New Patterns & Books...

Yeah, I've been shopping again.  I added a new knitting pattern book:

As a knitter, how could I resist this book?  I've only looked at a few of the stitches but I'm always drawn to the cables.

I also added a couple of new patterns:

I finally decided to give the Archer Button Up a chance.  There are a ton of reviews on this shirt and everyone seems to love it.  Hopefully, I can figure out the fit well enough by fall to make a couple of shirts.

I fell in love with this wall hanging so I added the pattern to the collection. I'm not sure I will have time this year to make it but maybe early in 2017.  I think I might be able to find most of the required fabrics in my stash and that is a win-win.

I also added a couple of boxes of threads in the basic white and black.  I'm amazed at how quickly the last box of white disappeared.

Happy Stitching!

Holiday Table Runner....

I have been working on a table runner.  I hinted at the project here with a picture of the fabrics.  This is a tumbler project and it's the first that I can remember doing a tumbler pattern.  Here's a picture of the pattern:

This is Tumbler Table Runner by Cottage Creek Quilts.  Here's my version of the pieced top:

I used the Fat Cats Triangle Ruler to cut the tumbler per the directions.  It certainly was very easy using the ruler.  Here's what the ruler looks like:

I did make a pattern template (included in the pattern) with card stock but decided that it would be easier to use the ruler.  Cutting the tumbler with the ruler was quick and easy.  This was my first time using a specialty ruler.  I hope that I can find other uses for it.  Here's the finished table runner:

For the quilting, I used a quilting design from my machine that looked like a large stippling design and a 40wt embroidery thread for the quilting.  I stitched several samples but the actual quilting on the table runner looked much tighter than the samples.  Here's a glance at a sample:

Here's a close up of the quilting on the table runner:

I used the technique for the mitered corners from the Double Fold Binding Technique on youtube by Nancy Zieman.  Joining of the binding is from an older quilting book. I finish attaching the binding by hand.

Yes, I'm doing a happy dance that I actually finished it before the holidays.

Happy Stitching!