On the needles

 I have made progress on my sweater after ripping it twice, just like little bear the first was too big, the second was too small and this one is just right. I should be able to wear it when the air turns crisp.

 I have spent more time quilting than knitting the past couple weeks,  the camouflage yarn is striping diagonally rather than narrow bands of color as in the first too big pair of socks these have 33 stitches on each needle the first try had 36. Amazing what a difference 6 stitches makes in the way the color stripes or pools. Trekking yarn socks are ready to turn the heel but I think they will wait until I am wearing the sweater to finished the socks. When I turn the heel I usually keep at it until I  finish that part. Another hot day here.--Ann--check out what's on the needles at Judy's

Out of the cupboard

Another quilt out of the cupboard.  I named this quilt Steps to the Campanile, I made it for my oldest son, he was the first of the third generation to attend SDSU (that would be South Dakota) and graduate. He was 12 or 13 when I made it. He chose the colors blue and yellow (go Jackrabbits) I added some red, green and purple for interest. The block is Jacob's ladder which is half square triangles and 4 patches in this configuration it is sometimes called wagon wheel. More HST make up the border. I quilted it by FMQ in reasonable straight lines through the 4 patches and stitching in the ditch in the border. I extended the truck fabric on the back by adding roads and my boys did play with their little cars and trucks and legos a lot on the back of the quilt. Missing my little boys.....they grew up into wonderful young men. --Ann--
P.S. I should have darling daughter check me on the facts before I hit the publish button. Oldest son was the second to graduate from SDSU, he was in the Navy 5 years, 2nd son was the first. The first is second the second is first are you as confused as I am now?

More Morning Glories

The monster grows......But isn't that a beautiful combination of violet and red violet in the five point stars and the perfectly spaced crease between each point where the bloom unfolded!?! And that shade of green compliments it so well?!! However next year......I am making a note in my garden journal to refer to August 28, 2013 post to nip them in the heart, the tiny heart shaped leaves, as they come up and I begin gardening next year. But until then I will enjoy their fabulous color.--Ann--

Design Wall

I pulled an old project out of the closet, the fabrics are all batiks and commercial hand dyes. The Winding Ways blocks and colors have been calling to me all year but I had another big project with a deadline so now that I am quilting on the commission quilts I can consider the possibilities of this one while I machine quilt. I started it in 2004 sometime. The F & P magazine was in the tote with all the parts. There are enough parts for a queen size quilt and 2 moves ago I had it all on the design wall and I was trying to create some horizontal waves of color but now I realize the circles of color are dominate. Each block is influenced by 9 circles, the one encircling it and 8 more made up of one or two segments of the center block. I need to arrange segments by color families and value and might be able to create some diagonal movement. I was thinking I would make it into 2 quilts but Darling Daughter asked for a queen size quilt for her bed now that she has a real job and an apartment and guess what she loves these colors. click the Erin quilts then scroll into October 2012 for the last installment.  It is going to be a scorcher here so I'm off to my sewing room to machine quilt until my arms get tired then add more parts and bask in the refreshing cool blues. Linking to Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday and Anything Goes Monday  be inspired. --Ann--

Humility Quilting

All quilters have heard of humility blocks, the block that is pieced wrong or turned, with scrap quilts and log cabin blocks and fan blocks it is pretty hard to go wrong. I could and probably did sew some log cabin blocks clockwise and some counter clockwise but who is to know with scraps. And with fans a wedge could be turned the wrong way but a quilter would notice that during the pressing. My humility is not with piecing the blocks but with the quilting. I sewed arcs from point to point using half circle curves....what could possibly go wrong?? using the outside curve instead of the inside curve and visa versa or choosing the wrong end point. Bingo on both accounts. I believe I got it right in the center and first ring of dark log cabin blocks, and there are some crooked lines in the next ring of light fabrics. The fans are free motion quilted with loops and swags. Lots of variation in loop size and swags.....its free motion quilting......there will be variation. I skipped to the dark side of the 5 diagonal log cabin blocks I  stitched a straight line across the center of the block then swung  arcs from point to point. This arc went into the next block by a log. oops....so the arc in the next LC block is small. Then in the next section of 5 blocks I moved the point over a log..oops again That's when I decided I had quilted enough for one day and went for a walk and wrote this post in my head and contemplated whether I should rip or not and possibly damage the quilt. The errors are near the edge where the quilt will hang over the side of the bed, will anyone ever trace the quilting lines with their finger? a child maybe but with electronic games for amusements... probably not. So I'm leaving it, my humility quilting. Hoping today is a better day for stitching and linking to Leah FMQ.--Ann--

Monstrous Morning Glories

 I didn't plant morning glories last spring. It was so late when I planted peas and beans that I saw a few heart shaped leaves volunteering so I let them be. Big mistake.

 I set my supports out for them, they knew exactly what to do, they crawled right up and all around.

But they are taking over everything, fortunately the beans are done, they are blanketing my potatoes, tomatoes and strawberries even the weeds are being strangles by their tendrils. Only the dark purple came back no pale blue blossoms. Next year any heart shaped leaves are going to be slashed.--Ann--

late night finish

Late night finish last night. My first big quilt on my sweet 16 and 16 inches of throat space is wonderful!.  now on to the next. --Ann--