Roses

This is my stitching on a "traditional RR" block which means it is a larger block than the usual 6 inch DYB RR blocks I work on. I like to work bigger every once in a while. The theme for everyone in this RR is roses, roses, roses. This is Arlene's block and this is one corner I did for her.  First I put down white lace with a rose motif, then meandered organdy ribbon and french knots over the lace. Next I did some stem stitch and bullion rosebuds. Finally I added a 3D butterfly I crocheted.

This is what I stitched up in the opposite corner. I added more lace with a rose motif and then outline stitched around the motifs with one strand of DMC metallic effects and one strand of regular DMC. I did the same with what I supposed were leaves. Chain stitch and full bullion roses trimmed off the lace. Top corner had beads and spider web roses. The big rose and leaves I made following directions in "A Passion for Ribbonry" by Camela Nitschke - a book I have had on my shelf for some time. Lucky for me I got a large (and I mean very large) roll of the pinkish wire edged ribbon on sale at Hobby Lobby because they were closing it out. It's shimmers in the light with sort of yellowish overtones. I think it looks like the wild roses that grow around here in our woods and try to invade my semi-controlled flower gardens. The wild rose is the state flower of Iowa where I live.

And this is Arlene's block after my business has been done on it. Four other stitchers will follow.

Fruit Basket Upset

It started with a 4 patch swap - white tone on tone with fruity colors like grape, blueberry, cherry, tangerine...

...then I added some HSTs, also in fruity colors and then I found a fruity border fabric...

...and I decided on the Jacob's Ladder pattern for sewing them all together...

...then I quilted it on my sewing machine because I don't have a longarm (sigh)...

It's queen-sized, a Christmas gift for someone and I call it "Fruit Basket Upset". I used to love to play that game during recess at grade school. I just had to Google it to remember how it was played.

Excuse me, I think I hear the quilt police knocking...I used a soft (softer than my current bed sheets) pink thrift store bed sheet plus a little of the border fabric for the backing.

Ornies

Heart ornaments were requested for a lady who lost her gardens in hurricane Irene.

And handmade Christmas ornaments were also requested for some Texas fire victims who lost everything. I made these folded fabric ornaments which I haven't made in a long time. Since I had my stuff out I made the one with the shamrock fabrics for someone who loves all things Irish. I forgot how much fun these were to make. I also forgot how time consuming they are to make too. And it took me hours to find where I had hidden my glue gun which I needed to finish them off with the button and bow top.

See Kathy Shaw's blog for more info on the collection of items for the Texas fire victims.

'Twas a cold and misty, moisty morning so didn't work outside today on day 3 of vacation. Instead I flexed my bones and muscles pinning a queen sized quilt  (laid out on the floor) so I can put it under the sewing machine for quilting tomorrow.

Winter Scenes

This is my work on Wendy's "Winter Scenes" RR block. I framed the snow shoveler in lots of "snowflakes" and a few button snowballs. And there's some hairy yarn "snow" over by the bird button. The block sparkles quite a bit more than it shows. 

Hope I don't have to look at any real winter scenes for several months yet. I'm not a fan of winter except for looking at it out a window.

I'm on vacation this week in order to clean up the garden since I got behind when I had my bout with Guillaine Barre and couldn't use my hand and feet very well. Retired DH doesn't think it's his job to take care of my flower gardens or the strawberry/blackberry/asparagus patch so things are embarrassingly overgrown with weeds. I'm heading out in a few minutes to help DH cut up some downed trees that have fallen over part of one of my flower gardens. Also downing more trees on the acreage for firewood for next year. This year's is split.

Hot Pads or Potholders?

Finished 6 hotpads - 4 jars of candy canes and 2 jars of cookies) so I could give 3 to my friend for her birthday along with the purple coin purse I made her.  The other 3 hotpads go into the Christmas box for who knows.

Things Are Just Crazy Today

This is my work on Gayle's block for the "Lucious Lace RR" on CQI. At the top I tried some raised cup stitches that I hoped would look sort of like morning glories but I'm not convinced they do. Bottom right are motifs cut from lace that I buttonhole stitched around and added beads for center. In the middle are some silk ribbon french knots and lazy daisy leaves, gathered organdy ribbon flower  and  butterfly I tatted (that's the only thing I know how to tat).

This is my work on Ruby's block for a "Sew It Up" RR. I added what I hope looks like some cross stitch in a hoop on the left. There is a ring underneath the aida cloth and I couched some brown thread around it to make it stand out.  The bottom right is a gathered flower made from a selvage edge of some 30s reproduction fabric. I made some teeny-tiny four patches to go under the sewing machine button.  And at top I made a faux buttonhole that is definitely too small for that button!

For this RR we all decided to stitch as a group on one block. This is the part I did. I made a "pincushion" out of felt and added sulky silver thread pins with bead heads to stick in it. I wish I would have thought to put a little stuffing under it to make it puff up a bit...maybe on the next one. Then I did a herringbone stitch with french knots (to cover my pencil marks) and put buttons in some spaces.

And this is the group block after Carol and me. Hey, I just noticed that I accidentally made a pattern when I stitched on the buttons alternating four holes with two holes. What are the odds of that? I just grabbed some buttons and stitched them on. Weird...

Favorite Things Hexies

This week I added purple (violet?) favorite things to my pile of hexies.

I also added some green favorite things. Most of what I found in my green stash involved shamrocks. Can you tell I'm of Irish ancestry? I'm not completely taken with my green favorites.

..and here is where I am so far. I have orange and yellow left to do then I will really put it all together. I'm going around the multicolored middle with the colors of the rainbow. I will probably add more multicolor items in the middle and try to keep the lighter colors to the outside so not only will it go dark to light all around but the colors of the rainbow will be circling around - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet.  And these are all my favorite things. And, it's definitely going to be a lap quilt of the wash and wear type, but I haven't decided if I will emboider some seams ala crazy quilt style. 

Then I can sit around all winter surrounded by my favorite things and stay warm in my house heated only by wood.