Applique, Pecans and Skunks

During my Tuesday sewing day with friends, Quilt-Cam, World Series games, and my monthly applique group gathering I worked on my Becky Goldsmith project.  I am finally through with the red flowers and have started adding leaves. 

We’ve had a good pecan season this year and here is some of what I’ve gleaned from the public areas in our community.  Time to get cracking…literally.

We’ve also had two near misses between my dogs and a skunk in the yard.  I’ve stocked up on hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, part of the recipe for de-skunking a dog, in case baths are in order.  I keep hoping Pepe le Pew will move on; but if he doesn't, I'm ready. 

Quilting Aids

My focus this past week has been trying to push forward on a quilting project that has taken way too long.  I’m gradually closing in on it and thought I would share two things that have helped make the process easier.

A real problem with quilting at a sit-down machine is drag.  No matter how big your work surface is, if your project manages to drop off the table edge, you’ve got resistance as you free motion quilt.  This is the solution I found somewhere online; I believe it was at Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry’s  site, Bryerpatch.  The bookends were bought for next to nothing at our local library thrift store and I have an abundant supply of binder clips.

The other aid I’ve found is a product by Gum available in the dental section of the grocery store.  These speed up the process of threading multiple strands in a large eye embroidery needle if you want to bury threads.  Using this method reduces the problem with thread shredding when using most self-threading needs.

My handwork project for this afternoon’s edition on Quilt-cam will be more hexagons.  My aging tablet can no longer handle the load of Quilt-cam so I have to sit in front of my computer monitor to watch.  Bonnie is trying a different method for broadcasting and I hope it works.

Progress!

While sewing with friends yesterday I completed five anti-ouch pouches bringing me to my 2016 goal of 100.  Anything more I complete this year will just be a bonus.

I’ve also added three more diamonds to the collection of units for the “Handful of Scraps” project I’m working on.  This is a great project to do while watching television, provided a certain mutt who loves to sit in my lap gives me a chance.

Right now hubby is headed to the ranch to meet up with his hunting partner of 30 plus years.  Deer season does not begin for a few weeks, but they always like to spend a few days beforehand getting things ready.  I, on the other hand, have the slow cooker simmering with the first stew of the season and hope to make some serious progress on the quilting front.

Sunday Slow Stitching

It’s Sunday, and while I’m not a faithful poster to Kathy's Slow Stitching Sunday linky party, I do so love to devote at least some time to handwork.

I’m almost to the end of the pieces I have prepped for applique for this Becky Goldsmith project.  When I finish that stretch, I’ll go back to basting my hexagons for my version of Edyta Sitar’s “Handful of Scraps” design. 

This is what I took as a handwork project for the retreat last week.  Mainly I worked on trying to get as much diversity in the neutrals as I could and my collection has grown.  I've always had a fondness for wood boxes and this cigar box was a gift from one of my Tuesday sewing friends.  She periodically brings one after her hubby has emptied it and we take turns claiming them.