Baby steps

I feel like I was taking baby steps with crafting this week. I've been volunteering at the elementary school library for the past two weeks, and I will probably be there for all of the upcoming week. I'm helping the new librarian reorganize the library. It's turning out to be a much bigger job than either of us anticipated!

As a result, I'm too tired to do much of anything when I get home... a ring and a chain here and there, five minutes at the sewing machine, ten minutes of reorganizing at home... I'm looking forward to getting back into a normal school year routine of leaving the house around 10:30 and arriving back home around 1:30.

One of the high school girls is saving money to buy a sewing machine. When I heard what she was doing, I asked if she'd like to help me organize my craft supplies, something I've been working on for years without much success. She came over Friday afternoon and put together this seven drawer storage cabinet for me. It's a great size for my craft supplies, and I have two great spots where it will be useful. I may have to order another!

Dave's sister gave daughter Carol her chair that she was given as a young girl. The fabric was well worn, and the chair needed some tender loving care. Carol went on a fabric hunt and found some beautiful vintage fabric from the 1930s on Etsy. Even with the extremely high shipping cost, the fabric was less expensive than any fabrics she found in upholstery shops in our area. 

We were surprised at the similarities between the two fabrics. Carol is holding a piece of the old fabric that the upholsterer was able to salvage.

The chair looks great in Carol's bedroom! So, my Saturday adventure was picking up Carol's chair. It doesn't sound like much, but it's a half hour drive to Carol's house and another hour to the upholstery shop.  That makes a total of three hours driving time for me. I didn't mind. I find it easy to talk with all of my daughters, and that always makes the time fly by.

I recently watched a YouTube video on turning a sweatshirt into a patchwork jacket. I followed the directions for cutting apart the sweatshirt earlier in the week, and I chose the fabric that I wanted to use. Yesterday afternoon I cut my fabric strips into the size rectangles I wanted. My plan was to also bind more blocks for my quilt, but I ran out of energy.

I'm making slow progress on my latest Curds & Whey bookmark from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior. 

Dave is heading out to help a friend today, so maybe I'll have some time to make good progress on my projects. I want to accomplish as much as I can today and tomorrow, because I know that crafting time will be sparse in the coming week!

Bookmark and quilt blocks

 

Today I gave Serafil another try, and I'm glad I did. Maybe it was a difference in my attitude, but this Curds & Whey bookmark tatted up beautifully. The thread is color #156.

I spent the afternoon binding the quilt blocks for the first row of my new quilt. It took me a while to settle on which fabric to use for the binding. My choice was this soft gray or a tone on tone white fabric. The white seemed to stark to me. I'm glad I went with the gray!

Busy Saturday

 

I forgot to post yesterday that I finished quilting the blocks for my new quilt. I know I opened my computer, but I must have been distracted by something. That seems to happen a lot these days!

This morning I finished reading The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier, the story of a glass making family in Murano, Italy. The story was interesting but a bit bizarre. The family ages normally, but they skip through time. Everyone else in the world stays on a normal timeline. The story starts over five hundred years ago, and ends after the 2020 pandemic. It was interesting, but not something I would read again. I do plan on reading at least one more book by this author with the hope that everything happens in one time frame!

Tollway Tatters met this morning. We had a nice sized group, and I managed to tat a Curds & Whey bookmark from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior. Since I used larger picots than I have been lately, my three mistakes are pretty well hidden.

We talked about tatting with polyester thread and King Tut. I've decided I'll give the Serafil another try, and I'm really tempted to start a hanky edging in King Tut. Getting together with other tatters sets my mind spinning with ideas!

I squared up all of my quilt blocks this afternoon, and then I arranged the layout for my quilt. This one will be a little smaller than my last one, only 30 blocks, 5 across and 6 down. 

I've decided that I will machine stitch the binding, but hand stitch the blocks together. I need something that will keep me awake when Dave and I watch t.v. at night!

Break

We had a break in the weather today... no rain! Unfortunately, we have a chance of rain every day this week. As long as we don't have any more storms for a while, I can handle more rain.

For tatting, I decided to stick with Curds & Whey from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior. I decided to try some Serafil thread that I purchased several years ago. Tatting with polyester thread is not as enjoyable as working with cotton thread. I found it harder to close my rings and keep them closed. As pretty as this thread is, I think I'll save it for something else.

My sister came to visit this weekend. While she worked on making Christmas ornaments, I worked on my four patch quilt, I was inspired to keep working after seeing the four strips sewn together.

Since we were having so much fun crafting, I finished another strip. I have two more to complete, and then I will be able to finish the quilt.

As for Janet, she finished six ornaments this weekend. I wish I had taken pictures!

New to me

The new sewing machine foot to help with seam binding hasn't arrived yet, but I really wanted to try this new to me technique for attaching the binding. I decided to play around with my machine and see if I could come up with something that works for me, and I did!

