I WILL FINISH more UFOs!!! (and I really do mean it!)

Small projects

I’ve gotten the binding done on my primitive table runner…the free motion quilting is very primitive also! I just happened to be doing the free motion quilting during the Nebraska/Northwestern game and my quilting most definitely reflects that! GBR!

And here is a table runner of jars that needs to be quilted…I had fun doing this one, it’s fast and very easy…I think I’ll bind it in red.

And here is the first granny square afghan that I’ve completed……these granny squares came from an uncle’s girlfriend…and that’s all I know! Whoever she was she wasn’t the best at crocheting!  I’m trying to make do and overall the afghan looks pretty good. I have enough squares to make at least another one. Since these are at least 25 years old,  I’m having to be real careful because some of the yarn is falling apart…..Ugh! This one is for my sister Val! Merry Christmas to you….

I’m headed to St. Joe this weekend to see my granddaughter…and I’m hoping to find all kinds of bargains if I get a chance to go shopping while I’m there.

Happy quilting, Kris

I’m a happy girl….I’ve discovered the joys of owning a ‘walking foot’!

I’ve owned only Berninas for the last 30 years or so. I bought a new machine about 2 years ago…A Bernina QE (Quilter’s Edition) Aurora 440, but I had to keep my old 1080 Bernina because it was such a good friend and had been there for me for many years. I still pull it out and use it every once in a while! My old Bernie had been very good to me. Well, my new machine has a BSR (Bernina Stitch Regulator) which I use quite often when I’m free motion quilting and a Walking foot, which has just sat in the box since I purchased the machine. I’ve  been trying to figure out how to attach wide satin binding to flannel/minky etc… for baby blankets and make it look neat and not all wavy and puckery….I finally remembered I had a walking foot somewhere and I thought I might as well give it a try. I had a preconceived notion it would take a long time to attach, but I found out it goes on as fast as a normal ‘foot’ does, and much to my surprise it made a world of difference. I’ve been watching youtube videos of people attaching the satin binding and they say how they don’t pin it on, just sew using a normal foot and from what I could see they had lots of waves and ripples. I experimented with my walking foot and I pinned a lot, and I had great results. I know these pieces of flannel don’t exactly look great together, but it’s all I had on hand, and I was raring to go to give my ideas a try! I also seamed the binding like you would a normal binding and I think it looks much better than most of the suggestions on the internet and youtube.

So since I’ve fallen in love with my walking foot I thought that adding regular binding would be a piece of cake for the walking foot, and it definitely was! I doubt I’ll ever sew it on with a regular foot again!

My wool applique table runner that is almost done…..I sewed this binding down with my walking foot and it was super easy and I loved how it worked.

And here is my 4th BOM of Evelyn’s Garden….All fused down and I only need to blanket stitch around the wool now….Fun handwork!

And the last three scarves I’ve knitted…the middle one is a pretty green, this picture just doesn’t show it like it really is.

Happy Quilting! Kris

I’ve been busy!

I’ve been busy making small items such as table runners, scarves, wall hangings etc.etc.etc….and I’ve been enjoying every minute of it! Been using scraps and haven’t had to buy anything for these projects. I have a couple of drawers of yarn that I bought when it was on sale and I’ve been having fun looking through that to decide what to put together for a new scarf! I’m working on a green one now….and almost have a black one done too.

I made another penny wool table runner but used a black background. I like it! I’m sure I’ll put one of these on the auction at our Christmas get-together.

This is the latest table runner I’m working on….It’s from the magazine Primitive Quilts and Projects Winter 2012. The above penny wool table runner is out of the same magazine only the Spring 2013 Issue. I love this magazine! It’s more like a book and it’s only $10….It’s well worth the price for all of the projects you get in each issue. They are available at most quilt shops, and I’m thinking I might subscribe….I’d save quite a bit of money if I did this.

And here is a close up of the wool applique part….I’m not done yet, but it’s coming along pretty fast.

My third block in the Evelyn’s album BOM….This is a fun and fast one….

