It has been a productive week of sewing, and I still have today and tomorrow to play. We were housebound from the snow until late Wednesday, and I was excited that I’d be able to get out and go to our guild meeting. Then the guild meeting was canceled, as there were still icy side roads and school was converted to virtual learning. When this happens, our venue closes, so we couldn’t meet. Oh, well, I headed back to the sewing room and got busy on the chicken fabric project and a new challenge project.
I had a little bit of excess fabric in the borders, as does happen when you miter corners with bias edges. The choice of a pantograph needed to be a denser pattern that would take up the excess.
I chose one called Feeling Groovy by Michelle Wyman for Intelligent Quilting. No affiliation, but she was so helpful to me when I was test driving longarm machines. She lives near my MIL, so I was able to meet her in person, and in fact, bought the same brand of machine she has, an A1 by Plank.
Glide thread for the top in white, pairs with white Bottom Line in the bobbin. ETA- The fabric is called Home to Roost designed by Susan Winget for Wilmington Prints, available at Fat Quarter Shop.
All done with quilting, I used the leftover darker blue print from the striped border print for the binding. Now I’ll have some handwork to do during the football games using the wonderful Sulky all cotton quilting thread shown on the machine here. I am going to save this pattern for a March event for National Sewing Month.
Now for some really exciting news!! I had a fun Zoom chat with LeeAnn at Sulky Threads this week. I had planned to ask her for a few spools of thread for our Stashbuster Challenge prize. Instead, her idea was to give away 12 collections like these, PLUS a larger Cotton and Steel collection with our Grand Prize! There will be a drawing every month, and Sulky will send the winners a collection like the ones below, with seasonal colors like a fun red/pink collection for February. With all this, Sulky will be the exclusive sponsor of this event. Thank you so much, LeeAnn!!
Next, I have to make some progress on my entry for the local guild’s challenge. While I was all charged up to do some embroidery, I loaded up my old machine with a pretty turquoise Sulky rayon, a cute butterfly pattern and fired it up.
The fabric we have to use is turquoise and purple, so I matched my colors to that.
I have a design in mind, just need to work out the dimensions and details. The challenge has specific parameters, and I’ll show you those as I get farther along. But back to the embroidery, this pattern only uses 6 colors, one of the ones that is simpler but has a lot of stitches.
I line my threads up in order in an egg carton with numbers in the bottom of the cells. It keeps the threads in order, and keeps them from making a break for freedom when I’m not looking.
I use two layers of iron-on tear-away stabilizer on the back, and a layer of water soluble on the top. And that is about as far as I got. Do check out Sulky Threads for their fabulous rayon colors and stabilizers for embroidery.
The plan for today is to continue working on this project, another day of happy sewing. I prepped a few rocks for painting, but it has just been too cold to think about walking outside to hide them. We did try to play a game of pickleball on an outdoor court, but that didn’t last long as it was too cold and windy! But My Sweet Babboo came up with a way to do a bit of practice in the basement. We hope to get back to the center soon for more games. More later!
What have you been working on this week?
From My Carolina Home 
I really like your chicken fabric project Carole. Being home to sew is a treat especially when the weather plays havoc with travel. We have drifts in our yard 5-6 ft high, but because winter weather is the norm for us in Jan and Feb, there is equipment that gets folks moving in a few hours. Not us mind you, as we live in an isolated area of the province, so we get to stay quiet for a bit longer than most.
What a generous prize list from Sulky. I’m sure it will be appreciated by the future winners. Enjoy the day, and lend a hand when you can. I know you do that.
I LOVE that turquoise/purple pinwheel fabric!! Too cold here to go walking. Sewing for me!
Purple and turquoise are two of my favorite colors – especially together! And I love the chicken fabric. I still love my chickens in my kitchen!
Love that chicken quilt. They remind me of the poultry barns at the harvest festival. It’s so raucous in there compared to the cattle barn. I can’t help but smile at all the spirited crowing. The butterfly is beautiful, eager to see how that comes out. I need to make 3 backings & quilt the flimsies I have, 2 finished in December and 1 this Monday. I like to finish one completely before starting another but participated in 2 sewalongs concurrently – won’t do that again! For instant gratification, I’m going to finish a pet quilt for my friend’s dog first. He certainly needs it now that winter arrived. He has lovely handknit sweaters crafted by my friend, but that tummy is bare & he doesn’t like getting cold paws. So pampered.
