Another WIP be Gone for 2021 - STAR SPANGLED BIRTHDAY and a giveaway

Star Spangled Birthday
stitched area is 8" x 4" 

Toot toot!  

                            Whoop whoop another finish that is totally done.  

The design is Star Spangled Birthday by From Nancy's Needle and I loved it the first time I saw it.  The stats are being listed for my own reference only and changes I personalized being asterisked for easy notation.  It was basically stitched as designed with the called for threads on 18 count sandstone zweigart mono canvas.

The Watercolors by Caron numbers threads used are:   008 Nerfertiti, 016 Bark, 138 Winter Wheat, 160 Night Sky, 165 Granite, 255 Cornflower Blue,  and 257 Spearmint.  

DMC#5 weight colors were: Ecru, 498 Dark Red Border*, 321 Flag and Bunting*, 823 Navy - Bunting*.  

The Kreinik #12 weight Tapestry Braids used are: TR279 - Dark Multi darker windows on Left home *, 3202 Cats Eye for the Lighted windows.  

Gold Rush #18 used were *GD109C darker windows on Right Home*, GD45C Red, GD136C Navy and then added extra sparkle in the self designed fireworks using an assortment of sparkly threads like, *razzle dazzle Orange, an unknown *Green Sparkle I got through a thrifted mermaid item while visiting Mom in Florida, also unknown maker of two colors of a *Hot Pink Sparkle and an *Aqua sparkle. 

Many fibers were used and am glad I changed it up along the way.   The border colors only used the Rainbow gallery sparkly Blue in it and then I changed the called for Nefertiti red toned to a deeper toned DMC instead with out the sparkle*.  The *patriotic items were brightened up with a truer red as well as the windowed glass bits*.   Also made were changes to the design of the street lamps with a more to my liking simplified lamps and attempted successfully I think, a "truer to my memory" images of actual fireworks going off then the illustrated patterned lightning strike effect printed and designed.    Am so glad as I progress with my hobbies that I'm at liberty (yep- pun intended!) to change and stitch projects my way.  

Also was able to bring it to Aaron Brothers (Michaels) with 2 coupons, a 60% off and with an additional 25% off to get it framed with  the 2  mats and the selected frame which complements it perfectly.  That white pickled finish on the frame has hints of gold brushed through it letting it highlight the light affect of all those threads.  SO in honor of this finish... I did mention a giveaway:

To share in my self-finishing glory and joy,  I'm hosting a giveaway of this gently used chart to the continental US only.  My regrets to my other followers though for this exception but due to expense of international mailings it's unfortunate but too costly.  The winner will be drawn and announced here in November and I'll try contact you if I'm able to.  I plan to mail this out on my Birthday, November 10 to celebrate.   To enter, leave a comment on this post and share what you are most thankful for.  That's it.  Good Luck!

It was a fun stitch and only took me about 3 months to do and that's with sending it out to be framed too,  LOL.   But I work at a snails pace sometimes.  

  

TTFN,

Jane

Giveaway closed,   Sorry there were no entrants, so I will be letting this go in another manner.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Pillow Project completed

 Using scraps from a quilt that was made several years ago I finally made time to artistically morph a panel from a pillow into a complementary accoutrement for my boudoir.  lol   

Though it's small, I did hand applique, machine applique, Ink-tense penciled it (which I quickly eliminated) and then painted with pearlescent acrylic paints in a couple of places that I didn't care for to enhance my vision of it.  Lastly it was quilted in a pleasing enough playful designs for a FINISH.  

Since I didn't want to make another pillow form, I inserted a folded bath towel that was recycled from the totaled camper.  It works.

TTFN

Jane

Hope your Halloween was Happy

October flew by with more happening in and around my home.  My husband continues to do well health-wise and the monthly Boston trips are becoming even more routine.  Typically I try to have a picnic or quick touristy stop nearby with the clinic visits, but didn't scope any out for October as we had so much already going on.

