Slow Sunday Knitting

Evidently, I've been bitten by the knitting bug recently as other stitching projects have been put aside. I needed a new set of golf club covers and desired to knit them. After searching the internet for a good pattern of which there are many, I've settled on several. I'll attempt to combine different patterns along with a final design that I have in mind. The outcome will be a bit of a mystery even for myself (fingers crossed). It's not a pretty/cute project, yet functional. The yarn I am using is not an attractive color by itself, but it coordinates nicely with my new golf bag.

When I get to the stockinette section of the cover, I prefer to knit in the round and will use the magic loop method. In the past I've struggled a bit as I don't magic loop often. Therefore, I went to youtube for a brush up. This link by Rox Richardson has been helpful personally and may help others should you want try the magic loop method.

As summer draws to a close, I'd like to share a field of small sunflowers from a nearby field. Two years ago, there were large sunflowers planted. These must be their seedlings. 

Today as I link with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching party, I'll be magic looping!

Until next time,

Jill

Something Old, Something New

Finally, London has returned from the professional finisher! Oh how I had to be patient for four long months. Therefore, I'd like to learn how to do my own finishing. Understandably due to the pandemic, mail has been slow, and the finishers were overwhelmed with many stitched projects.  

Kirk and Bradley Travel Round

My favorites are the Buckingham Palace Guard and Big Ben.

I am happy to say that the slow snowman cross stitching is done. Until he's either mounted, framed or made into an ornament, I don't consider him totally complete. I hope to learn the finishing process myself as mentioned above in sending needlework projects out to be finished.  

A design by Sugar Stitches on etsy

These past two weeks the household was been discombobulated due to a bathroom remodel. My normal calm nerves were a bit frazzled with the pounding and hammering. This photo of the old bathroom sums it up.

Hope the neighbors didn't mind looking at this dumpster.

This Sunday I have two projects regarding my favorite interests while I slow stitch with the nicest group of people at Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching linky party.

Decisions, decisions. I enjoy playing and watching golf, and there is a skater in the family which is why I was drawn to these needlepoint canvases.

Take care,

Jill

Slow Snowman & Lavender

It's been a busy week. Not as much snowman stitching as I would have liked, but that's okay. At this rate, he'll be lucky if he's done by Christmas. 

Some progress was made on his lower half. As you can see, not all the words are stitched.  Can any guess what the phrase will read? If you are thinking "Let It Snow," you are correct. Although, I certainly don't want to think about the white stuff in July. 

Here are just a few photos from last weekend's lavender outing. I feel fortunate to have such a charming place within an hour's drive from my home. A link to farm, which is only five years old, will be at end of post.  Perhaps you can imagine the pleasant lavender fragrance that sweetly drifts between the many rows.

Indigo Lavender Farms, Imlay City, Michigan

Niece & Great Niece :-)

These plants are only three years old.

Variety is Phenonemal which produces long elegant stems.

There are thousands of lavender plants!

Don't get too close ;-) 

Munstead variety ~ Fragrant

I hope to add a few more stitches to the Slow Snowman,

today on Slow Stitching Sunday with Kathy and her kindred stitchers.

Indigo Lavender Farms

May you enjoy your Sunday and have a good week!

Jill

P.S. My new favorite color is purple!

Cross Stitch Snowman

Cross stitching on the snowman continues.  During the past week, I was able to finish the garland header.  Admittedly, it was fiddly work and a few green and/or white stitches may have been transposed. Oh well and lol!

The pattern was designed by Sugar Stitches which I purchased on etsy. The last I looked the snowman chart was no longer available. She offers many other cute charts.

We had a 10-day stretch of 90 degree + (32+ celsius) weather which made for stitching small hand-held projects quite appealing. Our patio faces west which makes it too sunny for afternoon & early evening stitching. Yet it was lovely for sewing in the morning shade. One hot, muggy morning I sat outside for a couple hours  enjoying the freshness of a new day.  

While nearby neighbors were on vacation, 

I tended to their lone yet cheerful sunflower!

