Finally...

Kathy Schmitz - Snow Day

I know it seems like forever, but I finally finished Kathy Schmitz' Snow Day.

Snow Day Detail

Little birds in the snow share the block with snowflakes falling on a cozy, snow-covered house...

Snow Day Detail

  and a sweet snowman, bundled up in a fancy, snuggly coat, mittens and hat. It's appropriate that I finished it before the end of winter, too!   I have one more design, Bluebell Nest to stitch out, and then I'll be ready to start working  toward finishing out the individual blocks. Each one came with different fabrics for their own quilt block designs, and I just have to decide if I want to use those various   fabrics that came with each kit, or whether I want the fabrics for all of them to be the same.   This project is on my list of UFOs to finish by the end of 2018.  It's going to be a fun year!

A "Face Palm" Moment...

Brynwood Needleworks - Schmitz' "Snow Day"

When I had my needlework shop (Stitches), I could never conceive of a time when I would use a machine to stitch out an embroidery. Goodness, how times change!

While I still treasure the time I spend doing handwork, it's fun to let Destiny cut my time on a project down to minutes or hours, rather than days, months, or years!

You've watched me complete nine (almost ten) of the Kathy Schmitz' Sweet Stitches embroideries so far. Until now, I've placed each piece of fabric on top of the pattern...onto a light table to trace each design. Until now.

Brynwood Needleworks - Sulky Sticky Fabri-Solvy

I purchased this stabilizer - Sulky Sticky Fabri-Solvy - quite a while ago, and then promptly forgot about it. Two weeks ago, my friend, Mary Agnes, showed me an embroidery she was working on and said she "loves this stuff".

Brynwood Needleworks - Schmitz' "Snow Day"on Sticky Fabri-Solvy

These are water soluble sheets that you run through your inkjet printer on the "copier" setting. It prints your design onto the stabilizer, which has a sticky backing. After it comes through the printer, remove the freezer-paper-like backing, adhere it to your ground fabric, and you're ready to stitch. It's that easy.

After you're finished stitching, simply get your piece wet and the stabilizer dissolves away. The only catch is that, if you're stitching outside and it starts to sprinkle, you'd better hightail it inside...and don't spill your glass of water on it either. Your design will melt and you'll have to get out the water soluble marker after the fabric is dry again to retrace the rest of your pattern.

Brynwood Needleworks - Sulky Sticky Fabri-Solvy Stabilizer Pack

 

As always, I'm uncompensated for my endorsement of this product. If you're interested in purchasing it, you can find it at your local quilt shop...or I will carry it soon on my website.

 

I can't believe I haven't tried this sooner! (That's my "face palm" moment.) Now, I can run each design through the printer and get right to the stitching. Happy Dance!

Snow Day...

 Don't worry. I'm not talking about our weather, although I see that

it's more than snowing in the Midwest and other northern places.

Yesterday, I received the final installment in the Sweet Stitches

Block of the Month Club from Shabby Fabrics..."Snow Day".

The snow lady in this kit is so sweet! She'll be fun to stitch.

Now I have all twelve months of kits - and I've already stitched half

of them. When they're all stitched, then the sewing will commence.

 As a little "thank you" from Shabby Fabrics, there was a little 

bluebird pin included with this last kit. It's from Kathy Schmitz

and looks just like the little bird in the "Bluebird Nest" kit! I 

added it to my guild ID quilt pin. It fits right in with my others.

I'm going to see my Coffee Club girlfriends this morning.

I'm looking forward to it, as always. They're always a good time!

Have a great Saturday. 

I'll be back tomorrow with my Sunday Scripture.