teeny, tiny stitches?

I think my reluctance to hand-quilt was due mainly to when I would tell people that I was hand-quilting and it seemed the first thing out of their mouth was, 'Ooh? How many stitches per inch?' Huh? I would then guiltily glance down at my work and see that 3 or 4 was not the answer they were looking for. Wow. This bar of standard seemed ridiculously high and I knew there was no way I was ever going to grasp it or even come close to--what?.....13, 15 or even 16 stitches per inch....so why bother.

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But then I looked closely at quilts from long ago. Just like the one pictured above. My great-great aunt hand-quilted this beauty and *gasp* she's not even close to 15 or 16 stitches per inch....and guess what? It does not detract from the value. In fact, it solidifies that I dearly love her work & her stitches are things of beauty and grace.

(having just finished the feather wreath in the middle of this project, I am just tickled how this cross-hatch is turning out. And I'm not kidding--running your fingertips along these stitches is the coolest feeling...)

In fact at the hand-quilting class that I recently took, many of us uttered the ol' well-how-many-stitches-do-I-need-to-be-stitching? to our instructor, Nadine and she chuckled as she replied:

'It doesn't matter how many stitches you have, as long as they are consistent."

I think I could have just kissed her.

So now I sit, with a smile because I know my stitches will not win any awards for being teeny and/or tiny, but Nadine was right----hand-stitching has been proven to lower one's blood pressure and the rhythmic, simple, stitching is truly stress-relieving & once again I debunk my self-doubt and just enjoy.......

the pattern emerges

Now, whoever thought that you could make such intricate lace patterns with just a simple hook & thread?

Just by yarning over and making a double crochet a pattern emerges.... And this is my favorite part--when you can actually see the pattern appearing.

Right now this doily only measures about 9 inches. The finished size? Only 33 1/2 inches. Only.The picture of the completed doily is so lovely and even tho the rating is challenging...I fell in love with the beauty of such a large crocheted table-top.

Good thing baseball season is starting and since I will be occupying the bleachers at our local youth baseball diamond....well, in between my people-watching, 'woo-hooing' as our son gets up to bat, & trying to clap without upsetting my WIP, I will hopefully be sitting there with a soon-to-be 33 1/2 doily.

simply out of my head

I simply pulled ideas out of my head to put these lazy angles together as a small quilt. Using the vintage feed sack material from my grandma (the red & yellow flowered fabric) and scraps from past projects, I laid them out on my design floor (ha ha) and couldn't believe how well these 2 colors compliment each other.It reminds me of cafe curtains hanging in a kitchen during the 1950's. I just love that era and love to duplicate that feeling.

Simple yo-yos with tiny hand-appliqued leaves and stems will go nicely with the embroidery that I will do to complete the blocks. The iron-on transfers are also vintage and come from my great-aunt. She gets such a kick out of me still using something of hers from so long ago.

I can't wait to get started on the embroidery on this quilt. It's an actual warm, physical feeling that starts to radiate within me. And then I read how she actually puts her fabric on the dashboard of her car when coming home from her fabric purchase and I laugh because that truly is the same passion that so many of us share. And better yet---admit to.

flowers, friends & lazy girls

We spotted this flower in our garden this morning on our walk to the end of the driveway to catch the school bus. The vibrancy of such a simple tulip almost stunned me.

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Something else that stuns me is how nice all of you are....you ,who comment on my blog or leave emails....(I have to wonder if you are really real...) because I have never met such a wonderful circle of women who truly lift me up and oh, make me smile with the lovely things you 'say'. Your helpfulness in finding a thimble is just the beginning. I say to my husband all of the time that I have formed friendships with women whom I have never even met. How weird is that? *grin* Okay. Not weird at all, but please know that I am oh, so fond of you & you are all so, so appreciated.

I bought this Lazy Angle from Lazy Girl Designs to help with my very limited mathematical un-ability to put a block together without a pattern. This ruler makes the calculations for you and zip, zip, sew, sew and wow! a few stitches and you have a block.

