Slowin' down

I'm doing some slow sewing while the kids play this week.

I pull this little project out every once in a while and add a few leaves. This week was the perfect time to bring it out again.

Wonder how many leaves will appear this week???

I'm away from home.....

Away from my machine......

This is keeping me very happy. :)

This is what's keeping the little ones happy!

Just one

I made just one.

Just one is all hubby needs on his desk at work.

Why???? did it take me so long to think of making a small quilted coaster for him?

As I made ONE.....,

I had an idea!

How about making one every once in a while "Just because"?!

Will he mind crazy pink hearts donning his desk in February?

;)

It's here

Merry Christmas friends!

May the holidays bring laughter, fun, special memories and love to your house this year.

Thanks for joining me as I plug along here in my sewing room.  Your comments and encouragement mean so much!

Christmas is coming

One more sleep until Christmas Eve!

Ms. Juki is in the shop.... So little Fanny F.W. Is helping out.

She's not as fast as Ms. J, but she and I get along famously.

The gifts need to be wrapped....

The house should be cleaned AGAIN!

(Wish it would stay clean)

There are things to bake and cook.

(The family wants to be fed even if I am busy). ;)

I'm sewing.

It's not because I'm lacking gifts to give!

It's because my sanity says I need it!

 How about you?

Do the busy days DRIVE you to the sewing machine?

Friday

It's Friday...

and I finished a quilt top this week 

MOSTLY because there are REALLY nice quilters in this world!

Friends from all over sent a couple of blocks

(and some sent more!)

This mix of recycled shirts

makes a quilt I want to KEEP looking AT!!!

AND....

I had that fun stripey border fabric in my stash.

I think the addition from Mr. Kaufman 

updates the whole thing!

;)

The blues and browns are PERFECT!

This is where I was working yesterday.

I moved my little machine into the dining room

to work with friends.

It's NICE to change the view every once in a while!

AND...

SUPER nice to sew with company!

Thank you friends.

Your blocks make the most WONDERFUL kind of quilt!

Square management

You may not need another little thing on your sewing table.

You may have the fabric organization GENE!  :)

You may already have the perfect spot for ALL your scraps and leftovers.

I'm always collecting little squares.

I have a "THING" for little squares.

I like to cut them up out of the leftovers from projects.

Getting them rounded up is always the challenge.

This little basket was a prototype.

I was designing a little COASTER basket found here

and made a FEW

I WONDER baskets.

"I wonder if this work?"

"I wonder if THAT will work??"

This basket was TOO big for coasters...

but it works for my

2", 2 1/2" and 3" squares.

They all have a corner

and ONE corner is leftover for....????

Do I dare begin a 1 1/2" corner??

'

This little basket is made up of TWO 11"x 11" squares.

I laid them out BACK to back

(wrong side to wrong side)

and cut out 2 1/2" squares from the corners.

I used some bias tape.

Laid that bias tape down

and covered EACH corner.

I opened it up and sewed around...

I turned at each corner after going 1/4" past the corner.

With needle DOWN...

I turned the basket and stitched.

Then I rolled the bias tape over and top stitched.

Each corner is now covered.

I added bias tape around the top

in the same way.

The only tricky part is moving EACH side

up to meet at the corners.

Not really tricky.

Maybe a little fiddly.

;)

I don't really need anything else on my sewing table...

BUT...

I DO appreciate a little organizational HELP!!!!

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

Thanks to everyone who entered

the fabric giveaway.

Winners were announced here.

;)

congratulations Shawna!

Three

Knitting little hats is sort of addicting!

You finish one...

You want to make another.

Yarn is so FUN!

and...

Hats are easy.

I can no longer watch a movie

without knitting needles in my hands!

Typically I'm working on more than ONE thing!

This weekend I had THREE finishes.

Two little.

and...

a BIG one!

Sweaters are NOT addicting.

They go ON and ON...

and you wonder if you're going to enjoy wearing

the item you are laboring OVER!!!

Instead of button holes...

(I'm a beginner)

I crocheted some loops.

It fits.

That's a relief!

After ALL those HOURS!!!

But.....

There's a little bit of cruelty to the knitting bug.

When you're old enough to have TIME to knit something warm....

You're body is telling you IT's TOO. TOO. HOT!!!

Some of you ladies will understand.

;)