Mourning and hexies

 I have managed to put together the center section of the hexie quilt...

Please ignore the messy background!

The wide back fabrics have both arrived - white for the background behind the hexies and a really pretty purple for the backing.  Now I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to wrestle with all that fabric in order to applique the hexies in place.  And then comes the border which is going to involve yet more wrestling and, I'm sure, a certain amount of colourful language as well.  I am DETERMINED to get 'er done though.

And yes, I'm in mourning.  I mentioned in my previous post that my well-loved and trusty Canon Power Shot digital camera was having issues.  Boud (thank you) suggested that cleaning the lens might be the problem, but alas that didn't work.  I think it's just plain worn out.  After about twelve years of pretty much daily use  I suppose it's to be expected.  Luckily Jack never uses his Nikon CoolPix so I  have one to fall back on.  Now another learning curve commences.

- Have a scroll through THESE and be prepared to be wowed!

- If you're a quilter, perhaps having one of THESE might be handy.

- HERE is a fun idea some of you might like.

- THESE made me smile.

- THIS is a really pretty afghan pattern.

- Have a scroll through all the amazing embroideries found HERE.

Here is your quote of the day..."When you've done something wrong, admit it and be sorry.  No one in history has ever choked to death from swallowing his pride"

and....another finish!

 I spend my evenings in front of the tv with Resident Chef with either my knitting needles or crochet hook in hand and this is the latest project I finished...

For some reason it seems my photos are all coming out slightly out of focus.  Could be because it's dull outside, or maybe the camera is getting old OR (gasp) human error!

- Fun to see some of the things that can be made from paper HERE

- Some of you might enjoy reading THIS - the first part of a series of articles on her process (links to the further series posts are at the bottom of this post)

- There's another 'awwwwww' thing HERE (scroll down to the wee one in the pink outfit)

Today the quote is from Ralph Waldo Emerson...

Another finish

 I just realized that I forgot to show you the finished crochet fusion quilt project...

And here are a couple (poor photos, sadly!) closeups...

Above shows the actual pattern, and to the right you can hopefully see the border I used for the outside.  

- HERE is one of my 'awwww's' and there's another one HERE (I know it's a paid pattern but it's still an 'awwwww')

- If you don't like moths, don't look at THIS!

- I like THIS little guy!  I don't need another dragon overseeing my sewing room but if I did, I'd be tempted.

- Proof that people can make art out of pretty much anything - go HERE. 

Today the quote is from Maya Angelou..."Develop enough courage so that you can stand up for yourself - and then stand up for somebody else"

A teeny little finish

 Some of you may remember I shared a link to making a Lego-themed tissue box cover and I simply couldn't resist making one for my oldest grandie who is rather obsessed with Lego.  

The tutorial I used came from HERE.

- As a new year starts there's always some discussion surrounding the making of temperature blankets/quilts.  THIS is a new take on it that I think would be much more doable.

- If you're a fan of Halloween you might like to have a look at THIS.  I should have highlighted it in January so the window for getting those patterns for free is over, but you can get the rest of the year as new releases every month (and the January ones are available for a nominal fee)

- Sometimes I come across something that intrigues me and THIS is one of those things.  I don't want to actually DO what she's done but the concept is fascinating.

- After sharing that little bitty hexie project in the my last post, THIS popped up.  It just boggles the mind.

Here is your quote for the day..."There are no limits to what you can accomplish when you're supposed to be doing something else"

Seeing green

 As you can see from the photo, I've started adding the greens to the hexies.  There are a lot of them to add so it's going to take me a little while.  Currently the search is on for some wide-back fabric to use as the background and also as the backing for the quilt.  I want the quilt to end up being queen-sized hence the need for wide-back - otherwise I'd have to seam it and that's not an easy matter in my small sewing space.  It's going to be difficult enough appliqueing the hexies to it without having to handle it too much.

Sorry about the terrible picture 
(yet another dull day here)
but you can get the general idea

- Thank you to Canadian Needle Nana for the head's up about THESE.  If you love cross stitching and love houses, it's a great place to visit!

