28 February 2012

Hand Embroidery Update

I finished my scissors Sunday night and started on my next little square.  I don't get to these as much as I would like since Dear Jane still needs a lot of hand applique. I have one more DJ block to finish before next week so I have been doing a little bit every night.  My thumbs can only handle so much.

My scissors right out of the hoop.



My next project on its way into the hoop.



Between Dear Jane, knitted baby blanket, crochet project and hand embroidery project I am surprised I can get anything done. Unfortunately, applique, crochet and embroidery I can only do for limited amounts of time due to painful thumbs.  Knitting on the other hand I can do for hours with no pain except in the butt from sitting.  I guess I might eventually get a lot of knitting projects done.


Off to sew.


Michelle

27 February 2012

Design Wall Monday 2/27/12

I didn't make a whole lot progress last week.  The only thing I worked on was my knitted project and my Dear Jane blocks. 

Yesterday I was finally able to spend some time in the sewing room and some progress was made.

These are still my leaders and enders between my QOV3 project. I was able to get 6 more blocks done.

These are the frist 4 rows of my QOV3.  It is turning out a little bit busier than I thought but I think it will be ok.

A closer look. These were all strips from my scrap bin.  I don't think it will be big enough once it is all sewn together but I figure I can just add a border.


I also started a new knitting project. It will be a baby blanket.  No one I know needs one but it will be good practice. It is still very simple knitting but I actually will have a small pattern to follow. Still getting used to working with circular needles as well.




For more design wall updates head on over to Judy's.


I am off to work this afternoon but I am off tomorrow. I hope to get the top finished tomorrow then to get it ready to quilt.  I have another QOV ready to quilt as well.  If I can get both of those done soon I will be 1/3 of the way to meeting my goal for the year.


Michelle



24 February 2012

My First Knitted Project

I took a class at Joann's back in October, Knitting 101.  I  have always wanted to learn how to knit and since I was procrastinating on doing my Dear Jane blocks I figured this would be a great opportunity.  I went to class which was on a simple scarf.  I received some baby poop green yarn and off I went.  I knitted, I purled, I goofed, I started over, I knitted, purled, goofed, started over...well you can see how this was going.  After about 3 weeks I had maybe 5 inches and was getting frustrated.

I had a coupon for half off of another class so back I went for knitting 102. This time I received spinach green yarn and a pattern for fingerless gloves.  I had forgotten how to cast on, relearned that and then realized I was purling wrong..go figure..maybe that is why my scarf wouldn't come out right, now mind you the scarf was just a purl a row, knit a row, but half the time I couldn't remember what I did the row before so I was getting this really nice unintentional pattern forming.

After class I came home and fiddled around with my baby poop green yarn some more and finally decided that I had shredded this yarn enough and frankly I was really sick of green at the moment.

So I find some other yarn and a different beginner pattern and off I go. I finally finished the scarf this week, although I still need to block it.  This project also tested my patience but I think I finally have the hang of it.  I had to tear a ton of rows out more times than I can count. I have learned to pick up a stitch and to decrease a stitch but for better or worse it is done. My very own scarf that I slaved months over.




My Visual Guide to Knitting book now automatically opens up to Chapter 4, conveniently named the Mistakes chapter, but I have accomplished something and to me that is all that counts.

I find I really enjoy knitting and it doesn't hurt my hands the way crochet, applique, and embroidery do and I can knit for hours without a problem.

I know what a knit stitch and a purl stitch look like but for the life of me I still can't figure out rows and a few other things but I now with practice it will get better. 

My mother now goes to all the craft stores and pulls off all of the free knitting patterns and hands them to me with a small smile and says " I really like this and especially the ones with all of these gorgeous cables on them" or "these socks are just adorable".  I just smile...what else can I do. I can barely get through the simple knit and purl...please don't add anything else just yet.

So now I am off to find another simple knitting project...who knows maybe by this time next year I will have made a pair of socks.

Michelle

20 February 2012

Design Wall Monday 2/20/12

I was busy working on two projects but had to set them aside so that I could get those DJ blocks done.  I spent all day yesterday on them and I still have one left to sew and 3 left to applique so at least there was progress there. I work today but hopefully can spend tomorrow on my "want to do" projects.

