Please share what you are working on

[lucky seven]

I also enjoyed cross stitching. I'm starting to have eye problems, cataracts, so this last project that I've been working on for years will be my last. My latest quilt project is a log cabin variation. I purchased some material at a yard sale that were already cut for a log cabin quilt about 15 years ago. I think it's time I used them! When I was in Jo Anns, I spotted a pot holder pattern book. For batting it said to use 3 layers, since I have some templates for small quits I think this will be a good way to use up the small pieces I have kept. So many ideas, so little time.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I got my drum pin cushion completed. My taste is for early and primitive, so that is the style I finished it in. It is stuffed with sawdust, as the directions said, but the emeries on top are filled with sand instead of sawdust. A very useable piece in the sewing room. The pattern is from Etsy, Stacy Nash.

 

[Charley]

Simply wonderful Marsha!

 

[madmax]

Marsha, how beautiful, love it! Are those irons in the background the 'real thing' like I remember when I was little, seeing my grandmother heat some to iron clothes before she became modernized?

 

[lucky seven]

How nice! Will have to look up that pattern since I've got plenty of sawdust and sand laying around. These would make great craft fair items.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Marsha, how beautiful, love it! Are those irons in the background the 'real thing' like I remember when I was little, seeing my grandmother heat some to iron clothes before she became modernized?

I have a little collection of irons. Most are children's, but one is an antique advertising iron that is a pin cushion, and one is a vintage electric travel iron. All are small. Sometimes I think about purging them, and then I pick them up and begin to enjoy them all over again.

I never experienced ironing with one heated on a stove, or saw anyone iron that way, but I do remember my first introduction to ironing how easy it was to scorch things. What is different about modern irons, do you think, that keeps them from scorching fabric??

Ironing is the only domestic job that is clean AND quiet.

 

[Charley]

One of my dear friends had her birthday yesterday and I gave her one of my horse themed lap quilts and a pillow. She has horses and loved it. So did one of her neighbors and she has asked me to make her a lap quilt featuring fish. It should be a fun project. So the planning continues.

I ordered two mannequin heads yesterday as I am crocheting Easter hats for my granddaughters. The one I am working on now is coming together and I am writing notes for myself on making them. I already can see where I can adjust it here and there for the next one. It is a headband at the bottom then mesh on the upper part with curlicues hanging in the back. The curlicues will be joined above by a crocheted flower with a button center. This flower took forever for me to be satisfied with it, but I do believe the hats will be done for Easter.

I also bought a Barbie doll so I am planning on making the girls some doll clothes and preparing to teach my granddaughter to make her own Barbie clothes. She has been sewing some clothes for her American Girl type dolls and doing well with those. Taking it one step at a time with her! Her mother helps her on this too. She is already starting to wing it with designs adding her own personal touches.

I am still planning the birds but we are remodeling the bathrooms and I am finding less and less time for my sewing. So far they are still in the planning stage. And then I looked hard at my bedroom and I would like to make my curtains . I will be "on the hunt" for material soon.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I ordered a panel from a sewing catalog for American Girl dolls. The child cuts out the pieces from the panel and sews them together. Gave one to my grand daughter, but I haven't heard whether she has sewn it yet. I should have got one for myself to try.

Spring is so full of outdoor projects, we may have to wait till the hot days of summer drive us indoors to craft.

 

[Shari]

Masha, that is beautiful!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Well, quilters, I must get started on a new baby quilt. Just got the news today that a new one is expected in December. My friend had a darling quilt kit. I think that may be the way I will go this time, instead of piecing everything. She got lazer cut letters with the kit.

This is #9 for our son and dil. I did not make a quilt for one, who was stillborn, but the others have all had quilts, in various degrees of ineptness. You'd think I'd get better and better with each one, but that is not the case!

If anyone knows of a good kit, let me know. I do enjoy embroidery, so one with embroidered pictures would be good. I'll have to trek to the Big City to the quilt shop, I'm sure.

The bad news is this will be 3 babies with December birthdays!! Yow!!

 

[chandab]

Don't know how much I'll do, but I've been dabbling a little in jewelry making. I got the idea from someone, so the first two aren't all my idea.

These two need clasps (waiting for mail):



No idea what this will be, just doodling with the beads, charms and wire:

 

[Charley]

How pretty! Looks like you are having fun with your jewelry creations. I love to dabble now and then too. Love seeing what you are working on. I bought a bead loom recently and learned the basics of the loom; added another option for using my seed beads. I really want to learn to crochet jewelry with beads.

