Farm Quilt Block #12

Farm Quilt Block #12
Originally uploaded by lasassone

Meow!

The 12th block of the Ruby McKim Farm Quilt set is a cat which I very quickly did Friday night while watching t.v. I just love that program "Numbers" on Friday evenings. It brings back the time in college when I was a real math geek.

Next up is the rooster and then a hen. Mr. Rooster is quite complicated with all this feathers. I worked on it yesterday during our Delta Crazy Stitcher's monthly meeting. I have it all done except now I must move to 1 strand of floss to do his face and feet.

Stitch On!

Block 11 & some seams

Well, I finished block #11 last evening while watching tv. Here we have the farm dog - a collie I would guess. I managed to get 6 more designs transfered yesterday, so I have 5 left now, which should keep me busy for a few evenings.

This morning I put some finishing touches on the Making Memories crazy quilt block. Here below are 3 of the seams - just a little preview of the block whick I should be able to share tomorrow.

More of Linda's CQ work

Wedding Dress she Silk Ribbon Embroidered

Garden Cart

Back of Caged Bird Jacket

Caged Bird Jacket

Mrs. Muse Art Doll

Moment of Repose Wallhanging

My Dragon Had a Bad Hair Day Wallhanging

Birdhouse Blues Wallhanging

One of her donation blocks for the Omaha Auction Quilts

Bull/Cow(?) block for Ruby McKim Farm Quilt

Bull block for Ruby McKim Farm Quilt
Originally uploaded by lasassone

Is it a bull or a cow? Look at those horns? But it's got udders? Well, in the 25 blocks set of this Ruby McKim pattern, this is the only "cattle" design, so perhaps we will never know!

While we were at the beach last month I finished this, the 6th block for my Ruby McKim Farm Quilt. I think I'm beginning to like putting a 2nd piece of fabric behind the stitching, although in this picture, you can see that when you press the block well, the knots kind of show through.

I think I can live with that because at least the red thread doesn't show through the front as it would with just one layer of fabric. I'm still being careful of making jumps too far and hiding my thread tails. Old habits are hard to break.

I've had to take a small break from these Farm Quilt blocks so that I can embellish a block for the next Making Memories Breast Cancer Quilt Project. The last time I participated in one of their projects, 3 quilts were made from the donated blocks. I believe I heard too that those 3 quilts will be on display this year at the big Houston quilt show.

This time around the theme is Dragonflies & Butterflies and the all-white blocks are to be embellished with jewel tones. I chose Amber & Purple to use on mine. I'm actually finding it rather difficult to work in these colors on a white blocks, but I'm sure when I finish the block will be great. If there is one thing I've learned after 9+ years of crazyquilt stitching, it is to not to make judgements about a piece until it's finished. This also will be a tough one for me because I usually stitch on lots of beads after all the seam stitching is done and they don't want ANY beads on these blocks........I won't feel as if the block is done!

Next block in the Farm Quilt set is the Sheep, not the Piggies, as I first said...........stay tuned!

Block 1-Ruby McKim Farm Quilt

Block 1-Ruby McKim Farm Quilt
Originally uploaded by lasassone

For some time I have been trying to get to this design set. So with a trip ahead of me, I thought it might be a perfect time for a new Redwork project. I traced off the first 3 blocks and then finished this one this morning. So, I have two to take on my trip to work on in my spare moments.
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I am using DMC color #355 which is a copper-red hue. The reason for the color is that I was spurred to do these blocks when I found the perfect fabric to use as alternate blocks in a quilt or wallhanging. I matched the thread to the major colors of the print which is an all over print that looks like Fall scenes of a farm and rolling hills. I plan to fussy cut scenes for the alternate blocks.
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The embroidered blocks are approximately 7" square and I am using regular outline stitch for the major parts of the designs and backstitching for the small details such as the window panes. In the case of the attic window in this design, I even went down to just one strand of floss.
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The next block I'm doing is the farmer on the old fashioned tractor.
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Stay tuned & Stitch On!

2008 Take It Further Challenge - August Block

I have finally gotten back to stitching on my Take it Further Color challenge blocks from last year. Because of many things I had gotten stalled on the August block but I finished it today!. I actually have all the rest of the months' blocks pieced and just need to do the embellishing on the last 4 months. The 12 blocks will then be put into a wall hanging which will hang somewhere in our home.
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August was the month of the Olympics in China, so I have applied a copy of the olympic flag on the upper left patch.
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On the lower left is a depiction of the Chinese character for "Harmony" which was the theme of the 2008 Olympics.
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In the upper right, again because August is a summer month with much warmth here in Northern California, I applied a bright gold sun with a rhinestone center.
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In the lower right corner, in addition to the badly embroidered name of the month, is a silver ring which I found at Michael's in the bead department. On it is incised the work "harmony" twice.
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In the center I have again done a web and spider on the pansy print. This time I used a small round piece of jet for it's body.
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All the stitches I used on this block are copies from my workbook of stitches I have observed on antique crazyquilts.
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If you scroll down and click on the link to my flickr photos on the right of this blog, it will take you to my photostream and you can see 4 closeups I have posted there.
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Now it's on to my September block!

