Somehow a month passed by and I wasn’t struck with the urge to write. Not for lack of projects to share however. I have found quite a bit of time to be in the sewing room. Let’s take a look at a few projects.
Quite a number of weeks ago, I decided I wanted to make something that I could hand quilt with big stitches. I love the look of hand quilting and have not done a whole lot of it. I wish I could remember where I saw the inspiration for this but I didn’t write it down. It isn’t terribly unique but I did use someone else’s idea.
It took me no time to stitch these strips together. The most time was spent on choosing the fabrics. All came from the scrap bin though!
The first fabric I selected was the red print in the upper left corner (actually, this picture shows the project upside down). Not that anyone would know that but in my mind, this is upside down.
After assembling the top and basting it, I began to quilt it by hand. I didn’t use a hoop and maybe I should have. By the time I was done quilting it, it was somewhat distorted and this made it a challenge to square up for binding.
I love the stitching, even with all of the wobbles and wiggles.
Currently I have it hanging on a wall in my sewing room. I like this little hanger (made by my friend’s husband). I switch quilts here fairly often because it can be done easily. You can see this is crooked on the right side. Well, I should clarify, it is actually cut squarely but the strips are distorted. It is quirky but I like it. The colors are right up my alley. This little quilt provided many evenings of hand sewing which I enjoyed greatly.
In between times, I have been sorting and cutting a bag of fabric scraps for Project Linus. I was able to cut a large stack of charm squares and 3 1/2″ squares for future projects. In the scrap bag there were loads of strips. Rather than sort and cut them, I decided to just trim them up and make a quick quilt top.
I think I will add another strip or two to both the bottom and top to make it a bit larger. Then it will be finished up. The meetings are the last Sunday of each month so I have time to get this done by the next session. It is cute, kind of busy but it has a lot of fun things to look at. I’ll share it again when it is finished.
In between sewing, we have had lots of good family time. We had my son and his wife out from New York for about 5 days which was so nice. I miss them all the time and treasure when I do get to be with them. We also celebrated Easter with lots of family, including my sister and her husband who came up from Colorado.
I have been waiting for the rain to stop and it looks like it has. Time to get some time outdoors! Hope you will leave me a comment and tell me how you are doing. It has been a long time since we’ve chatted!
Bernie, I’m glad you’re enjoying stitching time and using fabric from your scrap bin. That’s always satisfying.
I’ve been puttering on small projects and we had our daughter with us for two weeks. It was so nice to have both of my kids home for Easter and the big celebration at my mom’s house. Now it’s quieter days at home and we’re watching everything turn from brown to green. Hooray!
HI Tracie – I love having my kids home for visits now that they are adults. It is such a treat. Of course, it is also nice when the house is quiet again. Best of both worlds. Spring is here too and that makes me happy. Azaleas are blooming and next will be the rhododendrons. Daffodils have come and gone. Ahhhh.
I am making that exact same quilt that you stitched by hand. It might have come from Facebook, I’m not sure, since I didn’t write it down either. I am sewing scraps onto a base…crazy quilt style. I am on piece 4. It would have been much quicker to do it your way. Mine is going to be couch size. It’s gonna take a while to finish since I work on multiple things at a time.
Hi Shirley – this would be a pretty lap quilt – A great one for using up some big pieces of scrap fabric too. No hurry, right?? I also work on several projects at once. Sometimes I think it would be more efficient if I didn’t but this is just how I am. Take care. 🙂
Bernie, thank you so much for sharing your projects in your post today!
I have never done the big stitch, but have nearly always hand quilted my projects (I am a hand piecer, too, so there are no quick finishes happening here, ever!!). You have inspired me to give the big stitch a try! It looks like so much fun!! And, I always love ˋshopping´ in my scraps!!
I need something new for my sewing room wall, and this sounds like a promising candidate….will let you know if I take the plunge into big stitch quilting!!
Oh hand piecing…. I am not sure my stitches would be tight enough to do that. Plus my project would never be completed!
I do love the look of both traditional hand quilting and big stitch. Hope you give it a try!
