Santa Came Early!

 I found this tucked in the front door this afternoon.

Thanks Santa!

Off The Needles

It's hard to post anything this time of year.  Sewing for Fun and Sanity is postponed, and all the projects that Ive had ALL YEAR to work on suddenly have just days to be completed.
And so, with that as my excuse for not showing anything lately, I will share this cowl that I made from the Turn Three cowl pattern from the Creating Laura blog.

It uses about 80 yards of Super Bulky yarn and size 15  (24") circular needles.  I didn't have 15's when I made this one…I used the 13's (36")  that I had…and had to cast on 50 stitches instead of the 40 called for due to the length of the cord.  Size-wise it turned out just right….not difficult to pull over the head and didn't mess up my hair or drawn-on facial features.
(I used Lion Brand Hometown USA yarn in Oklahoma City Green)
The best part of this project was how quickly it knit up…in just about 2 hours from cast on to bind off including weaving in the ends.

That's it for now.  Lots left to get done…..ttyl!

Something from Nothing...

Some windfall branches and twine kept me busy for about 15 minutes on Sunday…….

A Completed Project

Because when you come to my house for the holidays, you need a sign to show you where the beverages are.

Working on a few things….

I took the Blue Skies quilt to be quilted.  The quilter did an oversized stipple on it.
It sounded like a good idea at the time, but now I'm wishing I had chosen something different…with all the seams that quilt has I think it would have helped to insure that it would be able to handle a whole lot of use in the coming years.
I haven't bound it yet, but heres a couple pics:

 

I also had a chance to work on a painted sign I saw on Pinterest quite awhile ago.  It has been on my to -do list for a long time…..
A few touch-ups, some sanding to distress things and a spray of clear coat and it will be ready to hang at the farm.

I better get back to work…there are still plenty of projects waiting for me.

Pride…Cometh Before The Fall…..

A quick share for you chicks….
Here it is.
My version of Blue Skies …pattern by Bonnie Hunter.

Its pretty big.  A bit short of 90" square.
1,188 half square triangles.

Although I am quite pleased with myself for completing this top, finally, I will submit a humbling admission to you……….

THIS……is what is just across the room from my sewing table.
Just a SMALL portion of my thrifted shirt hoard…….

I Require Supervision

I tried to fight the urge, but this morning I loaded two bags of donations into the hatchback and headed off to the thrift store.  It's Friday.  You know what that means.
5 for $5.00.
And I didn't quit with 5…I went for 20.

The selection was very good this morning.  Some very kind hearted person seemed to group all the yellow tags (The color of the day) at the front of the rack…so it didn't even take much effort on my part.

I found lots of blues and greens, a red and some fun oranges.

I DID leave a few behind for other bargain shoppers.  I'm nice that way.

I also bought 5 new (to me) books.  They are 5 for $1.00!

I'm set for my winter reading now.

This is a view out of my front window….

The colors of fall always make me happy!

And a little more (and I mean a little)...

2 more pictures to share from last weeks stitching at The Harbor Star.
The diamond log cabin colors show up pretty true...but the Courthouse blocks look pretty washed out.
The fluorescent overhead lights are not the best for photos!

Sewing at The Harbor Star

My friend Nancy and I are in mid- Michigan, sewing away at our favorite retreat house.
She is busy finishing projects up....I decided to start some new things.....
The first is a yellow and grey chevron quilt.  I got the fabric about 9 months ago at Guildcrafters in Berkley, Mi.

The grey photographs darker than it really is....the overhead fluorescent
lighting really tweaks colors in an unpleasant way.
















This little courthouse step log cabin is 4.5" square and is an experiment
using some of my thrifted shirt fabric.  There are 29 pieces in this block,
so at this rate I will never, ever run out of my stash of blues and whites!

Project Runway...

Oh you silly, silly judges.
You got it SO WRONG this time.
SO wrong.......

Slow and Steady Progress

I finally have all 64 blocks made of the blue and yellow quilt I have been working on.
1,064 half square triangles made, trimmed, sewn together and sewn into blocks.
Countless more defective  half squares currently sitting in a landfill somewhere......
Looking forward to laying them all out and getting them sewn into rows.
I'll keep you posted on further progress!

A Wednesday Afternoon Share

Busy in my sewing room making 1/2 square triangles today....trying to make progress on these blocks!

It's going to be a large quilt....I have a LONG way to go..........

