Are We Having Fun Yet??

Between power outages and no internet for four days, it's been interesting around the Payne household!  Can't get upset because there's nothing you can do about it but deal with it!  So, that's pretty much what I did.  Of course, using the data on our phone caused our bill to be increased by $15 but that's a small price to pay.  I did stay off FB and other apps on my phone, which wasn't a bad thing!  Always a plus side, right!

I finished the hand embroidery on the rail fence quilt top!  I'm going to make a rectangle pillow from the top.  I sure don't need another quilt to hang on the wall or on a table.  Now to find or make an insert for the top which is 24" x 19".   I know...kinda crooked picture, right!  

Here are some closeup's...now to finish up the knitted poncho!

Project Update - Rail Fence Top

 It's been quite busy at our house lately and will be for a few weeks...but I'm trying to get to my knitting and  hand work on the rail fence quilt top (beading is on hold until I can get my eyes checked or get some new glasses at Walgreen's!).  

Rail Fence stitching is coming along...slow process but so relaxing if I can stitch while watching TV...that is depending on the TV show or movie we're watching! 

You can see this  circle with stitching filled in below.

More circles...more stitching

This is circle above right but with the center filled in.

Now working on some straight line stitching...Hand stitching is so relaxing and fun to stitch where and what you want!  

It's Circle Time!

 Nancy, from Quilting Potpourri, asked what I was using to trace circles for the Rain Fence small quilt top I'm working on.  So, I thought I would share with you the fantastic tools I use!  

And, you might want to jump over to Nancy's blog to see all of her unique projects she has worked on or is working on!

Aren't these great!  Seriously, I'm always on the lookout for any circle items I see around the house!  Here's the progress I've made so far on the circles I've traced on my rail fence quilt.  

I'll be filling with different stitches....stab stitching....patterns....

This one will only need filling in the circle area with some stitching.

I do so enjoy hand work...it's so relaxing and good to do while watching TV or even listening to a book on tape.  By the way...someone recommended a book to me but I'm not sure who it was!  If it was you, please let me know.  I haven't started it yet as I just picked up from the library.  The title is THE SANATORIUM by Sarah Pearse.  From the writeups, it's not a book I would usually read but I did request from the library.  It appears to be a very requested book since I just looked there are 11 hold requests at our library for it!  I'll keep you all posted!

I'm anxious to get to the part where I start filling in the circles and doing some straight stitching in different areas.  That's always the fun part...the circles can get a little boring after awhile!

Rain Fence Quilt top

 

Making slower progress on this piece vs my Bird of Paradise.  I want to outline most of the larger circles then stitch some straight lines.  I'll go back and fill in the circles, add smaller circles and whatever embroidery stitches I come up with!  I think hand stitching 'kinda' talks to you as far as where and what to stitch.  

Lots more stitching to come...LOTS!

I have to try some other options on my phone as the colors don't show up very well...colors are so pretty in person...that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

I am thinking of making a rectangular pillow for our bedroom from this piece...just thinking...won't know until it's finished, which could be next fall at this point!

Rail Fence Quilt Project

 I posted on the start of my Rail Fence quilt top about a week ago.  I noted at that time I was inspired by a quilt I did several, several years ago by finishing with hand embroidery vs machine stitching.  So, I played around with drawing some designs for me to at least get started.  Of course, this stitching never totally goes the same as your design!  That would be too easy!  

This was my final setting

Not sure about the border, other than I like the colors because it matches the hand dyed fabrics.  Although, I am thinking this might make a nice rectangle pillow!  Hmmmmmm

This is my design pattern for hand stitching...well, it's a start.  You have to start somewhere and this gives me a good idea on what or where I want to start.  I stitched in the ditch around the majority of the blocks just to stabilize the top.

I transferred some of the designs on the light blocks to start.  I'm using turquoise on the pink blocks and dark pink on the turquoise/green blocks.  I may add some other colors in between!  

I'm using the heat Erasable Fabric Marking gels by Madam Sew for marking my circles/pattern.  These are very similar and work the same as the Frixion gel pen, but I think I do like Madam Sew's pens better.  

I like to stitch in a hoop to keep the work nice and tight and, yes, I do the old fashion 'stab' stitch.  Up and down...down and up...up and down...yep..one stitch at a time but I think it's very relaxing!

I'll get all the larger circles outlined and then I'll be filling in the empty spaces.  There will be straight line stitching and some small circles and some other funky stitches to fill areas!

Hand stitching is so relaxing to do and I can stitch while watching TV.   No straining my eyes or counting stitches.  BTW...I did find a new knitting pattern!  Isn't this the cutest poncho!  It's called Lattice Lace Poncho and is on Ravelry here.  It does take about 9 skeins of yarn (about a 1000+ yds).  I'm going to head to our local yarn shop and see what yarn I might want.  They do give a few suggestions on the pattern so not sure which yarn I want. 

Good things come in threes, right!  So this will be my third project I'll get to work on.  Let's face it...I don't have any target dates for any of these so I can work on them for the next year!  Which I might end up doing!

And we're off!!!

 A few years ago, I made this 'traditional' patchwork quilt top and finished it all by hand stitching/embroidery work.  

In fact, this quilt was lucky enough to make it into the 1000 Quilt Inspirations book back in 2015!  And she was a cover girl on the bottom corner!  

 First up, I've sandwiched the rail fence piece I showed last week and quilted along the seams just to stabilize the quilt so I can do some hand stitching. 

I posted this on my FB page last week showing how I have to baste my quilts on the floor because my dogs are on my sewing table!

They have a great view out front from this advantage point!  They have a dog pillow to lay out and sleep or just bark at nothing!  HA

Anyway, I'm using the quilt above as my inspiration for completing this traditional, rail fence piece.  I started to play around with different quilting designs/patterns for stitching.  No free motion...all my hand.   

Now to transfer this pattern to the top...I'm sure I'll change patterns/stitching as I go along but I think this will be a good start!  At least something to work on in between my bird beading project!  Have to have more than one project to work on, right!