Done!

Finally! My two little quilts are done and it's nice outside to take pictures of them. First off is my Candy Hearts Quilt.

I just love this quilt! So cute and fun and just amazing to look at. Amazing to me because I made it and it's so cute!

This is what the backing looks like.

Fun and colorful! And here's a close-up of the hearts. After you finish the quilt you wash it and the unfinished edges of the hearts fray.

I'm so in love with this quilt. Can't stop looking at it. I did some machine quilting on it and I tied it in other parts.

The Schnibbles quilt is also done. So colorful!

I love colorful backs on quilts. Couldn't resist buying this fabric for the backing.

Haven't decided on my next quilt yet. But my brain never stops thinking, planning, looking for that next quilt pattern, fabric, charm squares, thread. It never ends.

I'm actually going to make a skirt. I haven't sewed any garments for myself besides jammies in ages. I'm looking forward to this. I have the pattern. I have some fabrics. I can't decide which ones to use, can't decide whether to make the long or the short skirt first. I need to buy more fabrics to supplement either one.

Decisions, decisions. Maybe I'll get enough fabric for both. I hate when I can't decide, but I better decide soon before the fabric isn't on sale any more.

Fabric, fabric everywhere

I'm on the home stretch of my Downy Touch of Comfort Quilt. It's all pieced, the borders are on, ready for the next step.

It's all layered with backing and batting and pinned together. I've started the quilting on my sewing machine.

This quilt isn't that big so I've been able to quilt it on my sewing machine. It still takes some maneuvering but I'm managing. Just a couple more rows of quilting and then I can bind it.

I've been learning more each time I make a quilt. I'm totally addicted. The next one will be better, the seams will align better, the colors will be better. I'm totally enjoying this! Once this Downy quilt is done then I can get back to finishing up the Schnibbles quilt and then . . . the list is a mile long of what I want to make.

In the meantime I received some fabrics in the mail that I bought. Once again from an etsy shop. I can't stay away. Fabric is taking over my life.

Aren't they cute! I have no idea what I'll make with them. Maybe a little bag for Easter goodies. Maybe an Easter table runner. The possibilities are endless.

Sewing, sewing, sewing

Has an idea ever just hit you out of the blue? I had a brainstorm the other day. Here is the little curtain I had on my side door. Ladybugs. Cute. Summery.

Then it hit me. Why not make a new little curtain with some fabric I recently bought while shopping with my Aunt. I copied and bought some fabric she bought as I fell in love with the fabric too. A quilt looking fall print. So I made a little curtain for the side door. I love it!

I'll keep it up until it's time to bring the Christmas stuff out. Then I'll change it to a Christmas print. Gotta get busy and buy some Christmas fabric then sew another little curtain. What a fun little change for the seasons.

I've been having a great time working on my quilt. All the blocks are sewn together now into rows of blocks. I'm making progress!

Now I just sew the rows of blocks together and then the quilt top will be done. Haven't gotten the backing fabric yet. Can't decide on a color. The quilt colors are reminding me of Mardi Gras colors. Very bright! I'm loving this so far.

On a final note. Shadow was sitting so nicely in the kitchen the other day. I just had to take her picture. Do you know how hard it is to get a good picture of a black cat? Very hard. At least she sat there for a while so I could try.

The Sewing Bug

I got bit by the sewing bug again. This seems to happen every spring. I made this totebag and used fabrics all in a cupcake print.

It's so bright and cheerful! Here's the inside, there are two pockets in there.

It was a lot of work, but I got it done. And I really like it! I can carry around a pretty good sized knitting project in there.

In addition to that fabric, I bought all this:

Joann had all their Keepsake Calicos on sale for 40% off. Had to stock up!

I also bought some colorful cottons, they're mixed in with those calicos, but look at the colors on this:

Love those guitars! Now I need to sit at that sewing machine and create something.

I haven't been knitting too much lately. I did start this hat.

OMG, that yarn is so soft. Alpaca With A Twist, Baby Alpaca. Very pettable.

Fun with a swift

I finally got a swift. It's a very simple one. I found it on etsy and I love it! I used it for the first time yesterday and wound a hank of sock yarn. It was a small hank. OMG, it was so fun, LOL!

It was my first time using a swift. I don't have a ball winder, so I wind my yarn by hand. That part I don't mind. But not having a swift was a real pain in the behind. I had to hang the yarn over a kitchen chair, and it just took forever. Here is the finished product.

I can't wait to wind some more!

I did get the Clapotis done. Finally. It's soaking, then I'm going to block it. Pictures next post.

I did get some sewing done lately. I made this bag.

Cute! Here's the other side.

I really screwed it up. The directions did not make sense. But now I think I got it. So I bought more fabric for another one. The outside is supposed to be the all brown color, the inside the print. I still like it and will use it.

