Success!!

Color me happy!!!  Easy Street is now a quilt top.

My plans didn't go according to my plan but after dinner, Ernie had hunter's ed class and Bonnie is on QuiltCam.  It's so fun to sew with friends.  Even though they aren't in the same room, they kind of are.  It's really fun when she reads your comment and gives you encouragement. :0)

So Easy Street will now be folded up placed on Mt. ToBeQuilted.  The other day while at Goodwill, I found a 15 yard  chunk of lime green with purple plaid shirting for $20.  A pretty fabulous find that will be used for the back of this quilt.

It's been a pretty awesome day!

Easy Street Quiltathon

Today is the day Easy Street blocks are turned into a quilt top.  I've put it off long enough. The blocks are too big to put inside a bin and put up on the shelf so I am having an Easy Street Quiltathon!

I started about 10 am and told myself to work until the rows were complete.  Just before noon, I sewed the last seam.  Now my rows are ready to be joined.  Right as I was finishing, the TV series I have been watching on Netflix finished.  I am going to miss those gals on McLeod's Daughters.  I'm not sure what to watch next.  Maybe Friday Night Lights.

I ran out of leader/enders and I'm behind on my Row Quilt blocks so I cut some and have 4 blocks almost ready to assemble into blocks.  It won't take long.  I am running out of month. After Easy Street is a top, I will concentrate on getting my purple blocks done for a new color is announced for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

Lunch is almost done, I'm going to take a little bit of a walk and then get back to it.  See ya later.

What Are You Reading

I had a little bit of a chuckle when Judy L asked What Are You Reading today and showed her magazines.  I finally finished Montana last night and didn't start another book yet.  I got these quilt books and farm magazine in the mail in the last few days so I will be spending time with them.  I've already looked through the quilt books a few times but you know that isn't enough.  I can't wait to read about backyard chickens.

What are you reading?

**Dear  Anonymous Commenter:  I LOVE Carol Doak's new book!

Design Wall Monday

While my plan last Monday was to continue working on Easy Street, something shiny caught my eye.  I am so easily distracted and it becomes so easy to procrastinate the big jobs and start something new.  My something new was this UFO from June 2011. I'm proud of myself for working on a UFO and not starting one of the many new projects that I want to do.

I was putting some fabric away and I spotted the bin that held Hopscotch, Butterscotch.  All the parts were there, including my Adventures with Leaders & Enders by Bonnie Hunter.  So Easy Street has been pushed aside. With several blocks already complete, I quickly added sashing and made a 3 x 4 setting.  Then I started working on the border pieces. I had decided to take the remaining block pieces and use them on the back so I made up 7 more blocks. What the heck, may as well make 1 more block and set it at 4 x 5.

I spent some quality sewing time and when I add 1 more strip to the top and bottom border, then sew them on, this top will be complete.  The instructions have you using 2" strips and I remember at the time I didn't have very many but my 2 1/2" bin was overflowing so I redrafted the block to use my strips.

I do think I should add some glitter to Easy Street and get that one finished this week before it turns into a UFO.

See some fabulous design walls at Patchwork Times today.

On The Needles

I get to work on the 3S Shawl full time now. 

I just might have this finished before the birthday rolls around.

Working full time on the 3S Shawl means the vest is done!  Well not totally, wearable done, the knitting it done.  There are a couple ends that need to be woven in, a zipper inserted and blocking. (Or do I block first then insert the zipper?) It fits him really nice, it's toasty warm and he is excited to wear it.  I set down some rules though.  It is never, ever, ever to be worn to work!  NOT EVER! He has plenty of vests to wear to work.

Now I will start shopping for some alpaca yarn for the next one.  But not yet.  My Greta vest is next.  After I work on the crochet afghan for a while.  My Sticks 'n Strings 2013 projects are coming along nicely when the vest is done, it becomes finish number 6 for the year.

Visit Patchwork Times to see other great projects.

Show Us Your Socks

I call these my pink beauties. They are 2 years old and have worn great.  No sign of thin spots anywhere. I think it's a Lion Brand but I can't remember.

Do you have cute socks??? Put them on and share with us over at Patchwork Times.

It's That Time of Year Again

It's time to start thinking about the quilt for the Hunting Club picnic prize.  For the last 3 years, I have made a deer quilt for the hunting club to use as one of the raffle prizes at the annual picnic.  It has become quite the coveted prize.  I've been thinking about it and didn't have a clue what to do.  I have more than enough of this deer fabric to use as the focal fabric and really, after this much time, I'd like to be done with it.

