Spinning and Knotting

November 18, 1862 Mary Austin Adelia Wallace wrote in her diary

I drew three loads of wood, went to mother Kyes and borrowed her wheel and reel. I came home and spun over three knots of yarns and gathered some cabbage.

Nov. 18, 2009 I choosed my fabrics for the next CWD block. Brown is one of the Judie Rothermel's Sturbridge Village Browns collection. Blue is Renee Nanneman's Itsy Bits fabric. The range of the white fabric is unknown to me. Orange fabric is... I'm not sure, but I think it might be Judie Rothermel's too. Atleast it's some of the reproduction fabrics. And I thought of using it very long time... Should I pick up some other fabric...???? But those coils fascinates me...

Nov. 19, 1862 Mary wrote

I went over Mr. Rowes to find out the reason my cow didn't come home. He said he turned her in with Mr. Holmes lot and told them to turned her out morning. He said he was afraid they had not and he would go and get her. --- I spun over three knots of yarn and doubled and twisted over six.

On Thursday evening (Nov. 19, 2009) I cut fabrics this way

- out of brown and orange two 7,5*7,5 cm squares, which I cut diagonally once. I had four brown and four orange triangles

- out of blue and orange six 5*5 cm squares. Those squares I cut also diagonally once, so I got 12 blue and orange triangles

- out of white four 6* 4 cm rectangles

Nov. 20, 1862 Mary dug potatoes and picked them up. And she washed her yarn. (all quotes of diarynotes are from the Civil War Diary quilt book written by R. Youngs)

Today I sewed the block 111. Spinning and Knotting

It's one of my favorites so far. And I'm not unsure anymore of that orange fabric. It matches quite well with the other...

I'm planning to sew two block in December, 4th and 8th of Dec. Although I have some other craftprojects and it's busy time at work too, but I'll try to sew atleast one;)))

SEE YOU and creative weekend to you!!!

PS. Helen has revealed her NEW QUILT: Life is Beautiful. And she has a giveaway on her blog, visit there and spread her beautiful message...
Her newest is AMAZING!!! Must have...

And if you are searching some mystery for your weekend you'll find it here;)))

Foragers

It's November 12, 2009

I opened my Civil War Diary Quilt book and wondered how I'm going to sew this Foragers block...

I decided to cut my fabrics this way:

out of green and red (green = R. Nannemann's Itsy Bits, red =one of the J. Rothermel's reproductions? - two 8,5 x 8,5 cm squares (I cut them diagonally twice, so I got 8 triangles) and four 6 x 6 cm squares, which I cut diagonally once

out of cream (I don't know the range or even manufacturer)
- two 7 x 7 cm squares, which I cut diagonally twice (I got 8 triangles)

By the way if you click on the picture, you can read the note from the CWD book written by R. Youngs and the note is written by Eldress Nancy Elly Moore.

After cutting those pieces there was a really exciting moments ahead. Is my block finally 6 1/2" x 6 1/2"?


So far it's looking quite good;))))

Let's piecing more...


I can't belive this, it's still looking good...




Here is Block 22. Foragers

I'm pleased that I didn't use paper piecing this time. After all it was quite easy and quick to make. And I was lucky that measurements were right...

After this kind of success it's more fun to wait the next CWD block...

THE day is or more exactly the days are Nov. 18-20. Oh, it's already on the next week...

See you ... not later than November 20

Just SBS blocks

I have sewn only Sylvia's Bridal Sampler blocks this week. If you remember I was planning to make one CWD block last Sunday. But I hadn't enough energy after work... it was a long and hard day... and Hands all around was a little bit challenging block... I was disappointed, but it's not reasonable to take a stress about your hobby;))) And I finished some extra SBS blocks in this week. I sewed two Card Trick blocks; one for me and the other for Pattie, who is planning to sew a bridal quilt to her daughter.

Yet in this year I'm planning to make four CWD blocks. They are blocks 22, 111, 15 and 16.
It might be a hard goal, because Christmas is coming and... but we'll see what happens.

Enjoy your week!
we will meet on Thursday evening;)
hopefully...

Time to Reveal Sweet Surprises

This morning it felt like Christmas Eve. My eyes were sparkling and heart was beating really hard, when I opened that huge letter from Wendy.

There was all these little parcels in it...

Oh my... I was SO touched...

The eyes filled with tears we (Fenix too) opened those little parcels and we found all these LOVELY gifts!!!! There was needlecase and so soft pincushion with beautiful rose stitchery on both of them. A big bundle of Fat Quarters. A pair of embroidery scissors with so beautiful trinket. A chocolate... nam. A notepad and so useful Quilt Journal to record each quilt's story. There was also that cute embroidered feltpouch with gorgeous bracelet in it. Those gem stones and rocks are just my favorite colours!!!
I don't know how Wendy might knew that I'm a little bit stone freak too;)))
It seems that also Fenix is quite interested in that bracelet. I have to hide it...
And there was two so tiny and cute silvery angels. I'll try to take a better photo of them some day.

