Taming the Scraps

Way back in January 2007, I bought a box of "tidy scraps"  I used lots and lots of those scraps but there will still lots and lots of them left, mostly batiks.  I crammed them all into a zippered bag and once in a while I would open that bag and use a few more.  Then it got "put away" not to be touched until the big sewing room clean out.

Inspiration comes from all over. The other day I was reading this blog post and knew that is what I was going to do with my batik scraps.  I had just bought myself a gift of the 1 1/2" strip die for my GO! cutter and knew I would use that to cut my strips.  I got that bag out and started pressing and sorting, pressing and sorting.  Batiks and not batiks. Pretty soon the bag was empty so I grabbed another scrap bag and continued pressing and sorting.  Will I ever get all my scraps sorted???  Maybe, but probably not.  It is fun to remember where these fabrics come from.  I have friends that save scraps for me and most of the time I remember who gave me what.

This morning my neighbor kids are here stacking firewood so I figured it was a good day to cut the batik pieces.  I can do this in the kitchen and check on the kids quite often.  I love my GO! cutter. In an hour, I had all my batik scraps cut.

There is a bit of waste here but if I used the ruler and rotary cutter, I would have had waste there too.  What am I going to do with the waste pieces???  I don't know.  My brain says to pitch them now, my heart says you could make a really cool art piece.  Sometimes I need to listen to my brain but today I think my heart is going to win.  I have a plan for an art piece.  Stay turned....

I do know that I am not going to start this project yet.  I think it will be a great retreat project.  I'll just keep pressing, sorting and cutting.  I love that I have 2 less bags of scraps in my room and some great pieces cut and ready to use.

Thank you I QUILT FOR FUN, you are now part of my village.

Design Wall Monday

While we were walking around the fair a while back, Taylor spotted a really cute bag that she thought would be great for a school bag. I looked at it and thought eeewww, cheap stinky fabric, outrageous price, poor construction. I can do better than that. We searched Pinterest and Google images for Bohemian bags. She found a few really cute ones and we had a plan.  Then I showed her a bag I made for myself using 5" batik charms and the designing process began.

 She chose a bright batik charm pack from Mr. B's Preview Pack Club at Benartex (aka Happy Mail) and started laying out the charms.  Move one, walk away, come back, move 3.  You know what I mean!

She wanted lots of pockets (quilting supplies not included). The other side has 2 additional pockets.  I like that they are almost camouflaged when they are closed.

I think she has a super cute bag.  I know it will be well used.  I want to make another for myself now.

Now my little design wall is empty.  I have a feeling it is going to stay that way for a bit.  I have a few other projects that need my attention this week.  Like these 3 boxes of apples...

See other great design walls linked up at Patchwork Times.

Hand Stitching On Sunday

Ms. Owl is now residing on my bed.

She thinks she's pretty special.

I agree.

I used some strips left from this quilt to add to her glory.

They were already sewn in sets of 4.

That was perfect for zipper placement.

I used poly batting scraps to make her extra fluffy.

Little Birdie is coming along.

She is my Wednesday project.

Easy to work on her and chat it up with the gals.

Kathy showed her needle threader,

this is mine.  

I found it in with the crewel supplies at JoAnn's.

Kathy also showed me my next project.

Visit Kathy and her Slow Sunday Stitching post.

Fun With Friends

Today we went with friends to the Cedar Creel Grist Mill for the Cornbread and Bluegrass Day.  This is located not too far from my house and I'm ashamed to admit I haven't been there for years.  It has been improved so much over the years.  It is a local landmark.  It was fun to hear the speaker talk about the history.  It was established in 1876--I think the electric light is not original or authentic to the building.  Winka Winka.

Our friends Dan and Cathy are caretakers here and this is the view from their deck.  How awesome is this!

This is the view walking down the hill to the grist mill.  As a child, there was a painting done by my Great Aunt hanging on the living room wall of Gramma Maple's house.  The Grist Mill has always been part of my life.

Another view from the walking path looking across Cedar Creek.  I love the gnarly moss covered Maple branches.  

This is the flume that carries the water to the mill.  When they are milling the corn or the wheat, there is no electricity involved. The water noise was loud but oh, so soothing.  What a great day!

On The Needles

I had a bit of time in the passenger seat this week so made some noticeable progress on my to go socks. I just looked back and these were started in May. I'm not doing too bad with them considering how much we don't go.