On the last couple posts I had written and showed photos of the lavender in my garden. Today, I will be visiting a u-pick lavender farm with other girls in the family. Yay! We visited the farm last year.  Since it is an outdoor activity, it is still open to the public. With so many things being cancelled this year, I am looking forward to this outing. 

Later in the day I shall be sewing at the Slow Sunday Stitching linky party with Kathy and friends.

Have a good week!

Jill

 

 

Snowman Progress

Good progress was made this week on my snowman cross stitch project.  He's gained personality with the addition of his face and accessories if I say so myself.

  

As the lavender plants did well this year, I cut/harvest some for sachet making and a bouquet to give away.  

In the basket you will see the lavender is separated into two different groups. One are the buds which are best for sachet making as buds have the most fragrance.  The other bunch have opened more to a blossom. They still have a lovely scent, and I shall find a use for them. 

How do I dry my lavender?  As I don't have a fancy peg hook or wood spice drying rack, I do the best I can and use what's on hand. The two bunches are rubber band bound, tied with a ribbon and then clipped on a plain old skirt hanger. It is recommended that lavender be hung in a cool dark spot which is my closet. The hanger works perfectly.

While joining Slow Sunday Stitching with Kathy and friends, I hope to add a few more snowman stitches.  For those living in North America, please stay cool this upcoming week!

Take care,

Jill

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Slow Sunday Snowman

Hope this post comes through as I am encouraging myself to learn the new, updated and improved (so they say) Blogger platform. This week I have a good start on my next hand stitching project: a cute snowman stitched on blue and white gingham 28 count linen. 

A couple of weeks ago when I originally posted this project, I discovered I had the wrong gingham linen, therefore, there was a delay in starting the snowman until the correct fabric arrived. It was worth the wait!

There is an oriole feeder in our backyard which can be viewed from the kitchen.  A storm came through and the little orange feeding (jelly) dish was blown away.  What to do? What else could be used? 

Fortunately, I had some garage-sale find dessert dishes made of vintage pressed glass. One fit perfectly and now the birds have the fanciest feeding dish in the neighborhood!

The three lavender plants in my garden are in full bloom and smell heavenly! A local farmer told me the Munstead variety has the best Michigan winter survival rate. 

In person church services with social distancing procedures resume this week. Unfortunately, I am unable to attend due to recovering from an allergic reaction to an insect bite obtained sitting on the patio while hand sewing. Ugh. I must have been concentrating too hard on the stitches. No worries as the antibiotics are working well!

To my Canadian readers and friends, have a Happy Canada Day on Wednesday!

Take care,

Jill

Linking with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitchers!

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Stitching Finish

Variation of Lil' Miss Snow Angel
designed by Sugar Stitches on etsy

Christmas Carol is all stitched!  I shan't consider her a total finish as I have yet to make her into an ornament. For now she is relaxing after being in the hoop for a few weeks although I do release the linen when not stitching (most of the time).  As she was a small project and portable, it was enjoyable to stitch her while outdoors.

There was hope to finish Shades of Red, but our weather turned hot & humid. Although we have air conditioning, it wasn't in me to wrestle with a quilt and add binding.  The binding is done and waiting patiently to be attached. When storing my binding strips, I store them on an empty paper towel roll which also helps keep it together as I sew it to the quilt.

Since Christmas Carol was finished only yesterday, I shall have to find a new project to hand stitch with Kathy's dear followers at Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching.  I may begin a snowman ornament or I may start cross stitching initials for homemade lavender sachets.  Hopefully, progress will be made on something the next time I post (my fingers are crossed). 

One of three Siberian Iris that bloomed in my yard. It lasted only three days. Peonies popped open in a day.

Please continue to be careful while out and about. This week my county had a spike in Covid cases. 

Take care,

Jill

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Two Almost Finishes

Miss Snow Angel gained some personality this week when her sweet face, golden hair, and hair wreath were added!

A few finishing touches are needed. This week's link with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, I'll fill in the white dots on her cloak and dress. Actually, I like how she is looking without her white wings.  If I don't add the wings, she won't be an angel. Maybe then she'll become a Christmas Carol. Hmmm.....