Our first focus for the month was repainting the outside panels of the above ground pool.  CHECK!
Years ago we used "water-filled" gallon jugs to hang off the winter cover (that's what we were told to do to keep that winter cover on).  It didn't work and those water filled jugs just rode up and down on the outside pool panel walls destroying the finish all winter long.  At that time, we used a recommended Epoxy paint to resurface the exterior pool panels.  Because we used a deeper grey tone then we noticed a 5 degree increase in water temperature.  It made make sense when you think about it as darker colors attract and keep more heat than the lighter reflective colors.  Fast forward 25 years later, that surface was getting sun fade and some smaller area blights. So with every thing else going on I thought it best to get it done this fall rather than trying to complete one more spring-time chore and who knows what we'll be dealing with health-wise at that time besides.  My philosophy of taking care of it now rather than later.   DH wasn't too keen on the idea but he slowly warmed up to it after I moved many stones to let the lower part be exposed.  Walls were washed and primed, taped off then painted with an Oil based paint.  The medium darker grey color wasn't available or offered so I thought, okay....we'll use the lighter grey and mix 2 parts of it with one part of black.  It worked and it's a very dark grey -almost too dark but now it's DONE!  Even the landscaping of returning the rocks back to the bottom edging.  Looks good and feels great.  We only have to trim paint the top rail after opening the pool next year.  We also had to replace the pool liner this year as the other one which started leaking dh destroyed it by poking holes allover it so it could drain through the winter which shredded it to pieces.....  long story, but thankfully it's over now.

On a personal focus I had planned to finish the Autumn Medley this past month, a needlepoint kit I started last year while Hurricane Irma was attacking my Mom's neighborhood in The Villages.  And sweet success, I just  finished the last stitches on it this past week.

Autumn Medley designed by From Nancy's Needle on 18 Zeigart Sandstone Mono Canvas
with the called for threads.  Caron Collection Snow- 14 -Mango, Caron Collection Watercolours #137-Copper and #255 Cornflower blue, DMC#5 #435 Very Light Brown, 437 Light Tan, 935 Dark Avocado Green and 3371 Black Brown, Rainbow Gallery Gold Rush 18 GD109C Bronze and Rainbow Gallery Overture V122-Caravan

Since attending my quilt guild in Glens Falls by myself, (I usually travel there with a friend or two) it was a great time for me to travel to KC Frames and Fabrics in Saratoga Springs to check out the framing that she could do on it even though it wasn't completely stitched at that time, I still had the two smallest leaf design elements to finish. They're both in the center areas of the top and bottom.    KC's offered an idea of one mat/frame available that I don't mind but I'm not sure if I'm in love with it after all my work if you know what I mean.

With using a mat, I noticed that just at the edge you could see the mono canvas slightly behind the last row of stitching just beneath the mat edge.  So I used a black magic marker to color three rows of the  mono canvas borders not yet stitched and then decided to stitch one more row of stitches in the same border thread used (Bronze Rainbow gallery GD109C) around the perimeter to counterbalance any loss of design by the matting and framing.

We'll see and I need to stop by some more framing shops before I "pull the trigger" on what I select.

Step one of Secret Santa sew along

The last week end was an annual quilt retreat I love doing with my friend Trudy.  It's become a pilgrimage and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it despite the weather happening along the St. Lawrence seaway.  Thankfully was able to get to the many bits I brought along to get done.  What's that you say..., well I was able to cut out the Prima Diva Clutch with all of it's parts of cloth, fusible batting and interfacings, also got part one all cut out for Temecula's Quilt Secret Santa Sewalong  and all those nine patch blocks are sewn now ( the only change made was using a black Grunge for my center square instead of browns), Step two soon.  Then was able to progress on preparing Homestead Hearth's BOM for my "go to bag".   I only have 3 more blocks to prepare and the border pieces - boy I'm  always amazed at how much time this takes!

I also took two different classes besides all the projects I brought for prep work.   One of a folded star taught by Debbie Baldwin and the other a wool project with Phyllis Acres so I felt really accomplished in getting to all I did besides the talking and reconnecting with friends.  The latter is now a current WIP now being focused on.  lol




While I was doing that dh got to enjoy some quality time with the grands.

Signing off but not before I share a pic of the grand dog with his Halloween costume.


TTFN
Jane

Happy Halloween!

It's the end of October so besides the trick-or-treaters coming around tonight, today we'll be enjoying the Grandparents' Day at school with the youngest grandchildren.  A costume parade, meeting the teachers as well as a nice turkey dinner we don't have to prepare with both PGD#1 and PGS#3 will be nice.  Yesterday was actually our eldest grandson's 21st Birthday too, or where does that time go?  He is doing well and is still attending his school in Ma. hopefully being able to graduate with life skills next year.




