VINTAGE ANGELS

Three Hope Angels




I've been making angels from felt and vintage linens. They are "Hope Angels" - sent to people who need cheering up - or need a little extra special angel. So far they are in Washington and Florida - and one is on her way to West Virgina. They are happy to fly where ever they might be needed.



Their heads are of felt. The wings are quilt blocks - these are all 3" nine patches - cut to shape and then buttonhole stitched to felt for strength. I've added some buttons and lace to some of the angels, and one even has tiny YoYos. They are a quick project, and such fun to make, as you watch the angel appear as you work. I keep a little basket of "angel parts" handy, for stitching at odd moments, or for our evenings of reading. Don often reads to me while I stitch, making it even more enjoyable.

I find the vintage linens at thrift stores. I've been collecting the linens for a long time, with plans eventually to make a crazy quilt from them. For now - the doilies and hankies are a great use for the linens, don't you agree?

MORE BIRTHDAY SWAP BLOCKS

Here are more of the Birthday Swap blocks that I've made for the swap I'm in with my local internet friends. They are not due until the birthdays come around but I decided to get them all done and get them packaged up for mailing - then mail them when each birthday rolls around.


It was like making a sampler quilt, but in different color schemes. Each block was fun - gathering the fabrics (I don't have a stash so had to shop for most of them), cutting and stitching. Though I am glad I am done.

I spent most of my week making the blocks. Now I can go on to something else. For my handwork project I am making a butterfly quilt in 30s reproduction fabrics. I have 34 butterflies, in different sizes, on mottled blue background already hand appliqued and buttonhole stitched in black. I have time at work to do stitching so this week I cut out the bodies in black for all the butterflies, and got them pinned on. I will work on them at home in the evenings when we sit in the living room and Don reads to me - or at work over the next few weeks. I have to figure out some way to get the antennae drawn on evenly. I will use the blue water soluble pen for marking - perhaps I will have to make some sort of template to trace around - maybe out of plastic.

I'll post pictures of the butterflies next time.

Hope your days are full of quilts and sunshine.

House Block

One of my internet groups is making a quilt for one of our members. All the blocks are to be houses - of some sort - and mine is a lighthouse. This block was paper pieced and alot of fun to make - though there were some tiny pieces near the top. I used my FW to do the paper piecing - I wasn't having very good luck with my new Brother - the foot is part plastic and part metal and I can't tell where the needle is when I lower the presser foot. Maybe I'll need to get a new 1/4" foot.


We've had a lot of sunshine lately - and finally yesterday the rains returned. Rain is more normal for this time of year in WA - but it was fun to have the warmer days and plenty of sunshine. A few things are beginning to bud out - the Oso Berry bushes in the woods have their little sprout of leaves and their cute little blossoms already. They are always first in the woods - because they will be shadowed by the later appearing leaves. It is always a good sign when you see Oso Berries blooming!



And there were more robins this week - pecking about in the lawn looking for a gourmet treat (at least to a robin it is gourmet! The lawn is beginning to grow already - ahhhh spring!!!!


I made another block this week - all this sewing - unbelievable. :-)

This is for a birthday swap I belong to online - and it is called Stars and Scraps. I really like the way it turned out.

And I love the colors. The next block I am workingon is a Card Trick - wow - that is one that needs some concentration. I cut some of the pieces wrong and had to recut - sewed some wrong and had to frog-stitch (rip-it, rip-it) but now I have everything cut the correct size and the steps figured out so I can stitch on that - picture soon.

If I was making a whole quilt of Card Trick blocks it might get simpler as I went along. As it is - I have two more Card Trick blocks to make for the birthday swap - but they are all in different color schemes.

Happy quilting !!