Another Week Gone!

TAST2012:

Stem stitch or Outline?

This week for TAST2012 we were assigned the stem stitch. Oh good I thought! Ha! I made my scribble and looked at Sharon’s stitch dictionary and followed her suggestion for left hand stitching. Take the photo of the stitch into a photo editing program and flip it horizontally. Okay that worked but when I started to stitch I think I kept the thread at the top of my needle rather than the bottom. So I think what resulted was the outline stitch. They are very similar and really the only difference is the placement of the thread in relation to the needle. So now I plan to make the scribble on the computer, print it out on fabric three times and then do one with the stem stitch, one with the outline stitch, and one more with the backstitch. I’ll label each one so I know which is which. Normally when I am outlining a pattern I use a combination of the three stitches. Hopefully this will help me when I need to know which stitch I am using.

CQ2012:

February Block with progress

I did make some progress on my February block. I only have a few more seams to embellish and then add some embroidery. Buttons and beads will be added when I assemble the whole quilt. But I do have a cute cupid button (gold) and some heart buttons planned to cover up the raw edges of my trims. Will I ever learn to add some trims when I am sewing the block together? Maybe on the next one but I’m not sure I have any for April, I do have the fabrics selected for the April block. I should get it stitched and ready for the embroidery work this week. (I have to get my taxes finished first!)

Flower Basket Block for Quilt Guild

Other Projects:

I did manage to get a block made for the quilt guild I belong to. Our meeting was Tuesday and yes I waited until Monday night to get it started. What a mess. First the fabric I wanted to use for the floral part of the basket block shrunk when I pressed the seams with my iron. I had already made all of the squares when I discovered this so I had to start over again. This time I shrunk the fabric before cutting. Next my blade in my one cutter needed changing but I didn’t have a new one handy. I managed to cut my pieces but had to constantly go back where the blade had skipped one or two threads. After that I started sewing and my machine started acting up. I rethreaded and checked the bobbin case that improved it somewhat but it still wasn’t working as it should. I almost didn’t turn my block in but they accepted it. (I did offer to take it back and try and make a better one but they said no need.)

Only other thing I managed was to try and learn to feed my grandson solid foods. As you can tell by his bib it was a little messy but we managed to get the hang of it. He sits in a big chair for his feeding and I think it makes him feel important! Can’t believe he’s six months already and eating food and cutting teeth!

"I'm gonna chew on my toes if you don't get some more food in my mouth!"

• Sound of coffee perking. 
• Hum of my sewing machine
• Son's new smile 
• Daughter snuggling with Jaden 

Happy Stitching,

Rose