Coping in October

 Living in the United States of America has become exceedingly stressful. If you care about our Constitution and Bill of Rights anyway. And I do care. Deeply. Which has made it hard to make time to create but at the same time makes it more important that I do take the time to be creative. Factor in my advancing age and chronic disability on top of it all and the result is fewer and fewer blog posts!

Over the years I acquired a scrap of what I assume was a curtain fabric and a scarf that both feature images from the Revolutionary War period of the USA. They've been languishing in my stash since the beginning of time - or at least, the beginning of my quilt making career. This is the year they've been waiting for. Not the 250th anniversary of the founding of this nation but one year shy of it. 🫤

 

The curtain scrap has been virtually used up. (I can't find what was left of it.) This is what's left of the scarf. I cut one square from it for a page in the little book I've been making and two more squares for what will likely become the inside of the cover. I didn't know I would be making a separate cover when I began this project. I thought this would be the front cover:

That's the piece of curtain fabric that was most appropriate for my purposes. On top of a navy blue cotton printed with tiny stars. Turn that page to reveal...

 I've discovered I really enjoy raw edge applique. Who knew? I've avoided applique like the plague up 'til now. Still not interested in turning edges under or cutting layers to create an image. But let me fussy cut words and phrases or images out of fabric and I'm on my way!

 The little wooden sign on the right hand page of this spread reads 'Home Sweet Home.' I've also found some freedom in working at not trying to make everything perfect. 

 

 

The more I worked on this little book the more the beads and sequins and buttons came into play. Behind the statue of Liberty I tried to indicate the various people that have contributed to the building of this nation.

 This is the first image I cut from the scarf. The pages of this book are roughly 3.5" square.

 This is what I have laid out for the back cover. Originally I thought it would be on the outside but now I'm thinking the inside. I have an idea for the exterior of the cover... we shall see what transpires. 

 

Warpping Up (in) January

 Our corner of the world has had a very mild winter up until this week. Suddenly we are experiencing below freezing temperatures overnight and well into the morning hours. There's even a chance we'll see a bit of snow in the next couple of days. I'm actually glad to have this change in the weather as it feels more appropriate to the season than what we've had until now. Still, winter has never been my favorite time of the year. 

The prompt for Tori's (KoolKookyKreatures on YouTube) postcard sew-along this January was "Snow Day!" I wasn't excited by this prompt - as you may have guessed. But I found some crazy patchwork I'd done all in white several years ago. That made for a great base.

I'd picked up that large applique somewhere along the way and it put me in mind of wind blowing. I used some bits of lace to create mounds of snow and a mini pom-pom trim along the top and bottom edges. A few snowflake sequins and a charm, some tiny white cross stitches scattered in the background, and I was done! I was pleased at how quickly it all came together once I got started. The prompt for February is "Feathered Friends." So far I don't have a clue how I will approach that one. Plenty of ideas, of course, but nothing in the planning stage yet.

The other project I've been working on this month is a little fabric book I'm calling "Just Ducky." It began with a vintage child's handkerchief. I folded it in half with a scrap of quilt batting between the layers to create the cover.

Inside I'm layering other fabrics and laces to create the pages. This is the third or fourth such book I've made so far. They began as needle books but are gradually evolving. This one will have a few pockets in it and a wool page that could be used for storing needles and pins but is less utilitarian than previous versions. (Come to think of it, I don't think I've shared previous versions with you. I'll have to make sure to do that soon.)

This is one of the embellished pages in "Just Ducky." And below is another.

When it is finished I'll share every page. I'm enjoying the challenge of working with vintage hankies. This is also giving me a place to use the charms and beads and laces I've collected over the years. It's about time I started using more of the treasures that have come into The Magpie's Nest! 

In the Studio With Gracie

 Our newest family member has been with us for almost two months now. One surprise has been to discover that she actually watches the television!

And now you can see how I have filled my limited working space. 😉

She has also delighted us with her efforts to bury a new chew-bone. She carries it from room to room, looking for the best place to bury it. She has tried to bury it in the cushions of the couch, under a quilt on a bed, and in the depths of my scrap basket. I've tried to keep the scraps in that basket sort of organized, mostly by the project they came from. After Gracie pulled her bone from the basket half of the contents had been dumped on the floor. I didn't have time to sort them when I replaced them. Needless to say, the basket has been higgeldy-piggeldy since then. 

I have reorganized the scraps from the basket. They won't all fit in anymore (no surprise there; it was overflowing before Gracie rearranged things). I have put the larger pieces back in the basket and kept the strips separate. 

