I just finished hooking these little hearts - they're all pressed and the edges folded back. Now I need to hand stitch a backing on them - stuff them - and mount them onto vintage wooden bobbins. Hopefully they'll be balanced enough to stand on their own when I'm all done with that.
Here they are right after being hooked onto the linen backing - I had a little scrap that was just the right size to fit two of them on it. I won the pattern for this heart awhile ago and made the one with circles from that. Since I didn't want both to be the same I just drew some squiggly lines on the other heart and started hooking from my worm pile. 'Twas fun!
Two weeks ago at our Salt Lake rug group Nancy told us about the surprise adoption of a new grandbaby - she had this horse rug all finished and ready before she even knew that she'd be needing it for the little guy! Since she had given it away, I had to take a picture of a picture - that's why it's not very clear. She was very excited by this new development in her family's life.
This is the rug she's working on now - the pattern for it is in the most recent issue of RHM - and she added her own touches to it (of course). Everyone else was working on projects I've shown before so I didn't snap pictures of them this month. I noticed that she got a shout out in the latest ATHA magazine from someone who used one of her published dye recipes for their rug.
I spent all of last week in the Phoenix area - hubby had to attend a conference and I got to go along with him. It was our first time there and we really enjoyed the desert and the city. The saguaro cactus were especially beautiful everywhere we went and we definitely appreciated temperatures that were thirty degrees warmer than we'd been used to. We found out that there was lots of rain, hail and even snow here at home while we were gone.
I snapped a picture of the carpet in the hallway of the conference center cuz I liked the geometric design - would make a great rug, huh? I seem to remember doing the same thing at the hotel we stayed at last May in Denver! LOL
Over a year ago I found THIS great tutorial for a cute little zippered bag to hold ear buds for my iPod. Today I finally got around to making it and I'll get to use it this weekend on a long plane ride.
I'm usually a pretty good seamstress, but this didn't turn out perfectly round - I guess cuz I was in a bit of a hurry - but it'll do the job okay.
On the sewing front, I've been working on some tiny little hexagons - a great portable project to stitch while traveling. Hopefully I'll get a lot of them finished by the time I return home.
Awhile ago I found a stack of blue triangles and a stack of ivory triangles buried on my cutting table. I took some time to stitch them up into scrappy HSTs. Then I stitched them into hourglass blocks. I started playing around with them and this is one of the quilt tops I made by adding some cheddar to the mix. 7.5" blocks.
Right now this arrangement is on my design wall - nothing has been sewn together yet, but I think I'll add a blue border to the edge when I get to that point. BTW - I know a lot of quilters spent a lot of effort & money making fancy design walls, but I use an inexpensive flannel-backed vinyl tablecloth that I thumb tacked to the wall - works GREAT and probably cost $3-$4 - so you can't beat the price!
I still have quite a few of the blocks left and have been trying to decide what to do with them - maybe I'll put these with some red and do something with an Americana flavor. If anyone has a great idea for a little quilt setting that I can use these in, please leave me a comment with your suggestion, okay? Thanks! These are 3" and will finish at 2.5" square.
Last summer when I took the Ali Strebel workshop that our Guild arranged, I purchased an Oxford punch needle from her and I've decided it was time to give this tool a try. I borrowed a frame from my friend Sharon and drew out a little floral design to make. Here's the progress I made today - from the back side - which is face up as I'm punching.
I seem to be having trouble keeping the loops straight and of an even length - you can see that from this view of the front side of my work. Don't know if I'll get better as I go, or if this is a problem inherent to the tool? If any of you have used this and have advice for me I'd appreciate some input on how I can improve. It does seem to go faster than using a hook, but I'm not thrilled with the quality of my work.
Last week I got to meet a blogging friend in person and enjoyed eating lunch with Janet of the Rogue Quilter. We talked about husbands, kids and especially quilting. We each brought little gifts for the other and I received three of her special handmade soaps - they smell so good! And she also gave me a bundle of wonderful Civil War scrap fabrics to add to my stash. Today in the mail I received another gift from her - these two adorable little paper pieced pineapple quilt block ornaments. She has shared pictures of these on her blog before, but I wasn't prepared for how SMALL they are in person - only 2" square! They are so much fun - I just love them! Thanks so much Janet - and I look forward to visiting with you again some time!
After a couple weeks of spring-like weather, we're back to winter in Utah today with a dusting of snow and temps in the 30's. Sigh - - -
It's taken me almost eleven months, but my row rug is finally finished - YAY! Can't believe it took me so long - because it wasn't really a hard project - guess I got distracted by too many little quilts calling out to me.
Another view showing how each row is a different design. The finished size of the rug is 26" x 53" and I used a #8 cut for the entire thing.
And here you can see the crocheted edge I attempted for the first time. I had yardage of this brown wool and it was great to cut strips of wool that were three feet long to use for this. Although it's not perfect, it's good enough for me.
I think my favorite row is the red & gold Greek Key at the far right end - what's yours?
I have finished the twin sized quilt I made for my grandson!
Here is is laid out on the floor before assembling.
Here it is while being quilted on my home sewing machine at the kitchen table.
And thanks to a timely post from Kyle - who blogs at Timeless Reflections - I even made a label for the back of the quilt! Thanks for the reminder of how important this step is Kyle!
Yesterday was the 1st Tuesday and our rug group met at Angela's house this month. Lots of great show & tell - as well as a yummy lunch and delightful conversation!
Sandy got her rabbit rug done in time to display it for Easter last weekend!
And now she's working on these fall pumpkins with a big yellow moon and a couple of crows.
Tonia made a fun, fun wooly basket to store worms or whatever else she might want to put in it. With all those pockets around the outside she can carry her hooks, scissors, cell phone and other goodies. You can see more details photos on her blog. She made it from a pattern designed by Kerry Stitch Designs - who is a local gal - but she changed all the appliques to her own designs.
Her new project is a fairy tale rug - Billy Goats Gruff - and it's off to a great start! I can't wait to see that troll under the bridge all hooked up!
Last month Angela helped teach a dyeing class for our state Rug Hooking Guild. When she got home she dyed two pieces of wool using a technique that one of the other gals taught - isn't it beautiful? I missed that meeting but hope to get the information so I can give it a try too.
Angela shared this Disappearing Nine Patch quilt that she recently made - she's says it's really, really easy - but has a lot of WOW factor when it's done!
Jeanette also had a quilt to share - a table runner that she's making for the 4th of July - I love how the center of each star has a different quilt block in it - and of course the color combination is always a winner!
Jeanette's Fraktur Bird is finished and bound now - such a fun little piece that Sharon designed.
I should have the crocheted edge of my row rug done soon and I'll be posting pictures of it then. Trying to decide on what to hook next - I have several UFO's that I should finish - and I'd love to hook a 5'x7' area rug for my living room - so we'll see what I end up doing.......
