Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Crosses

I think I've used crosses for SQI before, but there's a reason for a repeat: I have made the cross. Well, Richard made the cross, I just put my two cents in. First off, I chose the wood from some of the scraps in his shed. He figured out the woodworking and built it, sanded it, clear coated it, buffed it and turned it over to me.

I designed and cut some foil adhesive paper in gunmetal to decorate it with a Bible verse from Psalm 86:11. "Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth." 

\After several attempts I was finally able to get the foil cut deeply enough to weed out the negative space in and around the letters. Then I tried to figure out how I wanted to set them on the cross. There was much anguish over that. 

Firstly, I'm not a graphic designer so I have no idea what I'm doing. Secondly, I could see the finished project. Thirdly, the wood is cypress with natural peckers or holes in the grain. I wanted to keep the natural formation of the wood but had to avoid those holes.


Finally, I worked up the nerve to finish the piece. The moment I looked at it in the viewfinder of the camera, I knew that I'd have to fix those letters that I had so carefully stuck to the wood.

"O Lord" is definitely too much on the left. An hour later--picking up each letter without damaging it is tedious work--I had moved the letters over to the left. 

Better, not thrilling, but I couldn't chance moving them again. Once was harrowing enough.

So a quick trip outside to try to take decent pictures turned up this. One against a tree and one against the green wall of the closed in back porch. I like the natural color of the cross against that green. Richard may have to make another. 

This one will go to the church fair in a couple of week to be auctioned at our silent auction. I plan to add a quilt, and a well-known local artist is donating one of her beautiful paintings. One of my duties is to set up and "run" the auction on Saturday and Sunday then announce and contact the winners.

So now a couple of cross quilts to help inspire you: 

This last one is my cross quilt made in 2015 and sold at our local quilt show. You can see on my "Trunk Show" board.

Busy week...busy work

I have been keeping busy with all kinds of squirrelly projects. Judy over at Me and My Quilts would be so proud!

First, I chose a new pattern to make an outfit for Milly. Yes, another one. I two put aside that she hasn't worn yet.

I cut the pattern out on paper used for newsprint. To avoid cutting the pattern, I go old-school. I use tailor's tracing paper and the little wheel to draw the pattern onto the paper, then cut it out. Fast and easy. 

The pattern ready to cut out.
 Notice my notes: McCalls, M5353, girl's
dress back, size M, and Milly 2018 (so I can
remember for whom and when I used it)

I also cut out letters for my friend Leta. She had hip-replacement surgery and is recovering well. However, she is not up to par, so I offered to help. So far I have 96 of 135 sets of Phi Mu letters.

I've gathered all of my patterns. Sorted them into boxes. Filed them by number. All of them. I am planning to take pictures of them and put them for sale on one of the Facebook groups for sewists. It's slow going, but I don't really have a deadline.

Lastly, I've been working on these little art quilts. I am exploring the emotions of having bipolar disorder and trying to express that in art. I've decided to work in a series, perhaps five or six, so that I can really flesh out the deeper meanings of my thoughts and feelings. 

I'm working simultaneously on the first three but none of them are complete. I'm quilting these two by hand, but the third one will have both machine quilting and hand quilting. My hands can't keep up with my brain.

Of course, mixed in all this activity, I'm babysitting and visiting my sick peoples. I enjoy visiting with Richard's mom and dad. They really need the company. But just sitting and talking for hours is making me a little stir-crazy, so I've decided to bring some handwork with me. 

Bipolar 1

It's much easier to sit and listen to the problems and confusions of dementia with a little stitching in my hands. Yesterday I didn't even notice the time. Though I did notice that I really made some headway. Before I knew it, Richard was desperate to leave. Maybe he should bring a little stitching. :) 

What kind of busy work are you doing these days?

Letter shirts ~~ finished

I mentioned on Pin It Weekly that one of my friends has a small shop offering letter shirts for college students. The majority of her business comes from Greek organizations, mostly from Phi Mu. 

On Tuesday she fell and broke her left wrist. A trip to the ER got her a pass to today's surgery. Combine those two bits of information and you can probably figure out how her mishap concerns me. I sew. I mean I sew anything. I've made wedding dresses, knit garments, kitchen accessories, baby accessories, suits for myself and lots of other things I can't think of on the fly. So, yeah, I sew.

A trip to surgery (even "just" outpatient surgery) means you won't be sewing for a day or two. But she had orders that needed to go out right now. Guess who got the call? As I said on Wednesday, I've helped her before, so it's not a big deal. But she was in pain and a perfectionist, so it was a big deal to her. 

Upper left corner: finished shirts; upper right,
two fabric choices on tee; lower left, two choices
incl. the chosen geometric; lower right, my preference.
Lesson: don't make choices for clients!

Okay, okay, I stepped in. One of the customers hadn't made fabric decisions, so I pressured her with pictures of only a few samples and in no time I had the shirts, the letters, and everything else ready for production. 

Except I sewed the letters on the first two shirts in the wrong order! TWO letters! backwards! Arghuhhh. Rip, rip, rip half the night--knit does not play nice. Resew the correct way and work on the other items. The delivery person had to pick the order up at my house to make her appointment; it was that close!

So yesterday I went to check on my broken friend and encourage her before seeing the surgeon. More shirts. And a couple of jackets. And a couple of blankets. Hmmm, I have such a tough time saying "no," especially after I've already said "yes."

Anyway, if you're going to help someone, you may as well see it through to the end.

 

 So the weekend will be spent in the sewing room working on her shirts. But I'll be in the sewing room!

blanket in gold 

 And a few more pics of the completed shirts. The jackets (in black) are still in WIP stage. I have to rip out the bottom hem before sewing on the applique. Otherwise the pocket won't open. The kids love that she always opens up the jacket and saves the pocket. It's a great place to toss a phone. 

two more blankets

When was the last time you got wrangled into helping a friend? Comment down below and, as always, thanks for visiting.

Visit these good ole Link Ups!

Crazy Mom Quilts (Finish It Up Friday)

My Quilt Infatuation (Needle & Thread)

Busy Hands Quilts (Finished or Not Friday)

Confessions of a Fabric Addict (Can I get a Whoop! Whoop!)

Pin It Weekly #204

EPIC FAIL! Darn!

Pin It WeEkly #204! Fleur de Lis Quilts celebrates its fourth AnnIversary of 

Pin It Weekly in only 3 weeks! 

we were shooting for 

25 pins a week...

but I missed last week. Life got in the way, so to speak. I was thinking of trying to make two posts this week, but that won't be quite the same. It's a good thing I hedged a little, I think. Maybe my Mary-math just works the way I need it to. Regardless, no matter how many pins I count, the big day will come, right? 

My first pin is one that I discovered on Sunday. Isn't it pretty? Speaking of pretties, let's start with Blinking Cat's "Tatting" board.  

Cottage Charms USA (Charmed Life) has a cool lettering board. 

Sarah Longhman's "Watches" board has some pretty awesome time pieces. Which would you like?

     

Christel Schäfer has a board called "Brot und Brötchen backen," 

which means baked bread and rolls in German. How yummy do 

these look?

Let's call it a night with a few quilts that I've pinned recently. Most are HST quilts because that's what I was pinning on Sunday. 

What have you been pinning recently? Share in the comments.