Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the weekly celebration of all hand stitched crafts! We hope you will join us in setting aside a few moments each Sunday for some relaxing stitching on your favourite project. Pick up a needle and thread, breathe deeply, and enjoy a little vacation from the responsibilities of your life. 

You won't believe it, but I have not taken one single stitch since last Sunday. Not one! 

But I have a good reason!

I have a new responsibility now... I have become a Grandma! This little bundle of joy weighed in at 8 lbs 1 oz and has brought so much love and joy to the world! I am soaking up every minute of being part of his sweet life, especially since I never thought I would have this privilege of being a grandparent!

I must get working on his birth sampler and his quilt. I have lots of plans, patterns and fabrics but haven't settled down to start anything. I was waiting to make sure he arrived safely and was well, and he is! My friend Louise crocheted the beautiful blanket (behind us on the chair) and little guy's great grandma has already made him a baby quilt. But every baby needs lots of quilts don't you think?

I do hope I can tear my eyes away from this amazing creation, and get back to some stitching. I have a comfort quilt to bind, and some samplers that I wanted to start in September but it's almost over! 

Have you met your September goals? Share with us your slow progress by linking up your blog post below.

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Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the regular weekly practice of relaxing with some hand stitching! We encourage you to join us... all you have to do is take a deep breath, find your hand stitching project and put in some stitches. 

I am finishing yet another baby quilt for the baby boom we are having in my family. This one is for my niece's baby and it turned out so cute. It has a pretty flannel backing and will be very cuddly.

I also finished another cross stitch design - pattern by Lizzy Kate. I love the message on this little project and plan to finish it into a mini wallhanging for my office.

What are you hand stitching today? Are you making any progress that you can share? Link up your blog post below and tell us about your hand work.

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Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the weekly celebration of all hand stitched crafts! We hope you will join us in setting aside a few moments each Sunday for some relaxing stitching on your favourite project. Pick up a needle and thread, breathe deeply, and enjoy a little vacation from the responsibilities of your life.

In a year that has had way more starts than finishes, I am so delighted to be able to share a finished quilt called "5 Cats and Scraps". This is a mystery quilt from Laundry Basket Quilts from the spring of 2021.

Every day for 2 weeks Edyta Sitar posted a different block pattern and by the end of the time we had 225 blocks ready to sew together into a quilt top. 

This quilt was made completely from my scrap stash (except for the backing). There are 5 fussy cut cat blocks that wanted to be in the quilt (hence the name) and they just blend into all the other scraps that are florals, geometrics, plaids, mottled, and reproductions. Every day of the mystery I just grabbed a hand full of scraps and started cutting and sewing. It was one of my most fun to make quilts ever and I am delighted that it is finished!

The finished size is 61" square and it was machine quilted by Roxanne Caughill using the Handiquilter design called "Field of Flowers".

Because this quilt is so scrappy, I was unprepared to love it as much as I do! This was going to be a donation quilt but I have fallen in love with it, so am uncertain now!!

I have no idea what I will be stitching on today. My sewing room is a disaster and I will need to do a big tidy up before I can even find some projects to work on! LOL

What are you stitching today? Do you have some September starts? Any finishes to share? Link up your blog post below and show us your slow progress.

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Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the second September hand stitching party!  It's time to slow down and find one of your projects to stitch. Also maybe make a cup of your favourite beverage to enjoy while you visit with other stitchers and work on your own stitching.

This week I spent a lot of hours on a quilt repair project. This is a large queen size sampler quilt that my sister made as a gift to a special friend. It has been loved and well used by a family, and was showing wear and tear at some of the seam lines. My brother-in-law took this photo of me working intently on hand stitching all the open seams.

This is an example of some seams that needed repair on a square within a square block. It was very interesting to see which seams did not hold up over time. I used many ideas that I learned in an online class that Carole (From My Carolina Home) taught me... thank you Carole! The quilt is restored to working order and is back on the family bed. Mission accomplished.

I have also been putzing along on finishing the scrappy binding on my own quilt. I am on the 3rd side now and hope to finish it tomorrow.

In cross stitch news, I finally finished the August Square Dance block of bee skeps. The September block of little chickens has been started and I hope to finish it before the end of the month.

What are you hand stitching this week? We hope you will link up your blog post below and share your updates with us!

