Slow Stitching Sunday

I'm still working on Mae's Flower Garden. It's getting closer and closer to the big layout. I have the last few flowers and the half flowers all kitted up in snack baggies. There are some that still need to be basted but not many.

The first half flower is complete. I will have to add green to 3 of them but I'll wait until I have them laid out to decide which ones to do.  I'm kind of excited now to get the remaining flowers completed.

Check out what others are stitching at Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy's Quilts.

Back To Square One Progress

After being behind for 3 months and finally catching up last month, I decided that wasn't going to happen again with the Back To Square One Mystery. 

I cut it pretty close this month. Today I sat down and sewed this month's clue. Just in the knick of time!

I spread the top out on my bed and it is just gorgeous. There isn't enough room in my bedroom for me to get a good shot of the top so here's a dark shot of it laid out on the couch.  I wish I would have charged the battery in my good camera but I didn't.  

Earlier today I sat down to write this blog post but got side tracked with shopping for new fabrics at Thousands of Bolts. You know Judy L and Vicki are doing another year long project called Tell It To The Stars.  I can't wait!

On The Needles

I'm still not in full blown knitting mode but I did add several more rows to Hitchhiker this week. I think I'll add 2 more sections and call it good. Doing so will give me a nice finish and maybe put that knitting mojo back to full strength.

See some great On The Needle projects at Patchwork Times.

Quiltville Mystery--Present and Past

The new Quiltville Mystery, Celtic Solstice,  is ready to launch Friday.

 I am so excited.

This is the first time I have strayed from Bonnie's color choices.

Only because I don't want to buy fabric right now.

I know, weird! But I am in use it up mode.

I think I'll dig for some more purples.

Here are my past mysteries.

2008-Carolina Crossroads

This one lives with my Sister Sue.

All the others are mine.

2008-Orange Crush

2009-Double Delight

2009-Carolina Christmas 

For some reason, I didn't do it. 

It is in Scraps and Shirttales II .

I do plan to make it at some point in my life.

2010-Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll

My favorite.

2011-Orca Bay

Finally finished last month.

2013-Easy Street

Waiting to be quilted. 

Design Wall Monday

Last Monday I showed 2 small UFOs that I was quilting and trying to finish. The New York Beauty is done and is now being used as a table topper. Next on Mt. UFO is this Quilt As You Go string quilt that I started in February 2011. Whoa! Time to get it done. It will be nice to kick this one out of the UFO Parade!

I have to write notes to myself with my intentions-quite often I forget the note and the intentions! I see that I am not the only one that writes herself notes.  See Kathy's post here.

In the bag with the blocks are the center strings and more backing and binding fabric. I have boxes of batting scraps and bins of strings so I am set to finish. I followed this tutorial at Sew Many Quilts. There is a finishing tutorial here. I'm sure there are lots of tutorials out there, this is the one I prefer.

Ohhh, there's some great things happening over at Patchwork Times on the DWM links.......I'm headed there now. I love Monday in Blogland!

Still On The Needles

Still on the needles are the fronts for the Rivel Cardigan!  

Still!  

I have lost my knitting mojo. 

I don't know where to start looking...

maybe I'll try finding it in the knitting bag. 

I'll pick up the bag, 

open it up, 

take out the needles full of fronts 

and the yarn

 and just hold it. 

Maybe I'll put a needle in each hand

 and make a few moves to see if I can create some stitches.  

This is a sad, sad way to feel.  

Maybe I need to do something about this.

This morning I will knit and 

catch up on 2 episodes of Parenthood.

Yes, that is what I will do!

But first, I'm headed over to Patchwork Times to see other fabulous needle projects.

Design Wall Monday and...

...November Retreat #2 Project Round Up.

Retreat was a blast!

I always have such a great time and come home so inspired.

I spent most of the time quilting my hexie wall hanging.

This poor thing has been ignored since August.

After watching my friend Neta free motion quilt at last retreat,

I was inspired to quilt at this retreat.

