Ravellings

Distractions!

2011-09-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

It's the start of the school year and the start of Fantasy Football and all of my great plans for completing the projects in an entire book have gone out the window. Best laid plans of mice and men. With that said, my knitting group I started, "Casting Purls" had it's inaugural meeting and seemed to go very well.

I am looking forward to it and to working on some great socks. That seems where the interest is.

I've decided to make a pair of toe-up mystery socks through the sock knitters anonymous group on Ravelry.com. The pattern is called "watercress." I've done toe-up socks before but my brain is stalling. Encouragement is needed. And maybe some chocolate

3rdX the Charm!

2011-07-26T17:38:00.000-07:00

This is my third start on the Designer Wannabe Tank from Stitch'n Bitch: The Happy Hooker. I just could not get a color and yarn combo I was happy with. Now, I've got it and want to get this puppy done! It calls for beads for the scalloped edging and I would so love something really cool.

I have modified the pattern to have a ten stripe repeat instead of three. Also, I am working it in the round. I will also make the trim all one color. So far so good!

Installment 1 in the Loop d Loop Crochet Adventure

2011-07-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

I started the Sidesaddle Cluster Pullover on July 4. This is my first project on my new resolution to make all the projects in Teva Durham's Loop d Loop Crochet. I am about a third of the way through this project. The only adjustment I've made to the project is to add more stitches under armhole to create a little larger armhole and to adjust my hook sizes to allow me to get gauge.

Also, I am going to make the bottom of the tunic as one-piece. I will still turn it to maintain the great lace pattern but I am not a huge fan of seaming in crochet.

A Birthday Resolution

2011-07-05T22:57:00.000-07:00

With the passing of my birthday, I have decided to make a resolution for the remainder of the year. I am going to work my way through Teva Durham's, Loop d Loop Crochet front to back. Okay, I already made the "little girl's bolero" and I started the "sidesaddle cluster pullover" but after that I am starting with the "Hip Slung Belt" and working my way through.

I think it will be a great adventure and a crochet workout.

The order is:
Hip Slung Belt
Brocade Boots
Patch Pocket Skirt
Track Stitch Tunic

I cleaned up my ravelry page and ordered some yarn to get me started. Very, very excited.

Owlet quilt

2011-04-20T20:39:00.001-07:00

My owlet quilt that I've been designing is almost complete. It has been very fun. Stay posted for pix and more fun.

Crochet Kerchief Bib

2011-04-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

I was so fascinated by the cuteness of Julia Vaconsin's knit kerchief bib I thought I would come up with a pattern for a crochet one:

Crochet Kerchief Bib

Materials:

Gauge: Gauge did not matter to me for this project as it is a baby bib. Looser gauge makes bigger bib. Tighter gauge makes smaller bib.

D (3.25) mm hook
cotton worsted yarn (using a smaller yarn would give you a smaller bib)
Button for neck closing
decorative button for embellishment
needle and thread for sewing on buttons
Clover yo-yo maker size large

Row 1: ch3
Row 2: work sc increasing at each end (5sc), ch 1 turn
Rows 3-20: Rep Row 3 until 47 stitches have been achieved.
Row 21: 2sc in first stitch (inc), sc in next 10 stitches, sc3 tog, sc 1, ch 1 turn. (leave remaining stitches unworked)
Row 22: sc 1, sc3 tog, sc in 9 stitches, inc
Rows 23-28 repeat rows 21 & 22 until 9 stitches remain
Row 29: work 9 sc, chain 1 turn
Rows 30 - 45: repeat row 29
Row 46: work 2 sc chain 3, work 3 sc, ch 1 turn
Row 47: work 2 sc, work 1 sc in each chain, work 3 sc. FO
Rows 48-75: on other unworked side of bib, repeat rows 21-47 in reverse omitting buttonhole in row 46.

Weave in all ends.

Sew button on non-buttonhole side of bib for closure. You could also omit the buttonhole and use Velcro.

I embellished the bib by making a fabric yo-yo and sewing a decorative button to it but you can embellish nay way you choose. You could embroider, sew wool appliqués, sew patches, etc.