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Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the first September hand stitching party!  It's time to slow down and find one of your projects to stitch.

I'm making headway on my knitted dishcloth. I think I've got the "bee" stitch figured out now.  And I am enjoying this yarn so much that I bought a much bigger ball of it. 

Another little cross stitch project has also been finished. This is "Summer Sucks" by The Witchy Stitcher. I enjoyed this project so much I couldn't put it down! I do hope those hot humid days of summer are done and that September brings us cooler more comfortable weather to enjoy.

I am gathering some new threads to start a sampler for "Sampler September". Isn't this collection of DMC floss so pretty? The pattern is called the Garden Cherry Sampler and I would like it to be my next new start. I can't seem to figure out what fabric to stitch it on because there are a few light colours that won't show up well on a light background fabric. This is my first floss conversion from Weeks Dye Works recommended threads to DMC, so maybe I didn't get all the colours correct? 

And lastly I am still working on the binding of the quilt I wrote about last week. I am "lollygagging and dillydallying" as my friend Barb would say!

What are you stitching this week? Are you being productive, or are you lollygagging? Dillydallying?

Link up your blog post below and share your slow progress with us.

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Slow Sunday Stitching

Hello stitcher! Welcome to the weekly hand stitching party where we hope you will get lots of inspiration and encouragement to help you on your stitching journey!

I started a new knitting project this week and challenged myself to try a new stitch from the Leisure Arts Kitchen Bright Dishcloths booklet. 

I was desperate for a distraction while at the hospital with my Mom this week. It was not an ideal learning environment, in fact is was quite  stressful - the long waiting hallway in the local ER where the elderly and sick wait for hours on end for health care while lying on uncomfortable stretchers . (**Sorry I should have mentioned that Mom is home now and feeling much better!) But I started this project anyway and couldn't know for certain if I was knitting the pattern correctly or not! But I do love the Estelle Sudz 100% cotton yarn and it did help to pass the time.

Many cross stitch projects were worked on this past month and I especially love the caribou I finished. This guy is part of the Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery SAL called Arctic Animals. The next step is stitching puffins, so I'm excited to start on that this week.

I recorded a video to share the projects I hand stitched in August. To see the video on my youtube channel click here. After I filmed the video, I realized I actually had quite a bit of  progress on many projects, so that felt great!

Today I will be hand stitching the binding on my Laundry Basket mystery quilt from 2021. It always feel so good to be nearing a finish!

What are you planning to hand stitch today? Are you starting new projects? Finishing some treasures? We hope you will link up your blog below and share your journey with us!

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Slow Sunday Stitching

Hello stitcher! Welcome to the weekly hand stitching party where we hope you will get lots of inspiration and encouragement to help you on your stitching journey!

Last week I was delighted to sit around a frame with friends and hand quilt a special project at the Fergus Scottish Festival. I am on the left side of the frame behind the lamp and loving every minute of stitching the day away!

There were so many wonderful moments in conversation, visiting with friends new and old, and just putting in the stitches. It was so relaxing and it was my privilege to be there with the other quilters again this year.

We also had many other hand crafters set up in the heritage tent. 

This is my friend Pat who is a lace maker. She had one project for the morning, and a different one for the afternoon. I enjoyed watching her make gorgeous lace and told her about the show I have enjoyed watching on Britbox called "Larkrise to Candleford" which features a lacemaker named Queenie, and shows how the industrial revolution changed the lives of the lacemakers at the end of the 19th century. Now I want to watch the whole series again!

We also had spinners and weavers in the crafting tent. I just had to snap a photo when the historical re-enactors visited us! I felt like I was in an episode of Outlander for a minute!

What a glorious day of hand crafting! The weather was a disaster, with periods of rain pouring down, followed by intense sun, heat and humidity. It was a day of putting a jacket on, taking it off and putting it back on again... over and over. And we won't talk about how I wore 2 different shoes to the event!! LOL It was quite the memorable day!

And since then I have finished a baby quilt for my cousin's miracle baby they named  Faythann.  My sister pieced the top in pastel flannels, and chose the backing with a variety of animals, and I did the machine quilting and the hand binding. It's always such a relief when the quilt is finished before the shower!

