Take a Stitch Tuesday and a mini-sock; National Quilt Day and International Hermit and Stitch Weekend

Getting ready for National (and International Quilt Day), I was trying to clear the decks of several pieces in progress as well as pack for a guild work day. I managed two completions on Friday, the 15tth!

The first was a very small sample of the TAST Stitch #58, woven detached Chain:

Not at all difficult and, given time, I would have played around a bit more with it.

Second was the eleventh mini-sock from Janet Perry's Mittens and Mini-socks class. It's called Mt. Fuji:

I used DMC 827 for the sky, DMC B5200 (satin) for the snow on the mountain top, a dark brown for the mountain itself (I can't find the color band - it's probably in the washing machine with my bedsheets as I type!) and two shades of white (blanc and B5200) an d one light grey (415) for the clouds.

I spent the rest of the day packing a to-go bag for National Quilt Day work day, and hunting for my mini-iron (which never showed up... but I did find a nifty little mini-wood iron which worked like a charm! Didn't even know I HAD that gadget!)

On Saturday, March 16, I was at the community center at 8:30, and helped set up the classroom for the guild's work day starting at 9AM. Got all my gear set up (that Bernette I had in Saudi Arabia which hadn't been used since 2001, worked like a charm but while I set it up and turned it on, I never used it!). I worked from 9 through almost 3 on finish-finishing my Color Palette/Crazy Quilt Journal/Bead Journal project blocks from 2012. Because I had beaded too close to the seam allowance, I had to hand-stitch the sashing strips so it was slow going but I managed to get four rows of three blocks each done by the end of work day:

I think the black sets the blocks off nicely and also disguises the fact that there was no rhyme or reason behind the arrangement (other than chronological) which meant the blocks simply did not "go" together... Only three more sashing strips required but they will also have to be hand-stitched (I've learned my lesson on beading crazy quilt blocks: plan ahead and leave PLENTY of room for the seam allowance!).

After returning home, I worked a little on the matching mitten for Mt. Fuji... and crashed. Who knew that hand stitching was that tiring?

I didn't unpack until this morning --- and guess what I found when putting away my notions and tools? That "missing" mini-iron *and* a roll of "Steam-a-seam" that I was so desperately searching for when I did my mug rug binding last weekend! I think I need to clean out and reorganize my quilting cupboards!

Since this is International Hermit and Stitch Weekend for March, 2013, I will attempt to get in a lot more stitching today and hope to have some more progress to report tomorrow in my weekly wrap-up.

I think I'll take Tuesday off!

Two more "small" finishes for me...

My "Mug Rug" which is 9 x 12, and (GET THIS) I did some needleturn applique on the front and QUILTED IT MYSELF!  WAHOO! MY FIRST EVER QUILT, even if it is only 9 x 12! LOL I even applied the binding by machine, at least partly --- but found it wouldn't work for stitch-in-the-ditch for the back side so I hand stitched that part...I can't believe this --- I will now HAVE to go to guild on Thursday, despite the pot luck part, and show this one off! 

Front (top) with the needleturn (motif cut from the backing fabric):

Back (bottom):

And my March Crazy Quilt Journal block, monochromeaticred:

Monday was a productive day!

2013 - Reconnect to My Stitchery, Week Ten

It's been a busy, if disorganized, week for me but I did complete a few pieces and made some progress on some WIPS...

The completions were: "Red Thai Mandala", "Vintage Kitchen" from "Color Through the Ages", and stitches 56 and 57  (Sailor Stitch and Sailor Edging) from Take a Stitch Tuesday:

Progress was made on my Crazy Quilt Journal block for March --- only beading to go, I think:

I completed Lesson Three in the "Encrusted Crazy Quilting Class" (I am now officially behind a week in that class):

And I stitched on the latest "Mittens & Mini-Socks" lesson (Mt. Fuji):

Other in-progress pieces without photos are lesson one for "Sumptious Surface Embroidery" (I have a possible post-card-sized design sketched out), a mug rug for quilt guild (needs binding but I actually did some needle turn applique  - first time since Saudi Arabia  - *and* machine quilting - first time EVER!) and trimmed the blocks for finish-finishing of my 2102 Color Palette/CQJP/BFP challenge wall hanging!

Somehow, with all of this, it doesn't feel like I got a lot accomplished --- it was too scattered, no focus. And this week is going to be a busy one so I fear I won't get much done on the stitching front. We shall see...

The Last "Twinchie" for Color Through the Ages

Ooops --- someplace, I can't figure out where, I miscounted and my larger blocks aren't large enough! SO the twinchie is 4 stitches short of being 2"! When I'm not so pressed for time, I'll try another and get the proportions right!

It's called "Vintage Kitchen" and was stitched with DMC cotton floss, 310, 349, 746 and 909. I like the red (349) and the "white" (746, which is really a very pale yellow, sort of how white bakelite goes when it's old) but next time I would probably darken the green (909) up more... this came out a little "Christmassy.

Started December 30, 2102; Completed March 4, 2013

Elizabeth Almond's "Red Thai Mandala", originally published in The GIft of Stitching, issue 61, March 2011.

Stitched with DMC floss and Mill Hill seed beads on DMC 28ct white linen,

Here is a closeup of the beading detail:

2013 - Reconnect to My Stitchery, Week Nine

In between an esophageal endoscopy (which pretty much wiped out Monday as a useful day - but so far as I know, this was also a positive result) and a mammogram (which really set my Wednesday off to a WONDERFUL start --- but at least it was a positive result!) which bracketed the first day of a nasty icy four day winter storm, I did manage to accomplish a little in the way of stitching. 

I did manage to get all the blackwork done on "Red Thai Mandala":

All that is left now is a lot of little gold seed beads in the centers of all those lotus flowers and about half of the Algerian eyelets. I just wasn't in the mood for chasing beads around this week so...

I got a head start on the March Crazy Quilt Journal Project block --- this one is monochrome red  (with a little pink thrown in --- honest, that center patch is supposed to be PINK although it looks ecru next to the darker reds) with a few seam treatments done:

And then there was lesson 3 in "Encrusted Crazy Quilting" which focused on texture --- primarily silk ribbon and Brazilian embroidery, neither of which I have ever done. I have some silk ribbon somewhere but can't find it and odds are, it's the wrong color anyway, so I ordered some on sale... We shall see it gets here on time. As for Brazilian, when you all must know by know how I feel about rayon threads! So I compromised (cheated?) and tried to add some texture with some basic free-had embroidery daisies and French knots:

And of course, I finished the latest Take a Stitch Tuesday assignment as well as the challenge issued at the end of stitch 54, both posted earlier this week.

My big goal this week is to finish up the taxes because there is a new class starting on the 7th: Sharon B's "Sumptious Embroidery" (materials on order for that as well) and it 's already beginning to look like I've bitten off more than I can chew there!

First Challenge for TAST 2013

Last week, Sharon B issued a challenge, the first for 2013's TAST, to use any four of the following stitches in an original project: Herringbone square, laced herringbone square, back stitch, straight stitch, detached chain and French knots. 

Here is my "creation":

I did laced herringbone squares and added detached chain stitches to make flower heads, scattered a plethora of French knots about and made two droopy flowers (at bottom) with pale blue French knots) and detached chain leaves, and attached all with back-stitched stems (which I have to admit, periodically devolved into stem stitch in places...