Change of plans

That yarn I previously posted had to be put aside for something different.  The sock pattern I wanted to try called for a bit more than was on that skein so didn’t wnat to take the chance on running out.  So here’s the new socks started.  I’ve got tons of this sock yarn since I think I originally bought it for a little shawl or scarf or something since there’s many little skeins of it in the stash.

You can kind of see the elongated stitches between the rib that makes the pattern.  Pretty easy pattern to remember so it’s moving along nicely even tho it’s done on smaller needles than I usually use for my socks.

Here’s the Continuous Chain all quilted.

It ended up with a Snow /snowman print on the back.  Binding is all pinned in place so I just need to get it hand stitched to the back.

The meatloaf and roasted potatoes in the oven are smelling good – time to get that asparagus going.  Yummm — a real meal for a change.

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

The lonely Snowglobe

I have vowed to get some sewing time in today!  So far, laundry and decorating the Christmas Tree has been taking up my time but the tree is nearly done.   I pulled out my Snowglobe kit which I had worked on a little while on vacation last fall — very little in fact since there’s only this one little lonely snowglobe finished.

It needs 8 more blocks before I can start setting them together but several more have the pieces all cut out and ready to go and they are pretty quick to hand applique so I hope to make some progress on those this afternoon.  I had hoped to have it finished and hung by Christmas.  I don’t see that happening but hope to get it finished and quilted while on vacation the end of the month so it can hang the rest of the winter season.

Each year I usually buy a couple of new ornaments to add to the collection for the tree — or sometimes more than a couple! 🙂  This year so far, only two cute little birds that clip on.  The clip on ornaments fill in those spots where a hanging one just won’t fit.  Here’s one of them – a little bluebird only about and inch and a half long.

So many ornaments bring back fond memories of past Christmases.  The most precious are the old ones.  I have about a half dozen  that were my Mother’s grandmothers.  More than a 100 years old now.  They are flaking paint, a little more each year, but the still sparkle on the tree.  Then there’s another group that my parents got when first married that I remember from our trees growing up – they’re now over 50 years old.  There was one disaster tho as I was unwrapping them.  A large – nearly 5″ in diameter pretty ball that when I went to pick it up, popped into pieces.  Luckily still in the tissue paper so there wasn’t a huge mess (or an cuts to my poor fingers) to clean up.  Just one more box of ornaments to go and I can get all the boxes off my couch and stored away again. 

Here’s another favorite, my star for the top of the tree.  All the ornaments are European glass style and sparkle and shine so nice against the white tree.

And clearly I’m drawn to pinecones and acorns since there’s no less than a dozen different ornaments that are one of the two styles.

Time to finish getting those ornaments on the tree and then to some sewing.

Denise

Saturday Stuff

  I’m thinking quilting even if I haven’t gotten to do any yet today.  Pull this wallhanging out, Thankful Bounty, which was a Thanksgiving project we did a few years ago on The Quilting Post that I had designed in EQ.  It’s one of my most favorites and it’s time to get it up on the living room wall before the fall season and Thanksgiving is over.

This morning I was out of the house early and off to breakfast with a friend.  Then we did some shopping – groceries and a stop at JoAnn’s so I could get some grommets for the larger Booga Bags I’m knitting.  I got the largest ones they had but it will depend on how much the drawstrings shrink as to whether they are large enough.  May have to do some searching on line for some larger ones.  These are just plain metal ones.  I had seen some really pretty ones – plastic in all kinds of colors at Wisconsin Quilt Expo but didn’t have anything in mind for them so didn’t get any.  If only I had seen the Booga bags at that time I would have been well stocked.

Speaking of Booga Bags – here’s a large one I have all knit and ready to go into the washer for felting.

  Aren’t those colors pretty!   I used a double strand for the drawstring for this one – one trand of the solid aqua and  the other of the multicolored Noro. 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve started another and here’s how far I’ve gotten. Blues, lilac and grays.  I’ve got one more to make after I finish this one.

We also stopped at Wisconsin Craft Market – sort of like Michael’s but on a smaller scale – and I found this great looking yarn.

It’s a lovely hairy mohair blend I plan to use for a scarf – once all the gifts are finished since I think I’ll claim it for me. Pretty shades of light purples.  Now I just have to find the right pattern to use it for.

The weather today has nixed my original plans to get the flower pots outside emptied and put away and get the table and chairs brought in.  It’s a rainy day and now the cushions on the chairs need to dry out too.  Hopefully next weekend will be a sunny one so I can get it done or they may end up covered in snow one of these days!  It’s too dark when I get home now to do it in the evening.

Now to get the latest bag in the wash and start it felting and then back to some knitting.  My knit along socks haven’t made much progress since I finished the heel since the gifts have taken priority but I may get a few more rows added to it today.

