Thursday, October 15, 2009

Where are Your Socks and Shoes??

It's a question I've asked often of my 14-year-old daughter lately, as she walks out the door for school in the morning, thirty degree temps and a hint of snow on the ground -- wearing flip-flops on her feet. It's so hard to let go of summer...

But this is about different socks and shoes. Two-dimensional ones, painstakingly hand-stitched in needle-turned applique on 8-1/2" squares of fabric. These are not my daughter's socks and shoes. Though I guess they might be, someday. ;o)

As is the case with so many of my quilting projects, this one began a few years back and is still a work-in-progress. In 2006, Pat Sloan introduced a block-of-the-month program titled, "Where are Your Socks and Shoes?" and I faithfully downloaded the pattern each month.

I did not so faithfully make the blocks.

In January 2007, my sewing machine was in the shop for minor repairs, and when one is out of a sewing machine, one is often overcome by a sudden, uncanny need to sew. Desperate for handwork, I pulled out my "socks and shoes" patterns, and quickly completed the blocks for January (Moon Boots) and February (Ice Skates):


I was on a roll! For a minute. Then my sewing machine came back from the shop and I was on to other things...

These two blocks sat in a baggie in my sewing room closet, sadly ignored, until just a few weeks ago, when I finally completed four more:

The March Bunny Slippers


The April Wedges


The May Flip-Flops


And the October Halloween Socks -- because, well, I had my Halloween prints out.


So, I'm halfway there. One by one, I'm finding my socks and shoes. Hopefully it won't be another two-years-plus before we see them all!



You can keep up with the latest from Pat Sloan at her blog, Pat Sloan's Corner, and be sure to check out her free pattern page. I just downloaded a few more, myself, because Lord knows I need more projects! LoL Farmer's Market, oh my gosh, SO cute...

2 comments:

Jean said...

These are so cute!!! They will make an adorable quilt.

Sandi Linn Andersen said...

You do beeeeeautiful applique, Heather!! Love the socks and shoes blocks. I never collected that one but I printed out all the Farmer's Market blocks!! I started it last June, then the back problems developed and I've been outa-whack ever since then. LOL! I have one block done, but hope to get back to it next spring. I've got oodles of my own blocks plus tons I've printed out from other sites and so I have plenty to keep me busy for now!