Stitched Crop Circles, Part 5

As promised, here is a current photo of the "little" stitched crop circles quilt. The center, the actual stitched crop circles piece, measures about 6 1/2" square. I have added some wooden beads, some glass beads, some buttons, and little french knots on the center part. I really like the french knots! I had planned to add beads where the french knots are but after sewing a couple of beads on I realized that this was not what was needed. I tried a few other things, buttons and different beads, but nothing looked right until I tried a french knot.

I've got to go to work today. I have 5 or 6 assignments to grade for my Extended Studies class. It is Basic Arithmetic Skills (MATH 095), the lowest developmental course offered at Adams State College. I have some administrative work to do for my two on campus classes. Then I will help students with any questions they may have.

Before I began working on campus I tried to grade my MATH 095 assignments within 24 hours of receiving them. Once I started working on campus, this policy was taking up too much of my time. I get paid very little per student considering how much time it takes for me to grade their assignments and exams. I realized that I really couldn't afford to continue grading things within 24 hours of receiving them anymore. How sad is that! I'm glad to have a job (some would say "lucky" considering the current economic situation) and any money in addition to my husband's salary is helpful. I just wish that Adams State valued it's adjunct faculty more than they currently do.

Crochet!!

At the December guild meeting Parker won some yarn and he wants to learn to knit. I have bad memories of knitting in Home Ec. class in 8th grade so I'm trying to convince him that crochet is better. I think that, for him, learning to use one needle effectively first will make for a more enjoyable learning experience and better success with whatever project we do. But ... before I can teach him, I need to learn myself! I found some great videos on YouTube and learned to do a single crochet stitch. The sample I made turned out pretty large mainly because I was enjoying practicing but also because I didn't know how to stop!* LOL* I'm going to try to learn another stitch tonight.

On the quilting front: I got my baby quilt basted together this morning. I'm not sure how I want to quilt it but I have a tight deadline so it may just have to be an all over large stipple or loops. Nothing very inspired, but done is better than not done. I have also been working on my stitched crop circles. I'll post a photo of it tomorrow.

On the home front: I'm a ski widow again today. My husband filled in for another math faculty member last month so he is cashing in his favor today so he can go skiing. He only teaches one class on Tuesdays and Thursdays and today they had an exam. Proctoring exams can be quite boring but it isn't hard so I think the other person is getting off pretty easy. He had to actually teach their class.

There was also a bit of milestone at our house yesterday. Parker walked home from the bus stop by himself for the first time. Here in Alamosa the bus drivers will not allow kindergarteners or first graders to exit the bus unless there is an adult waiting at the bus stop to claim them. Some drivers are stricter than others but Parker's driver for kindergarten and first grade always followed the rule. For second grade through fifth grade, they encourage parents to be at the bus stop, but it is not required. Until last weekend, Parker wanted me to meet the bus. On Sunday, he said that he wanted to walk home by himself. So I agreed. I did stand on the front porch to watch him cross our street but he did a great job. Actually, it couldn't have worked out better. Yesterday it snowed like crazy and was windy from about 3 pm until 3:30 pm. I have stood on the corner in all kinds of weather and am really not sorry at all that I don't have to do that anymore. He still wants me to walk him to the bus stop in the morning, but I don't expect that will last much longer. My baby is not a baby anymore.

Stitched Crop Circles, Part 4

I haven't been doing a weekly art project because I am still working on this little stitched crop circles. The last time I posted about it, I had just put a muslin backing on the little stitched circles using the pillow case method. It sat like that for a few days but I was not happy with it, so I took the backing off. I felt like it needed a border. I enjoyed working on it and wasn't ready for it to be finished. I attached the muslin backing by machine and somehow felt that this was wrong having spent so much time doing the handwork on the front. I ended up attaching the stitched crop circles to this larger piece using a satin stitch, by hand of course.

I'm not really sure where this project is going. I'm just enjoying the process. I plan to add some more Xs to the area between the two large circles. And I am auditioning buttons and beads too.

Finished?

I'm done stitching the crop circles. I think it needs a border though. I am auditioning various fabrics right now. I'm also itching to use my new Chubby Markers that came in the mail yesterday. These are marking tools that are removed with a steam iron. They are white, so perfect for darker fabrics. I've already tested them and they work great.