The quilting is by no means perfect but

I sure had fun doing it and watching the progress.

I also pin basted this New York Beauty table topper.

Looking back in the blog, I see it was a UFO that I worked on in the fall of 2011.

So it has now been properly aged and needs be seen and used.

I'm not sure what I'm going to quilt in the border or the curved centers.

So far it's just stitch in the ditch and echo quilting.

Any ideas???

Something is happening with my brand new camera, 

I don't know if it needs charged or if I did something to it so 

I had to used the old standby that doesn't take the best pictures.

Sorry.

I had to use these pictures, I can't miss Design Wall Monday!

Go to Patchwork Times to see all the fabulous walls!

Design Wall Monday...

...And Retreat Round Up.

I didn't spend as much time at retreat as I had planned. 

I felt guilty leaving poor Ernie home alone to recover.

Since retreat is only a few miles from home,

I'd drive up and spend a few hours and then come home.

I only took hand work and made great progress on

Taylor's Pieced Hexies.

She was here the other day and chose her combination of colors and designs.

I spent time early in the week getting them ready to stitch

and did all but the 3 on the left this weekend.

They really do go fast. 

I also stitch 3 more flowers for Mae's Flower Garden.

I am so close to having all the flower rounds complete.

I think I have 4 left.

Then 6 half flowers for the sides and the fill ins for the top and bottom.

Then the real work will begin with setting them into rows 

and a quilt top.

See other fabulous design walls at Patchwork Times.

On The Needles

This week I had some good sock knitting time. But not for a good reason. My darling husband had gall bladder surgery on Monday. He had a Wednesday appointment with the surgeon but after a weekend of pain, we changed it to Monday morning and the surgeon had time that afternoon to get it done! He is feeling great now. In fact so great that today he is riding around in the woods with his hunting partner.

 I am so glad I grabbed my to go bag!! I think from now on, my mp3 player will live in my to go bag, I needed something to drown out the people in the waiting room of the hospital. What a bunch of inconsiderate people! No one cared that there were people worried about their loved ones, 2 big groups thought it was a party room........ Anyhow, thank goodness I had my socks. Now I need to stitch up the toe and call #1 done.

I am now to the shoulder shaping of the Rivel Cardigan. I learned the value of the lifeline this week. I also reinforced knowing not to work on something when I am exhausted.  But I am now back on track and ready to get these fronts finished!

Design Wall Monday

A while back I started a Pieced Hexies quilt for Granddaughter Taylor. I wanted to see how the hexies would look using Fairy Frosts fabrics and if she would like them. Of course she would like them, this girl is all about sparkle and glitz!

She was here yesterday so we sat down with the book and she picked designs and fabrics for each design. I love how bold she was in her choices and can't wait to get started sewing the pieces together.  It's going to be fun to work on this quilt together.

See other great design walls at Patchwork Times.

On The Needles

I haven't had much working on sock time-my go project. That is until I spent several hours in the waiting room while Ernie chatted it up with Doctors and Nurses in the ER. He is fine now, but it was a little scary for me (and him) because the man never complains about anything so when he did, I knew it was serious.

I've started the bust shaping on the Rivel Cardigan. I've been working a little bit on this most evenings this week. Maybe next week there will be shoulder shaping or better yet, there will be sleeves on the needles.

To see what other fabulous projects are on the needles, check out Patchwork Times.  I love what Judy L is working on but I am starting any more projects, although the shawl in is my Ravelry favorites!

Back To Square One Mystery

I am ready for November's clue for the Back To Square One Mystery. While at retreat a couple weeks ago, I got all caught up on the past clues.

It was fun sitting by Cheryl (no blog) and chatting about the mystery, giving her tips like pressing and what not to do with your top and bottom row-which she ignored. (Wink wink Cheryl!!!)  It was really fun just chatting about the mystery with her. We we pretty close guessing what the next step would be, just a little upside down. We are both going to have wonderful quilts!

I'm linking up at Patchwork Times and then I'm going to spend some time looking at everyone's mystery projects.