Sunday, April 7, 2013

Things Just Hanging Around

Finally remembered to ask DH to hang a shelf I had for my sewing room. Then comes the fun of filling it. The Flying Scarecrow pillow is the handiwork of Kaaren (The Painted Quilt blog), which I was amazingly lucky enough to win about a year ago. I couldn't bear to put him away when Fall was over, so he has been sitting (or flying) in various places around the sewing room ever since. Now he has a good home. The wool hooked star pillow next to it was part of a wonderful gift from Gayle (The Middle Sister blog) when we finally met each other for lunch this past week. More on that in a minute.
Hanging below is the little rail fence quilt made from the leftovers of my Little Buds project. I just got my order from Ackfeld Wire, so as soon as I had this bound I got it hung. I have also hung the charm bracelet from the Charming program, made by Julie (Me and My Stitches blog). When it isn't being worn it should still be seen, IMHO. It keeps company on the same peg with a little necklace of a Singer Featherweight that DD#2 gave me. And on the far right is a little ornament made by Grace (citymousequilter blog) that I think is too cute to have stored away most of the year. : )

I've made a few more pineapple ornaments lately, too. I hung them from the shelf for the photo.
They will all be on their way to good homes come Monday.

And the last thing hanging around is this. I know you have seen it a lot lately, but I wanted to show you how it looks in its new place. I just got this hanger from Ackfeld Wire as well. Easter came so early this year, I am leaving the decorations up for a little bit longer to welcome in the warmer weather.

Now for a couple of things that aren't hanging.
I'm trying to get some Springy projects finished. This is one of my many versions of Temecula's Blessings Baskets SAL. Remember how I said it reminds me of the colorblindness tests in the old encyclopedias? So I've decided to name this Colorblind Baskets. This one has given me some grief while quilting it. Well, really I've created the grief myself, I guess.                                                      


Can you tell what happened from the photo on the right? The excess backing edge had folded back under the quilt and I hadn't noticed. There was a bunch of unpicking to do. While doing it I noticed that the feathers in the white setting triangles had awful tension. I had played with it in the beginning and thought it looked good, but upon closer scrutiny I can see that "white thread+white fabric+old eyes+late night quilting=disaster." I lost my enthusiasm for finishing it. I am trying to talk myself into unpicking the feathers. Will it ever happen? We'll see.

I mentioned earlier in the post about meeting Gayle. It has been something we have been hoping to arrange for over a year. We were both actually in attendance at a Jennifer Chiaverini book signing back then, but neither knew the other would be there so we didn't meet. She has been my mentor as I learned to repurpose wool clothing for quilting. She talked me through the steps of felting and Kool Aid dying. And she is just as kind and gracious in real life as she has been through email (no big surprise there, right?). She brought wonderful gifts--the pillow in the first photo, and this cute wool pincushion on the right in the photo below, along with a wonderful array of wool pieces from her stash. I think I am ready for anything now! Thanks so much, Gayle, for the gifts and a lovely afternoon. I hope there will be more opportunities to meet in the future. (I can't believe I forgot to get a photo--I had my camera in my purse the whole time.)
I'd planned to share more, but this is plenty long. I'll save it for another time.
So, until next time, 
Janet O.

P.S. Spring is finally creeping in around the Rockies. 

30 comments:

  1. I'm first...
    Love the shelf...and all the beautiful things hanging around.
    What a shame about your back getting caught up in the quilting...You did a great job of the feathers..
    The Rockies look wonderful..Julia ♥

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  2. Oh dear, that is very frustrating when that happens. I learnt a wee trick from when I did the very same thing, I bring the backing forward to the border edge & pin in place.
    What are your tricks for recycling wool clothing & felting them? I hot machine wash followed by the dryer.

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  3. I still have my Easter quilts out too and for the same reason as you.
    I have had the extra backing flip up in the way of the quilting stitches same as you. What a pain.
    Your new shelf display....wonderful. So many goodies.
    I assume Gayle must live somewhere near you. Nice that you got to meet in person. Sounds like a good friendship in the works.

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  4. Oh, Oh, Oh!!!! What a wonderful shelf with wonderful little treasures!!! Way to go!!! Your little Easter quilt is adorable - love how you finished it!!! Don't pick the feathers!!! Quilts need to be humble!!!! Besides only you will know!!! The front is so lovely!!

    Spring is beautiful in the Rockies - thanks for sharing!!

    Blessings

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  5. Oh... the photo of the daffodils with the mtns in the background... so lovely! I just want to sit and look at it for a couple of hours!

    I can see I need to go check out Ackfeld Wire... love that coat hanger quilt hanger! The shelf is perfect for your sewing room... and I know you're going to have fun displaying beautiful eye candy!

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  6. Your shelf is perfect and I love the goodies on display. :) Love those little hangers too. I have ordered some of those in the past and really like them. My goodness, those are tiny pineapple ornaments---are they paper-pieced? Never got the hang of those but I've had a long-time love affair with the pineapple block. Love the name of your Springy baskets quiltlet. :) Oh what fun to get to meet another blogger!! And such sweet gifts she had for you. Love your Spring photos---it has certainly been dragging it's feet here in northeast Tennessee. :)

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  7. I love the shelf and all it's pretty decorations. Your colorblind baskets gave me a giggle to recall the old colorblindness tests. I think that it looks wonderful as is.
    Done is better than perfect.
    Done is better than perfect.
    Done is better than perfect!
    And the Mount Hood Daffodils are a treasure not yet open here, so thanks for the picture of Spring's promise.

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  8. Great shelf but the decorations really make it special.
    Un-sewing? My specialty!!! LOL! Sometimes I think I un-sew more than I sew. Practice makes perfect I guess. You really are doing great quilting.