This morning I was reading Facebook and Benartex, Inc posted something on their blog. Of course I had to go see and I found this post. So I opened up EQ7 and started looking at blocks.  In no time at all, I had a quilt designed with those 2 blocks and then it got to the borders.  I love their border but I'll save that for one of my own quilts. 

After playing, coloring, changing and more changing, I came up with this quilt.  It's prefect for a man, woman or child.  Not too big, not too small.

Then I sent my picture off to my friend Judy L for her honest opinion.  And while I waited for her response, I started figuring border dimensions.  I have learned from her that I should get my borders ready before starting the center of the quilt.  That way there is no down time while I procrastinate on cutting the borders. So with a favorable response from Judy, I am ready to shop for the perfect fabrics and get going on this.

Until then, I'll continue to work on Easy Street and UFO Hopscotch that I was working on when I finished the deer quilt 2 years ago! Oye!!! It's so easy to put things away and forget about them!

Good Morning Girls

Design Wall Monday

Yesterday afternoon, Easy Street went up on the temporary too small design wall.  I really need to get a real design wall put up in my sewing room instead of in the hallway!

I pinned the center row together then risked life and limb carrying it to the sewing room.  It wasn't that bad, I only stabbed myself twice. So the center row is now sewn.  In no time at all, this top will be called finished.

See other great design walls at Patchwork Times.

Sunday Sewing

Today I sewed blocks!

I had fun.

I'm up to date with the Grandmother's Choice Sampler blocks.  

This makes me happy.

Now I am going to start putting Easy Street together.

Working my way through my Getting It Done Challenge list,

one project at at time.

Playing With Purple

It's Rainbow Scrap Challenge Saturday. I missed last week and feel like I have to put in a make up day like the kids do for missing school because of snow.

I loved picking fabrics for the Dresden Plate block. I participated in a purple strip swap and when the strips came I sorted them into shades of purple. These strips just didn't fit in any category I had going so they became their own group. I think they are perfect for this block.  Still not too sure about the center but it's sewn on and it's probably going to stay there. For the 15" blocks, I cut 5" from each  2 1/2" strip, then cut the plate sides.

I need to dig deeper for more star blocks. I love the 4 patches.  It's fun to dig through the bin but my purple needs to be replenished.  I'll go to the chunks of purples for my next blocks.

See other great Scrappy Happy projects at SoScrappy.

Friday Fun

My sewing mojo has come home.  This morning I have been hard (not really) at work catching up on my monthly projects. I made a few purple blocks for tomorrow's post and then got out the Back to Square One Mystery box to do the steps for February.

Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezie!  Make these, add these parts to this part and make this.  Ready for March!  I am already in love with this quilt!

Last night Ernie brought home a load of gravel. Our driveway is in sad shape and I want a gravel path to the chicken house.  Today the kiddos showed up and without even a Hi Gramma, they were on the rock pile being mountain goats.  How fun!  This weekend the pile will disappear.  There will be 3 sad mountain goats.

On The Needles

I cheated on the vest this week with the 3S Shawl.

I didn't get the left side complete but I made some darn good progress.

This is so close to being ready to put together that I plan to dedicate

my knitting time only to this until it's finished.

As much as I love the shawl and want to work on it,

I have to remain faithful to the vest.

If I don't, it will end up hid away in the knitting bag. 

I don't want that.

Show Us Your Socks

These socks are hiding some tired feet!

Today was grocery shopping. 

Ugh!

But my feet were toasty as I wandered all over that concrete jungle.

Showing off our socks is almost over.

Judy L will end this at the end of the month. 

Hurry and show off yours.

Look here for some awesome socks.

Design Wall Monday

I spent a bit more time working on my hexi wall hanging. 

That's it.

My poor lonely sewing room.

Maybe later today I'll sew a bit.

In the meantime, I'm going to go blog hopping.

There are so many fabulous projects already posted

on Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times.

Slow Stitching On Sunday

I have not touched my hexi wall hanging for months! Poor thing got put on the shelf and ignored.  Until last week when I needed something to work on at Wednesday group. I pulled it out and I'm happy to be working on it again.

This week I got sick and you know that time during recuperation when you think you are feeling great only for your body to tell you otherwise???  Yeah, thought so.  Instead of vacuuming or doing dinner and dishes or even sitting at the sewing machine, I knitted and stitched, whined and slept.  But I'm on the mend and can get back to the normal stuff in a couple more days.

With 2 more rows ready to stitch, I feel like I've made some progress. This morning I had to lay my yoyos on and test layout the small hexi patties to see if they were going make a good flower.  I am excited to be working on this again.  I just need to focus on getting the main part done before I go embellishment crazy.

