Needles

So, my knitting needles have given way to tapestry needles all of the sudden.  I guess the blast of warm air we got around Easter turned my attention away from hand knits and onto samplers.  I've been working on a Blackbird Designs sampler "Forget Me Not." 

But, not before I got Bianca's Jacket finished and wore it to Easter services.  It's my new favorite sweater, and I will definitely be knitting another one in wool for cooler weather (after the stitching bug fades, that is).  Hopefully, I'll get some modeled shots before too long.

And I'm about ready to start on another quilt.  Don't know what pattern yet, but I'm browsing...I even bought a new quilt magazine.  I haven't done that in a while since I have quite a stack, but it has a Jo Morton pattern in it, and I love her patterns.

Stitch on....

Happy Easter

Time for my bi-monthly check in here on the blog! Ha, seriously...there has been knitting, and even some quilting. A simple little baby quilt (sorry for the fuzzy picture, these are the only ones I took before sending it off).

Jaywalkers - my first pair. It's a fun pattern.

Slowly proceeding on the lace stole...it ought to be ready by fall!

I've even been crocheting a few more of these guys.

Happy Easter! He is Risen!

It's a Knit Thing

Well, the knitting bug is back. I knew it would happen as soon as some cooler weather came around. I've been working on a couple of things, a feather and fan shawl (no pics yet) and a new pair of socks...for me! Green socks. This pattern is from the book 2-at-a-time Socks, but I knit it on dpns. They're my favorite way to knit socks.

I am still working on the quilt, I'm ready to baste it and start quilting. But it definitely took a back seat once the knitting obsession kicked back in.

Picking Up Speed

I've gotten a few things done around here lately....it must be the unseasonably (very unseasonably) cool weather we've had around here for the past week. I mean, 60's and 70's in Arkansas...in August!? All I can say is...hallelujah! Especially, since for the last month it's been, oh, about 150 around here. This is what Shepherd usually thinks of August in Arkansas:

But these days, it's more like:

Anyhoo...I finished the four patch. It was completed handpieced and handquilted. And I loved every minute of it. There's probably not a square corner on it, but I don't care. I love it, and I named it "Shepherd's Coat." For obvious reasons.

I also got the stitchery framed and hung in my sewing room. Lovely $1 dollar frame.

And we were given a couple of pounds of fresh figs, so I made fig preserves. Boy, oh boy you talk about making the house smell wonderful, and fall-like. And what beautiful jars they are.

Four Patch

I've been quilting on my little quilt, and enjoying every minute of it. Don't look too close....it's a little wonky. I have thoroughly enjoyed hand piecing and quilting this little quilt. As a matter of fact, I'm going to work my way through all five little quilts in this article.

The next up is this Antique Baskets, all by Jo Morton.

The bed quilt is coming along nicely...I'm adding the inner border now and then a pieced outer border and it'll be ready to quilt.

Quilting Fever

Hot, hot, hot...it has been too hot around here! 108 degrees earlier this week...blech! For a family that loves fall and winter, that is not good news. It was even too hot to enjoy the kayaking last weekend.

So, indoor pursuits are in order for the next month. Namely, quilting. My quilting fever has returned with a vengeance, and I'm taking advantage of it. The bbbq (blue basket bed quilt) is coming together. I'm piecing the rows together and I hope to layer and baste it soon.

I'm also working on a small doll quilt, which I'm handpiecing. It's a Jo Morton pattern from an old Quilters Newsletter Magazine. Just a simple four patch, but a lot of fun and very quick to do.

I don't post enough photos of the furry one, Shepherd, so I thought I'd throw one out there just 'cuz.

I've added a "quilting blogs" list to my sidebar because I've been discovering so many great quilt blogs...I seem to be adding to the list daily!

Mountain View

We took a little trip up to Mountain View, Arkansas last weekend. It's always a great time when we head up there... a little music, a little food, a little fabric, a little flea marketing....all good things.

If you haven't ever been to the Ozark Folk Center, it's a great place for traditional crafts and traditional music. And lots of herbs!

Now, I've got to get busy and get this quilt top together.

Tisket, Tasket

Wow, three weeks just flew by! I've been in a quilting mood lately....I knew it would kick back in one of these days. I think I'm more of a 'winter knitter' type person, because when warm weather gets here, I lose all interest in knitterly things. But I'm sure as soon as fall peeks out, I'll be picking up the needles again. Or maybe even a pair of socks before then.

But right now is all about the quilting. I've started a new bed quilt using a basket block. It's going pretty quick since they're 12 inch blocks. The handle is appliqued, and I'm just eyeballing it, so they don't all look exactly perfectly alike, but that's just more charming to me. Especially since I know a big ol' furryhead will be laying all over it most of the time!

