Remember my "Singer Cover" project?

Remember my project to make a cover for my beloved featherweight and then it morphed into a wall hanging.... Well before I changed directions I had already made the end pieces for it.. 

This Sunday our duplicate bridge unit is having its Christmas party and there will be a LOT of slack time...waiting for games to start, waiting for scores to be posted, waiting for dinner, waiting, waiting, waiting..

So I'm out of "traveling" projects and then I spied the long forgotten end pieces for the singer cover pinned to a board...  There were two of them and I played around a bit and basted them into one piece..

I added  velvet for the back and will use the plaid taffeta for a lining... The taffeta is a thrift store find and there was about 3 yards of it and I'll use it for the back of my suffrage quilt..  The colors are actually beige and black...not yellow.

This picture is out of focus and don't have time to shoot it again...but you get the idea...  Now I need to add chainette fringe, beaded fringe, lace and velvet ribbon around the bottom and it can all be done BY HAND.... One little corner upper right has a little gap but a a great spot for buttons... Not only that I will get to use an awkward piece of braid that I have been searching for the right spot for yearsssssssssssss///

Of course when I went to the barn to find some black fringe I discovered I had used it all up on the BoHo kits so will have to improvise... This has been sitting around a couple years and only took 2 (well maybe closer to 3) hours to put to together...  My featherweight is happy and I'm happy to have something to take Sunday to keep my hands busy while w  a  i  t  i  n  g!!!!



The Singing Mum

Years ago and again recently I read that there were 5 things to do each day to make you happier, healthier, and live longer...
1.  Pet an animal
2. Take a walk
3. Hug someone
4. Laugh out loud
5. Sing..........
Well the first four are never a problem and I do try to do them every day and know I feel better for it...  But the singing part was hopeless..  I cannot carry a tune, remember lyrics nor even own more than 4 or 5 CDs... The nicest thing about teaching 5 and 6-year-olds  years ago was they loved it when I sang...

But son was here over Thanksgiving and introduced me to Pandora Radio, a personalized internet radio site... (it's free).. DH is strictly Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach and maybe a little big band...  but on Pandora I get to make my own stations by entering the music I like.... traditional gospel, old-time bluegrass, folk music from the 60s, ragtime piano, Irish music and a little big band... It takes what you pick and adds similar artists and I'm just loving it...

But the real joy of the thing is that on most selections they show the lyrics...... So if I am anywhere near the computer and hear a favorite..... I can  sing ....albeit really badly but what I lack in virtuosity, I make up for  by singing with great gusto.....  a real singing mum....

What's next!!!

DH is gone with a tour and I am spending the weekend trying to catch up and get organized...I still have stuff to unpack from the September retreat and I have so many piles and bags of projects that it's overwhelming... I needed to stop and decide what to do next...

Of course there is the CQ journal project and since it is about Morris, it will be pure whimsy and only one small block a month.  I hadn't bought any cotton off a bolt since the early 70s when I quit sane quilting.  I was in JoAnns with my DIL and looked at some black and white  striped cotton prints...  I thought the quality was absolutely terrible..  Where does one find quality cotton with a good thread count..? I could practically see through their stuff... yuk!

Then there is the faux goldwork RRs I want to get going in January.  I was amazed and gratified at how many people showed an interest.  I am using the blocks I started in Allies piecing class in Wichita and just need to add a bit more to it and cut it into squares..  I did find some tick-tacky gold trims at JoAnns to use on this project and I have a HUGE bag of gold stuff gathered.  This has been a project in the works for a couple years anyways..  I'm thinking that I am going to ask for the RR stitchers to do Jacobean flowers on my blocks..

The last new project is special.... the Hoffman Challenge... Remember I said last January that this was going to be the year I entered.  The fabric hasn't arrived yet but should any day.. What I'm making is not large at all so will not take a lot of time but I want it to be very special... I have been gathering a bag of yummy pastel trims, laces, etc.  for some time to add to it and what is really special are a collection of silk threads I won from Daisy's Garden last spring which will be perfect for this.....
She is having a sale right now on her Dinky Dyes silk ribbons.   I am sooooooooooo hungry for pastels.  I bought several little charms from the Pink Bunny while in Wichita just for this project... It not only specializes in crazy quilting supplies, it sponsored the Victorian Stitchery Retreat I just attended...

So along with working with the suffrage quilt it looks to be a fun and varied stitching winter.. Also I am still looking for Ritva's block which has gotten in with something else.  When I find it, it will be #1 to get done.

Addendum: Using my husband's line "It's not lost, I just don't know where it is!"  Isn't it  amazing what one finds when you clean and organize.  Sure enough I just found Ritva's block in with the large blocks I took to CO so it on top of my list tomorrow... Whew!!!!!

CQ Journal Project....

I had signed up for the CQJournal Project 2012 and wanted something that would be easy to take to the nursing home when I got to that stage...  After discarding many options I decided I wanted to do Morris...so I could always remember him (as if I could ever forget)....  Since he is a black and white dog with a little tan..  The blocks will be black and white with a little tan...

I also wanted some color and will use pieces of this collection of 3/8" rainbow ribbons I found on ebay.

Then I had to see if I could come up with an image of Morris for each of the 12 months....  First I found the picture of Morris sleeping with my bra..............

Then another of Morris with his treasured hammer

Many of Morris mayhem

Morris in his comfort zone.   I finally decided that it wouldn't be difficult at all to find 12 suitable pictures of Morris.   It begins in January so I have time to finish up some UFOs before then..

When family was here he managed to chew up the heel on Madi's shoes, my son's sunglasses and steal my DIL's sandwich.  But at the end of the day when he crawls on a lap and snuggles, it is easy to overlook all his transgressions...

Give the kit itself as a gift or...................

Give the kit itself as a gift or...................or finish it yourself as a gift.  Never a mislaid pincushion again with a tall Victorian-inspired pincushion which is both decorative and functional. The hardest part is done... The cushion itself is interlined, stuffed firmly and has a wooden insert inside to provide stability and making it easy to attach to a heavy candlestick or other base.

Each  kit is one-of-a-kind and  includes a cushion of fancy fabric just waiting to be bedecked with an exquisite reproduction brooch encrusted with rhinestones, trimmed with a luxurious chainette fringe, a length of special coordinated bead fringe, and  a length of gimp plus extra beads to make dangles....easily a $25-35 value if components purchased separately..  A lovely collection of fabric, beads and trims personally selected by me

.. Once assembled with any extra embellishments you may add, it becomes a one-of-a-kind elegant gift for a friend or loved one or just the kit itself makes an elegant and unusual gift. Unfortunately several in this photo have already sold and since they are one-of-a-kind will not be repeated...but I have more I will be adding occasionally.... 

Each kit contains:
• 1 cushion with wood insert for stability, tightly stuffed and ready to embellish.
• A generous yard of chainette fringe - enough to go around double for a luxurious look.
• 1 length of coordinating bead fringe.
• 1 length of coordinating gimp.
• 1 crocheted medallion for top of cushion
• 1 fancy vintage-inspired brooch.
• 1 bag of glass beads for dangles.. then let your imagination go wild and then add candlestick

 

Granddaughter Madi helped with the setup and photography... such a sweet heart...