- THIS is a little tip that you may not be aware of.

- Yikes!  Must admit my jaw dropped when I saw THIS!  Simply cannot imagine working that small.

- HERE is another of my 'awwwww' moments.

Today the quote is from Keanu Reeves..."None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an after-thought.  Eat the delicious food.  Walk in the sunshine.  Jump in the ocean.  Say the truth that you're carrying in your heart like hidden treasure.  Be silly.  Be kind.  Be weird.  There's no time for anything else"

Hexie-ing along

Rows of white hexies have been added to the purple 'flowers' and next up will be adding the rows of green.  It's going to take awhile because there are a lot of them and of course it's all done by hand.  The greens are going to be more of a scrappy look than the flowers.  

- You can go HERE to find out more about a sweet little stitch- along that's upcoming.

- Some of you might find THIS a fun project.

- Have a peek through the gallery of THIS artist!

- Have a look at the works in the gallery of THIS artist - be sure to hover over each picture and see what she's used in her creations.

- Sometimes the simplest things can be just what you need as you can see from THIS.

- And, if you're like me, and end up with snarled bobbins, how about THIS idea?

Today the quote is by Dolly Parton..."Why wouldn't I stand up for everybody, for all people? In the country field, we're brought up in spiritual homes, we're taught to 'judge not lest you be judged'.  We're supposed to love one another.  We're supposed to accept and love one another"

ssshhhhhh - don't tell Resident Chef!!

 Yes, don't tell Resident Chef that I'm cheating on him.  Rumour has it that I'm running around with a handsome guy named Fergus.  We're trying to keep our affair quiet but it seems that the news has leaked out anyway.  Fergus is a pretty sharp dude - long and thin - so it's understandable that I would fall for his debonair good looks.  He's comfortable in his own skin too and doesn't hesitate to step out wearing purple and pink.  He's a very hands on sort of fellow too.  

Meet Fergus Frogit - the love of my life

He and I have been up close and personal resulting in this pile of reverse-sewn hexies....

There are 12 of each colour, plus I have more yet to be massaged by Fergus.  

And - I've started what will be 18 hexie flowers that look like these (they'll all be surrounded with green hexies eventually)...

Sorry about the picture quality - yet another dull day here.  And yes, I see that the second green from the right in the bottom row doesn't 'go' despite it being in the bundle I won. 

- HERE is a cute little project that would be nice for Valentine's Day.

- THIS made me laugh.

- THIS is a different method for felting that some of you might find interesting.

- HERE are some fun ideas for repurposing doilies.

Today's quote, wonderfully presented by Daffy Duck...

Ripping more and enjoying it less!

 Some of you may remember me starting a hexxie quilt quite awhile ago and then I'm sure you noticed that it fell off the blog in short order.  I couldn't decide on how I wanted to put it together.  It's been sitting in the corner of my sewing room laying a huge guilt trip on me ever since so I decided to dust it off and see what I can come up with.

This is what I found when I hauled the project out...

There's not enough to make an entire quilt so I had toyed with throwing these at a large piece of white fabric and letting them fall rather haphazardly (or willy nilly, take your pick).  Well that plan was enough to gag a maggot so back into hibernation they went.  

Spending far too long on the internet looking at possibilities yielded these...

The picture on the left gave me an idea for what I could do for the center of the quilt....picture on the right might be a thought for a border of sorts when it's cobbled together with the border shown in the middle picture.  Clear as mud?  

But (and here's the problem!!) 
I'm NOT a sane quilter so how
can this be anything but a
disaster?

In the meantime my froggit tool and I are spending far too many hours together as I rip apart all that I've already done, cut more fabric and then stitch it all back together again.  And is it any wonder I've never aspired to be a sane quilter (because....wait for it....it's bound to drive me 'insane').  

- If you'd like to see an amazing quilt show, pour yourself a cuppa, and have a look HERE.  

- And take a look at the amazingly detailed work in the galleries of THIS artist!

- THIS looks like fun - and wouldn't it be great to give one with a special chocolate inside for Valentine's Day?  

