*~*~*A Little Christmas Stitching*~*~*

No laughing,

but after I finished writing my couple of cards

(to those who would otherwise think I was dead,)

I actually spent a little time stitching.

It's just a little quilt

made from the scraps of a much larger Christmas quilt.

I have had the stack of scraps sitting there

in my way for ages so decided to get rid of them this way.

They aren't finished and aren't really Christmas fabrics

but will make a nice little doll quilt

or table topper.

Sometimes these weird little projects

turn out to be some of the most fun to do,

because they don't have to be 'just so.'

So far that's how this one is-

just a fun little thing.

I wish you all a very merry

and blessed Christmas.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Sunday - The Days We Need

A good weekend after a rough week.

I always say, "Short weeks are the longest."

This past week proved that true - for me at least.

We won't go there.

Let's just move right to the good weekend part.

There are days that we just need,

and it feels good when we get to the end of them.

Sunday was one of those days.

I got floors, dishes, laundry 

and a few other things done yesterday.

That in itself felt good.

However, I also got a mountain of ironing done.

Not just clothes, but several pieces fabric, table cloths, napkins,

aaaand... the last 20 blocks (of 398) 

for my Cathedral Window quilt.

I was so happy, I celebrated by making myself a mocha.

Then, I sewed a button on one of Mr. LB's shirts,

mended a pocket on another, fixed a little hole

in one of mine, and repaired a jacket for a friend.

Since I was in the fun room anyways,

I got to looking at the everlasting stack of scraps

from the CW quilt.

So I started cutting here...

and sewing there...

This is as far as I got with it.

It was getting close to bedtime when I decided to stop.

I will use another scrap or two as well so it will be bigger,

but wanted to see colors in day light

rather than just night light.

I do believe by the time I finish the CW quilt,

I will have about 5 quilts in all 

just from the left overs.

It's a fun little challenge to see what I can do 

with all of them.

By the end of the day,

I was pleased with what I had done.

Both the necessary and the more enjoyable.

I know it doesn't sound like a really fun day,

but we sometimes need those days

that make us feel good about what we have done.

I'm sure I will have a day or two

that I feel like I am running in mud,

but for right now I will just enjoy the right now

and not worry about the rest.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Scrappy Tumbling Block

Good Morning to All.

I do hope everybody had a wonderful Christmas full of love and laughter.  

With four days off, I had plenty to do, but wasn't going to get away without spending just a little time in the fun room.  This is what's on my design wall at the moment.

Not the best pix - sorry

Again, most of the darks are scraps from my Cathedral Window quilt, which if you are keeping track, I now have 306 of the 396 blocks ironed into shape.

I did supplement it with a few others for a little more of a scrappy look.  Then I had fun picking out the creams.  I was surprised at how difficult it was to find a true cream color and not a greyish off-white. One thing I discovered is that it is a bit difficult to figure out just what size the finished quilt will be upon finishing it.  I usually do my math before I begin cutting.

I did attempt and came up with a figure - we'll see how close I came:)

I just started cutting the little trapezoids.  The finished 'trap' is 3 inches top to bottom.  I cut about 540 of them and figured I can cut more if needed.  Also, I will be putting a brown boarder around it so it will be a little larger due to that.

   I began sewing my lights to darks and of course, had to set a few up on the wall to see.  I think it will be one of those comfy looking quilts that makes me want to curl up with a cup of tea and take a nap by the fire.  I am so anxious to keep going on it and see just how it turns out.  

Have a beautiful three day work week and keep stitchin'.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers & Even Stitches

Delectable Mountain Mini Quilt / Table Topper

They say the first step to solving a problem is admitting that you have one so here goes: "I can't get rid of scraps." Whew, that was tough.  So this little jewel is made from some of the scraps from my Cathedral Window quilt that is in process.  As I have been cutting the squares for it, this pile of scraps just grew up out of nowhere like a vicious weed.  This was the result.  I saw an antique quilt in a magazine.  I have always liked the Delectable Mountain pattern anyways so thought, "Great!"  I don't use patterns; I just sorta go with the flow.

This is a 4 1/2 inch square at this point.  Those small squares will be one inchers.  Then I put them in place on the wall.

I was hoping for it to be one more row long, but I ran out of these particular scraps.  Even my scrappy quilts have to 'work.'  I know, it's an illness I tell you.

Then started sewing the squares into sections.  I wasn't bright enough to think about starching in the beginning, knowing I would be working with bias cuts so I suffered the consequences.  All those itty-bitty points reminded me.

I lost a few of them and it definitely has its flaws, but over all, it turned out pretty well.  And so here we are right back at the beginning.  I will probably just put a little brown binding on it as I don't think I want a boarder - but then you never know.  I might change my mind.  I will hand quilt it, but I have to finish up the one I am hand quilting now.  It's so close to finished it's ridiculous.  I don't know what officially makes a mini quilt a mini, this might just be a small quilt.  If you know, I would love it if you could inform me:)  This one reminds me of autumn, which I love.  Even with it's imperfections, I do believe I will enjoy quilting it and seeing it on my table.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

PS - This didn't use up all the scraps:( I will have to come up with something else to do with the rest of them:)

Western Scrap Quilt

Just in case you were wondering, the answer is yes.  My home is where orphan fabric comes to live.  My mom was going to throw away the scraps from a western (roping) quilt that she made.  I saw these big pieces of fabric with destination landfill and said, "Well, let me see if I can do something with them."  I don't know why I can't just let it go.  Soooo, I decided to make them work.  I first cut them in as big of pieces as I could - fussy cutting around the scenes.  I then arranged them on the wall.  Finally, I used leftovers from three other past projects to fill in the blanks.  I just sorta added bars of fabric to make them fit.

I have not mulled through my stash to figure out what border, binding, and backing to use.  I have no more of these scraps, which is nice.  Toward the end, it was getting kinda scary as to if I was going to have enough of these to even get the top put together.  So the overall look came together.

I will not keep be keeping it.  I prefer a more antiqued European chamber room look in my home.  You would never know it by the silly scrap quits I have been making.  I am however, cleaning out the little piles of 'project scraps,' and I think it was worth saving them from the landfill.  Never fear, I have lots of other orphans to tend to:)      

Civil War Table Runner

Good Morning All. I just wanted to show you what I have been working on. Our local library had a fund raiser at which they had fabric, yarn, patterns, etc. all donated then had a sale. The fabric was sold by the pound. I found these reproduction Civil War fabric scraps. Someone had used the fabric, and these were the leftovers so I snagged them and challenged myself. This is what I came up with. I didn't use a pattern, I just went with whatever the fabric told me to do. I will bind it with the red that is behind it at right - and yes, that is part of another quilt in the corner. That's the wonderful thing about a design wall. I have room for multiple projects. But back to the table runner. I am going to hand quilt it. I know, I am a glutton for punishment, but I just can't seem to machine quilt a Civil War style piece. I think I will do slightly bigger stitches - more primitive-ish. Let me know what you think.

If I were to choose the fabrics, I would have aimed for a little more distinction between the small prints, but then it wouldn't be as much of a challenge now would it? I think the red binding will help. One other little thing is if you have not used the 'wonder ruler' for half triangle squares, I strongly recommend it. It makes them so easy to cut and sew with very little brain power required. I love it! Playing with stitches is such a fun way to spend time, I think I should do it more often:)

Until next time, wishing you even stitches and matching corners.