Here is my 94 year old Auntie and her glorious grandbaby. We are just so thankful and celebrating this new life after my cousin and his wife experienced so many miscarriages previously. She truly is a miracle!

I have also been stitching on some cross stitching projects, but the energy of those projects pale in comparison to all the exciting events of the past week, so I will maybe show those another time.

What are you hand stitching this week? Do you have any special projects to finish for upcoming special events? Link up your blog below and share your progress with us.

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Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the weekly link up that celebrates all types of hand stitching! 

Do you enjoy applique, hand quilting, knitting, embroidery, cross stitch, EPP, crochet, rug making or beading? If so, we are your tribe! We hope you will visit the links below and sprinkle encouraging comments everywhere you go. And of course we hope you will link up your current hand stitching progress to share with us.

I am so glad the olympics are over today because I am exhausted from all this TV watching! LOL 

I have been cross stitching every evening for at least a bit of time and have made progress on several projects, but finished nothing! Here are some fish for the July Square Dance block, but there is so much more to stitch.

I have just been putzing around here and there, and it seems like I don't have much to show for my efforts. That's okay... it's been fun!

Also fun was going to quilt judging school yesterday, learning a lot, and seeing this gorgeous field of sunflowers on the way home! It was so beautiful I could hardly take it in! Until it started raining and then I was done admiring the beauty and scurried to the car.

What are you hand stitching this week? Are you having summer adventures and accomplishing less stitching, or is it only me??

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Slow Sunday Stitching - Olympics

Welcome to the hand stitching olympics! 

You get a bronze medal if you take out your project today and put some stitches in!

You earn a silver medal if you stitch on more than 1 project!

And you get a gold medal if you actually finish a project!

Congratulations to everyone who is a hand stitcher in 2024 - you all get participation awards! 🤗🤗

I finished a couple of things this week - gold medal for me! 

The hand stitched binding is completed on my Dancing in the Stars quilt. This was the 2023 Scrapdash mystery quilt project for the February Super bowl. I added a top and bottom border to make it a rectangular quilt, instead of a square as the pattern called for.  

Finished size: 48" x 57"

It was made all from stash and scraps and I am so delighted with how it turned out! Yah me!

Well, and also yah for Roxanne who quilted it for me! Can you see the lovely quilting pattern she created?!? It perfectly matches the theme of the quilt.

This week I have also  enjoyed participating in an instagram challenge organized by Katie @thenaptimestitcher. The challenge is called #Stitchthesummerolympics and a different stitching challenge is issued for each day. 

During the first week I have finished 3 cross stitched pieces!

1) First I completed Mini Strawberry Sampler (a lovely free pattern given to us by Melisa at  Pinker'nPunking Quilting and Stitching). It measures 5" x 3.5" on 14 count (beet dyed) Aida cloth. I will fully finish this in the same way as I have finished the squirrel sampler, and the pumpkin sampler. I just adore these little wallhanging projects, and can't decide which one to start next! It will be apple season soon, so maybe I'll start the mini apple sampler? Or maybe the sunflower sampler?

2) My second project was started for the "Stitches and Pages" group hosted by Katie the Novel Stitcher. The novel we read was "Funny Story" by Emily Henry, and we always pick our own stitching project to work on. 

I stitched a design from the "Really Cross Stitch" book by Rayna Fahey. This one is already framed and sitting in my office tea room as a tribute to our infectious disease experts who brilliantly navigated covid days and helped us to survive the covid era. Some of our clients did not make it, and it was tough going for us for a couple of years. 

The Stitches and Pages zoom meeting was lots of fun as we discussed the book and our projects. The next book will be posted next week - click here to see the possible choices if you are interested.

3) This Wild Whimsy Bear pattern was started on our annual family camping trip and was finished during the first week of the olympics. It was stitched mostly with Classic Colorworks threads on 14 count tea dyed Aida cloth. I plan to finish this for a Christmas gift.  It measures 4" x 3".

I also wanted to mention in case you missed the World Embroidery Day celebration for July 30th on Sarah Homfray's Youtube video. I enjoyed seeing the video clips submitted by stitchers around the world showing their embroidery.

