Left-foot work

I have been stitching, but I must admit I am not very inspired right now.

My furry friend, Miss Rusket, enjoys her rests, but I am just plain bored being housebound.

I had to try doing some left foot work this evening, and with frequent rests, I managed to finish a block. I like using the foot pedal more than using the manual start and stop on the sewing machine.
I am aiming for more machine work in the morning :-)

Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops... at all. ~Emily Dickinson

Hanne

Sunday update

It is a good sign when one is getting bored, right ?
Less pain meds is good too :-)

Have you ever reflected on how many muscles in your body being involved in machine piecing?
Some for moving your hands, some for moving your feet and some for balance of the body - all in all a lot of coordination going on.

I started sewing this block today with my left foot doing the pedal work, but it was something with balance and coordination that did not agree to much with the right foot.

A friend of mine suggested using a hand crank, and that would have been nice if it had a 1/4" foot.
Another friend suggested using the hand function on my Janome.
I have tried that before, not being to happy, but I WANT to sew, so I thought would give it another try.

By happy accident I found that the electric cord for the Pfaff also works on the Janome :-)
I was able to piece the rest of the block without to much trouble, so if I had more that one foot to dance with, I would be doing a happy dance now!
I can carefully wiggle a toe or two for the occasion though :-))

Under the table, a box with a cushion for my foot (feet).

The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react.
George Bernard Shaw

Hanne

This & That

Yesterday we celebrated Constitution Day, 17. May, and here is yours truly, in 1964 :-)

My bad foot lead to a very nasty fall on Friday, and my face is every possible colour, complete with stitches in my left cheek and  forehead and clamps in my right temple.
Did not go well with my national costume at all. Nor did I have my photo taken ;-)

Concussion does not go well with sewing either, but I am bouncing back now, and it is only 1 week until The Foot meets The Surgeon!

I am back at doing CWLL quilt - Civil War Love Letter goes to Japan :-)
The observant viewer will see that even Lynette Anderson's furry friends Hugo and Felix just made it into these blocks - a lovely fabric from Lecien.

Hey ho, hey ho, off to the Dr. I go - to have my stitches and clamps removed :-)

Hanne

TGIF–Thank God it is Friday :-)

Where did the days go since returning from Tromsø ?

I am winding myself up for a sewing weekend at home :-)
Earlier in the week I made these 3 blocks for my Civil War Love Letter goes to Japan quilt,

I have a also finished these 2 stitcheries, which were both started in 2010. I had made the drawings and picked the thread, and that was it.

I think I have to go back to making priority lists – right now :-)

Hanne

Many small Monday stitches

Today I have sorted my sewing thread – it was nice to enjoy the colours and separate the regular sewing thread from the machine quilting thread that you see here.
Taking inventory always make me sew more.

The furball had a mid morning nap on the newest care quilt, before I got it back to finish the binding. If you have been quilting for a while, I am sure you can recognize the backing fabrics :-)

Care quilt # 6 is done!
I always wash my care quilts before I give them away, to get spray basting out (when I use it) and make the quilt soft. 4 quilts are now hanging in the basement to dry and will be given away tomorrow.

Another block for the Civil War Love Letter quilt – I am still doing the easy ones :-)

Hanne

Sunday in the sewing corner

The meshwork is done, and I have plans for what to make of it :-)
I use a layer of stabilizer under the whole work and each strip has a strip of fusible web under, so the finished piece is quite thick. No batting needed.
The technique is like weaving or braiding, so the work has 3 layers of doubled fabric.
I have had great fun and I have plans for more meshwork soon :-)

It was time to start another care quilt kit too. 2,5" strips is nice to work with, and it is fun to go through my own fabric collection making kits.

I just had to sew a couple of blocks and before I knew it, I had all the 48 blocks done :-) It is the beauty of pre cut pieces!
I am practising using the left foot on the sewing machine pedal and it is not easy. Habits are hard to change…..

Lately I have been making crisp bread several times, with flax seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, oatmeal and spelt flour.
They are so nice just as a snack or with cheese or orange marmalade.
They last only for a couple of days - both DH and I love them!

The Civil War Love Letter block of the day :-)

My Sunday has been lovely - I hope you have enjoyed your day too!

Hanne

One of each :-)

One block for Civil War Love Letter quilt and one for Life is Beautiful.
The stitchery block lacked only a couple of threads.

TGIF - Thank God It's Friday!
I am planning some serious sewing here in my corner :-)

Follow your passion, and success will follow you.  ~Terri Guillemets

Hanne

 

Thursday blocks

3rd day of the month and 3 new blocks to show for it :-)
As I said, I am doing the blocks bingo style, picking whichever block I want.
Just now I am doing the easier blocks, just to get the feel of the quilt, just like I did with Nearly Insane and Dear Jane.

I am not stitching so much these days, but I have a block done every now and then. Transfer-Eze not yet rinsed off.

The furball says hello :-)

The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps - we must step up the stairs. Vance Havner

Hanne

A challenge to myself :-)

2nd start is the best, isn't it ?? ;-)

I am, as you know, very fond of sampler quilts and the Civil War era, and I am restarting The Civil War Love Letter Quilt today.
I made the first block last year, in June, but for some unknown reason the project just came to a halt, and the book got accidentally put away. Out of eye, out of mind, sort of.

Well - here is my challenge to myself:
Over the next 2 months I will do an average of 1 block a day, starting tomorrow, February 1st, and letting these 3 blocks (2 done today) count in as support for busy days :-)

I did my Nearly Insane quilt like that, as a challenge to myself, and I think I am very ready for another sampler quilt challenge!
I will not do the blocks in chronological order - I like to do them bingo style, like I did my DJ quilt and the NI quilt - doing whatever block calling my name as I open the book.

The working title is Civil War Love Letter goes to Japan.
I will use Japanese fabrics mixed with other fabrics.

Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory. General George S. Patton

Hanne

Another temptation!

I can not resist sampler quilts, especially if they are based on blocks and designs from the Civil War era :-)

This is Rosemary Young's lovely book. I have had an urge to do it for a long time, and I have thumbed the book a gazillion times since I bought it from Rosemary 2 years back.
As you can see I also have a project file for EQ6 on a CD.
Makes it very easy to print the blocks.

If you want to contact Rosemary for info about her books and CDs, you can email her: ryquilter1 at msn.com.
Your local quilt shop may carry the books too.
The later editions of this book has a different cover, with a red heart on it, instead of the two soldiers.

The book is a treat in many ways - beautiful blocks and letters from the Civil War era.

1st block made :-)

It is named Enthusiasm - a good start to a lovely quilt.
The letter is from USA's 19th president, Rutherford B. Hayes, to his wife, dated July 27, 1861, when he was fighting in the Civil War.
The work title for my quilt is Civil War Love Letter Quilt goes to Japan.
The quilt has 121 blocks.

Hanne