The basket measures 8" deep and 13" wide. It's still overflowing.

These are the piles of strips. My challenge now is to utilize them somehow. The obvious solution is a very liberated log cabin set of blocks. I'm not sure my OCD will let me do that however. Stay tuned. 

On another front, I was doing some embroidery the other day. My favorite threads to use are perle cottons. Apparently I left a ball of Valdani on my work table while I was busy in the kitchen. I happened to be alone in the house at the time (a rare occurrence) so there was no one else to monitor Gracie's actions. In the studio she hopped up onto my chair and snatched the ball of thread. This is what I found on the floor when I returned to the studio.

I was glad to see the label intact at least. I spent yesterday untangling and winding the thread onto an empty spool. ALL DAY yesterday, aside from short breaks for play time and meals. After two hours this is the progress I'd made.

I didn't find any damage to the thread itself in the course of untangling and winding. Another mercy to be grateful for. 

And now I have this lovely fat spool of thread to return to my stash of perle cottons. It was after eight o'clock in the evening when I wound the last length onto the spool. I hope I won't have to do this again!

To my readers in the United States I wish you a Thanksgiving Day full of family and friends, love and laughter. Not to mention gratitude! 😊

Introduction to 2024

 I have to preface this post with the fact that my new year did not begin auspiciously. Subsequent days have been much better, thank goodness, so now I feel a bit better about the whole thing. 😉

Faithful visitors may be surprised to learn that I have not been working on a quilt of any kind lately. Instead there's been more of the hand stitching that you've seen occasionally here. It's looking very much like there will continue to be more of that sort of thing. I've never been one for resolutions. New projects, group projects, stitch alongs, that sort of thing has more appeal for me. And there's no shortage of such things to be found on YouTube and elsewhere. (I confess, I've been spending a lot of time on YouTube.) I have a list of ladies who stitch that I'm following, and several of them have instigated projects I find tempting. I suspect that I will be picking and choosing from among their various prompts rather than adhering to one particular path or another. 

Having said that, there is one stitch along that I hope to participate in throughout the coming year. It's hosted by Tori at KoolKookyKreatures. It is not a demanding project, just one 4" x 6" textile postcard per month. She has created a prompt for each month already so I have a good idea what's coming up. I've already stitched my postcard for January:

The theme was "Cozy It Up." I chose to use flannel scraps and a couple of other fabrics that have the same velvety feel to make a replica of a cozy crazy quilt. A couple of books and a furry companion complete my scene. The orange and black plaid puts me in mind of a fire. The button is wooden, standing in for the log in a fireplace. 

Several of the stitchers I follow are planning to do some kind of slow stitching every week this year. This is where I expect to be picking and choosing among the opportunities presented. To begin the year I have done some fabric weaving per Kathryn's example. 

Once the weaving was done there had to be stitching and embellishing of course! 

And because of my chemical sensitivities I do not go into stores or most other public places anymore. Which means I spend a couple of hours a week sitting in the car while someone else does the shopping, etc. Sometimes I will have a book to read or some other diversion but often I use that time to do some random stitching. I've learned that I'm most comfortable stitching on small pieces held in my hands rather than on a hoop. I make sure I have a square of about 4" in a cute bag with my assortment of Sulky 12wt threads, a tiny needle book, and scissors when I know I'm going to be in the car for a time. 

Mostly I use the neurographic approach on these squares. I take my needle for a walk across the square and then fill in the areas with whatever feels good in the moment. 

On this piece I wanted to play with the pastel threads I've collected. I also put a scrap of batting under the purple fabric just to see how it would feel. I do like the squish you get with batting but in this case it made the chain stitches harder to accomplish in one movement, From now on I will probably stick to just two layers of cotton. In fact, I started a new square today:

This one will likely be all blanket stitches. Or nearly all anyway. This was inspired by Jo of peaceofpie studio. 

There will be patchwork in 2024, I'm sure, but for the time being I'm enjoying the gentle, quiet activity of pulling thread through fabric. 

Stitchin' Through Stress

I've had some new-to-me items come into my space recently. I try to only acquire second hand textiles that can be laundered and made safe for me. Sadly, there are laundry products out there that are designed to hold onto the chemicals that create fragrance. One such item seems to have come into my hands, a vintage hankie. Even after going through the wash cycle I could tell it still wasn't safe. I soaked it in warm water with a heavy dose of baking soda, then rinsed it in vinegar. I put it outside in the sun to dry. Frankly, I haven't had the courage to get close enough to it since then to see how safe it may or may not be. Hopefully I'll be able to use and enjoy it one day. Not as a hankie, but for a project I have in mind. 

