Mr. Snowman is done...

I've finally finished the quilt for my mom - Mr. Snowman.  I tried a lot of different quilting techniques on the top and I'm pleased with how it turned out.  This is my 5th UFO finish for the year!  Yeah!

This quilt finished at 35" x 34.5".  I used stitch in the ditch, echoing, cross-hatching and machine embroidery to complete this top.  It's the first time I've done so much machine embroidery on a quilt and I learned a few things that will help me in the future.

I definitely think I'll use this technique again.  Although it's time consuming to re-hoop the quilt, it looks very professional.  One tip though is to make sure you use designs that are very open and airy!

Now I think I'll work concurrently on 3 projects - D9Patch, Snowflakes and Prayers for Night and Day.  I guess I'd better get busy!

Until later...

I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, so that you, together with all God's people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ's love. Ephesians 3:17-18 (TEV)

More progress...

I managed to sneak a few hours of sewing time in this morning.  It helps that I woke up early.  This was the first morning since I fell sick that I woke able to breathe out of both nostrils and I took advantage of the small amount of energy I had.

I continued embroidering snowflakes on the Mr. Snowman quilt.  Here's the quilt hooped in the machine...

I undoubtedly spent more time tearing out embroidery stitches than the machine did stitching them.  First, I didn't keep the excess quilt far enough out of the way and during stitching, one part got sewn down to another.  The machine was really unhappy with me and stopped working until I fixed it.  It was a mess.

The second mess was when the bobbin thread had almost run out.  The thread tail that gets wound on the bobbin first and is buried under all the layers became uncovered enough to get caught up in the machine.  So for a short time, the embroidery was using 2 bobbin threads.  It created a huge rat's nest under the quilt.  Fortunately, I was able to remove both mishaps without tearing a hole in the quilt

In between these mishaps, I did finish 2 more doll outfits.  It's the same outfit but in different fabrics.  These are probably the last ones I'll get done before her birthday.  But I have plenty more fabric and notions and plan to continue making them throughout the year.

I also managed to make the binding for Mr. Snowman.  There's only a little more than one side to embroider and then it's ready for the binding.  I'm hoping to find the time to finish it tomorrow.

And I caught Jack taking another sunshine nap today.  I love that thing she does with her paws...

Until later...

"Nature herself has imprinted on the minds of all the idea of God."
- Cicero

Quilting Mr. Snowman...

I'm still working on quilting Mr. Snowman.  The quilt isn't large - only 37" square, but I'm doing custom quilting on it that's taking rather longer than I expected.

 First I outlined stitched some of the snowman and echoed around his hat.  I also stitched in the ditch around the borders.

(Of course I had my usual helper slowing things down.)

Then I did a cross-hatch in the background 16-patches.

And finally I'm doing some machine embroidered snowflakes in the borders.  This step requires me to keep re-hooping the quilt and is taking a good bit of time.  I'm almost done with 2 sides but I like how it's turning out so far.  Mr. Quilting Bug recommended that the snowflakes extend into the lighter blue and gold borders.

Between naps and flu medicine, I've also managed to finish another outfit for my niece's doll.

It's a great in-between project while I'm waiting for an embroidery to finish.   I've got a couple more outfits I'm working on which should see me through finishing the quilt.

Until later...

Call to me and I will answer you. I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own. Jeremiah 33:3 (MSG)