The straight line quilting on the red and white was finished. During the last few rows, the quilt's name came to me as Shades of Red. In the last post I mentioned there are different shades of white embroidery floss. This week it is true for red as I think there are more than 15 red & white prints in the quilt. I'm working on the quilt binding and a reveal will be next week. Hint: the fabric is red and white.  :-)

A few days of hot weather and the clematis bloomed all at once.  The variety is The President.

Stay safe and continue 

wearing masks while out and about.

Take care,

Jill

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Slow Snow Angel

Christmas stitching in the month of May continues. A quick update on Lil' Miss Snow Angel. Last week I had a humbling moment when I was a bit too smug stitching on 32 count linen.  The use of chic double layers of magnifiers was great. Unfortunately while working on her outside in the natural light, I noticed her white muff looked dirty in one area. How could that be? Then I discovered my error. In my haste to get her started, two different brands of white floss were used. Grrrr. The difference bothered me enough that I decided to start anew. 

Should you desire the whitest embroidery floss, choose Anchor brand if available in your area. Now she's coming along nicely with a few stitches taken in found bits of time here and there.  Twenty minutes seems to be my max. More progress today as I join Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching linky party.

Dear Kathi at Designs Originals by KC kindly emailed to see if I lived near the Michigan damns that failed in heavy rainfall. 

I live 130 miles southeast of that area. Thankfully and amazingly no lives were lost. Optional info: The Detroit Free Press wrote an informative article on the evacuation. 

To my kindred stitching Americans, may you have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend!  

Jill

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Sew Steady

Sewing steady while maintaining the course has been my motto this week.  It's working out well as progress was made on the yet-to-be-named red and white quilt. Using the walking foot and sewing straight lines is quite relaxing.

Cross stitching Lil' Miss Angel is coming along also. It was a pleasant surprise to learn that 32 count linen is possible for my aging eyes. Of course, I'm using magnifiers at 3.0 on top of my craft readers, and yes, I look like chic with all that eye wear ;-)

There have pleasant signs of spring this week.

Migrating Baltimore Oriole at our Feeder

Just hatched robin's egg that blew out of the nest.
Robin egg blue is my new favorite color.

Neighbor's cheerful bed of tulips

This past week the US Navy's Blue Angels flew over Metro Detroit as part of the their America Strong tour honoring front-line workers. We saw them from afar briefly as they fly by as fast as you can blink. Our view was not over Detroit but out in the suburbs. These are professional photos taken by a local publication.

Linking with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitchers.

Take care,

Jill

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Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome dear blog friends! Meet my lovely sewing lady friend  named Penelope.  She was made in England by Royal Doulton. Perhaps some of you have seen her elsewhere.  She is elegant, regal and relaxed while she embroiders.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if our hand stitching process could be as such.  Maybe on Mother's Day, you will have more time for delicate hand sewing.

Today's project, while I join many of you at Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, is a small cross stitch decoration.  It is all prepared and ready to be worked on.  It is named "Lil' Miss Snow Angel" by Sugar Stitches available on etsy.  With the aid of magnifiers, hopefully I can stitch on 32 ct linen. When completed, it measures only 3 x 4 inches (7.62 x 10.6 cm) so hopefully, I can finish.

During the past few weeks, I've also worked on the red and white quilt. Hand basting was completed and machine quilting was next. While I was hand basting, I had hopes that the quilt would tell me what quilting pattern to choose. It didn't happen.  All I knew was that I would use the walking foot as I'm not a free motion person. 

Although I consider myself more of a traditional quilter, this top has a contemporary feel and I struggled on deciding the quilting pattern. I tried standard quarter inch outline which looked blah. Then I tried curves & waves - made my astigmatism crazy going against the many straight lines. After spending too much time on pinterest and several samples, a plain straight line seemed to compliment it without making it too busy. Plus it is good walking foot practice without unnecessary stress.  ;-)

May in Michigan is a pretty month, flowering trees and shrubs begin to bloom.  My pink rhododendrons put on a show and then as a reminder that mother nature is in charge - it snows!  

All one can say is lol.  I'll close with a photo of a neighbor's huge weeping cherry tree.  Until next time, please take care and stay well!

Jill

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