Cross Stitch – Page 2 – Kelly's Kwilts

Knitting and some Cross Stitch

So over the weekend we were childless, my wonderful sister took the kids for the weekend. That meant Saturday night we could make a nice dinner (something the kids won’t eat) and start working through all the shows we needed to catch up on. While we were watching shows I was working on various projects and made a decision. Last fall I had bought 5 skeins of yarn that were on clearance and decided to make a blanket for Cassie’s former day care teacher that was having a baby in December. Now I am a VERY slow knitter, especially when it’s long rows. Saturday I decided that I hadn’t made a very smart choice to make her something and it was time to set that particular project aside for now and work on other things. I’m almost through with the 2nd skein and I’ve a long ways to go on the project. At some point I’ll finish it and give it away, but right now it just needs to be put away.

Once I got that decision out of the way I pulled out the dish cloth I’ve been working on since November 2016 and finished it. I don’t know why it takes so darn long for me to work on knitting, wait yes I do, I have too many projects that are hand work!!! 🙂 The yarn is Peaches & Creme in colorway Pink Lemonade that I picked up at Walmart just because I liked the colors. I’ll see how I like using it to clean the kitchen and maybe I’ll make more someday.

I mentioned cross stitch in the title, I’ve found a pattern that I was really interested in making in January and I kept going back and forth on whether I needed another project. No not really but I did it anyway! I bought the pattern and the fabric from the author and started in on it. It’s a small section a month, and once I’m caught up it shouldn’t be too hard to keep up with everyone else. I’m almost caught up now, once I get the rest of the title done and March’s block that was just released I’m golden! Hubby and I are BIG Harry Potter fans and I just loved the idea of having all the classes in a sort of sampler piece. No clue where it will go when finished, but that’s ok I’m making it anyway! Perhaps I can start working on other cross stitch pieces too, I have a Cleveland Cavaliers one and a Monopoly board around here somewhere to make!

Design Wall Monday 08/07/17

I’ve been slowly working on blocks for the #EPPParty and finished block 7 over the weekend. Block 8 is released today and I’ll have to start working on that this week. I have 2 quilts all basted and ready to quilt and I’m finishing up the binding on a Quilts of Valor quilt I brought home from the last meeting. School will be starting soon and I hope be to able to spend a little more time working on projects!

I’ve also had to put handwork to the side recently because I needed to get a wedding gift completed. It was delivered to the groom last week, so I can post about it now. We didn’tgo to the wedding because it was out of the country and there was just no way we could go, but we did still want to give them a gift. So I stitched up my usual wedding gift, a small cross stitch piece in a frame with space for a wedding picture. The groom loved it, so I’m happy!

Linking up to Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

Major Update!

OMG have I been busy lately! I entered some items into our County Fair and of the 3 items I entered I received 2 ribbons! Both were cross stitch pieces that I did a few years ago and was really proud of how well they turned out so decided they need to be entered along with a memory quilt that was made for my grandmother’s 80th birthday. Next year I hope to enter another of the seasonal quilts cross stitch and hopefully one of my hexagon quilts – if I ever finish one!

I enter a lot of giveaways and never win, well I can’t say that anymore! I had entered this one at My Quilt Infatuation and figured I wouldn’t win anything, lo and behold I received an email asking for my address! I love the colors and can’t wait to figure out what to make with the 10 fat quarters. Perhaps a Xmas gift?

I don’t have any pictures because it’s a guild challenge due in December, but I’ve been spending time working on a red/white quilt. The center and first border are done, the blocks for the second border are done and I am working on the applique pieces that go on the first border. Hope to have the top completed soon!

I also finally finished my second commission quilt, from what I hear the family loved it, I took a few pictures of it before I mailed it to my friend but I can’t find them right now. I might need to take them off the DSLR. When I find them I’ll make sure to post again!

Talk soon!