Seems like each month time continuously speeds up to higher warp levels lately and I am always feeling way too rushed.  Several friends have lost their mothers recently so my time has been well spent just being there and attending the end of life services that have been bittersweet.  




I am so grateful that I still have my Mom to enjoy.  She actually is heading back to Florida this am as she was able to come visit for the past 10 days.  Didn't get to see her that much, only several times as she enjoyed time with all of my  other siblings along the way, so that's okay, I can share nicely.  With my schedule and transporting the kids to their respective groups; speech, hockey, gymnastics and hip hop class not to mention all the other trips to town needed it's no wonder I went to bed at 7:45 last night!  Of course I won't mentioned the margaritas I shared with Mom for our last  meal.  I crashed when I got home.




The Scaredy Sheep Scissor Fob is completed and looks nice. CHECK! that one off my list.
Table Runner for that new to me sofa table was made when I got the Halloween decorations out, CHECK! that's off my list too.
The Boo! Table Mat hasn't been started yet, but I still have 20 more hours until October ends, LOL (aren't I ever the optimist or should I say fool).

The pics towards the top of this post shows additional projects I started and finished.  That carved pumpkin showing a witch stirring a cauldron over flames done on one of those perpetual pumpkins.  I started it then had DH complete it since I don't have the power with my arms to control the dremel tool.  It was too difficult to manage with my neck spine difficulties and he didn't mind.  Thanks Honey!.
Also with the help of the youngest two grandchildren we created a beautiful wreath for our front door.  It has black roses, many skeletons, and skulls along with a myriad of spiders and glittery bits of whimsical color spinning outwards.  Looks great if I say so myself and I am pleased.  As for sharing the photos, DH has been taking pictures off our older computer and added them to this one and now I can't get to any of my pictures in the normal pattern.  When trying to download the camera, RITZ pics comes up and downloads them there, not my usual autoplay download so I am totally lost!  It also seems to distort the photos where they are more grainy than ever.  How irritating!  It's been fixed!  Not sure how I can fix that.  I  just need a few more hours, days and perhaps even weeks to manage that.   Grrr........! 
Perhaps I best go back to bed now and catch a few more Zzzzzz's. 

If any body has a tip to get our auto feature fixed, I'd sure appreciate it.

Good Night,
Jane

PS:  Last month's book club selected Morning Glory by LaVerle Spencer my Librarian recommended and I truly enjoyed it.  Right now I'm reading November's selection of Still Alice by Lisa Genova and it's pulling me in. It's about a mid life college professor being diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease and talking about screening for the APP, PS1 and PS2 mutations. I think I'll be googling that to read more about it. Even though I'm retired, that lab technician nerdy side of me still wants more information. MUWAWhaha ha ha........

Brody PGS#3 with Addison, a friend he's had since daycare, preschool and now they're in Kindergarten together.  
(He's insisting on her not calling him "Brodybear" anymore, lol.)

Witchy McKenna, PGD#1 with a friend of hers she's had since they were infants, Lexus. 

Their Moms are great friends too.

 

Quilt Show Entry #5

 
Was a Jack in the Pulpit wall hanging.

 

  

The main panel in this was stenciled in 1998 and then it sat.  After getting the borders on a radiant star quilt that shares these fabrics, I was finally able to select which fabric this one called for and am pleased.

This one was finished in about 20 hours worth of time.  Now why did it wait for a decade and a half to get totally done? 

I swear this perfectionism thing is so crippling when it comes to creativity. 

Done is better than perfect any day.

 

For finishing a dark green flange edged between the first maroon border and this batik was the final border. 

For quilting, a meander around the centered stencil's background with an 100 weight ivory silk thread and Superior's Bottom line in the bobbin. For the maroon border, it was just echo quilted 1/4" away from the seam lines with a dual duty thread that matched that color the best. That left the outside border of batik to be quilted with a 100 weight dark green silk in a vine and leaf freehand motif where again a Bottom Line thread was in the bobbin.

All in all this one is pleasing and I am so happy it's done.  It amazed me during the layering process of my hesitation to use "good fabric" for the back and how crippled I became.  Since there really was no time to hesitate in that step I called my Mom after wishy washing for over an hour contemplating which fabrics to use and/or how to do the backing.   Her response was classic.