- Have a close look at the gallery of THIS artist (yes, look closely and you'll see some interesting substrates for her work)

- THIS artist proves that you can embroider pretty much anything!

Here's your quote of the day..."You must always be willing to truly consider evidence that contradicts your beliefs, and admit the possibility that you may be wrong.  Intelligence isn't knowing everything, it's the ability to challenge everything you know.

A Finish!

Over the weekend I finished working on the landscape and must admit I'm glad I was working on a snow scene inside where it's nice and warm!  

FOR SALE!

 This photo, courtesy of Michael Trueman and used with his kind permission, was my inspiration...

Thank you Michael!

The finished landscape measures approx. 30x24" and includes applique, paint, coloured pencil, machine stitching and embroidery.  There's also lots of sparkle on the trees and the snow but unfortunately that doesn't pick up in the photos.

- I thought THIS was intriguing, but I'd like to see if there's a way to create it without glueing directly to the bowl.  I think hot glue would make too much bulk too so I'd be tempted to go the watered down white glue route and just wait out the drying time.  Perhaps cover the bowl with plastic wrap prior to adding the strips too.

- THIS is one of those 'awwww' things - so pretty!

- Since you peeked at the 'awww' thing, how about you go back with a cuppa and have a look through her printables and other tutorials HERE.  

- Have a look through the gallery of THIS incredible artist!

Here is your quote of the day..."Your degree is just a piece of paper.  Your education is seen in your behavior"

Fusion-ing and experimenting

 I've made some more progress on my fusion crochet quilt and am now working at putting the strips together as you can see from the photo below.  Once they're together I will decide what I will do for a border around the outside.  I will have at least one (possibly 2) balls of yarn extra so I'll have enough for a nice border to finish it off.  

Resident Chef has been playing about with his sourdough and has attempted to dry some to see if it can be reconstituted (read about it somewhere and thought he'd try it).  Here's the first step...

Should I wonder about him?

Today the quote is from Henry David Thoreau..."That man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest"

A recipe

HOT HONEY CORNBREAD

   (original recipe from www.budgetbytes.com)

12 Tbsp butter, divided

1 c. honey

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

2 eggs

1 ¼ c. sour cream

1 c. cornmeal

1 c. flour

1 ½ tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

   Mix 4 T. butter, honey & red pepper flakes &

microwave in 30-sec bursts til butter melts &

comes to soft simmer.   Combine cornmeal, flour,

salt & baking powder.  In a 9x9” pan melt the

remaining butter.  Add all but 2 T to the sour

cream.  Add eggs & mix. Fold dry and wet

ingredients.  Swirl pan to coat with butter &

add the batter.  Bake at 400 til a toothpick inserted

in center comes out with just a touch of moisture, about 

25 – 30 mins.  Top with hot honey butter. 

NOTE:  Original recipe calls for baking in a cast iron
skillet but we don't own one, so a 9x9" pan works just fine.

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PLEASE NOTE:  Thanks to Joy who put this information in the comments....if ads are bothering you on your computer, look into a free app called adblocker.plus.  

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The landscape is nearing completion so I'll save progress photos until then.  In the meantime, the fusion crochet quilt pile is growing....

There are seven blocks in each strip and I think there will be a total of 12 strips.  I played fabric chicken and I won (phew!).  Two yards of each fabric, cut into 6" squares and I ended up with a teeny little scrap of selvedge left over. 😀 I guessed at how much fabric I would need and did a pretty excellent job.  Now...did I guess the correct amount of yarn?  Stay tuned!! More fabric is on order to make a second one and now the question is...will the two fabrics 'go' together?  Only the mailman will know for sure.

- As many of you know, I have a rather extensive (!!) collection of buttons, so of course this Pinterest board caught my eye.

- If you happen to like chickens, how about THESE?  Perhaps do some for Easter?

- And HERE's something for Valentine's Day.

- Have a peek through the galleries of THIS artist!

Here is your quote of the day "If you want evidence that the world is a terrible place, watch the news and surf the web.  But if you want to remember how incredible this planet is, go out into nature.  Unlike social media and the news, nature has no incentive to keep us agitated, angry and anxious"