Quilt News! String Quilts by Carolyn Forster and String Piecing Scraps for Small Quilted Projects, Slow Stitch Embroidery Projects, Winter Wonderland..

My String Piecing project, 8.5" diameter quilted hot pad.

Back of my quilted hot pad, fun print on cotton canvas.

String Quilts Sustainable Patchwork Projects by Carolyn Forster

Winter Wonderland in the neighborhood.

 

 

Hello Quilt Friends! 

Happy February from the valley where we have freezing temperatures and snow with more to come. Pull out the winter sweaters and scarves. I'm thankful for a warm home!

 

The last couple of weeks I have been piecing scrappy strips together and then sewing the strips into 4 blocks of about 6" each and then piecing those together to make a square approx. 10.5". An 8.5 " diameter circle is then cut from that square and so forth.. I'm using a tutorial from the book Zakka, compiled by Rashida Coleman-Hale. The tutorial is by Kim Kruzich, page 66. It's very easy and goes together quick with colorful results, and I was in need of some new hotpads. I've given one away already and will need to make more hotpads because they are not only useful they make good gifts. See my previous post for more info.

 

 I'm inspired by Carolyn Forster's book String Quilts Sustainable Patchwork. It's published by Search Press and the photos and tutorials are excellent. String patchwork is amazingly versatile and colorful.

And I have more slow stitching embroidery projects started and progressing. I'm going to be embroidering borders using Stacked Closed Buttonhole Stitch, see my friend Carin's tutorial here.....Borders add so much to quilts and hand embroidery projects.

 

That is the news from the valley where the sun is shining this morning and the forecast is more snow this evening. Have you started any slow stitch embroidery projects lately? I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Butterfly Hand Bag Finish, Slow Stitch Project, Annual Amaryllis Bloom Report!

My slow stitch project rolled with lace and kept in a basket.

Amaryllis blooming in my kitchen window, lovely deep red.

I made this slow stitch roll to document the fabrics I used in 2024.

My Butterfly Bag finish, showing boxed bottom here.

My Slow Stitch project 46" x 3" now backed with linen/rayon in mustard yellow.

Butterfly bag, lined, top stitched, finished.

 

Hello Quilt Friends! 

It's cold in the valley with temperatures at night below freezing. Bundle up right?

Some of our blog friends 'down under' like Koka Quilts, are in the middle of summer right now. I can imagine the warm sun and blooming flowers.....

I finished my Butterfly Bag with top stitching and lining. I bought the pattern; Kwik Sew Craft Bag R10819 view C, several years ago and decided it would make a good New Year project. A finish is an excellent way to start the year. I redrew the handles in the pattern taking an inch off the width of each and wanting the outside of the handles to meet the body in a curve not a square. The outside is cotton canvas, the lining is quilter's cotton both from my local JoAnn Fabric Store. Finished!

Then I sewed the backing onto my Slow Stitch project documenting fabrics I used in projects in 2024. I stitched scraps and pieces of fabric boro style onto batting, then sewed on the backing. I keep it rolled up with lace in a basket. I might add more stitching, slow and thoughtful are the words for this project.

And my Amaryllis is blooming, looking fabulous, putting on a good show to brighten the winter days.

That is the quilt news on this frosty winter day. What are you planning or finishing today?

I'll be by to visit!

Quilt News! Happy New Year! Quilt/Project Plans for the New Year, Accordian Pouch/Sewing Kit Finish

Finished 'Accordian Pouch', tutorial by Bookhou on Youtube, I added the hand stitching.

One of my new projects, Craft Bag by Kwik Sew, pattern 'C'. The butterfly cotton canvas will be the outside.

My Accordian Pouch inside pockets.

Inside pockets view, I think it's a clever design.

Zakka Style book, compiled by Rashida Coleman-Hale from my local library, fun useful projects.

Another view of my Accordian Pouch, running stitch in pearl cotton.

This is a page in the book, Zakka Style, the Patchwork Pot Holder Project, I intend to make up a lot of these!

 

 Hello Quilt Friends! And Happy New Year!

We've had clouds and rain off and on for several weeks now. 

During the quiet down times of the holidays I managed to finish a fun small project by Bookhou, tutorial on Youtube. Arounna calls it an 'Accordian Pouch' referring to the unique design of the storage pouches, very clever. I added some of my own piecing, by sewing a strip of butterfly cotton canvas on the outside cover and then embroidering running stitches by hand on the outside cover.

My local fabric store has had a good sale on cotton canvas. I bought some intending to use it to sew up a project 'craft bag', pattern by Kwik Sew and to make up potholders using the tutorial, Patchwork Potholder in my library book Zakka Style compiled by Rashida Coleman-Hale. We do a lot of our own cooking and baking and we put to good use our potholders.

I'm looking forward to the new year and working on small useful projects, the finishes are uplifting, right? The small finishes help me through the longer hand quilting process. I need to mix it up and stay challenged with color and design.

That is the quilt news from the valley, where we have so much to be thankful for!

Have you planned any small new projects for the coming year?

I'll be by to visit.