FujifunStuff

2009-03-29T20:58:00.002-04:00

Quilt Along, Part II

You learn a lot of things during any major project, and I certainly expect to learn a great deal from this one. I am committed to trying the methods and suggestions that Elizabeth makes in her directions as part of my attempt to take my quilting “up a notch”. The very first surprise of the quilt making process was sooner than most: I discovered that the Amy Butler fat quarters I had chosen for my block fabrics were actually half yard cuts, not fat quarters. No worries. All this means is I’ll have enough to make another quilt with them. I’ll need to if I want to keep any of them since my daughter took one look at the fabrics and called “dibs” on this quilt. It will be perfect for her next living arrangements at college – a house with three other girls and three other boys. That should be interesting.

So I cut all the fabrics. It took be three sessions; which is unusual. Ordinarily I cut everything for a quilt at one time. For this one I did two “dominant” fabrics and two companion fabrics at once, separating them for their individual blocks. I did use the card stock to keep the cut blocks all arranged as Elizabeth suggested. I have used this kind of system in the past and it works well.

I ended up re-sewing all of the Block A’s to improve my quarter inch measurement. I can’t remember if I’ve ever actually measured blocks this much, probably not, but I committed to doing all the recommended measuring as a way to improve my quilting knowledge and technical expertise. I changed to my quarter inch foot, which I do not always use when I quilt. It seemed to be the right foot for this project.

Blocks A and B were rather straight-forward. I had already decided to use seams pressed open for this project, so I was pleased when Elizabeth recommended this method. (More about this next post!) I keep a travel iron at my sewing station, so I could press seams open as I went. However, I quickly discovered that was not enough to obtain the requisite “flatness” that I desired and that Elizabeth’s pictures exhibited. Therefore, after each set of blocks I took them downstairs to my steamer and made sure the seams were firmly pressed open and the blocks laid completely flat. This helped with the final measurements.

I found that my quarter inch seam is pretty accurate, but my cutting is a little scant. I welcomed the freezer paper hint for Block C and used freezer paper on all six of those blocks.

Block D was extremely simple and went together quickly:

Blocks E and F were constructed of small pieces. I have done a lot of square in a square quilting and would ordinarily use a strip piecing method to construct these blocks. I was also a bit concerned about Elizabeth’s habit of sewing with the seams on top. I would ordinarily use the feed dogs to my advantage and place whichever of the two pieces was a tiny bit larger on the bottom. *note to self, put a comment up on Elizabeth’s blog asking why she chose this method*.
Staying true to my efforts to try new ways of doing things, I used her method exclusively for at least the first 4 blocks. I only flipped the seams to the bottom when that piece was more than a few threads longer. This would be a good time to talk abut the effect of the feed dogs on two completely identical pieces of fab ric. The feed dogs pull the bottom fabric through a bit quicker, leaving the frustrated quilter who started with “perfect” pieces, with dealing with a slight unevenness at the end of the joining. I don’t know how Elizabeth handles this, but I have decided to use it to combat any lingering desire for perfectionism that might possibly remain dormant in my psyche. Unfortunately many women suffer from entirely too much self flagellation due to perfectionism. Is it dna or learned? I don’t know, but I do know we need to stamp that sucker OUT!

I found I had that my E squares came out remarkably accurate, whereas my F squares needed every bit of freezer paper I could iron to them. Go fig.

Finally, all the blocks are ready to be displayed on my design wall – or more accurately, my design floor! I used the layout Elizabeth suggested, although I’m wondering if I should alter my blocks with the orange dots. They seem grouped a little strangely….

On to the sashing!

2009-03-17T14:06:00.004-04:00

Quilt Along

Clearly, I’ve lost my mind again. Despite the dismal failure of my insane 17 day goal to finish a knitted shawl that took me 6 months (pictures to follow), I’m jumping once more into the breach and doing a Quilt Along with the Oh Frannson Blog (Elizabeth Hartman) Mod Sampler. (Link: http://www.ohfransson.com/)
I was inspired by Elizabeth’s excellent instructions, color commentary and recommendations. After a few years in the quilting biz, I really want to take my skills up a notch. Henceforth, the BAM quilt!

Elizabeth has some organizational tips, too. So here’s a picture of all my fabrics and sashing cut up and arranged. You can see the two backing fabrics in the background. I recently took another free motion quilting class. Yes, it’s the latest in a LONG series. I’ll get it eventually. Anyhow, I’m planning to follow the generous block pattern on the backing for the quilting. We’ll see how that works out later.

For now, here are the first 3 sets of blocks:

And now….drum roll please! Finally, a picture of the FINISHED silk shawl. Begun last summer during the summer Olympics and finally finished before the holidays:

I must admit it is a very lovely piece of work, even if it did take me MUCH longer to knit than I ever expected. Still, I appreciated the challenge and I still love lace knitting.

More soon.

2008-10-30T21:53:00.002-04:00

Still Playing Catch-Up

Here are a couple more projects I haven’t posted about yet.

First, a wonderful stitching project on felted wool. This goodie will be an adorable pear needle case when it’s finished. Yes, I know I have a “thing” about needle cases. Let’s just not go there, shall we? A lot of the embroidery is finished on this project. Next I will begin putting together some of the pieces and adding a lot of buttonhole stitch embroidery on the edges.

