Nine is Fine

Yesterday was spent mostly unpacking and getting reorganized. Also, I spent a fair amount of time creating a shopping list for today's shopping excursion. What fun! (Not.) Nevertheless, I did make some time for sewing yesterday. After all, part of the reorganizing happened in the sewing room. Of course, my furry friend was there to help.

First, I took an updated picture of the first block for Dancing Chickens and Flying Pigs. The one I posted yesterday didn't have the machine top-stitching finished.

It's ready for stitching, but it will have to take it's turn in line behind the redwork piece already in progress.

Also, I needed to trim the fourth barn block to size. Here are the four blocks together. There are still eight more to go on this.

Next, I was ready to add the binding to my little embroidery sampler. I'm calling this piece "Stitched Inchies." It is a small and thin piece since I used flannel for the batting. I decided to try cutting the binding strips to 2 inches, rather than the 2-1/4 I usually use.

By then it was late in the day...too late to start anything else, and so I finished off the day hand-stitching the binding. As it turns out, the 2-inch width was just right.

Here's how it looks from the back. I had only two large triangular pieces of that floral fabric left, and so the back is sewn together with one diagonal seam. Also, I remembered to add my label. Yay, me!

Now my dollies are covered up with it. They look so cozy in their little bed.

Also, it was high time to switch out the St. Patrick's Day table runners for the Easter ones. This first one is a free pattern available in the Moda Bake Shop.

This little Easter egg runner is on our breakfast bar. This was a gift from my friend Marei. Marei is very clever about using her scraps.

In yesterday's mail, I received my latest pattern from Crabapple Hill Studios. This is her new Summer Kitchen pattern, and how could I resist?

I'm not sure when I'll get to this since I probably have more embroidery patterns to stitch than I can possibly live long enough to finish. Still, it makes me happy just having them. This one will get top priority since I already have the floss kit. Just now I went to her website so I could link to the pattern and came away with two more. I should never set foot in that store. Just sayin'.

Speaking of stitching...my morning lap cat was happy to get back to her own routine. This morning we sat and stitched the last of the Friendship's Garden blocks.

I stitched what I could before moving the hoop...

and then, there was so little left that I finished it off.

Now it's trimmed up, and that's the last of those.

Here it is with its brethren.

Okay, and so into the tops-to-be-finished pile they go. I think it might be fourth in line.

So that brings me to the end of my news, and I probably can't think of any other ways to avoid grocery shopping. Weeding awaits me as well, but it's raining today. I might be able to put that off a little longer. When I get back from shopping, I'll get busy catching up on the Tiny Tuesday blocks.