I use this bib for charity. Please feel free to make as many of this pattern if you are going to give them away. Please contact me if you are going to make them to sell.

Amy Barickman Mother Goose Book and Fabric Line and Embroidery Scrumptiousness

2011-01-31T11:20:00.000-08:00

My new love is absolutely embroidery. I took a class at the beginning of January to refresh my skills. I confess, I learned to embroider in girl scouts. Who can still say that? And I have been working on Sharon Wilhelm's Garden Sampler. It's almost done except for those maddening French knots. Now, I am working on Snow Days by Crabapple Hill. It's is so amazing. I even made my own light box. But. . .I ran across this post by Amy Barickman on her blog and had to share. . .

"Many times I’ve been asked how I get the ideas for my books, patterns or fabric lines? And the short answer is lots of places. My passion for seeking out vintage sewing treasures and collecting sewing books and ephemera has lead to many of my projects over the years. The Sew-it Book, Buttonware, Hankie Style andVintage Notions are just a few of the books that I have created based on inspiring vintage items I’ve found and collected.

Through my travels, I always seek out antique malls, galleries or flea markets to rummage through. Often, I see something beautiful that catches my eye – colors, fabric textures, the shear artistry of a piece or the details in the stitching. It may just be an old book filled with gorgeous illustrations.

Many times this stirs my creative juices and I combine the inspiration with current trends in the market to come up with a new book or pattern idea. Other times, I find a vintage piece and realize the concept or creation would be interesting to today’s consumer and feel the need to “rescue” it from obscurity.

One example is my latest embroidery book, A Stitch in Time with Mother Goose. This book of vintage embroidery designs, along with my coordinating fabric line from Red Rooster Fabrics of the same name, was inspired by a darling baby blanket I found during my travels. The quilt was created from an old Butterick transfers pattern circa 1920’s. I’ve also discovered in my collection the original magazine ad featuring the pattern for sale. Below are a few shots of the original blanket.

I was toying already with the idea of creating a new embroidery book with a vintage feel and had some wonderful Mother Goose line art that I wanted to use, but the project had not yet come to fruition. I happened upon this hand embroidered baby blanket in bluework, along with the original vintage transfers and the entire project took shape.

Embroidery is really making a come back. The book includes 25 designs to be transferred to fabric and instructions for 7 different projects including two quilts. Here are just a few projects included in this book:

Another method of embroidery can be done with just the Mother Goose fabric itself. Two of the fabric line coordinates are “cheater” blocks. These two panels – one in red and one in blue – have the Mother Goose line art already printed directly on the fabric. All one has to do it thread your needle and following the lines. No transfers needed."

Amy is doing a giveaway at her blog. Be sure to check is out.

What I've been up to

2011-01-05T18:21:00.000-08:00

Wondering what I've been up to. I have about 4 knitting projects I am juggling - season 18 dr. who scarf for hubby, raglan baseball style sweater for son, Sock Knitters Anonymous Jan. 11 Mystery Sock, and mittens for National Knit Mitten Month. The above is the cuff of my sock. I have to wait until the 8th for Clue 2. In between, I am working on my son's sweater and the mittens.

Don't have much time but wanted to share.

Quiltapalooza Samples

2010-12-04T22:32:00.000-08:00

Quiltapalooza is tomorrow at Happiness is Quilting (HIQ from here on out). I have made three samples for it and have been dying to show pictures of them but have had to bide my time. I am terribly glad I am done though because I need to get busy on my Christmas projects. I made a spreadsheet that told me how many inches I would have to knit a day to get Madden's raglan sweater and Mike's Leisure Hive scarf done.

Mike decided he wanted a Dr. Who scarf like the one Tom Baker wore in Season 18. We had watched the Leisure Hive episode and he was fascinated with the color changes in the scarf. Be looking for pictures as I make forward progress on the scarf.

I am also preparing teacher samples for a class I want to teach in the spring at the store on clothing construction. I am having difficulty deciding what would be really fun to make. We'll see.