The front looks as nice as I hoped it would.

I think the back looks pretty good, too.

Since I had success with the first block, I tried another. It still looks pretty good. The only part I'm having trouble with is joining the ends. I've been joining the ends with straight seams, which makes for a bulkier intersection. I'm sure it will click with me, but for now I am really struggling with joining with a diagonal seam. Thank goodness for both written instructions and YouTube videos!

As an experiment, I joined the first two blocks with a zig zag stitch. I'm surprised at how sturdy it is. Since I am still working with inexpensive fabrics, I don't mind taking a chance trying something new. Mom said she would never look that closely to see how the blocks are joined. Daughter Joanne said she really like the look, so I'm going to continue. 

If I like the final look, it sure will save me a lot of time and a lot of wear and tear on my hands!

I haven't gone back to my Criss Cross bookmark. All of my brain power has gone into my quilting project. However, I still need to tat, so I loaded up my shuttle with size 20 Lizbeth #180 Honey Drizzle. My friend Denise got me hooked on this color when it first came out. I love the shading!

In order to give my brain a break, I'm tatting Curds & Whey from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior. This still remains one of my favorite tatting books!

Family time

Our youngest daughter Joanne and her family arrived Friday. They live in southern Georgia, and we live in northern Illinois, so it's a long journey. We had family cookouts Saturday and Sunday so that most everyone could spend some time visiting. Not everyone could make it, which is completely understandable!

Despite all the activity, I did get some craft time in. The last of "Granny Delicious" hand-dyed thread from LadyShuttleMaker is now a Curds & Whey bookmark (Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior). I had a little bit of thread left on three different shuttles. I"m pleased that I was able to join the threads so easily, and I like the way the color changes worked out.

As I started squaring up my pot holder blocks, I decided that I wanted more quilting on the rail fence pattern. It's taking quite a bit of time, but I think it's going to make the quilt look extra nice.

I added hanging tabs to my most recent pot holder quilt, and Joanne helped me hang it yesterday. It really does brighten up my sewing corner. Granddaughter Kara claimed the purple and yellow one that I took down. 

Three of my daughters and Joanne's three kids are headed to the beach today. I do have a bit of housework to take care of, but I"m hoping the also have some quality craft time!

Curds & Whey

 

There was just enough of LadyShuttleMaker's "Autumn Medley" left to tat a Curds & Whey bookmark, pattern from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior. On to the next color!

I finished quilting the last of my 10" squares for my new patriotic quilt. This afternoon I laid out the strips for the rail fence blocks. Once I have those finished, I will decide on the layout and the method of finishing the blocks.

It was a rainy afternoon here, and it looks like it will be rainy again tomorrow... perfect crafting weather!

Curds & Whey

 

Another bookmark is finished! This is Curds & Whey from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konnor. I love this pattern!

Done!

Today was a day for big finishes. 

While looking for tatting supplies, I came across three Curds & Whey pieces that I had tatted. All they needed was to be blocked and put in bookmark sleeves. The pattern is from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konnor. Done!

I had two of these braided circle doodads left.

They are now ornaments. Done!

These flower shaped centers are what I was searching for. They were my favorite centers for my original doodads years ago.

My biggest accomplishment of the day was finishing the red, white, and blue tree. I spent about 5 hours today, and probably 15 hours total to complete this tree. It will be raffled off at the high school play, Bandstand, in mid-March. The raffle will benefit two groups, Adopt A Soldier and Project Headspace. 

Daughter Carol, who is the drama club director, asked for a red, white, and blue tree for the raffle. Of course I was flattered to be asked! When I sent her this video clip today, she told me she loves it. There is no great compliment in my opinion.

The best news is that I have another project checked of my list. Done!

Back to tatting

 

Yes, I'm still knitting on my Bramwell shawl, but I really had the itch to get back into tatting. My sister Janet requested a Concentric Rectangles doily in white, off-white, or ecru. I prefer making this doily in multiple colors, but I'm happy to make this one for my sister.

Thank you to my friend Shelley Perreault for my beautiful new shuttles! These are what I will be using for this doily.

Keeping up with the tatting theme, I finished up another Curds & Whey bookmark (pattern from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konnor). I only had one pattern repeat left to tat, so I'm not sure why I let this one sit so long.

I'm slowly re-building my supply of tatted bookmarks. For a while, I had so many on hand that I stopped making bookmarks. When I realized I only had two left, I decided to stick with this pattern until I have two dozen on hand. I'm up to 17 already! 

One can never have too many bookmarks!

Where did the week go?

I really can't believe how quickly this past week went by. I did get a little done this week. I just forgot to post about it. One more dishcloth has been added to my stash, as well as a pretty blue bookmark.

I also finished a yellow bookmark. That, however, was all I managed to accomplish.

