Crazy 9-12, Trail Cam Etc.

 Call Me Crazy blocks 9-12 are done :)

Four more 6" blocks to add to this ongoing project offered by Gay at Sentimental Stitches and each one is a mini challenge.

When the blocks are set by side the look is very reminiscent of the original below and that's why I wanted to participate in this fun block of the week.

                                                    Sentimental Stitches photo  

I changed the little display in my sewing space. I don't think I've ever hung three minis with orange as the focus. 

 

*Trail Cam News*

After one unsuccessful try, Connie and I then fastened the trail cam to a tree in the woods and after two weeks we got these photos:  

 First up: a squirrel . . . 

then a deer . . . 

 then two foxes . . . 

And finally a wild turkey. Not bad, huh? So for the next 2 weeks the cam is strapped to our boat rack down near the river and we're hoping for some new surprises!

But just the other day I watched as one deer fell through thin ice into the river. My initial reaction was "Oh, no!" but it managed to get up and out. Whew! 

This hand-made wool mat caught my eye at the antiques shop last week and I had to go back and buy it.

Here's a detail of the center. Wool strips in various forms--rolled, pleated, folded  and even gathered--are stitched together with a heavy-duty thread. The piece is over an inch thick. I love the handwork, don't you?

That's all for this week. It was 16 deg this morning and I am so ready for warmer weather. Please send some my way :)

 

Copyright 2023 Barbara Schaffer

This 'n That

A couple weeks ago I finally knew what I was going to do with the twenty remaining Churn Dash blocks from Barb V's 2018 swap. I had already used many . . .

. . . in my Eagle Medallion . . . 

. . . and some in a monthly mini April 2020. I was thinking all along that I would focus on pink/white for any future churn dash quilts. Did I do that?

Nope. I grabbed some large scrap triangles and began sewing 9-1/2" unfinished blocks. I already had the striped sashing fabric and dark brown for the corner stones so I was on my way.  

Three rows done and two to go :) 

 

I've resumed quilting Barbara B's Ladies' Aid NY Sampler. There were only two blocks left to do and I have no idea why I didn't finish them a while ago :)

For my Rolodex project I made copies of some fabrics and added snippets of scraps and buttons for the front of some cards . . .  

. . . and on the back I put pics of sewing collectibles I used to own. 

Flowers from NJ hand-delivered by a coworker of my good friend, Renee, who came to town with her family to ski Whiteface Mtn. Renee and I used to go to the NJ Flower Show so she sent up these flowers as a reminder of the good times we had--so sweet! 

Enjoy your week!  

Copyright 2023, Barbara Schaffer

Crazy 5-8 and Another Finish

 Call Me Crazy blocks 5-8 are done and so is another Snowball!

These blocks have been so much fun to make. This is how I tackle them: print out the pattern making sure the 1" guide line is exact, otherwise you know what will happen--if it's short, the block will finish too small and, if it's too long, the block will be too big. Next I cut out the pattern pieces and then spend a - lot - of - time choosing fabrics :) I sew each section and assemble the block.

Then I remove the paper along the seams to lessen the bulk when ironing.

Another Snowball finish made from Dawn's antique quilt that I purchased at Dana's auction last July. This is #4. These four blocks were one unit that I salvaged.

I hand-quilted inside each snowball and made the decision to machine quilt the border. By the time I was done, the red fabric had begun to split. Oh, no! Luckily I had more of the same so appliqued new snowballs right over the old and did some "fake" quilting, if you know what I mean.  

I really like the soft colors, don't you?

I don't have a lot of quilting stencils but this one is a favorite. It fits nicely into a 3" border. I fiddled with the corners and came up with one big curve. 

Neutrals on the back are two fat quarters from the thrift shop. I used Hobbs Fusible Batting--my standard for small quilts. The piece finishes at 25" square. 

How clever! These CDs are covered with yarn and hang near the entryway of the Lake Placid library. Made me smile :)

That's it for now.

Have a great week!

 

Copyright 2023 Barbara Schaffer