More Color

We had some beautiful weather the past couple of days. Lots of sun. Warm temps. It was truly enjoyable. Some of my tulips opened up!

They look so cheerful in my yard!

I'm on a roll with painting things very bright colors. I had this little old rusty table that I use on my patio.

I got a can of spray paint and . . . voila! It looks new!

So bright and colorful! It looks really cute now.

I just had to check out the clearance Easter candy at Target the other day, and came across these colorful kitchen towels. They ended up in my cart. Half price. What a deal! I love colorful kitchen towels.

You can see a kitty in the background, lol! That happens a lot when I take pictures.

The sewing bug has bitten me again. I'm going to make myself a new bag. I love these colors.

I have a new pattern I'm using that I bought on ebay. So today I will be sewing. I'm looking forward to that. The fabric with the circles is going to be used to cover some old couch pillows.

Hope you have a great weekend! I'm off to play with my sewing machine.

Souveniers

When I went away on my mini vacation I spent a lot of time in the craft store and bought some fun stuff to craft with. I always have to get some kind of souvenier on a trip! I bought some fabrics from the Walmart. The large pieces I'm hoping to use in the rag quilt that I'm planning to make some day. The remnants are Halloween fabrics, just had to have them!

And, of course, I had to buy yarn! The craft store had Sugar & Cream in colors I didn't have and that I don't see around here, so two balls fell into my basket. I also bought a ball of sock yarn for some future attempt at making socks.

I had a grand time in the craft store! I could spend hours and hours in there and go back the next day and do it all over again. I bought a few oddments there for doll making, some wonderfully scented Yankee Candle tarts, and some Eucalan to wash woolen things that I knit.

I love all my souveniers!

More doll making fun!

I've been having a great time playing with beads and baubles and oddments and making little dolls. I completed another one. I can't stop! Here is the latest:

She was so fun to make! Tomorrow my sister is coming back and we'll work on some more. I don't know what I'm going to do with these little dolls, but I just have to make them. Something fun and creative to do. I think I'll make my daughter one in her school's colors to take back to school with her. I think my next one will be an oriental one with the red fabric on the right, the picture doesn't do it justice:

Gotta figure out how I'll decorate it. Fun fun fun!

I also finally started getting fabric for my rag quilt. It's the Christmasy one with the trees. The other two fabrics, the pink and the yellow, are to make my daughter some pillowcases to take back to school. Of course I had to buy a ball of yarn while at Joann's, more Sugar & Cream.

She loves the pillowcases I make her. Hopefully I can get at them tonight, that is if she's not using the sewing machine. I've been teaching her to sew! She's making a purse, and has put the zipper in and done a few seams. She's doing great! I'll post a picture when it's done. I'm very proud of her for accomplishing this!

Three Day Weekends Rock!

I am loving taking Fridays off and having three day weekends all summer! The city I live in is having a big arts and crafts street fair this weekend. I just may have to walk up there later and see what's there. Get some inspiration! There are all kinds of food vendors too. Lots of fun.

I made another apron yesterday with my beloved Matroyshka fabric. So cute! It will hang in a place of honor in my kitchen. This fabric just makes me smile. I used a pattern in The Apron Book. Very easy to make.

I bought some more fabric from an Etsy seller. I can't stay away from Etsy. So much to buy and drool over. The next thing I want to buy is a knitting pattern for some little woodland animals. I don't know what I'll make with this fabric. I was thinking maybe a new sewing machine cover.

I haven't been knitting on the socks much. It's been really hot and even with the AC on sometimes I just can't stand to touch yarn. But my flowers have been blooming like crazy. Look at my pretty petunias:

I love when I'm sitting on the deck and I can see these. So bright and vibrant! Good yarn colors!

Fabulous Fabrics!

Thank you for the birthday wishes! I bought myself some goodies in celebration. Lately I have been totally in love with Matroyshka dolls, or Russian dolls or some call them Nesting dolls. I found this fabric and just HAD to have it. I'm going to make an apron from a pattern in this wonderful little book I got from the library, The Apron Book. A lot of interesting and wonderful information about aprons in the book. I may have to buy it someday.

I also bought some cotton calico and a new jammie pattern to make more jammie pants. I just can't stop making them. They are so incredibly comfy.

Then, I also got some fabric to make the witch for my door for Halloween time, and some bits and pieces of pretty fabrics to make little dolls called Dotee. My sister and I are in love with them and are going to have a craft night and make some. Stay tuned for that. I also found sequins and jewels and glitter and tulle and paint to decorate them with. I need to get some beads also. Can't wait! It will be a fun evening.