I have been using the yellow and black as a leader and ender between my QOV 3 project.  So maybe I will actually have them both finished at the same time, that would really be nice.

This is my Box Step.  I cut this one out a while back and figured I need to get it done.  It doesn't have a particular place to go so that is kind of nice.

This is my QOV3...these were the strips I was cutting up here. I am hoping to get this one done in the by next weekend but around here who knows.  Doing 60 of these units took up a little more time than I thought.  I originally started making bonus HST's and that quickly lost its luster.  I figure I will just save all of those triangles for some string or pineapple blocks down the road.



For other Design Walls head on over to Judy's

19 February 2012

Stash Report Week 7 and 8 - 2/19/2012

I was out of town last week during stash reporting so this week I will combine the two weeks. I didn't get as much done as I wanted but I can count the two QOV that I finished, you can see those here. I also completely finished my It's a Hoot. I also am going to include the yardage for Happily Every After..I ended up taking just the top into work and not quilting it and it could be a year or more before I get it back.

I am hoping to get some more work done on another QOV I am working on and a top I cut quit a few months ago which is black and yellow. I have been using this as a leader and ender between my Picnic QOV...I have a feeling though that these will both have to take a back seat this week since I still have 8 DJ blocks to finish in the next two weeks.

I did add a little bit of fabric to my stash...while up in Denver we went to Harriet's Treadle Arts and picked up a dandy little pack of fabric...these are all 1/8 yd cuts.



I also picked up a jelly roll and a couple of charm packs..they are in the more modern color range and I am thinking of using these in my future Farmer's Wife quilt.  I was at a LQS this week as well and they had their Civil War fabrics 35% off so I picked up the backing to my Civil War Chronicles quilt as well (it was just too good to pass up).


Used this Week: 15.65 yards
Used year to Date: 48.825  yards
Added this Week: 15.25 yards

Added Year to Date: 42.375 yards
Net Used for 2012: 6.45 yards

Maybe one of these days I will get my numbers to look really good. For other stash reports head on over to Patchwork Times.

17 February 2012

It's A Hoot (a finish and a start)

It's A Hoot is finished.  My first hand embroidery is finally done. I finished the block itself last week sometime. Then Friday it was a snow day so I stayed inside and finished the little top. I have been working on the binding for a couple of days now. I am a very slow binder...my thumbs can only handle a very little bit at a time so it is like molasses in winter ...very slow..but I do get them done.

If I would of thought about it I may not have used that lime green but I was intent on using stash only and that is what I had.  So it is done and it even has a sleeve sewn on the back.  When I get around to it I will actually order one of those small table top hangers for this one and then I can rotate them out with some others I have plans to make in the future.

So another finish on my list ...it may be small but it is a finish none the less.

Remember this....

Right out of the hoop..no ironing yet....



Here it is completed.  It even has a hanging sleeve.  I just remembered I still need to get some buttons for the inside of the flowers but they are over at my moms house, maybe this weekend I can go over and find something that will work.


It's really sad that it took me over 2 weeks to bind this little thing.  I just can't do much binding at a time because it really hurts my thumbs.  Oh well it is done.

I now have another one ready to go...how long will it take to finish who knows...



I am off this weekend and I hope to get alot done.  I do have to clean the house and get laundry done and yeah by them groceries....the kids for some reason think we need cereal and milk....go figure. 

Talk about procrastination..I have to spend some time this week finishing up my DJ blocks, class is on the 7th and I only have 2 done....aaggghhh

Sew long for now,

Michelle


15 February 2012

QOV 1 and 2

I finished my first two QOV for the challenge Judy is holding over at Patchwork Times...you can read about it here.

I had to finish up the labels and make the pillowcases but now these babies are ready to be packed up and sent on their merry way.

Pillowcase 1

Pillowcase 2

Layer Cake QOV Purple

Layer Cake QOV Yellow

All finished and ready to go - I just finished putting the labels on them.


I hope these bring lots of comfort to someone.

