It has been a busy week here, lots of socializing with friends.  Unfortunately, socializing around here always includes EATING!  So some serious dieting over the next few days!

I have posted a picture of an embroidery that I finished yesterday.  Not the best picture because I couldn't figure out a way to cut the glare from the flash.  Our backyard is a wildlife refuge and we have many of these blue herons, one in particular likes to sit on the roof of our screen enclosure.  We have tried to discourage this!  A couple of years back, I found a scarecrow and John placed it where the heron likes to sit, thinking it would keep him away.  The bird thought we had found him a friend, and flew in to sit beside the scarecrow!  When I found this embroidery design, I thought it would look nice on the wall in John's den  He returns from his extended visit to Tacoma on Friday, so I will let him decide where he wants to hang it.

I haven't done much machine embroidery in the past few months but I plan to do quite a bit of it for the holidays this year.  It is time consuming, this piece has 200,000 stitches and took about 22 hours to stitch out, with 43 stops for color changes.  I am lucky to have two machines sitting side by side so I can continue to sew while one machine stitches.  I found this frame at a great sale so I will head back this morning to pick up a couple of more.  We have lots of wall space to fill.

I have been having intermittent computer problems this week and have so far been unable to download Esther's new BOM.  John is my computer guru, so I am waiting his return to clean up my computer and get it back on track.

Have a great week! 

Tuesday, August 7

I just finished a T-shirt quilt for my son-in-law.  He works in the film industry and these shirts represent some of the projects he has worked on over the years.  It was the first time I worked with T-shirts and it was a bit challenging.  But, at last it is finished and will go into the mail tomorrow.

Houseguests have returned home and I am almost ready to play catch up on some of my projects.  But I am hosting a surprise birthday dinner party for a good friend this week, so cooking will take precedence over sewing for a few days.  I have an embroidery project that I am anxious to start next week.  It is a picture of a blue heron for John's den.  We have herons in our backyard so I think he will enjoy this.

I hope everyone has a good week!  The pictures of Esther's newest BOM are just gorgeous.  I am jealous that I haven't been able to keep up with it. 

I can't believe that it has been over a month since I last posted.  I had a wonderful trip and lots of time with my children and grandchildren.  Now I am back in Florida and working hard on sample quilts for the local quilt shop which is opening a second location next month.  The picture isn't great, but this is a pin-basted quilt that would be perfect for a little boy.  I need to get it machine quilted and then I plan to finish up a t-shirt quilt for my son-in-law.  I will post a picture of it next week.

I have fallen way behind in Esther's BOM quilt.  I hope to be able to catch up over the next few months.  Her blocks are so beautiful and this is the first time since I joined her group that I haven't been able to keep up.

Back to work on the machine quilting.  I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Here I am in very chilly upstate New York.  It started raining about an hour after I arrived last Friday evening and hasn't stopped since.  Makes me miss the Sunshine State!

Having a great visit with younger son and his family and visiting with old friends.  I am here until June 22nd, when I head north to older son's home and the high school graduation of my granddaughter.  In my packing frenzy last week, I almost forgot to pack the graduation quilt!   But it is here with me safe and sound.

I have several hand sewing projects with me but haven't made a lot of headway with anything.  But I have this afternoon free, so I will get to work on something.  I have an Hawaiian applique project about half done, and I have last month installment of Esther's BOM, also about half done.  And then at the last minute, I cut out the pieces for Esther's Cherry Thieves table runner, which has been on my wish list for quite some time now.

So now I am off to Esther's blog, to catch up on my reading over there.  Hope you all have a great week!

Block number 2 of the current BOM is done!  Or really just done for now.  I plan to add beads to it when the entire quilt is assembled.  It feels good to be up-to-date with it.  I have already started the wild rose and lilac block for this month.  I rarely use fusible applique, but on this one I am trying it on the lilac flowers.  I had to go to the quilt shop yesterday as my stash was seriously without purple fabrics. 

We have been busy this week, packing the van for John's trip to Tacoma.  He plans to leave on Saturday.  I will be here in Florida until May 30th, when I head to New York for 3 weeks and Atlanta for 1 week.  Having our families 3000 miles apart sometimes makes for an awkward summer.  We each have a granddaughter graduating in June.  I am a very uncomfortable flyer and tend to avoid it as much as possible.  But who knows..... I may decide to fly to Seattle from Atlanta, we will have to see.  Or head back to Florida and enjoy lots of extra sewing time!  I am still working on mastering EQ7 and using my new Handi Quilter machine. 

Current work is all hand applique, Esther's BOM and a small mystery quilt from EQ.  Sewing room needs some attention, there are fabrics all over it while I decide on which ones to use.  I really need to make some time to organize it again.

That's it for this week.  Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Finally have finished the first block of Forget Me Not.  I am working on block 2, just about finished with that one too. 

We have had a busy week here, beginning to get ready for summer trips.  John is heading to Washington State on the 19th and I am heading to New York at the end of the month.  This morning we worked in the yard for quite a while, putting down new mulch and cutting back the hisbiscus bushes that are having a very good year.  We had to cut off many buds, but we couldn't let them continue to grow or they would be totally out of control by the time we return from our travels.

I was able to complete the French Braid quilt and it is ready to travel to New York with me.  Most of my work this week has been hand work. 

 I have one UFO left to complete this year, a hand applique queen size that has been waiting for quilting for quite some time now, at least 2 years.  I hope to be able to quilt it sometime this summer.   I am loving quilting on my Sweet Sixteen!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Hunters Star

Finished up this quick project and hung it yesterday. I needed something for a spot on our red wall, lol.  It is a fun quilt to make, just 32 inches square so it was a chance to practice on my HQ Sweet Sixteen.  I am getting a bit better with even stitches, but I still tend to wobble a bit with it.  They are introducing a stitch regulator for it in June, but I am not sure I want to invest anymore in it.  I will definitely test drive it before deciding. 

Still working on my French braid, with two more borders to quilt.  Granddaughter graduates next month, so I need to concentrate on finishing it.  I have almost completed my first block for Esthers new BOM, but I am really running behind on that one.  I need to get organized and cut my pieces for the calla lily block.  I will have lots of time on my New York trip to hand applique. 

I am off to finish cleaning up my sewing area, then time to work on that French braid.  I hope everyone has a great week!