Soft and Warm and Done

Admire...please.

That's ALL we can do right now.

There are no grandbabies the right size for this....

My VERY first REAL knitting project.

 

Help me admire.

Then...

I'll put it in a SAFE place and WAIT.

 

There will be a baby someday.

A baby that fits this sweater perfectly.

It doesn't have to be today.

 

NO...

I really don't mind  holding on to this one just a BIT longer.

;)

 

*************

Note:

This sweater would not be complete if I didn't have knitting friends.

EXPERT knitters.

Thankfully they came on a retreat with me last weekend.

Thankfully they let me PESTER them all weekend

as I finished up this sweater.

Yes....I pestered them 24/7.

;/

Thankfully....they haven't told me to STOP asking questions!!!

 

When they do..
I might have to use Youtube for instructions!!!

I will if I HAVE TO.

 

Thankful for my friends today.

A Parade

Since I'm on a retreat committee...

there are jobs to be done!

 

Registering ladies..... making schedule booklets...

nametags...contacting the venue.....

getting there early to welcome everyone...

etc.

I didn't do those jobs.

;)

 

I said I'd make table mats for the centerpieces.

 

Some were modern.

Some were warm.

I had fun machine quilting...

Using UP my UFOs...

as well as some orphan blocks that were given to me!

I hand quilted some of them.

The hand quilting really added something to this one!

I figured if I used lots of DIFFERENT colors and styles...

there'd be something for everyone!

 

These table mats were bid on

and thankfully they all have NEW HOMES!

They are made with quilt blocks that no LONGER

have to sit in boxes and bags

WAITING to be quilts!!!

 

These quilt blocks

 have a JOB to do.

They are

Making someone's kitchen table

a WARM and happy place to be.

They are doing what BIG quilts do!

Spreading warmth and happiness ALL AROUND!

 

**************

 

Some of these orphan blocks were gifts from YOU!

I want to thank all my blog friends who FILLED my orphan drawer last year.

It was so wonderful to dig through and find little GEMS

to use as I made these table mats.

They all have GOOD homes now...

I double checked!!

And they have a life of USEFUL service ahead of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More

When it comes to SCRAPS and QUILTS.....

The MORE the MERRIER!!!

The more scraps the BETTER.

 

And I DO BELIEVE

I'm the merriest...

Because I have MORE!!

 

Maybe not more than YOU....

but DEFINITELY more than I NEED!

Hah!

 

How many scraps does it take to make a quilt??

Simple answer.

it's

MORE.

 

Oh....I'm so happy I had all these scraps!

I am IN LOVE with this quilt.

 

When it's given away...

I'll have to make some visits.

 Some welfare visits.

some....

How is my quilt doing? visits.

I'll call them

"want to get coffee?" visits.

:)

 

 

If you comment and I don't reply...

it means your comment didn't come to my email like it normally does.

Anyone else having this issue with BLOGGER???

I'm curious to know WHAT's going on.

 

 

 

Yarn again

I have been getting little gifts of yarn.

Hand-me-down gifts.

Yes.

THAT kind.

;)

 

I like little gifts....

but they're not always the right COLOR.

I had something in the kitchen that solved THAT one!

I'm calling this yarn color

OATMEAL.

 

I've been wanting to weave a summer shawl.

Yeah!

Necessity...the mother of invention...strikes again!!!!

 

Well....not QUITE necessity.

More like InSANITY.

Hah!

Insanity...necessity....

 

You know what I MEAN!

 

Dyeing this yarn was so simple.

I spread it out in my 9x13.

Added boiling water and tea bags.

Let it set maybe an hour???

Hung it outside to dry

and rolled it up!!!

 

I'm sure there's a secret to keeping it from tangling up.

I don't know it.

THAT was the only trouble I had.

:)

Christmas quilt along

On the first Monday of every month

I've been adding a piece to my Christmas quilt.

 

This month, my addition is SO simple.

Simple things add a LOT to quilts!

 

I'm adding the small checkerboard blocks under the house.

 

After seeing the picture here on my blog...

I'm thinking SMALLER blocks would look even BETTER!

Oh well..

It's done.

And that's always a GOOD thing.

:)

I made these blocks using 2" strips.

 

I cut ONE strip of white....

Cut THAT strip in half.

I added TWO greens to each half strip.

(2" wide)

Cut my "blocks" into 2" segments

and turned them into a "checkerboard" style strip.

 

First I added a 2 1/2" wide strip under the house...

then my checkerboard.

 

It just so happens they fit PERFECTLY together.

If they didn't....

I would have trimmed the house block a little bit.

I have a few blocks left over.

That's o.k.

I may use them later!

;)

 

Instructions for previous blocks are on the

CHRISTMAS quilt along page.

 

If you ARE joining in...

we'd ALL love to see your progress on the flickr page!

This is a FREE and easy quilt along.

Not many EXACT instructions.

Lots of leeway!!!

Lots of FUN!

Lots of CREATIVE elbow room!

 

Happy SEWING!

four squared

Chances are...

If you liked the quilt you were making for a BED....

You'll like it on your table too.

;)

 

This quilt BEGAN.

Stalled.

Sat.

and...

Sat some more.

I took the four quilt blocks.

Quickly joined them together.....

quilted around the squares with a wavy loop.

Another quilt table topper for an upcoming

retreat and fundraiser.

 

I might bid on this one MYSELF!!!

Wonderful Weaving

Between family life....

Quilting life....

and

everyday life...

I've been weaving.

 

I had this bag on the loom when a special order came in.

:)

I loved using a LOT of gray

PLUS

some blues and browns to make this little "hippie bag".

After the bag was complete...

I wove two table runners.

I DO love weaving these.

There's TEXTURE,

color,

and MORE TEXTURE!!!

Just for fun...

Here's a picture of my loom and me

Weaving on a recent camping adventure.

 

That's another thing I love about weaving.

The loom doesn't need ELECTRICITY.

 

I can take it anywhere!!!