Last Slow Sunday Stiching for September

I have made some progress on the hand embroidery for Hocuspocusville Quilt block 10.

block 10 started

On Wednesday the 21^st I attended the first Hand Embroidery class at Tomorrow' Treasures quilt shop we are making the Christmas Tree Skirt from Gail Pan's book Christmas Patchwork Loves Embroidery. I believe there are 12 of us in the class and we will meet on the third Wednesdays in October and November.

 These are the hand embroidery blocks for the tree skirt, we traced them onto fabric in class or at home. Some of my traced pieces waiting to be hand embroidered.

tree skirt blocks

hope and love

joy and merry

I will work on the the tree skirt blocks today, there are 12 small blocks to be hand embroidered, lots of letters.

These are the fabrics I chose for the tree skirt. and two back up fabrics just in case, I have been known to change my mind, there are a few other projects in the book I want to make so I can use them.

tree skirt fabric

back up fabric

I bought this sweet little pattern of the phases of the moon from Etsy, the shop is Cozy Blue a sweet little shop with patterns and kits available with a nice selection of original patterns. Here's the link

https://www.etsy.com/shop/cozyblue

Kit

kit contents

I had the echocardiogram on Tuesday and will have the results at my next appointment in October unless something irregular shows up when the cardiologist reads the results. This is routine since I have been experience quite a few bouts of shortness of breath and being a heart attack patient I suppose the doctor has to cover all bases. I don't worry since the morning of the day I had my heart attack I had a complete physical including an EKG and everything was fine then 12 hours later I had the heart attack. I find these test more a nuisance and an unnecessary expense, but what do I know. On the up side my blood pressure hasn't done its spiking thing in a long while.

I am linking up today for Slow Sunday Stitching over at Kathy's Quilts  here is the link:

https://kathysquilts.blogspot.ca/2016/09/slow-sunday-stitching_25.html

Monday linking up to Supermom No Cape here is the link: http://www.supermomnocape.com/2016/09/26/vintage-embroidery-monday-stitchery-link-party-77/

Seasons change

Another Slow Sunday and block Nine is done

The mid point of September had me completing the final hand embroidery stitches in block 9 so I am putting together a few new projects to work on along with the Hocuspocusville Quilt block 10. I like to take a break from all the black thread with a project or two.

block 9 complete

The first project will be in the form of a class held at Tomorrow's Treasures quilt shop here in Ocala, the Christmas Tree Skirt from Gail Pan's book Christmas Patchwork Loves Embroidery will be the class project. 

I had purchased the book a few weeks ago when I was attending a Hand Embroidery Club meeting and DeeAnn, who will teach the class, was working on the project in the book. The first class is on Wednesday September 21^st, and will meet on the third Wednesday in October and November. The Hand Embroidery Club meets the first Wednesdays of the month which will give ample time to work on the embroidery pieces. Here is a link to the website for the shop in Ocala and the Crystal River shop: http://www.crquilts.com/

I also have a pattern from Urban Threads I plan to work on over the next few weeks, the Goddess is printed onto washable stabilizer so I didn't have to trace the pattern. 

goddess pattern from Urban Threads

I chose a pale blue fabric with white snowflakes since I'm planning to make her a winter goddess. I am currently sorting through my embroidery floss for the colors I want to use, I'd like to add some beading and metallic thread to this piece. http://www.urbanthreads.com/  Here is a link for Urban Threads if you hand embroider or machine embroider there are some great contemporary patterns available for purchase.

blue fabric white snowflakes

Here is a look at block 10 before I begin the hand embroidery, its another of my favorite blocks I just love the clothesline and the cat.

block 10

I am linking up for Slow Sunday Stitching today over at Kathy's Quilts follow the linnk for a look at what other bloggers are slow stitching today:

 https://kathysquilts.blogspot.ca/2016/09/slow-sunday-stitching.html
On Monday I will link up at Super Mom NO Cape here for lots of hand stitching wonders;
http://www.supermomnocape.com/2016/09/19/vintage-embroidery-monday-stitchery-link-party-76/

Wishing you all a safe and happy Labor Day

The official end of summer comes with the celebration of Labor Day, here in Florida the summer weather lingers well into October. My internal clock knows that autumn is coming so I dream of colorful leaves, crisp cool air and sweater weather days that never seem to come.

I will link up today at Super Mom No Cape and share the little progress I made on block 9.
http://www.supermomnocape.com/2016/09/05/vintage-embroidery-monday-stitchery-link-party-74/

toil and trouble

Let me just say the letters on these pieces take me forever to stitch.  Yesterday I brought my little sister a birthday cake and enjoyed spending a few hours celebrating her 54th birthday.  I haven't sung happy birthday to my little sister since she was a little girl.  Despite the heavy rain outside we had a wonderful time, oh and cake.

Slow Sunday Stitching in September

We are four days into the month of September (where does the time go?) and the first slow stitching Sunday falls on my sister's birthday. So today in addition to getting some slow stitching done on block nine of Hocuspocusville I will bring a cake over to my sister so she can celebrate her birthday with some family around.

I made a little progress on block nine yesterday but not much, my fingers were really bothering me.

block nine Sept. 4

Sept 2 block nine

I will be linking up over at Kathy's Quilt for Slow Sunday Stitching follow the link and have a look at what other bloggers are hand stitching today.https://kathysquilts.blogspot.ca/2016/09/slow-sunday-stitching-and-swimming.html

September comes in with a storm, orts, embroidery and books

The last day of August went out with wonderful surprise on the 31st while putting a few things in my car a beautiful spotted hawk was roosting on my roof. It looked very close to the hawk in th photo below, unfortunately by the time I ran inside for my camera. I was just about to snap his picture when he flew away.

September rolled in with lots of gray skies, heavy rain and a tropical storm becoming the first hurricane to make landfall on Florida in eleven years. We were lucky to just get the rain and wind with a few small bunches of mistletoe on the ground this morning fallen from the oak tree in the front of my house. All is well this morning despite the heavy rain no damages that Ican see to my house and yard.

September brings a subtle change in the weather too, while it is still hot and humid most days, the temps are noticeably lower in the evenings and the mornings too, the days continually grow shorter and before we know it autumn will arrive.

I am making progress on block number nine though I am taking a break today from stitching because my fingertip on my right index finger is sore from pulling the needle through its time to change out the needles I've been using.

block 9

It has been several months since I did an actual Ort Report and this one is a day after the new moon for this month but here's my pile of orts included are July and August orts.

orts

Last week I picked up a two books that were waiting for me at the library I started reading the mystery last night.

I'll start reading the Jill Lepore book later this one next week.

Oh and the month of September is National Sewing Month so I plan to get a few sewing projects going this month.

I wish you all a happy and safe Labor Day Weekend.