Keeping Busy

Ran a few chores yesterday morning and brought home a sandwich for lunch.

In the late afternoon Debbie and I went to Pam's Visitation. During the drive we discussed our Thanksgiving. When and where to have it and who was bringing what. That all decided I suppose I should begin straightening and dusting - only have a little more than three weeks to accomplish the task.

Evenings have been occupied creating some 'little beings' using various scraps from my stash. They're based on Kumiko Sudo's babies. They're so cute ! Will also try a 'Pocket Baby' while I'm at it.

Pam you are always in our hearts.

Borders, borders, borders

Boy, did we do borders! ! ! Cindy, Connie, Dianna and Dori made my afternoon. We had a regular confab. One idea bouncing off the other. Everyone contributed and we all came away with new ideas and inspiration for more. And now I'm ready to put some of these insights into action as I have three quits ready for borders. The rest of our ideas will be written and drawn in my notebook so I'll have them for future projects.

What a great way to spend the afternoon.

Purse Party !

What a time we had making mesh totes !
Seven ladies showed up last evening and did we have a time. Mesh, fabric strips, handles - all were flying during our four hour marathon. Everyone, save J.B., left with a finished tote by the end of the evening. J.B. was involved with adding embellishments to her tote.
Every tote as individual as its owner.

Tomorrow will be the second half of the Stained Glass Quilt class. I've spoken with two of the gals - they've been cutting and sewing and planning for tomorrow's class when we attack the last step before quilting, that is - - - borders ! ! ! We'll explore mitered borders as well as square, and squared borders. D.L. has been using EQ6 designing one border after another. Hopefully we'll be able to see those results in class as well as her final decision on her border.
I've not made as much headway on my Stained Glass [made from three Moda Charm Paks]. I had hoped to have at least four panels completed.

Today is a sad day for our quilting community. We lost a very good friend. Pam, you'll be in our hearts forever.

Classes at the LQS

What fun it is to be teaching classes at our local quilt shop. www.specialtyquilts.com
I've taught the X-Block Mo's Basket quilt, Strip Clubbing's Stained Glass, a Seasonal Mesh Tote Bag and two Quilting 101 classes. The first was Rotary Cutting - all about using the rotary cutter and the mats, rulers and shortcuts that go along with it. The second Quilting 101 class was all about Flying Geese, triangles, half-square triangles, Thangles and the like.
Tomorrow evening will be another Mesh Tote Bag class. This is similar to the last bag I posted.

I've finished one Lap Quilt and working on four others in various stages.

Have also been corresponding with a new Norwegian Cousin who found me via my genealogy blog. Anita and I have been learning about each other and really enjoying the exchange of email

MESH BAGS

Bags, Bags
How do you like my latte bag? It's roomy enough to hold all I carry and more.

Jazzed up the zipper and the bag with hot-fix crystals.

Loved this bag ‘til - - - - - my bag for Autumn.


Added a few sparkly leaves that we all know will be falling from the trees from now ‘til February.
Made this bag a little shorter but just the same width as the Latte Bag.
There’s a Ghee’s closure that will keep this baby shut tight when necessary.

In The Backyard This Morning

Autumn is here in mid-MO. There's dew on the grass and leaves in the morning with the temps in the mid- to hi-50s.

Here's what we saw this morning -

The spider that built is wondrous web began sometime yesterday morning, worked throughout the day and was there again this morning repairing the damage caused by last night's insects. The dew showed off her work to perfection.

This Seedum plant has exceeded my wildest expectations. Thought it would grow to a foot or so tall - but has instead grown to be at least twice that tall and way wide. I love these plants as they produce pale green buds early in the summer that turn to light pink in mid-summer. Now that Fall has arrived they're this beautiful rich pink that will eventually turn to brown. Sometime after the first of the year when we're certain to have snowfall the flowers will turn to snowflowers.

And, they will do the very same next year. Wonderful

Great students ! ! ! I enjoyed the afternoons spent with these two gals.

Aren't these two quilts showing off the weave pattern in Mo's Basket to it's best advantage?

Ambitious Janet will enlarge her green with blue floral into a bed-sized quilt while Dianna's pink and yellow baby quilt will no doubt comfort the baby that receives this gift.

X-Block - Mo's Basket Pattern

Don't remember if I'd posted these before so I'll post them today.
Both used fabrics already in my Stash. The top - Autumn Gold - is a throw-sized quilt and right now is hanging at the lqs as a class sample. This red/green wallhanging is Ready for the Holidays and is loaded with hot-fix crystals. It really sparkles as the sun changes positions during the day.

Both quilts have the left-over wedges from cutting the blocks into the X-Block configuration in the border. Don't use anywhere near the entire lot of them but just enough to add a little more interest in the borders.

