Cyano Print Finished! Woohoo!

 Back in February, 2024, (yes, it was a long time ago!), my friend, Bonnie, sent me a beautiful piece of cyano fabric she printed.  Wasn't that so very kind of her!  Well, I struggled with how to design, sew, quilt...you get the picture.  You can see one of the first blog posts here.

So here is the finished piece!  I actually finished sewing on the binding while watching our Detroit Lion's win the NFC championship!  Woohoo...they now have two weeks off before the final match to see who goes to the Super Bowl!  Sure hope it's us!

I do love hand stitching and being able to pick it up for 5 min. here and there at least makes you feel like you're doing something!

Hard to see but I did some stitching around the hex's in the border.  Didn't want to do anything to take away from the hand stitching in the print!

So on to the next project which for now is creating background for the book marks I give away at our book sale(s).  Our next sale is in April, so I need to get busy!  Also, I bought yarn to make another sweater that I shrunk this past summer...dumb on my part...

And look what Bonnie sent me now!  It's a Cyano print book mark!  How cool!! 

And check out the fabric on the back!  Remember the days of the library stamping when your book was due!  HA

Cyano Print asking to be completed!

 

Back in January, yes - January!, I started playing around with a piece of cyano print my friend, Bonnie sent me.   Had a decent start but then got sidetracked with knitting...go figure! 

 I played with it on and off starting around the summer.  I cut the piece apart and inserted some red fabric.  

Then I got the crazy idea to add some hex pieces...why?  Why not! HA  I don't honestly know why I deceided to add the hex pieces...I would make some when I wasn't knitting or frustrated by the knitting is more the truth!  HA

You can see all the different ways I was trying to get the hexes into this piece here! 

So now that my latest knitting project is finished and I haven't found another top to make, I've been working on this piece again!  Woohoo!  So here's what I've been up to!!!

I had stitched hexes onto the main fabric seam but needed to decide how to attach them to a border.  

I took some fusible web and place behind the hexes

and then just fused them onto a border.

After they were fused,  I added batting and and backing.  Then I machine stitched around the hexes on all sides.

I did the same for each border....

I know the blue border blends in with the blue hexes but gives it a disjointed look!  HA

I started to do some hand stab stitching around the leaves.  

I tried stab stitching around the edges of the leaves but I didn't like that.  So, I ripped it out and just stitched around the leaves filling in blank areas. So this is what it will be.  

I may free motion some of the leaves...who knows...I may finish before next year!  

Now for my sister and I to try and find another knitting pattern to work on this winter!!

Summer Project 2!

 Working on three different projects isn't easy...well, it is easy since I get bored easily so I like going from project to project.  HA

Honestly, I don't like projects hanging over my head and I know the 3 I am working on will get finished by Christmas at the latest...  

These are the hex's I am working on for the border on the Cyano Print fabric my friend, Bonnie sent me months ago!

When I have some free time, I work on the hex's.  I'm now working on sewing three rows together for the border.  I need 3 because half of the last row will be in the border.  I have two rows stitched...now to sew a third hex to each border.

This was the piece after I cut it up and added 1/8" strips.

I have to say making hex's is also "mindful" stitching...

I keep changing placement of hex's and deciding how to put this piece together!

Well, at least at this point, I am thinking of  hex's for the border...but ya all know me well enough to know that can change!  If I do change, then I'll have tons of hex's to sew together for a top!  HA

Time for me to go back to project #1 or is it project #3!

Cyano Print Project A Go Again!

 

My knitting has taken over my time so the Cyano Print project has been on the back burner for awhile.  Every so often, I would pick up a hex and sew some together....but that has been 10 min. here or 5 min. there!  HA  

This was the beautiful print my friend, Bonnie made and sent me!

I ended up adding 1/4" pieces of red fabric.  They aren't all attached in this picture.  You can see later they are!

I got the crazy idea I would make a border of red/blue hex's!  What was I thinking...but I'm sticking to it.

Yes, I have tons made...

These are some rows of hex's I have sewn together.  About 13 make up for a side.  I'll most likely have two rows or more?? of hex's for the border...or who knows what I'll end up with or what other project (stand by for that one!) will interfere and put this back on the 'back burner'!

Cyano Print Progress Sorta

 

Haven't made much progress on the Cyano print project.  Too many distractions...Kalee has had another one of her stomach issues.  We were up last weekend from Sunday 4 a.m. until Monday 6 a.m.!  UGH...Poor dog...the vet is trying a new approach...when Kalee starts to feel poorly, she is restless, licking her lips (nausea) and vomiting.  In the past, she has been treated for pancreatitis, which she has had confirmation of.  Because she never loses her appetite, no diarrhea, no belly pain or pancreas symptoms, the vet is now treating her for some type of allergy!  I make my own dog food (99% ground turkey/veggies) and she is on Hills' ID kibble.  Since I started feeding her this, her stomach issues and no discomfort in pancreas have seemed to decrease...........SO, she's now on anti nausea med (which no vomiting for 2 days) and also on Prednisone for about a week.  She appears to be doing much better and we all slept Monday night with no interruptions!  Just need to figure out what type of allergy she has.  Vet doesn't feel the turkey/veggie mix is it...so process of elimination.  UGH

So now I'm playing around with different border fabrics and layouts.....

Not happy...just don't want something that is so 'expected' for a block.  

Do I dare cut it up more!  HA  No, I won't do that as I do want to hand embroider the leaf areas.

I think I am going to add 1/8th inch strip and work from there.  This is 1/4" strip I just laid on the piece.  I like this so much better! Now to cut it up and add  that 1/4"!!!

AND the srip is added...picture is a little crooked but I'm a lot more content with the piece.  Now back to borders, trim?????  Who know what!

So when I can't knit, I'll try and continue on with different  fabric for border or whatever!

Cyano Print Fabric

 I mentioned in a post this last month showing a beautiful cyano print fabric one of my friends, Bonnie, made and sent to me!  What a lovely surprise!  BUT now what to do with it!  Decisions, decisions...this is always the hardest part of any art work isn't it!

So, I bit the bullet and started to play around with "what if I cut it up?"....gosh, I hate to cut it up but......

I ended up drawing funky leaves on tracing paper and laying on top of the fabric just to give me an idea on placement, etc.

Besides the blue from the cyano print and the blue mottled fabric, I just felt it needed something else so I laid red fabric under the pieces.

I took away the red fabric and cut 1/4 inch strips and just laid across the fabric and that was all this beautiful print needed!

With any quilting pattern or design work, cutting a piece of fabric up is a scary challenge!  HA  At least it is for me.  So I took some scrap fabric the same size of the print.  

I measured each section then added 3/4" for the 1/4" inserts I wanted.  I know...math!!!!

But it worked!

This is around a fat quarter in size...perfect for one of those table top pieces.  Or I may just add some type of border on one side?  Or 3 sides? Or no sides!

My plan is to sandwich and then stitch in the ditch around each insert.  Then to do some hand embroidery work.  I may do free motion around some areas as well..in fact, as I'm typing this, I am thinking I may do that before embroidery work...but who knows!  Time will tell!