Diggin' It! - new gardening spot

2010-11-16T23:06:00.000-08:00

I visited Diggin' It on Saturday and was impressed with her plant selections. They were high quality and she carried a lot of interesting foliage which I love for my containers on the front steps. She did not have a lot but what she had was in good shape and she was tending them. I'll have to posts pix when the plants fill in. I bought blue and orange pansies, Northern Lights chard, and mustard greens. I am going to go back for some kale and more pansies.

My great-grandmother always planted blue pansies so I feel I need to carry on the tradition.

She also carries a line of organic fertilizers made in Dallas called Rusty Can Organics. I bought one that was high in nitrogen that I thought would be good for my pansies and also put it on the azaleas. I'll have to see if he makes one for azaleas or I should just mix it with old coffee grounds like I always do.

I bought an antique needlework sign and some soaps. She had hand-painted rocks that said "UNT - Mean Green" I bought one for my birdbath area where there is river rock. Adds a touch of whimsy and my husband has not noticed yet. Can't wait until he does. My birdbath broke so I am on the lookout for an interesting alternative birdbath. I thought of some kind of granite or concrete basin. Any ideas?

Ribbing slog

2010-11-16T22:30:00.000-08:00

Okay, the most difficult part for me in any sweater is getting through the ribbing. I just lose interest. I thought the corrugated ribbing would be better because of the constant color change but, alas, it is the same movement and my mind starts to wander to more pressing matters like paint color for the master bedroom.

I am about 2/3 of the way through the corrugated ribbing on the bottom of the paper doll sweater and the good news is that it's in the round so I am not faced with doing the ribbing again for the front. I am slogging though away while listening to my old-time radio podcasts. My favorite is Great Detectives of Old Time Radio with Adam Graham, Old Time Radio Dragnet with Adam Graham, and Case Closed!. You can get all of them through ITunes. I loved Radio Detective Story Hour with Jim Widner but he has not been able to keep up with it lately. He would give background and historical information on the different radio detectived as well as critiques.

I would love to find a great doctor who to listen to. Speaking of which DH has requested an episode 18 leisure hive scarf. The original was made from chenille and he is not a chenille kind of guy. I am thinking berroco comfort but have not selected color choices that would replicate it well.

Sore Fingers?

2010-11-11T23:26:00.000-08:00

I am working on my paper dolls sweater with those amazing knitpicks needles but the dang things are so sharp that I have developed a pin-sized blister on the fingers I push my needles with. I looked around at Happiness is Quilting and found two different products I am testing:

Thimble-It Clear Stick on Pad - an oval stick on pad made of clear vinyl
Colonial ThimblePad - a moleskin stick on pad about the diameter of a pencil eraser

I've been wearing them at work and around the house to see how they work. Results later

Veronica Sweater and other fun stuff

2010-11-09T23:12:00.000-08:00

Photo used with permission of Sarah Barbour
and published in Interweave Crochet

I've been dying to make this sweater (in orange, of course). It's seamless, raglan-sleeved crocheted sweater and it given me cause to love a new designer - Sarah Barbour. Check out her blog here.

Anyway, I am going to be making this in Berocco Comfort which is one of my new loves. You'd think a town the size McKinney would have a decent craft store and I would not have to go to Lindale to buy yarn. Sheez.

Also, very exicted about tomorrow. We are supposedly going shopping for tile for our master bath and getting paint. woo-hoo. I am excited but then that means I have to go out and paint.

I am working on a sample quilt for the shop. It's very hush-hush though because it is for quiltapalooza. Also, I am making a cute quilted bag (a la Vera Bradsley) for a shop sample.

I am about finished with my i-cord cast-on for the paper doll sweater (see Nov. 1 post). I think it will be awesome and totally wearable.

October's Blocks

2010-11-08T21:07:00.000-08:00

Thought I would share a gallery of quilt blocks that I completed in October (some I did start in September). Some of them were real challenges and some were real joys.