I previously did a Strawberry Needle Case in this same style and I love it! I use it all the time for my basic needle case when I am doing my embroidery work. Here’s a picture of it:

I also have a hand painted box I am lining with silk for some of my needlework tools and projects. This box was designed and painted for the Sampler Guild I belong to. Isn’t it pretty? Doesn’t this project look like it’s going to be fun and relatively easy? The threads on top are silk weft threads I will be using to do the sewing.

Well, looks can be deceiving. VERY deceiving. I finished all of the pieces for lining this lovely box. A bottom, tufted with peal beads, 4 sides with pockets and ribbons. I enjoyed making all the pieces, and they all fit wonderfully well into my box. They all fit, that is, UNTIL I tried to put them in it all together. Lord help me – no two pieces will fit into the box at the same time. I’ve taken about a 2 month rest from this “project”. I will fix it – just as soon as my prayers are answered, or I lose it – whichever comes first! *prays for strength*

YARN!

Yes, I do buy yarn – more than I should, of course. Here’s a lovely bit of Touche I hope to make a sweater out of in the not so distant future:

2008-10-29T20:20:00.002-04:00

The Agony of Defeat Part I

Like most of the athletes who attended the Chinese Olympics, I, too, left Beijing without a medal. (Or even going there, but let’s not ruin the metaphor, shall we?) While it was a bit disheartening to realize I had chosen poorly with my project, I cannot help but rationalize because of the stellar results. Starting over after approximately 140 rows was clearly the right decision. Winning the Gold and having a silk shawl I would NEVER be happy with or wear would have been the loser way out.

Here is the finished triangle:

I am now nearly finished with the lace edging, some more pix soon. Still figuring out where to block the thing !

Playing catch up:

First, here’s the finished pix of the baby socks for the darling twins. I’m supposed to get to meet the little darlings soon!

Second, here are the groups of squares I’ve gotten in trade at my quilt guild:
Asian

Batik

Black and White

2008-08-15T11:44:00.002-04:00

Olympic Update

The training went well: See how innocent and simple this swatch looks?

Progress: uncertain. Yes, knitting sportsfans, it’s been one hellofa day at the Olympic knitting pool. I knew this shawl would be challenging to finish in 17 days – that was the main reason I chose a pattern from Victorian Lace Today that was labeled “easy”.

Either Jane Sowerby lies, or my latent dyslexia has burst suddenly on the Knitting Olympic scene and displayed itself in the most unwanted ways.

I was having huge issues with the shawl, resulting in dropped stitches, missed stitches, lost stitches and stitches gone where no knitter has gone before!

The result? A complete scratch performance.

I tore out all 140 rows on Wednesday and devised a new and more comprehensive plan to deal with this difficult race to the finish. At this point, I am hoping I can finish the triangle of 230 rows before the closing ceremonies and the torch is extinguished. If I get even one side of the triangle finished with the lace trimming, it will be an Olympic Triumph!

Here are the first hundred rows in all their newly knitted perfection!

2008-08-02T19:43:00.001-04:00

Booties and Squares!

I think my neice’s new twins need booties, don’t you?

Yes, I did make them baby quilts and baby bags, etc.

However, they are the first of the next generation in my family, so what can I say?

Here’s the latest project in process:

I should have them finished before the Summer Olympics begin!

Squares

I am a real sucker for a swap. In fact, I have to stay away from the HGTV message boards because every time I go there I sign up for one! Fortunately, my Quilting Guild is sponsoring an exchange of charm squares. This is perfect for me! Controlled swap madness!

The next swap is “neutrals”. I have two sets of 48 squares ready to swap. I’ll get 2 sets of 48 squares in return, 2 of each 10 inch square. Here are my squares:

The last swap of the year is for “Winter Frost” fabric. I wasn’t at all certain what this meant until I saw some of it at the quilt show last weekend. I bought enough to swap. It’s a mottled background with an iridescent type overlay. Very pretty! I’ll have to collect more of this fabric:

2008-08-01T14:38:00.001-04:00

Summer Olympics and continuing projects

I have just about decided on my project for the Summer Olympics! I have been fawning over Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby since I bought it. My quandary in deciding has been how big a project I could reasonably take on within the short time period of the Olypmics: 17 days. That is not a long time for a lacework project – at least for me. I considered some of the more sophisticated scarf projects and then some of the simpler more manageable ones. I think I have finally decided to go with one of the simpler shawls. It will be a challenge in that the directions and process is taken directly from Victorian times. The laceweight yarns are fine and the stitches are not always as easy to “read” or count. Mistakes can be fatal during the best of times – and 17 days will add a great deal of pressure.

Once I get my swatch finished I think I will also practice the directions for knitting on the lace edging. I find these instructions to be less than clear, so let’s hope it doesn’t send me off looking for something entirely different to enter!

Current Embroidery Project

I pretty much dropped everything to finish up the Houswif project before the deadline of September 1st. Now that it is finished without any problems well ahead of schedule, I hope to have time to return to this embroidery project:

As program chair for my local Embroidery Guild, I brought in Ann Strite-Kurz as one of our special teachers this spring. This piece is called Country Geese and originally had a pair of geese stitched in the center. I will be substituting intertwined initials instead. These will be based on the Victorian Monograms and I am really excited about stitching them.