A Very Quick Share

A poorly cropped pic of the barn quilt.......

Happy Spring!

Although it hardly feels like spring outside, Inside the forsythia, pussy willow, daffodils and hyacinth tell another story....

And since spring is all about new beginnings, here is mine.

I am doing the block of the month (offered by a local quilt shop) called Amish With A Twist Two.

I have had this in my possession since the third Tuesday in March, and if I don't get moving on it I'm going to be in big trouble in just a couple of weeks.

Here is the first installment of fabric and directions....

I was going to get right to work on cutting my strips for the blocks and hopefully get them all sewn before I had to head out for the day, but after reading Sue Garman's latest post I have decided that I probably need to wash them.  I almost always wash my fabrics first...I learned it from my mother and sewing teachers and I almost always do, but for some reason I thought I was going to squeak by NOT doing it this time.....but I've changed my mind.  This quilt is 105" finished, and is going to take 12 months to do.  I'm not going to risk all that time and work to have colors run and wreck everything.

So I'll wash!

This is one of my other current projects....this is the first block from the block of the month from The Buggy Barn called Starlit Garden.
I finished this block the day block # 2 was delivered.
I'm not sure what I was thinking getting myself involved in 2 BOM's at the same time....when I had Easter dinner to host, and a few trips planned, and some major remodeling that needs to be planned and completed in a short amount of time. 
Really.  What was I thinking?

Wanted to blog....

But I'm too darn tired.

So I'll share this one with you....

Have a great night!

A Quilter Is Born!

This is Karolina.....and this is her first quilt!

Karolina joined the quilt chicks for the first time today at a winter sewing retreat at the farm.  Quilting was a new endeavor for her, but she took to it like no one I've ever seen before.

Here she is, hard at work but smiling the whole time.

Here is her top, just before trimming.....

And a close-up of her decorative stitches, using YLI Quilt thread in Kyoto Garden.

And here it is her first quilt!

Almost complete with a tiny bit of binding left to be sewn down!

The Quilt Chicks were very pleased to be able to help teach a new quilter the ropes!

We hope she will join us again soon....

Great Job Karolina!

It's A Girl!

And a Pretty one at that!

She doesn't have a name yet, but this Gorgeous Sewmor 414 was at the local Salvation Army waiting for someone to adopt her.....and that someone ended up being me!

I was making my usual Friday morning rounds, and after filling (and I mean filling) my cart with 5 for $5 deals I decided to check out the furniture and gadget wall.  Found an overpriced Westinghouse sewing machine in pristine condition in a well -cared for cabinet....and then I saw her.  Across the isle.
Unassuming in her blue and tan case.  No one else was noticing her, but I did.
I quickly released the clasps's of the case and saw this sparkly aqua steel and was struck with the need to own her....
I put the top back on, locked it up and
Walked Away.

I had the Voice of Reason in my head telling me that this was a Want, not a Need.
I already have 3 working machines and 2 other ones hidden away in a storage area.
I just bought 31 shirts to disassemble and add to my stash......

I paid for my shirts and left the store, thinking about the machine all the way home.

I washed my shirts in 2 loads, still thinking about that little aqua beauty.
I finally got out my computer and did a quick search on the machine.  I found one on Ebay listed
for $199.99.
The machine I had walked away from was $19.99.

I put my coat on and drove back to the store, hoping, hoping, HOPING it would still be there.
And it was.
I pulled open the clasps on her top and opened it up and I swear it looked even shinier and more sparkly than it had when I first saw her.
I uncoiled the power cord and felt along it for fraying and cracks and there were none.
There was a plug just above the shelf she was sitting on and I plugged her in.
Her light came on.
I stepped on the foot pedal and she purred.....Like the day she was born.
I stood back and smiled and contemplated doing a happy dance.
THAT is when I noticed there were 3 people standing behind me, watching.
I looked at them and told them "I'm taking this home" and they turned and walked away.

I would have skipped to the cashier except that this machine weighs somewhere around 50 pounds, I think.

I ended up at the same cashier that I had seen just a couple hours before and she said "Welcome Back!"
She laughed at me when I told her the story, and she shook her finger at me and said "Girl!  You are lucky that was still there!  You've got to buy it when you see it or you will lose out!"
Well, this time I did NOT lose.  I Won!

I'm going to clean and oil her tomorrow and take her for a spin.

Tonight....I've got 31 shirts to deconstruct!
Talk to you chicks later!