Stitch On!

Finished Block for Dee's Memorial Quilt

Block for Dee's Memorial Quilt
Originally uploaded by lasassone

I have finally finished my block for Dee's Memorial Quilt Project that Kate is coordinating. The block will be winging it's way to Illinois this afternoon. I you click on the picture, not only will it get larger, you will also be able to see the detail pictures I took of each of the 4 corners and the middle.

I wish I was going to be able to be in Omaha to see the project or projects that Kate will make from the donated blocks. I bet they will be great!

Now I must get busy and finish up my Take It Further blocks from last year. August is almost done and September through December's blocks are pieced and waiting for embellishment.

Stitch On!

Round Robin work on Laura's Block

Laura's RR - dbl run cretan w/gold flower sequins
Originally uploaded by lasassone

This is the 2nd of the two blocks I worked on for our local group's recent round robin. I was last to work on this block also. This picture is on a double run of cretan stitching I did with a varigated pearl cotton thread. Embellishment was done with seed beads and gold flower sequins I recently purchased from Cartright's.

Laura will be turning this block into a pillow for the couch in her newly decorated "Old World" style family room. It's really going to be a lovely pillow!

Below are 2 more picture of the work I did on Laura's block. The first is a row of hearts and alternate designs I did in the center are of her block. The hearts are made of fly stitches. The 2nd is a seam with herringbone stitchinig decorated with straight, fly and detached chain stitches.

Cats Flap!

I am trying to play catch-up during this heatwave. It helps to concentrate on precise cutting and piecing and not think about how I will NEVER EVER complain about winter's cold again. It cannot come soon enough for me! Bring on Fall!

Cats Quiltlet/Flap
Originally uploaded by lasassone

A long while ago (maybe last year?) I promised to make this for my brother and today I finally finished it. Finished? Well, maybe not. I think I still need to run a line of quilting along the inner edge of the outer border to prevent sagging, but I took the finished photos already, so here you have it!

In my brother's motorhome there's an empty space in the cabinetry that used to house a television. His 2 cats use it now as a hidey hole and a place to store their toys. He had this piece of upholstery fabric hanging and when I saw that, I suggested that Bonnie & Clyde deserved something a tad more decorative and elegant. I don't think he thought I would embroider a portrait of his 2 Chaussie cats, but on our next visit this past January he saw me doing the embroidery. He has been very patient, but truth be told, he may have given up on ever receiving this.

But now, after the line of stitching is done, this will go in the mail to Arizona. It measures, by the way, approximately 12" by 16" and if you click on the picture you can see another picture of it that shows the backing which is a different fabric from the front.

My brother will be putting 2 eyelets in the top and it will hang, as the upholstery fabric did, on 2 cup hooks. Thus it will be a cat flap! However, down the road should they not have a need for it anymore, it could be easily displayed on a wall in their home as art!

Now it's on to completing the also-very-late Scotty pillow I promised my #3 granddaughter!

Stitch On!

August TIF Sneak Peek!

Here's a sneek peak at what I've done so far on my August TIF block. At first I was stumped as to what I might put on this block, but then the Olympics began and I slapped my forehead...DUH! I found an Olympic flag on the web and also the little image of the Chinese character for Harmony. I'll be adding a flagpole for the flag and I still have to do the center spider and web too. The print in the middle this month has a bit of a gold web already in the print, so I'll be continuing that into the center. The silk ribbon I have laying there will be used to make a few (maybe 3) SRE sunflowers in that patch above the month's name of "August". Yes, I am going to do some SRE again. I have one of my books out that shows different flowers and I think I can handle a few small ones.

Stay tuned & Stitch On!

May Take It Further Sneak Peek!

Here's a little sneak peek at the work I've done on my May Take It Further Challenge block. I have fallen behind on this challenge for a couple reasons but am now trying to catch up and hope to have this block done this week. I already have the June block pieced, so it's all about embellishments until I catch up and move on to the July challenge which Sharon will post on July 1st.
And here's a little bearded iris motif. This is one of the 4 designs included in the Summer Creativity Challenge on the Hand-embroidery list at yahoogroups. When I needed a motif for this iris-centered block (another hint there....) I copied the iris motif at 50% and it fit perfectly! It is done with one strand of silk floss and I back stitched it. I am less than happy with how the backstitching through tissue paper turned out. It was kind of an experiment. Next time I'll use outline stitch for sure.

Stay Tuned & Stich On!