Block of the month.

My Little Red Barn block of the month is done! 

Phew.  Getting that 5th installment around Thanksgiving and the 6th around Christmas made it tough but I kept working away. 

The 5th installment included all 4 corner chickens and the trees, fence and sheep.  The 6th included the final pieced border with all the stars. 

I am deciding about quilting.  I would like to try a shop closer to home but I'm a little nervous about using this quilt as a test dummy.  I'll have to think about it for a little bit. 

Fresh Fallen Snow

by Little House Needleworks from the 2011 Just Cross Stitch ornament issue.

I wanted to finish this one like the magazine showed but hand stitching that blanket stitch all the way around wasn't really in the cards.  That's my favorite applique finishing stitch but done using my sewing machine.  The stitches can easily slip out of place when they're hand done.  So, I did a trial run and decided that using my sewing machine would work like a charm.

First, I carefully turned under the edges and pressed into place.  Then I stitched the piece to the piece of white felt using the blanket or button hole stitch.  I used a matching green thread.

Perfect.  (Hint... cut the felt larger than needed and trim down after sewing.  That way you're not stressing over centering.)

I bought this wavy rotary blade to make the edges on the felt.

Back to the sewing machine to sew the white to the green with a straight stitch done in white.  I stitched close to the edge of the stitched piece.  These stitches don't show.  Then I trimmed the green felt and attached a piece of cording with some matching thread.

Love it.  I'm looking for other pieces that need the same method.

As promised

I have my 2011 final finishes ready for showing.

The first 2 are Lizzie Kate's.  They're just fun and festive pieces to work on during the holidays. 

This next one is Fresh Fallen Snow by Little House Needlworks from the 2011 Just Cross Stitch magazine.  It's stitched with DMC 3865 and GA's Forrest Glade.  Loved the colors.  I just wish these designs (a general sweeping statement about the ornament issue) were proofed a little better.  There were 2 mistakes.... I caught one and didn't notice the other until I was done.  The sample in the magazine is done correctly so SOMEONE had the correct pattern.  (The first mistake is that one of the snow flakes in the lower left is charted with the wrong symbol.  The second is in the bottom right snow flake.  There is an extra stitch in the part that would point to 1:00 on a clock.  I declined to pick it out and fix it.)

 This next one is also from the JCS 2011 ornament issue. Little by Little Design Company's Joy of the Snowflake.  Hardly looks like the original, right?  Love the pattern but hate the original colors.  Who wants brown like that at Christmas?  So, it's stitched on a festive red fabric using Vicky Clayton silks.  Referring to my sweeping statement about the magazine above.... what the heck is going on with that border??? OMG.  Is that a slap-dash job or what????  I switched mine around a little so it had more eye appeal then ended up leaving a gap in the bottom left corner where my initials are.  (In my typical attempt at anonymity.... They're further obscured by my scissors.) 

So, that's it for my holiday stitching.  I am back to working on a couple large WIP's.  I'm not taking on any New Year's challenges however I am kind of watching this one with interest.  I really like watching people stitch large pieces.  There once was a time when that's ALL I DID.  I have many large patterns in my 'to be stitched' basket and fully intend to invest the time in stitching them.  First, I'd like to feel like I have less in that basket so I don't feel pressured to work, work, work on finishing things. 

I hope I don't drive you all nuts with too many background changes.  This has proven to be a hard time of year to settle on one design.  This newest one is labeled as a Christmas one but, in my neck of the woods, snow and a few red berries will be about all there is to see out the windows. 

Can't say I'm sad to see it go.

There really are pictures coming of my latest finishes.  Photographing them seems to be a challenge. 

In the mean time, the revelry continues.  We welcomed in the New Year at a party last night and soon we will be going to a New Year's Day brunch.  First, however, I must bake something to take.

Hope you're having a good one.