12/12/22

Stitching Victory

Good morning, my friends! It's a sunny day here at the Three Cats Ranch. We're expecting sunshine this whole week. It will be a welcome relief from the darkness that has enveloped us for the past several days. I expect I'll be able to get outside for a walk in the next day or two. After my slip and fall last week, however, I'll wait for the pavement to dry. It's sunny, but it's cold.

My biggest news from yesterday is that I declared victory over my current nemesis project, Calendula Patterdrip's Cottage. The embroidery for the quilt is finished! Yahoo!


Here's a close-up of the section I've been working on. If you were to look closely, you might be able to see the little unstitched marks where the crows' feet are. (Please don't mistake the stitched crows' feet for the ones around my eyes. Those are easier to see.) I had the hardest time drawing them in freehand, especially after tracing them wrong to begin with. From a distance, however, and not knowing the truth, I doubt anyone will ever notice.


It'll go onto my list of quilt tops to be finished now. There is a border of pieced blocks all around the outer edge. Here's the picture from the pattern cover so you can see what I'm talking about.


It will have to wait its turn, however. There are several quilts in line ahead of it.

Well. That brought me to a stitching emergency. I needed to make up the next block for the Domestic Affairs quilt. This was a free BOM from Jenny of Elefantz back in 2016. She called her quilt "Gentle Domesticity." Now the patterns can be found for sale in her Etsy shop. Fortunately, I found my stitching cat at the ready to help me make up the next block for my stitching enjoyment.


At the mention of catnip, however, he pawsed to question his purriorities.


With some catnip under his belt, he was by my side to help me top-stitch the applique.


He purrforms his purrimary responsibilities admirably. You won't find a harder working cat, although there have been some rumblings about unionizing lately. Management has already agreed to an increase in catnip, but it seems there are other concerns among the rabble.


Well...rumblings aside, Block 5 is ready for stitching.


Now it's hooped up, and I'll take the first stitches on it when I finish here.


The rest of the day was spent on my challenge piece. It's nearing the point where I can fuse it to a background. I haven't yet selected a background fabric, but I have some good ideas. I will have the Resident Retired Engineer (RRE) assist me with that part. Here's today's peek:


I approached this piece with great trepidation, but it's going very well. There's just a little more to add to the bottom. Once it's fused to a background, I'll add some batting to the back and then get busy thread-painting. The thread-painting is only a little less scary than the ones I've done previously, and I've been reviewing what I learned in this book by Phyllis Cullen and Cindy Richard:


It's a good book with good explanations and illustrations.

So today should be a pretty easy-going day, and I should be able to have my challenge piece ready to move to the next stage by day's end. I'll be glad to clean up the mess of scraps piled everywhere on my work surface. I'm still taking breaks from the challenge piece to work on other things. Once I've cleared some space, I'd like to finish up the little quilt top I call Tucson Tabby.


It just needs some borders, and then it too will be ready for quilting. There's plenty of sewing to keep me busy today. How are things going in your part of the world?

11 comments:

Barbara said...

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. ~ John Ruskin

Soapstone Quilts said...

Your Calendula Patterdrip quilt is going to be absolutely stunning (I like so many of the Crabapple Hill Studio designs!). It’ll be worth the current frustration - as I’m sure you already know…a real heirloom piece. And you are spot on - none of us will know or notice if there are slight differences from her pattern. I’m really enjoying watching your progress, even when it’s giving you fits.

Jenny said...

Its bright, warm and sunny in my part of the world, and we are getting ready to board the Inter Island Ferry (3 hour sailing) to go down to the South Island. Pets must remain in vehicles, or in our case, the caravan, so goodness knows how Gemma will cope with the trip, but cope she must. I've got a stitchery project at the ready to do on our holiday, it's nice to relax outside when we are camping, stitching happily away. I do enjoy seeing your various projects on the go.

Julierose said...

There certainly was a whole lo of stitching on Calendula!! Great job doing all this--it is a lovely piece.
Tucson Tabby is so cute...
We had 2" of snow last night and it is very cold here today--not a lot of melting going on...
I am still working my crumb blocks and the Ojos with the last of the leftovers...I am sure they keep on multiplying overnight!!
Nice that you are having sunshine..hugs, Julierose

Sherrill said...

You get some of the cutest pix of Smitty! Always gives me a little grin. I always ask my girl if she wants some crack. Loves her some nip. So impressed you almost finished up with Calendula--don't think I would've even hit the 1/10th mark. The weather has been crappy here..not so much cold but just dark and yucky. Might see a touch of sun the next couple of days been then the temps drop. UGH

Karen said...

Seeing Smitty by all the red, he's blocking most of it.. What a tease ! Thank you for all your show and tell. I will keep saying it; you are the best HBO !!
I love Crabapple Hill. I'm doing her Mystery of Enchanted Hollow. Almost done with block 4 of 12. I'm not a prolific embroider , but enjoy the journey.

Quilter Kathy said...

Congrats on finishing the Calendula stitching! That is a huge accomplishment and needs a celebration!

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Sometimes I really wish I had a furry helper in my sewing room but I have to remember Resident Chef's allergies. I have to make do with my resident dragon who really isn't much help at all.

QuiltGranma said...

I'm guessing your mystery person is the mom with the platter of turkey in the Norman Rockwell painting of plenty at Thanksgiving.

Terri in BC said...

I just took a class in September with Phyllis Cullen! You've reminded me I need to finish my piece and get it done! Can't wait to see what you do with your project.

Sandy Panagos said...

Your Calendula quilt is going to be beautiful. Good for you having the embroidery done. Tucson Tabby looks fun!