Theme-A-Licious April Update

I'm late posting the April Theme-A-Licious update. It was a crazy month from a personal standpoint and it translated to my lack of stitching. There was a lot of ripping out this month. Some (a fair amount) was due to chart errors and some was due to my own issues (out right corner wave border). Aprils theme was Amazon April - in other words work on BAPs. Here is Ann Dale as of this afternoon.

There is still more ripping to be done on the part I stitched quite a bit on - the left outer wave border. As charted, it's going in the wrong direction and I stitched it as charted. I know this project has resulted in some frustrations for many stitchers but I still love it. And so I don't mind making it right. Who knows, I might reach the point where I want to throw it in the corner but that hasn't happened as yet. She deserves to be stitched!

May's theme is May Memories which is all about those class projects. I haven't taken a lot of classes but I do have a two projects I'd like to devote some time to.

While there hasn't been much quilting going on, I haven't put the breaks on stash acquisition. My latest purchases are from Jo Mortons new lines. I'll use these in my Jo's Little Women projects.

Thank you for your visits to my little piece of the web. I appreciate it and love reading your blogs too. May your stitches be happy ones!

New to Me!

I've ventured again into the area of things that are new to me.  So far it's all enjoyable!

I worked on my Stitchers Garden blocks (BOM from last year) this weekend.  These 6 blocks used a new to me technique - bobbin work.  I hand wound DMC (as it comes with all 6 strands) onto my bobbin.  I purchased a new one so I could play with the tension.  Many sewists and quilters are skilled enough to mess with bobbin tension - I am not and I wanted to make sure I had a bobbin I could sew with.  Since the DMC is in the bobbin, these blocks were sewn with the back of the fabric facing up.  Kind of fun!  This method was used for the applique and the block around the flower petals.

I'm also reading a new way.  On a Nook!  I decided to get one as I'm traveling more for work.  My library has a modest e-book circulation with long waits so I joined the Philadelphia Free Library.  They allow out of state residents to join for a very nominal fee of $35.  I've gotten 3 books so far and am quickly adapting to this method of reading.  I thought I would NEVER enjoy an e-reader.

I also desire to venture into the arena of modern quilting.  I picked up some Amy Butler and Sugar and Spice at my LQS.  The Sherbet Pips layer cake I won from Thelma and the Dream On I won from Megan.  I have a pattern in mind for the Sherbet Pips and for the others just some general ideas.  I need to get some solids to co-ordinate with these.  I've never used Kona Solids or Moda Bella Solids - nor have I ever seen them so this should be interesting!  Any ideas for patterns or co-ordinating solids would be very welcome.  This is outside my comfort zone!

The hopping from this to that continues.  No real focus on anything for any great length of time.  The finish I hoped to show you didn't materialize.  It will eventually!  Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead!

Mail Call!

The mailman brought goodies on Monday. I received my package from the Heather Ross Studio Sale. This is a $25 package. I didn't expect the Flea Market Fancy nor did I expect a personalized print. We had no idea what we were going to get.

Then I got the Flea Market Fancy I purchased from the Lucy & Norman Destash! 21 fat eights of an out of print and hard to find fabric line.

There is very little sewing going on but I did finish my pieced block for October for the $5 Quilt. The center block has a little give in it but not enough to worry about. It will quilt out so it stays. Other than this block, I've pieced together a few background blocks for the applique on this same quilt. I'm behind and hoping to somewhat catch up. I must admit, I'm not feeling it now though so it's probably going to sit for a while.

I've been in more of a stitching mood lately. Our sampler guild met on Saturday - I didn't really get a lot done there but I've kept at it since then and I've made a lot of progress when you consider my normal stitching pace. I have 3 motifs left on Quakers and Quilts and my mind is already turning to the next project. No decisions yet.

Our weather has turned hot again. Almost hitting 90 today. I'm so ready for the cold weather to get here. I want open windows and fresh air! This weekend it's supposed to dip below 80 and I'm really looking forward to it.

Thank you for visiting my blog! I have a long list of blogs I follow and I rarely miss reading them. I'm always so interested and inspired by what everyone is doing. Bloggers are awesome in so many ways, I appreciate each of you! Happy Stitches!

Runner Up!

Heather at A Passionate Quilter had a contest on her blog. I wasn't the winner but was the runner up and the winner never contacted her. Look at this lovely Chocolate Lollipop fabric by Anna Maria that she sent me! Stop by and give her a hello.

