Knitting and Crocheting

Starting a big needle quick knit Christmas afghan just for fun. Finishing up a crochet scarf for our guild Christmas party and auction.

Sit and sew number 3

Finished my project started at the Oct. 19 Sit n' Sew. I chose colors for fall since it was October. It was a mystery quilt as usual, so I was pleasantly surprised with my fabric choices. The Maple Leaf block was really easy to make so I decided to do a king size quilt this time. Finished the top in the months time on the sewing machine, of course, and had it ready to show at the next meeting. Got a free fat quarter for having it done. Now it's waiting in line at Miss Millie's to be machine quilted.

Jessica's first rag quilt

This is a quick quilt made by my daughter for her grandma-in-law who is a NASCAR fan. After I made my Tiger Quilt(posted earlier), I thought the same idea would be good for a first quilt for her to try. Now she is making them for lots of family members and enjoying giving hand made gifts.

Getting Ready to Drop Her Leaves

Just posting another photo of beautiful colors of our Cypress tree. Another week or so and the leaves will begin to fall.

I have been so busy with no time to post. The normal work days taking a lot of time. And also mom broke her collar bone which is taking a lot of time and energy but that's how it goes when you care about someone. I have had a little time to continue working on quilt and gift projects late at night in the quiet time. But not much time for blogging. Just got to get myself together. To much to do, too little time.

Fall Colors

My Cypress is still changing her fall colors. I'd say one more week and she'll be a totally beautiful rust color. Then she'll start dropping all her leaves and my yard will turn from green to rust until I rake then all up. The yard becomes a sight to see also.

I have been working feverishly at a number of projects and am really making headway. A crochet scarf for my Quilt Guild Christmas Auction in December is done except for the fringe. I'm close to finishing a queen size quilt top from the last Friday Nite Sit N' Sew--a Maple leaf block pattern. Still working on my Second Saturday Applique Blocks. Started a new Fall block of the month from Miss Millies. And am working on some small crocheting, craft, and sewing items for gifts. I think finally I started early enough that I won't be going crazy trying to get things done. One thing I should start right now is wrapping Christmas presents so I'm not doing that on Christmas Eve. I've shopped all year and already have most everything. Since non of my kids live at home anymore I have a room downstairs where I can store all my special Christmas stuff--fabric, crafts, etc. along with all my wrapping paper, boxes and presents I accumulate over the year. Luckily i know everything is in that one room, but sometimes still have to search. It does pile up.

I' ve been really busy with work , to so propbaly won't post again till next week. Hopefully there will be photos of finished projects.

Fall colors and a thought provoking quote

Our cypress has finally started to turn to it's fall colors of rust and gold. Two weeks ago she was all green , but now the weather is beginning to turn cooler and so all the trees are beginning to turn beautifully. Another week or so and there will be more color change and then all the strange little leaves (I guess that's what they are) will fall and cover my front yard. And my last lawn care job of the season will take place. I'll rake every thing up and use it like mulch around shrubs, etc. Those little leaves are a little prickly which causes them to stick together. I've been doing this for about 3 years and I have no weeds or anything grow up through these layers.
I reuse whatever I can in my yard. It seems a waste of time and energy to rake and bag and dispose of when it can be used right in my yard.

Now the quote. When I am at my bank in the drive thru I can see through the window to an inside wall where there's a chalk board. I guess there's a different quote each day. Even though I don't go every day there is always a new one to see when I am there. This one especially caught my eye. It's something to think about something to think about.

"WE ARE NOT PRIMARILY PUT ON THIS EARTH TO SEE THROUGH PEOPLE, BUT TO SEE PEOPLE THROUGH."

Peter De Vries

My Little Monster

Here's my last Halloween project. Hooray! He's done. I didn't really have a lot of things going but what I started I finished. So that feels good. Many times I add more items to my stash of UFOs. I have a little bit of Christmas started so now I can go at those full out. I'm afraid when it comes to Christmas I always overdo in what I start to make. This year I'm going to try to work harder at finishing as best I can. I really love all my quilting, crochet, and crafting so much that I'm sure if I could I would spend all my days just doing hand work. Fat Chance! Before I forget this was a ghost pattern that came from Emily Millers Emporium on Etsy. She suggested getting creative and turning the ghost body into a monster.

