One Forgotten Photo

After viewing what I had posted, I realized that I had mentioned a purse of which I had not uploaded a photo. So, here goes. The purse is knitted with Paton's wool yarn in an ombre of stone, brown, pink, and rose. The top of the purse is knitted in just brown for a small band and then the handles were I-cord knitted in brown. It was a put into my washer three times but I never put it into the dryer. I also crocheted the flower in stone; there is no pattern available since I just adlibbed as I went. It was then attached and a lining of pink with brown circles was added. I don't have the purse anymore since it became part of a raffle and now lives with someone else. Hope you enjoy. Well, I see that the photo I wanted to attach is not attaching. Hmph. What am I doing wrong? Anyone know what I need to do?

Celtic Solstice Link-Up

Whoops, I forgot to include the photos I have of my progress on Celtic Solstice. You will see the photos of some of the fabrics I have collected for this quilt. Yes, I used the same colors as Bonnie suggested because "when I grow up I want to be just like Bonnie". As far as progress goes, I have a few of the Tri-Recs blocks made with the orange; non

e even cut out for the neutrals/whites. I will need to get very busy now that my other projects are finished. If you all noticed my needlework bag in pink/red/black/white, the photo was rotated. Sorry. The little center block on it was blanket stitched by hand and embroidered by hand and then had buttons sewn on for the berries. I just love that it has antique buttons all along the top of the bag. The pattern is one of Sue Spargo's named Victoria. The little journal is felt with pennies of felt stitched on the cover. It covers a composition book that I use to keep track of books I have read (written in the front section) and books I have read by favorite authors and those I want to read (written in the back section). I just love to look at it on my coffee table. A pocket was added inside the front cover to hold a calendar, pen, bookmark, library schedule, and assorted items. Hope you enjoy. I know that I am looking forward to being caught up and hoping that I will be ready for the next clue. Quilt on, Bonnie!

Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt Clue #1 from Bonnie Hunter

Well, I am off to a slow start on the Celtic Solstice quilt because I am trying to finish up gifts for Christmas. Yes, I have a Burgoyne Surrounded that is not finished since it is still at the quilter's. However, the Zig-Zag, the Snail's Trail, and the Double Pinwheels are finished even including the label on each. Also I have included photos of ot

her projects that just needed to be finished - a knitted and felted purse, String-X quilt in yellow and red, a journal cover (penny rug style), a pillow from a block made in the 80s (Cathedral Window), a handpieced and handquilted small quilt in autumn colors, and a small table mat using bonus 1/2 square triangles from a Picket Fences quilt. Hope you enjoy the projects that I have finished.

Machine oil everywhere!

You would not believe my afternoon. I was sewing on Boxy Stars because I wanted to get them finished and put aside so that I could finish Burgoyne Surrounded. I had four blocks left to finish (already had the four quadrants finished for each one) and ran out of bobbin thread. Everytime I thread a new bobbin, I oil my machine. Why didn't my knowledge of how plastic breaks down enter my mind? After a good squeeze, machine oil went all over the top of the machine, under the coverplate, soaking the bobbin case. It even went on one of the blocks I was sewing. I hurried to gather paper towels (used about a roll of them) and then for spray cleaner for the top of my machine. The block went into a tub with a very good helping of Dawn dishwashing liquid. After finishing the cleaning of my machine, I rinsed the block. I'm not sure if it shows, but I'll check it before I sew it into a top. A new block may have to take its place, but I do have a well-oiled machine! I don't think I'll have to oil it for a while. I have learned to replace machine oil if it is over ten years old since the plastic does get brittle. How long have you had your machine oil? Just checking to save you some aggravation!

Another sock?

I have been learning how to knit socks. The first time I cast on the cuff, I found that the sock was WAY too large, so I unraveled it and went down to fewer stitches to cast on. The cuff was knitted and looked too large again, but I kept working on the rest of the sock in stockinette stitch. It was still too large, so I decided I had better check my gauge. Since I was using knitting worsted in wool (washable), I found that I had about 6 stitches per inch after I had knitted a sample. I changed to a smaller needle size and a lot fewer stitches. It looks about right. Yeah! I hope it will work out because those socks are for my DH whose feet get really cold when he sleeps. Nothing more miserable than having cold feet when you sleep. Hopefully, I'll be able to take a photo of the second and third try. You'll see the difference. At least I can say that I am getting good at working with four needles and knitting the cuff and body of the sock. How will I do on the heel????

