Stitcher's Garden....update

Here are the latest machine stitched blocks for this quilt......blocks 5A, 5B, and 6. I haven't started on block 7 yet, but hope to do so next week. I really like the way all the blocks are turning out. They have been tons of fun to do as well. Thankfully I have a layout of the quilt and have been able to color co-ordinate the blocks as I make them.

It's interesting to go to class and see the blocks that everyone else has made. Such a wonderful variety!! Some are following the pattern exactly, while others have opted to do their own things. I can't wait to see everyone's completed quilts. It will be amazing!!! I wonder if the shop will have a small "show" and display everyone's completed quilt tops.

Finished!!

I have finished up a few projects in the past couple of weeks. Yea!! One of my finished projects was a long-standing UFO (pictured at left). The wall hanging is simply named "Roses". It is hand applique and machine quilted. This was a good one for me to practice my free-motion machine quilting on. Tried some new designs and different techniques.  Even did some machine quilting in the applique itself....which was a first for me.

This wall hanging will be a Mother Day's gift for my mother. Along with it, I'm sending a several packages of heirloom seeds wrapped in a pretty ribbon. She loves gardening, so I thought this would be the perfect gift for her.  :>)



Another finish has been the Daffodil quilt. Wish I would have taken a picture of it before it was packaged up, but I didn't.  So a picture of the completed top will have to be enough. I did bind it in a blue to match that in the quilt center. The quilting on it was simple....an all-over grid in a variegated thread using a serpentine stitch. The daffodil in the center was outline quilted and then some free-motion done in the applique itself. The binding was put on by machine. Turned out to be a very pretty quilt.

Of course the thing I'm most proud of when it comes to this quilt is the label. I had wanted to do something a bit special since the quilt is going to a friend who will be starting up chemo treatments soon. Her treatments are such that she will have to spend 4-5 days in the hospital each time. This means being apart from her loving companion of 12 years.....a beautiful female husky. So I wanted the quilt label to have a picture of her husky on it, but didn't want to do photo transfer. I wanted the quilt to be totally washable without worry of anything fading.  I knew what I wanted to do, but didn't quite know how to do it. So out came the reference manauls for my embroidery software.  After many, many hours.....and lots of trial and errors......the end result is the label pictured above. It is a digitized version of a photo of my friend's husky framed by a lovely washable merino wool yarn that was couched in place. I'm thrilled with the way it turned out. I hope she likes it and that it brings her comfort when she is away from her "princess".

Not only did I get a couple of quilt finished, but I also finished knitting a pair of socks. They are knit out of a superwash, hand-dyed merino wool. The pattern is called "Hyacinth Socks" and is from the book "The Eclectic Sole" (I love this book!). These were a great knit. The lace pattern on the cuff was just challenging enough to keep me interested, but not so much that I got frustrated and lost interest. The yarn was amazing to knit with. My only disappointment is that the socks came out a bit too large for me. That's okay though. They will make a great Christmas gift for someone.   :>)