shawls lace knitting

I just finished lavender linen lace shawl I made it with merino/cashmere yarn called Gentle by Yarn Place I doubled the yarn.

The pattern is from Nancy weisman's book, shawls and stoles, can't remember the exact title.

I love the way it drapes, I have become adicted to knitting lace lately, I have to admit my quilting has been on the back burner, but at least I have been keeping my fingers busy with fiber.

I also finished Mystic waters KAL and am about to begin "secret of the stoleII, I still haven't decided which yarn to use, It's between Malabrigo or Zephyr I hope to swatch the malabrigo today and then decide.

Japanese folding

Last week at guild we learned how to fold kimonos, how sweet is this? I need to get a chop stick to hang it on, I know just who I will give this to.

See I have been doing a bit with fabric not just my knitting, but I still have some knit hats and socks to finish, I made 3 over the weekend and got 2 packages out in the mail, I seem to get further behind the faster I go.

I also dropped off a big box of small baby knits to the pregancy help center.

Today we get the final clue for the KAL Mystic water shawl, so hope I can have it done for Christmas

I have been very lax in posting to my blog, but I have been busy knitting the shawl and a few Christmas gifts

This is my mystic water KAL I have one more clue before it's done, I am sure it will be so soft and warm, perfect for a cold evening.

I found a cool website for Christmas recipes and activities, found some yummy recipes and lots of things you can do with your children, this link will take you straight to the Northpole, how fun is that?

I received a most wonderful secret santa package from Holland yesterday, I now have my very own "Nisser" who has happily taken up residence in my gingerbread tree, I have to watch him carefully in case he eats to many sweets. According to my friend Imi these little fellows are a bit like Gnomes and can get into all types of mischief, but he sure brings a smile to my face. I also recieved a beautiful Gingerbread wallhanging, complete with sacks of flour and sugar with words and rusty tin embellishments so delightful, a piece of reproduction Dutch Chintz, several wool dolls, candy and Christmas tea, which just smells like Christmas, I do believe I have been spoiled.

If you look closely at the tree you will see a small tin horn, it's dated 1895 and was on my grandfather's first Christmas tree

knitting and yarn dying

I had such fun yesterday I went to Berea and learned how to dye yarn and fabrics in Indigo dye

I did 3 skeins of Baby alpaca this will make a lovely scarf or shawl.

I am also working on a shawl so I did a swatch with wooly wonka fibers in Nantucket this was my 3rd swatch for the Mystic water KAL and so pretty

painting

We've been busy painting, after all when you are in a home for 9 years things need to be done.

so we finally finihed our bathroom and I am still waiting for light fixture and new faucets and hardware to arrive. I also want to paint the cabinet with a buttermilk paint.

the color of this type is about the shade we painted.

Enchanted autumn

I started this quilt by Verna Mosquera of Vintage spool

I need to quilt it! So I dragged it out and pressed it and have the

backing pieced so tomorrow I am taking it to guild to pin baste I love using those large tables, sure is better on the knees!

I decided to machine quilt it, I need to get things done.

Think it will be quilt in the ditch between the blocks and then a

bit of meandering inside the blocks

wish me luck!

fall table runner

Basket of sunflowers

this is the center of my fall table runner

the pattern is from the new Quilt sampler Fall,

I am mixing wool and cottons

I have one of the other blocks done and hope

to finish this by the weekend.

See I have been quilting, not just knitting.

fall swap

I made these for Dawn for a fall swap

The Scarecrow mat is from Dec. 2006 Create and Decorate Magazine

the pineapple is from the book "Primitive Gatherings" by Terry Burkhart and Rozan Meacham I also made her a pair of my crazy socks and a jar of Tomato butter.

Last Saturday I made 14 jars of this wonderful condiment and we just love it. Well we must LOL cause you have to cook it for several hours and stir so it doesn't stick, but well worth the effort.

I spent the morning stripping wallpaper, sure not exciting but glad it's done, then I cleaned the oven, don't you hate it when you work so hard and no one sees what you've done? Just like cleaning closets, only you know what you have accomplished.

fall in a package

Look at the wonderful package Dawn sent me!!

What a fun package to receive, I only hope she likes what I send her, which I still need to finish up this weekend.

Looks like I should pull fall decorations out, well at least my sunflowers, love those at this time of the year.

