Biscuit Quilt

I always enjoy magazine articles that show 1st quilts and last most recent quilts made by quilt designers. They started out like most of us who started quilting in the 1980's with a sampler or log cabin quilt. This is my very first quilt made from polyester double knits and biscuits, it was a 4-H project from the 70's. (photos taken last fall) The biscuits were 4 1/2 or 5 inch squares sewn together and turned I can't remember if a 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch seam was used then they were stuffed with a nylon sock or the leg from panty hose. The opening was stitched shut then after a hundred or so biscuits were made, they were sewn into strips using invisible nylon thread with the serpentine stitch on the sewing machine. Then the long strips of biscuits were sewn together into one very heavy quilt. Scroll down to Tuesdays post to match the biscuit to the outfit. No garment was destroyed in the making of this quilt all the biscuits were sewn from the scraps. However the garments are long since gone.--Ann--

It's easy to get lazy

It's been easy to get lazy this winter. Too lazy to walk because it has been so cold for to many days in a row. Too lazy to write blogs posts. Yesterdays post was written weeks ago and was to lazy to push the publish button. That's lazy.

 The only thing this weather is good for is curling up with the knitting needles or a book, warm socks and a quilt. I moved my chair in front of the fireplace to get the full effect of the warmth and could gaze out the window. Watching the snow fall is mesmerizing and meditative so I started counting my blessings.........

1.  that I live in a draft free house
2.  that we haven't had freezing rain
3. that we have a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in our little grocery store
4. that I have a car with a heater that works
5. that hubby fixed my little snow pusher
6. that I have a number of projects and interests to keep from getting cabin fever
7. that I can enjoy a hot beverage at the touch of a couple buttons
8. that I have an education
9. that I have a wonderful family
10. that I live in America  

Have you counted your blessings lately?  It's time for me to get out of my lazy rut maybe spring will come next week until then stay warm.--Ann--

Books and fashion

March came in like a polar bear here on the prairie with record cold temps it can't last too many more weeks.
Latest reading list and a fashion show circa 1972

1. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson  for book club
2. Christmas Letter by Debbie Macomber 
3. The Old Christmas Magic by Linda Raedisch                      Daughter and I went to Saving Mr Banks back in December which prompted me to read:
4. Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers
5. Mary Poppins She Wrote by Valerie Lawson   P.L. Travers had a lot of issues to deal with and had very definite ideas about how the story line and movie should be  made. The book Mary Poppins is a series of short adventures not a story with a beginning, middle and end. The movie follows some of the adventures very closely and others not so much. The Disney creation will always be my favorite.
6. The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott  This is a Titanic story and we all know how that ends but do we? The main characters are a dress designer, her husband and secretary, who were all real people and survived. The story is told through the secretary who is trying to escape her station in life as a servant in England. She is an accomplished seamstress and wants to be a dress designer. What luck to meet the designer on the wharf and agree to be her maid on the journey.   There are conflicts of loyalty, romance, the vote for women, betrayal, the hookless fastener, shorter skirts and Margaret Brown, then there were Senate Hearings in the US and Britain.                                                       A fun book to read.                                                      In that vein a peek at this seamstress of a lifetime ago.  All polyester double knits and short skirts! They were fun to wear and easy care. I could make a dress with a little over a yard of fabric!!--Ann--

Happy Feet on and off the needles

 Happy Feet! socks and slippers are done! The slippers went through the washer and dryer twice and the washer 2 more times then air dried and they fit perfect now. With two layers of felted soles they are so soft and squishy and warm.

I started a new pair of footies from leftover yarn.  Stitch patterns for both these socks are in Wendy D. Johnson's book Socks from the Toe Up the footies are the Butterfly pattern I did 2 repeats of the chart before I read all of the instructions so my "butterflies" are going to be in vertical rows instead of alternating across. They are footies I am using up yarn and learning a new stitch pattern, just yarn overs and knit 2 together and slip slip knit. The other socks are the Lacy Rib pattern.

I found a wonderful variegated yarn for Suzie Roger's Reading Mitts I think I should pull off enough yarn for the thumb to be all pink . If I finish the mitt then go back to the thumb with the yarn as it comes out of the ball, I think it will be changing to dark, dark red then black. Happy knitting sometimes I just have to put the kneedles down and give my full attention to the Olympics. Check out On the Needles at Judy's  --Ann--

out of the cupboard

 Changing the quilts on the walls always improves the spirits in the winter. Out with the snowmen and up with the spring baskets.  These blue and yellow baskets are like a sunny day. I made this quilt in 1999 with 6 inch squares of Merryvale fabrics click explanation of Merryvale. Each basket used one 6 inch square of fabric, I cut 2- 2 inch squares and 6 triangles using the easy angle. From the background fabric I cut 3 - 2 inch squares and 2 - 2 x 3 1/2 rectangles and 2 - 2 inch wide triangles using the companion angle and one 3 1/2 inch triangle. The piano key border is cut from 6 x 18 inch strips of Merryvale fabrics. I free motion quilted it on my Bernina. --Ann--

journals

 It was warm and sunny here today the snow is melting. The robins are back, the silly birds were here 2 weeks ago but today it seems real that they are back and spring might not be far behind. There have been dozens of robins in the backyard today.

  It was warm enough to use the spray adhesive outside and cover some composition books.  All you need are composition books or plain journals, spray adhesive and decorative paper, I'm using old calender pages. Trim paper to about 1/2 inch larger than book on 3 sides. Spray the paper and let adhesive set for a minute or two, I overlap the edge with the black spine covering. Then trim off excess paper. And you have a pretty journal for planning your blog posts or your big book of lists. My thoughts are always more profound going into a beautiful journal and its not so expensive that I am afraid to use it.

 Those silly birds, what do the eat this time of year? here!??!  No strawberries that's for sure. --Ann--

On the Needles

The slipper clogs for son are knit and felted he said "they are perfect, Thanks Mom" His birthday was Sunday,  had we realized 28 years ago that he was born on the anniversary of the Beatles first appearance on American television we would have named him.....Ringo! He lucked out there.

Before they were felted with the over felted now child size slippers just for scale. Felt slowly in the washer on medium temp then into the dryer and repeat until they fit.

 

The colors in this yarn is pooling now. Much more interesting. I like the flashes of color. The yarn is German Schoppel Wolle it is 2 strands of yarn wound on a spool and dyed on the spool so my color changes are getting shorter as the spool gets smaller.

 This hand painted yarn has even color changes which have not stacked up into interesting color patterns just texture that is until I did the gusset increase.  The orange and brown made a little grouping of color and the pink and yellow made a sideways V. Turning the heel I got a nice repeat of stripes. I like stripes. Did anyone notice the person knitting the first night of competition? Just before one of the last snowboarders went down the hill you could see a person with calm nerves standing knitting a white scarf? It looked like the yarn was coming out of an opening in his jacket.
I'm finally feeling better after 5 days of the flu, I have just hurt all over with chills and a runny nose. I would get up because it hurt to lay in bed then sit in my chair and nap and knit a little then nap some more then knit. Next year I'm getting a flu shot. Check out the knitting at Judy's On the Needles. --Ann--