I'm Going To Do It!...

Selvage From Moda's Bluebird's Nest Fabric - Kansas City Quilters

I'm going to add a wider hanging sleeve to my bluebird wall hanging. It should have been 4" deep, and I only made it 3". sigh Anyway, I don't mind one bit, as I'm going to take MA's steller suggestion and add the selvage from the Bluebird's Nest fabric and sew it onto the sleeve before I attach it. 

This sleeve will be a permanent installation on the quilt - even after I have it mounted into a shadowbox frame. It's fitting that the selvage be a part of the piece. Thanks for the idea, MA!

Work went well yesterday, and I was well settled in at home before the snow started. We're expecting 1-3", and it's going to be cold. Those are perfect conditions for studio work.

So, at this point, here's my Christmas Project list (so far):

• Grammie's Jammies x 3
• 3 table runners
• 2 goldwork brooches
• 3 lap quilts

I'll be starting these projects today, and will share them with you as I complete them. (I'll probably share sneaky peeks along the way, too.) I'm off until Friday night, so I expect to make some good progress by then.

Of course, there will be 6 - 8 dozen cookies made, too. I'm planning to bake on Saturday for the Sunday get-together. I'm determined to have this be a relaxing process this year. No panic. No stress. If it's not going to be fun, I'll do something else. There's always Amazon, right?

First is this sleeve for the bluebirds. Then on to the next thing! See you tomorrow.

Grammie's Jammies 2022...

 

Now that Christmas has passed, I can share photographs of the jammies I made for our grandkids this year. I cheated and purchased the tops, but these are the bottoms I made for them.

First up are the bottoms I made for Grandson. The fabric is The Print Shop by Sweetwater for Moda. This specific print is #5740.

 

 

 

I hate to purchase new buttons when I have enough vintage and older buttons to open my own button shop. (That's how I ended up opening a needlework shop in 1989!) These are the buttons I chose for his bottoms. I used Simplicity Pattern #D0834, because it's a slim cut pattern (which our guy sure is), and it has the two-button fly detail, plus the waistband button which I like better than fully elastic slip-ons.

 

 

These are the girls jammies. #1 Granddaughter's are on the right, and #2 Granddaughter's are on the left. I think I've told you in the past that I prewash all the jammie fabrics prior to cutting and sewing. The fabric is washed in warm water and tumble dried high heat so that I do the worst to the fabric before I sew everything together. They'll never get that wash and dry treatment again, but this way I know that the fabric won't shrink any more than it already has.

 

These are fabrics I've loved and hoarded saved for more than a few years. Fabric on the left is a Faye Burgos design for Marcus Brothers Textiles. There is no other information on the selvage. 

Fabric on the right is Azalea Trail by Nancy Odom for P & B Textiles ©2002. Yikes. I guess I just revealed how long I've had that line!  I had all the coordinating fabrics for that line, too. I'll have to look through my dark colors to see what else is left. I may have to make something else with it!

 

I used buttons on this pair that picked up the peachy color in the print. The photograph (unfortunately) doesn't show that it's a lovely pearly button.

 

 

More vintage buttons for this fabric, which I think begged for something old rather than new. The lady's pants are from Simplicity Pattern #D8518/0838. They also have a two-button fly (plus one), and partial elastic around the back which makes them extra comfortable.

 

I'm hoping each of them send Grandma a photo wearing them, so I can add it to my sewing scrapbook. I hope they enjoy wearing them at least until next Christmas, when I'll sew new ones to add to their collections. 

National Sew A Jelly Roll Day...

September 18th - National Sew A Jelly Roll Day
 

Did you even know? I have lots of jelly rolls, so I might just need to jump onboard! Here's a link to learn more. There's a full explanation of the event, and you can even find links to scads of free patterns.

 

Are you going to participate? If so, which jelly roll (Designer and fabric line) are you going to use?

Gobsmacked and Grateful...

Brynwood Needleworks - Brenda Riddle's "Cottage Linen Closet" Fabric Line

 

Brenda Riddle is the creative force behind Acorn Quilt and Gift Company. We've followed each other's blogs and lives for a long time. We keep in touch through Instagram and Facebook, too, now.