Here is my next block on for the $5 Quilt. For the first time, I was sewing at midnight the night before our meeting. Bad move. The block isn't sized as nicely as it should be. I'm going to live with it though. In the words of Tim Gunn "make it work" is what I'm going to do!

When I was packing at the last minute for my trip to Dallas I decided to pack an old friend. My Per Terras big knitting project. I actually knit 12 or 14 rows on it while I was gone and a few since I've gotten back.

I think I started this project a year ago. When I started it, I thought I'd never get the hang of it. I knit and frogged, knit and frogged, frogged some more. Then it got better but it wasn't intuitive. When I picked this back up after having it sit for over 6 months I realized how much I've grown with my pattern reading and reading my knitting. It's SO much easier. Dare I say it is EASY now? This project is going to be special in that it's going to tell the story of my growth as a knitter. Don't you just love those kinds of projects?

Latest Stash Acquisition

I've managed to get my hands on some of this coveted fabric.

Yep, Flea Market Fancy by Denyse Schmidt.

I wasn't interested until I saw This. My friend Melody mentioned it to me.
It pushed me over the edge to Etsy.

Blog Formatting, Goodies, and How Do You Stop?

The whole world of formatting blogs is so foreign to me. In January I finally was able to set up 3 columns but I could not change my sidebar text due to the template I had installed on blogger. Today, I moved to the Minima Template (and had to reset the 3 columns) and can change my sidebar fonts, but apparently only to the ones Blogger wants me to. Regardless, this template seems to be a bit better because there seems to be more support online for it. So bear with me. I know the header photo is huge. I'm not technically savvy. One day I'll get to it! No promises as to when though!

A couple of weeks ago I received this wonderful fob from Mylene. Isn't this adorable?! Tulips are a very favorite flower of mine.

Not only is Mylene a wonderful stitcher, she does exquisite finishing.

Mylene lives in the Netherlands and her blog features her surroundings along with her stitching and family. Stop by and say hello to her!

Last month at Moda Maniacs, I won this designer pack of a new line from Moda called Happy. Isn't it cute?

Lots of bright colors. This should be fun to work with - one day! :)

I have been quilting but mainly prep work for another Stitchers Garden class and I'm trying to catch up with last months blocks. I have not yet finished those. I used Bernina foot #21 for the first time today on one of the blocks. It was easier to use than I expected.

Knitting wise, I'm still working on Traveling Woman - it really is a fun knit. About a half dozen or so of the knitters who case on for it at the Midnight Knit have finished it. Hopefully I will soon!

I have no idea why I'm buying charts, yarn, fabrics and patterns but I have been. It's all beautiful, inspiring, and looks fun but the reality is - I probably won't have time to do any of it this year or next. But I want to! How do you stop when it's all so pretty?

Cast On A Long and Some Stash

I hope each of you had a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend. Please remember those who have served our country, who are serving our country, as well as their families. We are fortunate to have the freedoms that we do because of their service.

Last weekend was Midnight Knit at my LYS. Several of us decided have a Cast On Along for Traveling Woman. Generally in knitting we have a Knit a Long, in Stitching a Stitch a Long - you get it. Frankly, I don't join them because I know I could not keep up. So we decided to just cast on and if you finish, great. If you don't, that's good too. What made this even simpler is that the cast on was just 3 stitches!

The shop was PACKED! There were probably 30 people there for almost the entire evening. These pictures were taken after 10pm.

Needless to say, we all had a blast! Here is a picture of my project during the night. About 20 of us cast on for Traveling Woman. Can you believe that 2 (that I know for sure) have been finished and I'm pretty sure there is a 3rd (at least) completed.

While we were on vacation for those few days I managed to visit 3 quilts stores. Little Quilts in Marietta, GA, Log Cabin Patchworks in Hiawassee, GA and Bless My Stitches in Murphy, NC. Sadly Log Cabin Patchworks will be closing due to retirement. All shops are really nice but I must say that I LOVED Little Quilts. Loved it!

Here's what I bought at the 3 shops. I can't remember what I purchased where.
Little Quilts had a top made of Josephine's Sampler. Scrumptious!

I'm in a pattern mood. A couple of these patterns are very charm pack friendly.

Fabric wise, I just purchased these 3 yards and the yard above.

Happy Stitches!

Christmas in April

April's Moda Maniacs gathering was a couple of days ago. Each meeting, we get a set of any of the charm packs delivered to the store. The cost is $60 for 6 months and we're guaranteed 8 charm packs (my store sells them for $8). Last month we didn't get anything as that sometimes happens. In April, we got 5! All Christmas.