Been so bad about adding to my blog, had a lightning strike behind our property that did alot of damage, as well as knocking out my ethernet cards so was with out PC over a week. So now that I have finally gotten the house back to normal I hope I can post more often.

Sew till later

Victorian lace socks

I have been knitting like a crazy lady lately, just finished these cute socks. I used "Mon Amour" by Schaffhauser wolle, which I believe has been discontinued, I have had this yarn for about 9 or 10 years vintage LOL so glad I found something to use it for, the pattern was from a Yahoo group six-sock knitalong.

Love how they turned out.

My Yarn stash isn't nearly as big as my fabric stash but loved just the same

Times Remembered

Must be something in the air cause I have started several new BOM projects this week, like I have nothing else going on right?

I pulled all the BG fabrics and did the angel block today, had to give her a few curls, after all what'a a retired hairdresser supposed to do with a bald head? also gave ger a spiffy shiny gold halo, used stitches on my machine.

I should get on with my Vintage Valentine, so nice outside, maybe I need to go outside and stitch??

Pattern is by Pat Sloan, I will be working with her Yahoo group doing one a month, so I should be able to keep up.

these are my background fabrics.

Farmers market BOM

Love Pat Sloan's new free BOM Farmer's Market, this was the 1st block "jam jars"

Our Farmers market just had it's grand opening, had such fun finding lots of fresh veggies and lovely fresh sunflowers, they just make me smile.

here are my jam jars, and some of the fabrics I have ready for other blocks. I think at some point I was planning to make a canning jar quilt.

I used to make jams and jellys all the time. My mom made so many unusal kinds, ginger peach, ginger pear, mint jelly, beach plum, blueberry yummy!

Berry picking was such a big part of our summer activities, we had so much fun, with prizes for the basket that was the fullest, fill their basket the fastest, of coarse some of us ate more than we picked. We made homemade ice cream and scrapped the jelly pot to top our ice cream.

quick pillowcase

fun to make and great gifts and perfect for kids going off to college, you can really personalize them to their hobbies and sports Etc.

Hope my directions are okay. I couldn't seem to get the photos in order

Took longer to write than to make

Supplies to make 1 pillowcase

29" by width of fabric for body of case

2" by width of fabric for accent strip ( fold wrong sides together and press)

11" by width of fabric for cuff

step 1
place 11" by WOF cuff piece right side up, pin the pressed 1" accent on along the top edge
step 2
pin the 29" piece right side down on top of the trim and pin in place, use the same pins as for the accent. It's okay if the lengths are a but off, you will straighten them in a later step.
step 3
Accordion pleat the rest of the 29" piece of case fabric, so it is above the bottom edge of the cuff but below the pinned edge/ now bring up the lower edge of the cuff fabric ( 1st layer) and pin to the top using the same pins, you have now created a tube, everything should be neatly inside, make sure you haven't caught any of the case fabric in the top pinned SA

Step 4

sew this seam using a 1/4" seam allowance
Step 5
place your arm inside the tube you just created and pull to right side out , slide your arm between the trim and the cuff grab hold of the end and pull thru
Step 6
press
step 7
trim off any excess from the sides
Step 8
Make french seams: place right sides together and sew a scant 1/8th inch seam, then turn inside out and press and then sew a 1/4" seam from the wrong sides.
do the same with the bottom of the case

knit tee top

I made this cute tee top using Hempothy yarn, nice and cool, pattern is an oldie by Bernat booklet #569, I have made this top before and had to do some figuring on gauge but came out great

Happy 4th of July

these are a few of my Patriotic wall quilts, Hat's Off is my orginal design I used to teach needleturn applique. Liberty is by Pat Sloan as is the lady slipper.

Just love getting them out for the summer holidays.

Still doing a bit more knitting than quilting, but I did finish a few things for a swap.