In an effort to cope with the effects of the toxic materials I started another strip or scroll. Something to keep my hands busy while my brain was unable to function. I began with a 2.5" x 44" strip of a white-on-white print. On top of that I've been laying scrap pieces from assorted fabrics and securing them with simple embroidery stitches. 

This first section was some piecing that didn't work in the junk journal quilt I made a little while ago. The yellow next to it is a bit of damask. The purple strip is actually prefabricated bias tape.

After the damask I put down a piece of red and white ticking stripe, then a scrap from a man's silk tie. The ticking has since been covered with a couple of yo-yo's (aka Suffolk Puffs) and they are surrounded by chain stitches. My thread of choice is size 12 perle cotton usually. I've also been using a slightly lighter weight cotton thread and stranded floss on occasion. You can't tell, but I used a silk floss for the "petals" of the stylized flower on the silk tie. The blanket stitches were done with perle cotton.

This section was cut from a sample of fabric from India. I have no idea what the fiber content may be. It doesn't feel natural, that's for sure. 

These are the last two pieces I'm planning to put on this particular scroll. The plaid is a flannel and the floral might be a linen. I haven't decided yet how I'm going to embellish these two pieces. Probably more vine effect and leaves on the floral. 

This is only half of the width of the strip covered. My plan is to fold the remainder of the strip back on itself to cover the back of the work. So it will be shorter than other scrolls I've made. But it will also have a clean back on it where the others are still rather a mess. 😉 I have no idea what may become of it after that. 

Peaceful Sunday Morning

I went across the street to our mailbox yesterday to discover that the birds had planted a blackberry bush nearby. It was laden with fruit ready for the picking. I went back to the house, got a small bowl - because I'm probably the only one in the house who will eat these berries - and returned to the bush. It was more extensive than I realized at first. I filled my bowl but could easily have picked more. So, when the air quality and the temperature were at delightfully low levels again this morning I went back and picked another bowlful of blackberries!

 There are still more berries on the bush. Some are not quite ready for picking, some are out of reach. That blackberry bush has thorns that are more vicious than the ones on my roses! Speaking of which, the Charlotte rose has been producing abundantly this year.

This is a very minimal view of what Charlotte has on display.

 

 Which is not to imply that the Queen of Sweden has been a slacker. She's just not as abundant at the moment. And what there is is hard to photograph. 

I'm going to take full advantage of this day of rest to take a breather from the quilt I've been building. This will be my interpretation of a junk journal. It began with some panels from a line of fabric that is called Art Journal.

 I've been collecting text prints for years now. This has been the project to bring them out to play.

 My plan has been to build up the panels and then other bits and pieces into blocks that will finish at twelve inches square. Four of those across and five down would create a quilt 48" wide and 60" long. I wanted something a bit larger than that but didn't want to make more 12" blocks. I've suffered a series of minor toxic exposures while this has been underway and that makes thinking difficult to impossible. So, during a lucid moment, I figured I could make 4" wide sashing strips to go between the blocks in rows and then 3" sashing to go between the rows. That will give me a top that measures about 60" wide and 72" long. 

This is where I am at the moment:

There are a few more 4" sashes to make, and then the 3" rows. I'm on a September deadline. The quilting won't take long as I imagine a simple meander will be all it needs or wants to hold it together. I just need a few more days of good air quality and energy to get it done!

Crisis Averted

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been happily sewing up scrappy blocks lately. 

 Friday I got up to press seams and when I returned to my sewing machine the screen was black. It didn't respond when I toggled the on/off switch. I unplugged it and plugged it back in. Still nothing. I'd recently replaced the power strip I have it plugged into so I was confident power was flowing. All the room lights were on after all, and the iron seemed to be functioning just fine. Nearly in a panic I called my trusted sewing machine service man, Bill. It was close to closing time for him so there was no point in trying to take the machine in to him but he did spend time with me on the phone, offering what advice and counsel he could. It appeared I would need to replace my beloved Phoebe (Pfaff tiptronic 2040). Many tears were shed. 

Bill told me about the machines he carries, the Janome line. I've heard good things about them over the years. Given his four decades of servicing sewing machines I place a lot of confidence in his opinions. I'm not in a position to go to other vendors to try out other brands either. He recommended a model he had in stock and we made the commitment to purchase. I packed up my little Phoeobe and mourned her passing. 

