Christmas Wallhanging

Last years Christmas Party, at the local quilt shop, we were all given material to make a 12" block. I won 3 blocks and had the chance to pick my own, the center block.  Just finished machine quilting and added the binding.  Some is free motion and some straight stitched. I recently purchased a Janome 6300 and I like most of the features. The one I am having a hard time is the tension. Seems like every time I sew I have to adjust the foot control and tension.  Hope to have this under control soon as it is a real pain.

Merry Christmas

A Special THANKS to ALL who leave comments.  See you all next year!!

"Dumpling Pouch" and Scissor Holders

 

Some gifts.... Easy scissor holder with a tatted medallion. The scissors have a bead fob with picot gages.    Tatted earrings is found in the Handy Hands 2011 Newsletter  by Kendra Goodnow.

An easy little "Dumpling Pouch"  to sew up and fill with goodies!!

Pattern is by Keyka Lou 

Rug Mug and Snowflakes

Rug Mug for your coffee or tea cup. The tatted cupcake is a pattern from Nancy Tracy and the tea pot is from the book "Tea is for Tatting" by   Martha Ess.

Here is a  Tatted Wreath added to the back of this medalion.

(Pattern .. Christmas Berry Wreath by LaRae Mikulecky)

 I added a few more stitches to each Chain Stitch to make it work.  The snow flake is tatted with 2 different threads of Lizbeth 20 white and Sulky metalic gold.

Gingerbread Christmas House

This was a plain Jane house till I painted it with fairy dust and added red crystals. I glued a purple flower on her tummy and added a "red" hat. This is for my Red Hat exchange. It does light up and  is sitting on a snowflake  called "Angels in the Snow".
I added a few more rounds to make it a small doily.
Miranda Rensberger  (http://tattingfool.blogspot.com) designed it and had a contest to name the snowflake. There were a lot of good names, however, my "Angels in the Snow" came out on top.

End of the CQ and Chili Peppers

The last block is finished and ready to sew on to the other blocks. The backing needs be sewed on and it is finished!!

Chili Pepper Needle books. I live in NM and this is our state logo and on the signs when entering the state... Red or Green!!!

These are my little gifts I send to people. The inside has a pocket on the back for a needle threader and the center is a strip for your needles. The tatting edging Ingeborg is from the book, "Tatting Patterns and Designs" by Gun Blomqvist and Elwy Persson. I tatted with Lizbeth Tatting thread in size 20, #19..Jelly Bean.

Tatted Hexagons

I had all these bobbins filled with left over threads size 20. I had some 40's but did not look good so will stay with only size 20 Lizbeth. It is a simple 6 ring no chains and only needs 1 yard. (Note: to my Christmas Exchange tatter..I could use 1 yard of any color, size 20 for my giftie...hint, hint)  

The pattern was found in an old DMC tatting book. Some hexes I have thread for only one hexagon other hexes I had a few yards like on the purple row. I worked it where I could do a split ring into the next row.  Perhaps someday it might be a tablecloth or bedspread!!! 

It is a good project that can be picked up at any time and take along for TIIP (tat it in public). Another good way to see what Lizbeth threads look like.

DOILY

Part two of Nancy Tracy's Tatted Doily. Pattern can be found at www.be-stitched.com. The side ends are a little tricky. One must look at the diagram and read, reread the pattern. Love the challenge and the oblong instead of the traditional circle.

CQ block for October

More stitching on my strip. A mini doily tatted in bright orange brightens up the block. I love these old buttons and finally found a home for them.

The end of October we took a trip to the Louisiana coast for a few days. Stayed in a Motel 6 studio apartment. They have a kitchenette and makes it nice to eat some of your meals with your dogie children!! They were the best kids. The second night we were on the 3rd floor. Thank goodness in was only one night. Taking them out twice in the evening is a lot of work but we took the elevator. Our big dog is a spook but once she rode on it she enjoyed the ride!! We stayed in Sulphur, LA for 3 nights on the second floor. No elevator but easy stairs. Went to the beach every day (3 days) and they had a blast. Cajun food is too hot for DH but we did bring home fresh shrimp. We had purchased shrimp from these people a few years ago and know it is fresh.

Display at Wells Fargo Bank

 The three buildings are canvas needlepoint and have music boxes added. The church lights up with stain glass windows. What a great way to add the latest TIAS by Sherry Pence along side the train station.

Wonderful TIAS with so many different techniques!!! Many thanks Sherry. On the bonus cars I added gold thread with the green on the chain stitches. Love those onions rings and great tut by Jane Eborall.  Below is a close up of the train.

 I have all these snowflakes and wondered how to display them differently than on a tree. I added fish line and taped them to the metal around the light. The wall hanging is made with felt and embellished with critters. The center angel was made 30 years ago for our first Christmas. The angel on the end is a folksy pattern filled with pellets to make her movable.

Crazy Quilt Heart

 

Our Quilt Shop asked for 6 inch hearts to make a quilt for a friend in need. Here is my heart stitched with Love!!

Applique Flowers for LE Coverlet

 

 

 Slowly this beautiful applique quilt is coming to life!!

Have one side of the border pinned and ready to sew.

I used Heather's  (http://happyappliquer.blogspot.com )  method of strip piecing and then cut them out leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance. I used Elmer's glue to glue all the seams down and then pinned before sewing. Makes it much easier and more accurate.

 

 

Flower Petals!!

Many ways to applique and here is a quick and easy one. Instead of burning fingers on the iron just wrap the fabric and template in tinfoil. I use a little starch on the edges before wrapping the foil to make the shape. Then iron.  The yellow center is a french knot using size 8 embroidery thread.

