Miss Loreen's Schoolhouse

A Little Work on Christmas Wheels

I got to do a bit of hand stitching on my Christmas Wheels quilt.  Here is a picture of the quilt pattern.  I am working on the first block, doing the hand stitching before machine stitching.  Because I put the fabric in a frame to hand stitch, I didn't want it stretching the block if I had sewn on the fabric strips around it.  Maybe on the next block, I will try it the other way around and see what happens.

Make note of the beautiful frame I am working on.  This was a fabulous gift from my friend Mary Lou. Isn't it the best gift!! I could hardly wait to get home and put it to use.  I will try it with
one of my cross stitch projects next.  The wood is so beautiful and smooth.  It is a real treat to look at as I'm stitching along.  Thanks ML!!

I didn't get all of the stitching done but I'm happy with what is done.  Remember from my April Insanity list, this is about working on projects throughout the year and I have thirty of them to work on!!

Are you working on your projects?

Keep stitching,
loreen

Quilters Cottage Project Update.

Working between rainy days on the Quilters Cottage cross stitch project, I was able to finish the fence
and alphabet and start a little on the middle quilt.  Here's a picture of the whole pattern.  I ordered this pattern from the FatQuarterShop online shop along with the DMC floss pack with all of the colors for this pattern.

I thought the alphabet would be hard to do but doing one letter at a time made it much easier than trying to figure out how to travel from one letter to the next.  Using the loop method to start, there was no knot or burying the thread at the beginning and only burying thread at the end.  Once you do a few letters, you get the hang of where each letter starts in alignment to the others and alignment to the fence above.  This is 10 count cloth which makes it really easy to see the holes and count down or over to start a new letter. I had plenty of floss left from the alphabet, an entire skein as a matter of fact! I was concerned that I would run out, though I'm not sure why that thought was in my mind!

Having to work at my real job the last few Saturdays put a bit of a cramp in my project advancement so I am feeling a bit behind and need to get cracking and get back on schedule.  

If you are interested in working on the Quilters Cottage cross stitch project, here is the link for it along with the link for the floss package that goes with the pattern. Click here for pattern.  Click here for Floss

How have you been doing on your projects?  Did you get any finished?  I don't have any in anywhere near the finish stage yet.  Next I will be working on a couple of my quilting projects.

Keep stitching,
loreen

It's May 1st and I have finished my list of projects for this year.  Many of you have followed along all through the month of April as I listed each of my projects along with pictures and, again, thank you for that!

Yesterday and today are the first days I have had the chance to start working on my projects.  The granny squares are probably the easiest to work on as I can put my feet up for a few minutes at the end of my work day and stitch a round or even half a round.  I am trying hard to work on something even if I have only ten minutes or so.  

As I progress with my list, I will try to get things more in order so that I can pick from at least a few projects when I only have a few minutes to spare.  That's my goal at least!

On my Quilter's Cottage cross stitch project, I finished the fence and started on the alphabet.  Every little bit counts towards getting things done!  It does feel good to make some headway every couple of days.

I would like to work on my Cricut Maker project this week and share that process with you. Probably stitching the blocks I already cut out the pieces for and cutting another two blocks.

How are you coming along with your projects?  We had a great start in April so let's keep going.  I won't be posting every day as that's probably too much reading for anyone!!  I will post several times a week with my progress so I hope you still travel along this journey with me.  Doesn't matter how many projects you have.  Let's just work on them together!

Keep stitching,
loreen

 

Day Thirty. The last day of my April Insanity List!!

It's Day Thirty!! Have you been following along all thirty days?  If you have, thank you!  That's alot of reading to do and I appreciate it if you made it to today!  

For the last day, the project is something I have been working on for years.  This time I intentionally didn't put this quilt together because I was teaching classes using these blocks.  I keep the blocks in individual sleeves so my students can go through the book and see all the different blocks.  Originally, there were forty-eight blocks plus one block for the four corners of the quilt border.  When my students would work on their blocks, they could take my finished block out and use it as a visual to help them with their block.  I didn't want to drag around a finished quilt so the three ring binder book was the best answer.  

This was a paper piecing class I started back about 10 years ago.  I was only going to teach it once!!  It was going to be a block of the month with the first group of students.  Actually, they got two blocks.  One to work on in class and one for homework!  Then they asked if they could meet once a week because they really wanted to get it done.  I am still teaching this class with new students joining in during the year.  

This year I am putting my quilt together!  I really want to enjoy my quilt finished instead of looking at blocks in my book!  I have some blocks to stitch as I have lost some over the years and will probably make some duplicates so students can see up close how the paper piecing process works. My second goal on this project is to take all of my blocks, templates, instructions, etc. and put them into an ebook for later this year.  

I have some video tutorials on paper piecing on my youtube channel Miss Loreen's Schoolhouse for you to take a look at. Click here to watch a video now.  I will be adding more video tutorials on specific blocks in this Civil War quilt during the coming months.

Some of my students wanted to set their blocks on point so a few more blocks needed to be added to their sets. The total number of blocks is now fifty-one.  Every block is different so it makes it lots of fun to work on this project.

