Frenzied Shopping

As expected, I joined in on the Day-After-Thanksgiving shopping extravaganza. Resisted a lot, but bought more of what I needed than planned.

Mill End Textiles had a 60% off coupon and 1/2 off most other fabric. Located in MN, WI and the Dakotas, they carry a lot of end-of-run fabrics. You never know what they have. I used my coupon to get an entire bolt of marbled pink quilter's cotton for $2/yard. Also purchased some shirt fabric and a little Oriental fabric to send to a swap hostess who helped me a couple of months ago.

Today (Saturday), I took a run to Joann's. Bought about 6 spools of various cotton threads for 50% off. I was VERY disappointed to discover that they have discontinued literally all name brands of batting. So, from now on if I want something for a bed quilt, I will go elsewhere. I will likely continue to use the Soft and Crafty hi loft for tying, but I know that I will need to get 2 batts when I do. I do use Mountain Mist (the only brand they seem to have kept) for wallhangings. They do have Fairfield 80/20, but I've used it before and prefer Hobbs for my scrap quilts. I continue to get Quilter's Dream at the local quilt shop - that stuff is LUSH. Couldn't find anything to spend my 50% off coupon on so bought another skein of Bernat Sock Yarn. Bought some cute pink stuff too.

After that, I went back to Mill End because I had another 60% off coupon. Found ANOTHER bolt of backing fabric, this time a lovely oriental with pink flowers. The pink in the flowers goes well with the pink I bought yesterday, so this makes an ideal selection for a Reversible quilt. $2 yard. If you compared this fabric with a quilt shop, it is a little thinner. But it does compare favorably with Hancock's and Joann's higher end cottons.


I bought the Nov./Dec. 09 Quiltmaker magazine for the cover quilt (pictured left). I was disappointed to find out that it is done using fusibles. However, I really have to get over my resistance to that technique and just do it. I'll bet this will make a fabulous quilt. On the other hand, I may make the wall quilt to get my feet wet. I'm just resistant because I think that the fusible will make the quilt stiff.

I also like the tree quilt in the same issue (pictured right). My sister has requested some small wall quilts and this one would certainly fit her outdoorsy theme in the living room. This is a crib size, so I'd have to make it a tad smaller, but what a cute way to use up strips of green!

My energy levels have finally picked up from the H1N1, so I'm hoping to get some things accomplished now! Winter Fun is not quite half quilted. I needed some different blue thread to finish the quilting and now that I have it, I can move on with finishing the quilting, so that I can pin the other half.

Big Busted is Done!

I've now completed the Big Busted quilt. Final size is about 45 x 65 inches, so a lap quilt. The front was done using only stash during a quilt-a-long at Stashbusters. The batting is sewn together leftover strips from previous projects. All of the batting was the Joann's Hi Loft Soft and Crafty from last year, not the inferior product (IMHO) that is being sold now. I find hand sewing batting strips, especially thick batting strips, much better than machine sewing as it doesn't interfere with the loft. The backing is a royal blue Joann's Snuggle flannel and the binding just a new fabric that brought out the blue tones in the front of the quilt. The primary fabric used in this quilt is the last of my Millennium fabric for the Millennium quilt I was never able to do (due to illness). I was finally able to get past my disappointment of not being able to swap during the 1998-99 period and this project really is what did it for me.

H1N1 or How My Brain Fried

I thought I had a normal bad cold that turned into the absolute worst sinus infection I have ever had. The headache was so horrible. Doc says it's H1N1. Anyway, I first started getting symptoms 8 days ago and I'm still sick. So, fellow crafters, make sure you have what you need because you will not want to go anywhere while you recuperate.

I finished the binding on the lap quilt I was working on and it is complete. I'll give it its own entry after I have a photo. Other than that, I've been working on swap blocks. I should have read the swap instructions more carefully. I'm virtually making an entire top worth of blocks and this is a bit more work than I was planning. The pattern is Kansas Troubles and I have most of the fabric cut now. Started sewing some HSTs already. My goal is to get these blocks done by Saturday so that I can mail on Monday.

