Needlework Tuesday - I'm seeing Triangles

 
Welcome to my first Needlework Tuesday post of 2013.  Yesterday I celebrated the New Year with my 1000th blog post.  That's going to be a lofty milestone to top, but I sure am going to try.  Have you been stitching in the new year?  Be sure to leave a comment with a url to your recent post and I'll add a link a thte bottom of this post.

My sister Nancy is rather pleased that I have been stitching.  She was visiting from Calgary for the holidays.  She really wanted an Easy Bake oven, but it didn't happen.  Instead she got fabric.  Well, I was showing her what I had been working on, and she liked it.  So, both items found their way into her luggage.  First, is the serendipity Bag from Fabric Palette. It's called the Round Trip bag on their website, but same item.  It uses 2 1/2 inch strips of fabric.  I used the leftovers from the table runner that you'll see next, so I did have to piece some of my strips.  No big problem.  Looking forward to making more of these.

 Nancy also took home this table runner.  It's from the Razzle Dazzle pattern by Babs n Jas, two local designers from the London, Ontario area.

 After sewing the above two projects, I still had a lot of scraps left.  Standing at my cutting board, I decided that I would use them along with part of a new Marti Michelle template set.  I am using the 2 1/2 inch Strippers templates.  Cutting diamonds and triangles.  The pattern for this giant triangle was on the back of the instruction sheet.  All are cut from the same 2 1/2 inch strip.  There are no sewing directions, so I have included a visual guide for you.  Lay out your pieces so that you wil not confuse them while sewing.  I have set them so that the straight grain lies to the outsideof the block.

Starting in the middle, piece in strips.  I pressed all one direction so that the seams will spiral around the centre point. 

Prepare the next row to expand the triangle. 

Add another row, keeping the triangle shape.

Final row ready.  Yes, I did pin each of the intersections so everything matches up and no points are cut off.

Finished triangle.  I was able to piece three of these using mostly the left over fabrics from the table runner.  As I work through the year on various projects, I will cut more pieces, sewing triangles when ever I have enough.  Some quilters say they sew and extra block for each quilt they make, using that in a sampler at the end of the year.  That doesn't appeal to me. Each block a different pattern and different fabrics.  With this approach, I will have one block but a huge variety of fabrics.  I'm thinking of plain alternate triangles.

 

While on vacation in New Zealand, I bought a little knitting kit to make these adorable fingerless mittens for daughter.  I bought the kit at Wild and Wooly in Devonport.  They really don't have much of a web presence.  There is a blog, but it has one lone post and no response to comments.  It's a lovely little store with lots of wool.  My chriteria for shopping, was that it must be kiwi wool.  It is wonderfully soft merino from Touch Yarns.  I will definitely by purchasing more of this.  The kit showed a floral embroidery on the top of the mitts, but that didn 't suit daughter, so she drew me these little ghosties. 

 

 At the same shop, I purchased two balls of  a tweedy orange from Naturally.  it's shade 89.  This time it's a winter hat.  Photos next week.  I need to knit quickly as it's been cold here lately.

 

As I wander around the net and visit with my online friends, I find that many of them have also been busy with their various needles.  I have tried to leave comments and messages of encouragement every where I visit.

 

Marie, at Daisy's Book Journal has finished her afghan and continues to work on two scarves.  The sky scarf is most unique.

 

It's never too soon to get started on items for Christmas 2013.  Visit over at Lit and Laundry and get a first glimpse of Santa's Village.