Did I accomplish three things yesterday? I did, but I would really have liked to have done one more. That didn't happen, but I went to bed exhausted and happy!
What amazes me is that even with the "downtime," my days are filled. Well, I'll never be done with all the stuff I have to do. But since I'm enjoying what I do, I can't complain.
Here's some stuff I finished up for our machine embroidery session yesterday. These items are made from clothesline rope. I think it was the day before leaving for Quilt Canada that I decided to make these. I grabbed some leftover bits of rope in the cupboard and started stitching.
This first one was designed as a mandala using the mySewnet Embroidery Software. It's flat and about 10 inches in diameter.
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| Machine embroidery clothesline trivet |
I'm unsure where this center pattern came from - maybe the mySewnet Library? The outer ring was added later from mySewnet embroidery software.
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| Machine embroidery clothesline trivet |
Then, I tried applique in the center of a bowl. I made the bottom of the bowl and then embroidered the applique. The flower came from the mySewnet Embroidery Software, and I modified it as it had a stem, which wouldn't work.
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| Machine embroidery applique in the bottom of a bowl |
That's the bottom. Hmm - after I showed it in class, someone asked why I couldn't have also put fabric on the bottom. I still have more rope left!!!
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| The bottom of the bowl |
Once the embroidery applique was complete, I finished the sides of the bowl. Look at that curly cue on the side!
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| The side of the rope bowl |
Here's the final one I did. This is solid stitching, and the embroidery machine functioned like a champ—there was zero thread breakage or shredding.
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| The front of the smaller trivet |
I have to say the back looks very nice. I used ONE orange thread in the bobbin rather than changing it like the top threads. I'm thrilled with all these projects. I still have LOADS of rope (clothesline), so what can I do next?
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| The back |
I was downstairs working like mad when I decided it was time to go for a walk. I glanced out the basement window, only to discover it was DARK outside. No - it wasn't night yet, but when I arrived upstairs, I saw this.
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| A windy, rainy day |
There was quite a wicked storm with loads of rain and wind. So I ran around the house, closing windows and mopping up! I had my headphones on and had zero clue what was happening upstairs!
The rain stopped after a couple of hours, and I went for a walk.
So I went back downstairs and trimmed these half-square triangles, which had been languishing on the cutting table for a bit.
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| Trimming half-square triangles |
I quilted this rather large quilt. It's one of my own, sewn in January at a quilting retreat. The border is made from leftovers, but it looks amazing! It's a gift for a little boy, so I must trim it and put the binding on. That didn't happen yesterday, but I'll do it when I return next week.
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| One of my quilts - DONE |
I have to make the backing and organize pieces of batting for the next quilt, which will happen next week.
But the huge news from yesterday is this.
We had our Many Block session in the morning, and I have "failed" in this class. I'm working on the 365-day quilt. I tell everyone that any progress is progress. So perhaps I should say I'm SLOW—very slow. When we started this "Many Blocks" class to motivate us, I was on February 19. I've barely done anything in 18 months. Part of the issue was that huge mess of green scraps.
Well, now that the fabric baskets are nice and neat and INVITING.....
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| Organized baskets of fabric |
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| Blocks cut for the 365-day quilt |
Poor Murphy. She is NOT happy with the stormy weather, and I came downstairs from shutting the windows to find her like this. She's like a sentinel. You never know where you're going to see her on guard!
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| The sentinel! |
OH -- I also managed to deal with more books and added a few to my list. Someone asked why I'm not taking some of those books to the used bookstore instead of donating them. Yes, I could and I used to do that when we went to a different used bookstore. To be honest, I never thought about it for this one. I'll have to think about that for the next time, and I hate to say this, but some of the ones I'm donating were bought from this bookstore. Because I didn't have a list, I didn't need to buy them, and I noticed a "do not return" stamp on some of them. I think they are OLD and they don't want them back! I'll just donate them! But thanks for the tip!!
I didn't have time to process all the books, so I have ONE shelf of three that is neat and organized. The other two have books in piles on them. And I'll sort through them another day. In the meantime, I got my shopping list, which is short, but the books are old, and sometimes one gets lucky!
On that note, I'm out of here. I'm off to the gym for a shorter spin class and then off to retreat.
Have a super day!!!
Ciao!!!
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