The piece is currently about two thirds finished. I am currently finishing up the “powdering” section at the very top of the piece. Here’s a close-up:

I’ve finished stitching all the flowers and am currently working on the background fill stitches. I’ve really enjoyed working on this piece; it reminded me of how much I love canvas work. I’ve spent countless hours on it already and it will take many more to finish it.

New Yarn

You know what unscheduled trips to the yarn store mean: New Yarn!

This bamboo was on sale…wonder what I’ll do with it?

Something fun, for sure!

2008-07-31T22:58:00.003-04:00

Finished Stuffage and on to The Summer Olympics!

The baby quilts are all nicely labeled and delivered!

So on to other finished projects and one newly started one:

First, the Houswif is fully completed and ready to send off to the Correspondence teacher for review. Here’s some pix:

All folded up and ready to be useful!

Opened up to show the stitching. It is bound with a French silk ombre ribbon. I removed the wires and handstitched it into place.

Opened up to the inside to show the two scissors fobs, the pin keep and the needle case. The inside is silk duppioni. There are ribbon bows to hold various items as well as mother of pearl circles to hold threads at the top. Pleated pockets and pockets stitched to hold my scrimshaw ruler and my laying tool complete the compartments.

Second, I also finished and mailed off a birthday present to a friend:

This was a fun internet pattern to make and felt!

Next, I recently joined http://www.ravelry.com/. It is a really fun and informative site for knitters and crocheters. They are sponsoring some fun to go along with the Summer Olympics. Here is the beginnings of the project I am considering:

ttp://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/fujifunmum/Projects/P1050735.jpg

Can’t be certain if this project is a “go” until I complete my training! I need to make a sample (hence all the various needles) and make sure I understand the directions, etc. There’s only 17 days to complete this project – and that is one of my biggest concerns in planning it. How much lace can I really knit in 17 days?

Also, I have been working on a mystery quilt that my quilt guild is sponsoring. Here is a picture of the pieces I have so far. I still don’t know what it’s going to look like!

Finally, the Quilt Guild had it’s biannual Quilt Show last weekend. I didn’t put a quilt in (and I should have!) but I did find a very sweet needle case at one of the vendors. I bought two kits and put both of them together in about 2 hours. What a fun project! I know I will be making more of these:

That’s all for now…..Must. Go. Swatch.

2008-07-14T23:04:00.004-04:00

An Update after all this time...

It's been so long since I updated this blog that I didn't even have a Google account to use to sign in. *shakes head in shame*

The good news is that I feel motivated to try blogging again. More good news - just because I didn't blog didn't mean that I wasn't sewing, knitting, quilting, embroidering, etc. So I will have an opportunity to post pictures of lots of new projects and also catch up on not so new things. In any case, without any more unnecessary proctrastination, here are the latest and newest projects!

I. All they need are quilt labels:

My neice just had TWINS! Joshua and Jacklyn are getting flannel baby quilts - one pink and one blue, of course! Their busy mom is also getting matching baby bags made of durable pet screening. These bags are generous in size and will hold all that endless baby stuff the twins will need. They have large interior pockets along with these seperate zippered cases with an outside pocket that matches the larger bag. These were lots of fun to make!

Finally, I figured out a decent method of planning out my quilting. I'm much more interested in piecing than quilting, but have vowed to learn to quilt at least baby and wall hanging size quilts myself. (Yes, I'm finally learning how to do free-motion quilting - after only a bazillion classes, lol)

For these baby quilts I photocopied the blocks for the "crazy eights" pattern I used so I could use colored pencils to try out various quilting patterns before I tried to quilt them. The randomness of these blocks did not lend itself to diagonal quilting, which I like to use since it's so easy. I finally decided to do stitch in the ditch around each block, then do curved shapes crossing in each block. They look like flower petals to me. No doubt they have a name, but I don't know what it is. Anyway, in order to give myself guidelines, I did the math!

The beginning, middle and end of each shape was about a third of the block, so I figured out the size of the square in the middle from the diagonal line of the square, made a template square in that size, and marked each of the blocks with the square in the middle. This gave me something to "aim" at while sitting at the sewing machine. I quilted the stitch in the didtch from the front and the petals from the back. I'm pleased with the results!

Let's hope Mom and babies like it.

II Embroidery project to finish this month:

I am doing a Correspondence Course from the Embroiderer's Guild of America and this project needs to be sent off to the teacher/designer for comment in early September. It is a Houswif - a sewing case that was sent off to the Revolutionary War with your man. It has sampler stitching on the front, pockets on the inside, and accompanying scissors fobs, pin holder and needlecase.

The front is stitched, lined with interfacing and trimmed to size. This piece is 9" x 23" and the stitching represents literally hundreds of hours of work. I started it in February and finished it in June. I made MANY substitutions from the planned project. I substituted my own colors and all silk threads. I replaced half of the bands with designs that I preferred. For example, the Lighthouse at the bottom of the piece is a substitute for a generic New England house that is commonly found on many samplers.

Frankly, once I had completed several bands and realized the amount of time this piece would require I decided to substitute stitches and subject matter I liked better than what the pattern called for. I love lighthouses, and this one is one of my favorites!

