. . . and a few other needle work things

. . . Talk about a UFO (For those not acquainted with the lingo, that's "Unfinished Object"),

I hate to admit just how long this unfinished needlepoint project has been hiding every so cleverly in my closet.  Well, really that would have to be several closets, 'cause this is the third house I've lived in since I started it.

Let's see now, I'm guessing that I started it somewhere in the late 70s or early 80s.  Wow, can that be possible?  Yep, it is.  I'm absolutely amazed that the moths didn't start eating the wool -- either what's already on the canvas or in the bag waiting to be worked.  I guess those little insects just decided that I really needed to finish this project . . .

. . . so I would finally have the matching pillow to go with this one that sits on a wandering dining room chair in a corner of our living room.

I'm hoping to figure out how to use that frame so that I can do some stitching while lying on my back.  (I'm having foot surgery next week and will be out of commission for a while.  Hmmmmmm, should be an interesting 10 days until I get the approval to let my feet rest BELOW the level of my heart.

So if you don't see anything here for a while, know that I'm following doctor's orders and not sitting at the computer desk.  (Sadly no laptop in the household.  Bummer, now would certainly be a good time to have one of those electronic devices.  Oh well, I'll get caught up on some long overdue reading.)

See you soon.

FOR TOTS, TEENS, AND 'TWEENS . . . .

Just when I thought most of the blue fabric was out of my stash, I came across quite a bit of turquoise.

I think I am about finished with the blues now.  I was able to get this little project finished for a toddler.

I took the quilts to the drop off spot yesterday.  The lady who organizes Project Linus in our area says that the biggest need is for older boys.  So that's what these next couple are for.
Still a bit more blue  . . .

And this leftover PJ fabric for another teen quilt.  These are 9" blocks and I really like this for a teen.  I just zig zagged the seams on this one.  To me, really makes it more of a "pieced comforter" instead of a "quilt".

 And so the knitting doesn't get left out.  I guess this is for a "tween".  My granddaughter who will be 10 in August.

Yep, I'm ahead of schedule this year.
So much ahead in fact that the yarn I ordered for another August, an October, and a January birthday just came yesterday.

I should be set for a while, don't you think?

A COUPLE NEW TOYS

I thought I would share with you a couple new crafting/quilting toys I purchased a few weeks ago that I am really happy with.  (Sorry about that preposition placement, grammar teachers.)

On the right is my Steady Betty ironing pad.  It's basically a board covered in a special heat resistant foam.  Keeps fabric from slipping while pressing.  I like it as it helps me press and not "iron".  I also like its size -- about 14x14.  My iron went on the fritz a couple weeks ago so I was forced to use my little craft iron until I purchased a new regular iron.  I've got to admit that once I got used to the seemingly left handed placement of the cord, I do like that little iron for the small quilt pieces blocks.

On the left is a rotating cutting mat.  It fits perfectly on my cutting table beside the Steady Betty so it makes a perfect set up for the early stages of the quilt.  I must say, though, that unless I have a ruler that is the exact size of the block I am cutting, I don't really use the rotating feature much.  But I love the size since it fits so well at my "work station".

Oh, and the block I'm working on in the photo.  A red and white churn dash.

My on-line quilting friends and I are doing a churn dash block exchange -- any color of red with white on white background.  Mine are finished and all mailed out and I have received about 1/2 of the 36 (9") blocks.  These are the first few I received.

I'm undecided quite how I will put it together -- with sashing,without sashing, on point. with star blocks; .  I just don't know.  Decisions, decisions . . . .

SPRING IS HERE !

Well, since winter seems to be behind us--although I'm not convinced that we won't have an April wintry snap of weather--I guess it seems that I could move away from blues (Seems like a winter color to me).

So here are the completed blue quilts that will go to Project Linus.

And the blue (his favorite color) sweater that went to my 7 year old grandson last week.  He phoned me on Saturday to tell me thank you and that he likes it.  His mom told me that he was wearing it at the time, and that it fit perfectly.  Hooray.

So on to more spring time colors.  This "curly" scarf is for my daughter.  Her birthday was also last week and I'll give it to her this weekend when I see her.  It's made from the hand spun, hand dyed 100% silk yarn that I purchased at the Fiber Arts Festival a couple weeks ago.  Love it!  

(Oh, I rebanded it with the band from the yarn hank.)

I'm working on some other kind of springy color too.  I'll wait until that sweater is finished before I show it to you.

  In the meantime I'll keep knittin' and stitchin'

FIBER FINDS

Ah, what a fun day I had yesterday.

I read in my local on-line news a couple weeks ago about the upcoming Smoky Mountain Fiber Arts Festival.  I decided that I really should start taking advantage of East Tennessee fun things before we move to Middle Tenessee. (Who knows when that will be, but at least it gives me an excuse to have some fun, right?)
So I ventured out yesterday morning in spite of the prediction for thunderstorms and was pleased that there were no storms.  AND the festival (well, with the exception of the sheep shearing demonstration) was all indoors, so I'd have been dry anyway.  I must say that the little town of Townsend TN has is a very nice venue for such events.

Well, OK, I guess it's time to get to the fun part.  I did do a bit to help stimulate the economy for some fiber merchants.  I rarely spend top dollar for yarns as most of my knitting is done for the grandchildren, but I had an AHA moment right before I left.  One of my daughters has a birthday next week.  Just enough time to get a scarf knit -- AND scarves don't take lots of yarn, so it's OK to spend $ on small amounts of yarn.
And that's just what I did.  All hand spun and hand dyed.

The hank on the left is an alpaca and silk blend; the center is merino wool, and the one on the right is 100% silk.  I've already started working with the silk; Oh my, such luxury.

Oh, and as far as stimulating the economy, I really made quite a splurge and got something for the "kid in me".

   

 This little guy is the softest Teddy bear you'd ever want to feel -- made of Alpaca wool.  I almost took him to bed with me last night.  But instead perched him in the baby bed that all the grandchildren have now grown almost to big to use.

Some of you who read daughter Anna Maria's blog will recognize the hanging quilt as one I assembled from my maternal grandmother's blocks that I found in my mother's attic.

The quilt hanging over the back of the crib is one that I made a few years ago for the grandchildren to use once I decided that the "antique" quilt needed to be saved as an heirloom.  Hmmm, I wonder which grandchild will cuddle with the new Teddy bear under that blanket.

ONE OF MY FAVORITES

Check out Daughter Anna Maria's blog to see one of my very favorite quilt possessions.

B IS FOR BLUE

My goodness, it seems that everything I'm doing lately is blue!

Well, that's partly because I'm trying to discipline myself to work on whatever is first in line in my scrap stash drawer.  Easier said than done!  But I'm trying.

 This one was a bit of a challenge as some of the prints were a knit fabric.  But once someone donates something to me for my charity quilts, I feel obliged to use it -- unless it is just absolutely horrible fabric.
So I decided if I put the knit blocks between decent woven fabric, I'd be OK.  It seemed to work out and I was able to match up my seams pretty well.









This one is all flannel (not the best quilters' flannel, by a long shot) but it will have to do.

Oh my there was more blue in my next stack.  The most fabric is the little blue and yellow print in the lower center.  I'll add some of the other more plain blues and some yellow.

Those scraps up top will just have to wait for another time -- perhaps in a REALLY scrappy quilt!

And as if blue fabric isn't enough, the sweater I'm working on for my grandson is also blue.  He tells me blue is his favorite color, so why not more blue?  I really like this stitch pattern.  Easy to do without much thought, but yet not as boring as stockinette.

So I'll just keep working with the blue for a while and let you know when I move on to some less boring colors!