Happy February!

The groundhogs saw their shadows so it's 6 more weeks of winter... but if the next 6 weeks are going to be like the last 6 weeks.... i'll take it!! temps in the 50's and 60s' cold in the morning... sunny and crisp in the afternoon... oh yes!!!

I finished quilting the Island Chain Quilt... it's not ready for trimming and binding along with the trip around the world quilt........

Three more UFO's have advanced.... 3 table runners that were cut last summer have been pieced... backed and batted and are up for quilting....... one thing about trying to piece stuff that was cut a long time ago.... apparently I did some adjusting... but didn't note it... and one has some extra pieces so I don't know what I was thinking when I cut it out... unless they were just extras incase I screwed up... dunno.... but I'll have three new table runners soon.......

So far I'm staying on track.... totally completing what I start new....... and filling in with UFO's....... I've been using up stash and had batting pieces in the batting bag that worked fine for the runners.......

I got a new sewing machine which is wonderful! A Janome 6600.... what a dream! The accufeed foot is incredible! I did some of the quilting on the Island Chain with it and it just rocks!!! I also did freemotion on two more fat quarter sandwiches and that is really nice also! It has a big table that comes with it but I haven't used that yet.......maybe on the smaller stuff......

I've got 4 pennie pockets ( from Moda Bake Shop and Happie Zombie) cut and ready to sew up.......and I'll make a few more humbug bags and tissue covers from the now quilted fat quarter sandwiches.... they aren't really UFO's.... they just needed to be quilted so I can proceed with some other projects.

I think I'm finally healthy again too! It took 4 rounds of increasingly stronger antibiotics over 3 months to knock out a UTI.... then I got a case of intestinal flu...what a joy that was.......but now I think I'm finally over it all! Energy is coming back and I'm feeling fine!

On the knitting front I'm working on a pair of fingerless mitts.... I have one mitt almost completed.. just need to finish the top ribbing and pickup and knit the thumb... I'm using leftover yarn from the first pair of socks I did last year... the next set of mitts will use some pretty yarn from my stash... if I can find my angora I'd like to add a bit of that in with it also..... I have one UFO scarf on the needles that needs to be done... perhaps after this pair of mitts is completed... we'll see......

I did one really challenging project this past month... I have a pattern called Itty Bitty Primitive .... it's one of the twister patterns... I started with 81 2 1/2" squares... 9 x 9 then added a 2" border....... then you take this itty bitty 1 1/2" square tool... and line up the lines and cut out pieces... then resew these pieces back together....... you have to use a small rotary cutter.....and trust me... if you put in a new blade... you will bleed! 4 bandaids later I had this thing put together....it is now a 10" square........ made up of 100 1" blocks..... there wasn't near enough contrast in the blocks that I used... it looks ok... but not like I would have hoped... but I seriously doubt there will be another one! geeeze... lol but it's done...and quilted and on the WOB pile......

Pictures of everything.. except the mitts.... are out on flickr...... I hope to have more progress this weekend and more pictures up....

Have a wonderful week!

Lish

Happy January!

January is more than half gone already! Wow! We've had a bit of snow.... a lot of warm 50's weather...and a kickass hail storm the other nite! I love Indiana! lol

So far for this year I've made the Island Chain quilt...... it's halfway quilted right now and I hope to be able to finish it and get the binding on this weekend....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sewwunderful/6663114483/in/photostream

I also made a Trip Around the World Throw with some fabrics I received for christmas...that one is quilted and on the WOB pile

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sewwunderful/6704755287/in/photostream

Two UFO's have been completed... a set of Pine tree placemats and a set of Criss Cross Coasters........
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sewwunderful/6704694295/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sewwunderful/6663114625/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sewwunderful/6663114419/in/photostream


Samples made for Classes this quarter......... another Flip Pillow for a March Class... a Petite Quilters Wallet for a February class and 2 Shooting Star table mats for a class this saturday..... The wallet needs it's binding stitched down...as does the tablemats... they'll be done tonite and the wallet finished this weekend also......