I had a talk with myself and decided to love these wool socks because really I do and I can see them on my feet.  I said last week that I would work on these socks before I worked on anything else.  I told myself to get the heel flap and turn done and then I could cast on the August socks.  So I did.  I have worked on these every evening but one.  Now I am anxious to get to the toes.......

So I cast on these and only worked this much at that one sitting and have left them alone until I took this picture. The Jeck socks that are now my August socks for the 12 in 2012 Challenge.  These are simple yet full of texture and is a new to me pattern. I love Ravelry!  Sticking to the challenge guidelines, the Soles & More yarn came from my stash.  This part of the challenge is becoming a challenge for me!

I don't know if I'll be caught up before the end of the month-I'm saying probably not!  I haven't even thought about the pair for September but I have some great yarn choices and after searching for the Jeck pattern, I have a bunch of new to me sock patterns in my Ravelry favorites.  You can find my Ravelry profile here. I would love to add more friends.

I'll link up to Judy L at Patchwork Times as soon as she gets the linky up on her page.  Keep checking and you will find other great On The Needles blog posts.

Design Wall Monday

I don't know if it's just my computer or if this is on everyone's. My font is super small. I didn't change any settings so I'm hoping it's just a blogger fluke right now.  I'll check back later today.  If you would be kind enough to let me know how it shows up for you, I appreciate the feed back.

!~!~!~!~! Thanks to AnnMarie at 16 Muddy Feet, I figured out MY problem with my page......she said to use CTRL+ and my page will become larger.  Thanks AnnMarie!

Sewing time has been dedicated to catching up on the Sow-A-Long blocks.  I'm making 2 of each block, one with browns and pinks, the other totally scrappy.  

I continue to work on my Bow Tie leader/ender blocks. I am almost finished making the little blocks.  Just in time too, because someone posted a new leader/ender challenge this morning!  Will I jump in?  No, not yet.  I have a different leader/ender to finish up.  Maybe I'll make a little wall hanging at some point.  I'm trying to be disciplined. LOL  You all know how good that works for me.

While I was sewing, I was kept company by Bonnie on QuiltCam.  It was pretty fun and funny.  Hopefully today with have me finishing up the remaining blocks.

What's on your design wall?  Check out what cuteness Judy L shows and what others that have linked to  at Patchwork Times.  Time for me to visit friends in Blogland. Happy Monday!

Sunday Stitching

My cute little bird has been neglected and I feel bad.  When any evening hand work was done, knitting had taken over until a few nights ago when I picked up this sweet thing.

This is my embroidery thread box.  I really need to take it with me next time thread is on sale and do some thread enhancing.  I love all the colors but this box is looking quite sad right now. I don't like that they can't all stand up like the pinks and the blues.  My goal is to have this box full and another waiting to fill up.  How fun would it be to have every color available at my fingertips.  But then again, that might be too many choices for me.

My goal for the week is to take some time (23 minutes at least!) to do some slow hand stitching.  Check out what Kathy worked on this week and what others are doing by going to Kathy's Quilts: Slow Sunday Stitching.

23 Minutes

Madam Samm is writing a series called How I Make Time.  You can read her posts here and here.  I am a big fan of the timer (and of Madam Samm) but I guess I never thought about how to use the timer to make the time to do what I want to do.  I am a horrid procrastinator.  Sometimes it bites me right in the butt!  So I am learning to use my time the Madam Samm way.

This is my list of 3 for today:

1-Make breakfast, unload dw, boil eggs.

2-Clear the flat surfaces in the kitchen. 

3-Make cookies for potluck.

As of right now, I have #1 complete as is part of #2.  If I don't get on to #3, I will walk in to the potluck empty handed and that is not good!!!

How do you make the most of your time?

On The Needles

I am pleased to say that sock 1 for June 12 in 2012 Challenge is complete and sock 2 is just past the ribbing.  I spent some time Friday and Saturday in the passenger seat so I got lots of knitting done on sock 1.  Early Saturday morning, I decided to finish it and cast on sock 2.  Poor thing hasn't been touched until today when I took it out of the bag for the picture.

I decided it would be fun to show what is in my to go bag.  Since I switched over to the long circular needle, I don't have my 7" DPNs to measure with so I put in this cute little blue tape measure.  It has already come in quite handy!  A knitter needs the emery board, markers and scissors.  I like the Fiskar school scissors for my projects bag--cheap, sharp and small--and my short DPNs for when I reach the toes.

