Gratuitous Dog Pictures

We used part of Shepherd's back yard for our garden this year, so we extended it on the other end. We finished the fence this past week and he's been getting used to the new area (he does not like change!)

He was laying in the ivy so I tried to get some pictures of it, but of course the minute I get the camera he gets up. But we did manage a couple of good ones...!

Quilt; Quilty; Quilter

Lots of quilty things going on around here. This always happens, finishing one quilt gets my quilting juices flowing and other quilt projects spring up or are re-energized. Such is the case with Jimmy's Irish Chain quilt. He's been wanting one for his music room, and I've just dawdled and delayed. But no more...it's now being quilted, and should be finished in a couple of weeks.

Then there is a new bed quilt for our bed. The one on it right now is a couple of years old, and while it's still in great condition, I'd really like to be able to alternate between about 3 or 4 quilts. So I'm working on Bed Quilt #2.

And finally, Shepherd's quilt was a snowball block, so there were 4 triangle squares left over from each block. I sewed them together as I made his quilt, knowing I'd use the 300+ squares to make pillows, window treatments, bed skirt...something. I'm playing with different arrangements, trying to get ideas. It's amazing what you can do with a platter full of triangle squares in just two colors.

Needle in hand

(Vintage Bloom)

I've had a couple of encounters with cross stitchers this week that has renewed my interest in my designs. I love the whole design process in cross stitch. I keep several notebooks to jot down ideas and snippets so I don't "lose" them. I've learned that the great idea I had 2 days ago can be long forgotten if I don't get it on paper then and there! It's a fascinating process going from pencil sketch to charting to stitching, with all the revisions and changes in between. Sometimes what you end up with doesn't resemble the initial idea at all, and sometimes it does.

For instance, this design "Into the Garden Softly" looks almost exactly like what I pictured in my mind when I first jotted it down.

While "Wild Sunflower" went through several changes. And then there's the fun of picking the floss and linen. I'm partial to the overdyed flosses such as Gentle Art and Weeks Dye Works. And I'm a huge fan of Lakeside Linens, they are so soft...and washable!

I'm feeling renewed design energy coming on!

Happy Easter!

He is Risen! Hallelujah!

Stitching Spring

I've broken out my last cross-stitch project, which has been languishing for almost a year. Something about spring makes me feel like stitching. Maybe it's just lighter on your lap than knitting or a quilt!

I've been rather neglectful of my cross stitch designs lately, and that's too bad. I love to stitch, and I think my designs are pretty good, even if I say so myself. I got rejected by a distributor last year, and pretty much gave up after that. But I may try a couple of smaller distributors, or just see what I can do myself on Etsy or something.

I'll try to post pictures of some of my designs.

Anyway, this is a good day for cross-stitch!

Shepherd's Quilt - FO!

It's finally finished...I thought the day would never come! I finished Shepherd's Quilt...that's what we're calling it, since more than likely he'll be the one laying on it the most.

I'm very pleased with it. It turned out just as I had pictured in my mind...very scrappy red and blue quilt. I wish I would have had more patience for a wee bit more quilting, but I was ready to get it bound and off of my list! Therefore, it is quilted enough. I usually like more rather than less quilting, but hey, it's still a cute quilt!

As you can see, I now need to get to work on the bed skirt, which will be the blue and white ticking of the pillowcase and sheets.

I'm already quilting on Jimmy's Irish Chain, which he's been waiting for for over a year. So, hopefully it'll get quilted here in the next couple of weeks and then bound.

I love binding a quilt...it's like the reward for all that hard work of piecing and piecing, making the quilt sandwich, basting and then the quilting itself. I always get excited when I get to the point where I've got the binding stitched to the front and I get to sit with the quilt for a few days and hand stitch the binding to the back. It's like a chance to get to know the quilt as a whole.

I'm kind of on a quilting kick here all of the sudden. I've got a new bed quilt for our bed waiting in the wings, and I've got ideas for another one for my new workplace. It's a quilty spring around here!