Sew Stitch Snap Share #15, AHIQ #26, Match Stick Quilting

Close-up, match stick quilting in orange and natural color thread.

My design, Log cabin style blocks, 18" x 59", Santa Clara #6.

I sewed up some saw tooth blocks to add to the border. 

I think this arrangement will work.

Happy Friday from the Pacific NW where the forecast is sunny this weekend!

and we are staying with relatives, sightseeing and helping out.

I finished machine quilting 'Santa Clara #6'. It was started last fall while we were staying in New Hampshire with my daughter and her family. Kona cotton 'snow' will bind it.

The length, 18" X 59", is great for a wall or a long table. The white contrasting the colors reminds me of the clear light in Santa Clara, CA.

I'm linking up with Linda and Julie for Sew Stitch Snap Share #15.

Thank you Linda and Julie for hosting.

Stop in to share and for inspiration.

I'm also linking up with Ann and Kaja for AHIQ #26.

Thanks for hosting and for the opportunity to share!

Stop in where there's lots of inspiration and sharing.

My improv project is a string challenge small quilt I started about a month ago. I put it aside for a while to work on other things. I've added a light border and pieced blocks together that will make another border. Today I pieced the sawtooth blocks. Next will be sewing the outer border together and trimming.

That's the news up north in the land of tall trees and mountains.

Remembering to be thankful.

I'll be by to visit.

Quilted Needle Case and Colorful Local Produce

Gorgeous peppers and cabbages at Carpinito Brothers Produce.

Beautiful display of chrysanthemums, Carpinito Produce.

In Kent, Washington.

My quilted, embroidered pincushion, thread catcher, and needle case.

The needle case has ties and has embroidery on the front.

Greetings from cloudy, rainy, Renton, WA.

Where we are enjoying the Pacific NW and visiting and helping relatives, remembering to be thankful.

I've finished up a quilted needle case to go with the thread catcher/basket and pincushion I've already made up. I wanted to add embroidery to embellish them. I used DMC red floss, two strands.

The needle case is 3 1/2" x 4", closed. The needle case has Offray ribbon ties I got at Jo Ann Fabric. The quilted fabric pieces I used to make my sewing accoutrements are free form quilting practice pieces I made a month ago. 

Anna at Noodle Head.com has a fun bunch of tutorials and ideas for great projects.

I've been wanting to make useful things from small quilt blocks so I'll be busy with that.

If you've never visited Anna take some time and see her work. beautiful.

And take some time to visit local farmer markets and produce stands, lovely color and great local food.

That's the news from the shire. Stay dry and enjoy the fall. Of course if you live in Australia you'll be enjoying spring.

Happy Friday!

I'll be by to visit!

'Free Motion' Pincushion Finish, The Museum of Glass Visit, Tacoma WA.

The Fountain at the entrance to the The Museum of Glass.

Looking east, the East 21st St. Suspension Bridge and the Tacoma Dome.

Glass artist, Albert Paley's  exhibit at the Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA.

Some of Albert Paley's amazing works of art in glass and steel.

A photo of artist Albert Paley's process.

Another glass and steel work of art by Albert Paley.

This is another of Albert Paley's glass and steel works.

Fountain in front of the Museum of Glass entrance.

Artist Dale Chihuly's art glass books for sale in the museum store.

My finished pin cushion made from my free motion experiment scraps.

My free motion pin cushion back view, 3" x 6".

Close up of stitching, lots of great texture.

Greetings from the Pacific NW!

The weather has been mild with a few days rain and now sun and clouds.

The first week of October we visited The Museum of Glass in Tacoma, WA. Artist Albert Paley's art in glass and steel was showing in the main exhibit hall. His work is fabulous and amazing.

Dale Chihuly's work will open in the main exhibit hall October 14, we'll have to get back to see that of course.

I've had a little more time to finish up a pincushion made from free motion practice scraps I was going to throw away. But I looked at all the stitches and texture and decided I had to put those scraps to good use! I've made a thread catcher/quilted basket and the pincushion so far and there'll be more.

What with being busy sightseeing and helping with my grandson, I do manage to get some time for quilts and sewing on the side. 

