Sunday Morning. . . 18 Months Later.

In many ways, it feels like years since I last wrote. Chronic pain and depression have taken their toll.

One of my goals as I attempt to make this journey back to a happier self is to post at least once a week. However, speaking from experience, posts will always be sporadic. What's different is I am trying to stop beating myself up about missed goals.

There hasn't been much productive time since the last post, but some is better than none. You'd think that there would be tons and tons of completed projects in an eighteen month time span. Alas, not so much.

Purchased some wool felt a while back (when there was still a few dollars in the coffer). Made a lot of brooches with it. Over a hundred to be exact. Little projects make me feel like I'm accomplishing something without increasing my pain level.

My favorite is a little birdie that takes about half an hour to make (and will be priced appropriately at $5). As you can see in the photo, they are each a little different - rather like having their own personality. I call the ones with snowflake flowers "snow birds". LOL

Am going to call them "cheer up" birds and make little cards to be sent with them. Another marketing tool that could pay off big. There are at least thirty Cheer Up birds made so far. Might have to increase the price to $7.50 to offset the cost of materials for the card.

The other brooches range from simple to rather complex.

This is an example of one of the more complex brooches using several different stitches, threads and beads on a two and one-half inch circle of felted wool. The back is a brooch clasp.

It is based on the yin-yang symbol.

Brooches like this are in the $20-30 price range.

A stylized, beaded flower vase on felted wool is a good representative of the mid-range brooch.

As with most of the brooches, it measures about two and one-half inches in diameter and is backed with a brooch clasp.

Brooches similar to this average $10-15.

This simple woven two color brooch attaches via a simple safety pin.

It is based the Swedish Hearts traditionally made with paper and filled with candy treats before placing Jul/Christmas Trees.

Like the "cheer up" birds, it will retail for $5.

On Point Nine Patch

It's funny how a simple thing like a nine-patch quilt block when turned on it's point can look so very, very different.







As long as you find and cut according to the straight of grain, squares are so easy to work with. There's no worrying about stretching (like those dreaded triangles). No set-in seams to fiddle with. No curves to pin or sew along. Just simple, straightforward sewing.

I used the rotary cutting and strip piecing methods found in the Quilting Bible to put this quilt together. I found it to be a lot quicker than traditional methods. The finished size is 33" x 52" -- a good size for either a crib or lap quilt.

Turned out rather pretty.

Home from Market

Farm Animal Nursery Quilt - Part Two.

Step one of this embroidered quilt was to embroider the nine broadcloth blocks.
I'm using both the outline stitch and the running stitch. You can use whatever stitches you're comfortable with.





One of the reasons I purchased this kit was because I believed it would be easier than creating a traditional quilt. While it may be easier (and quicker) than a hand-pieced or machine-pieced quilt, I had forgotten how long it takes to embroider properly. When I say properly what I mean is the back of the piece should look as neat as the front of the piece. That's the way I was taught.

The picture above shows both the front and back of the "bunny" block from the kit. I think it looks good. What do you think?

To market, to market to buy a fat quarter...

Farm Animal Nursery Quilt - Part One

These Farm Animal Quilt Blocks were purchased from Mary Jo's Cloth Store in Gastonia, NC while on a day-trip with my mother and daughter. We spent hours browsing the shop and came away with some beautiful fabric. They have an incredible selection of all types of fabric and notions at great affordable prices. If you happen to stop by there check out their reproduction fabrics.


Mary Jo's had several patterns of stamped embroidery blocks. I liked the Farm Animals best. The pattern itself was made in the USA by Jack Dempsey Needle Art in St. Louis, MO. Here is a link to their other patterns they offer: Jack Dempsey 9" Nursery Quilt Squares Inexpensive. Made in USA. Both good selling/buying points.

The pattern instructions told the size of material to use for the front and backing. It also noted additional materials needed to complete the project were batting, a hoop, needle and floss.

It took a while to decide which "check" fabric to use for the sashing and backing. After rubbing the fabric between my fingers and looking closely at the thickness I chose this wonderful woven red check cotton fabric. Isn't it funny how you can just feel quality fabric? I guess that's why it's referred to as the "hand" of the fabric.

I didn't need to purchase the other "additional materials" so after a nice lunch at Red Lobster, we headed home.

Here is a picture of the kit I chose.

It comes with pre-printed cotton/poly broadcloth blocks, a Block Letter Guide (to use if you want to personalize the quilt) and instructions on how to assemble the quilt. Other materials and notions need to be purchased separately. The notions and fabric requirements are shown on the back of the pattern - just like on sewing patterns (Butterick, Simplicity, etc.).

I already had the notions needed. The woven check I chose is shown below.

Isn't it lovely?

It takes a while to embroider the blocks and that's the first step.

For now I'll just have a spot of tea and reflect on my next post.

Have a great day, y'all!

Brought to you in part by....

So here I am listening to http://www.youtube.com and looking out my kitchen window at the sunshine reflecting off the snow. The same sunshine that came out from behind the clouds as I was bringing in the last armload of cherry for the day.




After a week straight of snow, snow and more snow, the sunshine was blindingly bright. My first thought was "Where did I leave my sunglasses". The second random thought was I wonder what the Eskimo Indians did to protect their eyes from the light? [answer HERE]
As the sun brightens the day, I sit here reflecting on my circumstances. Who would have known that I would be unemployed for a year? I don't know of anyone else unemployed for that length of time that doesn't feel defeated. And that's definitely what I'm feeling right now. Hundreds of job applications, all those interviews, all the follow-up phone calls and letters. Still no job.

But the sun is shining and it's the first day of Spring so I'm determined to make the best of this day that I've been given.

All my life people have been telling me that I have a way with words. Friends and family have told me that they can "see" what I'm telling them about in my letters and emails.

"The secret's in the sauce - or so I'm told" says a character from one of my favorite movies. [Fried Green Tomatoes] Here's my opportunity to "give y'all a taste of my sauce". I'll serve it up. You let me know what you do and don't like.

This blog is brought to you in part by:
The Need to Create
I-R-Unemployed N NotLikin'It
Family Members
Facebook Friends
Too Much Time On My Hands <-- for those of you who are listening to this in your head right now. It'll make ya wanna get up and DANCE!