 

Recently, she posted photographs of her newest, luscious fabric line called "Cottage Linen Closet", and I commented that I was "in love" with it. Soon after, she sent me a private message asking for my "new" (farmhouse) address, so I gave it to her.

 

Yesterday, a box arrive and when I opened it I was so excited. Bren sent me a fat quarter assortment of her new line, along with a lovely little tin I can use for needles, or just about anything. 

Brynwood Needleworks - "Cottage Linen Closet" Fat Quarter Assortment

 

Bren's notes about this line perfectly describe the individual prints and colors. You can visit her online journal HERE to read all about her inspiration for this line. She's truly a girl after my own heart.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - "It Is Well With My Soul" Tin

She also included this lovely little tin, which after the health issues I've had in the past twelve months, couldn't be more perfect. "It is well with my soul" is so true. 

 

I'm absolutely going to execute one of Bren's quilt patterns to use this fabric, but I'm also working on something special for her to thank her (and she'll get a tiny bit of this fabric back in the process).

 

Thank you, dear friend. Hugs to you and sweet Emmie. 

(Tag, Bella and Carly send their love, too.)

Much love from this grateful heart to yours.

Stacking Hexie Flowers...

Brynwood Needleworks - Making Hexie Flowers

 

While Handsome and I did spend some time outdoors on this past weekend, I still managed to stitch quite a few hexies together to make flowers for my project. Even though I'm feeling great, I did just have major surgery less than two weeks ago. I need to keep reminding myself, so I don't overdo it.

 

I'm going to make more hexies this week, as I'm running out of fabric combinations with the choices I have left right now. I just need to fuse more hexie shapes to the backs of my small charms, and make those up, first.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Back of Hexie Flower

I'm showing the back of one of the flowers to you so you can see all the teeny, tiny stitches I take to join the hexies together. It's very zen-like to hold the pieces in my hands and take these little stitches to join them. I'd share a short video if I thought you'd like to see me working. Let me know in the comments.

I'll leave the tacking stitches (white thread) in until I'm ready to trim and attach the flowers to my ground fabric. They keep everything neat and tidy at this point.

Tag will be here tomorrow (poor devil) to share some interesting news. I'll be back on Wednesday to share my progress with these. If you have the day off today, enjoy another day of the holiday weekend. It's going to be hot, hot outside, so you'll find me in a comfy chair with needle and thread...and my morning coffee.

 

A Creative Day...

Brynwood Needleworks - Primitive Gatherings/Moda "Create" Case

 

I think I've shared this Moda case before, but I pulled it out yesterday for a reason. I decided to "fit out" the interior, so that when I use it, the contents don't rattle around inside. These cases (I have two) were created by Moda specifically for Primitive Gatherings, and feature one of Lisa's fabric lines.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - A New Interior

 

I added a fabric interior, sewing one of the fabric pouches I purchased from Michelle Palmer to the fabric before attaching it to cardboard for the lid. Of course, a squirrel is a perfect subject for a case in which I'll "squirrel" a project in progress. When I sewed the pouch to the fabric I used for the lid lining, I didn't sew  the top area behind the pouch, creating an extra pocket. I can use it to hold supplies, patterns, or other items. My Brynwood needle keep is magnetized, so it holds tight to the lid. I even added a tiny round tin to hold the Valdani threads I use on the pennies.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Michelle Palmer Artwork Pockets

 

The sweet chipmunk pouch can hold more supplies, or in this case, some of the extra wool penny circle sets.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Primitive Gatherings' Penny Flowers

 

So, a recent Wool Box came with the kit to make either circle flowers or these. I like the shape, so I'm going with these. The fabrics and colors are indicative of the color scheme for an ongoing project. By the time you read this, I will have finished the embroidery on all of them, so I'll show them to you tomorrow.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Flower Pennies - Second Version

When we were at Lisa's yesterday, she showed me a second colorway she was creating. I have plenty of wools, so I decided to do the same. Maybe I'll work on these today. They work up pretty quickly! More pictures of these tomorrow.

Remember: The "Be My Valentine" giveaway ends at 11 pm Saturday night. Dont' forget to enter the drawing!

Another Quick Project Under My Needle...