My poor gardens are still suffering from the drought, all my hard work this spring and now I'm just trying to keep things alive.

sew till later Happy 4th

Hibiscus

Made this art style quilt several years ago in a workshop, this was a fun way to play with colors and Shading, we used a photo of a flower and then enlarged it, the class was taught by Juanita Yaeger of Louisville. I have an Iris on my design wall that I need to find a background for.

sew till later

Been Tagged

I have been tagged by Libby I have been thinking all day what I can tell you about myself so here goes:
1. I can't sit still, I always have to have something to do with my hands or brain, reading, quilting, knitting, I can't even sit out side and just enjoy the weather, I usually see something that has to be done, like a weed or watering.
2. Fibers have been a life long adventure, including being a hairdresser for 32 years, just another fiber right? I also think that's why I can't sit still, and am very aware of the time, can't stand being late for anything.
3. I am totally addicted to coffee, guess that's where I get my extra energy from?
4. I never do dishes, my sweetie does them everynight, gotta love a man that does dishes.
5. I am crazy about sloppy love stories, and OH MY I love the Hallmark channel, just keep the tissues handy for those sappy happy endings!
6. I can't stand being un-organized, need everything in its place, can't work in a mess.
7. Love the rush of a planning a new project or trip, the planning and details are such fun, guess that's why I don't like kits, to me it feels like someone has licked the icing clean off my cupcake.
Sew till later

when you really have no time to bake

We had party to go to and my kitchen was under construction, so what do you do?? No bake cookies of course!!! These are fabulous and when you really have no time to bake and you need something quick, these are so easy and yummy.

1 bag of butterscotch morsels 11/12 oz

1 6oz bag of milk chocolate chips

1 eleven oz can of spanish peanuts or almonds

melt the chips and stir in the nuts, drop by spoonfuls on either parchment or foil lined cookie sheets, chill and serve.

thought I might try peanut butter chips yummy!!

The lovely table topper was made by my good friend Cathy, we had a swap last year and she made this one for me, perfect on my table!

sew till later

been busy

I have been busy knitting instead of quilting, I made these 2 cute shells they are so cool and comfy I have a 3rd one on the needle now, but I need to get back to the Vintage Valentine and a few other projects that keep nagging me when I walk into my sewing room. I also need to get that room cleaned up, can't work when everything is a mess! LOL

Having a month of Jury duty hasn't helped, just grabbing my knitting bag is so quick.

Ky is in severe drought so been trying to keep the shrubs watered as well as the garden, I feel so for the farmers.

A Toast

As each year passes it's a very frightening thing to have to put on a bathing suit, the laws of gravity never lie!!

I made this quilt for a KY state guild challenge, I had such fun trying new techniques, the design was inspired by Barbara Lavallee , love her play on words and how she interprets them with her wonderful art. I did start with a pattern but then did my own thing, the theme of the challenge was "make me laugh"

this quilt has traveled the state of KY all year and I will be getting it back next week.

Now where do you hang something like this? I'm thinking of giving it to a very good friend, who has a hot tub hmmmm.....

Sew till later

honeysuckle and needles

I have been knitting this week, made this cute sleeveless shell
I have had this bright lemon yellow cotton yarn in my stash for 8 years!! only had 5 skeins, and thought I didn't have enough, but I found this cute free pattern online and had enough to make it and I think enough left over to make a premie hat for charity! The shop is very close to my DD, so guess I will visit the next time we go to Illinois!

I also bought this gorgeous yarn by Takhi, called Tweedy cotton, I have my needles ready to knit while I am on Jury duty this whole month, need something to show for my days, also have some blocks prepped, some books to read in case they don't allow needles and scissors at the court house

The Honeysuckle and roses are blooming in my secret garden, but with this high heat and humidity I don't think they will last long, we need rain so bad.

Sew till later

Happy Memorial Day

Take time this weekend to remember and honor all the men and women serving our country here and abroad. As we honor and remember those that have gone before us, take time this weekend as I do each day to thank them and pray for their safe return. Bless them and their families while we all enjoy the freedoms they protect.

Dear Hannah

these are a few of my Dear Hannah blocks I have all the applique blocks done, and decided not to do the pieced blocks, I even have the fabric for setting them, I might set them with an alternate block like courthouse steps, still thinking about that........now just to find the time!
I used lots of hand dyed fabrics and batiks, I think the black really sets them off, the setting fabric is a blue green batik I think it will be so pretty. I think I have all the blocks I made in my webshots
gotta get stitching so many projects to work on
sew till later

Calico Garden

I fell in love with this quilt after seeing it at the Shelborne Museum, so I got the pattern and really got going, but them for some reason I put it away. Calico Garden is such a delightful quilt so I decided to drag it out and get a few blocks prepped so I have some small carry along blocks. These blocks are so tiny they will finish at 3"

I do tend to like these tiny treasures, I also have a Dear Hannah and a Dear Jane in progress

sew till later