More to come on the other parts of this project ....

III How it all begins:

I went to a quilt store today. Have you seen the new fabric by Kumiko Sudo? No? Well, take a look…

I have a few more yards I bought the last time I was there – before they put together the complete set of fat quarters! I think I have plenty for a nice big summertime quilt for my queen size bed. If not, I know where to get more. Now, to decide on the pattern….

2006-06-14T17:03:00.000-04:00

Catch-Up – Part Deux

Ok then, I’ve been doing a TON of embroidery, and there will be more pictures of that posted soon, but here are the results of two beading classes I took recently:

First, ON

Now, Really ON

I love these bracelets, both of them! They are comfortable to wear and really fit, too. I bought the Swaroski crystals to make a matching necklace for the pearl one. Wonder if I’ll ever do it???????

Just a not to Jo in nz, who recently posted a nice note on my kimono blocks. As soon as I figure out what to do with these blocks I'll post it, lol! I have enough to be a wall hanging - but don't have a wall to hang it on!

Yes, maybe a tutorial would be fun. These are paper pieced!

More soon, that’s a promise!

2006-06-12T19:16:00.000-04:00

Maybe taxes did me in? LOL. I can't believe I haven't posted since April 14! Well, fortunately, just because I haven't posted doesn't mean I haven't done a lot of stitching, beading and other assorted things! Time to play catch up!

Let’s just do a little recap here. I had just started on the Featherstitched needlecase when last I posted. So, at that time I was just starting to get into the project, and was determined not to fix the minor (I thought) error in the middle row. Best laid plans and all…

Here is a picture of the completed needlecase cover. First, BEFORE I fixed it:

Here is the AFTER:

I fixed it because even when I took off my magnifier glasses and happened to glance at the project, I could see the mistake front and center. Now it is WORTHY! LOL.

More to come…and soonish!

2006-04-14T11:14:00.000-04:00

New Stitching Project

Last Sunday I started a new Stitching Project – a Featherstitched Needlecase which is basically a reproduction sampler of an antique needlecase. Actually, I started it the previous week because we needed to do our basting before the class on Sunday. The basting actually deserved its own entry, but I was too flummoxed to write it! Sheesh! Basting is supposed to be the easy part, right? Well, on the dark oatmeal colored linen that comprises the outside of the needlecase, basting over two threads and under two threads was a challenge, even with good lighting and double magnifiers!

I also had to redo it at least twice because the opening page of instructions merely gave dimensional directions: baste 1 ½ inches in from the edges. So I did that. Only to find later on that the basting needed to be a specific number of threads and encompass the slanted top of the case. I should have known.

During class, my stitching friend and I (*waves to Lunchqueen*) became actually giddy. We were taking photos of the teacher’s original completed project with our cell phones so we could see what this baby was supposed to look like. By this time in class, we’d really pretty much decided we had been totally insane to order this project and would probably never start it and certainly not live long enough to finish it. Hence the onset of the giggles. Hey, on the plus side, they didn’t ask us to leave….

So anyhow, after all that ridiculous basting, I figured I would start the outside and see how the stitching was. It was grueling! Yikes! I’ve done a lot of featherstitching, but on this piece you need to count each thread between each needle placement. Guess there won’t be any “zen” from the rhythm of the stitches on this piece. It took me an hour to do one half of the first center row.

I should have taken a picture of the blank canvas, but I was too despondent. Anyhow, here’s the first picture, after five complete rows. The middle row has an overstitch, so it was really six top to bottom rows.

Sooooo…..can you see my mistake? Yes. Even though I counted all the threads between each and every stitch, there is a mistake in the center row. *Cringe*. I’ve decided that it’s my needlecase and since the stitching police aren’t invited to my house, I’m NOT going to fix it!

Surprisingly, I really am starting to like this project. This first picture represents at least 7 hours of stitching. More to come…

2006-03-29T16:43:00.000-05:00

Schlep Bag!

Is this cute or what?

This Schlep Bag stands alone with something in it, for when you want to set your bag down, hands-free to do something else for a bit. It’s cute and very functional!

Fun to make and fun to use, this is a quick project require about 8 fat quarters worth of fabric – plus batting. That includes lining and the project is fully reversible.

NOW, what is a blog for if you are not brutally honest? Sooooo….I made a MAJOR mistake on this bag – and yet, it’s still totally functional! I sewed an extra square on each of the rows for what I intended to be the front. It was all matched up lovely and made a much bigger bag. I didn’t even notice this until today – long after I completely finished the bag. When I went to take a picture of it: Whoops! It didn’t set right. There was extra fabric pooled at the base. Yikes! I turned it inside out and quickly discovered my error – and the solution. Now, I have extra fabric in the base on the inside. No problem! LOL

Just goes to show that you learn something every time you sew, and that sewing is a forgiving and wonderful hobby! I think I’ll make another one soon.

2006-03-24T22:01:00.000-05:00

One UFO done, a kazillion more to go…..

I’ve had a cold this week, so I’ve been doing a lot of sitting. Fortunately, I’ve been sitting and stitching!

Here is the last row of my Alphabet Sampler, all finished!

I was so excited to get this done this morning, that I decided to nurse my cold, watch a movie (the new version of Pride and Prejudice) and finish the rest. Here it is!!!!

