Friday, August 26, 2022

Fun Fri~ Grandson's 2022 Birthday Card: His Farm Truck

 

I get lost in my own world while making these special cards for my family.
 I try to highlight something from their past year.
Of course it includes a little gift.
***
My Momma sent me money 
on my birthday every year
and I loved the anticipation of getting that money
especially during the beginning of my
new family
when times were tough.
So I'm continuing the tradition.
Thank-you Panda Clipart art for the free graphic
http://www.clipartpanda.com/categories/pick-up-clip-art-free
 
Fabrics I have sorted out for their realistic features.


Tracing or drawing with pencil
helps my muscle memory to free hand cut some pieces.




 


Any day making cards
is a fun day for me.
Especially when I find out
he has saved all of them
I have sent him.



 

Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Tues Tutorial~ Hidden Ladder Stitch

 Last Friday's post was about working on the Tahara, Japan Quilt. We decided to use the "Hidden Ladder Stitch" to put the squares together.  I had something I called a hidden stitch which was doing whatever I could to hide the stitch and I knew the embroidery Ladder Stitch.  So this just got a little more defined and technical.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*****************
Tuesday Tips
******************
 

Just take a stitch parallel to the last stitch. 
After about 5 stitches, pull thread tight.

Do you see the stitches that join the blocks?

So have we come up with another way to lap quilt?
Go ahead and bind each block after you quilt it,
then put together with a Hidden Ladder Stitch?

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Friday, August 19, 2022

Fun Fri~ Starting a New Quilt with Tahara, Japan

 

Last spring I shared some
shots taken at our Quilt Guild's Quilt show.
I included pictures of these square,
quilted and binded blocks.
Several people from our sister city
Tahara, Japan (forgive all ads)
made these for our town.
The library asked us to create 2 wall hangings
from them to be hung
 at their 100th anniversary at the end of Oct.
 
So a group of hand sewing volunteers met
2 weeks ago
to decide how to use the wonderful squares
about 10+/- inches each.

 Then last Sat we met to lay out the 2 wall hangings.
Each row was labeled and pinned together.
 Pictures were taken for reference.
Once everyone took a couple of rows,
the next thing you knew,
we were all seated
trying out the Hidden Ladder Stitch
that was new to most of us.

Something comforting about
being around a group just hand sewing together.
Some conversation while we sew,
and then some silence as we concentrate
on making super tiny stitches.

We shared ideas on needle sizes, 
how to ease in the blocks,
how to lock stitch, and most went back one stitch.
Of course we shared stories of
our health, grand children starting back to school
and great grand kids learning to walk.
 
It was a fun time.
 
We take our rows back tomorrow,
all stitched into 2 rows, by hand.
 
That was fun and relaxing too. 

 

Thursday, August 11, 2022

Thoughtful Thurs 188~ Just to Make More Money?


Finally got what I called an edge foot big enough for my machine. 
However, Janome calls it a "Stitch in the Ditch" foot for quilting,
but for some reason this expensive foot
 didn't come with my new super expensive machine 
which was especially made to make quilts?
oops, off my soap box.

 


However, these 2 feet did come with the machine. 
Both feet do have a flange to guide along the edge
so I can make my stitches ride along an equal
distance from the edge.
However, the flange goes through the middle of the foot.
I just really don't like to use either, because
I'm afraid I'll forget to move my needle
out of middle position and hit the flange bar.

 

But why didn't a foot needed for quilting in the ditch
not come with a machine for making quilts?
My thought it was to 
just make more money?