Watching for a beautiful fall

This is the beautiful 30 year old Cypress tree in our front yard. It's a pretty tree during the summer but as fall comes the color change is gorgeous. I have always wanted to photograph it but never have until now. So for the next few weeks I've decided to photograph it as the colors change and then of course post them here. This is of course photo #1 taken October 11, 2007. In past years I believe it had begun to turn sooner, but we had a Hellishly hot summer this year. I'm definitely glad fall is here. Today it's rainy and cool. Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Candy Corn Man

Here's my little Amigurumi Candy Corn Man. I think he's really cute and have to give credit to Stormycrochet at Etsy. I ordered the pattern from her. Each one of my kids is getting one for their home adding to their Halloween decorations. I've got a little monster I'm finishing up so will
get that posted next. Then it's full speed on to Christmas with so many things I want to do. The question is how many of those wants will I get done.

Muffins

Well, no pictures today one of my favorite recipes along with some thoughts. Blogging is still relatively new to me as far as finding out how many great ideas there are for posting. Whether they might not seem very interesting to each of us or maybe very exciting we never know what others might think or enjoy. Maybe enjoy is to broad a word. When someone has poured there heart over something sad in their life and their heart is aching we don't enjoy reading but we care and feel for them..When someone is excited or happy about something in their life we feel that too. And then there are all of the fabulous photos of pets crafts kids homes food art and so many other thing. Bloggers open their world to all of us other bloggers and vice versa.
This started out to be a very simple post of a recipe, but then I started thinking about what encouraged me to begin to post some of my recipes and I came up with the above thoughts. I saw a very nice simple muffin recipe posted by KathyAnn at be-stitched artfully, which I will definitely be baking, This made me think of one of my favorite muffin recipe and decided maybe those visiting my blog would enjoy it. I have found some other great recipes that I have or will be trying at these blogs-- Oiyi's Crafts, Dark Oak Woman, and Bumpy Doink--to name just a few. And there are many more at other great blogs. Now I guess I better get this recipe posted.

SIMPLE AND PLAIN OATMEAL MUFFINS FROM ELDA KURZEJESKI

Sift 1 cup of all purpose flour with 1/4 cup sugar, 3 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt.

Add 1 cup quick cooking oats, one slightly beaten egg, 1 cup milk, and 3 tbsp. salad oil.

Stir just to moisten. ( optionally, sometimes we add some chopped golden raisins along with some chopped dried or fresh cranberries. I especially like adding these extras in the fall)

Fill 12 greases muffin cups 2/3 full.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes.

These are great for breakfast or even on a chilly fall or winter afternoon with a nice hot cup of tea.

Sit and Sew #2 Tiger Quilt

Another Sit and Sew project done. And actually I was able t0 sew this in one evening. Now, all the flannel squares were pre-cut beforehand, but still I was very excited at the minimum of time it took--about 3 1/2 hours. There was more time involved in finishing but that I could do sitting in front of the TV. The quilt is sewn together with a half inch seam leaving the raw edges. After it's all put together those edges have to be snipped into fringe about 1/4 inch apart. Then all I had to do was wash it to make it fringe more. It's a real no brainer and thing don't have to be perfect. the other neat thing I learned is that this can be done with other shapes and lengths of fabrics. It's just the technique of sewing. I think I'll have to try a few more of this type of quilt. This one goes to my son, a BIG Mizzou Tiger football and basketball fan.

The sit and sew was fun as usual. I've met some new quilting friends. And all of us keep signing up for every month so we're becoming a nice little group. Also the food we have is always great. This time it was snacks and appetizers-little hot dogs in BBQ sauce, cheeses, crackers, fruits and veggies with dip and more. We had plenty to eat. In October they're having Chile( one of my favorite foods) and we'll be using fall fabrics for a quilt-pattern still a secret at this time. As usual I'm looking forward to it.

