Easy Panel Quilt

Now that I have given both quilts to their recipients I can tell you about these quick and easy panel block quilts. You can make these in just a few hours. Start by cutting 4 1/2" strips. Sew most of them together. You will need a few to add to the end to make an odd number of blocks in the row. Iron the strips open. Cut the strips to make 4 1/2" X 8 1/2" blocks. Lay them out so you have 11 squares in a row. This is where that extra block for the end comes into play. Sew the squares/rectangles to make rows. Now sew 4 rows together to make the top and 4 rows together to make the bottom. Add the panel in the middle. You can put any size sashing you would like for the boarder. I use a 5 1/2" strip for this. For the back I use 60" minky to make them supper soft and cuddly.

This was for a friend.

For our daughter.

Minky back.

Finished TEXAS

I have finished TEXAS. Took longer than expected but it is done. Just needs to be washed, and ironed. Then off to the frame shop when Green Bike in Turquoise is ready to be picked up.

 

Texas Panorama by Bestitched designs by Bev

on Smokey White Zweigart 18ct Aida

Two new starts since this one is finished. First Green Bike by Alessandra Adelaide Needleworks. This time in red Kreinik thread. Also, a Christmas gift for the other twin. So far I have not messed up this one, and everything is lining up correctly. Fabric is Silvermist Opal 18ct.

Second is Queen Mariposa by Mirabilia. I couldn't stand not working on a Mirabilia. Only two days progress, with limited thread supplies. Next week I will swing by the LNS and get the remaining supplies need for her. I am not sure which is worse having three WIPs or not having a Mirabilia. Everyday I feel each one needs some love. Currently I am doing 1-2 threads then switching. It seems to be working well.

Finished First AAN

It has been just over two weeks since my last post and I was hoping to get my Mum's Christmas gift finished in one. It is taking way longer than I was wanting. The X just had so much confetti. Here is what it looks like as of this morning.

While we were at swim practice last week a puppy found us. It had no owner at the park. So, the kids convinced me to bring it home. We have posted looking for his owner with no luck. Over all he is a good dog. But, one day during the week it was raining. No big deal right. I left the dogs inside while we went to town. Our female knows not to get on my stuff on the bed. She only lays in open spots. Well the new pup did not. And, I left my stitching out so I could just pick it back up when we got back. His muddy paw ended up on my whitish stitching. He also tore up some paperwork I left on the bed. Thank God it was not my original stitching charts. Here is a pick of most of the fabric.

 

I washed it twice and tried to get everything out. Can you tell there was mud on it?

On Wednesday I dropped by the LNS and they had the thread in I needed to finish Green Bike by Alessandra Adelaide. Only took one day to finish it up. This makes my fourth finish this year. Off to the frame shop this weekend with it.

I really think she is going to love it.

With both of these going on I haven't had much time to work on The Heir. And I wont be able to work on it at least until Monday due to the deal with my youngest son. He did not do what he was supposed to on Tuesday and we wont be able to go back until Monday. So, it must sit and wait. This is how far I have gotten.

Started Christmas Gifts

Since I have finished three Mirabilia's already this year, I have decided to re-evaluate my goal of finishing five cross stitching's this year. My new goal is to make ten. Five for myself and five for Christmas gifts. Here is my newest start:

This is Green Bike by Alessandra Adelaide Needleworks. I am stitching it on the Silvermist opal with Krienik #4 braid in my sisters favorite color. This will be her Christmas gift. I am doing the same one in red for one of my other sisters gift. So far, I have used 3 1/2 bobbins of tread. Now I am out and both LNS are out too (because I purchased all of them). They are on order so this has to sit to the side until more thread comes in.

While that is sitting aside I started my Mum & Dad's gift:

This is after one day of stitching. Hoping I can push this out in about a week. After I finish it for them I would like one for myself too. My wonderful husband picked out this fabric while at the LNS this past weekend. It is Zweigart Aida 18 count smokey white. The fabric is so soft and easy to work with. I have enough that I am going to stitch Mirabilia's Red with a purple conversion on it. I picked up the pattern on a facebook group it is called Texas Panorama by Bestitched designs by bev.

Lastly I took the plunge and started The Heir by Terrence Nolan, Pangea by Dimples Designs. Our littlest boy really wants me to stitch this one. He was not doing so hot at swim practice. Not even trying. So, I cut a deal with him. If he swim goods that evening then I will work on 'The Boy Mermaid' as he calls it. If he doesn't swim good then I don't work on it. For the last two weeks it has worked.  I am stitching him on Jaded. Here is how far I have gotten:

This is the HARDEST pattern I have ever worked on. Full of confetti. But it is looking gorgeous. I have taken out the 'crown' that is coming off the back of his head.

