Erica's Stitches

This is May.  The grass is green and wildflowers are blooming. This is July.  Most of the grass is dead.  A hailstorm two weeks ago has caused it to start greening up again.  I'm ready for the afternoon thunderstorms to arrive.

This quilt is smaller than it looks - each pinwheel is just under 3 inches across. This is one of a collection of unfinished blocks I had.  One year I had a plan to make a different block every month and at the end of the year I would make a sampler.  It would have been a great idea if I had followed through with it. My new plan is turn some of these blocks into something.  I still had some of the background fabric so I added some stripes to two sides to make a rectangle.  Then I quilted and bound it and I was done. That's the fastest finish I've had in a while.

Recent events have been distracting.  My brain turned off and I didn't touch any of my projects for days. As the feeling faded I picked up a new project.  Actually, from the date stamped on the linen, an old project.  The copyright is 1975. No thought is required because it is all charted out. I'm finding the process enjoyable.  Especially once I started adding in the second shade of green. I can't wait to get to the bright pinks. Now my mind is beginning to turn.  Could I sketch out my own design on linen and satin stitch in the colors.  Hmmm.  I have a small selection of needlepoint wool.  That would be a great way to use it up.  Maybe a mountain scene.  I think I have the right colors. In the meantime I'll get this one finished up.  There's a form where I can send away for a matching frame for about $4.00.  Do you think they still have any available?

I found this lace at a thrift store?  What is it? I recognize some techniques but others I don't.  I found a Needle Lace book at the library and found more of the techniques but nothing put together like this. The blue background is synthetic fabric so it's not very old.  It reminds me of fabric from a bad bridesmaid dress. The thread that made the lace on the outside is the same thread that made the inside lace. There's a spiderweb in the very center of the flower and dove's eyes surrounding the flower.  The bars in the flower are needle woven.  But, the rest of the flower?  I haven't seen anything like it before. What I like the best are the flowers around the edges.  That is something else I've never seen before.  I'm going to have to try to duplicate one.

It was time to come up with a new design and I didn't have any ideas.  So, I asked a friend for an idea.  Her response was "something patriotic". I started thinking of fireworks, picnics and parades.  But, nothing I could see in a sampler.  So, I went with my favorite subject, flowers; stitching them in red, white and blue. I have a hanging basket on the patio overflowing with red, white and blue flowers and the combination looks great together.  At the greenhouse, there were many to choose from.  Red geraniums or salvia.  Blue petunias or lobelia.  White petunias and verbena.  All were beautiful. My sampler uses imaginary flowers. Now, I'm thinking of making more bouquets for different seasons.  Maybe a Harvest Bouquet or a Spring Bouquet.  Hmmm, I'll see what happens ... This pattern is for sale on patternsonline.com .

It's finally finished - my "make do" quilt. 20 old polka dot nine patches. 3 old Dresden plate blocks cut up into Dresden fans. And 4 new butterfly blocks to complete the quilts. One pieced backing of leftover fabric. I had to buy the batting.  I should have used 30's fabric scraps for the binding but I wanted a black binding so I ended up buying that too. I think the result was worth it. Usually, this is when I toss the quilt into the washer.  However, the polka dot nine patches are so delicate that I'm afraid to. I'm ready to start on my next quilt now.

The current Piecework Magazine has an article on Depression Lace - something I'd never seen before. The project is an apron that didn't appeal to me but I still wanted to try the technique. Depression lace is normally stitched on gingham using the grid as part of the pattern.  I stopped at the local quilt store and they didn't have gingham.  I looked through every bolt to find one with a suitable grid and ended up with this red fabric.  It's not traditional but it worked. I've stitched two so far.  Each with very different thread colors.  You can't tell, but the main thread above is a silver metallic. I think I'll be making these into ornaments. I'm going to be looking for more gridded fabrics and trying lots of color combinations. Here are some other instructions .  The stitches are different but the effects are similar.  I incorporated the running stitch into my second try, which wasn't used in the Piecework...