More Fall/Halloween Decor

I have to add this photo of my last decorating job. I had almost forgotten this wonderful wreath as I purchased it from a fellow garage sale friend this summer. That's the funny thing about having those sales with a friend. You start buying each other stuff.

I just couldn't resist this wreath when I saw it at our garage sale. My friend Jackie was tired of it and put it in for only $2.00. What really drew me to it was this black crows. They look so real. Jackie just did a really nice job making it and a was the lucky one to get it. I'll have this forever. I have been adding to my Halloween decorations for years and never tire of any of them.

Another Friday nite sew in is coming up this week, so I'll have something new to show here soon. And I'm crocheting some more Halloween amigurumi guys to go with my little punkin.

Halloween-One of my most favorite hollidays

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and I love putting a little of it in my house. For a number of years I collected Boyd's Bears (and cats, too) and I accumulated lots of holiday bears and cats. I finally gave up collecting as I just had too many of these little stuffed guys and no where to go with them. Every year they get to come out of their storage boxes and spend September, October, and November sitting around my house. I made the quilt in the early 90's. It's cheater fabric, and I quilted it on my sewing machine. Also I made the 2 large punkins and the fall leaves wall hanging in the upper photo back in the 80's. This year I crocheted the tiny little jack-o-lantern amigurumi which is down in the very front. Hope I'll be able to make a few more little amigurumi characters this year.

August Sit N' Sew

I finished the project from the August Sit n' Sew. As I sewed on this project I started wondering if I wanted it to be some type of quilt or wall hanging. I had used most of the fabric strips that I had cut but had some of the rust and green strips left over. If I wanted to make something larger I was going to have to cut more of most everything. I looked at it for a while and then decided it would make a nice fall tablecloth. Really, it would look nice in my kitchen. I wouldn't be doing that except I've been using other nice tablecloths (mostly from my mom and gram- they are old enough to be vintage now) I've wanted to use all these wonderful linens, but never did. Always was worried that something would happen with a spill or something. Got a brite idea one day and went to Joann Fabrics and bought some nice clear vinyl and put it on the table over the cloth. Now I can use any of my special linens and even a quilt tablecloth without fear of them being ruined. All I had to do was add borders which I already had with the leftovers and my tablecloth was ready.

3rd Second Saturday Block

Photo of my most recent second Saturday block. 3 down, 3 to go.

A Finished Project

Ha! a finished project! Not a big one but its done. I can look at this little guy while I'm rippling, grannying, quilting, on all my big unfinished projects. To clarify, its the punkin only, not the sweater on the little kitty. The punkin instructions came with some other more difficult Halloween patterns that I purchase last Fall. I also had purchase Gourmet Crochets little book with Santa And Mrs Santa etc. Of course I had to start with something harder. I tried Santa and Mrs which was stupid. I did make the little bodies arms and legs but I struggled and didn't like how they looked so gave up and went back to work on Christmas ornaments, my quilting, etc.I hadn't done much crochet at all except granny squares. Now thanks to the granny and ripple alongs I am really branching out and trying to learn all I can. What made me decide to try amigurumi again was a new crochet along where amigurumi is the chosen topic right now. I got out my box with the amigurumi and looked at those little body parts and left them alone. But I found my Halloween pattern with all the harder characters but knew that little punkin pattern was in there too. Hooray! I tried it and was able to round crochet. Nothing like a little confidence building. I'm gonna get out Santa and Mrs. and frog those poor little bodies, arms, and legs apart and redo them. Also maybe I can do a witch or something from the other patterns. Now I'm getting brave.

Just a note. If your wondering about the kitties. They're from Boyd's Bears. Of which I was a collector. I have so many that I made myself stop buying them except for the Fall, Halloween and Christmas ones. I cant resist. Fall through Christmas Is my favorite time of year and I love decorating with my little stuffed guys. Now that its September I can get all of them out. Then the day after Thanksgiving they go away and All the Christmas guys come out. I wish they could all stay out all year with my regular bears but there are just too many.