I have done no knitting or crocheting since I got sick. Between being really miserable and now coughing all the time, I just didn't want to deal with it. Handling yarn after you've been coughing a ton is just plain icky.

Being sick is always a good time for a movie marathon, if your head isn't pounding. This time around, I chose the entire Star Wars series. I honestly don't think I saw Episode 3 before, so I'm looking forward to it. I am watching them in the order they came out (i.e. 4, 5, 6, then 1, 2, 3).

Other Projects

Alas, due to a family illness, I have completed quite a bit more of the crocheted Ladybug Afghan. Now, all 35 blocks are done as are 9 ladybug bodies and several pairs of wings. I have to do the circles for the wings at home (that black is just hard to crochet in all but bright light), so I am seeing this going along at a quick pace.

I have 4 pairs of socks that will continue to be worked on until done. As far as the From the Top Down KAL on Ravelry, I'm on hold until November and December. During those months, only a basic sock is being done, so I'm pretty confident I can get those done during the month. In fact, one will just be a redo of what I started in August (sock toe was too big so I'll just start over). I really need to find a better backdrop for sock photos though. Hmmm...

After the first of the year, I'll be hanging up the knitting needles and returning to cross-stitching until Summer. Well, yes, I'll finish the started socks, but the rest of my sock yarn will be packed away until I get one or two cross stitch projects completed.

Finally, yes, the quilting projects continue. I just finished tying and trimming a scrap quilt yesterday. Then, I need to work on the quilting for my Mom's winter wallhanging. That won't actually take that long, but because I don't have a lot of pins, it's taking longer than expected. I need to quilt one area, then repin, and it's a pain.

Train Quilt is Done!

Here's the final photo of the Train Quilt. Hard to get it all to fit in! The primary pattern is Square-in-a-Square. The final measurements are 45x96 inches, perfect for a recliner. I used 2 layers of Soft n Crafty Hi Loft and tied it using Cascade 220 wool yarn. I agree that I didn't trim the blocks correctly, but nobody seems to notice that around here (if you can't see it from the photo, it doesn't exist, right? I used 5 different train fabrics on this (still have one left over to use somewhere else) and as always, I used some solid colored fabric to give the eye some place to rest as well as frame the novelty fabrics. The backing is just a plain brown flannel from Joann's. The kitties, especially Bart, already approve of the quilt.

If you have never done square in a square, here is a link. I recommend making your squares 1/4 inch larger and trim to correct size (1/4 inch beyond edge extra for sewing line).
http://www.allthingsfrugal.com/square.in.a.square.htm

Quilting Projects This Week

First, the Train Quilt was completed last week. We've had a lot of rain, so hopefully, I can post a photo soon. This week, I'm working on 2 quilt projects. One is Big Busted and the other is Winter Fun. Here's a link my original posting of those projects.
http://waytoomuchstash.blogspot.com/2009/05/big-busted-is-busted.html

Big Busted is a finished top from a quilt-a-long at Stashbusters earlier this year. I am piecing together thick batting from tying previous quilts to make a batting for this one. Whatever batting is left over will go into a cat pad for my precious pets. I have one more strip of batting to complete my batting for the center. This part has been a comfy TV project. I have abandoned the idea of using pieced flannel for the back. I don't have enough of coordinating colors and I don't want it to look weird either since this is a lap quilt for the living room. I'll look at Joann's and see what I can find in the way of Snuggle flannel. The scraps will be used in the cat pad.

Winter Fun was a swap from QuiltingAroundTheWorld.com last winter. The top is done, I want to complete the quilt this month. Currently, it is pinned and I've done a small amount of quilting. This will be the first quilt where I'm using different quilting motifs in every block. It will be a wall quilt, so I will be adding a sleeve to the back.

I've had several requests from family members for wall quilts, so I think this winter, I can look forward to a few small projects. My sister threw out ideas such as fish, deer, loons. Her goal is to reduce the sound in her home (lots of wood floors). I do have a pattern for a large deer quilt, but honestly, I don't think that she has a wall that can accommodate it. I have a number of fish quilts I can do including realistic lake/river fish. For my bro, he HAS the wall space, but his interests are hard to gauge. I'm thinking anything forest-like that includes wild animals would work for him. When I get to him, maybe I'll show him some pattern ideas. He likes tapestries without a ton of detail.