Here is a photo of my view from the sewing room today. Snow! It's been snowing most of the afternoon and the forecast calls for the snow to continue through tomorrow sometime. Parker is getting his snow gear on to go play in the backyard as I type this.

Stitched Crop Circles, Part 3

Here's a photo with all the fields completed. I've added backing and rebasted it for the quilting to go outside the fields. I have not yet decided how I want to quilt it, other than I will be defining the nine patch by quilting the drawn blue lines that run between the fields. I also don't know how I want to bind this. I'm considering a satin stitch or blank stitch or possibly couching some yarn along the edge. I've got time to think about it.

I really like this idea. It has the effect of stitched applique or piecing. I am already thinking about how to incorporate this technique into other projects. I have too many ideas now to list.

My sewing time is most likely over for today. Next on my list is doing a bit more sanding in the laundry room. Then shower and lunch. I need to do some laundry. I have to meet a student at 2 pm and then turn in some final grades for students who have finished up the ALEKS course I was teaching last semester. They got extensions since they weren't quite done at the end of the semester. Then Parker comes home along with his friend Jamie. I've already got dinner in the crock pot, Taco Soup. If there is time I have to continue working on my syllabii for the courses I'm teaching next semester. Yes, I'm teaching two ALEKS courses beginning next week. We'll see how this goes. Last semesters course didn't go as well as I would have liked. I am making some significant changes to the syllabus based on my experience last semester. If things don't improve this semester, I may not have a job after this semester.

Stitched Crop Circles, Part 2

I'm making slow but steady progress on my stitched crop circles. In the bottom right field I used two different blue threads. The vertical stitches are in rayon and the horizontal stitches are metallic. I had better success sewing by hand with the metallic than I have had with the machine. I think the metallic would have sparkled more if I hadn't paired it with a rayon thread. Next time! In the top right field I used a solid green and a Sulky Ultra Twist in green and gold. I really like the Sulky Ultra Twist!

Stitched Crop Circles

I was able to make a bit more progress this morning on my weekly art project. I am considering this a sampler of sorts, making notes about the type of thread used for each "field" and the weight of the thread. I am even thinking about trying to use one of my metallic threads to see how it hand-sews.

Back to weekly art

After reading this last night I decided it was time to get back to doing some weekly art. I liked the idea (scroll down to the last two photos in the above link to see the stitched sawtooth star) and decided to use it as a second in my crop circles series. Below is the progress I've made so far today.

Crop Circles 1, again

I finished it, except for the binding. I haven't decided how I want to bind it yet. If I had thought about it sooner I would have pillow-cased it so it wouldn't need binding. I could still add a second backing fabric and do this. I don't think it is that important to completely finish these little projects though. I'm not sure what I will do with them other than file them somehow for future reference. Maybe I'll just zigzag the edges and then pin or sew the series together into a cloth book. At the moment I'm going to do nothing and just move on to the next project.

I really like this one though! Turned out pretty well for just using scraps from my pre-fused fabric stash. I did put fusible on one fabric, far right on the bottom row. That is some cookie fabric I used to make napkins. The printed cookies were the perfect size for this little project and I thought is was funny to make one of my "fields" from a cookie. I image that Cookie Monster lives on that farm!

Crop Circles 1

This is what I have been working on as my art project for this week. I'm calling it "Crop Circles 1." I have had this idea for a while but flying out of Alamosa last month for the wedding reminded me of it again. After I got home I drew a quick sketch. I'd like to make a larger version of this idea sometime so right now I am just trying different things. On some of the circles I am zigzagging around the outside, on others I am using a straight stitch. Some will have no other stitching inside, others will have circles or lines quilted inside. The small little orange wedge on the top row, middle circle will have little rectangles to represent the farm house and out buildings. I had planned to hand sew circles and lines in the "fields" but I used scraps from my pre-fused fabric stash and not all of my fusible is condusive to hand sewing. Maybe next time.



Here is Maggie sunbathing on the back of our sofa. Notice the cord coming from underneath the quilt in the bottom left of the photo. Yes, there is a heating pad underneath the quilt for the early morning before the sun hits the back of the couch. I hope that when I am the equivalent of 19 in cat years I will be treated as well as her.