I haven't unpacked the new sewing machine yet. My sweet husband took time out from his busy schedule to go pick it up for me but I just couldn't face learning a new machine at that point. Is anyone else unnaturally attached to their sewing machine like I am?! 

When I had finally calmed down somewhat I was impressed to check the power strip Phoebe had been plugged into. Because it's new to me I am less familiar with its' layout and operation. It's also black and gray, which has become harder for me to see unless I'm right on top of it. (The previous strip was white and had fewer outlets available.) I thought it odd that there was no little indicator light glowing. Sure enough, the power strip had been turned off. The on/off switch on that model is on an end. Apparently I'd kicked it, turning it off, in passing from the ironing board back to my sewing chair. When I turned it back on and plugged Phoebe back in she worked just fine, and has since. I can't describe the relief! Euphoria might do it. 😁

I've been using Phoebe for some 20 years. The question now is, do I keep the new Janome against the time Phoebe finally does kick the bucket or shall I return it? I do have my other Pfaff, Ruby Blue. She's a newer machine but I have never been as comfortable using her as with Phoebe. It may be time to send her on to a new home and hang onto the Janome...

Spooky NIghts

We are gearing up for Halloween here in the States. 🎃 

Some of us have been at it more diligently than others. This has traditionally been one of my more favorite holidays to decorate for. I love the colors of the season and enjoy the whimsy and even the macabre elements. I do not do horror or anything remotely demonic. Our decor this year has been seriously lacking however. The smokey air has had a lasting impact. There have been other distractions as well. Daughter discovered that the Halloween themed pillowcases I'd made for the members of her family in years past had been ruined in storage. So the energy I might have spent in getting out our Halloween decorations was put toward making replacements. 

For Mom and Dad I made a pair of cases in this print combination:

Steampunk Halloween

 For the daughters I made a selection, not sure who would choose which.

I did have one of the grands in mind when I purchased the gnome print and, sure enough, that's the one she chose. 😁

 I had other fabrics that had been set aside for pillowcases but had never been sewn up. I took the opportunity to make up a couple of those while I was sewing this bunch. In the end I made 9 pillowcases! (Didn't think to take pictures of the others though.) 

Historically we didn't get many trick-or-treaters on Halloween. The last few years we've kept our porch lights off to discourage the attempt. I just can't handle the scents, even to hand out candy. 😢 I do miss seeing the kiddos in their costumes.

Scrap Happy Follow-up

 I meant to post this sooner, but we've had very poor air quality around here for the past week. It's been so bad that even inside I had to wear a mask. Drift from wildfire smoke, coming from nearly every direction. I brought a small air purifier into the studio and stayed in there as much as possible. That helped, but I still didn't have it in me to accomplish much. We finally had some rain the last two days and things have improved significantly. On the other hand, I've been forced to purchase a new iron and the fumes coming off the first use are not doing me any favors. 

In my last post I showed the quilt top I created from scrap strips. 

A three inch border has put a calming frame around the busy flimsy.

I'm very pleased with the way this turned out. It will be about 60" wide and 78" long after quilting. Now I just have to create a back for it...

Elizabeth vs. Darcy, Jane vs. William

 As much as I've longed for the end of August - because of the heat - I find it hard to believe it's actually here! The heat seems to have also robbed me of the ability to remember to take pictures of the small needlework projects I've made when it was too hot to have the iron going. They would be termed slow stitch in modern parlance but to me they're just small pieces of intuitive embroidery. They were fun to do and turned out well overall. (I'm still working on valuing process over end result.) We've had better air quality this summer, for which I'm grateful. No wildfires close enough to affect us I assume. The heat may have kept neighbors from outdoor cooking too, which is helpful.

Anyway, some time ago I purchased a bundle of Jane Austen at Home fat quarters as much out of curiosity as anything else. I thought I might be able to combine those prints with some William Morris reproduction prints I've acquired. It's been on my mind for a while. Finally I brought them all out to see what I could do. I made a few flying geese out of the larger scale prints and fussy-cut focal patches for the variable or sawtooth stars I so enjoy making. I may not have made the best choice for background for the stars (it's a bit busy) but from a distance I think it works.

The star in the middle of the photo above is the only bit of William Morris that's made it into the project so far. I'm not sure I'll be able to convince Jane and William to get along together. I've drawn from other prints in my stash to add variety. The colors in the Austen prints are not the sort of thing I've collected. 

