Saturday, March 24, 2012

Nothing Much Going On Here...

This has not been such a fun week for me.  I was sick with the flu.  I wasn't aware of anyone who had the flu ('cept Pokey) so not sure where I caught it from.  Apparently, this is a very virulent strain...just need to breathe those bad germs in - no need to be in direct contact with someone with the flu - and they're yours!  For better or for worse.  So, I missed some work this week.   I mostly laid around...one day I slept 14 of 19 hours.  That's some kind of record for me, as I sleep no more than 6 hours in 24 on a regular basis.  

I am feeling much better today.  Thank you.

Didn't do much at all.  I had visited the lys (local yarn shop...ohhhhh...what fun!!!) early in the week and had a good look around.  Picked up a skein of yarn, so did a bit of knitting...

a bit of sewing...

and some reading.  Also watched the movie, "Bridesmaids".  
Not really my cup of tea.

Remember when I told you back here that my Aunt/Godmother and me Mum were sending some knitting needles to me?  Well, they sent more than that...and the  package arrived yesterday.  Needles and a few other items...plus some yarn to practice with.  (their stash of yarn would rival my stash of cotton, for sure!).   

Thank you Mum and Bev!

Just gonna hang out this weekend and take it easy.  How about you? 


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not o harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."    Jeremiah 29:11

Monday, March 19, 2012

My Space...

I am, by nature, not very neat.  Fairly messy, in fact.  I have a bad habit of not putting things back where they belong when I'm done with them.  Therefore, things pile up.  Quickly.  And, sometimes way beyond control.  My sister really dislikes this part of me.  So.  I try to keep things picked up.  At least in the common areas of the house.  


edited to add:  I am, however, very particular about many things...where I want things, how I want them done...especially with my sewing and the work I do at my job.

My sewing room is another matter entirely.  When I am working on a project...said project is everywhere!  Every.  Where.  And, I don't put scraps and pieces of fabric away when I finish a project...usually I am excited about starting the next one...so I just keep going...making mess after mess after mess.  My sewing room is small...about 10x10.  So there's not really much room to be messy. 

But, you know...sometimes too much is too much even for me.  Yes, indeed.  So.  My major to-do this past weekend was to straighten up and clean my sewing room.  I didn't take 'before' photos...but here are a few 'after' photos.  (There is no photo of my closet...where I have two shelf units mostly full.  Odds and ends, more books/magazines, office and mailing supplies, plus a few works in progress.)


Here is a nicely arranged shelf unit...
top shelf:  headless dolls and sheepie.  Okay, not really headless...just didn't include the heads in that photo. 

2nd shelf:  batting remnants in basket.  Black recipe box containing rug hooking hooks and scissors.  Quilting thread and journals and Kona cotton color card. 

3rd shelf:  patterns I have yet to use in basket.  Fabric covered boxes containing leftover bits of bindings (in the two smaller ones).  Embroidery floss and perle cotton in the large one.  Two spools of quilting thread sitting on top of them.  Also sitting on them is a round container with a needle-punched top for buttons.  Just a few of the quilting books and magazines in my possession. 

4th shelf:  Snow Days fabric and stitchery stuff.  Rolled up needlepoint canvas which was started almost 40 years ago by me Mum...I will finish it soon.  Basket with orange fabrics for hand-pieced quilt I am making.  Container with Poppy and Curio fabric collections and Poppy quilt top. 

5th shelf:  binder with .pdf patterns bought over the years...mostly primitive stuff.  My old sewing machine.



This photo is of my fabric.  (Some of it.  I have a large Rubbermaid tote under my sewing table full of fabric collections for already planned projects.)  Ironing board with fishie towel on it for extra padding cuz I'm too lazy to make a new cover.  Underneath are two enamel pots (previously used for dyeing wool) full of cotton scraps.   

Last, but not least...my sewing table.  Naomi Janome.  Some pieces to finish up sewing.  And, just stuff over there in the corner.  A binder with interesting quilt-related things...and upcoming project instructions.

I do find it difficult to create in a place that is too cluttered.  Difficult to organize my mind when my space is a mess.  Ya know?  However, now that things are cleaned up and put in order, my brain feels lighter...and I am raring to go.  I have a few sewing projects planned before I do anything else quilt-related.  Hope to finish them up quickly.  


But, before I go...here are 2 quiltie things.  

Block 8 - friendship star - for the hand-pieced quiltalong.  Oops...I never did block 7! 

And, I have a photo of my poppy quilt top.  Since it'll be a long while before you see this again, I thought I'd show you what I have.  The quilt top is wider than Julie could hold, so you can't quite see all of it.  There are 6 blocks across and 7 rows.  I think I know what I'll do for the backing...just need to do it and get it quilted.   

Dancing With the Stars starts tonight!  YAY!


Have a great week!



"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."    Jeremiah 29:11

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Knitting...Revisited.

A while back, I talked about knitting...socks in particular.  To have something besides hand sewing or embroidery to keep my hands busy with while watching tv in the evenings.  So.  I set about knitting a pair of socks. 

