51 posts tagged “country by design”

2009_07_12 - Sunday 006

I've done it again.  Completely finished a project, had it laying around for a few days, and don't see my mistake until I take pictures of it!  Makes me wonder if I really see things unless I'm taking pictures of them.  This was supposed to be diagonal rows of dark and light.  I sewed the bottom row on upside down, or something.  I'm not very good at figuring out these kinds of puzzles.  Maybe I sewed the squares together in the wrong order.  Anyway, here is what is is supposed to look like. 

2009_07_12 - Sunday 003

They are make completely from vintage denim.  I have a big box of it, so I'm trying to come up with creative ways to use it.  I like this idea.  I just need to do it right! 

I'm having a hard time remembering what day of the week it is.  I usually don't have this many days off in a row.  I got interested in some programs on TV last night and didn't get back to the computer.  I have been doing more cooking since I've been home, including a lovely pasta salad yesterday.  I had looked at recipes until I was blue in the face, but in the end, I just winged it, and if I may say so myself, I've never made or eaten a pasta salad that I liked better.  Here's what it looked like.

2009_06_30 - Wednesday 001.JPG - vox

The volunteer petunias were looking pretty this morning. 

2009_06_30 - Wednesday 022

Nothing new blooming today.  I did get one rather good shot of the zinnias.  I'm put some meat in the oven to make BBQ, but first I want to get a listing on Etsy. 

I finished a table runner last night.  It has taken me a long time to get my work space squared away after our basement was flooded.  I did get rid of a large lot of boxes that were just taking up space.  Everything looks better now and my stash is better organized.  I think I will feel better when I get to sewing again. 

Anyway, here's the table runner.  It's make entirely of squares that I had already cut out and/or were left over from other projects, except for the backing, and that is cut from small pieces of fabric that someone gave to me. 

You can check out more pictures at www.countrybydesign.esty.com.

2009_06_30 - Wednesday 024

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2009_06_13 - Saturday 001.JPG - Vox

This seems like Sunday to me.  Being out of town misses with my mind!

This is the only good photo I took today.  It was windy when I went out, too windy to get any good pictures, except for Gonzo. 

We drove an hour and a half yesterday to watch our oldest son perform in a community theatre version of "City of Angels".  He had several minor parts.  It is a good show, but most confusing at first if you don't know a little bit about the story. 

We spent the night, then went to inspect a new round-about that they are building where he lives, and he showed us where he works.  It was interesting.  We stayed for lunch, and a few games with our granddaughter, then came back home.  I was so wiped out that I had to take a nap before I did anything else.  Went outside with my camera to get woke up, but it was too windy to take good pictures. 

I did manage to get my account on Bonanzle set up on Friday before we left.  It was really easy, actually.  I made it more difficult that it was by trying to login with my Vox name instead of my Etsy name!  I didn't get my picture loaded until tonight.  I used a black and white photo of one of my granddaugher's that I had taken a month ago.  I converted it to sepia.  So far, I just have 3 things listed.  Check it out here.  www.bonanzle.com/booths/countrybydesign

2009_04_23 - table runner 001

It's amazing how much more I can get done when I have several days at home in a row.  I finished this table runner last night.  It's another in my series of "using up my stash" quilts. 

Of course, I have been ignoring all my paperwork, etc. to do my quilting, so today is catch-up day.  I did start on a set of recycled place mats last night.  We'll see!

Last night I finished the quilted pillow that I had been working on.  I'm going to take a few minutes right now to get it listed on Etsy. 

2009_04_22 - flowers and pillow 006.JPG - vox

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This side is made with triangle squares and a double border.  All of the prints are from the same fabric.  I had lots of small pieces of it. 

2009_04_22 - flowers and pillow 009

Here's my version of scrappy strips.  It has fussy cut Holly Hobbie corner squares.  I think I'm going to use this same idea to make some place mats. 

We had an inch and a half of rain beginning about 4:00 pm yesterday and continuing into the night.  More is forecast for today.  The weather more or less fits the day.  It looks sad. 

I spent a lot of time again yesterday trying to update my virus protection program again.  Finally ended up reinstalling it again!  That isn't hard to do, but it takes over 4 hours to download the updates. 

2009_04_10 - new projects 001

I didn't go outside at all yesterday, so no new shots of the crabapple tree.  I did, however, do some quilting.  I'm still trying to use up squares, strips, small pieces of fabric before I buy anything.  Most of these strips were already cut.  I did have to get out a piece of fabric to cut the border and the corners, but they were scraps, too.  Not enough to make anything.  This is going to be a pillow top. 

2009_04_10 - new projects 002

Here's my layout for the back of the pillow.  I like to make pillows so they can be used on either side.  I got all of these triangle squares stitiched together, and added a green checked border, but somehow I miss calculated, and it isn't wide enough!  Now I have to decide if I want to take it off and start over, or just add another border.  I have to work for four days in a row, beginning today, so I will have plenty of time to think about it.  Last night, I was all for taking in off, but this morning I'm leaning toward adding another border.  I already had all of the blue squares cut out, leftovers from other projects, I guess.  The light colored squares are all from the same fabric.  It is some leftover scraps that someone gave me.  It is all in little strips and pieces.  I want to make some more place mats using this design.  I have a pile of blue and white strips that need to be used.  That might be interesting. 