Welcome Home, Renee !

She's home after being on the road fourteen months !

X-Block Class

Our First Class at our lqs - Specialty Quilts & Fabrics

She Cuts !
She sews !
Instructs !
Results !

A Fun Project

These are a fun project - dosen't take that long, but does take a bit of thread for the Satin Stitching. One of these hanging at the chiminey with care would be a welcome sight at our house. And, of course, it's big enough to hold lots and lots of goodies.! ! ! ! !

These went to Miss Millie's Quilt Shoppe's annual contribution to Missouri Girl's Town.

A pair and a quilt top

Just finished this pair last night. Took a long time as this was the most complex pattern yet. But worth the concentration. Am wearing them today and they feel soooo gooood ! ! !
This is a 'Stained Glass' pattern quilt top while it was up on my design wall. It completed, as of last night, with two borders. It's a class sample for a class that I am to teach at the lqs. Used a Moda Jelly Roll for the red and turquoise. Only my second attempt using Jelly Rolls.

Hope some of you are hanging in there with these occasional blog posts, Thanks.

Good Post - Wrong Blog

I originally posted this entry on July sixteenth . . . . . . . but published to my genealogy blog in error and did not find my goof until I was about to the gene blog again. These middle of the night posts are not the best time for this brain to work.

Pics
Well, two pics, but nonetheless -- -- --


This sock pattern is Hedera by Cookie A. and is a semi-lace pattern. It's worked in Regia Silk [a wool-silk-poly blend] and is lush to the feel. I love the look and they were very easy.

This blue pair is for GAL and is a simple ribbed pattern worked in Regia Color Silk [a wool-silk-poly blend] and feels great. GAL sez she loves them and they feel great while wearing her sandals broken toe and all.

Finished 2 Bags and a

wallhanging.

I love the X-Block ! !
My latest wallhanging is a smaller X-Block with lotsa bling! Made with Stash fabric and expensive hot-fix crystals.

The two bags are also from Stash Fabric and patterns purchased months ago on a road trip to Stover. Used some of my recent purchase of wool-rayon felt as the 'batt'. Think I may like it better than the usual cotton batt I've used. Ahh, yes, I hot-fixed a bit of bling on the bags also - along with chenille-on-a- roll.
The tote is made with four fat quarters I received from Hoffman for entering their 20th anniversary challenge. That's Renee and Mid-Summer's Bloom - both spending the month at exhibit in Jonesboro, TN.
The purse used 5-inch squares from a Thimbleberries Charm Pak that I've had for month and months.

There are still one or two patterns remaining in my 'bag pattern stash'.

Am knitting my eleventh pair of 2-socks-at-a-time on a 40" circular number 2 needle.

Two items on my to-do list.
First is Christmas Stockings for Miss Millie's yearly project for MO Girls Town. Hope to do several before the dead line.
The second task on my list is organizing a Demo for the Quiltin' Chicks Social in three weeks [lotsa time]. Will be doing several quilt-as-I-go techniques and my favorite pattern from Strip Clubbing [designs by: Daniela Stout, Georgette Dell-Orco, Susan Ziegler and Sharyn Craig]. The latter geared to 2.5" strips [either cut your own or use Jelly Roll strips]. (Or is this task just an excuse to start another quilt?)

Nancy C was instrumental in getting me a new quilting book - Thinking outside the BLOCK [by Sandi Cummings with Karen Flamme] - looks to be a fun way of doing things. Purchased the book at last month's quilt Guild meeting. The feature speaker enjoyed making quilts using ideas from this book and bought several copies along for purchase. Since she did such an motivational presentation our Guild has asked her to have a workshop or two for guild members in the fall. Hope to be able to attend and start down the path to some interesting quilt making.

Pics to come - ??? soon???

Soon time for an update, immediately after events slow

here. Seems it's a busy time.

Have a number of subjects for posting when I won't feel rushed.

Sock Update ! ! !

Here's my toe-up KAL pair that involved D and I. Love the Opal yarn. I did the bind-off a bit frilly to top them off with a flair ! !
This wool/bamboo yarn was great to work with - and since my sox-knitting frenzy has been so far all for me, Me, ME I thought perhaps it was time to knit a pair for my DH. They're from Melissa Morgan-Oaks book [again, I love every pattern] and are The Classic Sock knit from the toe up.
Received a surprize package from my wonderful d-i-l this week. A treasure of wooden spools of thread. I can add them to my retro spool holder she gave me for Christmas.
Was without electricity yesterday [from 2:45 a.m. until 8:00 o'clock p.m.] after a tree brought down the power lines somewhere in the neighborhood during our rain/lightening/wind storm. In this past week Jeff City has received five inches of much needed rain. I'm sure all the trees, shrubs and lawns welcome every drop.