Tree Skirt Update

2010-11-02T00:16:00.000-07:00

I am making the Tree Skirt from Fast and Furious Holiday by G.E. Designs. It is a "quilt as you go" design. It looks really great but the "early" seams were popping open. I increased my sea allowance to 3/8 about halfway through and that stopped later seams from coming open but I was afraid of what would happen when hung in the shop.

I asked my friend, Cindy, or Tops to Treasures, and Timi Ann what they would do. They both suggested independently to sew crazy quilt stitches over the seams. Specifically, Timi Ann suggested I used 60 weight thread in the bobbin and machine embroidery thread in the top. Cindy suggested gold to make the gold tree section pop and a white or gray to make those areas recede.

I did as they suggested and it turned out really nice except for one area where the thread caught and the stitches are bunched together. I tried to rip out the stitches and start over but the stitches were too dense. I will just have to leave it

I am going to use bias binding. I found really great instructions here for it at Anka's Treasures blog.

I will post a picture of the sticthes and binding when I get it done.

Paper Doll Sweater

2010-11-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

Photo used with permission of Kate Davies

I purchased this pattern last night and am so excited. I think I'll make it in my dale baby ull and some of my sock yarns I bought on vacation that are hand-dyed.

I decided to visit her blog, Needled, and I was impressed by her work, her shoes, and her story. Although I have not had a stroke, I understand the long recovery process and grieving over not being able to wear cool shoes any longer. I have a probable diagnosis of Behcet's Disease and each time I have a flare, I lose short-term memory. After my first flare, my hands could not remember how to knit, crochet, or use my sewing machine. I regained it in time. One of the things I do is Sudoku to rebuild those connections. I am not sure why that happens. Thanks to my new medication regimen, I have not had a real flare since January. That one was a doozy though, it took me 6 weeks to regain normalcy. Anyway, I kept two pairs of the shoes I loved just to keep my morale up. I did discover Alegria shoes during this time so I am not suffering too much.

I guess I am writing this as much to encourage Kate and thank her for her courage.

Pssst. . .Patchwork Party Peeps

2010-10-29T20:50:00.000-07:00

My local quilt store just put 2 of the fabrics from the Maywood Studios Wild Rose line on sale. If you are like me, I like doing the patchwork party blocks because they good, old-fashioned, use your template and your noggin exercises. I don't always like the finishing kits though. I was so thrilled when they chose a fabric line that Happiness carries and unknowingly put 2 of the fabric on sale. I wanted to share the link with you so you could make your own finishing kit, make substitutions, or buy oops fabric.

Batik Paper Lanterns

2010-10-29T00:36:00.000-07:00

Just finished this for the shop. It is made from the most amazing batiks. I picked the turqoise as a foil to the coral but it really glows. I am thinking about quilting it in yellow fireflies because they look like party lanterns in a night sky. They also kind of look like lava lamps.
I made it as the pattern suggested and omitted the large outer border. Can't decide if I like it that way or not.

Really love the Moa Grunge I used as the background. The grunge line is my absolute favorite in quilts. It adds nice texture and depth.

Georgette Christmas Tree Skirt

2010-10-26T21:52:00.000-07:00

Fabric Georgette by Anna Griffin

When I first started working at Happiness is Quilting, 2 months ago (Wow!), I was quite taken with this line of fabric. It is called "Georgette" and was designed by Anna Griffin. I think it is one of the most sophisticated Christmas lines I had seen in a long while. I loved the use of mustard and gray as a matte metallic. I was so excited when I was asked to make a store sample with it. I have posted the tree skirt before binding. The pisture does not do it justice. I a very pleased. Now to tackle another store sample - a batik baby quilt. It will be very sophisticated. I think it will hang in the kids's study as a curtain between the kitchen and upstairs . Help with sound noise and light for when they play the Wii.

