Time Flies

How is it the end of Spring Break already??? Hubby and I had a nice getaway to a local hotel on Monday night. We tried a new restaurant - Brazilian BBQ, where waiters carve the meat right at your table. Yummy! Baby K enjoyed her first sleepover at Grandma's house.

Yesterday, Baby K got a haircut. I was tired of all the tears when combing her hair, so we went for the classic bob.
I'm busy working on finishing some projects for Quilts of Valor. I finished this starry top several years ago, and it was waiting for a binding. I thought I had purchased some of the red sashing, but couldn't find it. Argh. So, I pieced some scrappy blues. Great project to work on while basketball is on!
I have another top for QOV, but it was a crib size pattern, so I had to improvise on some additional borders.
I finished a sock:
The multi-colored yarn, Socks that Rock colorway Flower Power, does such interesting things! I was getting spirals of color in smaller stripes along the leg and heel, then in pooled on the foot. I was tempted to break the yarn and move the colors around, but the pooling is part of the charm.

Crafty

Big news first...I'm finally an aunt! My brother picked up his son this morning and they will be home this weekend. Woo-Hoo!

I've been knitting small projects. They're great for the sense of accomplishment when you finish. First is the lace cuff for a pair of socks:And a ruffled tee for Baby K. I knit this in the round, so there are no seams! Just a few ends to weave in.

My Lenten discipline of exercise is not going so well...I was busy with a quilting deadline and missed Friday, then today I came home and vegged on the couch since I had a killer headache all day at school. I guess some is better than none, and habits take time to build, yada yada yada. (can you tell I'm really good at rationalization?!?!)

Errands

Phew...I finished the hanging sleeve on my show entries last night at 9:30pm. Dropped them off today at 10am. As the saying goes, if it weren't for the last minute, nothing would get done! The show is next weekend. I volunteered to work for my longarm chapter...we are selling raffle tickets to win free longarm quilting services. I love the show atmosphere and the thrill of seeing my own work on display.

In the meantime, I have been knitting the ruffley edge to baby K's tank top:And went a little wild for polka dots! Baby K pulled the purple fabric off the shelf, so I got that for Grandma to make a sundress. The other two will go in the Block-of-the-Month that I am working on.
We'll see how long I keep up...I made the feathered star center and the four-patch border and several of the stars for the outer border. The pattern calls for several additional scrappy borders. March is pinwheels and then we do some more stars. I'm not sure I want something that big and scrappy. Something about it is not working for me. I like what I've done so far, so I've been thinking about adding just one more border and keeping it as a wall hanging.

What I really need is focus! I have several tops ready for the longarm, a couple that need binding that I've promised to Quilts of Valor, plus several personal designs that I want to play with. Do I have an audience interested in testing some patterns?!?

Quilt Lesson

I gave my friend Michelle her first quilting lesson today. Isn't it fun to share hobbies with friends?!? A few months ago we went shopping and the pattern "Reel Fine" appealed to her. She is an experienced sewer, so I assured her that while the pattern looks difficult, she could handle it step by step. She fell in love with some batiks:
(What looks like two pieces on the right is actually from a single piece of variegated fabric)
I made a sample of the pattern in EQ6 so she could see how the colors went together:


She cut everything for a queen size quilt in just a couple hours, and when she started sewing, she said, "You know, this isn't brain surgery." Yep, step by step is all it takes! She wants more lessons as she puts the blocks together. Oh wow, an excuse to quilt all day! "Sorry honey, Michelle needs my help...I'll be back in time for dinner." :-)

Here's a sneak peek of a quilt that will be entered in a show in a couple weeks. I'm about halfway done with the binding. I had fun with the meandering leaves.And I'm almost done with the body of baby K's knitted t-shirt. I love watching variegated yarn knit up. It's always a surprise.

Pay it Forward

Since I was mentioned BY NAME on a friend's blog, I thought I'd rise to the challenge and join the Pay It Forward game. Here's how it works:

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you.

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make.
- What I create will be just for you.
- It'll be done in the next 12 months.
- You have no clue what it's going to be.
- I reserve the right to do something unusual.

The catch? You have to put this in your blog as well. Pass on the love!

I was intimidated at first with the pressure of creating for someone else...but I've been in lots of swaps for quilt blocks, hand-stamped art, and mini socks, so I know I can do it. And with a 12 month deadline...yeah, even with a toddler on the verge of potty training and a full time job, I think I can create a few special things. So to all my anonymous readers, now is the time to come out of the woodwork and comment!