Now, I just need to get if framed. Last picture will go up then…

2006-03-21T12:35:00.000-05:00

Stitching!

Just finished row 4 on my Alphabet Sampler. This project is really a fun one and I can hardly wait to get it finished! Some of the squares go quickly but most either require using a laying tool and proceeding with care and an untwisted thread, or the stitch takes a great of time to complete. Still, the pleasure is in the challenge! (And once I get this one complete, there’s a PURPLE one to do!)

I took a fun class last week and made this chatelaine. It’s made from ribbons, some red felt and roving to stuff the pin cushion heart. It is just perfect to use when I am stitching the alphabet sampler!

If you’d like to make one for yourself, the supplies and instructions are here.
Enjoy!

2006-03-19T10:31:00.000-05:00

Silk!

One of my favorite yarn stores had their semi-annual sale this week. Here’s what I got:

There are two skeins of sari silk from Blue Mango. I’ve been wanting to try out a technique of knitting this reclaimed yarn on very large needles and then sewing it onto a background fabric and using several surface techniques on it. The yarn is just too heavy to be used for anything other than a very narrow scarf, but it is lovely stuff, so I’m going to give it a try. See the sample I’ve knit? It was done on size 35 needles and is about 8 ½” by 11”. I intend to sew it to background fabric with decorative threads, cover it with a sheer or tulle and heat gun the results. Then we’ll see if I like it well enough to do more of it.

I learned about this technique in a recent issue of Quilting Arts Magazine, my very favorite craft magazine. Do check it out!

I also got some other silk yarns that were marked down. I do love to knit with silk! The third yarn is by Collinette, called Giotto. I've been wanting to knit with this yarn since it came out, but really cannot afford to invest as much as it takes to make a large garment. I got two skeins to make a scarf/shawl.

My local knitting guild, The Wool Gatherers, held their annual “garage sale” this week. Members can bring anything the wish to cull from their stash of yarns and related items to sale, trade or donate. I didn’t bring anything (my bad), but here’s what I bought:

Roving is great for pin cushions and this huge ball of it ($2.00) should last for a long time! I’ve been wanting to make socks in a silk rayon blend to see how they would wear, and this yarn (also $2.00) is 75% rayon and 25% silk. Should be fun to knit with and aren’t the colors pretty?

I also took a quick project class this week and made a very useful version of a chatelaine made out of ribbons. I’ll post that next time…

2006-03-11T23:02:00.000-05:00

All Finished = Too Cute!

Finished up both layettes. Here’s the one for Jack – hope he (and his mom and grandmother) like it! I gave it to Jack’s grandmother today – he’s two weeks old now, so he should still fit into everything. 8 pounds at birth. Gee, that sounds big to me, but I guess it’s really not. My kids were just small….

Here’s the last one I made, for a community service project.

I’m pleased with how they came out!

Now, got to go finish those flower pins….will post them tomorrow!

2006-03-08T18:09:00.000-05:00

EXTRA-Cute – Part Two!

Got those pom poms made for the baby hats!

Here’s the picture – with their respective baby gowns:

The fujifundaughter and I agreed that the poms made them even cuter, so they stay. Hopefully I can finish the two layettes tomorrow!

So many projects…..so little time…..

2006-03-07T21:54:00.000-05:00

EXTRA-Cute

Still working on the baby layettes! Here are the knitted baby caps for the cute little ones. They came out great, but there is just one outstanding question….do they need pom poms on top?

Pro: Pom Poms are cute and you can use them to take the hat off….

Con: Pom Poms are cute, but they make them look more like an outdoors hat….

Take a look:

Off to make pom poms and try them out!

2006-03-02T21:49:00.000-05:00

Hakuna Matata!

Today is a big day, Blog-wise! ::points at Gold Medal---->::

A big day project-wise, too. I delivered the Lion King themed baby quilt I made for Monica - the first grandchild of the next generation in my husband's family, today. It was quite an interesting experience. Her mother is a huge fan of the Lion King and all things Disney, so I scoured up most of the fabrics on ebay. That was fun! The square in a square pattern is one of my favorites - I also made a queen size quilt for my neice in that pattern a couple of years ago, using all batiks.

The best thing about this baby quilt is that I finished it before the baby was born! Yea! Go me! Here's a picture:

I also found a Hakuna Matata print, in both cotton and cotton flannel. I used the cotton for the quilt back and made her a matching layette out of the flannel. It’s a receiving blanket, a gown, a bib and a burp cloth. Here’s the picture of the layette:

I will be making two more layettes, so more about those later. More knitting, too – since I will be including knitted hats with the next two layettes!

2006-02-28T22:16:00.000-05:00

As Advertised…

Here are the silks I bought to do the current alphabet sampler I am doing a second time – this time in silk thread! It’s nearly all Splendor and Waterlilies.

Now back to working on the first one…..

2006-02-27T22:31:00.000-05:00

One of These Things is NOT Like the Others!

Yes, that’s right, let’s play the Sesame Street Game!

If you look at the pictures of my Kimono Blocks below, you will indeed find that ONE of those blocks is NOT like the others!

Now I wish I could take credit for spotting it – but I can’t. My friend lunchqueen had to point it out to me when I showed her the blocks! Hopefully I would have noticed it before I put the strips of blocks together….Sigh.

