Design Wall Monday

  CTS blocks are still up on design wall 1  — waiting for those two missing house blocks before I can start on the sashing.  I also can’t start on the sashing yet because I ordered a new fabric to possibly use for it.  Something with a little more color than the navy tone on tone I originally bought.  The new stuff may be a bit too pastel but it’s hard to tell from just the online swatch.  But in any event it’s a lovely batik so will get used even if it doesn’t work for this project.

Design wall 2 still has the stained glass runner stuck on it tho it is now quilted and binding pinned for final hand stitching.  But heck I’ve been too busy knitting to do that hand stitching on the runner or the butterfly wallhanging that just needs the binding done.

Here’s how far I am on the first sock of my third party of Opal Socktoberfest challenge socks – down to the straight-away of the foot.  I like how the pattern on the leg broke up the stripes a bit and then the sole shows the stripes.  I just happened  to have some brown solid Opal that matched the stripey yarn perfect so decided I’d do the heel flap and toes in the brown.  I’m always so paranoid I’ll run out of yarn so nothing to worry about when mixing in the solid.

  And don’t miss out on the sale at EQ Boutique — they have extended it a day or two.  The code for the percentage off is in one of my blog posts from the weekend or on the Eq Boutique site.

Opal Bonanza

  I gathered all the Opal yarns from the stash in anticipation of the start of the Opal Socktoberfest Challenge.  Click on the button in the left sidebard for the challenge if you haven’t checked it out yet.  It’s just for fun but there’s some free yarn involved – can’t get better than that.

So now to decide which one of those I want to use first.  It won’t be the couple of solid colors because I bought those to have around for heels and toes on other yarns if I think I may be running short on yarn.    But there’s plenty to choose from.  If I meet my own personal challenge number of four pairs of socks – that means one a week — that means some speedy knitting to be sure so we’ll see  if I can really make it.

 

And here’s the Houses in the Woods blocks for CTS that I have finished so far.  A couple more to make yet.

 

  There was a bit of an earthquake on the design wall that holds the CTS blocks.  It was the second design wall I put up when the other  one was full and I had the window open because it was such a lovely day and there was a bit of a cross breeze going through the apartment.  Right past the buildings — which were on the wall but of course are now on the floor – not all of them but there was definitely a building collapse going on!

Monday Design Wall and CTS BOM Clarification

I see wordpress was up to it’s old tricks again and posted a photo yesterday – only one of two – and no text. ;-( ( Bad wordpress!)

Nothing on the design wall today but this is quilt is spread on the table since I’m quilting on it.

  Full quilt is in pictured in the previous post.  I’m one block shy of having half the blocks that are surrounded by pink quilted. The pink triangles are meandered and the floral wreaths have a large freemotion flower in them.  The pink border has half feathers.  Haven’t decided what I’ll do in the green blocks yet.

There’s been a few emails with questions regarding CTS – which stands for ChristmasTown Sampler – A Collaboration Among Friends BOm which starts next month.

Please read the CTS page (click the button in the sidebar) because I think you will find the answers to your questions there.  At least the majority of the questions we are willing to answer at this point. 😉

Like several people have asked if there is applique — you will see on that page that it says there “may” be applique.  So there “may be” — but that’s all part of the mystery of those center blocks – you’ll just have to wait and see if there is. 😉

When  will you get the patterns for the border blocks.  You will get one of them every month right along with all the other patterns you get each month.  Remember it’s also a blog hop so EACH month you will go to ALL FOUR of our blogs to collect that month’s pattern that EACH of us had designed.

We hope you’ll join us — it’s going to be a fun quilt!

Denise

Design Wall Monday

I looked at the alarm clock this morning and was just about to panick when I remembered – today is still a vacation day. 🙂

Woven Ribbons has come down off the design wall since I need to wait for the backing to arrive before I can go any further with that.  Just Butterflies is acutally on the floor in front of the design wall as I toss fabrics every so often at it from the stash to see if I like it for a border.  So far no luck – found one I liked colorwise but the print is too overpowering so will search some more later.

But what IS on the design wall is CUPCAKES!  (I haven’t had breakfast – they are making me hungry).

As I was digging through the tops and blocks storage tubs yesterday I decided I really needed to pull a baggie of something out of there and get it finished.  So grabbed these wrinkly cupcake blocks.  “Cake” and “frosting” are all batiks.  I can remember making these oh, probably 5 years so so ago.  I’ll be cutting down the block size since there’s too much background around them and come up with a setting for them.

These were also in the baggie — I consider these “Muffins” since they look far to healthy with their fruit on top. 🙂 Ummm… muffins… those woudl be good for breakfast…. These will be something separate – maybe a set of potholders or something.

 

 

 

And as I was digging through fabrics I decided to change my mind again on what fabrics I will use for my March Wallhanging borders.     My original plan was to use these but there is not enough value contrast between them.

But among the Sand in My Shoes fabrics I found this purple shaded ombre.  I think it could be interesting since the checkboard style border will change shades.  So I may have to start on those borders today too.

But better turn off the computer if I’m going to get anything done.

Denise

Design Wall Monday

 Woven Ribbons is still up on the design wall from the weekend – awaiting it’s borders.  Those I hope to get on this week sometime.

I was digging in the knitting basket yesterday afternoon.  When I organized the yarn I put the various scarves, mittens and socks in progress in one basket so I can just pick one up and work on it when the mood strikes.