I have been working on my socks. I love to sit out on the deck in the evening and knit. I'm almost up to the heel on the second sock. The first one is waiting on old needles that I don't like. I'm hoping to do the heels one after the other that way I can see how much of the contrast yarn I'll be using before I get to the toes. So I'm just moving along on them. My daughter got me those two balls of Sugar & Cream for my birthday. I love that yarn!

And last, but not least, my daughter has been making beaded necklaces and I just had to show one off. I just love this one!

She's been getting very creative and enjoying her crafting time too. She won't have time for it once she goes back to school.

That's it for now. It started pouring down rain a few minutes ago, just pouring. A good time to stay inside and sew or knit or craft. Have a great weekend!

Another Little Ornie

I got another ornie done. I cut the pattern out wrong on this one, forgot to add the quarter inch seams to the body so this one is skinny. I call it my anorexic ornie. I still think it's so cute! I'm going to send this one to my aunt. She just loves Christmas stuff.

Kind of hard to part with these little cuties.

Another three day weekend for me, yay! I'm going to Joann with my daughter tomorrow. Flannel prints are on sale, time to stock up for some more of those jammie pants. Too hot to even think about sewing them at the moment. But so fun to buy and look at fabric!

My Katie went back to the vet today for a recheck. Her skin problem has resolved, but now we have new issues. She can't keep food down. It's been really gross around here, I won't go into details. More medicine, and another shot, and another bite out of the wallet. Getting old sucks whether you're human or animal.

I found this photo of her on the computer. My daughter must have taken it. Look at those eyes!

Gaze into my . . .

. . . new gazing ball! It's so shiny! My other one got damaged and I finally got around to replacing it. You can see me reflected in it taking the picture, lol!

I finally got the laptop bag cut out. And what a dummy I was. I cut out the wrong one. But it's good. This one will work as a laptop bag too. I've never cut out the wrong pattern in almost 35 years of sewing. There's a first for everything.

I made a quick trip to Joann's yesterday. I just can't stay out of there lately. Got some fabric for my ornies. I'm waiting (im)patiently for the pattern to arrive in the mail. Can't wait to get started on them!

Well, I'm off to take one of the cats to the vet. She's got some kind of skin thing going on. I hope it's easily treatable. And we just got ANOTHER severe thunderstorm warning. That just seems to be the trend lately, one after the other. Or does the media just hype up every storm?

Things Are Growing

It sure feels like summer is here, but it's still officially spring. We've had some pretty good storms go through here lately, but at least nothing as bad as some parts of the country or even in the state. With all that rain, things are growing! Here are my tomatoes. My sock is growing too, yay! I've turned the heel on the second sock.

Hopefully just a few more days and it will be done.

I haven't been sewing lately and I'm in the mood to sew again. I got out all the fabric and notions that I had bought to make a laptop case. Just looking at the fabric is making me so antsy to sew. Hopefully over the weekend I'll get it cut out and can work on it next week.

I'm off work tomorrow until Monday. Gas prices are killing me so I will be taking Fridays off during the summer. I'm not going anywhere this year, so my vacation days will be broke up into long weekends.

I can feel the humidity moving back in. More rain coming tomorrow sometime. When I get real hot, I like looking at this. It cools me down:

I collect snowmen and he's one of my favorites. He stays out year round. And he's special. My daughter got him for me for my birthday last year.

A White Easter

Well damn, we got hit with ANOTHER snowstorm Friday night. The Never Ending Winter is back. The Never Ending Heating Bills continue. I'm so tired of all this snow and there's nothing I can do about it. Except bake cookies! For some reason I like to bake when it snows. But I cheated this time, I made the break-apart cookies. They are yummy!

I was in Joann on Friday buying this fabric when my daughter called and told me the snow had started.

I'm totally obsessed with sewing lately. I. Can't. Stop. So I finished up my shopping and came home and I made another project bag:

And here's the inside:

It's been a lot of fun sewing. And I feel like I've been spending quality time with my daughter who has been home for a little Easter break. She'll be on the computer and I'll be at the sewing machine which are in the same room, and we're together. I like it! But, today she goes back to school and the house will be quiet again.

I got the Japanese fabric I bought on Etsy. OMG, it's so cute! Hedgehogs!

I don't know what I'll make with it yet, but just HAD to have it.

I finished one of the fingerless mitts I was knitting with the sparkly beaded yarn. Hopefully I'll start the second one today and get it done soon so I can move onto the next project. I want to make my mom a shawl for Mother's Day, so I gotta get moving on that soon.

So today is Easter. It's just not a holiday I care about. I'm not religious and I just don't celebrate it in the religious way. I made our Easter dinner last night since Daughter has to leave today. I made corned beef, cheesy mashed potatoes, beans, rolls, and deviled eggs, and of course the cookies for dessert. It was a great feast!

Happy Easter!