A couple of things

 I finally completely finished the wreath with the crows for our daughter. It’s just been sitting around waiting for a wire to be attached to the back to hang it. We are seeing her this week so I wanted to give it to her to hang on her door for Halloween. The wreath is hanging on the door to my sewing room in the photo.

The theme for my AI class this week was pumpkin. I decided to input my Halloween quilt as a starting point. It made a really great design from my quilt. I wish I would have had this idea before I finished my quilt top for the Halloween quilt. I like the path that looks like steps. I like how the pumpkins are arranged. I like the hills in the distance. I like the creepy mansion.  Of course the AI version started with a finished top. I’m not sure how that could have helped me in at the design stage.  Oh well….too late now! Although I have thought about making some changes to my original top. You know me….always over analyzing!

Here’s my photo.

Here’s the AI version.

Thanks for reading.

Chris

Different moss needed

I added the silver and gold twisted wire and the hanging key. It doesn’t look like it’s hanging because the wreath is horizontal rather than vertical in the photo. I added the yellow green moss which I feel was not a good choice. It falls apart really easily and I think a dark green will look better. If I had looked at her directions more carefully I would have seen that I needed sheet moss. I bought something that I would call little blobby moss. I have to go back to the store.

I forgot to mention that I’ve been making bagels with my sourdough discard. I’ve made everything as well as cinnamon raisin. Both batches were boiled before baking and turned out great. Nice and chewy like a bagel should be. 

My last couple of AI images. One for a book cover and the other for fireworks over Pittsburgh.

Thanks for reading.

Chris

Crows are done

 

I finished the crows for the wreath. I just need to attach them and add some other items. Here’s a link to the pattern I bought on Etsy. (Pattern)

Our daughter and her fiancé finally adopted a cat from a shelter. It’s a 2 year old male and they named it Quincy. It’s certainly appropriate that they adopted a black cat given that they live in Salem, Mass. It was a stray and is very friendly. It follows them everywhere in the house. I might need to make a quilt with black cats on it for their bed.

Thanks for reading. Linking to Nina-Marie. https://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com/

Chris

I think I’ve procrastinated long enough

I have been doing lots of little side projects instead of working on the Boston quilt and the Halloween quilt. I know that this has been because I’ve been avoiding working on them. While I was stitching one of the crows for the grapevine wreath part of the Halloween quilt fell off of the design wall. Lots of the little pumpkins fell off as well one of the large pumpkins and ended up on the floor. They were all over the place. Some of the fence pieces fell off, too. I put the large piece back up and used some pins to hold it in place. The pumpkins are in a box. I think I better get this one off of the design wall and get the pieces glued down. Thank goodness I took a photo of it before it fell off!

So once I finish the wreath I need to get the Halloween quilt fused, glued, and stitched. Then I must finish quilting the Boston quilt. 

Here are some crow photos. One crow is done. The parts of the other 2 crows are stitched and ready for assembly. The body of the crows gets lightly stuffed. The other pieces are then attached.

 Thanks for reading. Well back to crows so I can finished my 2 large projects.

Chris

Some crow parts stitched

I did manage to get some embroidery done on the wool felt crow parts. Eventually the parts will need to be stuffed and attached together to make each of the 3 crows for the wreath. I will also stitch on a red bead for each of the eyes. I did change up some of the embroidery stitches as well as how many to stitch. Some of the stitches are done in black and you just get the texture. Others are stitched in gray. I have paper covered wire to create the legs and claws. I’m  sure our daughter will love the wreath. 

Thanks for reading.

Chris

The crow is done

 Making the crow was a lot more complicated and difficult than I thought it would be. In addition to the sewing and stuffing I had to cover and paint wire for the legs and talons and carve and paint a stick for the beak. I had to add nickels to the tail to get it to balance. At least it’s now done. Here’s a link to the pattern. 

Here’s some photos.

Thanks for reading. 

Chris

Next project

 I’ve decided to work on something for our daughters birthday. It’s a crow/ raven to go with her Halloween display. The video of her display shown below has sound. She 3D printed the sphere and she projected the images inside the sphere.

Here’s the pattern I bought on Etsy. Crow pattern.

I’ve cut out pieces to make it. It looks like her directions are really good. It is a complicated piece and should be a challenge. My sewing room is cleaned up from the recycle piece so I’m ready to go.

Thanks for reading.

Chris