Here are some pictures of a few of my students' finished quilts.  Not everyone wanted to use Civil War Reproduction Fabrics.  I have a student in my class now that is using Halloween fabrics and I can't wait to see it finished.  I'll be sure to post it here for you to see too!

Aren't they all beautiful? 

Keep stitching and thank you so much for following along all this month,
loreen

 

Day Twenty-Nine. April Insanity List!

It's Day Twenty-Nine and the end of the April list is almost here.  I had said at the beginning of this list that one of the things I wanted to accomplish was to start using the machines and tools I have.  Today's project is less of a project and more of a "using a machine I own".  I have the Baby Lock Triumph.  It is a serger and a cover stitch combination and I haven't used it much lately so it needed to be on my list.  Maybe even near the top of my list because I really enjoy making projects with my serger.

I have made some bags on the serger/cover stitch that I would like to make more of.  One bag I use for keeping my paper piecing tools in and I would like to make at least one more to keep my regular rotary cutter in.  Keeping these things in bags makes it easier for me to find what I need quickly or throw it into a project bag to take with me for a class.

With my serger/cover stitch machine having the wide space to the right of the needle makes it much easier to do cover stitching and chain stitching on any project.  I have used the chain stitch for quilting as well as putting in zippers.  The cover stitch is another stitch that looks great as a decorative quilting stitch.  Making bags and using these stitches is good practice for getting back into using my serger/cover stitch machine more.

When I work on these bags, I will post tutorials and video tutorials so you can work along with me on your serger.  The bags that I am showing today are done on the serger side so if you have a serger, you will be able to make the bags too!

I did the little pintuck stitching on the serger side which is very easy to do.  Why don't you dust off your serger, practice threading it, get some fat quarters of fabrics that you really like and join me during May in making some bags.  You'll need a few nylon zippers.  I always buy at least 18 inch zippers.  I can always cut some of the zipper off but I can't add any on!!

Notice on these bags that I used brightly colored zippers making them an accent to the bag.  Why try to hide a zipper. I think they look pretty!  The linings to each bag are also done with accent colors.

Be sure to follow my blog during May to see what bags I make on my serger.  I promise I won't be blogging every day in the future!

Keep stitching,
loreen

Day Twenty-Eight. April Insanity List!

We're almost at the end of my list!!  It's Day Twenty-Eight!! Today's project is something simple.  Some of you may remember many, many years ago and I mean many, many years ago, everyone was crocheting granny squares.  I was knitting at the time and didn't make anything with granny squares.  While watching some videos on youtube, I saw some projects made with granny squares and decided I wanted to make something.  At first I was going to just make a little pincushion and call it a day but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted something more than a pincushion.  A summer light and airy afghan!  That's it!  

While it may not be done for this summer because I'm not putting pressure on myself, it will be done within my year time frame.  That was the whole point of making the list.  Well, there were two points.  Ok, three points!!  First, to stop trying to get things done in unreasonable time frames.  Second, to use some of the machines and tools I already own and lastly, to have a list of what I wanted to accomplish over the next year.  Will there be times when something is added in?  Of course, but I'm going to really try to keep to my list.  Maybe when something is finished, I'll add something new but I'd really rather wait until I have a few things finished before I add one thing new.  Otherwise, the list will never feel like it is finished.  I can make a new list next April so I would really like to put out of my mind, the projects that didn't make the list that are not finished...........for now!

I did buy some new yarn for this project. Something colorful so I will be using multi-colored yarns. I also bought a set of crochet hooks that have the big handles.  That makes it so much easier to hold.  I didn't know what size hook I wanted to use.  I must have crocheted the block five times before I got the size I wanted.  I'm using a 4.25 or G hook.  Right now my plan is to set all the blocks into a white border.  We'll see!!

Did you ever make granny squares?  Did you make one big one as an afghan or did you make a bunch of squares?  I had a friend who made one all in blue variegated yarn.  I remember when variegated yarn became the big thing to knit or crochet with.

So here's my square so far.  I don't think I will make it much bigger than it shows now.  

Just two projects to go!

Keep stitching,
loreen

Day Twenty-Seven! April Insanity List

It's Day Twenty-Seven.  You'd think by now I would run out of things to post!!  hahaha!  How about you?  Could you come up with thirty projects to do or finish?  Of course you could!!

Today's project is a fairly simple one.  A cross stitch pattern from Lori Holt called "Vintage Christmas".  Caspian and I are going to work on this one together!  Caspian is going to make each of the designs individually so we can turn them into ornaments and I am going to stitch it as one piece.  That's the plan so far!  

We recently ordered and got the DMC floss kit so Caspian can have his own set of threads.  I haven't decided yet what would be the best kind of hoop for him to use. 

The pattern calls for ten count Aida which is a nice big size for Caspian to start out on and it's good for my old grandma eyes!!  The Aida fabric is not in stock anywhere right now.  It is expected in by June (I hope)so we'll have it by school summer vacation.

Caspian and I are looking forward to working on this one together! We are going to start with Santa.

