Project on Hold. Again.

 Have you ever had to put a project on hold because you can't find all the needed items at the same time.??

Like this animal purse. When I was finished hooking I couldn't find the material I was saving to make the liner. Once (a month later) that I found the said material I couldn't find the pattern. I finally have been working on this some. 

Here's my problems:

1. The lining is a little too big, it's loose in there. And it wasn't the fabric I had been saving for this project. I've since found that. 

2. I still need to add pockets to the lining. What's a purse without pockets??

3. I don't have the right shade of brown wool yarn to whip the lining and outside of purse together.

Nope

Nope

Nope

Nope again

This is the closest match, but it's not wool. 

4. It's going to need something in the bottom to spread out and hold the bottom of the purse flat.

This purse has been a three year long project so far, and it's still not done.

And then there's this quilt I'm working on, it's called Postcards from Sweden. I have enough half square triangles ( HST's). But I wanted just a bit more variation. So it got put on hold. I bought some different color solids. Now where, just where, is that blasted  die??

Here's my problem

1. Where's the Accuquilt die that I need? It's here, somewhere is this sewing room. 

Alas, I shall have to do some cleaning. 

I found that die. Want to guess where? It was right where it should have been, on the shelf with the other dies. Who knew I put it away??

Someday I'll get it all together. 

Sue

A Few Finishes

 I haven't been extremely motivated in the sewing and hooking department. Once gardening season starts all else goes on the back burner.

These are quilts for donation to Snuggled in Hope. It's a summer camp for sick kids. 

Sunburst pattern with pinks in it for a girly quilt.

The backing is a sheet with a French theme.

This is sunburst for a boy. No pink, tried not to use flowery prints.

Isn't this frog print adorable?

The backing for this was a polka dotted sheet 

This last one I call a 64 patch. Each block has 64

1" squares. I used a different color solid for each block.

The backing is.... Another sheet. This is the first time my quilter has allowed me to use sheets. I can only use 100% cotton per her request. I mostly can find some flat sheets at the thrift store. This saves me a ton on money. 

I've begun gardening. The candy onions, broccoli, strawberries and potatoes have been planted. The broccoli is a request from Mac, my 6 year old grandson. 

I also have started prettifying the back yard along the fence. All that wood/fence is boring to look at. I'll include photos when I get more planted. 

Stay warm, stay safe. 

Sue 

Two Hearts

 I finished hooking my two hearts rug. I steamed it and I zigzagged the edges. I told myself "I'll finish it later". I went to put it where unfinished rugs are, and there were two other rugs waiting there, plus the purse, and a pillow top. Oh my. So I decided I will work on it some more. 

I trimmed the excess linen and turned/rolled it forward. I usually hand sew it to secure it, but I was already in my sewing room so I thought I'd try to machine stitch it. And it worked out just swell. Using the zipper foot I was able to get very close and it took very little time.

My decision now is how to finish it. Whip it with wool yarn or bind with wool strips. I chose the yarn, for two reasons. One, I didn't have enough of the specific brown I wanted to use and two, I have numerous baskets of wool yarn that needs to be used. 

For years I finished my rugs whipping with wool yarn.  Then Lauren showed me how she finished with wool strips and binds similar to finishing a quilt. I like that method, a lot. So that's the method I usually use.

So whipping it is. I haven't whipped in years. I chose two different shades of brown and am whipping with two strands.  It's just a little wonky, I'm hoping some of that wonkiness will steam out. 

Tonight is a quilt guild meeting. I haven't attended in months. After babysitting all day I find I have very little energy for anything else. Tonight I feel like going. I think the warmer weather and longer days improves my energy level. It may be April but we're expecting 1-3" of snow in the next couple days. Boo!!! I'm so ready for nice weather. 

Granddaughter Lexi is on a school band trip to Disney. She sent me these photos. 

Age 4

And now, at 15. 

Love it. 

Have a great weekend. Monday is the eclipse. I'm so excited.   Sue 

I'm Seeing Red

 

I'm seeing red.... In my rug. It's exactly what was needed. I'll probably finish hooking it later this week. I'm almost done, just the brown heart to fill in, and the little open places in the red shapes. The background turned out a bit lighter than I'd prefer. I've been making hooked rugs for 24 years. Wowzer, that's a long time. And a lot of rugs. 

