The New Year and New Projects

Along with the New Year I have started several projects already. I hope I save time for new things I find to do.

I have been baby sewing. One of my brothers is expecting his first grandchild two weeks before our eigth one is born. I have purchased prefolded diapers and put flannel around them for burp clothes and changing pads. I need to embroidery the stack of onsies and finish up both babies quilts which are made from panels.

This is the first year I have joined BOM's. So I picked two. One is black and white 9 inch blocks. The other is blue/green batiks using thangles.

A project just for me too! I have taken a quilt stores challenge using a Crab Apple Hill pattern, Pieces of the Past. An elegrant looking quilt which requires, crazy quilting, embroidery and applique. I loved the pattern and techiques immediately and passed on the project.  Another look and I was hooked!

The challenge is easy:

• Finish the quilt top by December 2010.
• Hang the quilt top in the store
• Quilt store customers will be voting for a favorite.
• Then a prize is involved.

Three new projects and I have not even been to the Sewing Expo yet! Maybe a long winter should be ordered. Look for updates on all my sewing projects as they are completed. COMPLETE is the key word here.

A Garden Vest

How often do we sit down with a project and it is something we are making for someone else?
I think this happens more frequently than not.

this time I decided to take my yard vest and jazz it up. I found this wonderful design and decided it needed to be done for me.


I had decided not to embroidery through the entire vest because it is lined with fleece and too thick. So I sewed a patch and attached that to the vest. I secured it by appliqueing it to the vest. There is silk ribbon all the way around tied with delicate french knots. I hung a small heart charm from the top at the base of the bow.

I am sure these cute gals will help me garden don't you!

I would appreciate it if you took a moment to click this link for me.
http://www.DesignsBySiCK.com/?pointsfor=rainagade

I frequently check this site for embroidery designs. Okay, I am doing this daily, hourly, by the minute, whatever the mood brings.

There is a points system for receiving points on this site. By clicking this link I get to collect points to purchase embroidery designs. It is my way of cutting down the funds I spend on fabrics and thread. So please be kind and help me! All of your clicks would be greatly appreciated!

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I Revised My Tree Skirt

A great project for all snowmen and gingerbread lovers.

This photo shows the center embroidery I stitched for the center motif. The fill stitched snowman ladies dressed up for the weather. Underneath a "Merry Christmas" greeting. On each side is rework snowmen families posing for a photo.

Then on the left side are single red work snowman with a gingerbread friend done in fill stitches.

The right side shows two addition rework snowmen with another gingerbread friend.

When the tree skirt was completed I placed it under the tree for the final picture.

The fabric i used for this is two sided quilted fabric with bias tape to finish the edges. I did that part of the tree skirt many years ago but placed bears and poinsettia's on it with wonder under. The edges were coming up here and there and this is the make over. The snowmen and ladies are stitched on various scraps of tone-on-tone white and off white fabric, Then I hand stitched them on with red pearl cotton using the button hole stitch.

Since I started machine embroidery I have purchased many designs from different digitisers and collected free designs along the way. The filled snow ladies were a Christmas gift.

The red work snowmen I have collected come from this site. Right now I have collected each one of them. This week there is a new one every day! Oh what fun, since I love snow and that includes snowmen. http://www.charmingstation.com/ Oh what fun it is!!!

Another embroidery site I visit way too often is http://www.DesignsBySiCK.com/?pointsfor=rainagade
They offer free designs that stitch out easily and as professional as the designs you purchase. If you are in need of embroidery designs check them out. I am addicted to this site.

Merry Christmas to all. May all of you have a warm and safe holiday celebration.

Applique` Table Runner

I have not been a faithful blogger over the summer months. No excuses, other than it's summer and I have been spending the majority of my time outdoors and entertaining family. Okay, I will be honest! I have been doing way too much partying! Having way too much fun. First was the wedding, then the "bon voyage" party for our son's family. Last weekend was a "ho down"......ever been to a ho down? It was a first for me. Lots of hay bales for seating. Backwoods cowboy hats and live music! Including the whole pig being roasted on a spit and great friends down by the river! Just picture redneck!

Now back to the right subject.....quilting.

My quilting has been set a side during the summer months too. The one thing I have kept up with is the quilting group. We have switched from Monday to Thursday evenings to accommodate those that work. It is working out time wise but we sure don't get as much sewing done.

We are just finishing up on our applique projects. We wanted to learn needle turn applique technique. As usual we worked the same pattern but choose our own fabrics. Here is a closeup of the applique section.

The entire project is done in red's with roses. Even the off white has tone on tone roses bus should still be appropriate for the holidays. The runner unfinished is 18.5 x 30.

This picture shows the fabrics I used. Yes, it's all pinned and secured for quilting, but first a trip to town for a making pen. After this I will bind it using the green leaf fabric.

I am pleased with the results. Our group has chosen another applique pattern to do to make sure we have this technique down.