Carli The Quilter

I've made some good progress stitching through Suzuko Koseki's book "Playful Patchwork." I'm really feeling a change in myself while working through hand piecing of 'set in seams' and finding I return to her pages for greater clarification of how its done. Very fine stitching for sure. I'm not sure any of my stitching is that fine as two meet the 1/8th stitch length on both sides of the work.  Moving houses isn't a fun event, is it really? I lost my camera for a whole 8 weeks! I had unpacked everything while in pain. This is never a good plan. I completely forgot where it was. That is what pain does to a perfectly good mind. We are impressed with our realtor Jesse Butler . Many special thanks to my husband and sons who made the days and weeks of agony somewhat livable as they made me food and brought me pain killers. My 365 Circle, came to a halt. My family needed me and I needed to get my home in order aga...

A few years ago purchased a book by Suzuko Koseki entitled delightfully "Playful Patchwork" and I've decided to work methodically through this book. I rarely do that. Often I skim the pages looking for something that really caught my eye. I am self taught in most of my quilting skills. Mother taught me to embroider at an early age and the embroidery skills moved to hand  piecing. My skills were average when beginning in hand piecing the Roses Block in Lesson 1. I am quite happy with the end of this block. I am learning to slow down and enjoy the slow stitching .

I have a pile of hexies that finally found a home. They were just lonely souls until placed with these circles. I intend to do hand embroidery around the outside edges of the hexie blocks to make them circles. This quilt will become our new summer quilt. I'm using up all sorts of small bits and scraps of bright colors that just disappear in the bin. Hand embroidery stem stitch between the hexie edges to complete the circle. Happy Quilting quilty friends!

I'm using scissors and hand stitching for all the quilting I'm doing these days. Happy little squares cut from one cotton block is how all my squares are getting done. Circles with tin foil completes the easy circles.

I just love to play with fabric and seeing that my life is swerving and growing faster than I ever thought possible, but I'm excited and want to tell you about it. These blocks are a finished 12.5 in. square.  This version is for hand stitching or machine stitching the fast and random way. Start: various dark print or solid strips WOF x 1 1/2 in. I leave all strips WOF throughout the hand stitching, I don't pre-cut into assigned lenghts. Various light colored print or solid strips WOF x 1 1/2 in. I cut random 1 1/2 in. squares in one color.  Usually I use a red color print to pay homage to the original tradition of the red color in center represents the hot fire of the hearth of the home. Then light color prints in 1 1/2 in. sqaures to begin each block. Stitch a series of two 1 1/2 in. squares together with a simple running stitch as shown in all photos. Finger press or press to the dark side with iron. Keep adding s...

I just love hand work of any kind. When I considered participating with Sew Sisters Blogathon Canada, I wanted to invite anyone who wants to sew, anyone who sews into the joys of quilting. I aspire to become a slow quilter. For me this is where sewing is best empowering to anyone, even those who don't have a sewing machine can sew. Simplicity is where my mind spends time. Using up fabric from clothing, from antique blocks hand sewn by another and miraculously find their way into my hands. Many of you follow this blog and the hand work of embroidery that I do to inspire your own work in whatever form that takes.  This inspires me and around we go. Sew Sisters shop located in beautiful Toronto, Ontario is a shop that is bricks and mortar as well, its an online shop for our pj's shopping experience. For me, living so far from everything, I drool over the kits and fabric supplies offered at their shop.  It takes a bunch of time and effor...