I got a bit more done than this...
(This is gorgeous yarn...thanks, Sharon!) and got stuck on the heel and gusset part.  I have no doubt that had someone been here talking me through it...or showing me...I would have mastered it.  Or, even had I put more effort into it.  But, I didn't.  Because it wasn't something that I needed to do.  It's not that I needed to learn how to knit...I would consider myself a medium-skilled beginner...I have some good foundation skills.  So.  I have decided that I will leave the knitting of socks with heels to someone else.  I feel okay about that.  If I feel the desire to knit, I will knit something like this....

or these...

or these....


or any one of a myriad of projects listed on the Purl bee's blog.

Funny thing...after I typed this blog post but before I posted it, I talked on the phone with me Mum.  She told me that I am soon to receive a box in the mail containing...knitting needles!  (So, I guess it is in my destiny to be knitting, hey?  {grin})  Seems my Aunt/Godmother and me Mum had decided that they should buy knitting needles for me...gotta love that kind of support!  Cracks me up.  And, fills me with love and appreciation for those 2 women.  I will let you know when they arrive (probably won't be for a bit, so don't be holding your breath waiting!)


Thank you for your knitting encouragement.  Stay tuned...



"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Early Morning...

It's early Saturday morning.
I've been up for a long time already.
Why?

Why Not.
Lots to do.
Besides, I never sleep much.

It's raining.
I have a load of wash in.
Time to fix breakfast.
I rarely eat breakfast during the week.
I usually eat breakfast on the weekend.
Same with you?

I've been sitting here quietly.
Thinking of all I'd like to do today.
Browsing through the Purl bee blog.

OH.  MY.  GOSH.

Have you been there?

Purl Soho is a store in NYC.
 the Purl bee is their blog.
A craft blog.
Something for everyone.
Seriously!

Once you visit, you will wonder
how you could have missed this.
And, you will be stuck there!
Project after project...
Knitters, crocheters, quilters, sewists...
wool, cotton, exotic yarns...
ohmy.

mentions the Purl bee often.
In addition to being a prolific
and awesome! quilter,
Rita knits.
Be sure to spend some time with her, too.
Guaranteed that you will love her!
I read her every post...
have for a very long time.
It's always a joy to see her finishes.

Tag is hungry now.
(Truth be told, he is always up for eating.)
I need to feed him
and make my breakfast.

I need to fortify myself for the day ahead.
Tackling the sewing room is on my list.
It is the only thing on my list.
Need to organize before
I move on to other things.

Need to know what I have
waiting to be finished.
Works in progress.
Probably more than I realize.

So, on that note.
Have a great weekend!




"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Still Creating...

Remember this?
Creating...from back here?

Almost 6 months ago...
time does fly.


 
Here are two more...

Sit.


Wait.

I quite like them.
What do you think?

And.  Yes.
The brown boy did pose for those.
Knew you were wonderin'...

{grin}




"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."   Jeremiah 29:11

Sunday, March 11, 2012

A Few More Things...

I haven't accomplished much more sewing today.
I've been reading...
have I mentioned lately how much
I love my kindle?
I do, ya know.
Love it.

Did I tell you that I named it?
Yes, my kindle.
It wasn't my idea...
when I registered it with amazon.com,
they asked me to name it.
How could I refuse?

edited to add:  I named it kashmir...as in 'kashmir kindle'.
{grin}

I also watched a movie today...
"Wall Street:  Money Never Sleeps"
with Michael Douglas.
It was okay, and I do like Michael Douglas.
I watched the first "Wall Street"
movie several years ago (made in 1987).
Wanted to watch that one again
before I saw this one...but didn't. 

I made a few Sawtooth Star blocks...
I am following (sort of) the quiltalong
with Cheri Payne of quiltsbycheri .
These blocks measure about 4.5 inches...
fun and easy to put together. 

That's all I have.  

Hope you're having a great weekend.    


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."    Jeremiah 29:11

Sneak and Shoo-Fly...

I just now finished piecing the poppy quilt top...loving it!  My helper isn't here today, so I had to lay it out on my bed in order to get a few shots of it.  Measuring 72 x 84 inches, it has 21 Rubik's blocks and 21 blocks of the prints.  I chose to use the 7 fabrics from this colorway only, so there are definitely repeats.


I still need to put the backing together and decide on pillow covers and curtains.  All in due time.

I finished last week's Block 6 for the hand-pieced quiltalong with Erin.  Here it is...Shoo Fly (actually, 4 of them together in one 6 inch block).
 
Our next block also has a bazillion pieces.  I'll be working on that one throughout this next week.  

The sun is shining brightly today...on this first day of Daylight Saving Time.  I am happy.






"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."     Jeremiah 29:11

Friday, March 9, 2012

Pinterest?

What is Pinterest?

As they, themselves, explain..."Pinterest is a virtual pinboard.  Pinterest allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. You can browse pinboards created by other people to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests."  If that caught your attention, be sure to go here for more information.

I first became aware of Pinterest when Laurie of Minick & Simpson mentioned it in this post dated April 23, 2011.  I joined and started some boards and looked around and 'pinned' a few photos.  Then, I mostly forgot about it.  Until lately.  Now, I remember to pin photos that I really like.  To remember them...and where they came from.  