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  9. Janet I really, really love your new shelf!!! What a fun place to hang and display your quilty treasures! I totally agree - all of them should be displayed all of the time :*) As always your little pineapple ornaments make me smile! So glad you and Gayle got to meet up - I suppose indirectly she has helped me with wool handling as well through you :*) Enjoy your Easter quilt for as long as you like. I'm leaving mine out a little longer too.

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  10. Your little Temecula's Baskets quilt is so sweet! Don't despair, no one else will know the feather tension isn't quite perfect, they'll be looking at the gorgeous feathers you've quilted! The same thing happened to me on the last donation baby quilt - the feather border tension isn't good on the back, also white on white. Maybe we're speeding up our hands on those feather curves to keep the curves smooth, who knows! Those mini quilt hangers are so cute, as well as that wood shelf.

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  11. Shoot! Sorry about the quilting disaster.....join the club! lol Picking it out shouldn't be too difficult. The top is too cute to NOT fix it.
    Gayle seems like such a wonderful woman. So nice you got to meet up with her.

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  12. Your photo of the flowers with the mountains behind it is so beautiful.
    You will get a lot of use out of your lovely shelf. You probably will want a couple more. Your work is so special, all those tiny little blocks. Hope your week is filled with lots of stitches.

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  13. Your shelf for all your goodies is darling!! I still need to see up andclose the goodies Gayle brought you!! Oh, and do you need my address for one of those little pineapple guys?? Mine is lonely!! And while you're at it, put in your broken quilt - I'll pick out the feathers for you!! It's kinda like ripping papers off the backs during paper-piecing and you KNOW how much I love that process!! I'm serious now!! Enjoy Conference today!!

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  14. So many special treasures on and around your shelf - glad your bracelet is there too! I am so happy that you and Gayle were able to finally meet. I hope you had a great time - wish I could meet up with you both!

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  15. Lovely little shelf to change with the seasons! That mini is really mini on the wire hanger there, so cute. Love the gifted wools and the adorable scarecrow. Sorry about the backing folding over--I've had that happen too, dagnabit! My spring decorations just barely got put up ON Easter so they are staying there awhile. Yes, that includes eggs, bunnies, birds, and flowers :) Happy Spring!

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  16. ...unpicking the feathers... would this, instead, be called "plucking"? ;)

    I love your display shelf and the objects you cherish, thank you for sharing. The completed Easter applique quilt is just precious. As far as the quilting goes (sorry about the unforeseen disaster with the backing) you are doing an incredible job, I LOVE it!

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  17. I tried 2 times to comment from my phone and they must have gone to never-never land... I have to say I love your View of those mountains. Spring is blowing it's way into our valley. I'm so glad you got a shelf to hold the pretties you have been lucky to win and receive. Nice you got to meet up with Gayle too, I know how fun it was for me to meet up with you at the book signing. I'm enjoying listening to Conference and the story of Pres Monson's boyhood adventures.

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  18. A perfect shelf for your sewing room... won't you have fun changing it up every once and a while with more treasures! How fun for you and Gayle to get together! She is one talented lady! Hmmmm... just a bit jealous of your daffodils!

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  19. Beautiful, all of it! I have ordered from Ackfeld and love their stuff. Your new shelf and all the pretties on it are adorable. I hope you are having a blessed spring!

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  20. Sorry you had a quilting speed bump. Your quilt is so cute, I'd probably do some work with Jack the Ripper. You'll be glad you did. All your decorating is sweet and full of quilting connections.

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  21. Your new shelf looks great - I love that you can hang stuff from the little pegs underneath! Your Easter quilt turned out so nice - I'm glad you went with the lighter background fabrics. Great job on the quilting - I can only ever dream of doing something so fancy! OK - I have a 'thing' about little drawers (just look at my board on Pinterest) so you have to tell me about the ones your pincushions are resting on - love it! Was so much fun to meet you - I didn't think of a picture until I got home that night - DUH! Are those the Wellsville Mountains? Or the ones on the other side of the valley?

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  22. Your daffodils look great. They are one of my favorite spring flowers. So sorry about your "fold over". It wasn't too long ago that I picked stitches out of a project...needless to say...I feel for you. What a nice friend you've found in Gayle. Your Spring wall hanging turned out great. Did you tea die the border or find fabric in your stash? Sandi

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  23. arghhhhh! how frustrating to have that happen with your baskets! Everything is lovely :)

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  24. love your shelf decorations even if one of them is mine...and daffodils in bloom, how good is that? around here they are just starting to peek out of the ground.

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  25. Lots of pretties! I had never seen Ackfeld Wire.com - thanks for the link. I've been wanting an over the door hangar for a quilt so I'll be sure to keep them in mind.

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  26. Pretty Daffodils! I just love seeing them this time of year.
    Your shelf is great, love the wood, is it pine?
    Great hanger too.
    Oh! I felt so bad when I saw that your backing had flipped up and gotten quilted - been there

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  27. I love your new pictures that herald Spring's arrival. Our bulbs have sprouted, but nothing even close to a flower. I need to replace my frost picture with a greener scene. At my house the weeds are coming up faster than anything else!

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  28. Luck you having daffodils in your yard...enjoy!
    Don't you just hate it when the backing flips over?!?!
    I feel your pain!
    The quilting looks fantastic from here! I say cover the flipped over fabric with a nice big label and call it a day!

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  29. Not surprising you have so many treasures from your blog friends! Love how you've displayed them.
    Your Easter quilt is lovely on the hanger. Such a nice way to hang quilts.
    Sorry about the basket quilt. I can't tell how bad the tension is. I've found for some quilts tension problems don't look so bad once they are washed.
    Your daffodils are beautiful with the snow capped mountains in the background.

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