The Triwizard Tournament Trophy

You know - the portkey....

I got an insulting comment again today. I deleted it right away. It said I should throw all my HP blocks in the trash where they belong.  Really?  Did the anonymous commenter think that by making that comment I would, like a zombie, just go and do as I was told?  LOL!!!!  (I'm an old lady. I've got 7+ grandkids, who BTW all love HP. Well, we don't know about + yet.... but it's a good bet that + will love HP, too.)  So listen up AC, if you don't like my stuff, don't tune in.  There's lots more HP paper piecing to come.  There are hundreds of HP patterns... and because I love the books and the movies, and the wonderful lessons taught by them, I will be making more blocks. You obviously don't know the books, or you would appreciate their popularity.  If you haven't read them, do. (Keep an open mind, for once.) You will learn something about friendship, and courage... you would then be able to at least sign your name to your beliefs.

To all my Blogger friends, I want you to know how much I appreciate all your happy and encouraging comments. Thank you for stopping by. You don't know how excited we both get to see there's a new comment. Thanks for your time and thoughts.

Hugs,

Terri

Moleskin Pouch and the Sword of Gryffindor

I've gotten 2 more blocks done.  The MP was not easy. Can you tell that the draw string shows through where it tightens? No, so why have all those little pieces. I should have made them different colors, dark brown for the string and a yellow streaked brown are too close to make all those pieces noticeable. I do love it - done. If you are a beginner, do not try this at home.

The sword was much easier... and still riddled with little pieces. Still not a beginner piece. I do love how it came out. 

And now a picture of the Christmas cactus - it's blooming a month late.  I was remiss and didn't decorate for the holiday this year... remember the kitchen mess. The plant must not have gotten the message that Christmas was a month ago!!!!

I did promise - in a comment - that I would show my Grandma's quilts one day this week... Didn't get to that yet.  Maybe tomorrow?

Anyway, this is the latest at my house.  What's going on at yours?

Hugs,

Terri

Hurray!!! I got the pictures to load!

So today you get two - count em - two posts!  What can I say....

Here's the promised sunshine.

 Some little plants hanging out in the computer room, a sunny window. They are seeds taking root - like the avocado pit at the right... see the really nice root coming along. There are some cuttings in a cup... jade and Christmas cactus, and assorted starts for Halloween giving.

Here's the Quirrel's turban

and the quill that I made a while ago, but didn't post... (You may have seen it on other pictures, but I don't think it's ever had it's own picture on the blog.)

If you don't know what this is, don't feel badly. It is one of the tiny pieces I'm paper piecing now, on the Moleskin Pouch pattern.  I put the pin next to it so you can see how itty bitty it is.  I don't know if these big clod hopper hands of mine can accommodate these pieces.  There are 4 or 5 of them to do, too.  If you will notice there are 4 different pieces on this main piece to sew onto it!!!!!!!!!! There was one I did last night ... well you'll see it when I finish.  Maybe tomorrow.

I had to hunt up a box to keep the pieces in, or keep picking them up off the floor. Such tiny pieces you'd never find if they fell on my sewing room floor.

So if you want a better explanation of all this... see the previous post from today...

Hugs,

Terri

Nuther Sunny Winter Day

Hello and Welcome to another Sunny (Summery) Day in the Winter in CA,

I had to share the sunshine with those of you who are Sunshine Challenged...


OKAAAAY... I've got the pictures in the computer, but the uploader won't show me the "browse" button.... I just hate computers.  Wouldn't you think they would work the same every time?  I must have some SPOTS on that afore mentioned sunshine. (!@#$%)

I had a whole story planned with pictures.  I made Quirrel's Turban earlier this week, and I had a Quill from a while back to show you.  Then I took pictures of the small pieces I'm working on the Moleskin Pouch... no go. I guess I'll try again.  Anybody got advice, or are you having the same troubles?

Another thing.... Last post showed a giraffe, and I said it wasn't available anymore... Wrong!!!!
You can find it at Sewhooked .  (This link is the assorted free patterns that don't fit into fandom categories.) There are patterns for chicks and chickens and eggs... not necessarily in that order. There is a variety of animals and hearts... etc. I really love the giraffe, but it is a harder pattern - just be aware.
I also wanted to announce that Fandom in Stitches has Elmo! Elmo is one of my very best favorites.  I love his voice, and his simple wisdom... anyway there is a paper piecing pattern there at FiS, and you can have it for free! 


So no pictures today... Guess it's a sign from the heavens that I should go sew.

Hugs,

 Terri  

Before they go to Flickr...

