Blessed Memorial Weekend Y’all ~ and a thumble finger cot step by step tutorial!

As this weeks start… it is a solemn long weekend here in the USA… It is a time to remember those that have lost their lives to let us have freedom in America.  So sad it has had to be this way but it is nice to have a national holiday to slow down and remember all that has been lost to give us a democracy.

As I have been pondering this… I have been quilting and also been very busy with other things around the house… so I didn’t think I got that much quilting done to share today… but I HAVE!!!!
I am linking my handquilting progress to Kathy’s Slow Stitching Sunday … come see what others are stitching up too and just follow This LiNK!!!

 I finished 5 set in triangle areas with heart motifs like above.  And below you can see more than 1.

 And I got the butterfly corner motif done too!!!

Now I am ready to roll the quilt a bit…

 And I rolled it… LOVING THE TEXTURE this quilting gives the solid burgandy fabric 😀

 Here it is all rolled now!  I just needed it rolled just a bit to do some stitching in the ditch in each block…

Any suggestions on how to quilt the blocks?  I am still batting around several ideas… lol!  I am just sooo in love with the quilt and the quilting thus far… so happy to have these stencils from my bestie too!!!

I have lost about 17 pounds recently… I have been very focused on this topic to help me and my knees which have debilitating arthritis presently.. but until I lose another 20 pounds or so no one will replace them… so I am staying fervently on the trail of weight loss!

 I am happy to see photos of my self with all this weight gone from me … and excited to see what 20 more pounds will bring 🙂

that close up above was cropped from this photo below.. on the swing in my happy place in our back yard overlooking our pond!

 Here is the pond and the grist mill/water wheel…

 And here is a great big fish swimming in our pond… this fish watches over the baby fish that swim in this area 😀  Can you see the fish??

We have rainbow trout, bass, and crappie… now sure what breed this one is but it likes to swim near the top and swim slowly too! 🙂

Also this week I got a much awaited for plaque for my sewing room with this years theme on it… Hand painted by an Etsy artisan in California…

 Here it is on my main wall you see as you enter the sewing room….

 and here is a closeup of my fave area of the wall…

Do you collect corks?  I love my ampersand cork collection spot!  Lots of crafts in the future will come from these I do believe… and I have FUN collecting them too:D lol!

My honey was VERY busy this week… aside from overworking and getting sciatic pains he drilled the inner divots out of my walking foot making it an open walking foot now!!!

 And he installed our new dishwasher … the appliances were mainly old in the house when we moved in so they all got replaced with stainless but the dishwasher which was new but white… so now the dishwasher matches the rest of the appliances 🙂  And we LOVE it!

 Last week I offered a tutorial on how to make a thumble finger cot … here is the tutorial I made up in Florida but it is exactly as I do it today… in fact I still have my original roll of electrical tape.. it may cost about $5 at a home improvement store but it is well worth it I think!

The only supply you need is white electrical tape.. I do prefer this Scotch brand and some sharp scissors… I use my thread cutting scissors and it doesn’t dull them.

The first photo shows the finger cot on my thumb and the brand of tape I use.  Then cut one piece of tape about 3-4″ long and another piece of tape a couple inches longer.

Cut the shorter piece in half lengthwise and wrap the other piece over itself until it makes a thick 3/8″ or more narrow roll (this is the 3rd photo)

 Now take that rolled up tape and place it on the sticky side of one of the skinny pieces of tape.

Put this on your thumb where you believe you push the needle most often… put the second piece below that but overlapping it … then custom fit it to your thumb to the pieces overlap…

You can take it off when you are done with a sewing session and put it back on the same way just keeping it all one piece now…  Works like a charm 🙂

Happy stitching and don’t forget in this world to …

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