Lynn Carson Harris

A Star Filled Afternoon

I spent the afternoon making some more tiny stars. A couple more afternoons like this and I'll get all the stars for this quilt finished.

I think I'm finally starting to get in the rhythm of the school day. I have been listening to Harry Potter on tape while I sew. Jim Dale does a superb job reading them. If you haven't listened to his recordings of the Harry Potter books, I highly recommend that you do. 

I am making a list of other books to listen to after I finish the Harry Potter series.

What book would you recommend?

Weekend Sewing

Last week I checked out Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing from the library.  I have been reading about it and seeing projects made from it and wanted to have a look myself. 

I love that the pajama pants pattern includes sizes from child to adult. I made matching pants for me and P. out of flannel I have had for over five years. I think I get bonus points for using the old stuff don't I?

I used Kwik Sew 3042 for P's top.

I love the way these pajama pants fit. They have a trim cut and are not as baggy as some others I have tried.

P is thrilled with her new pajamas!

Today I have officially started my holiday sewing. I stitched up another pair of pjs for someone's Christmas gift!

I have my eye on some other flannel that has been in the sewing room for a while for some more pj pants for myself.  I just may start to see some progress from this "cleaning up the slow way" business.

I am still on the hunt for a pajama top pattern that I like for myself. I am not so good at scaling up a pattern from child size 5 to adult. Just ask D. I once made him a pajama top that was more like a tent.

Thoughtful Sunday

"Everything is somewhere."

Everything is Somewhere, Mircea Vasiliu, 1959.

Norwegian Stockings that Rock

I finally finished my Norwegian Stockings! I love them. I could have made them a little taller for full knee socks but I was afraid I would run out of yarn. It turns out there would have been enough.

I did change the heel flap design a bit because I didn't like how the gusset pick up stitches pulled from the heel flap.

 

I am thrilled with how these turned out. They will be great winter socks because they are double thick with the yarns carried on the back.

I almost want to wear them inside out!

The pattern is Norwegian Stockings in Folk Socks: The History & Techniques of Handknitted Footwear , by Nancy Bush. The yarn is "socks that rock" by Blue Moon Fiber Arts. I used one skein of each Jewel of the Nile and 24 Carat.

Gratitude

I am grateful for late blooming flowers.

Years ago we planted this clematis by the chicken barn. The chickens have always kept it under stress and it hasn't bloomed. This year, some strategically placed rocks have helped it grow.

Now it blooms.

And it's PINK!

Seeing Stars

This is what I did while at my quilt retreat last week. I made tiny stars.

Three inch stars.

Seventy five three inch stars. 

I was inspired by this fabulous quilt by Gwen Marston.

 

It is simply stunning. The stars just sparkle in a sea of beautiful hand quilting.

I wanted to try a few other things while I was there but I just couldn't get away from the stars.

 

I took two suitcases of fabric because I never know what I will want to do until I am there.  I didn't use much of what I took just lots of tiny pieces.

My stars have print centers and solid points.

 

I decided to use a different setting than Gwen used and calculated that I need 153 of the little stars. I am half way there!

I am having a lot of fun making them.

Book Sale!!

Our library book sale was today! I picked up a few sewing and crafting books in addition to a big stack of children's books.

A couple of them I picked up just for the cover art. Miss P says she wants to make a picture like this.

 

I hope you can see the embossed design here. I think it needs to be done in applique.

 

The Complete Family Sewing Book is full of interesting chapters like "Fix it, Change it, Cover it".  Oh, and I used to have a pair of bell bottom corduroy hip huggers with one of those "LOVE" patches sewn on the bottom.  I am sure there are lots of great ideas to be found here.

 

The Crafts Jamboree has lots of good ideas too. Some of them I think can be adjusted for use in my children's art classes.

What treasures have you found recently?

Hand or Machine?

I finish most of my quilts with machine quilting. Sometimes I think a quilt is worthy of the time it takes to hand quilt it. This top already has many hours of work in the hand applique center and the pieced borders.

I love the way the double saw tooth border turned out. It really is straight but for some reason it looks a little wonky there in the upper left.

I am leaning towards machine quilting this. It might be because I am feeling a little unproductive lately and want to finish up these lingering projects and start NEW fun things.

One of my ideas for this is to machine quilt an old fashioned grid over the applique and everything. But, something in me sort of wants to hand echo quilt around all those flowers. But then, again, hand quilting the saw teeth with all of those seams does NOT appeal to me at all. Maybe I should let it rest for a week or two until I settle in to the new fall rhythm.

The first week of school has just about done me in. I am NOT used to getting up quite so early. The bus comes just after 7:00. Yikes. That is early to get a five year old up and ready for school. The return bus gets here at about 4:00. That makes for a very long day for a kindergartener. You would think I would be able to get lots done during that time. But, no, I have been running around doing errands most of the time. Maybe I'll feel better about it after I am more caught up. I had saved up a lot of things until school started thinking that I could take care of them easier without little Miss P. So, I guess I have been productive, just not at the things I am wanting to do. One of those errands is an appointment with the eye doctor. Maybe some new glasses will help.

How are you handling the change of season, back to school routine?

Saw Teeth

School is back in session and I have some time to myself. I am working on another project that's been banging around in the sewing room for a few years. I finally finished the hand applique center and am working on the borders.

Saw teeth. I have ALWAYS wanted to do a saw tooth border on a quilt. This one is getting a DOUBLE border.

I am using two inch squares cut on the diagonal.

One border is already stitched on.

It will have a narrow white strip and then the second saw tooth border.  

Today will be spent sewing tiny pieces of red and white fabric together to make  long border strips. I will be thrilled if I can get the top finished!

 

The Triangle Quilt

 

I was able to squeeze one more UFO finish in before the end of summer vacation. I started this one two years ago!

I had a hard time deciding on the quilting for this and finally settled on a thin black thread with five rows of parallel stitching along the straight seam lines.

 

I am pleased that the quilting does not detract from the clear solid colors.

 

The quilt measures 39.5 inches by 47.5 inches, great for a wall hanging or small child.

The quilt is in the shop.