Welcome Spring...

After a long cold winter, I finally see signs of Spring coming to life.  My neighbors Bradford Pear trees are in full bloom and the neighborhood has a bunch of flowering pink trees that are just gorgeous!  (I'm not a gardener so I'm not sure if they're Cherry Blossoms or something else, but they're beautiful.)  Having said that, I actually woke up to snow this morning.  My deck was covered with just a thin layer of slushy white snow along with our cars and a neighbor's roof.  Otherwise, there wasn't a speck of it anywhere.  It was also 46 degrees when I got up this morning, so how we ended up with snow is a complete mystery...

I've been doing a little bit of sewing lately.  I finally managed to catch up on all the clues for the Mystery quilts.  Just as I finished ironing the last seam of the last piece and was ready to put it all away, I noticed something wasn't quite right.  After looking at the directions again, I realized I had sewed 23 out of 24 units completely wrong.  I was supposed to sew a strip to each side of a HST and of course I sewed them to the wrong sides.  So then I spent the next couple of hours ripping everything out and redoing it.  Fortunately it's been a long time since I've made a mistake like that (and hopefully it will be much, much longer before I do it again!)

I'm still waiting on my sewing glasses to come in so I haven't been able to work on my hand applique.  I'm almost finished with a block, so I'm a little anxious to get back to it.  Each block takes such a long time, that it's exciting to get to the final few pieces.

In the meantime, I've been practicing my knitting.  I've watched and re-watched the Improve Your Knitting and Explorations in Cable classes on Craftsy.  Both of them are chock full of information and I'm sure I'll keep going back to them.  I've learned how to make cables without a cable needle (which sounds a lot scarier than it actually is.)  I've made a few samples and my knitting is definitely getting better...

I've also started on a prayer shawl in a pattern I never would have attempted before.  I've learned how to un-knit as well, a skill that is coming in handy far too frequently!  (Don't you just love learning new things?  I do)

I'm hoping to get back to quilting some projects starting tomorrow.  I have too many half-quilted projects lying around and it would be nice to start finishing them up.

I hope that you're starting to thaw out wherever you are.  I expect that in the northern states, you're in for bit more winter before Spring arrives, but hopefully it comes soon.  Of course, if you're on the other side of the world, you're probably looking forward to some cooler weather after a hot summer.  I told my husband to remind me of how much I longed for warm weather when it's 100+ degrees outside this summer.  I'm so grateful God created different seasons.  About the time we're tired of one, another comes along to take it's place.

“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” 

Psalm 139:14 (NLT)

Hobbies...

Although I've been quiet, I'm still puttering away over here.  Lately, I've been working on the current step of a mystery quilt(s).  I'm in the process of making 72 scrappy 9-patches.  Not hard, but not very picture worthy either.

Pieces for the Mystery Quilts

To be honest though, I'm finding my focus drifting in another direction right now.  Normally I do hand applique at night while sitting in front of the TV, but lately my vision has deteriorated to where I can't see fine details any more.  I've been told (multiple times) that I'm approaching that 'age' where it's just going to get worse.  By that, they mean I'm just a hop, skip and a jump away from 40.  I'm waiting on some prescription reading glasses to come in that I hope will allow me to get back to my hand stitching.  (This is my first time getting them.)

In any case, the inability to hand stitch has let my mind drift in other directions and I've found myself with the sudden desire to knit something.  I took myself off to Ravelry and after much searching have decided to make this cowl, Vesper by Wondrlanding.

I think I should probably mention that I'm a beginner knitter.  I've made a few things in the past, but thanks to Craftsy and YouTube, I'm hoping I can pull it off.  (By the way, Craftsy is having a great sale on all their classes right now.  I don't know how long it's going to last though.)  I've been practicing, practicing, practicing my stitches with progressively harder patterns and I'm feeling pretty comfortable with them right now.

FYI - I really recommend the Improve Your Knitting class with Patty Lyons.  She has some great pactical tips for beginning and advanced knitters.  She also demonstrates the different types of knitting - Continental vs. English vs. Eastern, etc.  It's one I'm sure I'll watch again and again.

Recently, I moved a chair into my sewing room.  I wanted to see if the scale would work in the space before buying a new one.  It quickly became a big hit.

Now I'll go furniture shopping to find one that's just right for the space.  I'll have to make sure it's comfy enough for them as well.

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. 

Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)

Cutting Mat Advice?

Several years ago I bought my first rotating cutting mat.  I heard so many people raving about them, I was excited to get one.  When I finally got mine though, I found I didn't really care for it.  The size was nice, as was the cutting surface, my only complaint was how difficult it was to turn.  For supposedly being a rotating mat, it didn't rotate very well.  I had to use both hands to get it to turn.  Over the years, I still used the mat as a portable cutting surface, but I would pick up my pieces and move them rather than turn it.  In fact, I've used it so much, it now looks like this...

Fast forward to the end of last year when I was unpacking my sewing supplies after finishing my quilt room renovation.  When I unpacked this mat,  I found that it suddenly turns smoothly.  If it had worked like this from the beginning, I could completely understand why everyone loved it!  I have no idea why it changed from the time I packed it up to when I unpacked it though.

In any case, it is just so worn, I needed to replace it.  I took a chance and ordered another one just the same.  I was hopeful that it would turn smoothly right out of the box.

But it doesn't.  In order to get it to turn at all, I have to hold the base with one hand and turn the top with the other.  It's stiff and jerky.  So I need some advice.  It seems like a lot of you out there have this type of mat.  Do you have the same problem with yours?  Have you found a way around it?  I want to get this one turning as smoothly as the old one now does, but have no idea how to make that happen.  I appreciate any and all suggestions!  I'm truly perplexed.

