Odds and Ends but Mostly Odds

I finished another 12 inch block for my Crazy Farm lap quilt.  The Crazy Quilt Journal Project somehow keeps me on track with getting at least one block completed per month.  

I embroidered a windmill in back stitches. On the sunflower patch I added a strip of ribbon with sunflowers on it. I tacked it down with some blind stitches and added some tiny sunflowers of straight stitches and french knots which look more like rudbeckia (black-eyed-susans) than sunflowers to me.  Then I crocheted a sunflower and tacked it on. (Note to self: maybe I should add some french knots in the center to make it look more like the sunflowers on the ribbon.) 

I didn't want to detract much from the printed fabric so just did a bunch of straight stitches in a v-shape. On the lime green section I did some lazy-daisy flowers in variegated thread.  The lazy daisy stitch is one of the first stitches my grandma taught me. 

And here we have a tractor (button) without a driver in the fly stitch field. 

Here I did a stem stitch in perle #8 in kind of a pea vine free form squiggly meander and then added some leaves.   

Finally, I added a feather stitch with straight stitches and french knots. 

And here is how it looks joined up with three other blocks. 

For Christmas I like to give sets of embroidered dishtowels, crocheted dish cloths and potholders. I finished up a dishtowel yesterday as well as a dish cloth.  That finished dish rag look wonky but it isn't. I'm in the middle of another dishcloth that I hope to finish today. (My retired husband does the dishes and swears by these.)

Slow Sunday Stitching slows down for me in the spring and summer months since I spend a lot of my time off work out in the garden but I still like to stitch a few minutes each evening after dinner and before bed so...

I hope to get a couple of blocks ready for CQ and another dishtowel stamped and ready for embroidery some time today, Slow Stitching Sunday. 

Join the virtual sewing bee, Slow Sunday Stitching, at Kathy's Quilts, if you are doing any hand work. 

Throwing in the Towel...

...a hotpad or two, a crocheted dishcloth and a refrigerator magnet and wrapping it all in a bow so I can get a bunch of these sets sent off to family and friends. 

I like to embroider on dishtowels and give them away every Christmas. 

And make my own hotpads, nice and thick and full of Insulbrite and an old terrycloth towel (chickens on the back and 16 patch on the front)  

I previously blogged about some dishtowels I embroidered with veggies and so made some veggie hotpads to go with those sets.  I had also bought some cute vintage looking veggie fabric for the backs of the hotpads but, for the life of me, couldn't find it when it came time to get these made. I had some of the jar fabric in my scraps so that's what I used. And then when I was finished I found the cute vintage looking veggie fabric I had intended to use. 

Sometimes I make quilt sandwiches of fabric scraps, Insulbrite and whatever (cotton batting, terrycloth, etc) to practice some freemotion stitching on my DSM. So, while I was making hotpads I decided to get these bound for some personal hotpads.   I practiced a couple of feathers which I never did use on any quilts, and some leaves which I did use on a couple of quilts...

...and some flowers which I've used on several quilts. 

Peace!

It's For the Birds Blog Hop

I'd like to thank Mary, of I Piece 2 - Mary and Madame Samm of Sew We Quilt for all their work organizing this "It's For the Birds" blog hop.  I've managed to make a few Christmas gifts with a bird theme that I'd like to show off today. 

OWLS

My first project is an owl themed lap quilt made up of some novelty owl fabrics and fall fabrics from my stash. Blocks measure 12 inches. Finished quilt is 48.5 x 60.5 and the pattern I used is called "Feed Sacks" from "Scrap Basket Surprises" by Kim Brackett.  It was quick and easy to assemble. 

I had to piece the backing because I didn't have as much of the bird themed fabric I thought I had! 

I free motion quilted some leaves on my DSM. (Yes, they are supposed to be leaves!)  I'm not quite sure WHO will get this as their Christmas gift....WHO? WHO? 