Cutting Review on Studio

I figured that since I was already going to be cutting fabric I’d do a little review on my new Studio. I love it! It cuts so much nicer than the Go, even with the Go dies! I have a bolt of Kona black that I’m using for projects that is 44″ wide. So since I want as many black squares as I can get, I cut an 8.5″ width and the length is the full 44″ (22″ since it’s folded on the bolt). I know it’s hard to see folded up on the die, but it’s folded so that there are 4 full layers and 2 layers that are partials. After I run it through, I have a stack of 48 2.5″ squares and a small pile of scraps. There’s almost NO waste! I did 3 of the 8.5″ strips to get 144 total squares. If I don’t need these for the 9-patch scrappy quilt, I know I can use them for the hexie diamond quilt. I worked on some hexies last night while we watched tv, I’m waiting for a shipment to come from 123 stitch with some Aida cloth. I’ve decided to put away my Cavs cross stitch and do my Monopoly board instead. I have almost all the floss, just needed a big enough piece of 18 count aida to work on it. When it’s finished it will be a full sized Monopoly board and we can play on it once it’s framed/mounted. I’ll post updates as I work on it. Time to get back to sewing, laundry is done for today (more for tomorrow), dinner is in the crock pot and Alex is still sleeping!

Busy, busy, busy!

It’s been busy around here the last couple of weeks. My son was the ring bearer in a friend’s wedding last week. He looked so handsome!!! We were very proud of him, he did everything he was supposed to do! I made the couple my usual wedding gift, cross stitch picture in a matted frame for 2 of their wedding pictures. I’ve probably made close to 10 of these for family and friends over the years.

Hubby helped me get my Studio situated yesterday. We had a table in the basement that he made years ago for his music keyboard that has just been sitting there. So I had him cut the legs down so that it would fit underneath my sewing table. You can see a couple of boxes under there, once I take care of those (documents that need shredded) it should fit nicely against the wall on the left. Haven’t used it much yet, just did a trial cut the night it got here. I do have a TON of black 2.5″ squares to cut, so it will get a workout soon.

I couldn’t decide what to work on today, hubby is busy with his business partner and Alex is napping, so after working on cleaning some stuff up in my office and starting the homemade chicken noodle soup I decided to pull out the scrappy 9 patch quilt I’ve been working on as leader/enders. All of the 4 patches are completed, just need to iron them all – so I started working on the 9 patch blocks. This is what I’ll need the black squares for. I think this will go fast, since most everything is cut already. Next I’ll need the 6.5″ black squares and I might wait to cut those until I can get the die for the Studio. We’ll see!

When we were cleaning out my grandmother’s house, I got a box FULL of buttons. I finally finished cutting them all off the cards or cutting them off strings and got them in a vase for on top of my cabinets. Then I decided to take another vase and put all the thread that I got from her house too. Since it’s been a lot of years since she’s sewn, I don’t really know how old the thread is. Some of it is on wooden spools! I decided it wouldn’t be a good idea to use it, I’d rather use it for decoration. Either way, it will remind me of her.

I think once I get the 9 patches done I’ll go back to the guild challenge quilt. Just need to decide on which color to do the sashing in so I can put it together. Shouldn’t take too long, I have just over a month before it needs to be done for our meeting. Hopefully back soon with another update!

New Purchase

OMG! I can’t believe I just pushed the button and bought the Accuquilt Studio! I have no idea where it’s going to live, I’d love a table that rolls underneath my big 6′ wide sewing table. That would be the ideal solution, I just don’t know if that will happen. I also bought a 5″ charm square die that cuts 8 at a time, I’m hoping to be able to cut charms and put them on etsy. I’d like to also cut other peoples fabric – maybe something like drunkard’s path dies, or winding ways, etc. I just don’t know if it would sell or not. I hope this isn’t a case of buyer’s remorse already!! 🙂

I hope to start working on some sewing this week, since I designed a few quilts this week while I was testing EQ, I have a lot of ideas! I also have to fix an embroidery order for my friends bakery, I guess pregnancy brain hit me early and I didn’t do the full design on her shirts. Logo is there, but the name of her business is not!

I did finish the cross stitch piece for the wedding, just need to get to Joann’s and get the frame. I’ll get a picture up once it’s framed.

