New EQ Pattern – Sunflower table runner

I just added a new EQ pattern to the download page – a summer themed tablerunner pattern.

Clearly the EQ down load page is a popular item – I’m glad many of you are enjoying the patterns.  Box.net, where my EQ files are stored for download keeps track of the number of downloads and I just know you’re wondering what those statistics are…well maybe not but I’m going to share some of them anyway. 🙂 

Since June 5, 2009 when I loaded the first EQ pattern to my blog, Spring in Baxter’s Garden has been one of the favorites – downloaded 152 times; closely followed by Riding the Waves – 129 times and  Baxter at the Beach – 117 times.  Those are the favorites so far and your bit of download trivia for today!  For you fans of Baxter the Bear – I’m still working on solving the drawing error in Baxter’s Wild Ride – the winter themed wallhanging – and hope to have it resolved soon so it can be posted.

A new sock

Yes – I started another sock but amazingly it is the mate to one of the many shown in yesterday’s post.  Yes I’m determined to pair up those lonely socks.  But then there’s temptation in the air — friend Judy had a giveaway on her blog and I WON! Yeah!! But that means a new luscious red yarn and needlecase will be headed my way.  The red yarn will definitely be a temptation since I’ve been eyeing a couple sock patterns with more than just the plain designs I’ve been making that a solid yarn would be perfect for.  But I shall perservere and finish some of these socks in progress first. 

On the quilting front, I hope to have a photo of the Moon Over the Mountain top all done.  I’ve got one last row to frame and sash and then can sew them all together.  I’m really liking the way its turning out.  It’s supposed to be a humid, warm, stormy weekend so perfect to stay inside and quilt and knit!

Socks – their lonely “single” life

Yes, there are lonely socks at my house, they are single and looking for a mate.  They need to find a dating service for socks  – or they need me to stop trying out all the new lovely yarns and actually make them a mate!!  Here they are – aren’t they pretty.

   The dark one on the bottom just needs it’s toe woven together and it will be finished too.  But I have vowed I will finish their mates – well may not all of them – but a few of them before trying out any new yarn… well I’ll finish at least one of them… before trying out any new yarn.  I really like the way the ones with the all ribbed tops fit tho they look a bit odd when they are finished but that ribbing is very stretchy.

But yes I shall make them some mates so they don’t have to be lonely forever.  However, there is this…..

 

 

 Yes, it’s new sock yarn!  A dear friend who knows of my fairly recent fetish with making socks gave it to me for my birthday last week.  It’s such pretty shades of green – one of my favorite colors – and she wasn’t sure how much I needed so got two skeins which is enough for two pairs of socks.  I know she’d dearly love hand knit socks so she may get a pair for christmas made from this yarn.  Will power – I shall not break open the wrapper on this yarn until at least one sock above has a mate!  Maybe……

 

 

On the gardening front – in my little patio garden – look at the shiny green peppers peaking out from under these leaves. 

There’s at least six of them peaking out and several more that are hidden among the leaves on these two plants alone.  I’ll have to give them a drink and see if there’s any ready for harvesting.

 

Here’s the rest of my little garden.

It’s a bit hard to make out the plants form all the weeks and grass growing on the other side behind them but they are doing well with lots of tomatoes hanging on the vines too.  I had to get creative and pull the hanging basket crooks to put in behind them to tie the tomatoes to so they don’t fall over from the weight of the tomatoes at the ends of some of the vines.  I’m anxiously awaiting some ripe tomatoes!

The Garden

Dang someone (critter) has been eating on one of my tomatoes. I am not amused.  Knocked it right off the vine.  More peppers should be ready by the weekend and I’ll be chopping them up and freezing them.  Now if my tomatoes would just start turning red or yellow or whatever color they are supposed to be – ripe – yes that’s what I need.   I’ve got the feeling they will all be ripe at the same time and I won’t want to eat another tomato for a good long time but I’ll risk it.

Another sock has been finished — well I still have to weave the toe shut.  Hmm… I got some lovely new sock yarn from a friend… no, I shall work on one of the mates to the other single lonely socks I have finished and NOT start another new one.

From blocks to rows

Most of the Moon over the Mountain blocks that were on the design wall yesterday are now sewn into long rows.  Once again I’ve changed my mind on how to set them together and I think they will be offset as they look on the design wall, with the top and bottom filled in with that purple fabric between the blocks.

I was too lazy to move the ironing board but the botom is offset like the top too.  I’ve got one more row to finish joining that goes on the right side.

Oh it’s stashbusting reporting day – well, I’ve been shopping again – had to buy the fabrics for the sashing and framing on this quilt, and some other fabrics hopped into my bag this weekend – to sash and border a wallhanging.  But I’ve sort of fallen off the wagon (perhaps I need to call a stashbusting sponsor for a pep talk) :-)as far as keeping track on my chart as to fabrics in and fabric used – so I’ll have to play catch up with my little spreadsheet but that’s too much hard thinking for tonight since I have to figure out what I used on a couple projects.  At least the fabrics I bought for sashing, framing and borders won’t end up in the stash since I’ve nearly got them all sewn into their projects already.

And look what I picked froom my garden pots yesterday …

The biggest one was nearly 5″ long – nice big one which was delicious on the salad I had with dinner that night.

There was also some baking going on today.  I love the mixmaster for making bread – it’s my new best friend.  Mixes it up so quickly and no more sore wrists from kneading dough.  Made a loaf of bread and the rest of the dough made into a pan of raisin cinnamon rolls. Yummy!

Swapping and switching

 

 

 

I’ve now spent a great deal of time swapping and switching blocks around on the design wall.   But I don’t know that I’m particularly fond of what I’m coming up with. 

I had them just put up randomly trying to spread the dark/light backround colors around

Then I shuffled them around going from light backgrounds in lower left to darker upper right

And then shifted again

I’ve got one more idea to try but when I look at just a thumbprint photo of these blocks, I do like the way the color of the backgrounds moves across the second photo below.

 

Well, one more shifting around and then I think I’ll just start sewing the framing squares and sashing and see what I think once that is on the blocks.