Restuffed Chopkey Hexagon Pillow

This is one of the pillows I made to go with the Graceful Garden quilt for Andrew and Hester.  I entered it in our county fair in July, and it made First Place and State Fair Choice in Textile Art.  So Thursday I'm taking it to the Nebraska State Fair along with the Mosaic Lighthouse quilt and other things.  But first:  the poor pillow was too limp.  So... I restuffed it.

Here's a photo of it right after I made it:

And here are new photos of the restuffed pillow:

Now, let's hope the State Fair judges like well-stuffed pillows better than limp pillows!

Thread, Thread, Thread!

Look what I just got in the mail! -- 86 spools of Sulky thread.  There are metallics, rayons, variegateds, twists...  I've looked up the price, and see that the majority of these spools cost $5.49 at Joann Fabric.  I have about $450 worth of thread, plus two $10 cases -- and I paid $60 + $12.45 for shipping.  That's $72.45, total.  I got them from a lady who advertised them on SewItsForSale.

Embroidered Puppy, & Quilting Buoyant Blossoms Quilt

I threw a puppy into the last tea towel set, just for the fun of it.  This puppy design is called 'Drying Off', from the Puppies on Parade collection.

While the machine embroidered, I finished stitching in the ditch on the pieced border of the Buoyant Blossoms quilt:

Next, the real quilting fun begins!

But for now... it looks like I have to quit ----- because I've run out of tea towels!  Besides, it's bedtime.

The Striped Candle Improves

It's looking better!  (I think...)  (Maybe...)

Anyway, it sure smells good.

Machine-Embroidered 'Delicate Butterfly'

Debbie Mumm's 'Delicate Butterfly' from 'The Good Life' embroidery collection.

If the colors on that butterfly are true to life, it certainly doesn't live anywhere around this neck o' ze woods.

Machine-Embroidered Tropical Moth

Two-Wick Striped Candle

While the embroidery machine is stitching away, and I'm doing stitch-in-the-ditch on the Buoyant Blossoms quilt, the candle warmer is melting wax, and I'm putting it together into a jar, making a two-wick striped candle.  Mmmmm... the sewing studio smells good!  When the spiced green apple layer is hard enough, I'll pour in a thicker layer of cranberry/mulberry.

I'm not sure if I'm making a nifty candle, or a muddled jar of mud.  :-D

Machine-Embroidered Long-Stemmed Roses

Machine-Embroidered Morning Glory

Tea towel #2

Machine-Embroidered Pansy

Starting a new set of tea towels

Embroidered Fruit Bowl and Plum

Two more tea towels are done:

Machine-Embroidered Lemon

Tea towel #4

Embroidered Basket of Apples

Another tea towel is done.  I didn't use Debbie Mumm's embroidery designs, and the picture was only in black and white.  On the small screen on my machine, I couldn't be sure what thread went where -- and I wound up highlighting the right side of the basket when I really think it should have been shadowed.  Well, if I ever use the design again, I'll know better.  Ah, well.  Maybe it's all right.  Fact:  I like Debbie Mumm's designs better.

Embroidered Strawberries on Tea Towel

Second tea towel is done.  I have now ordered medium cut-away stabilizer; the lightweight Sulky Solvy (water-soluble stabilizer) is evidently not enough, and the interior stitches are pulling together so that the outline winds up too far away.

Fruit Basket Embroidered Tea Towel

First tea towel in another set of towels is done: