh bother” phrase, so it’s kinda stuck.

It’s cold and blowy and snowy outside today, so it’s a good day to stay inside and do some hand stitching. I love how my hands can be busy doing one thing, while my brain can be busy doing something else entirely, even if that is the cause of the occasional goof when my brain isn’t paying attention to what my hands are doing.  (grin) So, today I have a bunch of things I want to do. I started an honeycomb pillow using 1 inch honeycombs a week or two back.  I want to get it sewn down to a background square. Then, I want to finish sewing the white edges of my small version of Willyne Hammerstein’s Creme Brûlée to the dark borders. One of the corners of the dark border wasn’t laying flat the last time I worked on it, so I had to take it apart and re-mitre the corner.


 I want to start another variation of the honeycomb pillow, doing a different arrangement of the colours. And then of course, more on Leo, at which point I’ll have to re-engage my brain.
I have no idea how far I’ll get on this list today, but I’m going to enjoy the process. I think I will start with the one that is closest to being finished, which is the Creme Brûlée variation and then go to the pillow and finally back to Leo.
I’m linking up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching and then it’s on to the stitching marathon.

Leo’s Mane Fourth border

I’m late writing up a post this week. I usually do one up for Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching. I was stitching on Sunday, lots and lots of stitching. But I was also binge watching a show on England. Tony Robinson is the guy’s name, and he does walks all over the country side and talks about the land marks and the history. I am fascinated by all things English history, so I got rather caught up in it. By the time I realized what time it was, it was too dark for pictures and too late for thinking straight. And now, here it is Wednesday, and I’m finally getting around to writing that post.
The good thing is, the third border is completely stitched onto Leo, and is all pressed and laying nicely flat. It took a bit of persuasion with some steam from the iron on the eight point seams, but they finally cooperated.
And now, I’ve started work on the fourth border.  The colours in this photo are a bit yellower than in real life. The close ups in the photos further down are closer to the actual colours.


These are the two basic units that make this particular border,  with a couple of extra things as well. It’s going fairly quickly, with all of them that are laying beside the quilt finished since Sunday. There will be small gold coloured triangles filling the space along the edges of the border.

I’m linking up to Lorna’s Let’s Bee Social, Esther’s WIPs on Wednesday and the Canadian Needle and Thread Network. Then it’s time for supper and some more stitching.