Quilt News! Scrappy Small Improv Quilt Piecing, Stitch Journal Embroidery Progress, Hand Quilted Sample Finish, Free Style Embroidery Project Finish

Queen Anne's Lace Freestyle Embroidery Project Finish.

19" x 19" started in 2018, inspired by a photo, slow stitch!

Blanket Stitch and French Knots added to front of my Journal of Stitches.

I added some silk ribbons to the back page for embellishment.

My Running Cross Stitch hand quilting sample finished.

My Scrappy Improv Small Quilt project in progress...

This is a fun mix of mostly neutrals, the coral just had to be there.

 

Hello Quilt Friends! April showers bring May flowers!

I've been working on hand stitching, adding embroidery to my Stitch Journal and finishing up my Running Cross Stitch hand quilt sample. I was inspired to stitch the Running Cross Stitch hand quilt sampler by reading Carolyn Forster's book, Big Stitch Quilting, A Practical Guide to Sewing and Hand Quilting. It is a wonderful book with clear instructions and good projects. I'm looking forward to stitching up a few more hand quilt samples, next will probably be the Mennonite Tack.

I'm glad to get back to more hand stitching, it's relaxing and enjoyable. 

For a while I was caught up in the 'Make Thousands of Quilts as Fast as You Can' group. I started asking myself, 'What is the point of making hundreds of quilts as fast as you can?' I know the fabric manufacturers and quilt shop owners want us to buy more and more fabric and the expensive sewing machine companies want us to buy bigger, more expensive sewing machines all the time. And maybe some women after retiring have the need to push themselves into anything and everything.

 But aside from all of the above, aren't hand sewing and quilting supposed to meet a practical need for all women of all economic backgrounds? I know I've read that and I know women of very few means that still manage to piece and hand quilt beautiful quilts.

That's been my thoughts the last couple of years.  I'm getting back to the basics and recognizing the commercialism for what it is, all about money! Commercialism has it's place, but if that is your driving force then maybe in a couple of years you'll either burn out or start thinking for yourself, hopefully.

Again I recommend Carolyn Forster's book, Big Stitch Quilting, A Practical Guide to Sewing and Hand Quilting. Carolyn also has good YouTube tutorials on hand quilting. 

And that is the quilt news from the valley!

I'm remembering to be thankful and I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News, Spring Blossoms, Hand Quilting w' Running Cross Stitch, Slow Stitch Journal Progress with Closed Blanket Stitch.....

Cherry tree blossoms against blue sky.

Gorgeous.

Happy Easter!

Running Cross Stitch hand quilting sample, front side.

Running Cross Stitch back side.

My Journal of Stitches, title stitched w' Back Stitch...

I stitched the edges of the inside pages with Closed Blanket Stitch.

 

Quilt News from the valley, where it's cool with rain/snow this last week, it didn't stick!

Happy Easter to you and your family, that came fast! And we celebrate our Risen Lord, The Lamb of God. 

I found Carolyn Forster's tutorial on Hand Quilting with Running Cross Stitch on YouTube. Her tutorials on hand quilting are to the point and clear making hand quilting accessible to anyone. She also has a tutorial on hand quilting using Mennonite Tack Stitch, another great choice for hand quilting. And in other tutorials she demonstrates quilter's knot, hiding the knot etc, all those important techniques we experienced quilters know, but for a beginning quilter her tutorials are excellent/priceless !!

This last week I added the title on my Stitch Journal in Back Stitch and edged the pages in Closed Blanket Stitch, more to come. In previous posts I mentioned that I was inspired by and following the challenge by Sarah at her YouTube tutorials for Roxy Creations; Journal of Stitchery. I'm following at my own pace, slow stitch! But Sarah and fellow Stitch Journalists have many tutorials and examples of gorgeous stitching and embellishment, so much great inspiration. And I'm amazed how the design process for the journals is the same process for Crazy Quilting or any kind of art really. 

And that quilt friends is the news from the valley. 

Where I'm thankful for all our Savior has done for us, for all who believe.

I'll be by to visit.