Burgoyne Surrounded by Boxy Stars

Yes, I have finished the block portion of the Burgoyne Surrounded quilt made with unbleached muslin and all scrappy browns, but I will wait until tomorrow sometime to start adding the borders. However, in the meantime, I have been cutting out Boxy Stars so that I will know if I want to make the quilt. Of course, I'll want to make it since I already have 4 blocks out of 12 completed. And I hope that Bonnie Hunter will give us a new pattern to use those 2-inch half-square triangle blocks that are the waste pieces from Boxy Stars. I love those kind of triangles. This summer I made a Picket Fences quilt out of all colors of scraps - just divided into darks and lights. Two pieces out of the block had those waste triangles, but I sewed them together before cutting them from the original pieces. A triangle that would have otherwise been thrown in the trash! After getting the quilt completed I didn't know what to do with all of the triangles. So...I took them and stitched them all with the dark triangles in the bottom right-hand corner. Added two borders and then handquilted it. Even though it was just a mini-quilt or table-topper, it looked very vintage. It was used on a table in October with another small quilt that I made and hand-quilted. The table was lovely! I will try to add some photos when I can get my camera and the quilts out. I know everyone loves to look at quilts! Here's hoping I can do this soon so that you all can see what I have been up to.

Boxy Stars

Because I have had so much to do today - help with my mother's physical therapy, eat lunch, go to art class, eat supper - that now I have a little time to myself to quilt, i.e., before I go to a library trustees meeting. What to get into? Of course, it will need to be something that I can put down in a hurry. Boxy Stars to the rescue! Love the look and so scrappy. Off to the sewing machine I go.

Near the finish line with the brown Burgoyne Surrounded quilt top

Yes, I am near the finish of my brown scrappy Burgoyne Surrounded quilt top for my son. It has unbleached muslin for the background and all brown pieces (variety of browns) for the other pieces. It will have to be quilted by machine as soon as I can get it finished. But before that I will need to add the dark brown inner border and the medium brown outside border. Of course, I'll use the dark brown binding. It is really lovely! It is to be a Christmas present to my middle son. The oldest will be getting a brown (variety of brown fabrics) Snail's Trail with unbleached muslin for the background. It has two borders of brown. Sounds like a twin to the other one I am finishing? Yes, my middle son said that he liked the top and would like one in browns but he wanted the Burgoyne Surrounded because it was such a different pattern. Now, my youngest son will be getting a double pinwheel in all checks, stripes, and plaids except for the tea-dyed background. Even the two borders are plaids; I just need to put on the black and cream plaid binding. All three sons will be surprised at Christmas. Naturally, my little granddaughter Sarah will be receiving a zig-zag top with brights in pink, blue, green, yellow, purple and red. It has a background of white tone-on-tone and a border of blue. The scrappy binding is made of the same fabrics as the zig-zags. It will definitely keep her warm this winter. But what do you think I was doing this evening? I was cutting 4-inch squares for an exchange with my stitching group. We should all be able to get some really different fabrics. What will I make from them? Maybe a scrappy Irish chain? And then after I had cut out several squares, I started cutting pieced for the Boxy Stars blocks from Bonnie K. Hunter. Love it already! It goes together perfectly! Tomorrow is a busy day - helping my mother with her physical therapy and then to art class in the afternoon to work on a watercolor of a section of trees at our farm. That will also be a gift for one of our sons. Keeping busy is important to me. Now, I think I'll go out and read a little on CONFEDERATE ROSE.

String X with yellow and red

I finished the String X quilt top with a lot of red and then yellow triangles. I have four borders: 1.5 inch red, 1.5 inch scrappy strips, 1.5 inch red again, and then 6 inch yellow. The yellow is all solid dark yellow. My husband says it makes him think of an old-fashioned yellow. The red and yellow just make the quilt top sing! So bright but yet not loud. It will probably go off to the machine quilter in about a month. I really need to get the Burgoyne Surrounded quilt top made for my son. He wants it in brown. So, I'll make it with scrappy browns and then use unbleached muslin for the background. I think I'll like it since I have made a quilt for my oldest son that is done with scrappy browns and unblecahed muslin in the pattern of Snail's Trail. My other son is getting a pinwheel set on point; it is done in all plaids, checks, and stripes. I love all of them; they are so different. Isn't that like it is with our children? We love them all the same but they are all different. Next week will be the week for cutting and sewing on the brown Burgoyne Surrounded. Until then, I'll just keep working on my Grandmother's Flower Garden. It is so lonely there in my chair in the living room. Everytime I see it, I feel like I should be working on it. Progress is slow, but I can really see that the little time I have spent each evening on it has really paid off. Just a few more flowers!

When will I have time to quilt?

Today is one of those busy days. I guess I could have worked on one of my quilts this morning, but I felt it was necessary to try to figure out how to get this blog to working. After never having written a blog, I feel great. Well, I'm hoping this works. Perhaps I'll have some time before lunch to work on sewing the binding on a quilt my mother made. Then it will be time for lunch. After lunch, I will go to my art class where I'm working on a watercolor of a vase of flowers. I may also work on a pastel of another flower. After art class, I'll have a few minutes to put a load of laundry in the washer and then eat supper. Then it's off to my library board of trustees meeting. That will last until about 9:00 pm at which time the new tv show "Genealogy Roadshow" comes on. That is a must for me. While I'm watching, I may work on piecing my Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt, which is English paper pieced. It is getting larger little by little. At one point, I thought to my self, "What made me attempt this large of a quilt with these small pieces that are English paper pieced." But, you know, it has been quite a bit of enjoyment knowing that I don't have a deadline for it; it is just fun no-thought piecing. Take care.