Did a couple of other little sewing projects this week. Used some Vikings and U of M Gopher polar fleece to make a kitty pad for my dad's cat (for use while watching games) and a 16 inch square pillow for my BIL. Made a pillow case for my bro that matches the flannel on the back of his winter quilt (the Citrus Stars). The small amounts left over will go into more cat pads.

Ladybug square

Ladybug square
Originally uploaded by Tarana5

After more than a year of working on this afghan, I have finally completed one ladybug! Sorry for the washed out appearance. I guess I need to take these photos outside during the DAY! This ladybug has a very 3 dimensional look to it and is just so darn cute. There is also a 3 dimensional daisy square, but it just doesn't show up at all with a flash. After counting, I still have one more white square to do (darn it all!), but my current goal is to complete this project before the end of the year. I'll continue to treat it as a take-a-long project until December, but then finish anything remaining.

This adorable crocheted ladybug is a purchased pattern by Maggie Weldon. You can get it at www.maggiescrochet.com.

Knitting and quilting (again)

First, so sorry I haven't posted recently. I hate to put posts without photos and I've had a lot of computer problems since the resent upgrade. Things aren't quite right yet, but at least internet access seems to be stable.

First, I'll start with the knitting. I'm making Trilobites from Wendy Johnson's book, Socks From the Toe Up. I can see that participating in a sock contest that only lasts a month just doesn't work for me. I am about 2 inches shy of finishing the FIRST sock, so clearly, once again, I will not be able to enter the contest for prizes on Ravelry. Lovely sock though and I will likely make this again in future. Nice and stretchy and the yarn works absolutely perfectly with the pattern. I'm using Knit Picks superwash in Tuscany and size 0 needles (Knitpicks nickle circs). I've concluded that the only contest I will likely be able to actually FINISH a pair is the one in November or December that uses just the basic pattern in stockinette. Anyway, I will continue to work on these and the other unfinished ones. I need some done socks before it gets too cold!


On to crochet! No photos right now, but did want to say that I've finished about 80% of the Ladybug Crocheted afghan. I discovered I have 2 squares left to do, but have already started the flowers. I get to sit at a long medical appointment next week, so really need to make up ONE ladybug before the staff threatens my coffee supply. They watch this thing getting worked on, square by square, every time I am there. I had expected to actually be completed in June, but what with fewer appointments, that hasn't been happening. It's really hard though. I want to get it done, but it is my take-a-long project and I have nothing else exactly lined up once I start putting the blocks together, so I'll just keep plugging along.

Next, on to quilting. The train quilt is rapidly reaching completion. Here it was late last week on my 'tying' table. I misplaced my little Fiskars, so had to use my dressmaking shears, but otherwise, it went well. Took just shy of 15 hours to tie and make the binding. I know this because I was listening to the audio version of The Hunt for Red October, which is 15 hours long. Great story! I saw the movie and that was fabulous,but I completely understand why this story catapulted Tom Clancy's writing career.


Here is my helper, Polly, who absolutely adores helping tying quilts. If she isn't napping where I'm working, she is running off with yarn balls. Here's the kitty, tired out from chasing yarn balls. As you more experienced quilters can see, I really should have trimmed these blocks so that the corners met, but I decided to just leave them. Next time, I will REMEMBER to trim them because the quilter in me knows it really does look better with matched corners.


QuiltingAroundTheWorld.com has a new quilt-a-long. Pick a quilt swap that you participated in on that board and finish the quilt in a month. So, for October, I'm picking Winter Fun. This swap was done last winter. This is about 52 inches square and I plan to hang this vs. using it as a lap quilt. Bought some cute snowman fabric for the back today and plan to pin tomorrow (have to find my box of pins!). This will have different types of quilting depending on the block. What did I make for this swap? The windmills (top row, 2nd block) and the rail fence (bottom row, 2nd block).



I'll try to be better about updates. As we approach Winter and the end of the allergy season, I hope that I will be able to get more accomplished!