Coloring Outside the Lines Top

It’s done – all borders added to the top and I really like the way it turned out – despite the fact that I kept sewing the triangles in the last border the wrong way so had to rip out a few and get them spun around correctly.
Now I just have to search the stash for where I put the fabric I bought with the crayons printed on it.  I may just have enough for the backing since I decided to make the smaller quilt.   Plus added benefit of making the smaller quilt — I’ve got some of all of these fabrics left over for other projects. 

I did get some fresh air earlier walking down to the mailboxes and back.  It’s in the teens and bright and sunny so it looks nicer than it actually is but I was out of the wind so not too bad through I wouldn’t want to spend too much time out there. 

So think it’s time to clean up my sewing mess on the dining table (just too chilly in the sewing room) and perhaps go knit for a while  AFTER I peruse the pizza and other delivery food coupons I found in my mailbox.  Yep I think someone needs to bring be dinner tonight.

Quilting Stuff

If you like mystery quilts — go to friend Sheryl’s blog today – she’s presenting a New Year’s Day mystery and you can collect the clues!

As for me, my plan if I ever get off the computer since I’ve puttered away most of the morning, is to get the borders on my Coloring Outside the Lines quilt.  I’ve got just one more pieced border section to stitch together and a plain border to add before I can attach the pieced border.  So hopefully that one will be a finished top today and I can get it ready to quilt later this week and just maybe have something to put on the first stashbusting report for 2013!

Equilter had the cutest singing bird fabric so I had to order some of that yesterday for the backing for my Song Bird design.  It was just so perfect.  But I already told Judy that fabric purchased in 2012 does not get added into the 2013 stash enhancement if it was paid for “last year”. LOL  In any event, it shouldn’t stay long in the stash since it was actually purchased with a true purpose/project in mind.

Now to make some brunch (orange chocolate chip scones are warming in the oven), get dressed and get to the sewing!  No football here — even tho the WI Badgers are in the Rose Bowl — it will be old movies and sewing for my  New Year’s Day.

Batik Lifesaver Block Swap

Just a few reminders on the Batik Lifesaver Block Swap since the mailing  dates are coming up the end of this month.  If you didn’t sign up for this swap, you can ignore this blog post.

There are a lot of swappers signed up for this so it will take some time to get all  the blocks swapped.  If you are participating you MUST double check those swap rules so your package does not come back unswapped or your blocks are not returned because you didn’t follow the directions.  Below are just a few of the highlights to makes sure you have done correctly  but please reread all your swap rules and make sure your blocks conform.  If you did not follow the rules, please don’t send me your blocks.

• You used only the required fabrics – Kona black and batiks (no hand dyed) per swap rules.
• Your seam allowances are all PRESSED OPEN per swap rules
• Your blocks measure 8.5″ x 8.5″  (not 8.0″ x 8.0″ or 8.0″ x 8.25″).  If your blocks are not the correct size they cannot be swapped.  Measure each one of your blocks before sending them.
• Threads are trimmed
• Follow all mailing and postage instructions (STAMPS ONLY FOR RETURN PACKAGES  – NO POSTAGE STICKERS PRINTED ON LINE OR FROM THE POST OFFICE).
• Mail your swap packages to me no earlier than January 25 and no later than February 2.  If you do not mail on or before Feb  2 I will not get your package in time to swap it. 
• IF YOU DO NOT GET YOUR BLOCKS IN THE MAIL ON TIME OR SIGNED UP BUT ARE NOT SENDING BLOCKS FOR ANY REASON — PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SHOW ME THE COURTESY OF LETTING ME KNOW.   Just send me an email so I can keep track of who should be mailing packages and who should be crossed off my list.
• I plan to do the swapping the following weekend after the last mailing deadline if nothing interfers but in any even will post a block message to let you know when they are put back in the mail.

They are simple swap rules but you’d be amazed how many people simply didn’t  follow the rules on past swaps.  I can’t stress this enough – if your blocks don’t follow the rules, they will be returned unswapped and you know you would be very disappointed with that and it  is also a huge waste of my time to have to deal with blocks, etc. that clearly don’t meet the swap rules.

Now dang – I ordered some fabric on line for one of the bird designs and never thought to order Kona — I’ve got to get busy and get my blocks done but they are really quick and easy to make.  Have you got your blocks started? done?

 

A New Year Means New Projects

And if you’re looking  for new projects – if you’re a quilter there’s Stitchin with Justquiltin and Strictly for the Birds and if you’re a knitter (or crocheter) there’s the Sticks ‘ n Strings Challenge.  Information on all those projects can be found by clicking their respective buttons in the sidebar.  All information for each project will be  updated on those pages.   I’m sure there will be other random projects  – like a mystery quilt and a new Socktoberfest Challenge and whatever else my busy little mind comes up with – throughout the year.

Here’s the final pair of socks I finished about 9:00 last night — my 21st pair for the 12 in 2012 challenge.  21 pairs of socks – I’m very pleased with that and would never have throught I could get that many done in a year.  There’s at least 2 or three other socks that are only singles I did this past year that I need to make the mates on so I did knit on average about 2 pairs of socks per month in addition to the three Camp Loopy projects, the Rockefeller mystery shawl (which is only about half done and on my UFK list for this year, a couple scarfs (some of those on the UFK list) and a cowl.

 
 Also, you may remember the stranded mittens I had started with the purple and black yarns  that I ripped out because they were going to be too small.  Well I ripped the out and on  Christmas Day, decided I really liked those two yarns together and the purple shades just happened to go with a coat that has that color in the plaid of it.  So I decided to crochet a quicky cowl using those yarns held together since I don’t have a scarf or anything for that winter coat. So in a day or two I had this cowl completed.
I’ve been wearing it the last couple of days and it’s cozy and warm.  After finishing the socks last night I pulled out the scarf I had previously started with two strands of sock yarn — it’s made using the pattern for the One Row Handspun Scarf from Ravelry – super easy knitting.  I’ll probably knit another 10″ or so or until I run out of yarn.
  So, if you participated in the 12 in 2012 Challenge and have not updated us on how you fared, please let us know.  Did you meet your goals?  Are there 12 new pairs of lovely warm socks at your house?