Project Progress

I've been thinking about quilting a lot lately.  And doing an equally fair amount of internet window shopping, oggling fabrics and patterns and thinking "I want to go to there."  So, I got started with my sister's quilt, the "1,2,3" from Modern Basics.  Sadly, I have had my first "ugh" experience with a quilt. 
Ali was so excited picking out the fabrics--but with this pattern, and this number of squares, something just isn't right.

Exhibit A

Thanks to Finn for posing with it and trying to pretty it up.  As Ashley, my teacher in the log cabin quilt class at Spool (more on that in a minute) observed: "it's muddy."  Sorry Ali, I'm going back to the drawing board and trying something new.  Perhaps these squares will become pillows...

So, on to my latest class-Wendy and I were totally spoiled being the only two students last night in the "Wren Log Cabin Quilt" class at Spool.  Its fun because W. and I have our own little quirks and nuances that  really come out while we got our creative on.  We also got spoiled with space for cutting---if only I could get the rotary cutters to work for me-- note to self, need new blade.

The pattern is fairly simple and requires only 4 quarter yards and 1 half yard for the quilt top.  It makes a lovely wall hanging...hey Ali, what do you think of this?  Would this look pretty in your office?

Here is the color palette I picked:

YUM!

And here is the work in progress

And here is Wendy's





So it's been a productive quilting time.

This weekend I'm thinking about starting my next project, which will be a lap sized quilt made with some awesome plaid charm squares and a neutral off while.  I can't wait to snuggle up with it come November (seems weird typing that given the humidity of late).

I have very few plans for the weekend and an extra day off to get my creative juices flowing.  Also it is supposed to be in the 90's and there is just something about having your sewing machine set up in front of the air conditioner.

I've also got those batik quarters burning a hole in my stash pile....hmmmmmmmmmm

Oh and don't worry, I'm knitting too!  The sweater for baby Charlie now has 1 and a half arms...should finish this soon.   Also still working on "camping."  I've started the fourth lace pattern and it continues to flow easily.

My "smiling beagle" fabric from Spoonflower came: it is SO darn cute.  I can't wait to get it into a quilt back.

Here is a parting shot brought to you by one of the smilers:

Not smiling, but licking.  Still uber cute.

I am bound!!!

well almost...to sew tomorrow

Smiling Beagles = Inspiration

 

I snapped this photo this past weekend at the dog park.  It was quite a feat...getting the three amigos to sit next to each other, look at me and smile...but I had a good supply of patience and treats.  Low and behold this is what I got.  (For a full run down of what I went through to get this, talk to my dog park pal Jen Chapman, who witnessed the entire photo shoot).

I used my swanky new IPAD camera card attachment and the Snapseed photo editor app for IPAD.  I love this photo. It captures the individuality of each of the beags (seriously people ask me all the time how I tell them apart---I think this photo illustrates how easy that is to do). It will likely turn into something silly for our Christmas card.

So, I've been quilting a lot and planning a lot of quilts too.  Next up, Wendy and I are scheduled to take the "Wren" log cabin class at Spool.  My sister has also requested a quilt for her office.  She picked out some great fabrics and I'll be making the "1, 2, 3" quilt from Modern Basics for her.  I was also fabric stash diving last weekend and (re)discovered these awesome Batik fat quarters (13 of them!) I bought at a quilt show a few summers ago.  I want to do a pattern with squares/frames of the Batiks and a stark white contrast.  That is down the road a bit.

Anyway with all this quilting I've gotten (back) into reading (quilting) blogs.  It seems like today quilting blogs are where knitting blogs were BEFORE Raverly.  These quilting blogs are really inspiring my creativity and desire to sew and quilt!  There is just so much great stuff out there!

One of the blogs I'm reading is Jaybird Quilts.  I took a class with the writer, Julie, at Spool about a year and a half ago (Wonky Table Runner-which adorns the table at the Joy House B & B).  When she was teaching our class, Julie encouraged us to label our projects as our own, and to incorporate this label into the quilt BEFORE quilting it, so it really couldn't be removed without ruining the piece.  She told us then about Spoonflower , an awesome place where you can design and print your own fabrics!  Julie also wrote an awesome blog recently about this subject complete with samples of her own labels.

Given my (BIG) plans for summer sewing, I finally decided to design my own fabric panel quilt label.This brings us back to the picture above.  I love it SOOOO much I wanted it (somehow) to become part of my quilt projects.  And, here it is

I LOVE IT!

Yes, I am inspired by my smiling beagles.  Gus, Maggie and Finn are such a huge part of my life.  Other than their dog hairs which are undoubtedly quilted and knitted into all my projects, I thought this was a great way in incorporate their inspiration into my creative projects!

I ordered a fat quarter of the fabric which should yield about 20 labels.  I cannot wait to see the actual fabric AND incorporate it into my quilts.  THANKS to my smiling beagles for their love, snuggles and an awesome name for my quilted projects!

How does my garden grow?

I couldn't help but take my camera outside this morning after that MASSIVE thunderstorm we had in the middle of the night.  I knew my plants would be happy, and they were.

 Hydrangea; which this year is more purple-pink then in the past

 This is the yellow rose plant my dad gave me for SW month; its really flourishing! Thanks to

Nevena Damjanov for the excellent suggestions on how to keep it healthy!

Massive 'mater plants and a few other containers...

 Roma tomatoes...dripping

Cherry Tomatoes

 MASSIVE butterfly bush

More 'maters...can't WAIT for them to ripen and to cook with them!

