Rainy Days and Mondays

I don't know if it's the cold, dreary weather we've been having or if it's just one of my life cycles but it's been awhile since I've been really inspired to design something new. I guess we all need those down times, right? But it's not so bad 'cause then I get a chance to work on other patterns I've been collecting but never seem to have the time to do. So here's a couple of projects I finished recently.

I was organizing (i.e. rearranging) the clutter in my studio and found these stitcheries I'd made using a Buttermilk Basin (www.buttermilkbasin.com) pattern called "Saltbox Village Through the Year." I'd finished them awhile ago and had thought of combining them in a wallhanging but couldn't decide on a design. I looked through a book of patterns called "Rainbow Cottage" by Lynette Anderson (www.lynetteandersondesigns.typepad.com) and when I saw the wallhanging called "Cottage Sampler" I knew that was the setting I wanted. So I borrowed her colour scheme and idea of 9-patch blocks with the hearts stitched in the center of each and this is the final result. I handquilted around all the stitchery blocks and I love how it turned out. The stitchery blocks are tea-dyed but it's not as dark or yellow as in the picture. It's raining outside (again!) so I had to take the picture indoors.

Here's a close-up of the December block.

The second project I finished was this "House on the Square" pattern by Jacqueline Paton Designs. The houses are tiny--just 2" square and the pattern called for the doors and windows to be stenciled but I decided to make them out of felted wool, along with the chimneys and stars, and whipstitch them on. I finished it off with handquilting. Again, it's not as dark as the picture shows.

Here's a close-up.

I think that's all for today! Time to make a yummy dessert for my quilting buddies who are coming over tonight.