Day of the Dead Quilt

2010-10-21T21:19:00.000-07:00

Sample of Luis Fitch Viva! fabric line made into a quilt and displayed as store sample at Happiness is Quilting

Another store sample. . .I actually completed this one before I started work at Happiness is Quilting. It's a Day of the Dead quilt. It has Our Lady of Guadalupe on the front and doves. I think I'll put grinning skulls on the back. It creeps my family out but I appreciate the humor that goes into the art. I like to see people try to tackle tough subjects with humor. I think I'm going to quilt it in variegated orange and yellow thread with big chrysanthemums or more doves. A solid black back could be really pretty too.

Detail of the quilt. Really loved this fabric because you did not have to fussy cut it!

Square Dance

2010-10-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

My friend, Elise, finished the binding on this quilt for me. It looks really fabulous. It was quilted by my friend, Cindy, of Tops to Treasures. This is one of my favorties to make up. It is a big size and looks great and crisp. I really don't like Turning 20 tye quilts that seem to have no order to them.

New Tea Find! Yum!

2010-10-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

Turkish Spice Mint Tea Blend
Photo property of Zhi Tea.

Today at Patina Green, I found a loose tea called Zhi. It's made in Austin and it's organic. We purchased both the Tropical Green and the Turkish Spice Mint. I opened the Turkish Spice Mint and the most amazing aroma wafted around the room. I am preparing the french tea press as we speak.

(15 minutes later) It tastes really good. It is sweet and minty when you first taste it and peppery on the back of your tongue. I think I am am going to sign up DH for one of the clubs for Christmas.

Quilt Blockage

2010-10-19T18:37:00.000-07:00

I have taken a knitting and crocheting hiatus to work on quilt blocks. I have several blocks os the month I have subscribed to over the past 5 years (Yikes!) and I've decided it was time to get something done on them. The above block, "Shroom", is an applique block that I designed for a sampler quilt I started almost 3 years ago.

I have also been working on The Designer Mystery Block of the Month from the Fat Quarter Shop (2008), the Patchwork Parties 2007 & 2010), Web Sampler Celebrations (2007), and Women of Grace and Charm (2008).

I have also begun working on Sylvia's Bridal Sampler with a group of women at Happiness is Quilting. 7 blocks per month for that one.

I also signed up for a Christmas block swap as well as another block of the month called Blueberry Stars which is a paper-pieced miniature quilt.

Viva Vivi!

2010-10-18T18:16:00.000-07:00

Had a visit with the lovely Vivian yesterday. If ever there was a girl with a head shaped for hairbows, it has to be her! She is so smart and so much fun to watch. Sam and I were inventing hairbands on the car ride home that I could knit but Carrie could change hairbows out on. Hmm-m-m, it's an idea for Christmas. I'll have to pose a pic of Vivi for you to admire.

Unfortunately while I was there I had waves of nausea only to discover I am having an allergic reaction to something. Last night I got chills. Today I have fever blisters. Hate it when my body lets me down. Oh well, cast all your cares upon Him. It was probably just the excitement of seeing Madden run such a great race and seeing Vivi for the first time. Fayetteville is such a fun place. So much more so than when I was in high school.

Speaking of Madden's race, he ran a 16:33 and was 44th out of over 400. His fastest time yet!

By the way! I found a great new store in Fayetteville - Handheld Knitting. I bought 2 patterns and three new yars for the stash! One is a great baby dress and the other is an a-line cardigan for me.

So Sorry!

2010-10-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have not posted in eons. Okay, I'll be honest. This is like apologizing to a diary. I got a fabu job at Happiness is Quilting and love it, love it. I get to work on store samples which I love. Sadly, my crochet and knitting are neglected but happily I am just patching away. We all know I just piece. I do not under any circumstance quilt. I am also trying to move away from binding. Egads!

Anyway, I am making tons of new friends and it's always fun when you know that it's providence. I will start posting about all my projects again and of course, pictures of my dog! He's so stinking cute and well, he's the least selfish person in my life, and that's cause he is a dog.

I am doing this really inspiring project called Sylvia's Bridal Sampler. I'm meeting with a group of like-minded quilters (the fools, he-he-he) to complete the blocks and we've started a whole other blog. I am going to establish a link.

I'll be posting pictures of my Sylvia's blocks in both places. Be looking for more blocks coming out.