I haven't spent much time watching tv in the evenings this week.  I have been in the sewing room instead or just to darn tired to pick up the needles.  I did make a little progress on these but not much.  I am finding them not very exciting and I really, really want to start the August pair.  I keep telling myself I will work on these for a while before I work on the others....   Do you make deals with yourself?  I already have the yarn and needles waiting........I just need to decide on which new technique or pattern to use with the new pair.

Visit Patchwork Times here to see what others have on their needles

Design Wall Monday

After have little to no sewing time last week, I am taking DWM as a designated sewing day.  I am not making plans because you know what happens when I make plans.

The Pineapple Blossom needs borders.  The pieced border is sewn together, the other borders are ready.

Pineapple Crazy is screaming my name.  These 5 blocks need the final corners.  I am loving these blocks.  When I made this group, I used most of the same fabrics in each of the blocks.  Whenever I start thinking I need to change up the fabrics, add more variety to the little basket, I remember how many blocks there are and that no one will notice if 5 blocks have the same fabrics around the outside.  I am going to change up the order in which I work on the blocks.  I think next I'll make a few border blocks just for the fun of it.

I think I have enough going on today that I'll feel like I have accomplished something.  Now I'm outta here for a while.  A quick breakfast and then in to the machine......  I'll take a break along the way today to check out other great DWM posts that have linked up to Patchwork Times today.  I hope you get to do what you want to do today.

Quiltathon Plans Gone Astray

Judy L at Patchwork Times was hosting a Quiltathon that started Thursday.  

When she first announced it, I was so excited.  

I started making my plans.  

You know what they say about plans...

I'm OK with the change in plans.  

Thursday we went to the fair.

The fair is so much more fun with kids.

Friday was spent running around town.

Here, there, everywhere.

Lots of knitting time.

After another trip to town in the morning and more knitting time, 

I spent most of Saturday canning green beans.

Ernie worked around outside.

Later in the afternoon, we went for a walk up the hill to check the bees.

  Then it was Saturday night pizza picnic on the deck

with Crystal and the kiddos.

Finally today I played with fabric.  

I sewed on my Pineapple Crazy Blocks this morning while Someone slept in.

I needed to get these fabrics ironed and ready to cut for the next 2 strips swaps.

Now I'm going to cut my strips and get them ready to mail tomorrow. 

I got a lot done in the last 4 days.

I guess that's a good way to spend my Quiltathon time.

Waste Not Wednesday

A while back, Jo at Jo's Country Junction was doing link ups to Waste Not Wednesday.  I guess there wasn't enough interest to keep it going-insert sad face- but my project this morning made me think of that.

With the new hens starting to lay, it doesn't take long to get an over abundance of eggs. My egg shelf in the fridge was full.  Yesterday I was blog hopping through the Think Christmas blog hop and came across this post hat Hallbrook Designs.  Ding, ding, ding...the bells are ringing loud in my head.  It's been a while since I have made these and I need some in my freezer.  I do mine a bit different that Missie does.

This morning, I pulled out of the freezer my baggies of chopped onion, red peppers, green peppers and sweet corn.  Out of the fridge came 2 leftover Italian sausages that I chopped up real small, a couple chunks of cheese that I grated and a dozen eggs.  Into the skillet went a glob of butter, the veggies and sausage.  Heat all that up, add the eggs that have been whipped up all pretty and fluffy.  Cook gently.  Turn off the burner, stir in the cheese and cover for a few minutes so the cheese melts.

Warm up some flour tortillas.  Lay out a sheet of wax paper--how I love my box of cut wax paper, so handy for so many things.  Place the tortilla on it with some of the egg mixture.

Roll it up and wrap it up. Keep rolling and wrapping.  Missie has great pictures of how to roll them up!

Pretty soon your cookie sheet will have a pile of breakfast burritos.  Lay them out as flat as you can, put them in the freezer for a few hours.  Take them out, put them into a zip bag and put them back in the freezer. Need a quick breakfast or lunch???  Take one out, heat it up, eat it up!

1 less dozen eggs, 2 less Italtian sausages and 2 chunks of cheese out of the fridge.  My frozen chopped onion and pepper bags are a bit emptier.  I now have 9 great burritos in the freezer. Be sure to save enough for yourself to have breakfast.  Thanks Missie of Hallbrook Designs for reminding me to do this again! If you haven't read her blog, you should.  She has some fabulous stuff over there.