Aren't they gorgeous?

My dilemma is turning out to be what to do with a single charm pack. Table runners would work but do I need 15 of them? Any other ideas?

I Might End Up With a Sweater!

The sweater progress is coming along. I'm slow but what else is new? This sweater is knit from the top down in one piece. I've gotten just past the point where you put the stitches for the sleeves on waste yarn and join underneath the armholes. The part I'm really not liking about this project is that you have to keep trying it on to make sure it fits. To do that, all the stitches go on waste yarn so the stitches don't slip off the needles. Then you try it on. Then you have to put it all back on the needles. If I was small, I could just leave it on the needles. But I'm not. What a pain!

I played with the color a bit so you can see the cables that go on either side of the button band. It will need to be blocked out so it looks right but you can get an idea here.

I think my goal this year is to start as many new projects as I can without finishing anything. Here is the fabric for the next WIP. The bottom fabric is the backing and the background is on top of that. The fabric with the little diamonds I'm hoping to use as binding. More on this later!

Thank all of you so much for your comments on how to organize my over dyed thread. I think I'm going to organize by maker and then by color name. I'm not looking forward to the actual process but I am looking forward to it being done. This morning I shoved everything into a cubby hole to clear off my sewing table. I must deal with that this weekend. Otherwise, it's the beginning of the end of being organized! Ruh oh!

Mail Call

This past week brought the mail man back to my house with a gift from Simone de Klerk from the Netherlands. She made me this sweet sewing mat! I had not realized how handy it would be to have a thread catcher exactly where you need one! Excuse the poor quality of my photos as they were taken at night. Also, make sure you check out Simone's blog. She is a very talented quilter and stitcher.

I love this!

I've not seen many sewing mats but I love the way Simone made this all one piece. The no slip part is sewn right in.

Simone, thank you so much! I'll think of you every time I sew!

I also received my Quilts for Kids kit. As you can see, the kit comes with the fabric cut out as much as it can be at this point. Some sub-cutting will be required later. All of the fabric is included along with the pattern. This is a wonderful charitable organization. If you're interested, you can request a kit here.

I hope you all have a great week. Happy Stitches!

Is This Going To Work?

Sunday afternoon I spent some time organizing my purchases from the 2 Tote Bag Sales I went to on Saturday. I've been thinking about how to organize pending projects. I decided to make kits with the pattern and fabrics together. First up, Lincoln - a Schnibbles pattern. It's my first of these patterns. It's all here. Binding, backing, and 2 charm packs. I labeled the containers too.

Next is the cover pattern from Simply Charming. I thought this would be a good quilt to give to one of my nieces, Ava. Her favorite color is Pink!

But then I got to thinking that there are other patterns in that book that I might want to make and I might not be able to find the book. So I copied the pattern and that's what I'm storing in the kit. The pattern book is going back on the shelf so I can find it easily.

My last project is another Go Green Shopper. I won this turnover at our last Moda Maniacs meeting. I already had the pattern as I've made one before. So all I needed was a bit of binding and fabric to line the tote. For this one, the lining and binding will be made out of the same fabric.

I can see how it would just be easier in the moment to throw things in the closet or stack the fabric up and move on. It would also take less time. On Sunday, by the time I put things away and straightened up a couple of other things an hour had quickly passed. I could have been doing something fun!

I'm trying to organize in a manner that counterbalances my misplacing things and forgetting what things are for. In my professional life, it's rare that I forget anything. I'm on time, organized and prepared for meetings. I get things done early. Sometimes I use lists, sometimes not. At home, I HAVE to have a list. I forget where I put things or what I need to buy. I misplace the cable remote regularly. I have visions of finding a pile of fabric that is obviously for a project and having absolutely no recollection what pattern it was intended for. So we'll see if this type of organizing works for me. I sure hope it does. I'm trying it with stitching projects too. Though with stitching I'm afraid that I'm going to end up with 20 skeins of one color floss. I'll need to work on curbing my instincts to just throw everything in the closet or a drawer! That's going to be a real challenge!

How do you organize your projects? What have you found works for you or does not work for you? I'd love to hear your experiences!

Which One?

I'm working on another block to practice my precision (snort) piecing. I have this block laid out according to the instructions I found on the Ravelry Quilters Knitting board. As I type this and look at my pictures, I'm realizing that my fabric choices could be better. The brown here isn't photographing well and looks better in real life but I'm not starting over on this one. I love the fabric with the red dot.

