What I Am Up To

To see what other quilters are up to go to Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

I worked on the beaded Sunflower counted cross stitch project over the weekend.

There are four colors of beads - yellow, dark green, black and pumpkin. All are shiny except the pumpkin colored ones surrounding the center. They and the bee have a matte finish.

I like the look of the matte beads. The shiny ones area little too much glitz for me.

But, it is pretty. If I ever stitch this one again, and I might!, I think I might try it without any beads.

When the Sunflower was finished I started a Snowman ornament. 

I will put it on a card rather than make it into an ornament.

I got all the pieces cut for Sticks and Stones.

My quilt group meets for Sew Days on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays each month. At our last retreat one of the ladies who regularly attends Sew Days was working on a Grandmother's Flower Garden. I thought that would make a nice handwork project and then I wouldn't need to take my machine. I found the Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt that I started many years ago, before my 24 year old son was born. I had put together about 25 blocks and had begun sewing them into rows with green diamonds and white hexies separating the flowers.

I started out using cardboard templates to trace the hexagons and diamonds. 

Somewhere along the way I found this metal template made by Ardco. I paid $2.75 for mine. I found them on line at Ebay for $6.30 and Cotton Shop. Sadly Cotton Shop is temporarily closed due to medical issues.

The templates are metal and have a non-slip back which works great. When cutting hexies for the new blocks I started out tracing around the template.

I quickly learned that I could use my small rotary cutter and do that job much more quickly. I need about 25 more blocks. I am having problems finding the type of fabrics in my stash that are similar to the fabrics I used in the first blocks. I did find 
some of the original fabrics used!

I finally came up with some that should work ok. And, once they get scattered throughout the quilt I don't think it will matter.

And,these two quilts went to their owner over the weekend.