I have no idea what these blocks will become yet. Quilt? Wall-hanging?.....For now I am just fiddling around and trying out so many different angles.

smitten with this

Yes, I am smitten with this. This being hand-quilting, of course. After my practice flower on simple muslin at my first ever hand-quilting class last weekend, I am now doing a larger feather design with a lattice background on pale green fabric. This will hopefully become a wall-hanging in our bedroom.

I found this book and oohed and aaaahed over every single page. You want to see exquisite Whitework Quilting??----my, oh, my----be prepared to gasp at every page turn. Her designs and quilts are simply amazing. She opts for long-arm quilting instead of the hand-quilting, but I am just smitten with the loveliness of this book.

My favorite part of this is running my fingertips over the stitches. They feel so complete. So put-together. As if this is exactly what this fabric and thread was waiting for.

Just one tiny, little problem. And actually it's a big problem when dealing with hand-quilting. For the life of me I can not find a thimble that is comfortable or fits properly. I am searching and will not give up the hunt because somewhere out there is the perfect thimble.....

hand quilting

I just returned from a hand-quilting class at our local quilt & fabric store. The teacher , Nadine, has studied extensively with women who only hand sew. She used Alex Anderson's book and was a wealth of information. I soaked up every thing she had to say.

Such as: use polyester instead of cotton batting. I brought cotton. Bring loosely woven muslin. I brought tightly woven muslin. Use #9 quilting needles. I brought #10's.......okay, probably not off to a good start. But once I got the kinks worked out, I L.O.V.E.D. it! Absolutely, feel in love with this whole process. Sheesh! I was giddy after just tracing the stencil....and got a few stares from the other women there with my show of enthusiasm.

And of course, if I need an excuse to make another bag, I will come up with one. Who can show up to their first day of class without a new bag? So I used some fabric from Fat Quarter Shop, an embroidered vintage dresser scarf, and no, couldn't stop there. I also crocheted this chatelaine to hold my needles, thimble and scissors.

It was the first time that I have taken a class such as this and I came home dancing a jig with what I learned.

randomness

I've been tagged by Jackie from Canton Village Quilt Works to list 7 random facts about myself.
Here are the rules:
1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post THE RULES on your blog.
3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.
4. Tag 7 people and link to them.
5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

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7 random facts about me

1. I love, love, love the look & feel of fabric. The colors & textures seem to come out & touch all of my senses.

2. Even weirder---I love, love, love to iron fabric.

3. I would much rather sew by hand than with machine.

4. I would love to open my own yarn store. My husband groans when he hears this because it's only about every day that I say this to him.

5. There is something about the hydrangea that completely mesmermizes me. So beautiful. The hues of purples, blues, white...each intricate petal forms such a gorgeous blossom.

6. Autumn is my favorite season.

7. My husband bought me a box of crayons for an anniversary present. Strangely I have received diamonds from him but crayons are still my favorite.

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Now, for some of you, you'll have to pretend with me. I know how hard it was for me to list personal facts about myself because I am a very private person. But transport yourself back in time to when women sat around in their desirable quilting bees.

Still with me? Good. Because I know those women of long ago shared personal tidbits about themselves all in the name of warm friendship between quilters, neighbors & friends. And I secretly desire to sit down with all of you and actually share in laughter, gabbiness and the stitching of a hand-pieced quilt. Keeping that in mind, I am tagging--remember--think: virtual quilting bee!--to share 7 random facts about yourself:

1. Dandelion Quilts

2. Knot Garden
3. Pincushion Diaries

4. QuilterSal's Pieceful Harbor
5. Spring Thinking
6. Suzy's Quilting Room
7. Tallgrass Prairie Studio

I know, I know most of you have been tagged 6 times since Tuesday, but just pretend that I am that old, old woman invited to the quilting bee that is sooooo hard of hearing & a tad bit forgetful and you just need to repeat everything many, many times just so that I can hear it and understand it.....or, just smile and nod and link back to the post that lists the first time you participated in this...*grin*