(Edit note: I entered this on "It's a party"  at A Creative Princess)

Here's the Harry Potter blocks that I have at home right now:

This giraffe isn't on the Fandom in Stitches anymore. I got it when it was the old Sewhooked site. I used it for a card for my DD. Her favorite animal is a giraffe. (This is a copy of the block.)

If you are interested in any of these Harry Potter paper pieced patterns, (and there are lots more than these) go to Fandom in Stitches.

The patterns are free to use for personal or charity use. I'm really enjoying the making on these.  I don't know what I'll do with them, but they're fun to make. I've used the phoenix for cards for sick folks.

Happy Friday!

Hugs!

Terri

Pincushion Parade

Hellooooo,

Today a departure from the norm...

Yes, these are my hard working pincushions.  Beth over at Love Laugh Quilt is sharing pincushion collections on a linky party. Go there to see some really pretty ones.  This is my "collection".  The one on the right goes to the livingroom when I do binding or any other hand sewing. The one on the left  goes on vacation when I take some hand sewing... doesn't happen that much. The one in the middle is my favorite. My Grandma made this one. I think it may have been her own, but she made oodles of these (for the Church Bazaar) with yarn that was given to her by a guy that worked at the local knitting mill... (been shut down for years. Everybody worked at the mill at one time or another.  Mechanization and newer technology closed it down. But I digress.) She had all these little snippets of yarn from sewing up the tips of gloves and mittens made at the mill. (She made floor pillows for all her great grands (alive at the time) with the shortest pieces, and with some longer ones she knit these pin cushions.) (Grandma was Green and we didn't even recognize it. It wasn't a thing yet.)  Anyway if you look closely you will see that the bands are knit in stripes and a strip is folded in half so the fold is at the top. I know she sewed the rings onto felt, but you can't see her stitches, so there must be a second round of felt to cover all the stitches. The center ring is just right to accommodate your thimble and the other rings can hold an emery board, small scissors, and I've kept a stray nail in mine until recently. I keep the bent pins on the lower part of the outside ring, and the paper piecing machine needles there also. I think it is a genius design.

Here I've moved some of the pins so you can see the rings... different colors cause there isn't that much yarn of one color. Below - with the thimble in place.

And just because today we are being quirky here's a picture of my coffee cup, again. This time the picture developed by the foam is NAUGHTY!!!!  Do you see what I see?

I see 2 Butts at the beach!

Keep your eyes open and your imagination in gear. You never know what you might see.

Love you all, and welcome to the new followers! Thanks for stopping bye.

Hugs,

Terri

Back to normal! A WIP and another Fawkes...

Welcome to my spot in blogland...   Ahhh, I still have one.

So far I have the pieces cut and hanging on the design wall - (please pardon the lumpy look, but the little triangles are still pinned there under the "jelly roll" strips.
Here's the picture of my WIP:

As you can see there are a few sewed together on the right - sorry about the sun spots. (We are having the prettiest winter we have ever had since I've lived in CA since Dec. 1979.  We've had but mist since Oct, and we really need the rain.) I have incorporated a bunch of my stash in the classic blue and yellow-orange colors... and I've been influenced by an  esteemed colleague . I like the cheery fabrics she buys and uses and I think you will, too. I did buy a few fabrics I've liked that she uses.

Below find the latest Fawkes.. the only one at my house currently. (If you are new to this blog, you might not know that you can find Harry Potter (and other genre) paper piecing patterns for free at Fandom in Stitches (one of my favorite blog spots) who today is showing a cardinal... If you follow this blog you will find that Veeeery Interesting. It isn't my cardinal.... I want that very clear... I have not trouble with her version! It isn't my version. It's just funny how life works out.

Anyway, heeeeere's Fawkes, again. I like the background of this one. Fawkes in the cave, I guess.

Sorry I didn't crop this picture, but I don't have software for cropping any more. New computer. The old one had a "fix it" button - all "kina" ways to change your photo, and I don't have that now.  Tonight I'm going to tackle the "Knight Bus" from the Fandom in Stitches collection of HP patterns. (You can use them personally or for a charity project, but not for sale items.) I don't know what to do with the blocks I'm making, but I enjoy the making.  If you go over there to FiS, you can find the cardinal, there are patterns for SiFy and Animation and Vampire subjects as well as HP and some I don't remember. Today's cardinal is going into the Sports heading.  Have fun. If you have any questions about paper piecing, Jennifer has directions, too. And you can always ask me. I've done a bunch of that and I'd love to help you out.

Hugs,

Terri

You will not believe it!

I love blogging and reading blogs. Yesterday I was knocked off Blogger. I think it was from a comment from a non-blogger who insulted me - said my cardinal was someone else's design - I had to translate it with Bing to know what it said - and the Internet address that was given as the owner's name was a place that didn't exist.