For the first time I have more than one stitching going at a time. How do you stitch? Do you rotate? One at a time? Or, Whatever you feel like that day?

Coral Charms by Nora Corbett

Last night I finished Coral Charms. I was so delighted to finish my third cross stitching this year. My goal was five this year; may have to revisit and increase my goal. The conversion on this one was simple and manageable. I added simple eye lines and lips to give her more of a face. Coral Charms is stitched on Monet 16 count Aida by Picture this Plus fabric. The conversion can be found on the Conversions Tab at the top of the page or click here.

I finally received my fabric from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie. I am not fond of writing bad reviews. So, I will start with the good. Stephanie is very quick to respond to questions. I sent an email after three weeks of no update to ask when my fabric would be ready, and received a response with in a few hours. Here is the pictures of what I ordered from her website.

Jaded                                                       Silvermist

Both of these look to be pictured on some sort of linen fabric. The Silvermist is on opalescents.

The fabric was ordered in Adia on March 15; shipping notice was received on April 12. It took a month to get the fabric. When the fabric arrived the envelope was in pretty bad shape. The corner was ripped up and I was concerned that the fabric was damaged. (If I was shipping I would have put it in the padded envelope which is the same shipping cost.) Open the package and nothing was damaged. Thank goodness. I had been waiting a month and needed to get started on the Silvermist fabric for Christmas gifts this year, and did not want to wait another month. All of the fabric was in one bag. My personal preference is separate bags for storage with their project. That is neither here nor their. Just cost a little extra for me to get big ziplock bags for each. The fabric is very stiff. At first I thought maybe it is just the Silvermist because it is opalescents, but the Jaded was stiff as well. Not as ridged as the Silvermist but stiffer than my other hand dyed fabrics I have received recently. Finally here is what my fabric looks like:

What are your thoughts of how what I received compares to the online pictures?

Start Coral Charm by Nora Corbett

Our eleven year old son is a boy scout. From time to time we will schedule a merit badge he wants to take at the museum. While the class is fairly inexpensive, it does take an hour to get down there. The classes are four hours long. Being that we have done several scout classes including tours, what am I to do for four hours while sitting waiting for him. That's right cross stitch. While it wasn't a start I did get quite a bit done with what turned out to be three and a half hours of no interruptions.

Today I took a break from cross stitching and from almost everything else, and made a baby quilt for one of my husbands employees whos wife had a baby girl last month. I know I am so behind, I should of had this done and to them before the baby was born. First, husband didn't tell me one of his employees was expecting a bundle of joy until the week of. Second, his employee has been off and then allowed to work remotely from home to enjoy his baby girl for the first few weeks. Makes me feel not so bad, but still not a good excuse. Need to get a couple of girl and boy ones made up so when someone says oh John or Jane is expecting I can just pull it out. Maybe one day. Here is the one I whipped together today. I did a 'rag' quilt so I didn't have to wait for it to come back from the quilters.

Put a nice boarder around it for a finishing touch.

While I had the sewing machine out I also put binding on one of two quilts that have been waiting for two months now. In need of getting one completed as a gift for a dear friend we will see at the end of May, and the other is for our daughter.

Finished Mediterranean Mermaid

Woohoo! Second finish of the year, and it is only the beginning of April. Mediterranean Mermaid by Nora Corbett was a fast stitch. She is very Shinny with all the Kreinik thread and Mill Hill Beads and Treasures. The major conversion on her was her skin and hair.

We have two children that are adopted with darker skin. All of the beautiful pieces by Nora Corbett are fair skinned. I want our adopted children to be able to look at the pieces I have done and see that their skin is beautiful as well. Our daughter really loves this one. I might have to hang it in her room after it is framed. You can find the conversion for her on the Conversion Tab at the top of the page.

Other news: I ordered needle minders for the first time from Gina's Unique Boutique on Etsy. Even though I free stitch, with out a hoop or q-snaps, I am loving these. Instead of holding my needle in my mouth, sticking it in my pants/shorts, or stabbing it into the bead I attach this to my pattern holder and when I need to change thread color it keeps my needle safe. No more coming back going where did I put that needle now?

Mermaid Undine is back from the frame shop. :)

Already found her a home on the wall.

Fabric I need to start Christmas gifts still hasn't come in. So, next project will be a Coral Charms by Nora Corbett. I am going to do the same skin conversion on this one. I think the darker skin will be radiant against the bright colors of her tail.