What a fun, cheerful quilt! I love the scrappiness, and the texture from the hand quilting. That it’s a little wonky makes me smile, because it just gives it a little more personality. How fun that you have a spot to hang little quilts in your sewing room, and can change them out from time to time!
I love this little wooden hanger. Stephanie, the friend who gave this to me, also has a very long one and can switch out large quilts on the wall without having to put a hanging sleeve and dowels. It is pretty swift.
Thanks for the compliment on my little quilt. I am not one for improv but this was close – no real pattern and cutting strips to various widths was a lot of fun. Have to say, I saw the title of your new post in my email and haven’t read it yet – but the title is intriguing!!
It’s always fun to read what you have been doing and the nice family time you cherish. As we should. This time of year we begin cleaning up outside after winter and I tend to want to do finish up my UFO’s so I can enjoy summer and all the activities. Your child’s quilt is so colorful and will be like an Ispy version.
Kathy – I like quilting in the summer though! When the heat starts to build up, hiding in the sewing room is a great escape.
We are cleaning the yard up though. Ray has been putting in spring veggies too. (Lettuce, carrots, beets, radishes and leeks.) Have a wonderful day. We have blue skies this morning. Hooray!
I love your big stitch quilt, makes me want to try that. Colors are just great and it looks wonderful hanging on the wall. Choosing fabrics is my biggest time chunk – I dither too much. I have had a post in draft form for over a month. I keep waiting to finish at least one of the projects the post is about, but so far that hasn’t happened. But I do not miss posting more frequently or feeling obligated to do so. 😉
Having a handwork project for evenings is the best. I had this one for a while and now I am crocheting a lap size cozy afghan. It is my first project of that size and it will probably take years but I enjoy it. Knitting mixes me up but simple crochet is something I can handle. As for posting, it is on the back burner at times. Then I come back around to it. That is fine with me.
What crochet stitch are you using? I used to do fairly complicated stitches while watching TV. Now I can only do something mindless, like single crochet or moss stich. I long to do some of the other patterns I see. Guess I should give up TV. 😉
I don’t know the actual name of the stitch. But the pattern has me doing three double crochets and then add a chain, skip the next stitch. So it makes a square hole shape? The next row is all single crochets. I’ll send you a photo. It is mindless enough for me to keep up and watch a movie.
your big stitch turned out perfectly! I believe the big stitch is to have a rustic look to it and you met that goal. It is nice to see you back blogging – rain day in and day out would certainly bother me after awhile but I guess when you live with it you get used to it and just get a raincoat and boots and wander in it
Karen, We are getting used to working our time around the rain. Yesterday we were out working in the yard, it started raining so we came in for about 90 minutes. Then blue skies and we could be outdoors again. It is just the way of things here. But it makes for a beautiful yard! Lots of green, green, green!!
I really love the hand quilted wall hanging. I think that pieces like that have so much texture and the beauty is in the shapes and details. Looks like you are well on your way to having a fun quilt for Project Linus, too. And hooray for great family time and good weather for being outdoors! I’m doing well but this is the week for a lot of follow up medical stuff I’m not looking forward to. I’ll be glad to be on the other side of it!
All good things, right Yvonne. Today is blue skies and after a quick breakfast I am going for a run. It is gorgeous out.
Hope these medical appointments are nothing more than routine and all works out well for you. No fun though. My parents were just grumbling they feel like they are always going to a medical appointment. But for being 89 years old, I think they are doing great! The appointments and waiting rooms get tedious though. Take good care.
Oh I like it too! I have always wanted to try big stitching – and wow!! you make it look so beautiful!!
I like the quirky of it!! Go yoU!
Try it. Honestly, it is easy and quite forgiving. Thank you though Alycia.
Hope all is well with you!!
I like your big stitch project. So cool to have it come from your stash!!! I’m getting better every day from my knee replacement surgery two weeks ago tomorrow. I’m not up for stitching yet. . . .maybe in a couple of weeks!!!
Hi Terry – Sorry to hear about the surgery and hoping you are recovering well. Are you up and around and doing your exercises? I bet this will be a great relief to you once you have healed. Wishing you all the best. -bernie