Hi everyone! It's been an odd week, I'm trying to be positive here anyway. Back to my little quilt called Whatnots--she is all set and ready for a sunny day with just enough wind to blow the gnats away. There are dense clouds of gnats on rare still days. I have to pull my tee shirt over my face. They bite so bad, esp wrists and ankles that maybe are exposed. But!--before I talk about WhatNots, I must show you my first harvest. So excited, a radish and a few baby lettuce leaves.
Whatnots has been fun but did require focus. I copied all the tiny images. Largest is maybe 3"
Then I cut them apart and wrote on each the color and style of the fabrics on the dark and blurry pattern photo. Went to my stash of repro fabrics and clipped 4" corners of possibles, stacking each motif w its maybe fabrics.
Yes I went a little brighter.
I don't print directly on the fusible [tho you can]. I am always confused by which side the sticky part goes on, do I reverse everything or what. Can never get it right. Add in that at least 5 of the Nots are drawn reversed on the patters. I fixed most but you can see the Lady is wrong, and one of the cats. Oh well.
Then I just pin the copy paper image onto the sticky backed fabric and cut it out with my lovely micro serrated KAI scissors. [spring sale if you want some Kai]. Despite these efforts I still had to recut all the leaf branches.
You can maybe see that the branches have to go the correct way. That empty right lower corner gets a four patch block I since added and an embroidered name of the quilt.
I decided to use the batik for the background. It blended best and is mostly covered by the Nots.
Carefully transferred to the ironing board and pressed in place. Tah-dah, hand sewing pile added to.
Remember they are just fused at the moment, they will be hand stitched at leisure, then borders added etc.
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Meditation scroll. You guys may recall how I can take the littlest thing on a project and make a whole big deal about it. Backings! Bindings! Hours, days, mulling, mulling. So it is with this scroll.
An inspiration little drink coaster I made last summer:
Larisa whose blog is doing the scrolls at the moment is so kind and she has personally messaged me with hints and encouragement. Her You Tube How tos are great too. So I found a poor pretty tea towel to chop up and washed it in Quilt Restoration powder here so it's bright and white. Then :Spools. I now see that I casually collect spools. Larisa's Blog Larisa's You Tube Please be sure to look at her darling scrolls and other projects.
I save all my empty thread spools now, gives me a feeling of accomplishment? But they are plastic.
Then I have old wooden spools of many styles and sizes.
Isn't this chunky small silk reel unusual and so cute.
In the end I chose these two, a fresh clean wooden spool or an oh so pretty blue plastic spool. To be decided.
I again went to the shelves for small swatches. I can now see a drawback of not collecting swatches. Tho I do collect selvedges.] But my mental/ visual recall is set for knowing what fabrics I have where, and so I can easily find the pieces I need. A bin of scraps would paralyze me, I think.
I stopped prepping hand work to make a doll dress for my little friend. she had texted me her design. Please remember she is only 5! Not one of my better efforts, but i tried, only had about 45 minutes to make the pattern and sew it.
And now I have a pile of camp tees to shorten and tie dye and bling up. Always a big June project. Before that I'll do the binding on Silent Night [tomorrow?], but leave the wool applique Snowsuit kiddies till I am feeling calmer. Also must do the wooly faces prep for my Jackolantern quilt.
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Mo, guardian of the Crocs. Someone very unkindly said he is so fat, but he has lost 2 more pounds in two months.
Have a good week.
love
lizzy
gone to the beach.....
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More on Mo for those who have kindly asked about him: He had his big vet checkup---the news is not the best, he will never ''get better''.We will never again have our long meandering walks, or run on the beach, or chase a scary tennis ball.
He has age related osteoarthritis. We can only manage his pain and give him the best life possible. Gentle walks, gentle pets and grooming, cuddles by the TV, soft toys. He also has chronic inner ear infections, with mild vestibular disease. I'll try to link darling Pug Lou Lou, she is also treated for that. LouLou So many pills, so many dollars. Good news--teeth are ok and chronic eye infection is well managed.