(And P.S. If you are interested in having your name in the draw for the Fat Quarter Shop mystery quilt kit, you need to leave a comment on my youtube channel and I will pick a winner at the end of August)

And that's what I've been up to. I'm a tiny bit obsessed with the olympics and plan to be in my stitchy chair every evening this week watching the highlights of the day. Are you watching the olympics? Are you hand stitching so much your hands are sore like mine?!? Link up your blog post below and share your projects with us.

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Love of Scraps

It has been a while since I enjoyed a rummage (a repechage round if you are watching the olympics!) around in the scraps, but this weekend I will have some time to do that. I was inspired by signing up for the Conquer Your Fabric Scraps Summit which will begin August 18th. The timing will be good for me since I will be in olympic withdrawal by then and will welcome something else to dive into 🏊🏊(see how I made that olympic reference right there!)

I sewed two more potato chip blocks this week using the Rainbow Scrap Challenge colour, which is Orange for the month of August.  These blocks used 12 orange rectangles and 52 other assorted rectangles. That's a lot of little bits and pieces out of the scrap bag and into a quilt block! 

Of course I had to throw in some Canadiana scraps to honour the olympics!

And here are the 5 blocks I have made so far. They are covering up the project I should be working on that is on the design wall!

I am excited about this project and have decided to finish it using a quilt-as-you-go technique, using white, grey and/or black sashing. But first I have to make 15 more blocks!

Okay now, I must get back to sewing the signature quilt. 

But first... I cut a few more little bits of orange scraps to start the Bonnie Hunter Leader Ender Challenge for 2024 called County Clare.  Bonnie is making her quilt in blues and greens, and I will make my version in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge colours. Here is the first test block, and parts sewn for more. I'm in!

Okay... now back to that boring signature quilt!

Linking up to the Rainbow Scrap Quilt Challenge

Design Wall Wednesday

Wednesday finds me in the sewing room unexpectedly. You know those days when you're too tired to work, but not too tired to sew??!?  That's me today! I have been watching too many  olympic events and not getting enough sleep. That's okay... it only happens every 4 years!

I have been enjoying the free Star of Wonder mystery quilt sew along by the Fat Quarter Shop.

I ordered the fabric kit mid June and it took the slow boat on a trip around the world, and was MIA for a while. And then the Fat Quarter Shop sent me a second kit mid July to replace the original MIA kit, which then randomly arrived in my mailbox  shortly thereafter! 

Of course it did! 

That meant I had 2 mystery kits in hand, what was I to do? You can hear all about it, see my July projects, and enter a draw the win the bonus fabric kit on my Youtube channel. 

The fabrics are from the "Once Upon a Christmas" by Sweetfire Road Design by Moda line. They are gorgeous with the mistletoe, snowflakes and doves.

I have almost all the blocks sewn for the first 4 steps and hope to sew step #5 today.

Linking up to Design Wall Monday at Judy's

Kathy's Quilts and Stitching - "Flosstube Adjacent" Video

Welcome to the end of July hand stitching party! We encourage you to get out your hand stitching project and put in a few stitches. Don't just think about doing it, or talk about doing it, or plan to do it - just dive in and actually do it! It is a guaranteed mood booster for all of us crafty folks!

I made another Flosstube video to show the projects that I worked on in July, to share 2 summer stitching stories, and to talk about the Summer Stitching Olympics which started on July 26th. Pop over to see what's been happening in my summer stitchy adventures. Also, I have an amazing quilty giveaway that I hope you will enter on my youtube channel.

Last weekend was my family's annual camping trip by Lake Huron. We had a wonderful time together and I got a lot of outdoor stitching time. I finished the June Square Dance pattern, and even got the tiny buttons attached.

I also started a new project called Wild Whimsey Bear by Darling and Whimsey Designs, stitched on 14 count tea dyed aida. I loved stitching the bear while camping in the woods! The stain under the bear's front food is because a squirrel attacked my project bag when I went to the washroom.

I stored a bag of mixed nuts in my stitching bag and when I came back, a squirrel had chewed through the bag and helped himself to my snack! **A cautionary tale to not put your snacks in your stitching bag and leave it unattended in the woods! I do hope the stain will come out, but if not, it will add interest to the story of this project! I have no idea how to fix the project bag!

Do you have any "squirrels" you have started working on? Have any squirrels attacked your projects lately? Link up your blog post in the linky party below and share what you are working on.

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