Stop by Kathy's Quilts and see other FABULOUS stitching projects.

On The Needles

After my disappointing knitting fiascoes one and two this week, I am making very little progress on the vest front. Life interrupts our normal sometimes and mine was interrupted!!  But all is well now and slowly coming back to normal.

I'm planning hoping for more knitting time today and this weekend and if luck is on my side, I can show off both fronts next week.

What's on your needles??  See other great projects at Patchwork Times.

3rd Time's A Charm

Yesterday was the great pull out the knitting and try again day. Wow, that kind of sounds like it was a special day.  It wasn't.  Not only did I pull out the knitting the first time, I did it again last night.  Whoopsie number 2. The right front half of the V was so messed up.  I didn't know if I was coming or going as in decrease on not!

I got all the way to 2 stitches left to decrease and decided it was just not right so I told Ernie to watch this as I pulled the needle out yet again.  No fear this time, I just pulled it out of there like I do it all the time.  OH BOY!  I pulled it all the way back to the beginning of the V and started again-3rd time's a charm?!?  I made pretty good progress and now I think I know what I'm supposed to be doing.  Notice I said I think I know.....

Blurry photo alert...

Today is Grandson Elliot's 7th birthday.  Hard to believe but true.  Last week we went to the Northwest Ag Show. The kids love it there mostly because they can climb on the tractors and pretend.  Elliot loved this Kubota loader/bobcat thing and wanted to take it home with him.  Look at that happy, happy face.  I love you big boy! I hope your day is super special.

Darn, Darn, Darn!

Friday and Saturday nights, I knitted and knitted and knitted on the vest.  This morning I decided I was going to sit down and finish the right side.  I get it to the length I need and look at the directions to make sure.  That's when I really read the directions.  I needed to have 36 stitches on my needle and I had lots more than that.  I skipped over a whole section of decreases.  Whoopsie.

I marked where I needed to start the second decrease pattern.  10" need to be pulled out. So I took a really deep breath, blew it out slowly and pulled the needle. Then I pulled yarn and pulled yarn and pulled yarn.

A few months ago I would have been afraid to even try to pick up my stitches and would have pulled all the yarn and started over.  But not today.  I carefully pulled out the last row and picked the stitches back onto the needle.  Now I will knit and knit and decrease to my 36 stitches just like the directions tell me.   I see a little TV between laundry loads.

I told myself, no big deal, I was just practicing the pattern.  There's no crying in baseball or knitting.

Design Wall Monday

My design wall is empty. My sewing machine is empty. I spent most of my sewing time quilting. Yesterday I finished. The binding was made and attached and now my precious memory quilt is waiting to have the final stitches put in it. The fabric for the label is ready, I just have to get my words right.  Easier said than done.

Thank you for all the kind words last week.  I know finishing this quilt is a major healing step for me. Quilts are therapy, they bring out the good memories along with the sad memories.  This quilt makes me smile now.

Now I will focus on my Getting It Done Projects for February. It's nice to have a plan.

See what others are working on this week by visiting Judy L at Patchwork Times.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge-Purple

February is Purple month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge at SoScrappy.  I decided to do the Turnstile block for my Row Quilt.  Each 6" block will use different fabrics.

I cut pieces for my scrappy stars but with little sewing time today, only one Turnstile block got sewn.  I'll spend some time kitting up a few of each block to use as leader/enders.  That sure makes the blocks go together fast.  I'll kit up the Dresden Plates block so it will be ready when I am ready.

See other great Scrappy Happy projects here at SoScrappy.

On The Needles

This morning I woke up wondering--how did it get to be Friday again so fast?  And where is January?  Is it just me or is time zooming by?

I continue to work on Ernie's vest.  This is the right front.  It is 8 1/2" wide, I have about 10" more to finish the front.  This is a size XXL.  It stretches a lot! It just looks so funny.  I'm trying really hard to work on it every day.  But it's getting harder...

... the vest isn't pretty.  So I wound 2 skeins of Imagination Hand Painted Sock Yarn into cute little cakes.

This is pretty yarn. The color is Wild West.  I know I shouldn't have but I did, I started the 3S Shawl for DD3's birthday gift.  Thanks Denise for showing me the perfect pattern for my Denise/DeeDee.

I didn't have a car project since finishing my scarf so I pulled out the afghan bag and kitted myself up more granny squares like I did here.  I've had really good passenger seat time this week so I made great progress on these 15 squares. I have been working on this project off and on--mostly off--for over a year so it's time to get it done!

What's on your needles?  See great projects here at Patchwork Times.