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Saturday, January 23, 2016

Snow Stitching!


How many of you are covered up in snow?  Here in Nashville, we received a record 6-7 inches of snow yesterday - very rare for these parts.  And it's beautiful!!!  No ice.... just soft, blindingly white, puffy and fluffy SNOW!


I think it's interesting that the two projects I had planned to work on this weekend are the blue Twinkle Stars for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (first photo above), and Bertie's Year - December.

Angela at SoScrappy posted a fun tutorial for these beautiful Twinkle Star blocks on her blog as the January block for the RSC Column-Along she is doing this year.  I saw Sharon's beautiful blocks on her post at Vrooman's Quilts last week and fell in love!  So much so that, although I had other projects planned to be working on, I immediately had to to pull fabrics and print out the pattern right then and there!  I chose blues and whites that made me think of snow - maybe my bones were telling me the white stuff was coming our way? :*)

I managed to complete four blocks last week ....


..... and today I plan to put them together into a winter-themed runner for our kitchen bar.


Believe it or not, this was my very first time ever to use Tri-Recs rulers.  I've had the rulers forever, but always avoided them.  I was even tempted to paper piece these; Angela very kindly gave us a link to the foundation patterns in her wonderful tutorial.  But I decided to be adventurous and was rewarded with a fun afternoon of piecing.  I can't wait to finish this runner and enjoy it in my kitchen!

Yesterday, I finally pulled poor little December Bertie out of the bag and started work on her.


She was part of a BOM project for me in 2014, and this was the only month I did not finish up last year.  I felt really sorry for her, being so neglected.  I put her on my guild's UFO Challenge list so I could make sure she got finished this year in time for Christmas, and was delighted when her number was called for January!


These kits were laser-cut fusible applique, so all I had to do was peel away the paper, place them on the background and fuse.  Easy-peasy!  Then I stitched the applique pieces down, using either a straight stitch or a buttonhole stitch... Leaving me with lots of strings to tie off :*)


Last night I caught up on a few episodes of The Good Wife and worked the embroidery embellishments....




I also got all the half-square triangles made and assembled for the border.


Tomorrow I'll join Kathy's gang for some Slow Sunday Stitching as I handstitch the border embroidery while watching the NFL Playoff games with My Guy.  Our Panthers are playing for the Conference title, and of course if they win, they will go to the Super Bowl!!!  Exciting times my friends :*)

We are settled in for a long, solitary weekend.  One of my favorite things to do on cold, snowy winter days is to work jigsaw puzzles! I have this one set out to play with this weekend when I'm not stitching.


After New Year's while I was too sick to do much else beside sit, I did this one ....


Maybe I should have waited until this week LOL!!!

How well I remember the days when my children were small and they almost vibrated in their excitement to get outside and play in the stuff!  We didn't get a lot of snow in south-eastern North Carolina, so it was an exciting event when a storm dropped anything more than half an inch.  I had to go dig out a couple of my favorite memories from their childhood to share with you ....

Joshua in front of our house
circa 1980
 I bundled them up as if it were a North Dakota blizzard!!!

Christy in front yard
circa 1978
Probably one of my favorite pics of her childhood ever!!!

Notice in both pictures that there is only a small patch of snow for them to play in.  It almost always melted quickly, so they had to get out there and make the most of it!  Of course, they were out there maybe ten minutes before they were crying to come back in again, dripping water and snow all over the floor LOL!!!  In and out, in and out, for as long as the patches of snow lasted.  Those were good times :*)

Hoping you are finding ways to enjoy the snow if Jonas visited your neck of the woods!  My snowbird friends are sending us pictures of sunny Florida.  I'm not sure I'll be speaking to them when they return.... =^..^=

Also linking up:

Hugs & Blessings!
Teresa
=^..^=

26 comments:

  1. Love all your blues. I really like your wool applique too. You are doing a great job. I would like to see it when you finish. I am assuming that you have more blocks to do.

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  2. Winter Storm Jonas was fairly kind to us. Thus far, we are warm and cozy at home. Who knows WHEN the schools will open, again?! I'm sure DS2 will manage. Keep on quilting!!!

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  3. Love your Twinkle Stars!! I have the Tri-Rec rulers, but seldom use them - did for these (just to get the dust off them). Sweet Birdie - and she'll be done before Christmas! We have been lucky that Storm Jonas didn't make it to us - cold and grey, but no snow.