Oh, WENDY you really are spoiling us now!!!

I don't know how can I ever thank you enough.
I have also been so happy that we have emailed to each other.
I hope this frienship will continue;)))

After that my own Stitcher's Angel gift to Kay gives a quite modest impression...

... although there is only my own creations in this picture. I put some extra gifts with them...
But these latest weeks with the Stitcher's Angel projects gave me a plenty of happiness and pleasure. And I think it was a worth of participating this swap... also this year ;)

Now it's time to Thank
Helen
who organized this all fun for us - again.
And of course all the other talented designers, who gave us so beautiful patterns for free.

so Thank you also

Natalie, May Britt, Tracy, Leonie, Cori and Sue

PS: If I'll have time tomorrow, I'll tell you what happened last Sunday with my goal of finishing two blocks... You may have noticed that I didn't post CWD block on the 1st November.

A Challenging Sunday Ahead

This week has been quiet week in my sewing corner...
because I have still little bit flu and on Wednesday I had a terrible headache AGAIN. Then I couldn't do anything than rest in the dark. So I might have migraine....

BUT I have or should I say I HAD atleast two goals for this week:

1. I must sew Hands All Around block (Sylvia's Bridal Sampler)
2. I must sew Feeding the Rebels block on 1st of November (Civil War Diary)

Unfortunately my working day was today so long and hard that I have no chance to finish SBS block tonight. My eyes are sleepy already, and early wakening tomorrow morning too.
So there is challengies enough for Sunday

... and if I'll succeed, we will meet again tomorrow;)))

Ps. I can't show you this month OPAMs yet , because they are Stitcher's Angel projects, but maybe on the next weekend... when Kay has received them...

This won't happen often...

...I mean, two tales at the same day...
But I have to tell you.
I just finished my Stitcher's Angel projects!!!

But I can't show you them yet...

Have a nice and hopefully warm week!!!

Sugar Cane

Before I begin with my story about the next CWD block,
I want to thank Anne Ida for her help hunting the fabric from previous post.

TACK för dej, Anne Ida...

... my SBS quilt will become 'just perfect' now!!
I'm HAPPY;))))

Mary Austin Adelia Wallace wrote in autumn 1862

Oct. 22 - I cut and topped a load of sugar cane and took it to Mr. Watterman's mill. -

Oct. 24 - I came home and loaded the remainder of the sugar cane. I took it to the mill. I got my molasses, over 17 gal. and paid him four dollars for making it. Coming home I stopped to mother Kyes and got two letters dated 13th and 17th from Bruce. -

Oct. 25 - I unloaded my molasses, loaded up seven banks of chess and two bushels of wheat for flour. I went to the union with my grist. -

Mary was 24 years old when she wrote her diary in the autumn 1862 (began in August and continued through December) Her husband Bruce left to fight in the war and she was at home with two children, the one 2 years and the other only 6 months old. So she had a lot of responsibilities. (all quotes from the Civil War Diary Quilt book written by R. Youngs)

The block 110. Sugar Cane was easy one. This time also the picking up the fabrics was easy. In advance I was little suspicious with red fabric. It's always difficult to me to find the right red ones. I don't know why? But this time it was SO easy, because I saw Elin's Sugar cane -block and I have the same red fabric in the stash. So that will be my red too;))) Unfortunately I don't know the name of the red fabric... but I guess it could be designed by Judie Rothermel??? But Elin might know it...

I cut
from the blue fabric (Itsy Bits by Renee Nanneman)
- 6 2"*2" squares and 4 2 3/4"* 2 3/4" squares
from the red
- 4 2 3/4"* 2 3/4" squares
from the white
- 2 2"*2" squares

Then I sewed 8 red and blue quick-pieced triangle-square units pairing the 2 3/4"* 2 3/4" squares together. I usually cut those single squares a little bigger and trim them later - this time I trimmed them to the 2"*2" squares.

If you have followed my tales, I think, you already wonder where's Fenix?
Is it possible to take a photo without him?
Normally it isn't, but today...

...he was quite busy
with the flying flocks of the waxwings.
They are eating the rowan-berries
at the parking area near by us.

So he also let me finish my block in peace...

.. but now he is getting more and more nervous. It's obvious he is requiring me to play with him, because I promised earlier to give him some time, when I get the block ready.

So I must go and play now...

PS. Yesterday evening I started one new and BIG project.

I know!!!!
I have too many (=dozens) of unfinished projects, but this Civil War Bride Quilt fascinates me too much right now.

And I'm supposing...
THE same urging feeling
is familiar to you too sometimes;)))


PS2: If you want to see all my finished CWD blocks, you'll find them here.