Friendship Basket Quilt

Here are photos of a quilt that is very special to me. The basket blocks were made for me by many of my quilting friends in 1981. Our quilt guild decided to start a monthly friendship block drawing and I won on the fourth month. All that was required for us was to make a block every month for whoever's name was chosen-they picked the pattern-and for each block we made we got a ticket into the drawing. The winner could supply fabric or request certain colors or styles. For mine I asked all my friends to pick whatever fabric they wanted as I wanted it to be scrappy. And ask then for an extra strip of fabric which I used in the border. I really love this quilt for a number of reasons. The fabrics themselves are over 25 years old which is a nice piece of history. How the fabrics have evolved since then. I live in a town with a large state university and many large companies so people come and go all the time. So many of those friends I made moved away and sadly a number of them have passed away over the years. I know who made each block and I've been meaning to make a label but just keep putting it off. I better get going and do it. Things change with time but not this. I'll always have the memories of the fun times I had with everyone when I was just starting out at quilting. The friendship block drawing has continued and I have won 3 more times over the years. But this quilt just means the most to me.

The Kittens -- Still growning

The babies are still growing and getting feistier every day. What's amazing is they still don't even weight 2 pounds. My daughter has been caring for them so well. She treats her animals as if they were human beings so they are getting the best care. The good news is she will probably keep them. As the days go by she and her husband fall more in love with them. She wasn't sure about keeping them because she does have a dog, Teva. We think Teva is feeling a mothering instinct but those babies are just so small. She does let Teva near and she licks and nuzzles them. But she does get a little excited, too. And she's so big compared to them. They just have to grow some. That will take time but ther's plenty of that.

My Friend Cotton

Just some pics of Cotton doing what he does best. Always getting in the middle of things to be close to me. Whenever I'm at my machine sewing, he's got to be right there. Or taking a rest on or anything else he can find, my container of strips for a crocheted rag rug I'm making. I love having him close, though. He's my only pet right now and is always there to take care of, and if I need it, comfort me.

I've got new books --- and CHEAP!

Just got a nice box full of books today. They came from Edward R. Hamilton, a giant overstock bookseller. The pricing varies but these books all only cost $4.95 each. Most retail for over $20.00, so it was a deal. Books are another one of my passions. I love reading and just love books in general. I guess I'm what would be called a Bibliophile. And I know this word because I actually have book about book fanatics and collectors. There are bookshelves all over my house. Between books, fabric and quilting supplies, and my crochet and knit supplies, I've got stuff everywhere.

Thimbleberries quilts 2006

Here are photos of my first Thimbleberries Quilt. I joined the club at my local quilt shop, Miss Millies,in 2006 and this was the club quilt. It was block of the month for the year. So each month we purchased a block kit with pattern and fabric.This particular quilt had center squares with a stamped design in black for each month of the year. They could be used as is , colored with crayola and heat set, hand embroidered (as I did) or any other idea we could think of . It was really a great project for a novice sewing machine piecer. I've mentioned before that I started out as a hand piecer(I seemed to have more time years ago) but I'm finding that I really can't produce at all, not even one quilt per year. To hand piece a large quilt like this would take forever. When I say hand piece, I mean completely. All the blocks, borders, setting strips, no machine work at all. Having done some other quilts by hand I've not been able to do many other things I'd like. Now because of machine piecing I can have a variety of projects going that can be finished on a quicker timetable. That leaves more time for my crochet and all my other sewing and craft projects. I don't miss the feeling of having something in my hands. Plenty crochet just for starters. If I ever get to retire, I'll be able to do some hand piecing again and do everything else, too.

This has already been quilted and just needs binding and it's done. I actually have three more quilts that I made during 2006. I'll post photos of them separately and tell their stories also.

Another Quilt From the Archives

Here's a pic of a quilt I made during 1980-81. It's a standard pattern that can be found in most quilt block encyclopedias called "Jewel Box." I saw an Amish quilt in a show that I simply fell in love with. It was a completely different pattern but I loved it-the colors more than anything. If some one is not familiar with Amish quilts, they are made from solid color fabrics. Even though the fabrics can be bright, as long as they are solid color fabric it's OK. Prints are considered too worldly, thus they use none of those. To the right are some examples of Amish quilts. They are all done in the solid colors I mentioned. I found the photos at The Amish Quilt Connection on the internet.