She said, "On No Janie.  Don't use that fabric.  Wait until you die so your daughter or Wayne can throw it in the trash bin or give it to someone else." 

Obviously I became strong and cut the fabric I wanted.   Will have to frame those words for future projects and reference to stop this paralyzing hesitation.  lol  

Only 2 left to share for entries.  Not sure when, there is more quilting that needs to be done on all three large quilts.  Am currently working on the Tweet Camping, quilting the dark brown sashings and inner borders right now.  Will show all of that when it is totally done.

My list of Four this week is;

1. June's Lil' Miss Shabby embroidery block
2. Brown sashing in Tweet camping quilted
3. Hem work Pants for son's friend
4. Carve a pumpkin

Of course I won't be listing all the other chores needed like chauffeuring, cleaning, cooking and  other hot spots that need action but I'll be making efforts there along with letting my body exercise which it so desires. 

Enjoy your week.  
Jane

 

October's New FO

While catching my breath after the warp speed of getting my projects done for the quilt show there came a time to create some New FO's that I've been wanting and needing to tackle.   First we were able to harvest 65 pounds of Concord Grapes fom our two vines.  While the youngest grand was at preschool, we cut almost all of our grapes off, but left a few clusters for him to cut when he got home.  You have to teach the young ones early about helping in the harvest right?  He had fun.

 

So I got about 30 quarts of grape juice and about 20 pints of Grape Jelly put up for the winter. 

That counts as a New Fo Barb, right?  lol  

A new to us recipe was tried with  a lower sugared version on half of the jelly,

hopefully it will be fine,  crossing my fingers. 

 

 

Next came some New FO's of a different version.  A couple of  arts and crafts projects to do with both grandchildren. 

The idea came from Martha Stewart and I printed out her pumpkin faces on card stock to have ready when the time came.   I tried to share the link with the exact same spot I got these from. but can't find it quickly, sorry.  
Coming back to edit since it was just found here.

 

 

Pretty cute right? 

 

Then my grand daughter taught me how to create a pumpkin with a craft she learned at Girl Scouts.  Her's is on the right and  mine is on the left.  She thought I did okay and she continued to make the centered pumpkin with an idea she had. 

 

 

I do love that she is so creative!

 

 

That brings us to the morning of Halloween, super woman (not sure if I am taking about her or me) here.                                                       Arriving 30 minutes before the AM school bus at my house, she has a broken superwoman boot and the homemade super girl cape I made her earlier this year or last can't be worn with her costumes' velcro parts.  The cape was made to velcro around her neck to close, not hang off a costume and the other type of hook or loop part was needed in one area of it to make it work.                                                                                    Anyways, she asked if I could fix it?  In 25 minutes?    Okay. I'll try, you eat your breakfast and I went to work.  One boot fixed, the velcro changed on the cape, great!  Perfect, got it done.  Then I heard from her, "Thanks Meme you're the best,  but could you fix my other boot like you did this one?"  10 minutes before the bus now....... I got busy, ripped the offending part off the other boot and sewed on new elastic.                                     Finished them all with 3 minutes to spare,  Phew! !!!                           Okay now I'll have my cup of tea.                                                            She caught the bus with a broad smile on her face. 

8:00 AM, That's when the lil' guy asked.  "Can you make a Minion costume for me?"  With the Halloween parade at his sisters' school taking place we had to leave at 8:30 am. 

SEW.....I got busy again

but at least with a cup of tea in hand this time. 

 

First the glasses, thank goodness I had some of my canning stuff not put away yet and  I had an idea......

 

The Ball canning rims for glasses with black elastic super glued in the right areas.   Papa had to search in his clothes for the right yellow tee shirt and Brody went to the mitten and glove box to look and see if we had some black gloves. 

And viola.....

 

  a MINION!   

 

vido, vido, vido......

 

 

He says he's Dave the minion. Too cute! 

 

I told them next year I need more notification though like perhaps several days. 

My daughter laughed with glee when she saw it and heard the story. 

Ahhh, Such is life. 

 

We all had a great time at his sister's school and enjoyed a turkey dinner lunch since Grandparent's Day was also being celebrated. 

When we got home, I had such a yearning for a nap though, I was totally spent!

 Happy Halloween Everyone!!!! 

Jane


Am thinking of making my November New FO one of these.