Stages

The final stage...here is the back of my sweater vest, with the center wedge added and the 2 halves grafted together. I didn't follow the instructions - I thought I knew how to do a wrap and turn! Oh well, it doesn't seem noticeable. The biggest problem is that it is HUGE. When I started this project (4 years ago) I just wanted to cast on something...don't you ever get the startitis itch?!? Well, for some silly reason I made the large, when the medium (4 inches smaller at the chest) would have been fine. And when you make the pieces seperately over many years, you don't realize that it's getting so big. Hubby was very supportive, saying a loose fit will be fine and it's only my second sweater project, etc. etc. What a sweetheart! Now I just need a hands-on seaming lesson and we'll see if a warm water bath can shrink it a tad.
The middle stage...stars for my Block of the Month project. Notice that they are only four and a half inches square. Lots of small pieces in this one. Now I'm anxious for the next step and I have to wait a whole week. That gives me time to finish the bindings, labels and hanging sleeves for my show quilts which are due soon.
And the beginning stage. When my LYS closed, there were just a few odd balls of yarn that I thought would make something cute for Baby K. I decided on a little tank top with a ruffle at the top.

Finally, a shout out to my brother. Hop over to his blog. When he recovers from jetlag, there will be cute pictures of the baby he is adopting from Russia. Of course, I enjoy his sense of humor on just about everything so the baby pictures are just a bonus. I love you, bro!

Start and Finish

First, a cat. I love it when she perches in the window!

This is the start...Baby K got a set of toy golf clubs, and she has "re-purposed" the tees. Daddy asked what she was doing, and she said "Knitting." That's my girl!

And the finish...I have about 21 inches (150 stitches) of Kitchener stitch to do to seam the back of my sweater vest. This is my oldest knitting project - begun in the Fall of 2005. Amazing how long garter stitch takes when you are a beginner! I am trying to be a monogamous knitter and get this thing done, so I haven't even looked for a place online to order more yarn for the miter square blanket.

Shopping Report

I needed some supplies and since Cotton Fields closed its doors, I decided to try some fabric and yarn stores closer to home. I didn't see anything that was dying to come home with me. Can you believe it?!?
I got the final border on JudyL's Shine On pattern, and I did manage to find some blue batik 108-inch-wide fabric for the back. It's ready for the longarm as soon as I decide how to quilt it. I don't really want to match all those different colors, so I may try an invisible thread and a feathery pantograph. I think this will be a donation for Quilts of Valor. (The photo looks funny because I edited out all the mess on my nightstands!)

I was hoping to find more yarn for my mitered square blanket. I am using Tahki Cotton Classic, which my LYS didn't have. (Since I hate to leave empty handed I bought some Noro Sock Yarn...pricey, but gorgeous of course!)The blanket is about half done. The non-blocked squares in the center are my "school colors." I desperately wanted to work on this project, but I didn't have any new color combinations, so I alternated the gold and burgundy of Arizona State with my chosen blue background. I might do a patriotic set so there are more "odd ball" squares with multiple colors. Looking at the photo, I see that I definitely need more light/bright colors! And I will switch the placement of the blocks...somehow all the darks ended up on the right, and I won't have the yellows right next to each other.

My brand new project, using only fabric that I have on hand, is the 2009 Block of the Month from Ricky Tims' The Quilt Show website. I loved paper piecing the feathered star center. Some of the squares in the four-patch border came from my first ever quilt project. Only 14 years ago, and they already seem dated! I much prefer bright geometrics to the traditional calico designs. I am trying to stay away from batiks in this one, so that eliminates at least a quarter of my stash.

Bunny Pictures

I'm keeping track as Baby K grows by taking pictures with a stuffed bunny. I took monthly pictures the first year, and now every six months.

She quite a ham when the camera comes out!


For comparison, this was January 2007:
And on Feb,2009 at age two and a half!
I love you sweetie!

Saturday Sewing

Last weekend I took a class from DeLoa Jones, a longarm quilter. We worked on feathers. Here is my sample piece...

Even though I have done freehand feathers on several quilts, I learned some new tips and shapes. Plus, it reinforced what I had learned in other classes. So, my message to other quilters is to take classes once in a while - it never hurts!
I decided over Christmas vacaction that I wanted to start journaling again. I know this blog serves a similar purpose, but I have kept a diary off and on since I was little. I spent a while in a bookstore perusing the blank books, and I loved the design on this one. I'm not very dedicated...3 entries for the whole month of January! I'll tell myself that new habits take a while to form.Baby K was an angel today...up until naptime, but I won't go into that! She announced after breakfast that she wanted to pllay upstairs. That is a rare treat. Even though her bedroom is upstairs, we keep the toy box downstairs and since she is still too young to play alone, we just never do that. But, I figure she is getting older so we can try it, especially on a lazy Saturday. I had a few projects in my sewing room, so I left her with some toys in her room (adjacent to my craft space). A few minutes later, she joined me in my sewing room, so I set her up with paper, rubber stamps and markers at my cutting table. She amused herself for almost an hour! It was so delightful. I was working on the borders for Shine On (pattern at Judy's Patchwork Times) and using the Boxy Stars (from Bonnie's Quiltville) as a leader/ender project.