I also made small friendship bag tote and teeny key chain totes for the goals for January for 25Weeks til Christmas group

All the goodies except the wallet can be seen on the flickr site....
www.flickr.com/sewwunderful

So far I've been sticking to the finish all new starts and do up the UFO's resolution I made this year....... the toughest thing is the completions... I love starting new stuff ( which is obvious by my UFO box) and I hate the finishing details ( also obvious by the UFO box) but I'm determined to stick to it as best I can!

More updates to come.... so stay tuned!!

Happy New Year ( almost)

Just a few more days and the new year will be here... bringing new goals... new ideas...and new creativity.

I've decided that my Goals for 2012 will be:

Finish up ALL the UFO's that are laying around.... this includes quilted...sewn.. knitted..crocheted and embroidered........

Organize the sewing pit........ so maybe it won't resemble a pit so much

And for the first 6 months of the year.... concentrate on ME! I have ideas for several throws I want to make for ME........a new shower curtain for MY bathroom....knit slippers for MY feet..... you get the idea.......

Dear Jane and Farmers Wife Samplers will get a few more blocks added to them.... The Hobo Quilt will get a few blocks made and I'll do a couple more Civil War blocks....

I will shop my stash before I shop the stores......and the scraps that have once again accumulated will be reduced to crumbs!

If you figure that there are 1,584 square inches to a yard of fabric.... and that fabric costs anywhere from 6 to 12 dollars a yard... one square in of fabric equals a penny....... now that doesn't sound like much.... BUT..... a 2 1/2" square equates to about 6 cents....... a 3 x 5 scrap is worth 15 cents... a fat 1/8th is about 1.89.... so using up those scraps is a definite money saver!! Lots of projects can be made from these precious little bundles.... now personally, I don't save anything under a 2 1/2" square.... small crumbs and bits go into a 12 x 12 muslin bag along with snips and trims and when full... it gets sewn shut and sent to the animal shelter to be used as a comfort pillow for the strays.......

So there you have it....... last year I completed 13 ufo's........ we'll see what's in the box to be finished up this year.........

Progress will be posted........weekly.... perhaps..... maybe every other week.... pictures will be taken and put here and on flickr....... ideas will be gathered...and creativity will blossom!!!!

All in all it will be a good year!

Be safe... be warm... be healthy... be happy.... have a wonderful 2012

Merry Christmas!!!

Happy New Year too!!

I have a few gifts to wrap for the hubster...but other than that I am done!!!!

Goals have been completed.... some partially done.... some completely done ....some only a little bit done.... but I learned to knit socks!! Made 3 beautiful pair.... I completed 13 UFO's.... I used up a lot of stash but not as much as I had hoped........halfway on the Farmers Wife Sampler.........nowhere on the dear jane sampler......... I'll recycle the goals that weren't fully completed and revamp those that never got off the ground....... but that's for January... for the rest of December I'm gonna sit back... relax and enjoy!

To all......

Merry Christmas.... Happy Holiday.... Joyous New Year.... whatever your reason for the season... may it be healthy... happy....safe....and stressfree!

Another month shot to heck!!!

October is basically over! One more day left and then on to November.... 2011 is flying by rather quickly. The only good thing.... next weekend at this time I will have my hour back!! It's been missing since March and I'll be soooooooo glad when it returns.

I've been very busy working on my 25 Weeks of Christmas units.... I made 4 placemat and napkin sets.....( just need to stitch the bindings down) several mini quilt panels... a whole bunch more of the ever addictive microwave bowl potholders.... bitty blocks for november and the bitty calendar block swap.... a fabric scrabble board and carry bags for the letters and the game itself.... this was made from a fabric panel... it's a full size board. i found the letters and the letter holders on ebay for 5 bucks...And A spikey soft ball made from 60 3" triangles of fabric scraps.

photos of everything are on flickr.........

