towels and cloths

Spent much of this week, finishing up towels. I am really trying to decide exactly what I want to sell at the market. I know that aprons are "the thing" right now, but I really don't like the cutting fabric and sewing machine work that much.

I am definitely embroidering linens, such as towels and pillowcases.
And I just love making these little checkered wash cloths! I love the "country charm" they have.
How about you? Are any of you making something to sell at farmers markets, or craft shows? I would love to hear!

Two Quilts and Another Miniature Quilt Idea

As some of you know by now, I love to make miniature quilts.

I also love this quilt block................commonly know as the Ohio Star, I just changed the regular square blocks into 9 patch, and now I call it the Ohio Star/ Nine Patch. I have also reduced the pattern and have made a miniature quilt out of this pattern.......(seen in earlier posts). Now I am using the regular size pattern (the block I stitched, pictured above), and am hoping to make a regular size quilt. I am hand stitching all of it.....so it will take some time.
I also have a love for the old vintage patterns. I have a small book with such patterns......like the double wedding ring and this.........pictured above, which I put together this week, .....titled.......Friendship Dahlia. I am also making a regular size quilt, using this pattern, but have a different idea for a border, which I will show much later on. But in working with this delightful pattern, I know it would be perfect for a miniature quilt. So this week, I will be working on other embroidery designs and also scaling this pattern down to a miniature pattern.
How about you? Have you ever come across a patten and wind up changing either the design or the size? I would love to hear!

Quilting

I have spent this week sorting and cutting fabric...... more than stitching.

I have finally decided on a pattern and am beginning to work on the quilt I have always wanted to make. I have made a few small wall quilts, but never one big enough to cover a bed......
so here goes.
How about you? Have you ever worked on and finished a quilt? If so, what was the design and color? How long did it take you? I would love to hear!

Still stitching along

I want to take this time to thank all of you who stop by and leave a comment. It is so wonderful to hear from all of you and to see the common threads we share in the things we do.And I just love visiting your wonderful blogs! I especially love to hear about what you are working on! So please come back!

On the Belle, I added a charm,
and stitched her onto a tote/market bag. These are some things I am hoping to sell this summer at the market. I am not sure if anyone will be interested in such things....but I am having fun anyhow......and that is what it's about........right?

Also, I am still stitching on towels, which I think will be a good sale at the market.....or I hope they will be. How about you? Do you like to purchase bags or do you prefer more usable things like towels and linens? I would love to hear

Isn't She Lovely?

Remember the Southern Belle I was working on last week?? Well.........

here she is! And I have to say that I really loved working on this design. The only problems I had, was deciding on the right color of floss to use on different things.
Her hair for instance....... I had decided in the beginning that I wanted her to have yellow/blond hair. However, it made her look washed out. Instead of ripping out the yellow stitching, I just whipped in a couple of colors of different browns to bring her hair out better. She has a "frost job" now........{:

The blossoms above her also do not show out so much because I picked pale pinks to represent apple blossoms. The only problems with pale colors, is that it is hard to cover up the dark embroidery lines from the transfer. But after washing, they hopefully will diminish.

The rose bud, I had to outline, because left without doing so, one could not distinguish the different petals. I also wanted the little leaves in the back ground to pop with color. I have always loved this sage green color.

I had trouble deciding on the right color of the rose and the rose bud, however, I knew exactly which color I wanted for the petunia and it worked out well! Don't you think?

The butterfly, I almost decided not to stitch, but to wash away.......now I am glad I embroidered it. I have a favorite pin I like to wear. It is a butterfly in shades of jade and gold. That is why I chose these colors.

The rose, I almost made into a darker pink or red, but with pink and red on both sides of it from the other flowers, I chose the yellow/gold instead. The Indian Blanket flower on the right side of the rose was actually supposed to be a daisy.......however, being from Texas with acres of wildflowers outside my door, the Indian blanket just fit perfectly.

And here the whole piece. I am now trying to decide on how I am going to use this embroidered piece. I could sell it, edge hemmed, to be purchased and for the customer to frame......but I am actually thinking either stitching onto a towel for a guest bathroom or a market bag for the farmer's market. What do you think? I would love to hear!

Work In Progress

Going through my stash of embroidery transfers and designs, I always wonder who the artist is behind such beautiful drawings...........don't you?

I have loved this particular design for many, many, years, but have never taken the time to embroider it. It has every thing I love in it, reminiscent charm of yesterday,detail, and...........flowers.............lots and lots of blossoms!
So I decided to embroider this piece. I have not quite gotten it finished, but hopefully in a couple of days it will be .........
in full bloom.
How about you? Have you ever wondered who Aunt Martha has in her studio, drawing away for her wonderful patterns?...........could it be Aunt Martha herself???????

Just A Thought For The Weekend

"Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates."

Proverbs 31:31

Vintage aprons at the market

I bought this vintage apron pattern years ago.........

I loved it because it has large front pockets, perfect for gathering eggs and tomatoes......
and it just looks so comfortable to wear!

Finally, I decided to make one............of course I wanted to put my own signature on it by working some embroidery. I really like the way these roses look on the plaid!

I love the deep separated pockets!

I have always loved mixing prints with plaids!

........... and here it is! I am thinking about making these up in different colors and different embroidery designs to sell at the farmer's market in July. I have to make the pattern into different sizes, since there is only one size. Not really sure if anyone will want an apron like this. What do you think?

Do you like aprons that just tie around the waist? Maybe a bib apron? I would love to hear!

Color sets and black sets

I worked on my rooster cross stitch and I also finished two towels from two different sets I am currently working on and hoping to sell at the farmer's market. I am doing one set of vegetable towels in color........
and the other set in black background with just a dash of color. Although I am not sure how much everyone else will like this idea. But a set of towels done this way certainly catches the eye. Don't you think?

Stitching Forward!

This rooster..............it has been in my sewing basket, unfinished for years! As well as a circle of a Wedding Ring quilt, once started years ago. The biggest reason? ...........embroidering for others and getting orders accepted and finished. Now, my fingers are busily working away at Farmer's Market items.............however..........

I have decided to take one day out of the week to work on this rooster until I have him finished.............the same for the quilt. I think I will start to work on him today.......

As for this blog this year..........I will also try to find new and interesting stitches or projects, to tell you about and try to show you how to do them.....or to lead you to the instructions........

How about you??? What project do you have waiting for your eye to catch and to start back to work on?? I would love to hear!