Monthly Archives: September 2009
Mini Quilt Swap Received!!
What did I find in my mailbox today but the mini quilt from the summer mini quilt swap!
Here it is
It’s called Dancing Daisys. Thank you Sheree!! It’s lovely. I love the background fabrics you used (I love bright colors) and the raw edge appliqued daisies with button centers are so cute. And she’s even got the quilt name along with her name and year appliqued on the lower front edges. For now, it brightens up that chair in my living room where I can see and enjoy it and adds a nice spark of color to that corner of my living room. She also wrapped it in a pretty piece of fabric with lovely ribbon — will have to find something to use them in – and sent a lovely tote bag that has a piece of the same fabric from the quilt on it. The tote will definitely get used to carry my purse and lunch and all the othe stuff I drag to and from work each day. Again, thank you Sheree for the great goodies!
Soctoberfest
e knit hats, scarfs, afghans, baby layettes, sweaters, slippers, and living in Wisconsin – enough mittens that I can make them without looking at a pattern. None of those items have their own special month. And being new to sock knitting, I was ignorant until recently of that apparently well known (to many, just not me) sock knitter’s event, Socktoberfest. Hmm.. a month to celebrate sock knitting.. does Hallmark have a card for that?? But I really like knitting socks – such a great portable project to grab and go. So when Judy L. mentioned Socktoberfest on her blog earlier this week and set out her goals I decided I should join in as well.
Now, I’ve seen Judy’s socks and they’re gorgeous and were what made finally decide to try knitting socks within the last year. And she mentioned one of her favorite places to buy sock yarn on line — well I had to check it out and with a few clicks a beginner pattern, needles and gorgeous yarn was headed my way. (I need to stop paying attention to Judy – she’s costing me money!) LOL But then maybe she’s just doing her best to keep me off the streets and out of trouble! So now I’m going to have to set some goals for Socktoberfest I suppose. 🙂 So here goes…
1) I want to finish the mates to both of these pairs – this should be doable since both mates have at least already been started.
2) I want to at least get started (if not finish) a new pair using this pattern. Haven’t decided on the yarn yet but have plenty to choose from. Most of my socks (okay – I’ve only “finished” one pair but have 4 single socks done) have been either the pattern shown on the left or a total ribbed leg sock. Both very simple so I want to branch out to something just a little different and I like just the simple little lace insert down the sides in that pattern. I like patterns I can easily memorize and not have to pay close attention to or follow a chart.
3) I would also like to start on this pattern. A little more adventurous than the last pattern but shouldn’t be too bad.
Now since I’m going to be doing all this sock knitting (which will all be Christmas gifts so I do need to get moving along) I had to stop and pick up a few supplies. I needed point protectors since I keep dropping stitches off my needles when traveling with the sock in process to and from work (yes I’m very adept at picking up those dropped stitches) and I also needed some different size needles for one of the patterns I want to try. Well…. there happened to be a bit of a sale on sock yarn. Yes, some of that yarn came home with me, however the camera flash is washing it out – the colors are much more wonderful than they look in that photo.
But hey – I did remember the point protectors and the new needles!
Now look at this pattern – green and purple – great sock colors and the design is half square triangles – the perfect socks for a quilter!!But it looks a bit too putzy for me to want to try it, but may be some day – they are just fun looking socks tho! Course I’d need to find the right purple and green yarns before I could possibly start them!
So off the computer and on to some socks!
No quilting so far this week – but some knitting
I finished off the sock I was working on – another pair mated up. Then right away I started on the mate to finish off another pair that was started so I wouldn’t be tempted to dig into some new hank of yarn and create another lonely single sock. So I’m working on the heel of the current one.
The pepper plant I let go to red – well they are really red now and nearly ready for picking. A few days more and I should be able to pick them all and they will be done. And I’m swimming in tomatoes. All those romas I thought would get ripe – well they finally did and nearly alll at once. But they are so good. I may freeze a few containers of them to use in casseroles, etc. just so I don’t have to eat them at every meal.. but I’m not complaining. They taste so much better than store bought!
Pictures of finished socks still need to be taken! and I have to figure out what I want to finish /start? for Socktoberfest!
What’s on the Design wall today?
It’s Baxter Bear’s Wild Ride. Last week I had the side borders pieced but not attached, not the entire pieced border has been added. I was going to add another one but I think I like it this size. May applique some holly and berries in the corner sections but will stare at it a bit longer to decide if I really want to or not. I also just realized that he’s supposed to have a tiny holly and berry design on the front curved section of his sled I haven’t added yet either. But with his goggles and scarf flapping in the breeze, he’s ready for a run down the snowy hill.
Checked the mailbox today and what did I find…..
The lovely needle case and yummy cherry red sock yarn that I won from one of Judy L’s giveaways. Thank you Judy!!! Now the dilemma …. finish socks I already have started or start new ones with this yarn! Decisions decisions! But I do have the mate to another pair nearly finished… down to the last couple of rows… so should get that one done tonight. Then I’ll have to look into the sock yarn basket and see how many single socks still need mates. Once the current one is done, that’s at least two pairs I have finished without starting a new pair so there’s progress in getting all those socks paired up. May need to finish up the others first and wait to start the red ones since the others will be Christmas gifts and the red ones will be mine mine all mine. 🙂
Saturday progress
Amid several interruptions – a bit of laundry, cleaning out the fridge, going out for lunch, and stopping at the grocery store, I did manage to get a start on one of the projects on the design wall. It took forever to get Baxter squared up properly – he just wasn’t cooperating – but finally did it, added a skinny red border and now I’m on to a pieced border with offset squares. Here’s what I’ve got so far.