Thank you for the up date on dear little Mo - not great news but now you know more about how to care for him so he has the best possible days. Our neighbor has a dog stroller for his little dog so that he can be taken along on walks without over-doing; perhaps something like that for Mo? Or maybe you are already trying something similar.
ReplyDeleteI think this is my first comment but I have been enjoying your writing, just didn't want to intrude.
Ceci
Hi Ceci, Welcome and thanks for commenting, you are not intruding at all. I love comments and making new friends. Thanks you.
DeleteYes I would love to do a stroller for Mo but my home is elevated due to FEMA hurricane laws and I cannot carry Mo up and down the stairs. So I have to be thinking about how to accomplish that idea, evening strolls would be a delight.
lizzy
Is there a place you could store a stroller closer to ground level? Maybe that's a bad idea for a variety of reasons, but it was the first thought that came to me.
DeleteIt's not the stroller, tho it would have tobe brought indoors so it wouldn't rust...it is that I cannot safely carry Mo up and down the stairs. He weighs 25 pounds! He is a very large Pug.
DeleteSo sorry to hear about Mo's woes; glad he is at least managing with all your special care...
ReplyDeleteYour Whatnots is just so so darling--so you. [I never know which side to put in my printer either--so never use that sticky stuff..I use
freezer papers and iron on to fabric, then cut--probably long way around, but at least I don't mess up our printer...]
I am still under the weather--not sewing--tho' I tried a bit of stitching but it brought back my headache...S I G H --am getting pretty sick of this...well, at least fever has abated...
Hope June is better than May was for sure...
Hugs, julierose
I always look forward to your posts. The Whatnots quilt is looking very charming. It's going to be so fun to sew on during the summer. Congratulations on your radish and lettuce. I've picked lettuce from our garden recently - it is so tender and nice. We're getting strawberries too and that makes me so happy. I think the little doll dress turned out great, nice work. Mo looked so handsome after his grooming recently. And pugs are supposed to be chunky. Who wants a skinny pug?
ReplyDeleteAlways love your posts. Maybe get a little dog stroller for Mo so you can go on long walks. Your quilt & little doll dress are so cute. Laura
ReplyDeleteThanks! The doll clothes are fun if fiddly and sooo tiny.
DeleteOops just saw someone suggested the stroller. It’s hard to watch our pets age. Hugs—Laura
ReplyDeletePugs in strollers are the best!
DeleteSad to hear about Mo's arthritis. He has been such a great companion for you! I hope he continues to do as well as possible for as long as possible.
ReplyDeleteI'm getting a little better with stairs with all the exercise lately, but not without a handrail! So I can't carry much up or down either.
Unpacking is an ongoing project, as is culling extra stuff. I have no idea when (or IF!) we'll ever get "done". One day at a time!
I love seeing your projects and hearing what you're up to. Keep writing!
~Melody
Thanks Mel! Remember this move is your longtime dream come true. One day at a time sounds like a good plan.
ReplyDeleteYour what-nots project is looking great. I would never be able to tell if one of the pieces was reversed from the original pattern, everything looks perfect to my eyes. Gibbs sends love to Mo. He's beginning to slow down a little this year too. I hope you can find a work-around so you can take him along on longer walks.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your harvest, Lizzy. Were the radish and lettuces delicious?
ReplyDeleteWhatNots requires focus, as you said, but it also seems to require dedication! As much as I love the pattern I'm not sure I'd have either. But enlarge it.... Maybe.
It's strange several of the patterns were reversed. Even more focus required!
I think your brighter colors are perfect, especially with your lighter background border fabric.
I think WhatNots looks fabulous!
I hope you get some good outdoor stitching time without gnats!
Cute doll dress. Having only 45 minutes would paralyze me.
I'm sorry the week was "odd" and maybe stressful. Glad you were able to be positive.
That's sad new about Mo. I hope the pain management is effective for him.
Wow, what a busy and creative week you've had. That little quilt is coming along beautifully, and your first harvest is so exciting. Good luck with the camp tees. www.melodyjacob.com
ReplyDelete