No Socks on These Tootsies

Lots o' Dots and Ready to Dance ! ! ! It's Jr-Sr Prom nite ! ! !
Grandson Ryan and Paige [date/girlfriend] are dressed and ready to go. First to the Governor's Garden for photos with parents then on to meet friends for the pre-Prom dinner out.

Bringing this Blog up to date! ! !

Love these clear clogs ! ! ! Sloggers ! ! ! Great way for me to show off my hand-knit socks.

[Look good with my workpants, huh ? ? ? ]
Sloggers were a little wide even with the knit sox so put inner soles in and now they're a real good fit.

Frogged my first pair of Magic Loop sox to use the yarn in this pair of Regia Kaffee Fassett Design using Melissa Morgan-Oakes' Twilight Pattern, but I knitted toe-up. I'm really glad I re-knit that first pair. The tension was way to loose and now that this new pair is finished, I'm really glad I decided to re-make the pair. These feel and fit soooo goooood.

Stopped at Hillcreek Yarn Shoppe after lunch at T.G.I.Friday's this week and fell in love with the yummy brown woo/bamboo yarn. Have already begun knitting a Toe-Up version of Melissa's Classic Sock pattern. They're to be for Ron. Yahoo ! ! !

Aside from listening to audiobooks and knitting, I've been working on my newest X-Block quilt top. It's really moving along in spite of the limited time I'm sitting at the Featherweight.

Have already begun planning another version of Mo's Basket pattern, my third.

Here's the Sugar Maple pair just as I've completed the heel and ready to begin the gusset.
Ron and I went to Columbia for lunch at The Cracker Barrel. Lots of people had the same destination for lunch. We had a delicious meal and ate to beyond full. Yummy grub for such a cold, cold day. Winter's showing the last of herself with a blustery and misty day.
Just north of Columbia woke this morning to a quarter-inch of snow. Some in Columbia lost power over night due to the fierce winds. Jeff had the wind, but no precip.

Dropped in both yarn stores while we were up there. The pair of Sloggers that I ordered over a month ago finally came in, so picked those up then went on to True Blue Fiber Friends where I found this lovely sock yarn for my stash. It's TOFUtsies [toe-foot-sies]. 50% superwash wool, 225% soysilk fibers, 22.5% cotton, and 2.5% Chitin. Ahhh, you want to know what the heck Chitin is, right? "Chitin is fiber from shrimp and crab shells! It's naturally antibacterial!"
Guess that sez it all.

So Comfy - and some WIPs

Well, here they are! ! ! I made the cuff a little short and very loose. I love the way they fit. Though I think casting on only eight stitches [toe-up] left them a little pointy and so I cast on sixteen on the pair I started with the Opal yarn.
Ahhh, another view of my feet, sox and the Socka Colori. Love this self-patterning yarn.
This pair made with the Opal [cast on 16 sts] was started so that I can knit-along with a dear friend who got me interested in Magic Loop knitting. We began these socks Monday and will meet again when we both get the the heel. We'll work that together and then we'll be home free.
The foot and cuff will be in a K1P1 ribbing. However, - - -

this pair of Regia cuff down] is Melissa's Sugar Maple pattern. Such delicate little twists. It's a fun [reads easy!] pattern with terrific results. I'm in love.

I know I have several WIPs going but it's hard to stay on one fabulous yarn when there are more waiting to slip through my fingers.

BTW, that's my Vintage Stitches Thimbleberries quilt. Daughter Debbie did the coloring with crayons and heat set them so the colors will stay.

Now that I've my X-Block demo for our Quiltin' Chicks Social given Thursday evening, and my X-Block Workshop project finished for show-n-tell at the quilt guild in Columbia this afternoon, I can relax for a bit. [I'll post pics of my workshop wallhanging in the next couple of days. It turned out great.]

Hurray for the Red, White & Blue

Red, White & Blue! ! ! ! 1776! ! ! ! Fourth of July! ! ! ! Stars and Stripes ! ! !

These are being knitted from the Toe-Up, what a hoot!

Can't wait to wear them on the up-coming holidays - Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day and of course whenever I feel especially patriotic ! !

I'm going to begin another pair of Toe-Up Sox soon with the Opal Yarn from the previous post. A multi-color yarn with a multitude of colors - lavender, yellow, mint, blue, etc., etc. They should look pretty darn good. I'm searching through Melissa Morgan-Oakes book "2-at-a-time Socks" for a pattern for the leg, there are so many to choose from.

Hey, did I tell you that I received my signed bookplate from Melissa and have stuck it right on the opening page. WoooHooo ! ! !