Stitcher’s Garden-Month 4-Block 5

Stitcher's Garden Quilt - Month 4 - Block 5 - Groups

 

Stitcher's Garden Quilt - Month 4 - Block 5 - Mine

 

I thought I’d share another block in my Stitcher’s Garden BOM Quilt that I am happily creating.  As you know, I am making two quilts at once.  One quilt is the group quilt.  For that quilt our instructor is selecting the material for each of our blocks.  My other quilt is being created with fabrics of my choosing.  For month 4 we received two blocks.  The first block  for month 4 I shared with you last week.  This week I want to show you the 2nd blocks I made for month 4.

These blocks were a lot like block 4.  In the center of these flowers I made yo-yo’s to sew in later.  I also attached cording around the frame of the block using a beading foot.  This process is called “couching”.  I used Elmer’s washable school glue to set the cording in place, then using the beading foot, I attached the cording to the block with a zig-zag stitch.  I sure am learning many different techniques while making this quilt.  It is so much fun!  Happy sewing!  Kathryn

Wild Flower Pincushion

It seems like everyone has at least one really cute pincushion either handmade and given as a gift or just sewn for yourself because you like it.  I decided it was about time to spoil myself and make one for my sewing room.  I searched the web and found so many cute ones it was hard for me to decide which one to make first.  I decided on the Wild Flower Pincushion designed by Anna Maria Horner and published on the Better Homes and Gardens website.

I didn’t realize until I started making it how large it was going to be.  It is definitely easy to find!  I have it on my cutting table and next to the ironing board.  It was easy to make and is as cute as the ones I enjoyed looking at on the web.  The pattern was easy to follow.   I used remnants I had on hand for this project and I filled mine with polyester fiberfill and a little of the finest steel wool I could find at my local hardware store.  Happy Sewing!  Kathryn

Off Season

I’ve finished another book in Philip R. Craig’s Martha’s Vineyard Mystery series.  Book #5, Off Season, about J.W. Jackson, an ex-Boston cop, who lives on the island full-time fishing, cooking, and planning his wedding to nurse and girlfriend, Zee. It is fall and all of the “off-islanders” (tourists) have gone back to America (the mainland).  This should be a quiet, peaceful time on the island, but some people are making waves.  The animal rights activists are making life miserable for the deer hunters and the environmentalists are making it difficult for the land developers.

When an island resident is found dead in his home with an arrow in him, Jeff is asked to find the killer.  So many suspects, twists and turns make this an interesting and fun read.  Enjoy!  Happy Reading.  Kathryn

Fall Table Runner

 

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I had made a table runner to go with my wall hanging and I neglected to post a picture of it.  Sorry about that.  I really am pleased with how well they turned out.  I used a pattern for the center panel of the table runner from a book called The Quilter’s Home Fall by Lois Krushina Fletcher.  I got the book a few years ago at my LQS.  I used some of the same material that I used in the wall hanging.  The border for the table runner I did to match the wall hanging.  It was so much fun to make.  Don’t forget, as usual you can click on a photo to get a better look at the details.  I am working on the placemats now and will have some to show you soon.  Happy sewing!  Kathryn

Vineyard Deceit

Vineyard Deceit is the 3rd book in the Martha’s Vineyard Mystery series by Philip R. Craig.  The series is about J. W. Jackson, a retired police officer, who now is a full-time resident of Martha’s Vineyard. He spends most of his day fishing for whatever is biting, In this book Jeff is asked to take a temporary position on the local police force to be part of a security team when a middle eastern potentate and his entourage come to the island to reclaim an emerald necklace stolen from his nation a long time ago.

Thinking this will be an easy job where he can make a few quick bucks, he takes the job. He has his mind on a boat that he wants to purchase. Unfortunately, it turns out not to be such a laid back job after all.  His girlfriend, Zee, is kidnapped, the necklace is stolen and a man is found dead. Jeff goes into detective mode in search of girlfriend and the necklace. He is then hired by a man to find out who killed the man’s friend. Are these incidents all connected in some way or what?

I really enjoy this series.  As I have mentioned before, it is an interesting, quick read.  I don’t know “who done it” until the end, which is nice.  I hate it when the plot is so obvious.  The people in the book are real everyday people who you can relate to.  If you are looking for a good series that isn’t full of gory details, this is it.  Happy Reading.  Kathryn

Stitcher’s Garden – Month 4 – Block 4

Stitcher's Garden Quilt Block 4 - Mine

Stitcher's Garden Quilt Block 4 - Groups

These are my Stitcher’s Garden quilt blocks for month 4 – block 4.  We were given two blocks for month 4, but I am only showing you one of the blocks today.  The blocks are getting more involved and interesting to do.  For this block I learned how to couch.  I know, what a funny sewing term!  I had no idea what they were talking about.  Couching is a sewing term where you attach a rope or yarn or string onto your material that is too big to thread through the machine.  Lot’s of fun and looks great!  I have a special foot for my machine that helps keep your cord in line as you do a zig-zag stitch over the cord.  You can see how it looks on my block 4.  On the block I did with the groups material I do not have the couching done, as I did not find the right color of  crochet cotton for that block at the time I took the photo.  (Don’t forget, you can click on the picture to get a closer look at the stitching).

