Stitching Along

Have you ever been just happily stitching along and realize...wow I have a lot to share, but haven't?  Yep that is me. 

 

 Remember this pile?  Well I actually got it on a quilt and the binding hand sewn down.

It is a charity quilt for guild.

I made two blocks for the Farm Girl Vintage quilt for August.  It was stitcher's choice.

I made the cherries in a 12 inch block.

I also made a spring star block in a 6 1/2 inch block. 

I also managed to get the embroidery done for the sheep.  Now he has legs and eyes.  I am sure that will make Baa happy. 

Also the mixer now has a plug and cord.

Remember my last post I was lamenting I had quilter's block.  I just didn't know what to quilt on this quilt. 

Monday Craftsy had free classes all day.  I watched a couple by Angela Walters, Christina Cameli, and Leah Day, just to name a few. 

I started quilting today.  I was using a Mettler variegated thread, and it kept shredding.  I changed my tension, re-threaded the machine.  Soon the mailman came (he's my hero) and he had a package for me from Craftsy.  I had purchased a variegated Aurifil thread which was similar in color to the Mettler.  I finally made a full pass on one block without breaking a thread! 

While watching the Craftsy classes I started working on cross stitch.

This is the start of a cuff for another Christmas stocking.  It will be a bear in a baseball uniform.  I also worked on the binding for the charity quilt above, and started a new project.  GASP!

Have you seen the HAED cross stitch that Renee does at Hand Stitched Treasure?  HAED is short for Heaven and Earth Design you can see their offerings here. I have been drooling over these designs for a couple of years, but was very hesitant to start one.  These designs have no partial stitches, no outlining, but are very detailed all done by subtle changes in thread colors.  Oh just take a look, even if you are not a cross stitcher, just to see the gorgeous offering.  My project I chose?

Bathtime the original artwork is by Selina Fenech, and is made into cross stitch by Michele Sayetta.  I am stitching mine on 18 count Aida and the piece will be huge!  About 25 X 36 when it is done.  These are pieces that take a couple of years to complete with constant work.  I am making it to add to my bathroom.  Yep it is getting girlied up, since there are no men in the house. 

My first 256 stitches.  I got to laughing because this piece has 262,400 stitches.  My measly little 256 doesn't even get me being .000099 done.  LOL 

Here is my punch needle embroidery which I bought at AQS Grand Rapids.  

 I also worked a wee bit on it.  This is technically the backside.

This is what the right side looks like.  Overall I think I am doing alright.  I will put it in the hand work rotation. 

On another note I have been trying to get things done around the house and farm.  It is tough picking up the pieces some days.  I made a mental list of things that needed to get done, and started ticking them off.

Last Friday I worked in the barn.  I cleaned out one stall, did an inventory of some of the "stuff" which I have been left, blew out all the dust, dirt, and leaves that manage to find their way in, and moved all of aunt and uncle's stuff that has been sitting in the middle of the main area.  It all fit into a small part of the stall I had cleaned out.  So someday when I can do something with it, it is in one central area. 

Months ago soon after Jeff died, the guys from work brough Jeff's tool box, and 3 huge boxes full of stuff.  I had kind of shifted through them but never really cleaned them out.  I decided it was time.  One box was full of his work clothes-  highlighter yellow shirts, some other t-shirts, socks, work pants, a couple of jackets and jeans shorts.   The work pants were too far gone to be salvaged.  So those I threw away.  But the pile of work shirts, all stained, I couldn't bring myself to parting with them.  What am I going to do with those shirts? 

I decided I am going to strip them up and make a crocheted rug with them.  I have lots of t-shirts which were Jeff's, not only the John Deere ones that I have been using to make the quilt, but many others. 

Saturday was time to get some yard work done.  We pulled one lawn tractor out of the carriage house, and then got the other lawn tractor working.  One tractor was used to pull the other tractor to one of the barns to be worked on.  I also tackled the boiler.  I started filling it with water, to try to determine where it was leaking, because Jeff told me it had a hole.  Imagine my surprise and delight when I discovered it wasn't a hole in the boiler, it was a fitting that had split, breaking off of the boiler, and causing the leak!  So with a female hose connection, a ball valve and about a foot of pipe I can fix it for the winter!  What a blessing!  I used a push mower and mowed the side yard, and pulled thistle and huge catnip plants, as well as nipping faded bloom off of my butterfly bushes. 

Tuesday I attacked the aunt and uncle's belongings in my house.  I started with all of the paperwork I have accumulated over the past few months.  I managed to get a huge chunk filed, what was left I put in a plastic lidded box.  One with Jeff's and my paperwork, another with the aunt and uncle's paperwork.  The filing cabinets were rearranged, and then I started moving furniture.  I set up a bed in that room and made it, in case it is needed.  The other bed was stored in the attic.  Now I can disassemble the temporary room that Jeff and I had built for the great aunt.  I am taking back my home.

Finally I had a squishy package from Cheryl of Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting.  Two coasters that match the heart that was made for my quilt. 

Also some John Deere fabric, which will most surely go into Jeff's T-shirt quilt.

Quilting friends are the best.

As you can see I have been working around the house and happily stitching along.  What else have I been up to?  Wait and see.