I finished the little girl child's/baby quilt so one project down. I pulled out a table topper that is pieced so I now have two lap size quilts and this table topper to sandwich and quilt. They are on hanging on my planning board so I won't put them away until they are finished.

So it didn't make sense when I started piecing some horse squares together. But I bought one of those mini irons and had to test it. I will use the mini iron but even the small seams take longer to press with the mini iron than with the regular iron. I love the weight of the regular iron but in some applications the mini iron will be the way to go. I will finish piecing the five or six horse blocks and then go back to quilting.

Meanwhile, spring has sprung in Virginia, and many outdoor projects are calling. My horses are shedding big time. I don't think my clippers are working so will probably just be brushing them a lot.

And we have a new grandchild due to arrive in November!

 

[madmax]

I crocheted 3 hats, a scarf, did a couple of acrylic paintings, working on another when I have time, but did finish painting leaves on this gourd I cut down to make a 'vase'. I used metallic paint.

 

[chandab]

Love those horse blocks, looking awesome.

 

[Charley]

Beautiful gourd vase…I love the metallic paints on it. Very nice!

Would love to see your crocheted hats and scarf. I recently ordered 2 mannequin heads - a child's size and an adult/teenager size - that should be here soon. I am crocheting three Easter hats for my granddaughters. It took forever to figure out a pattern that would work; but I'm finally happy with how the first is looking. I know that the heads will make it easier to get the sizes right. They will crochet up real fast once I have the heads as all the thinking is done. The one that is almost done will have to be taken apart to adjust it to the head better but shouldn't take as long as making it from scratch. My notes are a mess but I understand them right now. I am going to take time to write this pattern out as soon as I finish the three hats.

 

[madmax]

I really like the way you have set your horse blocks in different fabrics, cool. I have never seen those blocks before, so nice. I have been wondering about that little iron thingy and if it is handy while pieceing at the machine. I got an Ott light at Christmas and not so sure about it, I need a brighter light nowadays even tho it is not a 'true' light.

My crochet hats are nothing special, kinda different, granddaughter likes them anyway, they can be turned up. I made the pattern up as I went along and they got a little too big, I added some buttons on them in the flower centers later. I can get carried away crocheting and watching tv at the same time. The brim on the middle one in the photo is turned up as a cuff. She liked the scarf the best. She is 11.

I started a more delicate hat in white crochet thread cotton in an open design but put it aside until I can devote my attention to it without tv.

 

[dixie_belle]

Gosh but we have some talented people here on the forum. I love the painted gourds.....looks like pottery. So talented. And the knit caps are adorable. I tried doing that once but I don't have enough fingers...or I have to many fingers...or my fingers aren't in the right place. Regardless, I couldn't do it. I'm so impressed!!!

 

[Charley]

MadMax ~ Chanda had these horse head blocks for sale in her eBay store. You may want to see if they are still there for sale or pm her.

The iron is handy but I was not set up to use it at the machine. I need to cut a piece of heat resistant fabric to use there; I am thinking maybe 15 inches by 10-12 inches would be a nice size and I think I will quilt it and finish the edges with seam binding. I will have to measure the throat on my machine and add the area under the hoop to get a usable width. I was testing the iron to see how handy it would be and to get a feel for it's use. I do like to get up and move around rather than just sit and sew at the machine so I set up my table top ironing board away from the machine. It does take longer to press the seams as the iron does not have any weight to it. So I ironed it back and forth a lot more times than I would with one press of the larger iron. I am wanting to do an appliqué scene on a lap quilt so I think it will be real handy when I go to do that. If I piece in the hoop with my embroidery machine it will also be the way to go. The iron did get super hot and took a while to cool. The little iron rest that came with it also got very hot from the iron setting on it.

I cleaned up my sewing room this morning and now am off to crochet for the weekend.

 

[madmax]

Charley, thanks for the info.

When I sent one child off to college I bought a small I guess it might be called a portable or table top size ironing board. It is about 30" long, no legs. So I have inherited it and use it nearby for everything from piecing or steaming a crochet piece, or just plain seams on a project, I have no recollection of where I got it, it has been years ago. I remember long ago having around a very small one made for a child to play with, could be there are still ones around.

 

[Charley]

Crocheted two Easter hats for the granddaughters…one more to finish the curlicues in pink yarn. I think they will look so cute with their hair showing.

I did this with no pattern. I tried to write up the pattern but each hat is made with a different brand of yarn so the stitch count was different on each one. I will vaguely write it out so I can make them again.