Til later,

Design Wall Monday

Well I was able to get 2 diamonds finished this week. I have my baggies ready for the next 3, and need to get working on basting them and putting the diamond together. I was going to work on hand quilting my first hexagon quilt so I could put it in the guild quilt show, but with everything going on this summer, I know I just don’t have the time. I’d rather concentrate on finishing hexagon diamonds and get it quilted for the show. I took a break yesterday though and decided to do something different. I pulled out my Cleveland Cavaliers cross stitch piece and worked on it for awhile. I haven’t worked on it since January, but it was quite easy to pick it back up and work on it. There’s a total of 15 pages and I had finished 1 in January. So I started working on page 7, there’s a lot of solid color so I figured it’d be easy! So when I need a break from the hexagons, I’ll work on my cross stitch. Hope to have more diamonds finished this week so I can put it all together this weekend.
Linking up to Design Wall Monday at PatchworkTimes

Cross Stitch Update

I haven’t worked on cross stitch for awhile, mainly because I want to get my hexagon diamonds quilt done. Last fall I had started gifts for my cousin’s twins intending on having them done for Xmas. That never happened. So the last few months I worked on them and finished the cross stitch part but still needed to finish them. I managed to do that the night before their party! I’m happy with how they turned out for the most part, if I had had more time I would have fixed the border on Lila’s, but my cousin liked them so I’m not going to worry about it anymore! I’d like to work on my Cleveland Cavs piece and I might get it out and work on it 1 night a week just for something different. I also want to start the Monopoly board but I think I need aida for that one.

Shopping

I know I shouldn’t be spending money on fabric and notions, but sometimes you just can’t help it ya know? I needed batting for a couple of quilts so I went to Joann’s last week. I need some more pins for hexagons, so I can prep more for basting. I think I’ve figured out what blocks I want to do for the guild block exchange and I needed a 3″ finished half square triangle die. Unfortunately I’m a dope and forgot that I already had that die, now I need to take this one back. You know how when you have a 60% off coupon, you HAVE to use it? Well that’s why I bought the jelly roll, absolutely no clue what I’ll do with it, but I loved the pattern!

I’m also participating in the fat quarter exchange at guild and they are due at our next meeting. So Alex and I went the other day to Olla Mae’s, which happens to be closing by the end of June!, and I got almost all of the 26 fat quarters I need. Of course I bought a few things for myself too! The aqua-ish fabric is for the block exchange, I just need a few more fabrics and I can wash it all and start working on blocks! They aren’t due until September, but as the coordinator I want to have them done early.

I’ve spent the last few days working diligently on the final cross stitch project for my cousin’s twins. Now I need to wash them and get the sewed into wall hangings before the party on June 8th. Shouldn’t take too long, so I’m not worried. But that means I can now start working on my hexagons again. Got the first round completed last night on one of them, hopefully I can finish that diamond tonight. Then I’ve only got 1 more and I can add the next row to the mother ship.

Hopefully be back soon with an update on the hexagon diamonds quilt!

Design Wall Monday – May 13, 2013

Well I managed to get 2 more diamonds completed the last few days. I finished the blue one during the guild meeting Tuesday and the pink one last night after we got home from camping. Two more diamonds and I can put the next row together. Unfortunately I need to put this aside for a little while so I can finish a cross stitch piece that is a present. I had started 2 pieces for my cousins twin for Christmas and just ran out of time to complete them. I have 1 more part to finish on the second piece and then I can put them both together.

I passed out the challenge fabric for the block exchange at our guild meeting last week, and now I need to figure out what my 2 blocks are going to be. I can’t get additional fabrics until I pick my blocks though. I also need to go shopping to get some fat quarters for the fat quarter exchange. They are due at our June meeting, so I need to get busy!

I am planning on going to Joann’s tomorrow to get some batting so I can finish some quilts. I’d like to work on the red, white and blue quilt for donation at guild. I also want to get my first hexagon quilt ready to be hand quilted. I’ve committed to putting it in our quilt show in October, so I need to get started working on it! I’ll finish the test piece once the hexagon one is done.

We had a speaker at guild last week that owns a quilt shop, Quilts & Sew Forth. Of course they brought products to sell. I don’t usually find anything that I want to buy, but I saw that they had a charm pack of Fossil Fern. 100 charms for $27!! I could not pass up that deal!!! Don’t know what I’m going to do with it yet, but it’s sitting here and ready to use for something!