I pulled some fabrics for another placemat set and 2 pillowcases.......... those should get done this week.....i also have fabric pulled for sock sack sets.... I'll need 4 sets... in a knitting related theme.... maybe be done with those next week too! I need to make some drawstring bags to hold the goodies for the little ones yet also. I think I need 5 of those...........

I've used up quite a bit of stash and a lot of scraps.... still a long way to go though.... I won't meet my yarn stash goal but I have used up quite a bit.... I only managed to complete 13 ufo's this year. I don't know if I'll get time to complete any more before the end of the year... but maybe.... I have some placemats and small table mats that might be completed.......... the main thing is I've not added a ton of stuff to the UFO box!!!

Anyone watch that new show Once Upon A Time?? I kinda like it!!

Ok... I guess that's it til next time!

October is gone and December will be here before you know it!! 56 days til the jolly man comes!!

Lish

heres a few pics to hold you til you get over to flickr

Flip Flap Pillows

ok... so now there's another addiction in my sewing pit........ flip flap pillows. I made two 12" pillows so far.... here's how they work.... the back of the pillow is a solid piece of fabric... the front of the pillow is made from 4 different squares of fabric.... now there are two flaps 6" wide.... one at the top and one at the bottom.... the flaps have 2 6" squares of fabric on one side and two 1/2 square triange blocks on the other side.......... each thing on this pillow is a different fabric so you are looking at about 17 different pieces..... great for the scrap basket as for the small pillow the blocks are cut 6 1/2" or 6 7/8" and a 12" square for the back....

now you join this all together... front to back with a flap at the top and bottom.... then you take a big button..... and sorta tuft the pillow.... you need a big button on each side.... now the fun begins........ you can have the pillow front with the flaps down.... or the flaps folded on a diagonal up or diagonal down or some up and some down .... they tuck just under the button and that holds them in place.... then you can flip it over and play with the flaps on the back of the pillow... tooooooooooooooooo cool!!!!

there are pictures on flickr........ I have two 16" pillow forms so I think that I'll make two more large ones.... one for me and one as a sample for a future class maybe......... the smaller ones will go to my sister and niece at christmas

A few more microwave bowl potholders were made this weekend..... progress on some secret things were done also. The sock is finished and posted out on flickr also.

I'm still having some issues with my back and leg so sitting still isn't great... but it's getting better.... hopefully this weekend will be a productive one and I can then take stock of what I have and what I need before thanksgiving.........

It's cold and damp and dark and dreary here and I'd love nothing better than to be napping right now under my flannel quilt... ( my fav) with the cats snuggled up around my feet.... but alas....that's just NOT gonna happen!! lol so it's back to work and try to make myself at least look productive today........ which also aint gonna happen!!

head on over to flickr when you can and check out the latest pics.......

til then

Lish

Apples

Ok... so last week was my pumpkin adventure and this week was applesauce. I made about 3 quarts of applesauce in the crockpot... no sugar added..... just cut up the apples... cored and peeled.... added 3/4 cup water with some lemon juice in it.... and in about 5 hours I had wonderful applesauce!!! Yum!!

It was a much more productive week then it has been......... lots of projects worked on.... 3 more microwave potholder bowls... couple of tater sacks... a bunch of bibs..burps and wipes and some pinwheel blocks for a special quilt for an ill swapper on flickr....... I also got all of my October swap stuff out in the mail and the burp of the month and potholder of the months have been mailed also!

I'm down to about 10 rows on the toe of my sock and that set will be complete!! that's my third pair!! Next I want to try a set of fingerless mitts.... something simple for work.... it gets really cold in there sometimes and my hands get realllly cold! There are sooooooooooo many out there to choose from!!

Christmas 2011 is moving right along and is on schedule for a thanksgiving finish....... progress was made today and a few things will be finished up this week and posted on flickr next weekend. I did post a few things out there today if you want to see........

The weather here has been fantastic! Cool in the mornings.... 80's in the afternoon... bright and sunny!!! Rain moving in on wednesday but it'll be ok.... we've been dry about 10 days now so it's time........

guess that's about it for now..........have a safe and productive week

Lish