END OF FEBRUARY

Thanks for everyone's comments and encouragement regarding my carpal tunnel syndrome!  Guess what?  I haven't stopped sewing yet, exactly!  I'm waiting for my first therapy session on Monday and then will see what the therapist recommends.

In the mean time, I put up some of my log cabin blocks onto my design wall.  I finished the blocks quite a while ago and have been occupied with other things, but wanted to see how it would look.  This is only some of the blocks.  I have enough to make a queen sized quilt.  I saw this in a quilt shop when Beth took me on our own shop hop several years ago.  And I decided to make one like it.  It may take me a while, but I will get it finished.  The blocks finish at 4 3/4".

Then, I received an order for antique looking doll bed sheets and quilt from someone and needed to get them finished before my therapy starts.  Below is the pillow, top and bottom sheets that I made from "aged" muslin.  I made the bottom sheet to slip on and button with real antique buttons.

I also finished the binding on this table runner!  I will be linking it with QuiltShopGal's weekly "Creative Goodness" blog.  The table runner will live on my coffee table.

BTW, for those of you who aren't aware, when you add a photo to Blogger, you can leave it the way it loaded (which is medium), or you can click on the picture and then click on "Large" or "X-Large."  I usually make mine "Large", but today I made the picture of the table runner and the log cabin blocks "X-Large."  Can you tell the difference? And when you click on the pictures and it puts them all together to browse through, does it make a difference?  I really like to see pictures larger and hope that if you didn't know about this feature that you will try it.

AN EXPERIMENTAL PROJECT

I'm a sucker for vintage linens and over the years I have bought a lot of them, thinking I would use them to make "something."  

One of them was a partially finished dresser scarf that had 3 motifs embroidered on it with space in each one for something else.  I decided to embroider some old phrases that I found in a book about vintage linens.  I did that a few years ago.

In the mean time, I've seen a few items done by other people and I got out some of the many doilies that I also purchased - mostly at garage sales.

Remember, this is an experiment and I didn't want it to take forever, so I layered it, slapped on some doilies and started free motion quilting on it with no markings at all.  I quilted hooked feathers around the center motif and on each end.  Then I filled in empty spaces with pebble stitching.  I stitched pebbles on the parts of the doilies that didn't have feathers and I really couldn't see where one pebble started and another ended, so I was almost quilting blind.

Lastly, I stippled inside each motif.  It came out kind of wonky, but was a good practice piece.  It gives me some ideas of how not to do it next time - if there is a next time.  I can't decide if I like it or not.  I know I could have done a better job on it, but as I said it was an experiment and I learned a few things from it.  I'm going to post this piece on QuiltShopGal's blog for Creative Goodness link party today.

Now for the bad news.  I have carpal tunnel syndrome and my doctor said I should quit sewing while I have therapy done.  Once I start therapy, I will see what the therapist says and will try to abide by those instructions.  Maybe I can use the time to get better organized, work on genealogy and read more.  I hope the therapy will work and I can continue sewing for many more years.  

Have any of you had this and what did you do about it?

SOME QUILTING

First of all I need to show you the scarf that my DGD finished.  Last Sunday, she finished it in a restaurant while we were waiting for our food!  I think she had started it on Thursday and just kept at it.  I gave her some more yarn when she left on a trip to visit her boyfriend, who is in the Navy.  I wonder if she worked on it during her trip to the east coast - an all day event.  

I decided to do an "overall" stitch on this table runner.

I love these fabrics - Moda Ladies' Album.

Over the years I have bought a bunch of old linens at garage and estate sales, wanting to make something with them.  This one is a dresser scarf.  I embroidered the "sayings" in each oval and now it is basted for quilting.  It's an experiment, so I don't know how it will turn out or what I'll do for the edge.

It has a couple stains and I'm not sure what I will do with them.  See the spot under this motif?  Maybe I'll turn it into another daisy.  Any suggestions?

 Now, I'm quilting my second table runner that I pieced a couple posts ago.  I'm doing some partial feathers in each triangle and I think I'll quilt a vine with leaves in the border.

Already?  This daffodil is blooming next door!

Are you quilting this weekend?

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Yes, I know it's tomorrow.  :-)

I finished this table topper this week, so now I have 2 toppers for my round table!

The quilting is a little different from the other one.  You can see them both in THIS post.

I was looking through a box of old cards that my Mom had saved and found these two valentines.  This first one is from my Dad to my Mom.  I don't know the year, but suspect it's from the 40's.  They got married in 1935.

This is a card I received in 1953!  I was just 9 years old on this Valentine's day.  You do the math if you want to.  :-)

My Mom was so good about sending cards to everyone.  A little before we got married in 1962, my parents bought a card and gift shop and sold Hallmark cards for many years.  My Mom was in 7th heaven!  She just loved it.

Hope you have a lovely Valentine's Day!

SEWING WITH MY DGD

This week my DGD has spent some time at our house and we've been sewing together.  She had some clothes that needed fixing and other sewing she wanted to do.

She added lace and ribbon to the neckline of the dress and I helped her mend a hole in the skirt.

She finished the apron and mended another skirt.

This dress needed a hook and eye at the top of the zipper and now she took the skirt off and will add a different one.

She plans to make these pants into a dress?!?!?

 At age 22, she has definite ideas about clothes and like to dress in a feminine style.  :-)

These are hair rollers she made from charm squares.

Here they are open.  You roll your hair in the middle section and then close it with hooks.  She was going to test them last night.

Here she is sitting on our couch crocheting a scarf.  She wanted to learn to crochet, so I taught her a few basics and we went to the store to get some yarn.  She doesn't want her face to appear on the internet, so this picture will have to suffice.

This is what's on my design wall.  The table runner on the left is made with Moda "Collections for a Cause" charm squares.  The one on the left is made with Moda "Ladies' Album" by Barbara Brackman.  I have more charm packs that I want to use up, so there might be more table runners in my future.

Yesterday morning I went to a garage sale and found 2 pillowcase kits plus some fat quarters - all for $4.25!

I hope you have a very quilty weekend!