Why I Don't Get Things Done

Lately I have been working on lots of class samples and my daughters costume for the anime convention she attended last month.  Sewing four extra legs into this pattern was challenging to say the least.  She made all the hooves and ears.

Sleipner - the eight legged horse from Norse mythology

She had a great time - and is already thinking of her next outfit!

Of course she reminded me that she didn't fall far from the tree.  When in college during the summers I spent the weekends at the Colorado Renaissance Festival fencing (in costume of course)!

Way to long ago to give a date!

From Many Hats - One Bag

For Christmas this year I knit hats for my husbands side of the the family.  Lots and lots of hats.

Of course after knitting all these hats, I still had lots of yarn left over - but not enough to make more hats (thank goodness!)

The yarn, Cascade 220, felts wonderfully so I decided to make a bag based upon a Petite Felted Carrier I found on Ravelry.  I modified it a bit to make it a little bit bigger.  The pattern has 112 stitches and I increased it to 128.

So around and around I knit and when I was finished this was the result before felting:

It was thrown into the washer with some towels and after about 10 minutes it looked like this:

I put a couple of bowls in it to shape it and now I have a new bag.

A very fun and easy project (I knit some of it in the car on a trip to Columbia, SC to see my son play his trumpet - no I was not driving at the time) and as I still have a lot of grey and teal yarn left I will probably be making another sometime soon.

A Quick Trip to Savannah

This past weekend my husband and I made a fast trip to Savannah to see a model train show and visit the Georgia State Railroad Museum.  Chris has had an interest in trains since a boy and is trying to get his model railroad up and running again.

I took lots of "tourist pictures"

as well as pictures that might some day work their way into a quilt.

Saturday was almost hot and as you can see from the pictures - way to many things are blooming way to early.  This star magnolia downtown was in full flower.

and this rose was in the garden at the museum.

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My Most Ambition Knitting Project

My Catkin by Carina Spencer is finally done!

This pattern stretched my knitting skills (several pages of charts, stitches I had never heard of before let alone try to knit, and blocking.)

I saw the pattern on the Yarn Harlot blog in August of 2011, purchased the pattern shortly there after, found the yarn at the Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair in Asheville,NC in October of 2011, worked on it off and on for months, finished all but the blocking and buttons in August of last year and then it sat as I was afraid to block it.

Finally I watched several videos where the knitters just used regular pins (which I have plenty of) and I decided to go for it.  This is Catkin waiting to be blocked

Catkin pinned out - next time I will use a bigger bed.  It grew a lot more than I expected.

The back:

and details:

and all that is left of my Pumpkin Spice yarn:

Thinking of Snow

Most people move to the south to escape snow and all the problems associated with it - the cold, the terrible driving conditions, the shoveling and the list goes on. However, I grow up in Colorado and I miss a real Winter.  This weekends forecast is for the temperature to almost reach 80.  In January.

I guess that is why I have had snowflakes on the mind.  This little quilt is one I will be using to teach fusible applique this month at Stitch n' Sew Fabrics.

I like the back as well as the front.

We have had measurable snow only once since moving here - about 1 inch.  I am not holding out any hopes for this year.

December Free-Motion Quilting Challenge

Last day of the month, last day of the year and last 2012 Free-Motion Quilting Challenge.  I have truly learned a great deal this year and many thanks to SewCalGal for putting this together this year.

December's challenge was just that a challenge.  Patsy Thompson did a wonderful job for the last challenge.  Borders and more borders and feathers - oh my!  I started working on this in about mid-December finding the piece of fabric for the front out of a stash of my hand painted cloth.  I then picked these threads to work with:

I used a very busy print for the back and the darkest purple for the bobbin.  Of course this is the time in which I had no tension issues what so ever and wish I had chosen a plainer back ground to show off the stitching.

I used a soap sliver to mark the borders and quilted them in the dark purple as well. Then I started on the borders.

I had to remove the top motif three times before my hands and brain would get the pattern.

I love feathers, but I have always been intimidated by them.  No more.  They are far from perfect but I can do feathers.

The whole quilt.

If you want to see my other completed challenges here are the links:

January,  February, March,  April,  May,  June,  July,  August,  September, October, and November 

        

Hope everyone has a safe and happy new year.  I can't wait to start 2013 and the next quilting challenge.

The Stockings Were Hung by the Chimney With Care

Merry Christmas!

The quilt was finished a few days ago.  It started as a exchange of Christmas Trees in one of my splinter groups with Cobblestone Quilters Guild last year and my goal was to have it up this year (just made it!)

Have been working on numerous class samples for next year and lots of Christmas presents (which of course I can't post).

Picked the fabric for my free motion quilting challenge piece and hope to have a few quiet hours in the next few days to quilt.