FNwF and Blackbird Designs Weekend

Hi, friends.  Hope you had a nice weekend and was able to be creative in some way.

 

First, I must apologize to Cheryll at Gone Stitchin’ because, in my last post, I mistakenly referred to her Friday night event as Friday Night Sew In, when it is actually Friday Night with Friends! (My previous post has been corrected as well)

 

So…here is what I accomplished last Friday evening.

Eight of the twenty-four churn dash blocks for the Flea Market quilt by Lori Holt.  These finish at 4 1/2" and came out perfectly, compared to the 6 1/2" block I shared last time. 

Then yesterday I started a new cross stitch project.

 

American Eagle by Blackbird Designs.

A group of cross stitcher's have designated the first weekend of each month as Blackbird Designs Weekend. March 6th will be when I pick this up again.

 

I’m stitching this on 32 count linen and using the called-for floss.

My project bag holding all of the supplies together is a gift I received from Ronny and Gary of GaRon Tottenbags and GaRon Stitchery.  GaRon Stitchery is an online cross stitch store.  These guys are wonderful to work with as they typically can find anything I’m looking for, if it isn’t already in their shop, and they ship FAST.

 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great week ahead!

Halloween Figs - Month 2 and FNwF

Happy Friday, Friends!

It’s been a little busy this week, mostly with work, but I’ve also had a little fun sewing and baking.

 

I posted here about the Halloween Figs Quilt by Fig Tree and Co.

 

This was a BOM hosted with the Fat Quarter Shop.  I collected the monthly pattern and kit but did not sew along with them.  I am sewing it now, on my own schedule 😊

These are Month 2 blocks…

 

Flying Geese Cross Block

12 1/2" x 12 1/2" (unfinished)

Crown Star Block
6 1/2" x 6 1/2" (unfinished)

I’m so grateful that Fat Quarter Shop provides plenty of extra fabric in their kits because I had to make this block twice!  Why, oh why, do the small blocks give me such a fit?!?

I’m also grateful for Cheryll at Gone Stitchin’ for continuing to host Friday Night with Friends (FNwF) the first Friday of each month.  I have everything prepped and ready for some quality time with my Janome tonight.

 

Here is a sneak peak…

My sweetie had an excellent annual physical on Thursday. I made homemade orange-cranberry scones to celebrate.

I’ve saved a few for my Friday night sewing snack 😊  Do you have a favorite snack while you are sewing or stitching?

 

Check back here, and at Cherylls, to see what we all got up to Friday.

 

And I hope you all have a nice weekend.

 

 

Flea Market Quilt

Happy New Year everyone.  I hope your 2022 is off to a great start.

 

We had the kids home for the holidays and even some time afterward. I then spent a couple of weekends putting away the decorations and cleaning, you know, the usual chores that need to be done.

 

I enjoyed three days at a cross stitch retreat last weekend – more about that later.

 

Today I am sharing Flea Market Quilt by Lori Holt.  This is a quilt-along hosted by Lori and the Fat Quarter Shop.  The quilt features Lori’s Flea Market, Cross Stitch and Bee Basic Backgrounds fabrics. It will be my first “medallion” style quilt.

Block 1 – Flea Market Star Block, it measures 18 1/2" x 18 1/2"

It was hard cutting into this luscious stack of fabric…but I did it 😊

 

Who doesn’t love cute selvage?

 

Next month are churn dash blocks.  Wait! Next month is just next week! Well, I guess I squeaked this one in.

 

If you are on Instagram, you can follow #FleaMarketQuiltAlong and see the progress posted by others.  It is interesting to see the different fabrics used as some people are pulling from their stash.

 

Have a great week 😊

Starting All the Things

 

The past couple of weeks have been busy with holiday prep, which I am sure is no different than what you have been doing.

 

I did have a few starts because…well, I just can’t seem to refrain from adding more to my already full crafting schedule. I just want to do it all!

This is Claus Christmas by Stitching with the Housewives.  I’ve made a little more progress on it since I took the photo.

This is Christmas Morning at Santa’s Kitchen by Twin Peak Primitives.  It is the second chart in their “Santa’s Home” series.  The first is A Patriotic Christmas Eve which I hope to stitch as well.