CHICKENS

I have a large collection of both old and new embroidery transfers. I don't remember where I picked up "Barnyard Happenings" but I love to embroider dish towels for Christmas gifts. Sometimes I pick up a package of the cheaper flour sack dishtowels from Walmart and other times I use the heavier, bigger and a little nicer ones from JoAnn's if I have a coupon.  Either way...I prewash the towels before I stamp and embroider. 

Thursday is market day in the barnyard.  For gift giving I also make hot pads/potholders to go with the dishtowelss. I used some polka dots and chicken/rooster fabrics I had in my stash. It has a pocket so you can use with your hand inside if you wish. I used Insulbrite and an old towel for batting. Combine with a chicken kitchen magnet found on clearance and a crocheted dish cloth and I can cross someone off my Christmas list and it's only May! 

Monday is wash day in the barnyard. This time I'm showing the reverse side of a second potholder/hot pad made of the same fabrics and same way as the one above, another chicken refrig magnet and another crocheted dish cloth.  And, I can cross off another name from my Christmas list. 

I'd like to say thanks again to Mary, of I Piece 2 - Mary and Madame Samm of Sew We Quilt for their work in organizing such a fun blog hop and a goal to accomplish. This is only my second blog hop. 

Please visit the other blogs on today's It's For the Birds Blog Hop schedule for some bird themed inspiration.  I'm hoping to pick up a few more Christmas gift ideas! 

Wednesday, May 8 




http://sunshinequilting.blogspot.com


http://feltfree-p.blogspot.no


http://busyascanbe.blogspot.com


http://quiltdoodledesigns.blogspot.com


http://buzzingandbumbling.blogspot.com


http://patchouli-moon-studio.blogspot.com


http://ecoughlindesigns.blogspot.com


http://mywhittleadventures.blogspot.com


http://SewMuch2Luv.blogspot.com


www.natilittlethings.blogspot.com

http://justletmequilt.blogspot.com


http://ncweekendquilter.blogspot.com


http://Selinaquilts.blogspot.com


http://saneandcrazy.blogspot.com (you are here)


http://abis-scrapsoflife.blogspot.com


http://roseprairiequilts.blogspot.com


http://marlarockscrafts.blogspot.com

A Few More Handmade Gifts for Friends and Family

A couple more crocheted dish cloths...

...I added a dishcloth to the collection of gifts I made for my good friend, Marsha, who LOVES purple. I used one of my vintage Black Americana dish towel transfers on a large flour sack dish towel and embroidered it with 3 strands of floss and did a running stitch along the outside edges in perle #8.  (Doesn't the cat look like it has a moustache, not whiskers? That cat is kind of creepy. ) Previously I embroidered other days of the week towels for her. And then I made one of those quick and easy hot pads from 5 - 9 inch squares plus a square of Insulbrite and quilted it with perle #8. ..

 ...and I will gift it to her in this groovy reversible grocery bag...

...and finally, I made two totally groovy coin purses for my lovely 8 year old granddaughters. Little purses to follow in the next few days. Peace, baby!

Dancing Dishes

I finished a few more Christmas gifts - sets containing a fabric shopping bag, embroidered dish towel, crochet dish rag, hot pad.  

The bags. 

 Contents of bag 1 - embroidered dish towel, hotpad, crochet dish rag. 

Contents of bag 2 - embroidered dish towel, hotpad, crochet dish rag. 

No, I'm Not Going to Let the Cat Out of the Bag...

 But I will let some other things out of the bag...
I'm going to make some reversible shopping bags for several people for Christmas. This one is for my dad and step mom. Dad loves all things Irish; hence the shamrock fabric and the madras plaid was on the 1/2 off table at the fabric store. I'm also going to use the bags as "wrapping" for Christmas gifts.

  So far, inside their bag is a crocheted dishcloth (dish rag?), dish towel I embroidered with a 50s motif and a hotpad (so easy to make) that also reminds me of the 50s.