In the meantime, here's yet another picture of Gabriel on the window seat.  She has such a sweet face, doesn't she?

“God cares about honesty in the workplace; your business is his business.” 

Proverbs 16:11 (MSG)

Tickled...

Let me just say I am 'Tickled' with this month's Schnibbles quilt.  It was viewer's choice and I knew right away which one I wanted to make.  I picked the Little Bites pattern Tickle.

I used 4 mini Charm Packs of Happy Go Lucky and made the larger version of the quilt - 16 blocks instead of 9.  (I love that Carrie includes instructions for making different sizes in her patterns.)

You know how you're never quite sure how a quilt is going to turn out when you start it?  Some of them I like, some of them I wonder what I was thinking, but this one I love, love love!  I think it must be my favorite Schnibbles yet.

Perhaps it's working with such bright, happy colors during a very cold winter, but I enjoyed every step of making this quilt.

In fact, I really rather dragged it out because I was having so much fun.  I spent a lot of time trying to decide on the fabric to use for the cornerstones and the border.  Initially I bought the red to use for both and the aqua for the backing.  Fortunately, I had enough to switch that up.  The pattern only calls for one border, but once I had it on, I thought the quilt was just calling out for another border of the red.

I had hoped to have it quilted by now as well, but was pulled away by some home renovation projects and didn't find the time.  However, I've prepared the backing and batting and sandwiched everything already.

I've even made the bias binding...

Now, like most of my quilts, I'll just have to find some time to quilt it.  I already know right where I'm going to hang it when it's finished.

Be sure to check out all the other quilts in the parade Sherri and Sinta will host on March 1st.  I love seeing the quilts in it each month, but this parade should be even better because not only has everyone chosen different fabric, but their patterns are different too!

Gabriel took advantage of the morning sunshine while I was sewing.  I can see from this picture she's managed to put on a little winter weight this year.

And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 

Ephesians 3:18 (NLT)

Disconnected...

I had no intention on being absent for so long.  I really planned on posting a couple of times, but quite literally couldn't!  Last week, we had an unusual winter storm.  It was unusual in that it wasn't a snow storm, but a thunderstorm.  Around 4:30 in the morning, we heard a very loud crack.  It startled both my husband and I, but I don't even think the dog woke up.  (She's terrified of mushrooms and frogs, but not storms.)  It turns out lightning struck one of the trees in our front yard.

It fried our underground cable and also took out our router and modem.  We have cable phones, so that meant no internet or home phones.  Our neighborhood is also in a dead zone, so cell phones won't work at our house.  That meant we had to physically drive somewhere if we wanted make a call.

The cable box on the house

It took 6 days to get a temporary cable line in place.  It has definitely shown us how dependent we've become on the internet.  It's amazing how many times a day we'd find ourselves just going to look something up!  Not to mention it meant virtually no TV.  Fortunately we had the Downton Abbey Season 4 DVD's that we hadn't started watching yet.

Have you ever considered how much your life would change if you had to give up the internet?  Or perhaps you're not as dependent on it as we found ourselves.  Do you remember when researching something meant going to the library or looking it up in encyclopedias?  Does anyone still have a set of encyclopedias?  The world certainly has changed in the last 25 years.  It's hard to remember that we lived perfectly normal lives without all these modern day conveniences.  (Having said that, I'm very glad to have the internet working again.)

I plan to be back tomorrow to share my Schnibbles quilt for the parade!

“Be generous: Invest in acts of charity. Charity yields high returns. Don't hoard your goods; spread them around. Be a blessing to others.” 

Ecclesiastes 11:1-2a (MSG)

Officially a Snow Day...

Well the forecasters were right and it's snowing big, fat fluffy flakes outside my window right now.  It's coming down fast and we've gotten several inches in the past couple of hours.  Meanwhile, I've been working a little bit on my Tickle quilt as well as puttering with a few other things.  I now have all my blocks ready to be assembled.

The fabric I'm using is Happy Go Lucky by Bonnie & Camille.  It's just so bright and cheerful and I love every print in it!

Gabriel is loving the falling snow.  When I stepped outside to quickly take a picture, she darted out and started sprinting around the yard.  What a goofball!

The snow is supposed to turn to ice late tonight before turning back into snow tomorrow.  The forecasters seem to think widespread power outages are likely due to the ice, but I'm just going to pray that they're wrong and only the fluffy stuff sticks around!

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 

1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT)

Summer Meadows...

I put the final stitches on the binding for Summer Meadows late Sunday night.  Yesterday I rollered it (to remove all the cat hair) and it has now replaced Just Fun in my sewing room.

I showed my husband the quilt when it was done and his comment was that I should hang it backwards.  Too funny!  He actually prefers the back of the quilt to the front.  I suppose if I hadn't put a label on it, I could have put it up either way.

This was a fun quilt to make.  It didn't take very long to put the top together and I spent a lot more time quilting it than I did piecing it, but I enjoyed it all.  The practice is also helping me with my stitch regulation and free motion quilting skills.  These quilts are just the right size to try out various quilting designs and techniques without getting overwhelmed or taking forever!

So, to sum up this quilt:

• Size: 36" x 36"
• Fabric: 2 Charm Packs of Meadow by Blackbird Designs, backing is French General Favorites
• Batting: 2 layers of Warm & Natural
• Thread: Aurifil for the piecing and quilting
• Pattern: Jersey Girl by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co

I'm already busy piecing the next one and planning out the quilting for it.  We'll see how far I can get before I need to set it aside and finish a couple other things.  We're expecting some more snow and ice tomorrow, so perhaps I'll be able to spend the next few days in my sewing room.  (I'm really hoping that turns out to be the case.)

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. 

Micah 6:8 (NLT)