And of course remembering to be thankful in everything.

Have a great week and I'll be by to visit!

Quilted Basket/Thread Catcher with free form quilting, Pumpkin Patch Visit.

Mt. Rainier over the pumpkin patch.

Corn Maze, there were rumors of a Sasquatch sighting in the maze.

My grandson having a good time.

Quilted basket/thread catcher close-up, free form quilted.

The basket is 4" high, a rectangle, 3" x 2 1/4".

Bottom view of my basket, my design.

Hello from Renton, WA!

where it is raining and the leaves are turning gold and red.

We are visiting relatives and friends here, helping and sightseeing.

Monday was the big trip to the local Pumpkin Patch hosted by the Carpinito Brother's Farms, , very exciting. It was sunny that day. There were acres of pumpkins and local produce and a corn maze a couple of acres big. No we didn't go through the corn maze to see the Sasquatch.

My grandson had a terrific time and got to choose his favorite pumpkin.

I had a little play time so I made up a 'Quilted Basket/Thread Catcher' ;free form quilted.

About a month ago I was experimenting with free motion quilting and I had put together several 'quilt sandwiches' to practice on. I quilted all over and back and forth on those practice pieces. I was going to toss them but I realized that would be a waste. Those pieces had some great stitching and texture on them.

So that's when I decided to use them to make up some thread catcher/baskets. I'm also going to use them in needle cases, pin cushions and scissor fobs. They will have some embroidery on them too.

Something different for fun!

I'm linking up with Linda  and Julie  for Sew Stitch Snap Share. Thanks for the opportunity to share, Linda and Julie! Stop in for inspiration.

That's what's happening in the shire, where we are remembering to be thankful.

I hope you're having a good week.

I'll be by to visit.

'Quilt as You Go' Thread Catcher Finish, Deer Family Visit

My thread catcher, finished at 5" x 4 1/2" sq.

Bottom view of thread catcher/quilted basket.

This can hold a lot of thread and scraps.

A jelly-roll fits perfect inside.

The fawn, who's getting bigger, visited this morning.

Fawn turning back to follow mom.

Happy Friday/weekend!!

From the Pacific NW, Renton WA, where the wind is up and clouds are blowing in.

A lot of trees on our street are turning yellow gold, very beautiful.

I finished my 'Quilt as you go' thread catcher. I found the free tutorial on The Sewing Chick.
I used Robert Kaufman's Essex Linen, batiks and a print for the lining.

Some of the measurements weren't accurate or clear. But if you look at the tutorial photos and read the directions first to get an idea of what you're trying to do then you can work it out as you go.

It also helps if you are comfortable with improvising. Can't really complain though the tutorial is free after all!

And it made up into a good sized thread catcher/quilted basket. My husband said he'll take it to keep his desk odds and ends in, my grandson would like to keep his toys in it. So it's popular, I'll make more.

We had a visit from a local doe and her fawn, they were after what's left of the tomato plants.

The fawn was curious and let me get close. The doe was of course more cautious and 'told' the fawn it was time to high tail it out.

That's the news from the shire.

Share a smile!

I'll be by to visit.

New Butterfly Blocks, 'Painted Ladies', Kaleidoscope of Butterflies 21.

My butterfly calendar October butterfly, Glasswing.

Butterfly fabric for another project getting cut up.

Happy October!!

It's time for celebrating butterflies with Ann  and Cathy's  Kaleidoscope of Butterflies.

Stop in, get inspired and share. Thank you Cathy and Ann.

This week I've been cutting fabric for a new project, small baskets for collecting thread scraps. Otherwise known as thread catchers. It's a small project with quilting, piecing and embellishing involved, sounds fun doesn't it?

I also chose 'Painted Ladies' mini butterfly quilt blocks for my new butterfly quilt project.

'Painted Ladies' is by Fig Tree & Co. They have a lot of fun patterns, check in to see.

This month my butterfly calendar features the Glasswing butterfly. It lives mostly in Central and South America but gets up into Mexico and Texas sometimes. It feeds on toxic tropical plants and is, because of that, thought to be toxic, so don't eat them! It is beautiful and looks fragile.

Have a good week.

I'll be by to visit.