And while I was in crochet mode I crocheted up a couple more dish cloths to add to the Christmas gift box. Now I just need to embroider a dishtowel to go with and make one of those easy, peasy hotpads and make a couple more shopping bags and I've got a few more people crossed off my Christmas list.

I've been so tired lately with working the overtime (which I hope ends at the end of Aug) that I welcome the mindless and quick work involved with the crochet.

I'm linking up to Connie's Freemotion Quilting by the River Tuesday linky party. 

More Christmas Gifts

More embroidered floursack dishtowels to go with the chocolate hotpads I had back in a previous post somewhere...

...and more crocheted dishcloths (dishrags?) to finish off the kitchen sets consisting of dishcloth, hotpad and dishtowel...

...more hotpads (potholders?) with a candy other than chocolate theme this time...

...and finally a special hotpad for my brother who is coming to visit from FL this Christmas. His alias is pepperchef so he gets peppers and chefs on his hotpad!

My DH and I come from large families...will I ever be finished making presents?

Stuff...All Kinds of Stuff

I made this Victorian Heart Pincushion as a challenge project with the Yahoo Stitchmap Group (see link on sidebar). Since I don't know anyone that sews I get to keep it as my own Christmas present.

Potholders for my DD and SIL who are avid mushroom hunters.

These are kind of pasta or Italian themed. They will go to some of the many family members I try to give a hotpad every year. Inside is Insulbrite and terrycloth so they are thick.

Peace, baby! Groovy potholders for some of those 70s love children! (Where are my bellbottoms when I need them).

Yummm...chocolate.

The chocolate hotpads will go into kitchen sets for some lucky gift recipients. The chocolate embroidery transfers are enbroidered (by me) on flour sack dishcloths and I crocheted a dishcloth to complete the set.

A couple more crocheted dishcloths on a pile of hotpads waiting for embroidered dishrags (er, I mean dishcloths) to complete a set.

And, finally, I think this is the last of the pillowcases I think I need to make for gifts. These go with the "Fruit Basket Upset" quilt I made for my oldest son for Christmas.

Did I Hear You Say I Was a Crotchety Old Lady?

Well, maybe...but I think you mean I'm a crocheting old lady! Or maybe you can call me a crotchety crocheting old lady. (I've always thought crotchety was a weird word). Anyway...I've crocheted a few more dishcloths for stocking stuffers this last week during my lunch hour and started on a shawl for me. Maybe I will get it done before fall. Or maybe it will be next fall. I'm in no hurry. It's just a way to keep my hands moving and flexible. And it's practice before I try to crochet a pair of socks.

Sweating and Small Stuff But Not Sweating the Small Stuff !

It's been very hot here in Iowa. I don't have air-conditioning but I do have a little country air. Today I sat in front of the fan and finished a few small items. Above is the front of a card holder. It's a "Fun Friday Toot" challenge over on the Stitchmap Yahoo Group.

I went through my first scrap box looking for the right sized scraps to use and happened upon these scraps left over from when I made placemats for my dad and stepmom. I used two different fabrics inside so at a glance I know which pocket a card is in. One side for credit/debit cards and the other for other stuff. I had to ask my granddaughter for a green hair band for the closure. I was going to also whip up a few Christmasy card holders but my GD said I could only have ONE hair band. I guess I will have to buy more for my next card holders.

Also from the scrap bin...blue scraps for a hotpad (or is it a potholder?) for a swap over on Mailblocks Yahoo Group. This is the front using 2.5 inch blue scraps...

...and this is the back. I don't even remember buying this fabric but there it is.

I also crocheted up another dishcloth for a stocking stuffer or maybe for a set including embroidered flour sack dishtowel, potholder in a market bag.

And finally...these are my July lottery blocks - Double Wrench. I won May's lottery so was ineligible to win June's lottery but maybe I will win in July. At any rate...lottery blocks are a great way to use up more scraps. If I lose the drawing I send them off to the winner and if I win the drawing everyone sends their blocks to me and I make a quilt top that turns into another WIP. 

Now...back to sweating..and a little embroidery before bed.