Design Wall Wednesday–French Cottage Garden quilts

      

I haven’t posted for since just after Thanksgiving and I really have no excuse.  Well, I did put up the Christmas tree (yes, in my house it is called a CHRISTMAS TREE).

There she is in all her glory.  I moved the location this year for the first time in 16 years and I really don’t like having it here in this spot, but it is the only place we have room for it.  When hospice came in to take care of my husband, they brought a hospital bed in along with a bunch of equipment and I had to move furniture around to accommodate that.  Then I had to move my sewing studio out of my studio and into the dining room because he wanted me to be close to him.  So, as a result, my sewing machine and ironing board now reside in the spot that my Christmas tree stood in last year.  Let’s face it, my whole house is a jumbled up mess right now.  Sigh. 

OKay.  Back to my story.  I put the tree up and that is it for decorating this year.  No evergreen door tops with red and silver bows and little elves.  NO pencil tree in the kitchen.  No decorations on the front porch ( or the back porch for that matter).  No icicle lights.  Nada.  Just the big tree.  This has just been a bad year for holidays.  Better luck next year.

Back to the design wall.  It has been empty for the most part for the last 2 weeks.  I’ve just been too busy with other things to spend a lot of time at my sewing machine.  What other things, you ask?  Oh, there’s the gingerbread that needed eating, and Netflix to watch (another round of Downton Abbey) and then I have 2 seasons of Game of Thrones to watch …… because reading all those big fat books just weren’t enough Westeros for me.  Kay?  Then I hauled off and ordered the Peter Cottontail pillowcase pattern from Crabapple Hill and that has been sitting on my desk calling my name ever since it arrived ….. so I had to sit on my fanny and embroider that!

              

I have no pictures to show to you other than this picture of the pattern, but I have made 2 of these pillowcase cuffs, one in a mainly turquoise colorway and another one in a mainly purple colorway; and I am seriously considering one in red or magenta.  I am addicted to Peter Cottontail at the moment.  Pictures will be forthcoming in their own blog post later.

Okay, so back to my design wall.  You got a glimpse at the top of the blog post. 

  

   

This is where I am on the two quilts (remember I told you there were going to be two of them to top two antique twin beds in one of my guest rooms).  I have SOME of the first quilt finished and I have the embroidered panels for the second companion quilt trimmed and ready for the pinwheels to be sewn on.  Hopefully I will have them done in a couple of weeks.  I will try to give you an update next Wednesday.  Since it is Christmas and I have no idea what is going on this year, I’m making no promises.

                                                                                                                                        

In the meantime, I’ll be up to my elbows in pinwheels.

 

Enjoy, Merry Gay

Design Wall Wednesday - French Cottage Garden Quilt

I just took 'Be Mine' off the design wall so I could sew it together!  I went ahead and pinned the embroidered panels up onto the wall because I want to work on this before I sew the borders for 'Be Mine'.  I actually have 2 sets of these panels made for the FCGQ.  These quilts are being made for a pair of antique twin beds in my guest room.  And these panels closely resemble the wall paper border in that room.  I will post a picture of that when I get to the point of putting them on the beds.  But I have to finish them first!  For today....

Enjoy, Merry Gay

Eye-Candy Gram- It's beginning to look a lot like...

CHRISTMAS!

I just love Christmas!   It is my favorite season.  Putting up the tree isn't my favorite thing to do though.  This is a very old tree that I bought back in the mid 1980's and each limb has to be put on separately.  One by one, each one has to be fluffed out and inserted into it's very own slot.  It took me all afternoon yesterday to put it up.  Then today I put on it's ribbons and ornaments.  Whew!  Job done!   On to the garlands over the doors!

Enjoy, Merry Gay

Eye-Candy Gram - HO-HO-HOHO-HO-HO

It's that time of year again!   Since it was looking to be a lazy day of SEC football and a crock pot supper, I decided that today would be the day to put up the tree.  I could watch the games and get that pesky job out of the way.  So far I have it up and the lights on.  I may or may not get the ornaments on tonight depending on whether or not Bonnie Hunter is having 'Quilt Cam'.  Either way the evening will be enjoyable and fruitful!   Hope you are having a nice evening too!

Enjoy, Merry Gay

Eye-Candy Gram - Test BlockBlock

I finished a test block for 'Be Mine'.  I like it!   What do you think!

Enjoy, Merry Gay

Again!

The last exposure was still a little dark.

Still adjusting

I've got the right size ... maybe.  LOL.  Now to fiz the light!