And another project that I started about 15 years ago….My uncle gave me several bags of crocheted granny squares that came from who knows where, and I started putting them together with some black yarn, this is almost done and I’d like to finish it and start putting another one together. It’s kind of fun and interesting to see….the granny squares are all different colors and you can tell that whoever made them used tons of left-over yarn or whatever they had on hand. I think this one was promised to my sister Val many years ago, and she might finally get it this winter!

Happy Quilting…and Knitting and Crocheting!

Kris

Time for some smaller projects…

I’ve been working on smaller projects lately, ones that I can haul around with me. I work on them in the evenings when I’m watching t.v. and when I take my break in Norton during the day while I’m working, or in the mornings while we are waiting for our freight to come. You know the saying about idle hands….well that is definitely not me!

This is a table runner or mat…made from wool ‘pennies’….I really enjoyed doing this and I love how it turned out. These are a lot of scraps from the Primitive Garden wool quilt I just completed…I might just make another one too. It finishes at 17”x22”….I had never bound corners with angles like this before, it was very interesting! I got the job done though and they look pretty good.

Love the bright colors!

I’ve also been doing some knitting….great thing to haul around with you….been doing some scarves….I have drawers full of yarn, and thought I might get some good out of it.

My daughter tells me the fuzzy scarves are out now….well that’s too bad, because I’m still going to make some of them….I happen to still like them….fashionable or not!

Happy Quilting! Kris

Vacation equals a week of sewing!

I’ve been on vacation this past week, and didn’t do much but sew. I did take my mom to Kearney one day, but other than that I’ve been being pretty lazy.

We are having Christmas at my mom’s house this afternoon. Quite a few of my family members won’t be able to attend. It’s not the same when everyone isn’t with us. I’ll miss everyone who won’t be there.

I made three table runners for the auction we have….

Bear Claws that look like fall leaves made out of batiks….

Embroidered Snowmen red work…..my favorite!

Canning jars….this was fast and easy.

This is a project that I embroidered a couple of years ago and finally decided to finish it and give to my sister Susi for her birthday. She loves the color red and she appreciates anything I make for her….This is a pattern from CrabApple Hill and is a finished size of 30”x30”. I had all the fabric on hand for all of the above projects, so it was an inexpensive week of sewing. I did order some Weeks overdyed embroidery floss from Joanns. They had it on sale and I love that stuff! It’s very pretty and I love how it’s variegated, much prettier than plain embroidery floss. The main problem is that if it gets wet it will bleed. I had another one of the Winter pattern that’s above almost completely done when I spilled some water on it. The red bled so bad I had to throw the whole thing away. That was very hard to do since it was almost done. I will have to be extremely careful the next time.

And my 9th Primitive Garden Wool BOM is completed! Woo hoo! Only 5 months left to go.

Have a great week everyone! I don’t have to go back to work until Wednesday! I think I might be ready to go back by then. Having 11 days off in a row is very nice.

Happy Quilting!

Kris

Finally! More sewing time…..

Well, it’s after Christmas and things have settled down a bit. I’m still very busy at work, but not quite as many hours. I’ve been hiding in my sewing room whenever I get the chance and I didn’t realize how much I missed my sewing machines! I’ve gotten the idea of making some table runners and I’ve gotten carried away as usual.

This is the one I’m working on now, it’s a bear paw that kind of looks like fall leaves….I’m making it out of batiks, I’m anxious to get these sewn together and see how they will look.

And my jar quilt table runner….this was very fast and easy. It was lots of fun too….someday I’m making a larger quilt with jars. I have plenty of fabric for it too!

As you can see, I quilted the word ‘Ball’ on the jar….

The ‘Amish with a Twist’ BOM I’m doing…..it doesn’t look so good now, but just picture this with black fabric….looking better already isn’t it?And here is my Primitive Garden BOM….I love doing this hand work, This one is almost done, about another 45 minutes and I’ll be ready for the next one.

I’m on vacation next week and three days of the week after that…Oh Happy Day…I am so ready to just stay home and do whatever I feel like doing.

Happy Quilting everyone!

Kris