Long May She Wave Finished and Hung

Hello Blogger Friends,

I've been sewing my fingers to the bone (not really!) and have finished "Long May She Wave" flag wall hanging.  This piece was simply quilted with a line of stitching in the center of each red and cream "stripe" and six stars (outlined)in the blue field.  Because of the curved outer edge, a bias binding sewn down by hand was in order. 

Here is a picture of where I have it hanging...on this narrow wall at the top landing of our stairway.  The kitchen is on the other side of the wall.

At last, the ensemble is complete and in place.  I like them and they make me smile.

I'm also happy to report that Dino Dreams is now totally finished.  The birthday party is this coming Sunday, and all is ready to go.  I'll post a picture tomorrow, so I can take it's picture in the daylight.

I've also started my next project...pillowcases for donation to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Madison.  More on that and the story behind the donation next time.

Till then...

Star and Bars Runners Finished

Hello Blog Friends,

Again, apologies that I've been away for a number of days.  Our area was hit with one heck of a storm last week.  The National Weather Service confirmed 5 tornadoes embedded within the storm, along with powerful straight line winds.  The greater Appleton area was without power for several days.  We were without power for 28 hours, so I was unable to sew, access the internet, etc.  There is a lot of damage and cleanup will continue for quite some time.  Here is a photo of some of the tree and power line damage in our town:

I'm happy to report, though, that we as a community, are on the mend.  I've been back to the sewing machine and have finished Stars and Bars  and Stars and Bars II.  Here I'll let the pictures do the talking for me.

Stars and Bars

 

 Stars and Bars II

 

I'm hard at work on the flag wall hanging, and hope to have it finished this week as well.  Until then...

Long May She Wave

Hello Blogger Friends,

I have one more project to share with you from the same fabric collection as Stars and Bars.  It is a wall hanging using a very interesting pattern piece:

Yes, this project requires curved piecing.  I know some of you cringe at the thought of curved piecing.  For me, it wasn't difficult since I was a garment maker for many years.  I found it mostly just to be "putzy".  Although, I would not recommend this project to someone who is just beginning to sew or piece.  Curved piecing can be tricky and does require patience.  I made this project over a succession of nights, so I paced myself a bit.  There were the occasional puckers and pleats that had to be removed and the seam re-sewn.  So what did I make with this odd shaped pattern piece?  Behold...

A flag wall hanging.  I named her "Long May She Wave".  I have yet to attach the backing and binding (bias, of course). 

Stars and Bars Update:  My backing fabric has finally arrived, so I'll be finishing those two runners.  I'm hoping to have photos of the finished projects in a week or so.

Until then...

Stars and Bars II

Greetings Blogger Friends,

I've been busy these past few days, and have stayed true to my goal of spending time with the sewing machine.  I have the second table runner finished (made from leftovers from Stars and Bars).  This is a runner that I have planned for my piano bench.  The bench is long and narrow and sits in front of our front window.  I use it to display seasonal decorations.  I've named it Stars and Bars II, since it is an off-shoot of the original.

(This is kind of a strange, distorted picture..it was hard to get it all in the shot.) 

I haven't yet received the backing fabric I sent for last week, so I've been working on a new project and finishing a UFO.  More on these two items in the next couple of posts.

The weekend is quickly coming to a close, and so am I.  Until next time...

Stars and Bars Runner Top

Hello Blogger Friends,

I've reacquainted myself with my sewing machine again, and have picked up the Stars and Bars table runner I previewed several weeks ago.  I'm happy to report that I've finished the top.  However, I need some backing fabric for it and for the second runner I'm planning.  I have coordinating fabrics on order from Connecting Threads, so until it arrives, I'll start work on the second runner.

Here's a photo of the Stars and Bars Runner top:

 

This project went together easily, and I like the result.   I'll share the finished product in a week or so. I'll be back soon with that second runner.  Until then...

Stars and Bars Table Runner, Under Construction

Greetings blog followers!

I have the center applique section of the table runner finished.  Here's the progress so far:

To secure the appliques, I used Heat N Bond Lite, then used a small zig-zag stitch to cover the raw edge.  The fabric and this runner has a country like feel to me, and I felt the zig-zag stitch worked better than a blanket stitch.  I feel pretty comfortable that it will hold up well...this will not see much wear and tear (I hope!).  It's main job is to cover the bare coffee table top and to look pretty!

I'll be taking a short break for a few days, but will get back to sewing again next week.  Denis and I are taking a long weekend. 

Until next time...

Stars and Bars Table Runner

Greetings fellow bloggers!

I've got a new project to share with you...the Stars and Bars Table Runner.  I bought this kit from Connecting Threads (they called it Stars and Stripes, I gave it my own name).  Here are the fabrics:

I have an oval coffee table and a piano bench in my living room, both of which are naked this summer (no table runners).  By mid-July I hope to have two runners finished.  This first one is for the coffee table.  The piano bench is long and narrow, and I'll have to custom design and make a runner to fit.  The kit I purchased came with a FQ of 14 different fabrics in the collection.  I believe I will have enough fabric to make runners for both pieces.

Check out Connecting Threads website here.  They have nice quality fabrics at very reasonable prices!

Next time...a peek at the center stars section.