My sister and her husband came down this afternoon, and we planted a pagoda dogwood in memory of their son Andrew who passed away in April. They only expect to live in their house for another two or three years, and they wanted a place where the tree could thrive. I'm honored that they asked us if they could plant the tree on our farm. We found the perfect place in our side yard. The tree can be seen from the front porch, the side porch, and the fire pit. We've also been thinking of putting a seating area in the side yard. I'm sure that my sister will enjoy tending to the tree when she comes to visit.

Getting back to normal

We had an exciting weekend here on the farm. We hosted our step-granddaughter's wedding. Everyone had a fantastic time, but setting up and cleaning up for a wedding with 260 guests is quite tiring. By 3:00 Sunday afternoon, no one would have known that a wedding had taken place here the day before. Many hands make light the work!

Needless to say, it took me a couple of days to recover. My mind says that I can do things that my body disagrees with!

Part of my recovery process was to choose a new tatting project, a Curds & Whey bookmark, and catch up on YouTube videos that I enjoy. 

One of my favorites is Fruity Knitting, and I was thrilled that this week's episode #157 included tatting! Madeleine married recently, and she learned to tat so that she could add a bit of lace to her wedding dress. She learned to tat by watching a class on Craftsy hosted by my dear friend Marilee Rockley! I was so excited, I messaged Marilee right away. 

I've been a fan of Marilee's hand-dyed threads ever since I discovered her when I started blogging years ago. My daughter Alison and I even drove to Wisconsin to meet her at a craft show. I felt a bit like a stalker, but I had to meet the lovely lady who provided me with so many gorgeous threads.We attended Palmetto Tat Days together one year with our friend Sue Anna, and we get to see each other on our Tollway Tatters meetings.

In other news, construction on our new room addition is well underway. This is something I have dreamed of for years. We finally had the money saved up to move forward, and we started the process in January. We're hoping the room will be done by the end of October, which is possible if the weather holds out. 

Life is good!

Hot and humid

It was too hot and humid to do much of anything yesterday. I did shampoo porch cushions early in the morning, but I was done working outside by 7:30.

Before church, I started a hedgehog. It's been a few months since I've made one, and it was like I was making one for the first time. I can't believe how much I'd forgotten!

I finished him after lunch, and decided that I'd better make another one quickly while my mistakes were still fresh in my mind.

This one was completed with much less stress!

I have several shuttles with bits of thread left on them, so I spent the evening working on another Curds & Whey bookmark from Mary Konior's Tatting with Visual Patterns. The thread is size 20 Lizbeth #710 Bright Blue Lt. 

I think I have enough of this left to tat two more bookmarks. We'll see how that goes!

Curds & Whey

 

Ever since I figured out how to tat Mary Konior's Curds & Whey from Tatting with Visual Patterns, it has been a favorite for using up thread on a shuttle. 

This was all I had left of my hand-dyed Peach Pandorea from LadyShuttleMaker. It's a little shorter than I like my bookmarks, but it will be perfect for someone!

A craft day

 

Today I felt like making a Christmas button tree, so that's how I spent my morning. I love the way it turned out!

This afternoon I felt like finishing up projects. So, my Drapey Cowl (pattern from Yarnspirations) in "Dakota" I Love This Yarn! from Hobby Lobby was first on my list. I highly recommend this pattern. It is so easy!

Next up was finishing my Curds & Whey bookmark from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konnor. I love this pattern, because the only thing I need to carry is my shuttle and the work in progress.

I wonder what I'll be inspired to work on next?

Progress

 

Once again, I didn't have much time for crafting. However, I did make progress with my Curds & Whey bookmark... just two and a half pattern repeats to go!

Slow craft day

Today turned out to be incredibly busy, but I couldn't begin to tell you how!

I did manage to start a Curds & Whey bookmark. I didn't get much done, but every little bit counts!

Another bookmark finished

 

Yesterday and today were slow craft days for me. Even though I didn't accomplish much, I did manage to finish another Curds & Whey bookmark. This has become one of my favorite patterns from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konnor.

I've been asked about my photograph background. It's the lid to my new tatting basket.

We went to Shipshewana, Indiana this summer and stopped at an Amish basket maker, where I found this beautiful basket.

There's a lovely little tray that, when organized, holds my current project.

There's plenty of storage in the bottom, so I can keep lots of supplies close at hand. Now all I have to do is organize my corner of the living room. It has become quite messy!

Second finish

 

I finished my second bookmark of the day, Curds & Whey from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konnor. I started this one a few weeks ago, and I decided I should finish it before starting another project. 

It's good to finish projects!

Tollway Tatters

 

Tollway Tatters met this morning, and while we chatted, I managed to finish a bookmark. I'm falling way short in my goal to tat bookmarks for all the seniors. I only have two finished, and I'll need to work at a much faster pace if I want to give each one a bookmark. Maybe I should just give each of them a button ornament!