I've also got herbs: basil, thyme, dill and lavender.  There are red and yellow peppers that are just beginning to flower.  There are also lots of annuals, petunias, impatients, snap dragons and marigolds.  Finally, the *red* sunflowers are growing EXPONENTIALLY...and so are the weeds...meh.

Piano Keys

Wendy and I, long time knitting pals, are now attacking quilting hardcore.  Armed with our Singer Confidence Quilter sewing machines (thanks to the HSN monthly payment plan!), our rotary cutters and our irons, we decided our first quilt-a-long (QAL) would be "Piano Keys"

http://store.spoolsewing.com/piano-keys-quilt.html

This quilt has been made up in several different fabrics---some all prints, some all solids.  We both decided to do a blend of both solids and prints in ours.  Wendy decided to conquer both the sale fabrics at Spool AND the larger size quilt.  Being my first attempt at quilting in some time, I decided to do the smaller one.

Let me first say, our new machines are amazing.  I LOVE mine.  Now, I liked my Kenmore too, but I guess I didn't realize that its subpar bobbin housing and speed inconsistency was holding me back as a sewer.

Once I got started piecing the top, it took me no time; 1 hour of sewing and about 1 bobbin and a half of thread.

Here is the finished quilt top:

(sorry for the darkness of the second one)

Yesterday I met up with Wendy to purchase fabric for the back and the binding.  I also pieced some of my leftover squares to use as one strip of the back.

Here is a look:

Tomorrow we make a quilt sandwich and make magic happen with the machine!  So exciting!
I've decided this is going to be for Grandma and her new apartment.  I hope it will cheer her!

Concussed

I had a run in...literally...with a shelf in my office yesterday.

I feel wretched. Headache...poor concentration. Deemed by occ med to stay home until Friday...

I can't knit...can read much. But napping I rule at.

Hopefully will be on the mend soon

look what the amazon gods delivered

i just hope my minor head injury doesnt keep me from reading these cover to cover...now

Camping

Our family: not so big into camping.
Actually, my dad, not really a nature kind of guy.  If there is no remote involved, forgetaboutit.

My camping trips were limited to church group outings where I managed to get one of the WORST sunburns of my life on a 2 x 3 patch of the back of my neck that I "missed" with sunscreen AND where I was forced into a death march to Lake Michigan across Sleeping Bear Dunes.  The bugs, the questionable bathrooms...etc...not my fave.  But I did love the camp fires, the singing and the stars.

Anyway, I'm knitting "Camping" right now.  Its a half pi shawl designed in honor of Elizabeth Zimmerman's 100th birthday anniversary (I guess that means its the anniversary of what would have been her 100th birthday?) available for free on ravelry.

I'm doing it in Tosh Merino DK.  Its a great yarn to work with, as is anything from Madelinetosh.  I'm not TOTALLY convinced on the color.  I've been trying to branch out from my usual greens and blues and purples; and everyone always tells me I look good in pink.  So, pink it is (or this will end up being for Robin!)

Here she is in progress:

I know, she really doesn't look like much.  But I'm now about halfway through the 3rd of 4 lace patterns.  There is also a knitted on edging.  I think this photo speaks VOLUMES about the power and necessity of blocking.

But, even cooler, is my total abandonment of printing patterns & my magnet board for holding up my charts and the adoption and affection for the IPAD for managing my knitting patterns.  I can't recommend highly enough downloading the GoodReader app.  It allows you to write on, mark up, highlight, cross out and well, manipulate PDF's.  It works great for chart knitting as you can mark off as you go along:

LOVE LOVE LOVE.  No more magnets slipping all over the place!  No more blowing up charts (the IPAD does that for you!)  It has changed my knitting life!

Last night I had to add another cable on to my fantastic interchangeable knitpicks needles as the shawl continues to expand.  More on the progress of my camping trip to follow

And, we're back...

I stepped away from blogging for a while.

With the dawn of facebook and tweeting (which I don't at all get), I felt that I was connecting with friends and family all over in an easy way.  Plus, I had facebook on my phone, my computer...everywhere.  It was easy to snap a pic and post it immediately to share with the world...

Wait a minute, it isn't the world.  It's actually a small fraction of the world.

I missed the record of the day to day; the mundane and the intriguing; the first and only successful journal I have every kept was my blog, knittydelicious. 

But a lot in my life changed to.  I became a victim of the recession.  I lost my "dream" job and then realized it wasn't my dream job after all.  I got a new job.  I excel in it.  I'm happy.  But is was a rough patch for a long time.  I'm actually glad I don't have blogs of the time when I was laid off...its hard enough to forget it as it is.

I still knit...but now I teach knitting at Loop here in Philadelphia.
I started sewing and discovered a love of patchwork and quilting.  I'm not that good at it, but I'm learning and just got a new sewing machine to boot.
I got an ipad for my birthday and I'm totally obsessed.  It is the greatest tool for knitting...and it isn't even close to a knitting needle.
The beags are still with me: Gus, Maggie and Finnegan.  We joined a local dog park a few years ago and I've taken an active roll in our dog park community.  The beags love the park and their doggie friends.  It has changed our lives.
My cousin Shelley, 15 years my junior, lives with me.  She will begin studying Arts Administration at Drexel U. this fall.  Its been nice getting to know my cous...and we have some raging cooking parties! 

So that is where we will begin...the next volume of my life on blogger...reminding myself of the importance of this journal and having a record of what Teener takes on.