Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Design Wall

 I would have a hard time arranging a quilt without a design wall.  A couple decades ago I used to lay the blocks on the floor and that worked but I could only be as far away from the quilt to my eyes while standing beside it, the perspective was different.  To look at the quilt square on from across the room does make choosing fabrics easier and it is more obvious when like fabrics are close together or far apart.
Setting triangle choices and border fabrics, top right fabric looks washed out by comparison.  Either of the other two fabrics will work, I have more of the dark chocolate with poppies and it is about equal in value to the darked fabrics in the blocks.  Maybe I'll finish the top today.  The temps have dropped and the winter coats have moved to front and center of the closet so I don't whine as long when its wiser to choose a warmer coat then a light jacket.  Walking has moved from after supper to mid afternoon to catch the warmth of the sun.  Preparing to hunker down for winter.  --Ann--


Friday, October 25, 2019

knitting

 A week ago I rolled my ankle and it didn't hurt when it happened but half a day later it was throbbing.  I hobbled downstairs to get the bag with the yarn and pattern for the mouse, fiddley work and best done when I have to stay put with my foot up and on ice. What really hurt was it was sunny and warm and not windy so I couldn't go for a walk I did sit on the deck with my foot up and on ice and knit.  It really wasn't difficult just follow the directions line by line  Claire Garland writes wonderful patterns.  Last night I finished the jacket and ears.  He is so darn cute!  The rabbit is next.


A good start on another pair of socks for son for Christmas.  --Ann--


Thursday, October 24, 2019

auditioning


 The carmel colored brown is yuck

the rust pink... ick the print is too small looks busy


the chocolate brown hmmm not enough contrast with blocks


 the dark chocolate is okay



the red is best don't you think?


However I do not have enough of the red for the outside setting triangles that will either be the milk chocolate brown or the dark chocolate print.  More decisions makes me hungry for chocolate.
--Ann--



Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Monkey wrenches and Shoo Flies

Yesterday was a good day to spend in the sewing room it was cold, rainy and windy.  So glad it wasn't snow, the shoo fly blocks are done except for the setting triangles and I can't decide which fabric to use, there is limited yardage of each of the reds that will work so the outside triangles will be  a different fabric or I could go scrappy all the way and mix it up with a variety of reds.  I will finish the monkey wrench blocks while I decide.  Today is sunny but just as windy.  --Ann--


Friday, October 18, 2019

Off the needles


I had twice the fun with this yarn as I knit the sweater twice.  The shoulders fit so much better on the second which is on the left and has raglan sleeves the first one is top down with contiguous sleeves meaning they look more like set in sleeves.  It looks and fits better after blocking and the puckers are gone.














Finally finished a pair of socks, the yarn is a pairfect yarn from Regia so they match.  Enjoying the last warm days here on the deck  --Ann--

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

design wall

Putting the parts on the design wall.  What is going to go in the blanks?  How many times will I rearrange things?  These questions and more   --Ann--


Monday, October 14, 2019

Then the weather changed

Three days of sunshine and blue sky!  I sat outside on the deck and read, I love the October sun, the rays are low in the sky and don’t burn my fair northern European complexion. Every day the trees are a little redder and one by one the leaves flutter to the ground.
 And then the weather changed, the temperature dropped and suddenly the ash trees turned yellow almost overnight and shed their leaves in mass. I went downstairs to figure out my next project, look at my books, look at my stacks of fabric, look at the books again, look through the file folders, choose some fabrics and start ironing, check measurements, make supper. Woke up to snow on the rooftops not enough to cover the grass another great day to spend in the sewing room.  Look at all the possibilities again and change direction, iron a different pile of fabrics, start cutting, look at the recipe for this quilt, figure out how many strips I actually need, write numbers down, continue cutting, wind a couple balls of yarn, sort through knitting patterns, group scarf and wrap patterns together, pull out patterns for red sweater,  separate my strips into lights and darks, count how many of each, time for coffee, cut more...........


Finally start sewing on new quilt blocks, I still need to cut more light strips but I needed to sew.  Does anyone else work like that?  The snow is gone!  Its a great day to sew.  --Ann--

Monday, October 7, 2019

He said, She said


 He said, She said, "I do and I will forever and always!"
We said, "Yippee they did it!!"
with my Aunt and Uncle from Arizona he grew up in Scotland and dressed for the occasion,  it was suggested that with a good Scottish surname like Douglas that the grooms party and all the men in the wedding party wear kilts but the groom nixed that idea.  I would love to see my hubby in his family tartan and a kilt.
It was a beautiful wedding and a great party.  I may put my feet up for the rest of the week. --Ann--



Thursday, October 3, 2019

Its a wrap




The wrap is done and blocked it looked like a tropical fish as I pinned it to the blocking boards.  My dress for the wedding is a dark purple and I could wear it with my outfit for the rehearsal dinner as well.  I'm all ready nothing for me to be nervous I'm not the one getting married. What did I forget?   --Ann--

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

October birthday



It’s my birthday and I have been celebrating for well over a week already. First was a trip to see Hamilton amazing! And the zoo! Downton Abbey the movie! The Four Phantoms! Lunch with a girlfriend, she brought some gladiolus then we picked raspberries and ate just a few......dozen.  Then darling daughter showed up and I made some adjustments to her bridesmaid dress, no more gaps. She picked up pizza for supper her treat and oldest son showed up. I had absolute power of the remote one day and rewatched the last season of Poldark.......and watched the first episode Sunday evening.  I finished the wrap and blocked it,  I’m all set for the wedding.  We are going out for supper tonight, birthday texts and emails and even a real card or two.  Coffee with classmates tomorrow. Celebrating the big things and the little things. And the 60th anniversary of my 3rd birthday.  Looks like an angel food cake.  --Ann--