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  4. Your Twinkle Star blocks are beautiful! I really like that block and love your idea of making a table runner. I might just have to pull out some blues and play, too. Your snow photos are too cute! We have at least 18" here in my part of Virginia. We won't be going anywhere for a while! Stay warm and happy stitching!

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  5. Wow 6 or 7 inches of snow?!?! While here up in Michigan, we have hardly any snow on the ground, blue sky and sun. Keep warm and cozy.

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  6. Oh, my goodness, your twinkle star blocks are gorgeous! Bertie is precious. You sure are working on two delightful projects! Have fun in the snow! Stay safe! XXOO

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  7. The twinkle star blocks are wonderful! I need to dig out my tri-recs ruler and try some. And you even got in a little circle stitching on Bertie! Love those sweet winter photos of your toddlers. Makes me want to head for the photo album and revisit mine - about the same vintage. Enjoy your white fluff while it lasts. If all goes well we will escape this one.

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  8. I grew up in Texas, so, we went outside, no matter what time, to play in the snow, since it would only last a few hours. Nice blocks!

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  9. I do not envy your snow, but that's just me! OTOH, your block projects are perfect for the weather! I love your Twinkle Stars AND Bertie (Tri-Recs rulers are awesome!) Jigsaw puzzles are my favorite thing for relaxing; we used to do them at the beach during Christmas vacation. Nothing personal, but I can't root for the Panthers - it's just that they are conference rivals! OTOH, I CAN appreciate the excitement over a Super Bowl run!!

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  10. Your Bertie block looks so cute and will make such a nice addition.

    I LOVE the blue star block. Those will make a spectacular quilt.

    Enjoy the rare snow. Go out and make a snow angel for me!!! lol

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  11. Those stars are beautiful. And December's Bertie will be grateful to get stitched up and join the others, I'm sure.
    Such a cute cat puzzle. The snowman puzzle has a lot of white space. Was that hard to put together?
    Ah, cute kiddies in the snow. I am one of those weird people that enjoys winter--as long as I have a warm home as a retreat. : )

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  12. Wonderful, bright Twinkle stars! Love those blues!

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  13. Your blue stars for your tablerunner are lovely. Very crisp and wintery. Such cute pictures of your children when they were little. We had snow too, but you got us beat. Tomorrow it is supposed to be near 50. Strange weather pattern this winter, for sure.

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  14. Your star blocks are beautiful! So glad you decided to jump in. The snow looks beautiful. Hopefully it won't last too long.

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  15. Beautiful snowflake twinkle stars!

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  16. You've had some stitcher-riffic stitching going on! Love your Bertie block ... and your snowflake blocks. Wow! Y'all got a tad bit more snow than we did. But still, it's pretty and since we've not seen sun yet, it's all still hanging around! Your babies all dressed up in their snow gear, are super-cute. Nostalgia at its finest, my dear! :)

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  17. I can see why you love the star blocks! The snow sounds wonderful-I love the quiet stillness that comes with a lot of snow and how bright everything seems :-) Your stitching while watching The Good Wife sounded so relaxing. Have fun with all of your projects!

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  18. great blocks and I want to steal that box of embroidery floss. our snow is melting today, the kids have been out a few times since Friday.

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  19. Bertie is adorable! I am drooling over your gorgeous box of perle cottons--a beautiful rainbow. Enjoy your football stitching.

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  20. I am working on a Bertie block today too. I think mine is for September. (I am only making one--I like squirrels and this one has a squirrel in it.) Nice threads too! No snow here. We have only had to shovel once this winter. Very unusual for this area--Ontario, Canada.

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  21. Isn't it fun to simply have SNOW instead of all the other accessories . . .

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  22. I couldn't resist the Twinkle Stars either Teresa! What a neat Bertie block too!

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  23. Strangely we don't have much snow here this year. But the kids sure love every bit of snow they can play in.
    I enjoy puzzles too in the winter, when I'm not stitching!
    That Bertie block is adorable!

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  24. Love all your projects, esp. Bertie! Bet you're flying high after that game yesterday! Stay warm! Happy Super Bowl!

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  25. Wonderful projects...great snow fun.

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