While out walking I found this  baby Rattler  on the side of road. A car had runed over the middle and I was sure it was dead before picking it up.

Working on the next section of the CQ bottom strip. The fan on the red is a lot of combination stitches using 2 strands of DMC threads. When working on a small design you only need 1 or 2 threads. Bigger threads will distort the design.
There is a tatted beaded butterfly, a beaded dragonfly, and silk ribbon bees.

Glass Mat

The glass mat is a pattern adapted by Kendra Goodnow from Semco Book. I had tatted the same pattern some time ago and used a plain color Lizbeth #132 for the chains. This time I CTM using size 20 Azalea Med Lizbeth #620. It is a quick and easy pattern and can be found in Handy Hands Tatting Newsletter, Winter 2011.

DAY 7 & 8 2013 TIAS by Sherry Pence

Love the different techniques, Floating Rings and Onion Ring. A great learning project.

A beautiful "L"!! (:

 Day 3 & 4. I blocked Day 3 so it was flat and not cupped. One can see the importance of having all picots the same in the beginning. Interesting pattern!!! (: 

  

 

Isn't this a pretty Heart or maybe a Balloon.... 

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta starts Oct 5-13

 

Sherry Pence has started a "2013 TIAS" (Tat it and See).  Day One  is very easy but you must know how to do split rings and use a Picot Gauge. You can purchase one or make one from a DMC plastic thread holder and put them on a ring. We are to use size 20 thread and my color is Lizbeth 679, Lime Green. The pattern is written out and also has a  diagram, very easy to follow. Visit Sherry's blog for more information and joining in the fun... www.LadyShuttleMaker.blogspot.com

Vest and Shuttles

It is growing and beginning to take shape!! I now have 35 large Rings and 28 small rings. It takes 1 hour to make one large ring.  The DMC pattern is All Rings and I made modern day changes so there are less threads to tie in.  It all starts with a small ring of 4 petals not connected. The small ring connects to the larger rings and it is also the start of the outside large ring of 12 using SSSR. For more information on the SSSR you can read about it on the June 2 post.

The vest is on top of a rug I had woven back in the 70's.

Why Shuttles?? I recently purchased the "fake Mexico" Aero and very disappointed. It is NOT USABLE.  The hook is on the side where you pass through the threads, it is not on the side where  the bobbin goes.  If anyone does not want their German Aero I will gladly take it!!  The new Aerlits are nice but slightly bigger and does not fit in my hands as the Aero does.

Hand Quilting

Last week I hand quilted this block on the Snowman quilt using a square hoop. I have a Q-Snap frame and it takes more time to snap it together. Spending a whole day trying to snap one side an idea came forward.  Plastic....why not soak it on Hot Water to make it pliable. It helped but why bother when you can just sit down and move the hoop in any direction sitting in your recliner with less frustration.  Hope to finish the other end this week. I quilt an hour after lunch while Tazzie pup takes her nap.

Tucumcari Flood

Woke up to see water every where, sounds like Niagara Falls!!  Even woke up all the bull frogs!!! Ribet..Ribet only they have a deep, deep, rumble. LOL   This is the drive out to the main road and water right up to the asphalt.  We needed rain and been in a drought the past 4 years. This will help a lot just wished it had not come all at once.

Watching the bridge. This is a new bridge built about 10 years ago but never know with this much water if it will stand up to the pressure. Look at the sign and that is about the amount of water that is in this creek.  The rain stopped for the day after  raining  2 nights and a day.

Tatted Wheelbarrow filled with flowers

 The tatted wheelbarrow is filled with silk ribbon flowers. The flowers on the right are daises worked in  Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery using  pistol stitch and french knots. The bunny on the left is satin stitch. The pattern for the daises and bunny are by Rosalie Wakefield. She has a neat way of making the Turkey Stitch and easy so it will not pull out. It is in her book, "An Artist's Garden". The butterfly is by Helen Stevens using one strand in a long and short stitch. I could not find orange rayon floss and white rayon will not dye. See photo below. The silk ribbon always dyes beautifully. So I used DMC cotton floss. I have 2 books and a DVD on Helen's patterns. These are beautiful and easy to work up. Everyone should have at least one of her books. I dream someday to do a large work of her patterns. This is added to my bucket list!!!

Melons, melons everywhere!! They have produced well and have been on a melon diet for the past month. That is humans, dogs, goat and chickens. Cat won't eat them!! LOL 

These went into a fruit cocktail. It is melons, strawberries and pineapple with a syrup of sugar, orange juice and pink lemonade. Froze up 20 quarts and will be delicious during the winter.

 

Scratch board, Tatting and Silk Ribbon

 We were given a scratch board at Art League for our project of the month. I decided to do a peacock using a sharp knife to sketch out the design.  I just laid out the peacock feathers and need to finish off the matt board. Might print out an all over design of peacock feathers on cotton or silk. Then glue it to the matt board.

Nancy Tracy has begun part 1 of a doily.  It will be an oblong doily and looking forward to part 2. The pattern can be found at www.be-stitched.com

One of my favorite motifs on a crazy quilt is Jane Eborall's wheel barrow (www.janeeborall.freeservers.com) . It is ready to be filled with silk ribbon flowers. 

 Here is some silk ribbon I dyed. It has all the wrinkles pressed out and some of it has been rolled on a TP holder. The holder is wrapped with acid free paper.  The fun is about to begin stitching silk ribbon flowers and bugs...