Slow Stitching - balloons for a quilt

I have been stitching on these quilt square (8" x 9") this summer and just got them finished this week.  I have taken them camping a couple of times.  It has been simply stitching to secure the balloons to the backers.  I created a rough balloon shape on paper, folded it in half and then cut it it out roughly.  Made a few adjustments and then cut the bottom part which adds a bit of an area where I will couch down some black strings once the quilt top is finished.  I traced the balloons on to solid cotton fabric and them cut them out.  I placed my balloons onto my backers - some tilting one way - some the other way.  I used daisy stitch with white cotton embroidery thread to embroider the highlight.  I stitched the outside edge using blanket stitch with two lengths of stitches using matching embroidery thread which I think will secure them sufficiently to the backers.  I have chosen my backing fabric but not yet what I will put around these squares to make them big enough to finish a quilt for Linus Project.  I have really enjoyed stitching these and will have to do another simple shape for my next quilt.  Therese

  
 

Cardmaking - several batches for butterfly and Thinking of you cards for IWIN

My sister came for a visit and we worked on cards for IWIN which vulnerable people in our communities.  It is always so satisfying to make these cards because they have so few criteria - at least one butterfly and a "thinking of you" greeting.  We just go with it and combine as many things as we want and try new layering methods or new ways to use standard materials.  I bought a bag of butterfly diecuts at a garage sale earlier this year and so we used some of those on our cards.  There were some 3D ones in there as well so they were added to our cards.  They will be packaged and I will bring them to my daughters and she will drop them off to the office for me.  I have 90 in this batch.  Therese

 

Sewing - chicken pin cushions from quilted squares

 About 4-5 weeks ago I made up these little chicken pincushions using instructions from online. Lots of people are making them!! You need two quilted squares (3"-4") lined with flannel and some orange fabric to make the tail, the comb and the beak.  You position the beak and the comb and sew up the three sides leaving an opening in the bottom and then fold the two seams to each other, insert the tail and sew the last seam.  Once turned inside out you stuff it with batting, polyfill, etc and stitch up the bottom opening by hand.  They are very cute.   I have another batch coming!!  Therese

Wedding card with fabric hearts on rose petal paper

I made a card for a nephew that got married on May 3rd and we saw at our family reunion in July!!  I added some lace to one of the fabric hearts and then used a bit of glue to secure them to the handmade rose petal paper and stitched them in place.  I added lines of paper piercing with my pattern tracing wheel before adhering it to an off white card.  I gave them some handmade cards as a gift.  Theres