For Rent...

Some of you may remember that I bought a Handi-Quilter frame and Janome 1600-DP aka 'the big bad boy' back in 2009.  I had several problems with thread breaking and tension, so I never put the machine to use.  It's going in for a tune-up this next month, so hopefully, I'll be able to use it.  However, I don't have the table or the space to set up the quilting frame here in my small apartment.  But, at least with the larger throat the machine has, it'll be easier to do quilting.  I also have no place to pin baste anything larger than a baby quilt sized quilt (hence, all the flimsies waiting to be put together and quilted).  I would love to send out my quilts to be quilted by a longarm quilter, but my budget doesn't allow that.  

What to do?  Well, I have found the solution!  This quilt I am making for me Mum is going to be the largest quilt I've made.  It's to be a Mother's Day/birthday gift to me Mum from me and my 3 sisters (who are paying for the quilting).  I was in the process of looking for a local longarm quilter when I ran across 'The Electric Needle', a sewing machine service center and Pfaff dealership.  In addition to sewing machines, they sell longarm quilting machines and frames, etc.  AND, they rent out their longarm quilter!  I am so excited, I can barely stand it.  I have an appointment on Thursday, this next week, to use their machine.  They help as much as is needed, which will be a lot for a first-time user, that's for sure!  One is able to do free-motion quilting, or use their computer programs.  I think I will program the quilter with one of the patterns available for this first time.  

I worked on the quilt yesterday and got all the sections finished and laid out to my satisfaction.  Now to sew the sections together and add the borders.  I need to put the backing together, too.  Only 4 days to get it completely finished and ready to take to my appointment.  

Here is a peek at the sections together on my bed...

The light colored squares are actually a creamy color...very soft-looking.

I plan to take several photos of my time with the longarm quilter to show you all.  

Here's a photo of Tag with his sidekick, the warthog.  I know, it seems all he does is sleep.  Not so.  Just always a good photo-op.

 

Have a great Sunday!

"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

Fun Friday...

When I woke up this morning, I decided that I needed to have a fun day.  Way too much seriousness going on around here.  

So, I did!  I had a fun sewing day.  These simple skirts were fun for me to sew and will be fun for the girls to wear.
 
This one is for my granddaughter, Kaylynn...

I put a fancy stitch on the hem...even though I knew it wouldn't show up very well...just having fun...

This one is for my sister Joyce's granddaughter, Ashley...

Love me some rick-rack!!!

I cannot decide which one I like best...but I know I will make more!  With ruffles and layers and trims.  These are very easy and quick to make.


"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

Dandelion Girl aka Me Mum's Quilt...

Today is the first day of Spring...YAY!  We are having seasonal weather, even!  Makes me feel good to know that warmer days are coming.  After this long, cold winter, I will do my best not to complain about the heat of Summer.  It's easier for me to be too warm than to be cold.  Plus, it's difficult to take the brown boy for walks when it's so cold and the sidewalks are icy.  Ya know?

I've been working on me Mum's quilt.  You know, the one I had difficulty deciding what pattern to follow?  I finally got it all figured out and started cutting fabric a few weekends ago.  

Here's one of the sections...

I am half done with the main part of the quilt.  And, I am liking how those first seven sections are looking.  I am placing the vertical strips differently, so the squares are not always next to the same other squares.  I will be adding borders, though I haven't yet decided what kind of borders...all I know is that to get it to the size I want, I need at least two borders.  The finished quilt will be about 80 x 95...like a bedspread for me Mum's twin bed...almost to the floor rather than like a comforter with a bedskirt.  I cannot imagine pulling all of that around on my Naomi Janome, so it is going to be professionally quilted.  I guess I should start looking for a local longarm quilter, hey? 



"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

Yarn Bowl - A Knitting Must-Have...

Up until last fall, I didn't know that these existed.  However, once I knew...I had to have one of these clever inventions!  

Yarn bowls...do you know what they are?  They are bowls made with a hole or a design cut into the side of the bowl (usually ceramic)...used to keep your yarn contained and keep it from getting tangled.  It keeps your yarn off the floor or anywhere else it can collect lint and pet hair...and whatever else you might have on your chair or floor.  What a wonderful idea!!!  The only thing is, when I first started looking at these, I didn't find any for less than $35.00 and that was just a bit too pricey for me.   Here are a few examples...

  

I don't know how 'new' these are to the knitting world, but as time went by, I started seeing fancier yarn bowls.  Like these...

                              

animals

covered

                                                                                   

double

                                  


Well, you get the idea, right?   If you'd like to see more yarn bowls, just do a search on Etsy or Pinterest.

Of course, I could have gone the cheap route...

