MAGPIE'S MUMBLINGS
Friday, January 29, 2021
Painterly - and not of the fun kind!
Wednesday, January 27, 2021
I've added a little more of the detail to the landscape I was working on, along with sandwiching it ready to start the quilting and further detail work. Not sure if I'll be able to complete this one though because my supply of glitter I use for details in the snow has dwindled and it appears it's in short supply at the moment. Guess everybody else is using it too!
Here's your quote for the day..."The secret to living well and longer is to eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure"
Monday, January 25, 2021
Big Foot?
Last night I finished knitting the first of four pairs of felted slippers. These look like clown shoes when they're knitted but they do felt down to actually fit our son (size 13 foot). I have made these slippers for our family for years and there's always special requests for more so I guess they must like them!
Over the weekend I also finished making the backing for the vintage linens quilt. This is a horrible picture but I can't seem to get you anything much better...
Here's a closeup of the fabric I used on the back...
Today's quote..."Always be careful when you follow the masses. Sometimes the M is silent"
Friday, January 22, 2021
Almost done!
Yesterday I finished the flimsy....
OH wait! No I didn't! I discovered I have JUST enough of the pretty green fabric I used for the little squares to make a 3" border around the outside. It's like the galloping ick - it just keeps growing and growing! This will be it though because if it gets any larger it will be entirely too unwieldy to attempt to quilt...
And this is the hunk of fabric I plan to use on the back, provided my stash yields some more fabric to cobble it up to the same size as the front. I bought this piece of fabric a few years ago and have NO clue whatever possessed me. I don't even like pink! It's textured too (ruffled here and there) and so won't be something that could be quilted on a longarm machine. 'Course it might not be quiltable at home either!!! Methinks I might have to hand quilt this beast and therein lies the next problem. Hmmm.....wonder if I could try quilting it with crochet cotton....I have lots of that.....
The green you see in the photo will be the additional border I plan to add to the front. I have JUST enough of it to go around I think ((fingers crossed!!)
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
The addition(s)
The flimsy from my previous post will have these added around the outside, which will result in the overall size increasing by about 12. That brings it to a size that's more to my liking. AND - the biggest bonus out of all this? My drawer that was crammed full of 'fodder' has been reduced by at least half. Woo hoo!!!!
Once I get these added to the original the next step will be cobbling together a backing from my stash. I have something in mind that I want to use up but I fear it's too small. Might have to do more than cobble! I have talked myself out of taking it to a longarm quilter and plan to tackle it myself. It will be pretty plain quilting but at least it's cheap!
I haven't had much time lately to work on the 'Making Space' Challenge but I did come across two bags of paper pieces that would be good for crafting (or for those who scrapbook) so they're heading down to the laundry room to bless someone else. With the kids being off school due to the pandemic perhaps they might have fun with it. That brings my total to 48 items.
The quote today is from Martin Luther King..."The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people"
Monday, January 18, 2021
An almost finish
According to the directions for the online class this project is now a flimsy ready to quilt. However I'm a bit of a rebel so I have decided to add to it. Two reasons for that - the fact that it only measures about 54" square right now AND the fact that I still have stash to use up. So, onward I go....and you'll have to wait to see what happens next.
Today's quote is from Helen Keller - "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much"
Friday, January 15, 2021
A finish and another step
There has been a bit more done for the vintage linens quilt project - the blocks are all done and now it's on to the putting together with the sashing.
And....a completed evening project! There are two upcoming weddings this year and this is the second wedding gift done. The pattern is 'Annie's Lace Throw' and can be found on the Mary Maxim web site.
And...just because I can....a photo of Resident Chef's fresh-out-of-the oven (but not so fresh that one wasn't taste tested!) sourdough English muffins...
- AND - in the interest of the fact that you just never know what you might discover here at Chez Magpie...did you know....to stop bananas from over-ripening overly fast....let them reach the degree of ripeness you prefer and then separate them. Stick them in the refrigerator and they won't ripen any more. The skins turn a little black perhaps but the fruit stays pretty much the same. There now, aren't you better for knowing that?
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Happy feet
Resident Chef has happy feet (or at least so he says!) because he has a new pair of socks....
I'm afraid I can't show you any progress on the landscape because, quite simply, there hasn't been any. Instead I've been puttering at making these....
And, here's the overall look of the project so far(sorry about the horrible dull pictures today - there isn't a glimmer of sun outside!)....
All pictures are clickable to embiggen
Today's quote..."One tree can start a forest; one smile can begin a friendship; one hand can lift a soul; one word can frame a goal. One candle can wipe out darkness; one laugh can conquer glom; one hope can raise your spirits; one touch can show you care. One life can make the difference. Be that one today"
Monday, January 11, 2021
Next steps
Another step in the quilt I'm making using vintage linens. The center block is supposed to be a dresden plate but my stash didn't lend itself to that so I'm using this pretty piece of embroidery that my maternal Grandma made instead....
The colours are perfect for what I've already done too, so that's an additional bonus. I certainly didn't want to cut into this one so it's nice that I could use the whole thing.
And, there's been some progress on the landscape. I finished embroidering the snowflakes on the border and it only took me four days!!
Today's quote..."You can't control anyone else, but you can control yourself, your thoughts, your words, your choices, your actions, your reactions and your future"
Friday, January 08, 2021
Let there be snowflakes!
Yes, there's snowflakes - of the kind I like (not the cold wet yucky ones that are outside!). I'm adding cross stitched/embroidered snowflakes on the border of my latest landscape. For some reason they needed to be there so who am I to argue?
I'm using waste canvas to do these and no two are alike, just like real snowflakes.
Today's quote..."I feel like my greatest accomplishment today has been not saying what I'm thinking out loud"
Wednesday, January 06, 2021
4 more
Here are the last four star blocks for 'the project I said I wouldn't do (TPISIWD)'...
And....some progress on the latest landscape....
Monday, January 04, 2021
Succumb-tion???!!!!
Remember awhile ago I gave you the link to Rhonda Dort's free online class utilizing vintage linens/hankies/doilies? I seem to remember also saying that I didn't plan to play along. Well then, how do you explain this.....
The 'innards' of these blocks are all hankies - most of them once belonging to my grandmother who died in the early 1960's.
And while I'm at it, why not add something else to the mix and start this.....
The sky was created using shaving cream/paint technique that I like to play with because it creates a moody winter look.
We won't mention how much of a mess it makes to do!
OOOPS!
Today this is your quote....