I knew I wanted hooked rugs in my home. But I was a single mom and couldn't afford to just buy them. So I learned to hook them. My first classes were in the basement of Shirley Bloom. Gloria Ault was also there. Shirley liked to teach "fine" hooking. I started out hooking with a 6 cut. Shirley would pick out these bright colors, I'd look up and Glo would be shaking her head "no".  When Shirley would walk away Gloria would help me pick out more primitive colors. 

This is my first rug. It's a pattern by DiFranza called Garden Cat. It's hooked with a 6 and very low loop height. This was before the Internet so I never saw another version of the rug until much later. It's not my favorite, but my first, so I've hung onto it. 

I finished binding the Sun Burst Girl. That makes three ready to go to camp.  Summer camp. I'm getting impatient for nice weather to arrive, and stay. I've a few flowers blooming in my garden. But my hands are itching to get busy digging and planting and dividing perennials. I had a 6' foot fence installed around part of the backyard last year. Its great for keeping Daisy enclosed. She's my little runner. I did see an area where she has tried to dig a hole under the fence. That Daisy. She's sweet, but she's a handful. She  makes Henry look like the absolute dream dog. Henry is calm and well behaved. 

Anyways, the fence is big and boring. My plan for this year is to spruce up the back yard. I salvaged some limestone stones. I plan on making a curved walk way to the shed, then plant some trees and lots of flowers. Lots. My neighbor boy wants to help. He's developmentally delayed with ADHD. He's my friend. Years ago he started coming to the house because he loves Henry. And Henry loves him. Daisy dislikes him intensely. She will not even allow him to pet her. That Daisy. Again. 

A Rug of Two Hearts

This was my inspiration. I just really like the simplicity of the pattern. 

Then Lauren of Rugs and Pugs blog sent me this picture from a rug showing at her local guild. I fell even more in love with this pattern. 

Oh yeah, love it. Love those primitive colors and wonky shapes. When I drew my pattern out I made the diamond shapes near perfect. But I really like the irregularity of the ones in the above picture. 

So here's where I'm at .  

So far I've been able to use up my worms, except for that blue. And I'm not sure that blue will get to stay. I'm just not sure I like it. I still have a few brown worms and neutral worms. The browns won't be enough to fill the heart, but the neutrals looks like enough to finish the background. I'm not sure how I'll fill the remaining diamond shapes. After posting my inspiration pictures I kinda like that red heart. 

I think that's why I've stalled out on the hooking. I am not like Saundra, I do not have a second project going when I stall out on the first one. But I do have an idea for my next rug. 

I've also been quilting. I put the binding on the two green quilts and I'm working on the binding for the Sun Burst girl version. It's girly because its got some bright pinks in it. On the back I used a white and pink Parisian print. These are all for donation. I have two more that are quilted and just need binding, a boy version of Sun Burst and a multicolored 64 patch. I've got one more top pieced,  it's a purple version of the June pattern.  This one still needs a backing and to be quilted.

My sweet, sweet Henry. 

I've also been working at cleaning my sewing room. The trouble with that is I keep finding unfinished projects and go down that rabbit hole. There's so many patterns I want to make. There's so much fabric I need to use up. There's so many rugs to be hooked. 

I also attended this year's final regional Academic Challenge tournament. This is Lexi's second year to be on the team. They placed third. She is so intelligent. I'm so proud of her. She's already taking college classes. 

And that's all for this week. Have a safe and jolly weekend. Sue

Two Hearts

 

This is my Rug of Two Hearts. I was able to get this far just using up worms, or some call them noodles. It's used up a good amount of browns and neutrals. That blue is the same blue I used in the 1868 rug. I tried a darker greyish blue but it looked blah. I plan to work some blues into the border so that the blue heart isn't the only use of that color.

I like how the border is turning out. I like scrappy quilts and scrappy rugs. 

I've been working on this rug a little bit every day. My grandson was home sick with me last Thursday. He ended up with a temperature of 107' that evening. Turns out he has influenza A. I got sick on Saturday. The cough has been horrendous. I don't feel like doing much.  A little hooking, a little sewing, lots of resting, lots of watching TV, little bit of housework. That's my plan for again today. 

It is only 7 weeks until the total solar eclipse. I live in an area that will experience a total eclipse. I am so excited. I sure hope we have decent weather that day. 

Be well my friends, Sue