*above photos courtesy of Pinterest.

But, instead I found a beautiful simple yarn bowl with a price I could manage.  I took the photos with my can of soda next to the yarn bowl so that you can better tell the size of it. 

 A beautiful butterscotch color...I LOVE it!!!

I have already put it to use and it works wonders!  Keeps my yarn in one spot...and clean.  And, not tangled (though, truth be told, I never had a problem with that).

Okay, so it's not a must-have, but it sure is a nice-to-have!  



"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

Photos and Projects...

I never tire of taking photos of Tag (& his warthog).

I started a little embroidery project...

This is Curly Sue...the dog I potty each day.

Here are two little wooden toys (for dolls) that I had custom-made by Jessica, Etsy shop You're Inspired .  The puppy is named Tagalong.  The magpie is not named. They stand about 3" tall and are just the cutest things, ever!!!  One day, I may share the story of the magpie with you...hopefully in the near future.  

magpie and tagalong

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I have a bunch of sewing to do for members of my family.  I keep putting these projects off, but I really do need to get at them.

The list:
*two sweatshirts to convert to jackets for my aunt
*two skirts need linings for sister Jill
*special stitches on a plastic canvas needlepoint to finish for sister Jill (I don't even like plastic canvas stuff, so am not sure why I was asked...or why I agreed...to do this)
*two pillows for me Mum and sister Julie for their new chairs
*a 'road trip case' (using the music fabric shown in an earlier post), *two skirts (one for my granddaughter and one for sister Joyce's granddaughter...actually, I volunteered to make those).

I think I have a problem with saying, "no".   

AND, now that Naomi Janome is home again, I started working on me Mum's quilt.  I have all the strips sewn together, am in the process of pressing them and then will cut them apart so that I can rearrange them and sew them back together.  ~grin~  (Isn't that what quilting is all about?  Cutting fabric apart to sew back together in different configurations?  Yup.)

I always have something to do!

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OH!  Big news!!!  I now have business cards!  woohoo!!!

That's all I have for now...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

Home Again...

I brought Naomi Janome and her niece, little Miss 'nobody puts Baby Lock in a corner!' home from the repair shop yesterday.  They were checked over thoroughly and given tune-ups.  No problems were found...yay!  The 'big bad boy' will be going in late next month.

I am so looking forward to starting me Mum's quilt!  I am hoping that it goes together very quickly.  I should have something to show you very soon.

In the meantime...I now have two dishcloths that match the dishtowels I wrote about here.  

Knitted by me with yarn - Heatwave - shown in previous post.

Knitted by sister Joyce.

I think sister Joyce may also be knitting a few dishcloths with solid color yarn for me.  One must have a color-coordinated kitchen, you know!  Not that anything else goes with these...but they could...these are definitely colors I like in a kitchen!  

What are you working on this 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

Spinning a Yarn...

I was about out of yarn...so paid a visit to my favorite online yarn shop, Knit Picks, and ordered several skeins.  I love all of these!

  
Front row l-r:  canary, linen, clementine, celery and creme brulee.  
Back row l-r:  heatwave variegated and sunflower variegated.

The variegated skeins are for dishcloths and the cotton/linen blend skeins are for facecloths. 

'Idle hands are the devil's workshop', you know...



"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

Arrivals...

Last month, I received a gift certificate for Hancock's of Paducah from my 'almost birthday twin', Lindy, of The Gingerbread House blog.  What a lot of fabric there was to choose from!  WOW!  I wanted to order at least every other one I looked at.  In the end, I decided to order 4 pieces of fabric that I had an idea of what I would be using it for, which made it much easier.  Thank you so much, Lindy!!


These two are Dear Stella Clementine Summer Floral and Summer Flower Market...

I see doll dresses, zippered pouches, pillows...all kinds of summer things!

And, these are Timeless Treasures Mini Musical Notes and Mini Musical Instruments to go along with the One Direction piece I already have...

These fabrics will first be used (along with a few solid fabrics) for a Road Trip Case for my sister's granddaughter.  The pattern is by Anna over at Noodlehead.  

I sure love getting packages in the mail!



"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

Time Off...

It was inevitable.

I guess.

Naomi Janome said she needed a rest...

so she made an appointment at the spa.
 Time for a little rest, relaxation and tune-up.

She took her little niece,

Miss 'nobody puts Baby Lock in a corner!'

and off they went.

I feel lost without her.

Bereft, almost.

Serger Sue is a bit standoffish...
I think I'll leave her alone.

 I could play around with the 'big bad boy'.

But, he's been a bit tense.
I believe he needs a spa treatment, too.

What will I do while I have no sewing machine?

I could start a stitchery project.  

We shall see.

"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