Yesterday afternoon I pulled out this scarf – which only had about an inch done  at that point.  But between last night and the bus ride to and from work, it’s grown about 12″.

The colors look a bit harsher than they are in real life (due to the lighting in my living room) they are a bit softer looking.  I love the colors in this yarn.  It’s a Lion Brand Yarn I picked up at a local shop called “Amazing” and the color is Regatta.  The pattern is  found at the SSYC blog http://simplysockyarn.typepad.com/simply_socks_yarn_co/2008/08/noro-wave-scarf-pattern.html.  The pattern is written for sock yarn but what I’m using is heavier so I opted for the part of  the directions with few repeats/stitches across it.  I used the same size needles as called for in the pattern so since I’m using thicker yarn, it’s not quite as lacy looking as the original but I really like it.  It’s super easy with just one row of four where you have to remember the pattern stitch but after a repeat or two it’s easy to remember.  Another great project to work on while riding to and from work.

Denise

Design Wall Monday

Just Butterflies is now off the floor and up on the design wall.  I still haven’t decided on the fabric for the sashing, cornerstones or borders yet.  That will have to wait a few days.

Another new sock has been started – not that I’ve finished all the other ones yet – but I have several at various points to pick up and knit on when the mood strikes.  Some are easy ones where I don’t have to pay much attention to what I’m doing (great for working on  during the bus ride to work) and others I have to pay more attention to the pattern so they get worked on more on the weekends when I have a block of time to concentrate on them.  Here’s the current one I’m working on.  I like the subtle color changes.

Monday Design wall

Well it’s actually a design table rather than a wall since I’ve currently got the pieces laying in place to see if I liked the fabrics.  I found another fabric in the stash that has the same coloring as some of the fabrics I had bought so used that for the little heart blocks and will see if it will work for part of the ribbon border.  But I like the way it looks laid out so far.

I started working last night on the upcoming February Year of Wallhanging project.  Got my background for the center sewn and the little hearts pinned in place so I can start appliquing them.

But before I start appliquing on this one, I need to get the heart quilt for donation binding finished tonight.  The other Continous Chain donation quilt headed off in the mail today. 

 I did take that whole unruly pile of batiks I had pulled from their suitcase storage and they are all now folded or pieces to small to fold nicely have beeng baggied for the scrap drawers.  So one less mess.  Now I just have to find room in the stash shelves for them.

This sock is nearly finished off too.  Just a few more decrease rows for the toe and I can get started on it’s mate.  The colors have gone from what looks like dripping ice cream down the leg to just little splotches of color on the foot where there were more stitches.  Part of the fun of hand dyeds yarns is you never really know how they will look knitted up.

Denise

Design Wall Monday

Finally some blocks on the design wall.  They are not trimmed to their final size yet but here’s what I’ve got so far.

The upper left below it are the same print but in different color backgrounds so I think I may switch the black background one out and make another to mat the double cardinals in the lower right corner so I don’t have two of the same prints next to each other.  So two blocks left to make before I trim them up and can start setting together with the sashing.

I posted an EQ drawing of a large snowglobe block I plan to use in another project wher the inside of the snowglobe is all appliqued rather than just a solid fabric like these.

Here’s the layout I came up with for that block.  Another project to add to my list of things I want to make .  🙂

 

Denise

Design Wall Monday

This is what would be on my design wall if not for the flood in my sewing room over the weekend I previously posted about. 🙂  So the deisgn wall has become the design floor.  Got all my Continiuous Chain Blocks sewn together.  Added the first border — and ran amuck.  The top and bottom borders are a different width and the sides to accommodate the pieced border.  I sewed them on in the opposite positions. Drat! Of course they are trimmed to size so can’t take them off and switch them and I think there’s no more fabric left.  So am contemplating finishing this quilt as it and then using the pieced blocks for the border, which are already done as just a little child’s quilt and then they can both be donated.  Will think on that a while longer.

I also finished writing the instructions for Christmas Charm which I had planned to post on Thanksgiving.  I’ve got a busy week ahead and decided to post them now so I don’t forget about it.  You can find them in a link in the right sidebar.  Enjoy!

Denise

Design Wall Monday

Finally, something up on the design wall.  This is Continuous Chain BOM and my center blocks are all done and ready to start sewing rows.

 

A friend and I had been talking about all those little left over bits of yarn that get scattered around in various baskets, bags and other containers and just get tangled up.  I’ve got lots of them from socks I’ve made, but what to do with them?  Then I remembered this.

  It’s a large green (tho the flash doesn’t really show that it’s green) Ball Mason jar.  So I spent an evening untangling those left over sock yarns and making little balls out of them to fill the jar.  It represents somewhere between 15 to 20 pairs of socks I’ve made.  And it even serves a purpose, other than just holding the balls since the whole thing is a lamp my Dad made for me.

The lamp and table really are not on a slant — just the camera when I took the picture.  But until I decide to make something out of all those leftovers, (I’ve got some christmas ornaments planned for them – little socks and hats), they are all nicely contained.

I’ve also been working on a holiday themed project but I’m sort of tired of red and green and prefer Christmas themed quilts that aren’t necessarily in traditional colors.  The colors in this one remind me of a frosty morning.  It’s not done yet, but time to find some dinner!

Denise