These are just a few of many that are pictured for sale. I could never afford the prices they are asking, so since I could I make my own, I did. I've done about 8 different size and pattern wall hangings from small to large. Working with the solid colors is fun and challenging.

The quilt I had seen used a dark purple grape fabric for the background and then lots 0f the lighter softer colored fabrics for the rest, so I replicated the colors in my quilt. It's all pieced by hand. I had always wanted to quilt it by hand but that is too time consuming since I work. I actually didn't have the top quilted until 2006 and then I had a professional machine quilter do it for me. She did quilting patterns in the Amish style and it did turn out beautifully. I have given up any hope of hand quilting any of my quilt tops that I have made over the year so am having them done one by one. As I've mentioned in previous posts in learning how to do all aspects of quilt making by machine. As the saying goes "So many quilts, so little time!" And now I've thrown Crocheting into the mix. The one thing better about crochet is when you're done, you're done. All that needs to be done is bury the loose ends. With a quilt you just have the top, and a lot more work to go. Even though I am lovin' crochet my quilting will always get equal time.

Mile-A-Minute Quilting

Here's my quilt from the July Sit & Sew at Miss Millie's, the Quarter Square Log Cabin Block. We had the choice of making anything from a table topper to a king size quilt. This time I decided on a lap size so maybe I could get it done faster. I also decided to try the Mile-A -Minute technique to machine quilt it. I've had this book for a couple of years and just didn't get my nerve up to try it. It's like quilt as you go but in long strip sections instead of just single blocks. I've tried to do some regular quilting on my sewing machine and it was just so hard to manipulate. I gave up. Then I found this book and knew I had to try quilting on my sewing machine once more.

The Sit & Sew was a lot of fun. Because of space there is a limit of 10. There were quilters I knew and some I didn't so I made some new friends. We all had such a good time. We paid 5.00 for supper. This time pizza, snacks, and ice cream. And we sewed for about 4 hours straight. It's amazing what you can get done with no interruptions except talking. Since the Sit & Sew was so popular it is continuing. I, along with most of the other Friday Nighters signed up again for the August Sit &Sew which was this past Friday. And we signed up again for September. Because of the response there's a Saturday one and a Sunday one will probably start. It's really nice to be using our stashes and not have to buy fabric for the project. Of course there always seems to be some little thing that we need. Luckily we're in a quilt shop where we can find every thing.

Oh, and as usual someone was in the middle of my quilt while I took it's picture.Good ole Cotton had to walk all over it . The kitty stamp of approval.

Another Daisy Square

Just a quick pic of my second Daisy Square.
Actually the first one I did seemed to turn out good. I can see I'm still learning and made some small errors on this one. It just will take practice and making a few more, which I am. The more I make the better they will get and I'll learn from my mistakes. I want my squares to be nice before I send any to KrochetKrystal. As they say "Maybe the third time will be the charm."

Kittens

Well, we've got more kittens. My son lives out in the country and about 2 weeks ago found these little guys on the side of the gravel road leading to his house. He's an animal lover like the rest of our family so of course took them home. He has had lots of pets so knows how to care for animals. The problem was he just didn't realize how young they were. My daughter lives the closest to him and on Sunday got a phone call from him saying the little yellow one was limp and very sick and maybe dying and the grey one wouldn't stop crying. My daughter rushed to his house and then called me. We decided to call our veterinarian and she said to bring them to the office, so my daughter did. There was nothing wrong with them except they were hungry and cold(even in this hot weather we're having) The shocker was they were only 4 weeks old right now. They needed more than kitten food and regular milk. My daughter decided to care for them at her home. The vet said to be sure and keep them warm holding them as much as possible and get as much as the special mothers milk formula into them feeding every couple of hours. By the afternoon it was like a miracle. Their bellies were bulging and they were both active and playful. They just needed lots more care and a surrogate mother which my daughter became. They are really cute little guys-both boys. Now we've just got to decide where they will make their home. Where ever it will be a good one.