If you aren't cooking ahead to have great things in your freezer, why not???  Home cooked is so much better than store bought!  I love to cook extra for dinner to have enough for 1 or 2 freezer dinners.  Like last night's chicken casserole that I based off of Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spagetti.  My husband is in love with her like he loves Paula Deen.  Cute ladies with cute accents and they both can cook!  I've learned to make sure he knows I got the recipes from either of them and they are sure to be a hit.  MEN!!!

Tuesday Fun

 A few days ago, Connie at Quilting by the River wrote a post about Sharpie Doodle Art.  I fell in love with her piece and knew it would be a perfect project for Taylor and I.

Today was a good day to doodle.  I don't have colored Sharpies but I do have some permanent Bic markers so we gave those a try.

This is Taylor's drawing.  I ironed the fabric to some freezer paper to make it easier to draw on.  

I laid foil on the table and put down a couple paper towels. Next she started dropping rubbing alcohol from an eye dropper.  We learned from my piece not to use too much.  My piece is a mess but I'm going to try to do something with it.

When it was almost dry, I started pressing it.  Connie said she wished she had pressed a previous piece 3 or 4 times so that's what I did.  Next I layer it with some batting and started free motion quilting.  I had so much fun!  I still need lots of practice but we both think it turned into a super cute pillow! 

I'm linking this post up to Connie's Linky Party Tuesday.  Check it out, I see more pillows I think I might need!

Design Wall Monday

 Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville has been a huge influence on my quilting life.  I love scrappy and I am loving doing Bonnie's quilts with small pieces.  When her newest book, String Fling arrived in my mailbox and I opened the book, Pineapple Crazy was the page I opened to!  It was meant to be!

I remember her posting about her little pineapple blocks a few years ago. I knew then I wanted to make these blocks!  After searching her blog, I found this post and  this post.   I sure there are more.

Pineapple Crazy has begun!  I don't know if you can see it or not but at the top of the blocks, I wrote how many to make and beside it is the number I am working on.  And the one corner with the 2 pink lines, that is so I know to make that a dark corner.

I started doing just 2 blocks but I don't work like that so now I am working on 5 and will probably go up to working on 10 at a time.  Each will have a red center.  After working on this far, I remembered Bonnie had written an errata for this block.  The numbers are wonky so I will just go with what I know about paper piecing instead of following the numbers.  No big deal at all.

2 done, 222 to go.  That doesn't scare me one bit.  I love these blocks.  I love taking itty bitty crumbs of fabric and making something fabulous.

I am working out of these 2 little baskets right now.  I think I will have to get a bigger basket for the creams but the colors are just fine.  It's amazing how much I can cram into that little basket.  These are just trimmings from my latest fabric cutting sprees.  I have boxes, bags and bins of scraps and crumbs.  I can't wait to see if this project makes a dent in those.

See what others have on their design walls this week by visiting Judy L at Patchwork Times. I love Monday in Blogland!

Hand Stitching Sunday

Ms. Owl is complete.  Now she need a good pressing and turned into a pillow.

I started this little bird but haven't picked it up since Wednesday.

One of the gals at Binding Friends told me she uses a FriXion pen to trace her designs.

The ink from these pens disappear when ironed.

I decided to try it on this piece.

Good thing I remembered before ironing out that crease!

What are you stitching???

Check out other stitching projects at Kathy's Quilts. 

On The Needles

While looking at these photos, I'm thinking maybe someone has been spending too much time in front of the tv.  Ernie doesn't like to watch the Olympics, I do.  I'll check on things during the day but mostly I watch after he goes to bed-prime knitting time.

I finished up this cute little hat I showed last week.  I didn't follow the directions completely because I used larger yarn but I think it turned out cute.  I will not be making a hat that fits Mr. Bear's super large head.

I started over on my July socks.  I decided to not give up on the gray wool.  In keeping with the guidelines of the 12 in 2012 Challenge, I will be doing the heel flap and the toes with the 2 tone yarn.

I went yarn shopping the other day to get what I wanted for Christmas gifts.  I picked up 2 large skeins of this yarn to use for 2 scarves based on this pattern.  This is the first time I've used this yarn.  I am waiting for the run of the white to appear.  I don't want this to look like a skunk with the white going right down the center of the hood.  If it does, I'll pull the white out and just make a gray scarf.  The other skein is black and pink so I'll be on the lookout when I start that one.  I do love the gradation and I don't notice it while knitting but it sure shows when I hold it out to admire.

See Judy L's fabulous project and what others have on their needles here.