Dec
8
A Hazy Quilt
Filed Under Quilting | Leave a Comment
Don’t faint. Two posts in as many days! I told you there’d be much to talk about during the holidays.
Here is little Baby J’s quilt all quilted up and in desperate need of a wash. I’ve had the quilting done since Thanksgiving, but I never think a quilt is “done” until it’s been washed and gets that wrinkly puckered quilt look. I should really get that done so that I can take it over there before she goes off to college.
I really love the backside fabric on this one. No, it’s not cut on the bias, it’s actually printed that way. And it is so silky soft that you almost wouldn’t know it is just quilting cotton.
I’m not the only one who loves it either, I took the unbound quilt to my local quilt store for advice on binding. The ladies there couldn’t find anything they liked with the front of the quilt more than the backing fabric. So instead of selling me something, they all agreed that I should “fake” the binding and roll the back over to the front. I’ve done this before, but never on something where the back would be readily visible. The one that comes to mind immediately is the tree skirt I made several years ago (total PotteryBarn knock off, I should really take pictures). Anyway, I digress… I didn’t want the edges on the back to be “flat” as if there was no binding, so if you look closely the quilting I did in a straight line around the edges is visible. It’s not perfect, but it presents a good enough illusion, I think.
You can also see that I did a somewhat more interesting quilting pattern than the straight lines on the last quilt. I did start to get bored with it toward the end but at least it went quickly. I also discovered on this one, that I really only like one kind of hand quilting thread (Sulky 100% Cotton) and only one kind of quilting needle (PieceMakers betweens). I tried a thread from JoAnn but it was so thick and it really was hard to get through the quilt. I ended up picking out several pattern repeats and re-doing them with the new thread. Never again. I’ll pay the extra at the quilt store for the good thread and needles!
Aug
11
Life gets in the way…
Filed Under Knitting, Quilting, Sewing | 2 Comments
It’s been too long. As busy as we’ve been, I’ve barely found time to breathe, much less write. But I missed it. So, imagine my surprise when I tried to post two weeks ago and found out that my software was busted. My poor friend Bryan, I bugged him for at least a week straight. In the end, I figured it out myself, and here we are… albeit with a few glitches. I’m still not sure my spam filter plug-in is working correctly. But enough geek stuff… I’m not a geek, remember?
So instead, onto the dork stuff. I’m still plugging away at the butterfly dress. I really need to take new pictures of it, I’m actually almost done with the decreases, which means I’m getting closer to the bust, but it’s looking pretty damn short. I’m sure it will stretch lengthwise when blocked, right? Don’t answer that. I don’t really want to know. Tell you what though, that pattern is horribly written. They fail to mention about how to keep the correct number of stitches on the needles. With all the increasing a decreasing, you’d think they’d mention something like that… but no, there’s a chart, and it doesn’t even start in the right place. Anyway, it’s going better now, and I hope to finish it in the next 48 days. Before our cruise. Ahhhhh.
In other news, I threw these blocks together this weekend. I love them. And I love my linen board thingy, too. Quilt blocks just stick to it like magic. No more worrying about the dog stepping on carefully arranged blocks. Hopefully it’ll be a full fledged quilt top by bedtime tonight. I really need to start quilting it.
I’m having trouble getting anything done. The Olympics are taking waaaay too much attention. And the gymnastics coach/karate instructor in me is being overly critical. But that’s another post.
For now, it’s just good to be back.
Jun
13
Done
Filed Under Crafting, Quilting, Storing | 4 Comments
Finally! Now you can see why the quilting took so long. But it came out well, and I really like it. Especially the “scrappy” binding. I love multicolor bindings.
Jun
4
My cow-orker* and friend always says “Twice nothing is still nothing.” And that’s what I’ve got for you still. No new FOs.
So in lieu of pretty finished projects, I give you the tulips my mother gave me as a “hostess” gift on memorial day. Aren’t they pretty? Tulips are my favorite flower. I’ve loved them since college, when there used to be great big beds packed with tulips in the spring. They’re just fresh and simple and perfect.
The baby quilt is ALMOST done. 4.5 more 4 inch squares and I’m done with the quilting! I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. I really regret the quilting pattern I picked as it was EXTREMELY boring to implement. I do actually LIKE doing quilt binding. (I may be the only one in the world who does.) There is just something about stitching the binding to the front and watching the quilt edges becoming encapsulated by fabric; seeing it come to completion one stitch at a time. It’s a bit like watching a flower unfold.
Or maybe it’s just the light at the end of the tunnel.
In other news, I actually started writing about a particular episode of my life. I’ve only got the middle of the story so far, with no idea how I’m going to write the ending, and only an inkling of how to start the whole mess. All in all, I like what I have so far, even though I know it’ll have to have a few tweaks on names, etc. I’m also debating whether it should be written in first person, or third. Of course, I haven’t touched it in a week. I have got to get past this block. I don’t understand how I can have so many ideas, but procrastinate and procrastinate and procrastinate.
I’m also putting off working on the Diamond Fantasy Shawl. I’ve only got one pattern repeat left, but I keep coming up short on stitches, and it’s irritating me. It doesn’t matter that when the whole thing is stretched out, that there is no visible mistake, coming up short is just frustrating. So every time I pick the dumb thing up, I only get two rows done, because at the end of the next right side row, I want to throw it across the room and scream. Frogging is not an option. I tried doing that way back at the begining, and I couldn’t find the stitches and ended up ripping it all back and starting over.
I’ve got at least 3 more knitting projects on my plate. I ordered the yarn and pattern for the Rowan butterfly dress from KnitPicks and because I’m boring (and because it’s my favorite color lately) I got the same turquoise yarn their sample is made from. Then there is the silver merino/lace shawl/stole thing that I haven’t picked a pattern for yet. And finally, that stuffed toy that Susan said I should do. I found the perfect pattern, but that’s a see-crud (did anyone else read Trixie Belden? Her brother always said “see-crud”).
So, yeah, all that stuff, and nothing to share. Whatever!
*Yes, I meant to put the hyphen there…
May
22
I’ve got nothin’.
Zilch.
Zero.
Zip.
Nothing new to share. I tried to take pictures of the shawl I’m knitting, and of the now 3/4 quilted baby quilt, but the pictures are terrible. I’ve also been ignoring my Etsy shop. I haven’t made anything or listed anything in days weeks. I have a couple of Elefelts in pieces in the sewing room, but I think they might just stay there for a while.
I suppose a lot of it has to do with how draining work has been lately. I’m not even sure why, it’s just trying to meet deadlines, and I’m not really behind, but blah. I’m not upset about it or anything, just completely apathetic about everything lately.
On the other hand, I’ve had a horrible headache for several days. I’ve tried everything. Even exercise — see? you know I’m desperate. I swam 50 laps (about 5oo m) in our pool yesterday for the first time this season, and all I got were sore arms. I mean really painfully sore arms. Usually when I get sore it’s about 2 days before it sets in. Last night, laying on the floor watching TV, I thought my arms might just fall off. And my head hurt more. Go figure. I suppose I’ll have to swim again tonight, just to loosen up the arms.
I also downloaded some software that is supposed to help make writing stories/novels easier. I actually picked something to write about, too. But damn if I haven’t been stalling on writing it. I even organized the desktop on my computer this morning to avoid writing it. Sigh.
Maybe this weekend I’ll find some motivation to write or finish a project or something. But for now, has anyone seen my blankie? I wanna go back to bed.