Where did you get the chicken material? Was it a kit?
See the link above in answer to another comment.
Your embroidery is looking lovely and I think the egg carton idea is very clever! I know I knock my threads over all the time. Goes nicely with the chicken quilt!
The chicken quilt looks awesome, and I am constantly impressed by your knowledge of quilting on a longarm. It really is a creative blend of artistry and skill!
Good morning Carole, Another gloomy day here, only getting up to 38 by this afternoon. Trying to keep myself busy but having trouble in that area. Lots of things to do but can’t seem to get into anything. Trying to change my eating habits for one thing, made an egg omelet with some pieces of asparagus and some cheddar cheese for lunch yesterday, put about 3 tsp. of chardonnay in with the scrambled egg, got that idea out of a Betty Crocker cooking with wine and that was good. Have a list of things to accomplish today so best get with it or else it want get done, have a great day, Phyllis
Hello again, forgot to let you know how nice your rooster panel is. The colors are terrific and the placement of the sections was great. Reminds me of a rooster I quilled for my kitchen about 30 years ago but gave it to my nephew and his wife when they came to visit us way back when. Still have the pattern and some of the paper but to many other ideas pop into my mind to do instead, you know how that goes don’t ya? Phyllis
The rooster quilt looks wonderful, and the thread holder, what a great way to stop tangles. Staying home is sometimes the only option, and I sometimes wonder what others do when they are not sewers, quilters or readers.I guess the TV would get a lot of viewing time.
I’m a retired teacher so I still get excited about snow days! They are so nice for spending time in the sewing room, and for reading, too. Your chicken project is so fun! The thread prizes for your Stashbuster Challenge are so generous. I haven’t sewn with Sulky a lot, but I know it is a well-liked brand.
Oh! That chicken project is so cute. Mitered corners are my nemesis, I don’t even try to attempt them. I really should try to get over my fear. How wonderful of Sulky! They came to our guild several years ago and were really fabulous with all of us. They are a wonderful, encouraging company.
Your project looks wonderful, what a great use of the fabrics. Are you sewing on a BabyLock machine? Looks a little familiar to me…maybe we have the same model?! Thank you for your wonderful posts, they are inspiring. Happy stitching!
Where did you get your chicken fabric? Great article.
It is called Home to Roost designed by Susan Winget for Wilmington Prints, available at Fat Quarter Shop.
I think your butterfly matches the fabric perfectly, looks like a fun challenge! That is pretty marvelous news about the Sulky sponsorship, congratulations! I have had a really good week in the sewing room. I quilted and autumn Jubilee table topper from several years ago, finished my last group of flying geese from the exploding box, and cut two more red and white blocks out, with one nearly finished. 😁 I have worked on the wedding quilt every evening too. Really feeling that beginning of the year surge now.
Love all the chickens on/in your quilt I haven’t started on mine yet. I am running a tad behind my plans. sieglinde
can’t wait to see the chook quilt finished……..
I love your chicken quilt and that turquoise fabric is gorgeous! It has been way too cold to even go outside and walk here lately. I woke up to 15 degrees today and the high is only supposed to be in the 20s. Brrr. Keep warm and enjoy your stitching.
I just love seeing your creations 🙂 Always inspiring!
How generous of sulky thread to offer up such lovely gifts for the scrap buster quilt along. Your chicken quilt is coming along nicely. I don’t do long arming, but I sure learn from you when you share some of the tricks, like the mitered corners. Hope your weather clears, its cold and raining here in Middle TN, such gloomy days ahead for all of next week.
Turquoise is my favorite color/color family and gorgeous with the purple, I think. I can’t wait to see what you do. I love the chicken quilt — it’s such happy fun! Happy weekend!
The chicken fabric is so happy! I love the color combination. Your butterfly is gorgeous! Sorry you had the snow days, but glad you put it to good use with getting in extra crafting time. Staying in warm and safe and crafting…that’s all good in my book.
Mlove
The chicken quilt is lovely but it is the butterfly embroidery that I have fallen for.