The Little Red Hen

Wordless Wednesday

Tiffany Balustrade - U of M Museum of Art

Pieced Points

The project I worked on at retreat last weekend involves blocks where eight points come together at the same place.

I used a hand piecing technique that gives a flat look to the front and avoids a lump of seam allowances all going the same way on the back.

To do this you sew the seam on the machine but stop at the place where the two seam lines  intersect on each piece leaving the tip of the piece unsewn. When all pieces are sewn together press all of the seams clockwise (or counter clockwise). The important part is that they all go the same way around the circle. The points of each piece will make a star pattern. A little fussing with the points may be necessary when pressing.

The resulting flat block is well worth the extra effort.

 

Fun with Friends

I am back from a great weekend away with friends. It was the silly kind of weekend where you laugh so hard that you almost wet your pants.

We did lots of sewing, and even had a birthday celebration!

Barb shared this beautiful quilt made by her mother. She found it wadded up in the back of her dad's storage unit. It cleaned up beautifully.

I love a good quilty weekend with friends.

Thanks ladies!

It's Coming

Spring is taking it's time.

Little Things

I seem to make more knitting progress on little things. I finished one of the ladybug picnic mittens.

And I'm more than halfway through a new pair of socks for B. With my new nine inch circular needles I can knit MUCH faster. I knit the entire foot of this sock during the high school orchestra concert last night! I also didn't have to worry about dropping a needle in the dark.

Socks and mittens are easy, comfortable knitting projects for me these days. I know what to expect and I like knowing that the finished project will fit and be worn.

Sweater knitting is another story. I am afraid this sweater is in danger of entering the black hole of unfinished sweaters. I love the yarn; I love knitting with the yarn.

I don't love the uncertainty.

Will it fit?
Will I have enough yarn?
Should I order more and start alternating skeins so the join will not be obvious?
If I order more then I will have lots left over and what will I do with that?
Should I go ahead with what I have and frog it if I run out?
I want to make different style sleeves than in the pattern but what style do I make?

So, there it sits, taunting me while I work on smaller more predictable projects.

Zinnias

So, here it is. The finished zinnia quilt.

I went out three different times to photograph it becasue it was so hard to get the charcoal color to look true to color.

This quilt was really something different for me.

I am thrilled with the way it turned out.

Simple triangles.
Simple curvy quilting lines.
Lots of thread.

A minimalist look for the modern home.

44 inches wide
52 inches high

In case you have forgotten, here is the inspiration photograph.

You can find it here it the shop.

I am eager to get back in the sewing room and work on some more new quilts. But, alas, today I am doing other fun things like baking cookies, making yogurt, washing clothes, and cleaning house. 

I do have a little quilt retreat coming up this weekend though...

 

 

Sneak Peek

Today I sew the binding.

Almost Spring

We had a beautiful "almost spring" afternoon, yesterday. I even went outside WITHOUT A COAT!

P and I walked around the yard and found our FIRST flowers!The chickens also enjoyed the warm sunny day.
They were soaking up some sun and pecking around. I gave them a pumpkin that I had been saving.Cluck, cluck. I forgot how fun it can be to photograph the chickens.We still have some snow

and lots of mud.

Still, it was a beautiful, blue sky, spring like day.

I guess I'm really not much of a winter person.

 

Wordless Wednesday

The Little Deer

I'm just about to sit at the sewing machine and quilt the zinnia quilt. I am so happy with it so far that I want to keep going and see how it turns out.

First, I thought I'd take a minute and show you the tiny deer ornament that is being mailed with Tia's blocks today.  Now I am officially caught up on my bee blocks.

I'm off to the sewing machine.