Time to get my lunch put together and get myself to work.  I think we are going to be busy today. 

Here are my entries for this week's Photo Quest.

2009_04_07 - frames 017.JPG - crab apple buds for Vox

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I finally braved the chilly winds this afternoon to take a look around outside.  The sun was shining but the wind meant business.  I had never noticed that the crabapple tree's buds are pink before the white flowers open.  The tree branches and leaves form a frame for the buds.

2009_04_07 - frames 012

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This was my original choice for subject matter for the "frames" challenge.  This one was cropped but otherwise not edited.  I took the photo at an angle.  I use the rail in my loft to display my latest creations until they go to new homes. 

2009_04_07 - frames 006

Same subject matter, taken this morning with flash in auto mode.  Previous shot was taken this afternoon with natural light.  Both photos were cropped and resized.  The first photo was taken this afternoon with natural light, and resized only, no cropping, etc. 

2009_02_27 - rain drops 003

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I took pictures of my latest table runner this morning, but first another rain drop picture.  This one is totally unedited, taken in black and white. 

2009_02_27 - table runner 004

Here's my scrappy strip table runner.  I constructed it with the rag quilting technique, because my main goal was to try out the scrappy strips.  I rather like the fact that the strips don't match from one square to the next, although all the strips are in the same color families.  I stitched the strips onto the batting with the backing already in place, so all I had to do to finish it was stitch the squares together, clip the seams, and add the border strip.  The border is a plaid that repeats the colors in the runner.  I made another baby runner last night with the same colors that fits my telephone table perfectly. 

I have company coming tonight, so I'd best get busy.  I'm going to make a lemon pie from scratch. 

I got to work at 11:00 again today, so I have a little bit of time.  I got the two table mats listed on Etsy last night.  This morning, the light was coming in my kitchen window and hitting my dining room table, so I took some pictures of my latest finished table runner. 

2009_02_25 - table runner 002

I stepped outside my normal comfort zone to put the orange border on a pink and purple table runner.  Decorating cakes all day has helped to expand my use of color.  I can try interesting combinations with no problem.  If they are really terrible, I can take them off and try again, but that rarely happens.  I think I have a pretty good eye.  Keeping the values the same helps a lot.  I know I seem to be stuck on the same pattern, triangle squares, but I do the same thing with cakes.  I will get a design I like, and I will make it with only slight variations until I'm tired of it, then I'll try something new.  It's faster that way.  I set these triangle squares in a pinwheel pattern.  The last ones were in fields and furrows.  I'm working on one done in barn raising.  It is amazing how just changing the arrangement can make the design look entirely different, even when the basic unit is the same. 

I got off work a little after 4:00 last night, but I was tired, and my eyes wouldn't focus.  Finally took my contacts out and used my glasses.  With dial up, it takes a long time to list things on Etsy.  I don't have to work tomorrow, so I'll list this one then. 

Looks like we are going to have a really nice day here today.  I think they have rain in the forecast for later today.  We'll see!  Toodles!

Since I volunteered to work yesterday, today seems like Tuesday, since I'm used to being home on weekends now.  Anyway, I tried working on the computer last night, but my eyes were so tired I couldn't focus.  Finally gave up and worked on a new table runner instead.  I'm rag quilting this one.  I tried listing these two table mats on Saturday, but lost my connection.  That doesn't happen too much anymore, thank goodness. 

2009_02_19 - table mat 004

I've had this one finished for a while now, but forgot to list it on Etsy. 

2009_02_21 - table mat 004

I finished this one on Saturday.  I'm going to have to work on the colors before I list it on Etsy.  The dark color is really purple.  Purple is the hardest color for me to photograph.  Take a look at www.countrybydesign.etsy.com.

I have to go to work today at 11:00.  It is nice to have most of the morning at home, but it does make it late when I get home.  I volunteered to work yesterday because I knew they were going to be short handed, and we were.  Even with me being there I still worked for five straight hours without a break trying to get caught up.  Once the rush was over, we did have a little time to just decorate cakes for the case, so I got my daily dose of roses.  A day without making roses is just not a good day!  LOL  We only had two orders for today, so hopefully we will have more time to catch up with cakes for the case.  It was pretty bare yesterday.  I can't decide what to take for lunch.  I took a bowl of brown rice with chili and a small bowl of corn yesterday.  I heated them up and mixed them together.  Delicious!  I should have made some more rice this morning.  Maybe I'll just take cereal.  Nothing else sounds good.  I'm reading a Danielle Steele book on my lunch hour.  Time flies! 

It is sunny but cool here today.  Have a good one, everybody!