Saturday, January 27, 2018

Annual Doll Quilt

The pieces came from the free table at guild, the border fabrics came from a quilty friend who's down-sizing her fabric collection. If I hadn't gotten those prints from her, I might never have finished it. These aren't my usual colors.




Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Fabric Buckets

I can get lost watching YouTube videos of DIY projects. Today I made fabric buckets in three sizes, sort of a gift set.


They might be nice to hold notions or hair accessories.


Thursday, January 18, 2018

Accordion Clutches

A fiber friend showed a cute, handmade clutch at the meeting recently. I went home and made a bunch over the next week. I had so much fun coordinating the fabric and searching in my button box for just the right button.

Floral.

Stargazer.

Black satin.

I made eight all together, but you get the idea. The pattern is available as a free download from Shabby Fabrics.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Sock Yarn Makeover

I found this skein of sock yarn at my favorite thrift store for fifty cents. I didn't love the color, but I couldn't pass it up.


I still have the forest green acid dye from before, so I gave it a whirl. I like it much better now.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Mitered Knitting

Remember this?


 I finished and blocked all the pieces, but I wasn't sure how to sew it up due to the color changes.


This is the front. I don't like the little bips of yellow yarn on the red at the seam. But we are often our own worst critic.


And the back. It makes a good hot pad.


Monday, January 08, 2018

Coiled Baskets

I spent a week or so and made coiled trivets out of silk necktie fabric. It was interesting to see a pattern emerge as the print spiraled around.


Then I made coiled baskets using some of the gazillion packages of bias tape binding I have. I like the calm feeling the solids lend to the finished basket.


I think they're fun, but I'm not sure what to put in them...


TaaT Sockalong

I wasn't planning on starting another knitting project, I'm trying to stay on task with my husband's cardigan, but my knitting group decided to do a two at a time sockalong and I joined in. I chose worsted weight to make boot socks, figuring they'd work up faster. And I'm using yarn remnants I already have. I'm not sure if I have enough of the gray alpaca, so I'll add deep red stripes for interest and insurance against running short


The advantage of working both socks at the same time, is that when you're finished, you're also done. There's no chance of 'second sock syndrome.' And working from the toe up, you can try the socks on as you go, stopping when they're the length you want.


I'm using the magic loop method. Here I've started the toes. I soon changed to a needle with a longer cable, it makes the method easier to manage.

Thursday, January 04, 2018

Legacy Sampler

Last year when I visited my Mom, she was clearing out and paring down for another move. She showed me a counted cross stitch she'd done years ago. "Do you want this?" Are you kidding? Do I!


I washed and pressed it and added her signature and the date. I've been searching for a ready-made frame for it, but since it's square, I haven't had a lot of luck. Maybe that's why she never finished it. I'm glad to have it though. Thanks Mom!

Monday, January 01, 2018

Double Nine-patch Community Quilt

I don't remember when I started this little lap quilt, but it was probably sometime in the fall when I was sewing all those blue and green split nine-patch blocks for Mendocino Blues and Greens and just needed to change up the colors I was working with.


The small Nine-patch blocks finish at 3" and the Double Nine-patch at 9". The small blocks also worked well as a leader and ender project. This quilt is going to be finished similar to my quilt shown here, but I'll probably use a solid medium blue for the border and binding.