On a brighter note, here’s a picture of row 3 of my Alphabet Sampler, my current stitching project!

I am really enjoying this project! I had originally wanted to do it in silk threads, but could not find the colors I wanted. I bought an extra canvas for it and found the threads last week – so I may do two of them back to back! I’ll put up a picture of the materials soon. The silks are so beautiful! Hopefully they will be very satisfying to stitch with. It is ALL about the feel of fabric/thread/paper/silk/wool/etc. in my hands!

2006-02-26T14:31:00.000-05:00

TaDa!

Here it is, my entry in the Knitting Olympics – completely knitted, blocked, lined and ready to use!

Time to party hardy in the USA section of the closing ceremonies tonight.

Congratulations to all my fellow Knitting Olympics competitors, and thanks to the YarnHarlot for sponsoring such a fun internet event! Yea!

Off to finish up some other projects…..

2006-02-24T12:53:00.000-05:00

Into the final lap!

Sometimes the stars really do align. The ribbon I’m attaching to the top zipper and the ribbon with the stars on it are a perfect match! Go fig. It's not like I even bought them at the same time! I’ll use the grosgrain ribbon with the stars to attach the handles. The lining is shown underneath. The smaller zipper will be used for an interior pocket. There will be another flap pocket on the other side. Can’t have too many pockets! This bag/purse needs to be functional!

Here’s a shot of the interior materials:

I assembled the lining this morning! I’ll be sewing it into the purse tomorrow – when it is completely dry! Yea!

This way I can listen to my music and party with the snowboarders at the Closing Ceremonies! ::checks the batteries in her mp3 player!::

Final Pictures tomorrow!

2006-02-23T21:18:00.000-05:00

COMMENTS, COMMENTS, COMMENTS – Plus a Knitting Olympics Update and more Kimono Blocks

Yikes! The Comments function is now fixed, so please leave me a comment if you wish! Sorry – I am clearly blog settings challenged. This is when it is good to have children with many more computer skills than you have. Coming attractions: Gallery and Instructions links!

As the Olympics draws to a close this weekend, I am hurrying to finish my Knitting Olympics project. I had a minor problem with finishing the top edge this morning. I was going to use a sewn tubular bind off – but it looked AWFUL after a couple of inches. Naturally, it took much longer to take out than it took to sew it. Isn’t that always how it happens? Anyhow, since I was including techniques to honor Elizabeth Zimmerman – the Mother of All Modern Knitting – I used an attached I-cord bind off. It looks fabulous, darling. But don’t take my word for it, looky here:

It’s blocked on my ironing board. The last real challenge to finishing it on time is drying time! Will it be dry tomorrow? Saturday? Sunday???? I’ll make the lining tomorrow and hope for the best! By the way, the finished size is 10” x 14 ½”.

While that’s drying…….More Kimono Blocks!!!

First I did these two:

Then I finished up this one:

This is enough for a wall hanging, so I guess I’d better decide just how many of these I want to make. It’s always something!

2006-02-21T20:44:00.000-05:00

More Kimono Blocks….More Waving Bye-Bye!

Here are the three Kimono Blocks I made yesterday:

If I like this pattern so much, why do I keep making mistakes with it? That’s just the way paper piecing goes at my house.

Also, take a look at that pretty in pink piping! I found that nice shiny pink stuff in my stash – I know Hello Kitty would approve! This cute little Hello Kitty monogrammed pillowcase left to go find it’s new owner today. Fun to make, fun to give… Once I get my blog issues figured out, I’ll post a link with directions for it!

Now back to knitting!

2006-02-20T20:02:00.000-05:00

Kimono Squares and Olympic Knitting Update

The Kimono Quilt class I took yesterday was really good. Here is a picture of the first three blocks I made:

I made 3 more blocks today – pictures tomorrow, maybe.

As for the Knitting Olympics, the closer I get to the end of the knitting phase, the more work I see I have left to do! Here’s a picture of my almost completely knitted bag with brocades I am considering for the lining. It’s still going well – let’s hope I don’t fall like all those ice dancers last night! The USA ice dancers currently in second place are local folk, so I’ll be watching, cheering them on and knitting later tonight! Tanith Belbin and partner Ben Agosto train in Canton, MI, about 20 miles from me - and my Senator got Tanith her citizenship so she could compete as an American. (She's originally from Canada, which is just south of here, LOL!)

Which lining? So many brocades, so many choices…

2006-02-18T16:12:00.000-05:00

Olympics Update!

Design decisions are now complete, and the next “leg” of the project is, too. Here’s the latest picture including the stockinette bands in orange and purple variegated yarns:

It’s going well, but there’s still more work to do! More knitting, sewing, blocking, lining and finishing! Still going for the gold….

Meanwhile, before I signed up for the Knitting Olympics, I signed up for a quilting class that is tomorrow. It’s a paper piecing block with kimonos as the subject matter. Here’s a picture of the pattern and some of my Asian fabrics from my stash.

Think that’s all? Heh, then you can’t be a quilter!

2006-02-16T21:10:00.000-05:00

Whew!