I'm also working on a new patchwork bag, but don't have any pics of it yet. And while I'm still waiting on the morning glories to start blooming, I'm enjoying the blue hydrangeas.

Tiny Shop Update

I managed to get a few pincushions up in my shop and one has already been snapped up! Woosh, I wasn't even done rearranging my sections and it was sold. That's a new experience for me, but I certainly enjoyed it!

Fabric Stacks

I spent last evening pulling fabrics for some patchwork projects. I enjoy rummaging around in my fabric, as I'm sure many do! I've got some ideas rattling around in my head, and I'm trying to not get distracted in making some samples.

One is to make some more pincushions for my etsy shop, like this one. I'd forgotten I even had extra blocks from this quilt:

This is County Fair. It was my first quilt pattern. I still love it :)

I'm also trying to get going on a new bed quilt for our bed. That's what on my design wall right now, along with other odds and ends that get stuck up there. I need some big scale prints in there, I think. It's a little blase' looking so far. I'm going for the blue, brown, orange-rusty, and khaki color scheme, if it's a little hard to tell.

New Pincushion

I made a new pincushion that coordinates with my sewing room.

This was a quick and easy project. I used a couple of leftover quilt blocks and made a box cushion with them. I weighted the bottom with a packet of lentils and stuffed it to the gills with fiberfil!

November One

Happy November to everyone! I love November...it's almost a perfect month. Halloween is over. Yes, sorry, I'm not a fan of the halloween craze. Thanksgiving is this month, a joy of a holiday if you ask me. All the yummy food and no pressure! It's prep time for Christmas, which I enjoy. You need a little "in the air is the feeling of Christmas" busyness. Not too much, though. And now Daylight Savings Time ends in November. Which to me equals cozy time.

So a bowl of fake fruit (but nice fake fruit) to celebrate this grand month.

And, a beautiful quilt that was on my calendar when I changed it this morning. I "heart" this quilt. Love the big stitches, love the colors, love the fabrics. Love.

Fall Bag Finished!

Whew! Finally got 'er done! I feel like I really drug my feet on finishing this (maybe because I did), but....she's done in time to take on our trip. Yah!

And, I'm really happy with how it came out. I made a couple of changes from the summer version. I made the sides an inch wider (5 inches instead of 4) and I added a zippered pocket divider in the center. Which I'm loving, not to mention, proud that I was able to make it look right! The pic above is the front of the bag,

this is the back

here's a shot of the inside, you can kinda see the pockets on the left, the zip divider in the center, then a zippered pocket on the other side,

another shot of the front before I sewed the button on,

and here's a clearer shot of the zip divider in the center.

I'm glad that's done! I'm still planning a pattern for this bag, but that'll have to wait a couple of months.

And it's a perfect day to carry this bag because it's a cool, clear morning and the sun has that fall shine to it.

One and One

I was in need of a small purse to carry to church on Sundays (I always feel silly carrying my big tote bag when all I usually need out of it is lip gloss and a cough drop). So I came up with this little number.

I'd been saving this gorgeous fabric for a small purse since last summer, and it just clicked together. The whole orange-blue thing was really singing to me.

Then, the other one, I'm still working on the fall version of this bag. I'm through quilting it and am ready to assemble it. I think I'm going to add a zippered pocket in the middle of this one.

Then I'll probably need a keychain and wallet to match!

Charming Bags

I'm working on a few more of the charm pack bags and trying to get a pattern going. Summer is not helping...since we spend just about every weekend out on the lake! But I persevere!

I've been giving it some thought, and I'm thinking about two versions of the purse, one with no closure (like this one is) and one with a closure. And I'm also giving consideration to a larger tote using 8 charm squares on the sides instead of 6.

I'm basically playing around with it at this point, but it sure is fun!

Summer Wind

It's starting to feel a lot like summer around here...and now I have a new summer bag!

I LOVE this bag! It's one of those times when the picture in your head matches the end product exactly. I could not be happier with how this turned out, and I'm thinking about making a couple more and making it into a pattern.

I used 1 charm pack, 1 fat quarter (binding and handles), and 1/2 yd. (lining) and batting remnants to make it. Happy, happy me!

The daisies are starting to bloom as you can see above. Daisies and hydrangeas are two of my favorite flowers and they are both blooming right now. We've really enjoyed our garden this year. We've already had a crop of lettuce, and now we're getting zucchini and beans. Tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots are on the way!

Happy Memorial Day to everyone, and especially to those who have lost service members. We owe a great debt of gratitude and remembrance to those who gave their lives for this wonderful country.