Quilt News! Piecing, Quilting, Fabric Scraps for Zakka: Useful Household Items, and Beautiful Cotton Canvas for Backings, Slow Stitch/Embroidery Project Progress

Beautiful cotton canvas for my new Zakka projects.

Piecing scraps and leftovers for new kitchen pot holders.

Progress on my new slowstitch/embroidery project. I'm using Bohin's Chenille needles.

 

 

Hello Quilt Friends!

The snow has melted here in the valley and temperatures have warmed up! The local grey squirrels and Juncos are very excited about that.

 I've been piecing, layering and quilting fabric scraps into squares to be used for more kitchen hot pads. I keep giving them away, so this next batch I'll keep (until I find someone else who needs them.) I layer a pieced fabric square, about 10.5" with a square of Insul Brite by Warm and Natural and then a square of batting, then the backing of cotton canvas. I pin the stack then baste with long basting stitches on the diagonal, just twice, making an x. Then I machine quilt with 3.0 length stitches, cross hatch, taking out the basting stitches as I come to them. If you don't have Insul Brite, use 2 layers of batting (or three if you have a thin batting). Experiment and see what you like.

Also I've started a new slowstitch/embroidery project, embroidering another kitchen towel, something useful for my kitchen. We use a water purifier and need towels for mop up once in a while and I like to hand dry my glasses. Why not use something with beautiful stitching on it?

“Crafting is like meditation, it allows you to focus your mind and release your stress.” – Unknown. 

I found that quote on Bebebold , visit to see all their gorgeous ideas, projects and kits. 

And that is the quilt/stitch news from the valley. What projects have you started lately?

I'll be by to visit!

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.