I feel like I just completed the downhill without missing a pole. Or maybe I just did my first triple axel in competition? Perhaps it’s more like I got my music on my ipod to play exactly how I wanted it as I surfed the half pipe……Whatever.

In any case, I have now completed my Fair Isle band on the purse. ::bows:: Yes, the crowds went wild here at the Knitting Olympics!

Now I need to make some design decisions. Which colors should I use for the plainer bands? Should I do the seed stitched self handle, or not? No worries, this is what training is for!

I think I can finish in time, but the project must be blocked and lined before the flame goes out….

More soonish….

(The Yarn Harlot has added a countdown clock to her blog for the Knitting Olympics. Ohhhhhh…..scary…..)

2006-02-13T12:37:00.000-05:00

Say Goodbye to Hello Kitty!

Wave goodbye to the cute Hello Kitty Pillowcases!

At Christmastime, I made three Hello Kitty Monogrammed Pillowcases for my three youngest nieces. We put their Christmas Presents inside and the little girls really liked them. After Christmas, I figured I knew some big girls who would like to have their own Hello Kitty Monogrammed Pillowcase, too! I mailed these three off today!

Hope their recipients like them.

Also, since I can’t knit too much or my hands will suffer, I completed the second row on my current stitching project:

So many projects, so little time……

2006-02-12T17:29:00.000-05:00

Strength and Endurance!

OK then, here’s my second section of my Knitting Olympics bag finished.

I am pleased it’s going so well, but now I am to the Fair Isle section of the piece. Doing 20 rows of it may take a few days….providing I don’t have any problems. I won’t post any new Knitting Olympics pictures until then. One note, however, with the variegated yarns and bright colors I am using, this is definitely NOT going to look anything like a traditional Fair Isle. Which is fine with me. Not your Grandmother’s Fair Isle. Or your Mother’s either!

2006-02-11T12:12:00.000-05:00

Opening Ceremonies

Wow! Talk about spectacle! Did you enjoy the opening ceremonies? I did – at least until Battlestar Gallactica came on. Good thing that Luciano Pavoratti sang Nesun Dorma during a commercial break or I would have missed it. It was the BEST!! His voice is still so outstanding.

Now, on to my Knitting Olympics update! Here is a picture of my progess during the opening ceremonies.

As you can see, I cast on to the circular needle and it worked out fine! Didn’t need the back up double points after all! I got the first moss stitch portion of the bag done. 14 rows. That is a lot of knitting for me in one sitting! Off to a strong start.

Just a few more stockinette stitch rows and garter stitch rows, then it will be time to do the Fair Isle portion. Now, just because I’m doing a Fair Isle doesn’t mean it will look like a traditional Fair Isle. Not at all! Stay tuned….color burst ahead!

2006-02-10T16:52:00.000-05:00

Stitchin’ and Hopin’

Here’s a picture of my current stitching project:

I figured I would post it as I complete each row, and then the final borders. This is a canvas work project, with each square filled with a different stitch – one that starts with the letter in the box, of course. The use of gradients of color adds a lot to the piece. I choose to use a palate of peaches with a punch of violet. Lights tend to show the stitch work better.

As with all stitching projects, this one is Long Term. The completion of the grid lines, corners, letters and the first row represents approximately thirty hours of work. Needless to say, I won’t be getting a lot done during the Knitting Olympics!

Winning Strategies

I’ve been thinking about how to approach this Olympic project just as one of the athletes would. First and foremost, I need a winning strategy. That requires flexibility, commitment, drive and endurance.

I need the right tools for the job – and I became convinced that while the 24” circular needle might suffice, I didn’t want to cast on with it and then find out it was too big or stretched out the work in an undesirable way. So, calls to five more knit shops yielded a set of long doubled pointed needles, size 9. There are only 4 in the pack, and I have a strong preference for 5, so I intend to mix in my smaller size 9 double points to supplement them. I feel comfortable doing this since I love knitting with double points and do it a lot. If you are a newer knitter or have less experience with using double pointed needles, you may wish to avoid doing this. It will require me to check the “corners” even more carefully than usual. Checking the “corners” when using double points is essential anyway, so I don’t think it will be a problem. That little tug at the end of each needle is an engrained part of my knitting rhythm with double points.

Also, the original pattern called for cotton threads to be used for this project. I have chosen to use wools to make it more challenging. That presents some finishing issues, however. The final fabric of the purse should be sturdy. The wool may be less sturdy than the cotton, however, I intend to line the bag, thus giving it more substance and support than it would otherwise have. I won’t make the decision on what kind of fabric to use until the bag is complete, or nearly so.

While the lining will support the bag shaping, and hopefully prevent any stretching, that will not help for the self handles - which I could also back with lining for support, but it might look odd. In thinking about this part of the challenge I think there are quite a few choices to deal with it. I can use three strands of wool for the final five or six inches of the bag – making the fabric a lot thicker and sturdier. This might be enough to make the knitted handles workable. I may also put in a strengthener thread, just like we use for sock heels and toes.

There is, however, another solution should the fabric prove too stretchy to be useful for handles. I can make the bag without handles (stopping the knitting when the bag's proportions are pleasing to my eye) and then use a purchased plastic or bamboo handle. It would be a simple thing to attach this when I insert the lining with either tabs or ties.