Hodge Podge

Life has a way of rolling along, up to happy moments and down to some days of despair. Baby K is the bright star in my life and she brings joy to every day.
This weekend, we gathered in Dothan Alabama to say goodbye to my Aunt Gretchen (pictured on the right). She died last week after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in November. I am glad that she didn't linger with us in pain, but her time on earth was too short. She will be dearly missed.
I've been knitting some socks. This yarn has some crazy color combinations, but it's from Kaffe Fasset, so you have to embrace the wildness. I really like the sections where the colors blend rather than take a stark jump from stripe to stripe.

I'm going to spend the afternoon quilting, yay! I sumbitted entry forms for three quilts for the March AQG Show, only one of which is done. I have six weeks to finish the other two, so I'd better get at it.

Can you believe the Arizona Cardinals?!? This city is the happiest place on earth right now! Well, except for the historic crowds in that small town on the Potomac River, LOL.

Quirks

Bumble Beans tagged me for a meme...list six quirky/weird things about yourself.

1) I read fast, about 100 pages an hour. Of course, with a toddler in the house, and a knitting hobby, I rarely get the opportunity to sit down with a book! I made the time last week and really enjoyed "The Reincarnationist." (See my new Shelfari icon!?!?! Click over there for more info!)

2) I don't have any major food aversions, except beets. My mother never served them, and they aren't on the menu much these days. My mother-in-law tried very hard one night to expand my taste buds, but I figure if I've lived 30-plus years with no beets, why start?

3) I didn't wear my retainers after my years of metal braces in junior high, so now I'm an ideal candidate for Invis-Align. The right side of my smile is sliding under the left side! I am going to save up some money this spring and start the process during summer vacation.

4) I never got into the full make-up routine. I don't own any eye shadow! Eye liner, mascara and chapstick are the only things I put on before I leave the house.

5) I try to have equal bites of everything on my plate...looking for that Libra balance I guess! I do the same thing with M-n-Ms - one red, then green, then yellow, then brown, etc.

6) I pin fabric with the sharp point to the raw edge, which is backwards for a lot of people. More of my mother's influence!

Leave me a comment if you decide to play along!

Lazy Sunday

I told one of Baby K's grandmothers that she's ready for dress-up, and she came through like a champ! Here she is in her new princess dress, with a sparkly necklace, fancy shoes and keys to the kingdom ;-)

I am knitting a pair of socks and working on quilting my entry for the annual quilt show, but no progress pictures. So much for this being a crafty blog!

I'm not a rabid football fan, but how about those Arizona Cardinals?!? What a great game last night. I think my friend is glad he kept his season tickets this year, he may have one more home game to attend since Philadelphia is ahead right now!

Cutie Pie

Baby K wanted to color today. She was writing "letters" and then she asked me to write words. Here is the list she dictated...
I'm sure Grandma will agree that is a sure sign of brilliance! (Oh no, I'm one of "those" mothers who tells boring stories about how amazing her average child is!!!)

She does have a 1,000-watt smile though:

Catching up

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We visited the new aquarium at the Wildlife World Zoo on New Year's Day. Baby K was *so* hyper! The blurriness is from her jumping up and down in front of the crocodile.There are three buildings with fish, and flamingos outside.The penguins were just standing around. I really wanted one to jump in the water and swim! There is a nice seating area in front of this exhibit, and that kept Baby K contained for a bit and gave us parents a rest from chasing her.We had sushi for dinner. Baby K ate a whole order of edamame by herself!And since I am avoiding the seaming chore on both my TOFU Tee sweater and my pile of afghan squares, I've been making more mitered squares.I am very tempted with new quilting projects...both the Block of the Month at Ricky Tims Quilt Show and Bonnie's Quiltville Mystery. But, since I'm back to school on Monday and have plenty of projects in the works, I am trying to practice some restraint and hopefully get things finished!

In the city - MyWorld Tuesday XI

(Check out other MyWorld posts too!) Phoenix has finally opened its light rail system. It's not very convenient for me since I live in one of the suburbs, but a friend and I gave it a try today. The first picture is of some "public art" - I didn't get a very close look so don't ask me to explain it! Next is the train...
It didn't quite run on the advertised 10 minute schedule, and it was PACKED. Hopefully some of the riders were just trying it out for free during vacation, and next week the commuters will have room to relax.

Baby K is a source of endless entertainment. Last night, she had socks on her hands as she played with her stuffed animals.
Here she is trying to take her own picture:
And a better pose...we have a budding camera hog, she was directing me to take this photo!

Short Recap

Christmas was delightful! We gave Baby K a garbage truck...not because we are enamored of a "gender neutral" toybox, but because she is fascinated by them. Last week we had to follow a trash truck through the neighborhood before going to school! The other big hits were Play-Doh and a tricycle.

After 4 months (I wish I had kept a detailed log of my quilting time) I finished quilting the Hawaiian Star for my mom. Here is a close up of some of the background fill and the outer border.
She was too busy on Friday to take a full size picture, but I will post one in a week or so. I was very intimidated by this project, but once I started it was a joy to work on. There are portions that I would do differently...aren't there always?...but overall I think it looks great. Next up - one quick charity project and then I need to tackle my entry for the March AQG show.