One ta da done

 

One done! That sweet feeling of completion! A great tummy time quilt. And all but the backing from the stash.  Just simple half square triangles put together as friendship stars and 4 patches.  I like simple patterns and fun fabrics. Free motion quilting just stitching an arc from corner to corner with a variegated thread. I used the backing fabric for the binding because I’m down to small scraps with all these colors, another great feeling, using it up! On to the next.—Ann—

Happy fingers

 

Knitting with this sock yarn and kid haze is a dream, I had the first little sweater knit just past the arms so I finished it as we drove across North Dakota. We left the corn and beans of eastern South Dakota for the wheat and sunflowers of the north central part of the state. Then more of the same in central North Dakota. We followed 1804 ( highway named for Lewis and Clark’s trip up the Missouri River in 1804.)  

Fields of sunflowers in bloom always give me a thrill but I have never gotten a good photo of them. The scenery changed to hills and hay bales and beef cattle. And more wheat fields and canola and into Saskatchewan, Canada. Then to start the next sweater on our way to Moose Jaw to pick up hubby’s moose head. More wheat, canola and lentils and a road that was flat and straight just like the land.

The return trip was much the same a few more wheat fields had been harvested and in the few days between the sunflowers began to droop, their glory faded with the waning summer.

Why didn’t I finish the first sweater completely before starting the second you ask? I like to knit on cable needles in the car, I’m afraid of loosing a double point needle in the car or worse outside the car. I’ll knit the sleeves at home.  Happy fingers when I like the feel of the yarn for happy knitting.  Ann

No ripping allowed

 

These socks have been in the go bag for little road trips. I started the moss stitch pattern 2 rows of k1, p2 then 2 row of p1, k1.  I goofed the next little road trip and did a seed stitch row which is single rows of k1, p1 then p1, k1. Rather than rip I continued it’s just socks after all. The next road trip was moss stitch the return home section was the seed stitch again. Another trip was the heels followed by the moss stitch. The next trip my brain slipped into neutral and I started 2 x 2 ribbing oops but no ripping allowed so I added 2 rows of stockinette ( plain knitting) to become the waffle stitch. The last section is a 2 x 2 basket stitch then the final 2 x 2 ribbing and they are finished. I bought this yarn in Montana last summer. Ann

Machine quilting

 It seems like it has taken a long time to get very little done. Slow going on the machine quilting, just the border left I think a feather all around will compliment my meandering concentric teardrop. That design always works on floral fabrics for a traditional look.

 I couldn’t figure out why I had blue crumbs all over the quilt as I was working……then I rubbed my hands / gloves together more blue crumbs. Time for new gloves I used them for 7 or 8 years. The new pair were in a package of 3 and are very stiff, I don’t like them as well but the good kind are sold out for the season, I’ll have to wait until next spring to get a new good pair.

Jump ahead to quilting on the baby quilt even though I haven’t completed the pastel. I’m just quilting geometry………swinging an arc from point to point.  Ann

New little project

 

New little sweater started for one of the twins. I’m pairing a sock yarn with kid haze I may never knit without it. It is so soft and cozy. Fingers crossed I can knit a size 2-3 sweater from one skein of yarn. I started the neck ribbing in solid white so if I am running short the cuffs and hem can also be white. I must have bought this yarn on a close out sale since I can’t find more at any of the yarn sites I frequent. I hope the babies ( I need to start saying girls) love  the feel as much as I do. They are 21 months now.  Ann

Quilt basting/ pinning

It took me all week to baste/ pin four quilts I must be getting old or maybe lazy or easily distracted. The first quilt went on the frame without a hitch I just had to be very conservative with the backing and batting because if I was careful I could get two quilts across, it worked numerical. The second quilt was tight, I had to stretch the batting about an inch and a half. Then I pinned it and it was time to make supper. The next day I unpinned it because it wasn’t square to the world. Line things up better and do it right. So much better, I was on a roll sew the backing for the third. No problems. Fourth quilt should I add a border??? Audition some fabrics, consider the possibilities and more important the yardage, time to make supper again.  Day three bible study, lunch with a girlfriend, dentist appointment just a cleaning and the day was shot it was also very nice outside so I sat on the deck can’t forget to enjoy the moment. Miserably hot and humid again good day to sew add the borders,  could have fussy cut this subtle stripe but I think I will use it for binding. Sew the backing and get it pinned to the frame, spread out the batting ugh it needs to be pieced.......that really didn’t take that long to zig zag a chunk. Spread it out again then the quilt top......you guessed it time to make supper.......next day finally pinned and off the frame and frame and chairs all put away. I’m ready for some power sewing.  ~~Ann~~

Small finish

 

I finished these shortie socks, they felt so good in my hiking boots. The yarn is Universal bamboo pop sock it is so squishy soft and stretchy ( left over from my sweater) and only had about a yard of yarn left from the socks! It is bamboo, cotton and pbt which is a stretchy polyester similar to lycra. Some cotton yarns feel hard on the bottom of my feet because the cotton fiber doesn’t have a lot of stretch. These feel good! I’m definitely ordering more of that yarn.—Ann—

progress

 

I had all these squares on the wall before the little trip with DD then when I glanced at it when I got home I really did not like the darkest blue (large 9 patch in the top row) so I switched it out for a lighter set of four squares and I like it much better.  Last week the temps were cool enough to open the windows what a glorious feeling to have fresh air moving through the house and to be able to sit outside or walk without dripping in sweat. Needless to say not much happened in the sewing room then but normal hot temps have returned with productive time in the sewing room. --Ann--

Double nine patch

I was looking though my little bags of leftovers from previous quilts because sometimes my stash is overwhelming and intimidating. Does that give you an hint as to the size of my stash? I pulled out some bags of pastels thinking  they might work with the appliqué flower blocks I have worked on every summer since......one block left to finish.   The largest of the bags had 9 patch parts a lot of them but not the right colors for the appliqué project but there are plenty of fabrics in the stash that will work with these 9 patch parts. Sometimes I have to coax fabrics out of the stash.  I started sewing 9 patches and placing parts on the design wall. It was a bit of a mess.  Go back and look at the inspiration quilt by Laundry Basket Quilts back in 2014 or 15 fortunately I took a screen shot the last time I searched for that quilt. I really studied the photo and the photo of the similar quilt I made. I studied the placement of lights and darks.  The darks are not in the corners of the small 9 patches but in the sides. And the large squares (5”) background fabrics form rings around the large dark 9 patches. Mine are more medium value but it works. It has taken days to get this figured out but now I know what it needs and where I’m going. —Ann—

Flowers

 

Cheap souvenirs for me taking pictures of flowers.

--Ann--

Road trip

 A little road trip with darling daughter to the Black Hills.

Slow going through the buffalo herd in Custer State Park. I could have reached through the window and touched one, they came around the car so close and so fast but it’s not smart to touch the “fluffy cows” those two are bulls.

We did some hiking in Spearfish Canyon and up to Roosevelt tower. Then went to Devils Tower in Wyoming.

Mother daughter time ........my favorite time!  --Ann--