The top and bottom border will be the same but I’m playing with EQ trying to figure out how I want the borders to look. The “snow” and the “sky” definitely blend a bit too much in this one but he was too cute not to finish.
And look… more goodies from the garden pots. I left one pepper plant go and haven’t picked them and they are now turning into lovely red peppers – nearly ripe enough to pick.
Catching up
It’s been a busy week and I haven’t gotten to the sewing machine and when I tried to post on the blog earlier in the week my dial up was having fits and kept knocking me off line so I finally gave up.
So, to bring things up to date….last week’s design wall items are finished! Yep, both of them. Here’s the four holiday blocks finished. And the plum basket was posted here.
I put two new projects up on the wall this past Monday, tho so far no progress has been made on them tho I plan to remedy that today.
The one on the left is a block I received in a “In the Garden” or some such similar named block swap many years ago. All the blocks had to have a garden theme. The garden angel looks like she’s got her hand out offering seed to a bird so I may need to put some french knot “birdseed” in her hand and maybe find a ceramic button bird to add. But first I need to figure out some borders for it.
On the right is “Baxter Bear” of “Baxter’s Wild Ride” – one of the free EQ download patterns** – tho this center block is not the same as the finished design since it lacks trees and some other details.
**I remembered a day after posting this message that this file is not in the EQ dowloads yet – it’s one that, despite printing just fine for me, won’t upload and gives an error message so there must be an open line somewhere that I haven’t had time to locate yet.**
I decided after making this version that it was too plain with all the snowy fabrics so went back and added some applique trees in Baxter’s snowy scene. This one will just get some simple borders, not the many paperpieced trees in the orignal design – tho I do want to make that one too. I’ve been collecting new fabrics that will work for snow and snowy shadows to make the final EQ version of this project.
And while I’m at it – the stashbusting report….Hmmm… no sewing this week other than hand finishing bindings so nothing purchased, nothing used. Now to get busy in the sewing room so I have some stash busting to report next week!
Stashbusting report
The stash is getting busted – several more projects have neared completion – but then there was this
Those were my fabric purchases at Quilt Expo – not to bad since they are only FQs. But I do LOVE the new bendy LED light I got to attach to my sewing machine. It’s great!
So stash used this week, 11 yards; YTD 198 yds
Purchased this week 4 yds; YTD 135 – net 63 yds used.
Here’s where some of that fabric went
And there’s still several larger projects waiting to get their binding sewn down and as I look back at the photos posted in the last week or so – boy, lots of blocks/projects have finally found their way out of the UFO boxes and into the light.
In addition to the plum basket that was on the design wall last Monday (which is finished and pictured in a prior post) , the 4 holiday blocks that were up there to are now sew into a wallhanging and layered and that will be today’s quilting project. Then I may have to actually start cleaning the sewing room. It’s so messy it’s even driving me nuts and believe me – it can get pretty bad before I think I need to do something about it.
Here’s the photo of the design for the little pillow kit I bought. It was just so sweet in their sample and both my sister and a friend are Wizard of Oz fanatics – well it looks like Toto to me so they may both get one for Christmas. I love the combination of embroidery and crayons. The line of patterns is called Parlour Pilloss by Farmhouse Quilts and they had so many cute designs and some gorgeous hand dyed fabrics so it’s a miracle I walked away with only the kit.
Quilting up a Storm
It’s been another busy weekend of quilting. I got started Friday and several more projects are out of the UFO bins and finished and others are nearing completion.
Here’s two that are now done. I can’t take credit for the humming bird block – it’s been lingering in the swap bin for years and was a block I received from someone else but it turned out as a very cute wallhanging. The bear block was an extra sample block I had made for a Nifty Fifty swap so was a lone orphan in the stash and is now a finished project.
Then there were the mitten swap blocks. I pulled out the machine button hole stitched ones and set them together. Here’s the top. I played with different meanders when quilting the background of the mittens to try out some different things and now just have the binding to sew down which is on tonight’s agenda.
Today was also spent gazing at quilt eye candy at the Wisconsin Quilt Expo. Lots of lovely quilts and lots of lovely vendors! My stashbusting efforts took kind of a hit but not too bad considering I only bought fat quarters. Some to finish a project and some for an upcoming project I’ve started collecting them for which needs to be done before February – a quilt for an auction fund raiser. Also a new little LED light that hooks to the sewing machine which is bendable so can adjust to just the right spot to shed more light when machine quilting so I’m anxious to give it a try. An oh yes, a little kit for a pillow – the top is hand embroidered and colored with crayons and has a cute scruffy dog on it that was just too cute to pass up. I keep thinking it’s Sunday since I took Friday off but no… one more day to sew! 🙂 And look bounty from the garden just picked too!
Friday Sewing
I decided I needed another 3 day weekend so took today off. Ran some errands and then it was back into the sewing room. Somewhere under all those fabric scraps there is carpet but you can’t take a day off work to clean – that would just be wrong – so I’ll continue to add to the disaster as I work on other projects. 🙂
This is the block that was on the design wall on Monday. It’s now a completed little top I call Fresh From the Farmer’s Market. We have a great Farmer’s Market here every Saturday and Wednesday with all likes of wonderful items to buy all grown by local farmers. The fruit fabrics are all from a swap we did several years ago of fruit and veggie FQs. I still have a stack of them for another project. It would look good in my kitchen but don’t know if I’ve really got a spot to hang it. I used some of the fruit and veggie fabrics, ironed them to freezer paper so they’d hold up and then put them inside old canning jars and have them displayed along the top of my kitchen cabinets along with an old back and white speckled canner. Brightens up that dead space at the top of the cabinet and makes a nice display so may have to see if I can find a place to hang this.
Justquiltin with Denise Russart 