Denise

The Wedding Quilt

Here it is.  I put the finishing stitches in the binding and label at 3 a.m.  this morning. WHEW!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hmmm.. now what shall I work on?  Seems like I’ve been mostly busy with graduation quilts and this wedding quilt.  Of course there are many possibilities — tubs of tops to be quilted, a tub of swap blocks to be made into something, the quest to make a Christmas quilt for my parents, sibilings, nieces and nephews, Continuous Chain to work on, Christmas Charm to start on, and way too many other projects in progress.  Of course then there’s all those new projects I want to make.  So many decisions so for now, think I’ll go see if I can find some fabric to make some pillowcases.

Denise

 

More Crocus Clusters

My Crocus Cluster blocks are progressing.  The four grouped blocks are my center and are all done.  The block on the right is one of the outer blocks and I decided I wanted to add a third green into my version of the quilt to add a  more little variety on the version I’m making.  And those stems shown in the original pattern I’m not going to be putting on mine – I plan to quit in the leaf veins or maybe feathers down the centers of the leaves so decided to leave off the stem applique.

My greens are looking a bit blah in the photo.  The darkest leaf is sort of pea soup color but the green in the squares that meet up are actually a really pretty celery color – just don’t want to photograph right.

But remember, it will be your quilt your making and no reason it has to be purples.  See some images below where I switched out some of the colors.  The pink reminds me of rosebuds.

Design Wall Monday

 Here’s what’s on the design wall today.  More pieces of Continuous Chain I was working on yesterday.

But here’s what’s not on the design wall.

 

 

 

 All the dampness in the air having the windows open yesterday while it was drizzling must have sent them tumbling off the wall.  Good thing it was just a temporary spot and they weren’t really laid out in order.

Check this out. 

 Pat Bandura sent me a photo of the quilt she made for her grandson from my Baxter at the Beach design in the EQ download files.  It turned out wonderful Pat and look at that ribbon! she entered it in her local show and it took first place.  She added her own touch with the border pattern which sets if off so nicely.  One lucky grandson! Congratulations Pat! and thanks for sharing the photo.

 

Denise

Saturday Sewing

Well, once again I haven’t gotten to any sewing yet today.  It’s a Quilting Post PJ party weekend (a weekend a month we set side to try to spend sewing (in pjs optional) and chatting about what we’re working on).  Tho I didn’t stay in my PJs to sew sinice I went out to weed my little garden plot early this morning — didn’t want to scare the neighbors with me in my pjs!  But then got sidetracked as usual playing with an EQ design I was working on.  

This is what a single block looks like.  It’s square here but is actually set as a rectangular block in the design below. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I lightened the background color – which I like better – but look what happens when you set them together.  I love the secondary designs it creates – some of them looking curvy even though it’s all straight seams.  And some great open areas for quilting.   There’s still some tweaking to be done  – like the pieced border area looks a bit heavy for the airy design of the rest of it – so will have to work on that a bit.  Any name suggestions for this one? Nothing has come to me yet. 🙂

 I did get some sewing done last night on Continous Chain.  Here’s one group of blocks all done.

Now I can start on the alternate blocks.  Although I love the fabrics I picked, I think this one won’t have the same look as my original design since I don’t have as much value difference in what I chose for the light and dark shades of my blues and reds.  It will still be a pretty quilt, and the patriotic colored fabrics will be great since it will go to a fund raiser for the Flag Day Musuem, yet it won’t have the same play between the lights and darks that the original drawing does.  Be sure to check out Continous Chain in the right side bar. This BOM starts the first Saturday in July — I’ve already spied some fabrics in the stash that I think will look more like the original – better value between lights and darks so hope to get this one finished off soon so I’m ready to start on the second one and sew along with those who join in the BOM.

EQ File Sharing Tutorial

I’ve gotten many emails asking how I load my EQ files to share on the blog.  So have added a little tutorial on the right sidebar on how I do it.  Hope this helps all who want to share their files. 🙂

Continuous Chain BOM – Revised Yardage and Cutting Instructions Now Available

Click the link on the right sidebar for Continuous Chain to get the new file I just loaded.  The yardage estimate by EQ is a little different than the final yardage based on my cutting instructions – some fabrics a bit more, some a bit less – due to how I chose to piece things.  For instance, the pieced border was drawn so that it’s all half square triangles. I don’t know about you, but I can do WITHOUT having to make 288 of those darn things. 🙂  So I changed up how some sections will be pieced (like all those HSTS) to get the same look, but I think that accounts for the yardage discrepancies. 

Attached to the revised yardage you will also find the cutting chart so have at it! You can get all your fabrics cut and you’ll be ready to start sewing come July 3.