 Not that color representation here is accurate. 

This is where I'm at currently. It's only 32" wide and 40" long. After much searching I've found another deep red I think will work as a frame around this medallion. What happens after that remains to be seen. I'm happy to have this be a small quilt, lap size, but it needs to be larger than this!

What Happened to the End of April?!

It's true: time flies whether you're having fun or not. I have been busy with happy things but the last couple of days have been a challenge. I may have mentioned that Luna has begun having seizures this year. (Or was it the tail end of last year?)

 

The vet put her on phenobarbital in an effort to keep them under control. It seemed to be working, up to a point. Then suddenly she had five seizures over the last 24 hours and three in the 12 hours prior to that. They are very stressful to witness, to say nothing of the lack of sleep involved and cleaning up afterward. You must know they don't occur during the hours I'm awake and alert. We have increased the dosage and so far have been without another event for over 12 hours. The poor dog is now blind and practically deaf. We have no idea how old she may be because she was a rescue. Fingers crossed we still have a few good years with  her. I won't be getting another pet. I'm just not able to be the responsible pet owner I want to be anymore. 

On a happier note, I have begun a new quilt project. The youngest of my nephews is finally getting married. They won't be getting a bed size quilt, nor will it be ready before the wedding takes place. Nevertheless it sounds like they will be pleased to have a couch quilt in colors the bride suggested. Or as close as I can get given differences in perception. 😉

She originally sent me a picture of a low volume quilt. The next photo she sent featured colors very similar to the starry quilt I just made.

Which apparently I need to get a picture of in its' finished state! Instead of more stars I have decided to do another version of Bonnie Hunter's Scrappy Trips quilt. It's a process I'm comfortable with and can be worked up fairly quickly. I have also decided to have a go at a more low volume palette.

The original palette suggestion was ivory, tans, and sage green. The second photo was more teal and ivory and included shades of cinnamon. The teals in my stash were too bright so I've chosen to tone down the green overall and focus on the cinnamon instead. 

There has been some hand stitching since my last post, and the completion of the secret project (except for binding). In addition, James had the opportunity to do some quilting for a friend of one of my SIL's. 

This liberated log cabin was hand pieced long before liberated patchwork became a trend. Strips were pieced together to get the desired length, bits were added to corners to make it fit to the next block, and blocks were chopped in half. The outer border was sewn on with apparent disregard for any kind of consistent seam allowance. James used a handmade template to help create the fan quilting - all of his quilting is hand guided, not panto or computer generated stitches.

I don't know who made the embroidered label on the lower front corner.

 It will never be a square quilt but I trust it will be cherished for the family history built into it. It's pretty obvious that the fabrics came from a variety of sources. We've identified everything from pajamas to curtains and tablecloths. It's a true time capsule!

 

Embellished Tags

My shoulders, arms, and hands are finally feeling better. Not what they once were, but at my age I don't guess I can expect anything to be what it once was. The trick now will be to ease back into my needlework and quilt making activities without going overboard. To that end I have chosen to make a few more textile collages that I can mount on tags. The tags I have were bought several years ago from our local Office Depot. They were labelled as shipping tags. They measure 2.25" wide and are 4.75" high. That gives me about 2" x 4" to play in. I have two to show you. This first one began with a cloth napkin that had a rose bud stitched in one corner. It was awfully neutral so to give it some color  I wrapped the stitches of the rose bud with a silk floss and the leaves with cotton. 

I love to play with charms and beads in my work so I have quite a collection to choose from.

I also had a play with a skinny strip of some mysterious striped fabric, creating a ruffle with some of it and just stitching the rest down flat.

That tag has layers of textiles but they are all secured to the napkin base. This second tag developed in a whole different way.

 I actually started with the scrap of lace and built downwards. I liked the lace over the William Morris repro print that ended up being the bottom layer but it blended in too much. I needed a bit of contrast. That's when the chambray scrap turned up. I decided to do a bit of feather stitching to dress it up a bit, with size 12 perle cottons.

Then I felt the Wm. Morris print needed dressing up too.

The script print, button, and dangling fibers at the top were added at the end to hold everything together. I've used Scotch brand double sided tape in strips to mount the textiles to the tags. I find it interesting that I've been able to embrace raw edges at last. The perfectionist in me would not have allowed that in the past. 😉 

These will be sent to the Disabled Artists Foundation Inc. for an upcoming fund raising auction. I may even get one or two more made before I send anything off!