I started Halloween Quilt Sampler with my friend EJ from the Sunshine Stitchers Flosstube on YouTube. This chart is by Rosewood Manor. It contains a TON of backstitching.  My plan is to stitch this on the 13^th and 31^st of each month (in the months that have 31 days, obviously).

One of my goals for 2022 is to make more quilts.  Since my fabric stash is still in storage, kits will be the easiest way for me to accomplish this goal.  

I had joined the Fat Quarter Shop’s Halloween Figs block of the month.  I collected the monthly shipments in a box and decided this will be one of the kits I’ll work with over the course of next year.

I pulled it out last Friday intending to just pet the fabric and read the pattern.  I couldn’t resist and had to make the blocks for month 1.

One other kit was delivered over the weekend which I’ll share once the backing fabric arrives.

 

I’m working this week so the holiday baking will get done in the evenings.  Maybe I’ll have some photos to share when I pop back in to wish you a Merry Christmas 😊

 

Have a great week!

Thanksgiving Recap and A Finish

Hi friends!  I hope all of you in the USA had a nice Thanksgiving last week.  And for those who aren’t in the USA, or do not celebrate, I hope you had a nice week as well.

 

We had both of our kids home for the first time in 10 years to celebrate Thanksgiving and my birthday which was on the 26^th.  I’m ashamed to say that I did not take any photos ☹ But trust me when I tell you we enjoyed all of our favorite holiday foods as well as some quality family time.

 

I want to share one of my birthday gifts.

It’s a hand-turned bee skep scissor holder.  The pecan wood is so pretty and the workmanship is amazing.

My husband ordered it from Pete and Kathy Firth who are @carolinacrosssticher on Instagram.  They typically post Pete’s finished pieces on Sunday’s.

 

I finished the December Calendar Crates pattern from Stitching with the Housewives and fully finished it for the piece that hangs in my mom’s foyer.

I took advantage of a Cyber Monday sale at GaRon Stitchery and ordered three berry patterns.  They came today…you can’t beat those guys for quick shipping!

 

They are all Erica Michaels designs.

 

I found batting so I hope to finish the JOY banner / table runner that I made for Mom. And I’ll continue to stitch Christmas charts.

 

What are your plans for the weekend?  Hope you have a nice one.

FNSI – November

Wendy at Sugarlane Designs hosted Friday Night Sew In last night.  I look forward to this event on the 3^rd Friday of each month because it gives me the encouragement to put down the cross stitch and spend quality time with my sewing machine.

 

I was inspired by a project that my friends Dawn -  Relaxing Robin and Julierose – JulieroseQuilts were working on, so I grabbed a bad of Christmas scraps and the Accuquilt GO cutter.

I’m not usually a scrappy quilter but I’m trying…

There wasn't a pattern.  Dawn saw a picture of a similiar finish and provided some general instructions.  I grabbed a piece of graph paper and went to work.

Just need to get some batting then prep for quilting.  I imaging a simple cross hatch through the squares will suffice.

This will be a runner for my Mom.  I’ll also put a hanging sleeve on the back in case she wants to hang it instead.

Thank you Dawn and Julierose, this has been fun.

 

Check out Wendy’s blog to see what everyone else got up to…and see the pictures of her new grandson.  Congratulations Wendy and thank you for hosting FNSI.

 

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

Last Week’s Finishes

 

Plaid Farmhouse Quilt designed by Stitching with the Housewives.

I finished piecing the top early last week but then it rained for almost 3 days straight.  The breeze off the lake made it difficult to get a decent photo.

The backing is the black/white plaid, same as the outer border.  It's ready to go to the long-armer.

 

I have several quilts ready for long-arming but it won’t happen until after the first of the year.  The person I use is fully booked with holiday quilts, which is completely understandable.

 

I also finished stitching November’s Calendar Crates, designed by Stitching with the Housewives.

This hangs in my Mom’s foyer.

 

large chart

 

small chart

 

I’m ready for some Christmas stitching and I also need to plan the remainder of my year.  It will be time to look ahead to 2022 before we know it.

 

Hope everyone is having a great week.  I'm off to catch up with blog reading...I'm a few days behind.

 

See you soon,