I think she complained when I deleted her comment.

Beware! and back up your files and pictures that are on Blogger.
 I did get Blogger to look into the trouble, and they apologized for taking me off the air.  She must have seen the cardinal (my banner right now) on Pintrest or some Flickr account and thought the owner of the account owned my cardinal.  I spent a day of anxiety, to be sure. What I really can't understand is that one comment could be a death knell. Innocent until proven guilty, and I am not guilty, and Blogger (Google) agrees. (I do forgive her the mistake... not all of us understand in another language, and who in their right mind understands the workings of Pintrest?)
So just some words of advise today. I'll show my PIP that I worked on yesterday for Project Linus, but that will happen tomorrow.
For today, it's just wonderful to be here!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hugs,
Terri

Slow start to 2012

You know after the holidays I like to do nothing.... but there is so much to do around here. I have been slowly getting the kitchen put back together.  (Translation: it still isn't.) I like it in this minimalist way. The counter tops are so clean and shiny, I don't want to mess them up. I especially don't want to bring back the microwave which is white. I'd rather leave it in the hallway. The most we use it for is to warm something, make coffee water for the instant - which is staying right next to that m machine. Anyway, there is lots more to do, and there is alot of it all still camped out in the living room.

But I have made some new blocks.

This one had a flaw. I tried to revamp it with a new tail - extra feathers - and more wing, but I had to take out the new wing parts after the whole thing was put together.... just didn't look right.  Now it has a hole. Well, it'll be good for a card.... or a hubby. He hinted that he'd like a phoenix. Who knew?

This is a little comparison with the two different Fawkes. The one on the right went to my daughter in a card, (and is shown here from the copy I made of it, so it is kind of faded... if a screaming red phoenix can be termed faded.) I love the background fabrics of each. I always pick and choose very carefully all the fabrics for each of the HP  blocks. Love goes into those, too.

And these ladybugs (2 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches) are going into a (modified) jelly roll quilt for Project Linus.  We are getting together again to make JRQs for Linus next Thursday, and I'm going to be a devilish woman, and add some artistic elements into my version. I just don't like the fabrics they cut and put together for quilts for kids. (I'm sure they would make nice enough quilts for, say, old ladies and gents, and anybody afraid of color.)  I couldn't even work on the one they sent home with me last time. - Well, here's a picture.... you decide.

Here's the whole package with "girl" written on the plastic bag. The camera has been very kind to these fabrics. The backing (at the top) and the same yellow strip are really more goldy. The landscape fabrics should, in my opinion, be used to wash a very dirty floor. These three on the right, are not this nice either. They are darker.  Below are close-ups of the same.

I like the beige fern on the right, but that's cause I'm an old lady. This combo just isn't for little girls!

Still not girlish.

So I'm bringing it back. Maybe someone else can stomach this grouping.  I am assembling some yellows and blues from my stash and will make a strip quilt that will not be the same as a jelly roll race quilt, but sewn in strips, and will turn out larger... I think, and more exciting.  Here's what I propose...

There are paper pieced parts, and some of the Happy Squares that were sent to me by my good friend, Sheila of Sew Cook and Travel. Take this violet colored link to her quilt.... OMG, it is a Beauty with a capital B. Now that's a girl who knows color and how to use it! 

(I'll probably get into trouble for bringing my own "Jelly", but I got into trouble last time for a comment I made about not liking brown. I do see some uses for brown, but not for Linus quilts, unless you are making one for a sullen teen. Anyway, this time I will be driving myself there and back, so I won't have to wait for my hubby to pick me up... and I can leave if I get yelled at too much. Last time I got into trouble for using the diagonal seams - which are prettier, I think - when all the rest were doing blunt assembly... and they crabbed at me for being too slow. (I really do think that they wanted me out of there) Going this time is a penance. I'm a bit arrogant - I know, big surprise. I'm going to try to stick with it this time as a humbling experience... (I know you are laughing.)  I was slow last time, but in my defence I have a very small button on my foot pedal, and I'm not used to using one. I always use the knee pad... I've used a knee pad for over 50 years. It takes a while to get used to different technologies at my age. If you are thinking this is all toooooo strange, quilters don't usually act like this... well, the crabbies were crocheters... monitoring us quilters. I think they may have been instructed, and thought that they needed to enforce rules. I hope we've all learned our lessons.

I guess that's enough ranting for today. Here's one last picture of the true (and self adorning) Christmas tree. We leave the fruit on the trees for months after it ripens. It's pretty, a good storage method, and in the cooler weather the fruit stays fresh and keeps on sweetening. There's nuthin like tree ripened.

Love and Hugs to you all!

Terri