Seeing Stars

May NewFO Challenge and Linky Party

It's time again to show off your new stuff! Any new project you started during the month of May.  There are no expectations here at the NewFO Challenge...no finishes required, no rules, no nothing. Just start something new, and you're in!

I had set my May  goal to finish an embroidered quilt and start another as my official New project for the month I accomplished all of that even though my sewing machine with the large embroidery hoop grabbed a hand full of thread in the bobbin ate it.   Then it got a bad tummy ache and had to go to the hospital.  I could not even turn the hand wheel to free it!  So it's surgery is scheduled for June 10th!

I joined a block of the month at the local Bernina store from Hoop Sisters called Feathered Star. It was offered in sizes from 5 inch to 9 inch blocks depending on what size hoop you  machine can take. I chose a 5 inch even though I could have picked the 9 inch.  When you hear BOM, you think, easy, one block a month.  Yeah, NO!  One or two stars a month and then some.  Some stars had 9 five inch blocks and some had 4.  Usually if the star  nine blocks, there was only one for the month and if the star had 4 you got two for the month.  OK, not so bad even it they were applique and stitching.   But Wait!  There were 15 setting stars and 29 half square triangle setting blocks (three different embroidery designs)  that were embroidery only.  The pattern called for two different background fabrics, but I only used one.  The half square triangles had both backgrounds, therefore the name.  There were a total of 120 5 inch blocks before we learned about the 44  borders blocks.  That averaged out to 14 blocks a month, if you did not mess up any when you trimmed them, which I did on several occasions. I completed 20 blocks in May.

  9 block star

 4 block star

single stars (sorry it is fuzzy)

Double heart half square triangle

Butterfly half square triangle

Feather half square triangles

Border block

Finished quilt

There is more than 15 yards of the background ( Suede from P&B Textiles) and 12 (1000 M each) spools of Zen Rock Garden Isacord thread in the quilt, plus 12 different batiks.   We were so tired of this project by the time the year was over.  I do not have a wall big enough to hang it on, so it is hanging at the Bernina store.

My next project was also a Block of the Month form the Old Craft store in Carrollton, TX.  Lone Star Pizzazz.  This was a 9 month project.  I have shone some of the blocks in past posts.  I picked up the last block on May 15th and had the top finished by 24th.

Quilt inspector, Max

Now on to my official New Start for the month and it is not stars!

Sassy Cats Stipple From Designs in Machine Embroidery

 

These designs come in two sizes, large and small.  The wall hanging if made with the large blocks.  I had to use my Jumbo hoop to stitch out all but two of the cats.  I completed four before my machine got a tummy ache. 

 The background fabric is double dyed black

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The yellow will be the sashing

 The first photo is more true color on the yellow.

 I did the borders and the blue silhouette  cat on my older Bernina 200.  I had to double hoop the borders in the Mega hoop.