Competitive Spirit

This is an important quality for the Knitting Olympics. It should keep us knitting when we have the inclination to stop, and keep us striving until we meet our ultimate goal: a finished project.

While it will be fun and interesting to read about other entrants’ progress online, it should not impact our own performance. We are, just as the best speed skating sprinter, competing against the clock – or in our case, the calendar!

Best of luck to all of the Knitters who entered. Success means you will have a completed project at the end of 16 days. That alone is reason enough to compete!

If all else fails, I can felt my project into a cell phone case! LOL

Off to do warm up exercises! I’ll be casting on tonight during the Opening Ceremonies from Turin.

2006-02-09T17:03:00.000-05:00

Pre-Olympics Training: Swatch Time!

Think of it as a triple axel! Yes, I did my swatch for my project for the Knitter's Olympics . I do swatches for garments, but usually wing it for a project such as the one I have chosen for my Olympic Event: A wool knitted purse with Fair Isle patterning.

My swatch came out right on gauge, so I had to run out today to find the right knitting needles. Because of the Fair Isle, I want to knit it in the round. I prefer to use double pointed needles, but didn’t have long enough ones in size 9. Sadly, neither did the knit shop (or JoAnn’s or Michael’s!). I compromised by purchasing a 24” circular needle in size 9. That should work for this project, which is approximately 22” around.

You know what they say: Use the right tools for the job!

Here’s my swatch and pictures of the basic pattern I am using as a start off point:

I think I’m all ready for the opening ceremonies tomorrow night!

When do I get my USA jacket?

2006-02-08T13:18:00.000-05:00

Stitch and Chips

Is this just the cutest bag or what? It’s my variation on a Stephanie Kimura pattern found in Bags With Style. Stephanie is coming to town next month to teach locally, so I decided I should finally make something out of her book.

It’s made from upholstery weight fabric with a quilted upholstery lining giving the bag a lot of body. All of the fabrics used were free samples I received from a friend. I substituted ribbon for the tubing called for in the pattern to tie on the handles, and lengthened them quite a bit. I think the ties add a nice touch to the look of the bag. It can be folded to use as a purse, or can hold either a project or most of the “stuff” we like to carry around.

I’ll be donating this bag and the scarf shown with it for a silent auction. The scarf is a free pattern called "Potato Chip Scarf" from Knitpicks. You can find the pattern here. One word to the wise, if you decide to make this pattern, do follow the advice to use a 32” Circular needle. I tried to make due with my 29” needles, but they were really too small.

2006-02-07T21:34:00.000-05:00

Tonight I signed up for the Knitting Olympics!
Thanks to the Yarn Harlot over 2500 knitters have decided to "go for the gold".

Basically, you choose a project that stretches your abilities. Something new, something hard, something different. Since I am a life long knitter, I had to thing long and hard about doing a new techniques. I’ve done about everything from lace to cables. Finally, I remembered how I have been totally repressing the fact that I’ve never done and fair isle. I don’t like to strand yarn behind the work much, so this should be a real challenge!

You need to start the project during the opening ceremonies and then finish it before the closing ceremonies. No way could I do a sweater or anything big in that amount of time. I searched the net for projects, thinking a hat or socks would be best, but then I hit on the purse featured on the cover of Simply Knitting for June 2005. This bag is from Emma King's
book 25 Bags to Knit and is also featured on the cover.

Now, as a life long knitter, I had to come up with some kind of project or technique that I had never tried before. Not an easy task - I've done everything from cables to lace. The one thing I've shied away from has been fair isle knitting. Therefore, I will be knitting a bag to look sort of like the one featured, but I will be knitting it in wool (my least favorite natural fiber and the bane of my asthma!) and using a fair isle design instead of the one called for by the pattern.

I am going to use the fair isle design published by Elizabeth Zimmerman in her book Knitting Around. It is featured in Chapter two - Fair Isle Yoke Sweater

That should make it a project truly worthy of the Knitting Olympics. It will also be a great stretch for me to actually complete it in 10 days.

Maybe I should have chosen a hat......

Here is the “Before” picture of my yarn!

Off to swatch....

2006-02-06T14:51:00.000-05:00

Surviving Superbowl XL

It's one thing to ignore the Superbowl. It's another to ignore it when it's being held in YOUR town. That takes a LOT more work. In order to attempt to get away from at least some of the hype, I signed up for the Super Bowl event at Haberman's Fabrics. This was their 8th annual attempt to entertain us and raise money for Haven, a local women and children's shelter for battered women. Worthy cause and a fun time!

There were three demonstrations - a fabric covered bulletin board, an embellished scarf and a high end wrap. All three were excellent - although you would need a very special and black tie occasion to use the wrap. Still, it was much fun. Here are the goodies I found:

The velvet is such a dark blue it looks black - I think it would make a nice scarf! Or at least part of it. Maybe I'll finally do some rubber stamping on it first, add some beads. You know the drill.

See those nifty twill tapes? They're Japanese! I got them to run them through my computer printer and add words to them. Aren't they nice looking? I can hardly wait to try them!

The last item will probably end up as handles for a tote. It's a nice study weight and would support home dec style fabrics. I have a ton of decorator samples, don't you?

Oh, and afterwards I DID watch the Superbowl. If they're going to put on 40 of them, I might as well watch one.