Well, it is painfully obvious that I have not been paying attention to my blog...I have been busy developing and sewing another wall hanging. This is one that I have had to develop along the way. I know what I want it to look like but, sometimes getting there is an issue. And, I hate wasting fabric.

I noticed that working on this project, I have a pattern. I mean a pattern of working. It sort of goes like this. I have the pattern in my head. So, the first thing to think about is how big do I want this project. So, I cut a piece of muslin the size of the project and I pin it to the design wall. Then it is study the size as I go in and out of the room. Once, I decide the size is right, then the fabric comes into play.  As I develop the pattern, I am also auditioning fabric. For this project, a sunflower, I had to choose three yellow fabrics that blend well..and then for the background, a piece of sky.  The sashing, something green, but it has to be a different green than what I will use for the leaves and stem. And a word box. Once I get it all pinned in place and I have to start sewing, I like to wait for a while, again going in and out of the room, making sure that everything blends the way it should.  Then it is time to sew it down and hope that it still has the effect that I am wanting to portray. Because I really do not like to use the seam ripper. Sometimes patterns that I think should be very easy take longer than I thought they would.

I hesitate between different layers of the project. I do this because, I am always thinking it will not work...or what will this look like...changing my mind...But, in the end...everything works out just as I had envisioned it. But, it has a little fretting and worrying applied during the assembly! Another thing that I have been doing is, every night before I leave the sewing room, I take a picture of the project. Not, only do I have a record of how far I have gotten. But the picture gives a entirely different view of the project. I like the flat image, it shows so many things that I have not even noticed. Are the clouds looking okay, is the border straight. I have seen a border with a pattern that looks different when top stitched different directions. Was not as noticeable in real as it showed in the photo. It was a simple fix, just remove some stitching and stitch down in the other direction!

 

So far, so good. Now, to top stitch and bind. More pictures to follow when done!

Gosh, here it is the first few days of August. The garden is growing great and we are starting to reap the harvest...Ya!
I have been busy, but not sewing much, as the husband revamped the table for my sewing machines. I was using a small desk and it just did not cut it anymore..could not comfortably cram two machines on the desk and still sew. Why two machines, you may ask..because I have my favorite machine that I use probably 95% of the time. BabyLock Quilters Pro, that I have had for ten years. I love that machine..it only does a straight stitch..but, it is a great straight stitch. And my other machine is my BabyLock Ellegante. The Ellegante does things the quilters pro cannot do, such as embroidery and numerous other stitches that I may need at a moments notice. But, I digress....I needed a table long enough to handle two machines and a small pressing board. I wonder why I have any ironing board when I only use a small portion of it. So, now, I have an area where I can roll back and forth between my sewing machines/ironing board to my cutting table. It is FANTASTIC! And I now have enough room to move a larger project around without having to stop and straighten things so often.
I am so surprised how much room I have now and the machines like the new table...more stable than anything with legs..does not bounce or anything undesirable like that.

Did not have the ironing board done when the picture was taken...and I had not hidden the old ironing board, which I need to keep for the LARGE projects..
And now, the mirror in the picture has moved to the other side of the closet door and that wall is now destined for an additional, larger design wall.
So, with all of that aside, I can now get back to some of the projects that I am working on and need to finish.
Other projects that I have been working on:

These two projects have already been sold to a "bear lover" on the East Coast. I hope she enjoys them..I was developing a soft spot for the cabin scene, but I am capable of making another...Oh well.
Time to go sew. Hope your day is wonderful and you get to do what you want.