Farmhouse Quilt

I've had this panel since my friend, Jacque A. and I spent the day shopping last fall. The panel has been in service all summer, blocking late day sun in the pantry, but I decided that I needed to actually do something with it beside hanging it the panel on a rod.

I was in the studio a couple of days ago, pulling fabrics I'll soon list in my online shop, and found the perfect pieces for a border on the front, and for backing to turn it into a completed hanging. I thought the black and white floral was just the right pattern for the borders, and I have a darker version of the  linen-look cotton seen on the farm panel.

The fabrics are sandwiched with batting, pinned, and waiting as I contemplate how I want to quilt it. I'll have it finished by the end of the week...binding and all.

Selvage From Farmhouse Quilt Panel

 

When I showed this on my Brynwood Needleworks Facebook page, a number of friends asked for the information on the panel, so I'm sharing it with you, too. It's from Deb Strain's "Homegrown" line from Moda Fabrics. Like I said, I purchased it last fall, so you may have to check Etsy or Ebay to find it. (HERE'S a shop I found on Etsy that has more than one panel available)

Today, I'll be helping Handsome paint the inside of his new drum room here at the farm. Our younger son, who is a talented carpenter, built it for him, and as soon as the painting is finished, we'll shop carpet and shelves. The temps are cooler now, so it's perfect painting weather.

We hope to have it move-in ready in another week or so, which is good, because his fall rehearsal schedule has already begun. It'll be nice for him to have a place to set up and practice, plus a climate controlled area for his instruments.

Once the painting is finished, I'll be back in the studio. I have orders to fill, and this small project for myself to finish. I love having busy days. Such a feeling of accomplishment at the end of a day, and I sleep like a log. Life is good.

 

Mini Charm Pack Pincushions...

Brynwood Mini Charm Pincushions

 

I played in the studio for a little while yesterday. I made pincushions from Moda™ mini charm packs. In the interest of full disclosure, this is an idea that was shared with us by Lisa Bongean at our once-a-month Sit & Sew group at Primitive Gatherings. It was such a great idea, that you know I had to share it with you, too.

Lisa showed us the one she made - and gave us each a mini charm pack of one of her fabric lines, at our last get together. I knew I was going to make some of my own when I got home. Here they are (along with a little tutorial so you can make your own)!

Assembling Mini Charm Pincushions

If you sew or quilt, I know you have at least one mini charm pack. They're 2 1/2" squares representing a designer's full assortment of any given line. To make these pincushions, you cut 3/4" strips from each piece. Of course, this means you'll still have 1 3/4" left to make more!!

For my first one, I cut a 3/4" strip off every single square in the assortment. Then, using a 1/4" seam, I joined them all together by color from light to dark (or dark to light). Once they're all joined, give them a press with a steam iron and trim to square them up, if needed.

Adding Twill Tape To Mini Charm Pincushion

The newer twill tapes that Moda™ uses to tie their jelly rolls have a design that looks like measuring tape, but mine are still binding my unused jelly rolls. I do have some that I've saved from the rolls I've already used, so I pulled them out for this project.

Center the twill tape along the length of your joined fabrics, and sew along each side of the tape. Once the twill tape is sewn to the fabrics, choose a nice backing fabric for your pincushion. Sew them front to back, right sides together, but leave at least 1" of one end open to add your filling of crushed walnut shells. 

Turn right-side-out and press, including the area you'll eventually sew shut. Fill with crushed walnut shells and hand sew the opening closed.

 

Finished Mini Charm Pincushion

It's that simple! If you use the entire assortment in your mini charm pack, your finished pincushion with be looooong! There were three prints in each color for this one. So, I decided to play a little longer.

 

Little Version of Mini Charm Pincushion

The next one I made was only one of each color (with the exception of the gold one on the left end). It's a mini mini charm pack pincushion! (Of course, you could make it "mini-er" by using fewer colors.)

Three Sizes of Mini Charm Pincushions

 

In no time at all, I'd made three different lengths. The longest one used three of each colorway, creating a pincushion that was just over 14" long. The middle one used two of each colorway and ended up about 10" long, and the last one with one of each colorway was about 5" long. I still have enough 3/4" pieces of some of the squares to make one or more, depending on how many colors I use.

 

Added bonus? Well, I'm so glad you asked! Because each strip of fabric sews up to 1/4" long, you can actually use your pincushion as a pretty close estimation of a ruler! Four strips equals 1". Cool, right? 

 

Well, what are you waiting for? Grab your mini charm packs and get sewing! If you make your own, please take a picture and post it on my "Brynwood Needleworks" Facebook page. (Just ask to join if you're not already in the group.) I'd love to see what you make!

 

Our Farmhouse - Master Bedroom...

Master Bed and Quilt Wall

I have more than a few quilts I love, and I've been trying to think of ways to display them here at the farmhouse. We have two beds (three, once the attic space is finished), so that takes care of two quilts. I also use them as table covers, but I recently came up with another idea.

During the winter, I noticed how cold our exterior walls were. I'm sure that, at some point, we'll reinsulate the house, but for now, I'm going to use quilts!
 

Master Bedroom Quilt Wall

 

This picture shows two of my very first quilts. The one on the bed is a chenille four-patch, that is the snuggliest and most comfy nap quilt. I love the colors, and that alone was what tempted me to purchase the kit. After carting the kit around for a couple of years, I finally assembled and quilted it in 2004. It's definitely one of my favorites.

 

The quilt I chose for the wall is made using the original Moda "Seaside Rose" fabric line. I made it in 2005. I love the colors in this quilt, and it goes perfectly with the paint colors, not only in the master bedroom, but throughout the entire farmhouse. It's also light and airy for summer, and it's a bonus that it will help insulate the room.

 

Of course, the use of a long rod hanging from two hooks gives me the option to switch out the quilt according to seasons, or just on a whim. The bed is much too big and heavy to move around, but changing out a quilt will give the room a new look whenever I want. I'm quite happy with this one, and will likely keep it like this for a long time.

 

 

I was working in the garden again yesterday. I have one more day of work left, and then I can show you finished pictures. I'm going to put down newsprint and then cover it with mulch, as recommended in my gardening books. Weeds won't come up through the newsprint, and the plants love whatever is in the newsprint as it deteriorates. Cool, right? I did get additional plants and can't wait to show you what it looks like now!! Soon, I promise.

Time Out For A Special Project...

Forest Friends Fabric Assortment

 I have a very special project to make for a certain granddaughter celebrating a Birthday next week.

Forest Friends Animals

 She loves nature and animals, but these days, foxes are her favorite.

Forest Friends Foxes

 No shopping necessary. I just went to my fabric studio and pulled what I need.

Forest Friends Fabric by Ingrid for Moda

   "Forest Friends" fabric assortment will fit the bill nicely. I'll be cutting today, to work on  something I know she wants. I have a week before I need to finish it. Plenty of time.  

Plum Sweet Hexies...

Brynwood Needleworks - Plum Sweet Mini Charms

I met up with the ladies at Paneras last night. I wanted to take my hexies project to work on but needed to prep more mini charms before I could head over to Port Charlotte.

Brynwood Needleworks - Hexies

I got out my Clover iron and pressing board, and then I grabbed more of my fusible Hexies (from Hugsnkisses.net) and my Plum Sweet mini charms (designed by Blackbird designs).

Brynwood Needleworks - Hexi Prep

By the end of our evening visit, I had another twenty or so completed hexies to add to the "in progress" pile. It's definitely an ongoing project.

Today, I'm going to work on something different...and I'll show you what I accomplish tomorrow. Whew! It feels so good to be "caught up"!
 

Diagnosis...

"PNEUMONIA".

I firmly believe in the power of prayer. If you're so moved, I sure would appreciate if you could lift a few healing prayers for me. This is no fun.

Tag's not usually a cuddly boy, but he's all over me while I'm ill. He's taking really good care of me and won't leave my side. If his attentiveness is any indicator, I should be over this quickly.

On a lighter note, I want to show you an image that Aurifil threads posted on their FaceBook page. These are Moda's new "Homespun Silky Wovens". Aren't they swoony? (I know it's probably not a real word, but hey. It's my blog and I can exercise a little poetic license.)

I'm seriously wanting to add these to my inventory. I have to find some when I feel better (which I hope is very soon, now that the doctor has prescribed meds for me.)

Now that I've written this post, I'm going back to bed...perhaps to dream of something "fabric" and fun!