Michelle

10 February 2012

Another flimsie

I started this top sometime in Sept. or Oct last year. It was put on the back burner over the holidays.  I only had the rows left to put together.  So that was my major accomplishment this week. This will be our Strip Club at the store in April, so luckily I have some time to figure out how I want to quilt it.



I also pulled all of my 2 1/2 strips from a swap last year and sorted and cut them for my next QOV.  I was planning on working on that a little bit this week but with the hubby gone it was kinda crazy.  I ended up spending the nights working on a crochet project and trying to finish my first knitting project.


I ended up using all precut strips out of my drawers except for the WOW.  I had to cut into some yardage. I probably ended up using about 1/3 of a yard but it is all cut and ready to be worked on as leaders and enders between my Dear Jane blocks.

I won't get any sewing done this weekend since it is the Anniversary on Saturday.  I will be gone all weekend so I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Michelle

06 February 2012

Design Wall Monday 2/6/2012

I still have DJ on the design wall. I think I am going to resign myself to the fact that my design wall will be whatever empty area I can use.

Yesterday before Super Bowl I decided to finish up my Happily Ever After sample for work.  I started this on Dec 13 but I had a billion other things to do so this was pushed aside.  I have a lot of things I want to start but I told myself I needed to finish some of these other projects first.  I knew I would feel better if I did.

I am hoping this week to get this one quilted and bound and off to work to hang on the wall. I also have another top ready to quilt but I will talk about that in another post.


It was hard to get a really good picture of these without taking them downstairs and I didn't want to deal with the cat, the dog, and the piggies. I figure a better picture can be given after it is totally done.

For more design wall pictures head on over to Patchwork Times.

I am off to sew a little bit more if possible, this will be a short sewing week since I will be out of town next weekend.

Michelle

05 February 2012

Clean Up Week Complete

It took me most of the week but I am done.

I had to spend two days cutting up misc block kits for the Pieceful Nights kits for work, these BOM were the reason I had all of the fabric bolts at my house.

I finally finished and have everything moved.  I would have already taken everything back to work but we had a major snow storm last week and I didn't feel like lugging 80+ bolts in the snow.  So now I just have a pile in the family room and in the corner of the studio.  I work 3 days this week so I will be lugging a trunk full of bolts and kits and scraps to work every time I go.

I am now done to less than 15 bolts at the house and those will be here until I am done cutting Generals Wives kits later this year. 

It's hard to believe that if I spend just a little bit of time everyday in the sewing room how much can be accomplished.

It was a great week.






Now to clear off the quilting frame and find some time to actually figure out how to use it.  Hmmm...maybe over spring break in March...that is a good reason to take a week off from work.


Michelle

Stash Report Week 6 - 2/5/2012

I had some good numbers this week, but alas I am still bringing more in....oh well.

I bought some backing for my Orca Bay. I didn't want to piece it since there are so many seams on the front. It goes to the long armer tomorrow.

I bought 10 yards of background for a new project.  I am going to be teaching Sylvia's Bridal Sampler in the fall and I actually want to have this one done before hand. So between my other projects and Dear Jane this will be another long term project.  I figure these blocks will seem huge since they are 6" compared to DJ 4.5".

I also bought a charm pack in some brights,  this will hopefully be used in my future Farmers Wife.

I also included my numbers in this weeks stash report for last months BOM that I picked up.  Will I ever get those BOM done and caught up.  Who knows.  One can only hope.

I did get some projects done so that is good. I will show those at a later date.

I finished two pillowcase for my 2 QOV quilts. I only need to add labels and they can be mailed out...yay...I only have 10 more to make before the end of the year.  Not bad for a busy week.

So here are my numbers for the week.

Used this Week: 21.25 yards
Used year to Date: 33.175  yards
Added this Week: 23.125 yards

Added Year to Date: 27.125 yards
Net Used for 2012: 6.05  yards

My two QOV are the same, one is in yellow (shown below) and the other is in purple.  I know they are a little bit girly but I think they will still serve a purpose.






For more stash reports head on over to Patchwork Times.

Off to do more sewing now before Super Bowl.

Have a wonderful week everyone.

Michelle