Keep stitching,
loreen

 

Day Twenty-Six. April Insanity List!

Day Twenty-Six brings another work in progress.  Doesn't that sound better than unfinished project?  I think so.  When I was blogging about the Christmas Wheels projects, it reminded me of another project I had worked on a number of years ago from the same designer Bunny Hill Designs.  Does that make three patterns on this list from Bunny Hill?  I think so!  Anyway, the first pattern I bought was today's project.  Postcard Cuties for Winter.

The funny story about this project is that over the last few months I've been thinking about making some kind of wall hanging or quilt made with one of  Moda's Christmas fabric collections. The fabrics have the red, greens, blues that I wasn't overly attracted to but apparently, have changed my mind.  These colors are, to me, unique to Moda. When I came upon this project, I was pleasantly surprised that it had a bag full of just the Christmas fabrics I have been thinking about.

It looks like I have a jelly roll (2 1/2" strips) and a charm pack (5" squares).  Actually, there are two charm packs so I am taking one to use on a project from the Pin Pals book!  How's that for spreading the old stuff around!

It appears I have some pages with the applique shapes to trace and I have marked off the ones I have already traced.  Yea!  Then there is a pile of shapes already traced onto fusible web.  Yippee!!  I will have to sit down and figure out where I left off with the applique shapes and get those done first.

I can remember when I last worked on this project.  I was sewing with my friend Donna in Florida and we were sewing at the store we both worked at so that has to be geez, let's see ten year ago.  I have a rule.  If I think something was two years ago, I add on at least three more years.  If I think it was five years ago, it was probably closer to ten!!! When Donna and I were sewing together, we decided to stop tracing shapes for awhile and do a bit of stitching so I have a few sections stitched.  I didn't have wide enough pieces of fabric so I stitched two strips together to get a square.  There will be applique shapes on top of the squares so I think it will be ok and if it's not perfect, that's ok, too. 

Keep stitching,
loreen

 

Day Twenty-Five. April Insanity List continues!!

It's Day Twenty-Five and this is an oldie......oldest in the group!  This is two patterns in one bag so maybe this should be Day Twenty-Five AND Twenty-Six!!  The two patterns came from a series called Garden Patch Cats from StoryQuilts.  I remember that there were a bunch of patterns with different cats as veggies but they are probably not all available today.  This has to be ten years ago.  Shhhh don't say "ten years ago" too loud, please!

The patterns finish as 18" squares so I could make pillows for these two cats.  That decision is for another day.  Let's get them done first!!

I have both cats already cut out and fused to the background fabrics and have extra fabric for the borders.  Looks like I may need to add some more colors to add a bit more interest to the projects.  I'm sure I can find something around here that will work since the pieces needed aren't all that big.

The applique stitching is all done on "Stalker" so that's exciting!! None of the applique stitching is done on "Caulipuss" so that will be the first thing I will do when I start working on this project.  

The biggest reason I put this project on the list is because I found quite a few of my 30wt Sulky threads in the project bag.  I have been wondering where these spools have been so it was like finding a treasure when I came by this project and it went immediately on my list.  There is even a brand new spool of Aurifil thread!  I was looking for another project I wanted to finish when I found this one and no, I didn't find the original project I was looking for.  

Aren't these cats the cutest and don't you love the creative names they have?  Every time I look at them, I smile and I hope you do as well.

This project came in a project bag already so I didn't have to dig up something to use since I've about run out of bags to put this stuff in!

It is nice to find a project that has quite a bit already done!

Keep stitching,
loreen

Day Twenty-Four! April Insanity List!

It's Day Twenty-Four and we are headed toward the end of April and the end of my list!  Today's project is a new one and I came to watch Cathy from Hands On Designs on youtube recently and really enjoyed her video.  She was showing a couple of pincushions she had designed for cross stitching and they beautiful. I choose the one called "Home".  Cathy has some round ones and square ones.  Thought I'd start with a square one first.  I would really like to make a few of them.  

Looks to be about four inches square and two inches high.  Cathy has special button pins to go with each of her pincushions but I didn't get any right now.  They are a bit pricey so I'll see if I might get them later.

I don't have a big supply of floss since I haven't done anything with floss in years.  Looks like I may have to start rebuilding my floss stash as I see a sale at one of the local chain stores.  I will need to print out a chart of colors, if there is one, so I can keep track of what I have and what I need first.

I ordered the aida fabric when I ordered the pattern.  I have a big piece of fabric so there will be plenty left to do more pincushions in the future.  The fabric is 14 count beige.  Looks a tad yellow to me so we will see how it looks when I start stitching.

When I put together the tube frame for my other cross stitch project, I had some sections left over that I will use for the frame for this project.  Looks like I may have to change to a longer size later because I think the pattern going around the square is one piece.  Not to worry about today!!

The pattern came with a little piece of wool that goes on the top of the pin cushion. That was a nice touch from Cathy.  Lots of times we can't find little touches like this that just make the project look that much nicer. Hats off to Hands On Designs.

I'm looking forward to making my first cross stitch pincushion.

Keep stitching,
loreen