Autumn Comes Again

Yesterday I spent $5 at the local vegetable market to buy this little bevy of gourds. :)

This little green watermelon-y one with its over-long stem is my favorite.

Did I fool you with my laid out quilt block quarters? Only these three have now been sewn together--last time's "quilt" was just me deciding block placement by laying them out on top of my quilt-covered bed. My friend's mother let me use her Bernina--what an eye-opener that was. Want. 

I think I need to use a walking foot though, because of how varied and scrappy all these fabrics are. (They are getting quite "stretched by the process of being sewn together. Also, two were sewed together in the wrong placement. The foreground block is definitely coming apart. I need to decide which way to iron my seams. Heh.

I love wip pictures which elevate materials and textures. :) Last time's PS WIP with scissors Christina sent to me in an exchange. I've changed the fibers, most notably the ground below the Haunted House.

Please Advise: When I started, I thought of using just black for a pen-and-ink illustration look. I then decided to add browns, but am still not sure about adding in the orange. I've basically decided to orange the windows with an overdyed silk, but...should I do it anywhere else? If the keys aren't orange, should they be brown or black? Should the owl legs be brown or black? Should I just make the windows with their black backstitch only and no orange glow at all???

I AM disappointed that Marc is only afraid of the orange-eyed owls, but I do like the limited palette. I need elves to stitch this for me again as-charted, perhaps.

Didn't think I'd stitched much while away, but "found" this on "Aoutline"'s linen. I loved this motif I stitched for Faye a while back for an Autumn exchange, so here is one for me. But, what to put in the center? :) (I realize I did stitch, and quite a bit more than this...watch this space?)

I though Lovely Autumn'd just begun, I got the Christmas Stitch Itch. :) This is from a leaflet I bought because it had a Huntsman Santa with Fox. Do my threads drive you crazy? Me, too. 

But...

I loathe clipping them while/after stitching, but I ENJOY doing it at the beginning of a stitching session.  Thus, many "finished" pieces have little trail-y threads like this poking out of the front. Once or twice I've clipped them just for the purpose of shooting a blog photo for you (but not woven them in)--this is Not Allowed. :P

What else is on this "Linen No. 9"? Why, more PS! 

And Kindred Spirits by Prim Needle! Bad! How are things to keep clean with such an M.O.? I tell myself larger works (like a BAP Quaker) do, but my mind is not satisfied. 

I remember working hard to give this cat charming markings with the Belle Soie. Do you think I succeeded?

Another Away Stitch (with away waste knots, too!) This is a PS piece from the big Halloween book JCS put out last year, but I altered the colors and filled the background to match my favorite small (as seen in this post's first photo). So far, it is out all the time (though still unfinished!!) I need to stuff it (do I, though?) and finish the beaded edging. 

Thank you everyone, for your visits last time and kind comments. I am quite surprised and touched, and happy to be able to talk with you again. 

I am making a little extra time to integrate more visiting and commenting into my life, so I hope to see you at "your place" and talk with you again soon. 

Berit

A Few Photos No. 01

Hello, Everyone. Hoping all is well with you. Today, I have a few photos from here. (i.e. Let's see if I remember how to do this!)

Four quarters of a block from my 21st Century Bullseye Quilt--Deb inspired me to try this one--waiting to be sewn together.

I made this using a layer cake I won from BBD in "Garden Party". I'm wondering if I'd like it better if I omitted the reds.

I tried making Ina Garten's "Favorite Jam Thumbprint Cookies". (She really did say they were her favorite. How many Jam Thumbprint cookie recipes are in your repertoire?) The bottoms came out rather burnt looking, but did not taste burnt. I added some crushed cardamom seeds to the vanilla extract which I soaked overnight. Make this with Bonne Maman jams! :D

I started stitching Prairie Schooler Whoo's There? Halloween Card. It is 1/2 on supposed-to-be-36-but-actually-42 count Barn Owl by Linens by Design (formerly produced by BoaF). There were two of these Halloween cards released at the same time by PS (see other), and I love both. I reluctantly started with this one because Marc is afraid of the wide-eyed owls. I am rather farther along now, and one night I was burning the midnight oil to "just finish a little more. just finish the owl-outline." If you from a portmanteau of the words "owl" and "outline", it is REALLY fun to say. "Aaooutline" So, that is my new title for this piece.

I splurged on a new ticking stripe shower curtain. It is a linen/cotton combo, and I adore the french blue stripe with navy outline. (aoutline?) Until next time, my Best Wishes, Berit