Quilt show entries, First one- "Tweet Camping"

Thank goodness our local quilt show isn't a judged show, otherwise most of my entries would have been shown to the door.  And no, I am not kidding!   Our show has many ribbons that people can win and people with all kinds of areas, expertise and backgrounds are asked to pick their favorite.  Of course some picks are spectacularly done quilts, well deserving of their awards while some others are nice quilts, but not as great as some that are just as well deserving IMHO.    The show kept taking my breath away with the many and varietied quilts shown.   I also would be remiss not to  mention that a good friend, Michele won a well deserved ribbon for her New York Beauty Quilt entry (Talk about Gorgeous!!!) and my granddaughter won a ribbon for her first Doll Quilt. 

Well done Michele, McKenna and fellow members of CVQG of NY!

 

I did the bare minimum for quilting because I procrastinated way too long.  

When I registered them in June, I figured they  would be done for the show.   

I had 5, Yep,  I said 5 UFOS that I entered. 

I figured that by committing them to be there, I'd get them done.  ROTFLOL!!!!

 

But I swear

I will never,

EVER!

I mean NEVER EVER!!  do this to myself again!!!

 

So this post will share the parts about

 

"Tweet Camping"

 

This quilt came to be  because I found this Bird fabric at my LQS and fell in Love with it.   The pattern design was inspired by a connecting threads kit I saw in their catolog but the dimensions wouldn't work because it was a baby quilt and the much smaller blocks wouldn't play well with this fabric so  I played with lots of math to make my own.  With the pattern, I really like the fact that all of those rectangles were being stacked and packed so to speak (a much needed choir when it comes to camping) so it seemed a perfect fit especially with the wobbliness of those stacks tottering.  Shopping my stash first,  then shopping for  a few more batiks to throw in for good measure gives this quilt a bit of color and punch.  I find projects made from different fabric lines is very appealing.  Quickly,  I even envisioned having shipping peanuts (circular shaped packing protectors) quilted in the white background areas with much more quilting done for the boxes, sashings and borders. So off it went.

 

 

 

What I was able to get done was quilt a "linking squares" meander  in the outside blue borders 

with the "peanut packing" for the white areas. 

Running out of time, I had to leave the rest of the quilting for when I have more time after the show. 

Thankfully it hung well enough at the show not to be too huge of an embarrassment.   A vanilla cream, minkee dot was used for this back which makes it a very cuddly and drapable quilt.  

 

 

Close up shots of the quilting in the border, white spacings while I was auditioning bindings.  

Quilting was done with a Universal needle without any problems

using the minkee dot backing, as for the threads, many were used. 

 

In the borders a Superior Lava Thread called KuKui Nut (soft browns) was used for the top and bobbin.

In the white background a Superior's Kimono white silk(color 373) for the top and

 Superior's White Bottom Line in the bobbin.

I'm thinking of dong a back and forth motion in the sashings and perhaps cross haches in the stacked boxes but am unsure what to do in the bird focal fabric.  Any and all ideas or suggestions are welcome.  What would you do? 

 

 

 

 

I love having piping or flanges on many of my projects, but elected not to on this one and just finished it simply by using the striped fabric that went with this fabric line called  "Love Lives Here" by P. Carter Carpin by P&B textiles.    I love this bird print and it fit the bill nicely for the For the Birds hop I participated in earlier this year.  Another tidbit to share is how a different label was made for it.  I folded 2 blocks with some sashing from that row I took off the quilt since it was really too long before borders and turned them into a label.  If there is any damage in the years to come, that label can help with many of the fabrics contained within.  Also a strip of the selvage from that fabric line was used too as to document more of the information and who wouldn't like the motto "love lives here".

Here's how it looks:

 

 

 

To the left of those stacked blocks is the date, quilt name, place done and maker's name documented centered with more brown and blue fabrics.
 This is the largest label I've ever made, it's huge 14"x 12".

 

 Finally I'll share a shot of "Herman" the weeping cedar bush near the pool deck, showing Tweet Camping in the backyard where love lives here.

Tweet Camping
88" x 88"
 

I'll share more of the quilts that were entered by me bit by bit. Sorry this was photo heavy but I wanted documentation for  future reference.  First item on my agenda this week will be to quilt the sashings on this quilt and read the book The Saving Graces which our club meets on Wednesday to discuss.  I totally slid on my reading while focusing on getting ready for the show.  Enjoy your Holiday. 

Jane    8^)