I also cut out a center square in the background fabric. I kind of like the way the star pops but then the red dot fabric looks very wrong to me. Does the block lose a bit of dimension too?

I find fabric choice and fabric decisions difficult. Which do you like better?

I've been really looking forward to the upcoming three day weekend. Guess who has a scratchy sore throat and is sneezing? UGH!

A Visit With an Old Friend

Last Thursday, I visited my friend Julie who I met in 1978 in Mr. Vance's Civics class. We hit it off immediately and have been friends ever since. Even though she lives within 2 hours of where I live, it had been 3 or 4 years since we've seen each other. We went to a yarn shop, a quilt shop, a stitching shop and out to lunch and gabbed every second. Such fun!

The restaurant where we ate is in the same building as the quilt shop. It's an old Coca-Cola building that was built in 1925. The brick walls had quilts on them. The ceiling was wood and was gorgeous. Even a less than friendly waitress did not spoil lunch!

Here's a peek into the part of the building that had the fabric. Loads of fabric!

We also visited an antique store that was nearby that had some gorgeous vintage restored sewing machines but I neglected to get a picture of them. I only got once picture of Julie and it's blurry so I'm not going to post it. She still looks the same and still has her thoughtful but spunky personality. It was fun to spend the day with a good friend, one who understands my hobbies.

One who understands the need to purchase fabric that you don't have a specific purpose for!

Thank you Julie for a fantastic day!

Stash Enhancement

Over the past couple of weeks I've been doing some stash enhancement. It's been kind of impulsive really. So easy to do. One minute you're walking through the store. Two minutes later you're in your car with a bag. Let's not talk about the mailman.

Two table runner kits. The pattern is for 12 table runners. One for each month of the year. The kits are for July and November. My LQS had samples made. They were cute. It was their fault I could not resist.

One day I was reading a blog and a blogger was sharing her Jennie Bean Halloween Sampler she was working on. It was gorgeous. Two minutes later I realized I'd sent an email to Lois at Elegant Stitch asking if she had everything in stock. Of course she did. It all happened so fast that I really can't be held responsible for this purchase. Michelle's blog is dangerous!

Of course, the specialty threads came with it along with the fabric.

And the JB Pin Tuffet chart came along too. I'm not sure how that happened. It wasn't on the blog I saw. But Lois had it on her web site. That's it - it's her fault.

Of course, I needed the thread and fabric.

A few weeks ago, my knitting friend Caroline (no blog) sold me a skein of the hard to get Wollmeise. This yarn is highly coveted. German. Hand-dyed. This is my third skein. I enjoy looking at it so much that I can't find a pattern that seems to be worthy. I'll hold Caroline responsible for this purchase. She practically dangled the darn skein under my knitting needles.

Wollmeise is known for fantastic colors. This skein is blue with hints of purple. Needless to say, my photography skills are sorely lacking. It's truly a very saturated, intense & gorgeous color.

Lastly, I acquired 2 skeins of Kashmir from my LYS. 65% cashmere and 35% silk. Incredibly soft. I have no idea what I'm going to knit with this either. It was going to be gloves but gloves don't seem to be quite right. I think maybe I did this one all on my own. My memory is a little hazy though.

As you can see, I've been an equal opportunity stasher. I'm not a big fan of yarn diets, or fabric diets, or frankly any kind of diet. But I need to go on one.

Maybe Monday.

Or the Monday after that!

Columbus Day Anyone?

Today is Columbus Day and if you work for a bank (like I do), it's a holiday! It's one of those holidays when it seems like everyone else is working. I spent my day doing odd things around the house, a few loads of laundry, errands, and some minor organization. That gave me a few hours this afternoon to work on my next quilting project. I've got everything cut out (Gobble Gobble is the fabric line) and ready for assembly. I'm not sure I'll get much chance to work on this next weekend or during the week but I'll try and fit a bit in when I can. I wish I had a three day weekend every weekend. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

One of the errands I ran was to pick up some silk thread for one of the two stitching projects I plan on starting soon. Jill from Azalea House is out of town but she left it for me to pick up. This stuff is so soft. It's Belle Soie, a hand dyed thread. Delish!

I'm going to have to make a color change though. The picture above is two skeins of thread. Two different colorways! Don't they look very similar? Sometimes that happens with hand dyed. It's not an exact science and that is one of the things I like about it!

Today ended up being my favorite kind of day - a nice balance of getting stuff done around the house and time to do the fun things I love to do. I'm still piddling around the house and doing a bit of laundry here and there. Don't mind it at all!