The other new technique we did for this block was make a yo-yo for the center of the flower.  For the yo-yo’s there is a kit you buy to make them.  They come in different sizes.  I made my yo-yo’s, but I have not sewn mine down.  I might wait until the quilt is completed to add the buttons and yo-yo’s.  I am really enjoying making this quilt.  Happy sewing and quilting!  Kathryn

Cliff Hanger

Cliff Hanger APA Vineyard Fear, written by Philip R. Craig is the 4th book in the J. W. Jackson, Martha’s Vineyard series.  In this book while J.W.’s girlfriend, Zee,  is off to a medical conference,  J.W. finds himself in the middle of a domestic dispute that lands both the victim and the attacker in the hospital with serious injuries.  If that isn’t enough, J.W. also believes someone is trying to kill him.  Who, he has no idea and why, is even more puzzling.  And, because I hate to give out too much information, I will let you read the book to find out all the answers. 

I am really enjoying this author and the series.  The series is not laden with explicit sex and graphic violence, but rather a well-written mystery with characters that you might possible know.  I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series, Off Season, which was written in 1994.  Happy Reading!  Kathryn

Thimbles

My mom was a seamstress and a very good one.  She could make everything and anything.  She need no pattern, just an idea.  Everything she made was of much better quality than you would find in the stores.  She sewed everything on an old Singer sewing machine.  When she sewed by hand, she always had a thimble on her middle finger.  I loved some of the thimbles in her drawer.  They were all different and some were actually very beautiful.  The thing is, I loved to LOOK at them – NOT wear them. 

I’ve always hated to use a thimble when I sew, as I could never find one that fit good or was comfortable on my finger.  I couldn’t figure out which finger to put the stupid thing on either.  I have a good collection of thimbles of my own.  All just sit in my sewing box, never used or worn.  That is, until I was in my LQS last week picking up my next block for my Stitcher’s Garden Quilt.  There, in a large jar, was a varied collection of pretty colored rubber thimbles.  My curiosity had me.  I just had to open the jar and try a few on.  You see, now that I know how to put a binding on my quilts and have them look nice, I need a good thimble that actually does what it is supposed to.  I am tired of have cuts on my fingers and using a band-aid as a thimble.  The problem is, none of those thimbles worked any better than the ones I had at home.  As the gal was ringing me up she mentioned that they had gotten some new thimbles in a little bit ago and that even though they are a bit pricy, she had fallen in love with them and purchased one herself.  After trying one on myself I was also in love with the fit.  And, yes, I too bought one.  They come in three sizes; small, medium and large.  I bought the pink one, a medium.  It fits perfect on my middle finger.  I’ve used it a few times since I bought it and I still love it!!!  This fabulous thimble is made by Clover.  It is a “flexible” rubber thimble with a metal tip.  It is “a little pricy” at $8.95, but I love it and am so happy to have finally found a thimble that works!!  Happy Sewing!  Kathryn

Sewing up a Kitchen – Part 3: Mixer Cover

This week-end I made a cover for the Kitchen-Aid mixer.  I used some of the leftover material from my valances and a green print remnant I had on hand.  I didn’t have a pattern, so I just did what I do best – wing it!  I measured the mixers height, width and length.  I cut a rectangle that was a little wider than my measurement and a little long then the mixer was from one side to the other, because quilting the pieces will shrink up the pieces somewhat.  I also cut 2 more rectangles that were a little bigger than the width and height of the mixer.  I sandwiched my rectangles with a piece of white flannel as the batting and some muslin for the lining, as the inside won’t be shown anyway and then I quilted the pieces with a diagonal cross hatch.  I curved the top of the two rectangles for the front and back of the cover and then I used my sewing machine to serge (or rather overcast, as my machine is not a serger) around all of the pieces.  I love the overcast foot that I got with my new Janome Horizon 7700.  It really does look like I used a real serger.

After a trip to JoAnn’s for some cord to use as piping around, I cut 2 pieces of dark brown to encase the piping in.  One of the ladies at my LQS said she uses a zipper foot to do her piping, but a have a piping foot, so why not use it!  I did and it worked like a charm.  I encased the cord in the brown material, basted it along the edge of my large rectangle, then sewed all layers together.  I used the dark brown material for the binding. This was my first attempt at doing any type of piping and I can’t be prouder of my finished project.  If I had it to do over I think I could have made it a little bit smaller, but I’d rather have it a little large than not big enough.  I will definitely try piping again.  Next time on a pillow.  Happy Sewing!  Kathryn

Gingerbread Cookie Murder

While I was at the library I noticed a book in the new section I hadn’t read yet and brought it home.  The title is Gingerbread Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke.  After reading 1/3 of the book the story ended.  I was so surprised.  Then, I realized there were three books within this one book.  How silly I felt.  I never looked passed the large print! 

I have now read all three books.  The first was Gingerbread Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke, the 2nd was The Dangers of Gingerbread Cookies by Laura Levine, and the 3rd was Gingerbread Cookies and Gunshots by Leslie Meier.  I have read all of Joanne Flukes other books as well as all of Leslie Meier’s.  This was the first Laura Levine book for me.  I know it isn’t Christmas yet, but the books were all good and worth the read.  My favorite of the three is the one by Leslie Meier.  I really enjoy her as an author. So, when it gets a little closer to Christmas and you are looking for a quick, light, fun read – this is it.  Enjoy!  Happy Reading.  Kathryn