So.  What brings Pinterest to my mind enough to blog about it?

Remember my postage stamp quilt?  Here it is...
I pinned it on my Pinterest 'Finished' board sometime in October.  Since then, it  has been repinned 275+ times!  How does that happen?  I mean, I know how it happens.  People see it on my board, repin it to their boards...people who follow them see it and repin it...etc., etc.. But, WOW! 
That is 'my' quilt...getting around Pinterest like that!   That amazes me.  {grin}

Have you joined Pinterest?  If not, you might want to.  Just sayin'.  If you'd like to follow me, click on the red tab in my sidebar.  Have fun!  But, watch out, it can be addicting.



"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."   Jeremiah 29:11

Monday, March 5, 2012

Official!

Yes, it is.  I was pretty sure this was what was going on.  Now, after a visit to my doctor, it's been confirmed.  I have tinnitus.  What's that?  A constant ringing in my ears.  Cause?  Probably age.  There's been no ear infection, no continual exposure to loud noises or machinery...nothing new.  So far, this constant noise is not keeping me awake or causing me to lose sleep.  It's good when I have some music going on around me to distract me from it.  Else, it could drive me crazy.  Literally.

Go here if you'd like to learn more.  And, if you're interested in hearing what I hear, try the little players toward the bottom of this page.  The one labelled 'ear ringing sound' is the closest to what I hear.  Not quite so high-pitched and not usually that loud.  But, like that.  All of the time.  Day in and day out.  Nighttime.  Daytime.  All.  Of.  The.  Time.  It doesn't go away.  Fun, hey?

I have some hearing loss as well, so will be having a  hearing test in the near future.

Isn't that great news?  Actually, I'm looking at it with the 'glass is half full' attitude...there are many more things I could have that would be much more serious and life-changing.     

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Productivity.  With my poppy quilt, I've been making more Rubik blocks.  I trimmed the ones I had already finished to make 12.5 inch blocks.  The blocks are all variations of this one...

Until I had an idea.  How would it look if I made a Rubik block out of a single fabric?  So.  I took a piece of fabric with the large poppy and cut it into 9 squares and put them together with the sashing...and this is how it looks.  


I still need to add the solid borders.  It turned out better than I thought it would...and I really like it.  I think I'll put a few more together this way.  With the other fabrics.

As for the swoon/orange & aqua quilt...I completed block 6!  I sure like these big 24.5 inch blocks.  Still am unsure of how many I'll make, though.  The original plan was to make 9.  I may have decided that I don't want to make such a large quilt.  Time will tell.



 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I posted 4 packages today.  I apologize for taking so long to send them on their way.  Madge, Ann, Jody and Jill...let me know when they arrive, please.



"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."   Jeremiah 29:11

Saturday, March 3, 2012

3 Day Weekend...


This is a 3 day weekend for me, so I'm hoping to accomplish a lot!

First things first.  I must tell you about a package I received in the mail this week...a late birthday package.  From my almost birthday twin, Lindy.  I met her on a rug hooking forum several years ago.  Lindy blogs here.  Her birthday is the day before mine. 

I was absolutely stunned by what she sent...
'Border Music' by the author of 'Bridges of Madison County', pink grapefruit body lotion (yummy!), and fabric.  Yes, FABRIC!  She sent enough of the Curio by basicgrey for Moda fabric for me to make a lap-sized quilt top.  And, the pattern for it...kaleidoscope.  Here's what it will look like...
Isn't that absolutely gorgeous?  Lindy knows me well...this fabric is so me.  I cannot wait to get started...it absolutely is the next quilt in line.

I didn't take a photo of the cookbooks she sent...several specialized recipe books...catfish, fast simple meals, chocolate and others.  Definitely some must-try recipes there.  See those pocket pie molds?  We're going to try those out real soon.  {grin}

I've not been idle this past week.  I've been working on my blocks for the Poppy quilt.  (note to self:  please come up with a better name for it!)  I have 13 of the 21 Rubik blocks finished.  I am so pleased with how they're looking!  Here's one of them... 

I am sure that you're wondering how (knowing how un-random I can be) I decided on the layout of those 9 squares.  Cuz, you know, each of the 21 Rubik blocks will be different.  I'll tell you my secret...I numbered my fabric squares, then used finished sudoku puzzles to number the spaces.  Clever, hey?  {grin}  Also, there are 9 squares per block, but I have only 7 prints.  I thought about adding in some Kona solids or some of the olive green colorway Poppy fabric, but decided against it.  Instead, I am trying to find different areas of the same fabric to use.  Twice.  For example, the first square in each of rows 2 & 3 are the same fabric.  Hard to tell with them, isn't it.  Course, not all of the repeats in all of the blocks are as different as those, but I wasn't going to be OCD about it. 

Also.  The Rubik blocks have 4 different layouts...1 centered and 3 off-centered.  It's a very fun quilt top to put together.  

We got 5" of heavy, wet snow yesterday.  Looks much like my header photo...which was taken a few years ago.  Course, the temp will be in the 50's this next week, so the snow will be gone very soon. 


Have a great weekend, and please do let me know what you're up to.





"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."   Jeremiah 29:11