Spin Wheel

I saw this quilt in a back issue of Fons and Porter magazine and decided to make a single block as a pot holder. Great boutique item!

Quilting directions rarely give any instruction for left handed cutting and piecing so I figured I would cut the strip set left handed and assemble as usual, but that my block would spin the opposite direction. Turned out that wasn't going to happen in this case, the pieces didn't fit together at all. Back to the cutting board...

 

Add the background rectangle and trim.

 

I layered two pieces of 100% wool recycled from an old Pendleton and a backing and machine quilted it. Wool is a good insulator because it doesn't melt like polyester and it won't catch fire like cotton.

 

I bound it with the green to make it look a bit like a border. It was fun to do and I learned how to piece a block with partial seams.

Morning Walk

We are desperate for rain this season, but the views are still lovely.

View from the backyard.

 View from the front yard.

That's our house under the large pine tree.

With This Ring...

We recently celebrated 34 years together. I was so tickled when Frank came home one night and asked if I'd like to go shopping for a new wedding ring. Would I?!

My ring was completely worn out and his was so tight he needed lots of soap to get it off. This time we got a matched set. I was thrilled!

Red Influx

Every year my guild has a Country Store Boutique as part of the quilt show. This year I spent most afternoons in August and September finishing UFO's and making items to sell in the Boutique. We figure we'll be moving out of this house someday and it's always good to 'turn over the inventory'. 

True, it's a quilt guild boutique, but items include crafting, knitting, general sewing supplies and hand made items. I offered a few of my reclaimed luxury yarns and some knit wear. I made a few hundred dollars and didn't have any booth fees. It was a win-win situation.

But I also bought stuff while I was there. Wait... that's not the point. But every year the ladies working the boutique, or shopping there, tease each other that we're just swapping our fabric and notions between us.

Red: Probably 5 yards, 3.00.

Purple: Probably 3 yards, 1.00.

Thread: 3 new spools, 1.00.
 

 
You've all heard me talk about prewashing before, so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. It's fun to add to my stash from someone else's collection. It brings a little bit of that person into my quilting.

Show Time

I've been finishing a lot of quilts in the last year. So when it came time to decide what to put in the annual show I found out I had almost a dozen! Some are going to be gifts so I won't show those, but here's this years' line up...

 Mystique

Double Nine Patch

Leslie's Garden Path

On the Threshold

Candy Box

Lilacs

LeMoyne Stars

  

I've often admired those pictures in magazines and on blogs of *stacks* of quilts, all made by one person. So heart warming...

I wonder if the show gives a ribbon for the most quilts entered by one person?

And Fiber

In addition to finishing quilts, I've been labeling some of my upcycled yarn for sale in the boutique. This one is a Robert Mackie from Scotland, 100% Scottish wool. I love the natural color and the feel of this wool.

Looks like Spunky does too!  
 

It had a beautiful visual texture to it, but that made it somewhat fragile and the previous owner wore it during yard work. I was able to create smooth splices in the yarn when I came to the holes. So now maybe it will have a new life.

LeMoyne Stars

Nothing like a deadline to help me get things finished. This little wall hanging has been half quilted for three years. It didn't take too long to finish the quilting, and the binding was already made. You can read the story behind these little pieced stars here.

So there you go, another one done!

Family Time

It seems schedules don't always mesh these days, it's getting harder to get everyone together. So we really enjoyed last weekend when we got a chance to visit DS1 and family. Cayson is two months old.

 

Evan is photo ready all the time. "Cheese".

I was showing my new sweater and Evan wanted to try it on. Then we got out his sweater from last Christmas. Op... still too big, something to look forward to.

Brothers by birth, friends by choice.

 

Knitted Christmas Ball

After I finished the cardigan I picked this little color-work ball back up. I found following the chart and working with two colors much easier after all the lace knitting. Something about the rhythm and mental space you get into as you knit.

 

I found my old counted cross stitch magnet board, it worked great!

It was much too big, but then I took that chance knitting it on size 4 dpns instead of the 2.5's recommended. The stitch tension was uneven too, with gaps and holes. Frank said, "Felt it." So I did.

  
Wow! Felting it evened out all the uglies, made it smaller and I love it. All it needs now is a red satin ribbon and it's ready to deck the halls.

Snails Trail Pin Cushion

Found this paper pieced block on the Freebee table.

I filled this one with rice and wool roving. That was easy.
 

Pineapple Pin Cushion

I saw this pin cushion in a magazine and decided to give it a try. I say I'm mostly a bluish-greenish girl, but this one asked for orange and red!

 
I printed the paper pieced pattern from the computer.

I filled it with rice for weight but I'm not thrilled with it, the pins go all the way through. I think I'll add some wool roving next time.