Stitching Away!

 I've been working on two different projects, a machine project and a hand project.  I'm a home health care aide, and my client has lots of doctor appointments, so I've been getting lots of hand stitching done the past few weeks.  

I've been stitching on my Olde Treadleonia map.  I decided to stitch all around the block and all around the sewing machine island.  I also stitched all the waves in the water.  It just seemed easier to get those parts done first.  I've also gotten quite a lot of the locations and trails stitched.

stitching I've done so far

This is what the map looked like before I started stitching.  You can see the difference.

before any stitching

As for embroidery, I've never done anything other than back stitching until now.  I decided that the whale needed to be filled in.  Not too bad for a beginner.  I have a book with embroidery stitches somewhere.  I didn't look at it before I decided to fill in the whale.  

whale filled in

When I start back on this, I'm going to fill in the snow on the 'Here there be Dragons Mountains.'

'Here there be Dragons Mountains'

Those mountains are why Fred, Scarlet and Bumble came to live with me.  

Scarlet, Fred and Bumble

They are only a few of the dragons that live (or want to live) in those mountains.

I'm usually behind on projects (too many squirrels around here).  I'm hoping the dragons chase a few of those squirrels away, so that I can get started projects finished.  So far, they are helping.

My family reunion was scheduled for October 2020, but, like everything else, it got cancelled due to Covid.  Well, it's rescheduled for October 2021.  That means that I have to finish the raffle quilt for the reunion.  We auction off items to pay for the reunion costs, but we raffle off the quilt, so that everyone gets a fair chance to win it.  Years ago, someone would buy a cheap Chinese quilt from Walmart, have everyone sign it, then auction it off.  I was never interested in those cheap Chinese quilts, but thought about making a quilt instead.  Well, I make two quilts.  One to raffle off and one for me to keep (since I'm the one paying for all the supplies and making the quilts).  I have everyone sign two matching blocks so that the quilts will be identical.  The next reunion, there is a finished quilt to raffle off.  This is the first quilt I made (and the winner).

first family reunion signature quilt I made

Back in 2016, I also found a pattern to use for the next family reunion signature quilt.  I loved a string quilt over on The Eclectic Abuela blog.  She also has a tutorial for the quilt here. I was planning on making all the string blocks, but I get bored making string blocks after a while, so last year (when I was already behind on these quilts) I decided to make 16 patch blocks instead of strings.  I had already cut lots of squares for the corner flip blocks, and just decided to cut lots more squares for the 16 patch blocks.  This is what my box full of squares looks like 'after' I've finished all the 16 patch blocks. 

leftover squares

That box was FULL when I started.  I wanted to make sure I had enough different fabrics for each block.  I needed 100 16 patch blocks to make 2 full quilts.  I'd started putting the fabrics for each block together last October.  I hadn't touched this project again since last October.  This is what I found when I pulled this project back out in early August.

stacks of blocks, waiting to be stitched

what they looked like from the top

This was slow going, since I wanted to nest the seams, and I had to press each time I stitched.  My new seam presser came in handy. 

my new seam presser

Last night, I finished stitching and pressing all the blocks.  I have 102 of these blocks.  

102 16 patch blocks

The 'X' blocks have been finished since August 2017, along with the border blocks. Now I just have to lay them out, making sure none of the same fabrics are next to each other. I decided to make these quilts smaller, so I won't be using all the blocks for these 2 quilts.  I think I can get a 3rd quilt out of the extra blocks.  

Now you know what I'll be working on this weekend.  I also need to make a pin cushion for the Treadle On Pin Cushion exchange (to be mailed by September 1st).  I'll be switching back and forth between my Featherweight (Betty Sue) and my 1927 Singer 15 hand crank, since the pin cushion has to be made on a people powered sewing machine.  Thank goodness I have a double sewing machine cabinet (no, it doesn't look that neat and cleaned off now).  If I took a photo of how messy is is now, you'd wonder how I got anything done.  

What are YOU working on this weekend?