something for my next nephew!

I'm making a quilt!!!

Hopefully this one will be less wonky than my last baby quilt - I'm just going to assume that wonkiness decreases with practice! Obviously this is just the quilt top and it needs a bit more pressing, but I had to take pictures! I wanted to make it bright and fun instead of all baby and pastel-y - but that's mostly because it make me happy, I guess!

I went to JoAnn's today to get the white fabric and ended up with a whole earful of advice from a lady who worked there named Penny - she was kind of loud and very enthusiastic and she was one of those kinds of ladies who would grab your hands, or sometimes just your finger, when she'd talk to you. it was very endearing. and she really did help me. She talked me into some stuff that she called "minky" for the backing - which I would have never picked because it sort of borders on fleece, except that this stuff is stretchy and has more nap - and really does feel like what I assume a mink might feel like! Plus it was 60" wide which meant that even at $6.50/yard (which was the sale price!) I needed less than 1.5 yards. She said that she does a self binding so that the minky is wrapped around all the edges and the babies just love it. I think I would if I were a baby! So it's not really traditional, but I think it'll feel wonderful. Now I just have to do the wrestling with the batting and all that quilting. I think because it's pretty angular, i'm going to stick with that and do long straight lines down the length of the white pieces. Penny gave me advice on the top quilting part too - even drew me a little picture!, but I think I like the idea of sewing in the ditch of the blocks instead of doing radiating lines, as suggested. Oh, here's the part where I screwed up because I didn't have enough of the orange fabric, or the yellow - I'm telling myself it isn't horribly noticeable.

if you think it is, just don't tell me, ok? I prefer to live with my rose colored glasses on!

dirt under my nails

I have dirt under my nails and it's still February! how's that possible? it's because of this lovely green spot in my basement!

I have 4 varieties of hierloom tomatoes, two types of peppers, some eggplant and a bunch of flowers! whee! (I know most of you don't care - I'm just posting this so that Hannah is good and jealous ;)

I did it!.

Remember how I decided that having wollmeise sitting in my stash without actually being anything was just stupid? Well, I did something with it - an Ishbel! I love it. love it love it love it! I blocked it this morning and took a blowdryer to it because I wanted to take pictures this afternoon. I think I could have left it a little longer - I don't think it was totally dry - the points didn't spike out as much as I wanted and I hate it when people don't yank those points out! oh well, I can always block again. Oh, I got to use my blocking wires that I got for christmas - those things are pretty sweet!

I'm a makin' fool!

The weekend is officially a success! I took Friday off work because I wanted to do some sewing and it was like a fantastic adult snow day! When the bad weather started coming, I didn't care because I didn't have to drive anywhere. I got my embroidery box finished and also a denim skirt that I'd been working on! Then this morning I finished up this:

It's a woodsman shirt for my uncle. He brought the pattern and the fabric to me because he bought it years and years ago and he thought he'd make it (I've never known him to sew, but I'm sure he could if he wanted to.) I told him that I'd do it for him. The only part left to do is the buttons but he's making some out of antler (he had antler buttons that he bought for the shirt way back when, but he's a very obsessive detail kind of guy and decided that he wanted some that were slightly more domed on the top and polished - and 4 holes instead of 2, with the holes countersunk... very detail-y!) I've been sitting on the stuff for about a month or so and decided that I'd better do some work on it, then bam! it was finished! well, except for button holes, but that's nothing and I have to wait to see the size of the buttons anyway. I'm not exactly sure why he wants an authentic woodsman shirt - but he's my favorite uncle, so it doesn't matter! now, I can get on to the quilt for my next nephew!

I could if I wanted to!

...hit the road and take my embroidery with me, that is! I made this little case for my embroidery stuff after Catherine and I met at a coffee shop to stitch a few months back.

She has the cutest little vintage celluloid case for her stuff and I decided that I needed something too. After looking at a bunch of sewing boxes on eBay and keeping my eyes peeled at junk stores and antique marts, I decided that I'd just make my own! I embroidered the top then used some of the double sided mama jama interfacing (I forget what it's called, but it's super thick and made to stiffen stuff like this!) to give it some body and to attach some lining fabric to the inside. Then I cut sides and sewed in a zipper so it can unzip all around 3 sides and open up kind of like a book!

Now I just have to make a little pincushion-y spot where the needles can live (yes, i could just toss in a pack of needles, but i've come this far!) and make a little pouch for threaders and whatnot! Ok, so I've only taken my embroidery on the road once in my life, but by gum, that's enough to warrant a cute box! Oh, and for any of you not living in Ohio - this is what my back yard looked like this morning! I only took pictures because i'm kind of obsessed with getting one on the Channel 7 news! i don't really know why.

I don't want to say goodbye

Dear Gaia scarf made of Noro - where have you gone? why did you leave me? are you just hiding? is it one of those awkward situations where it was kind of funny at first and you thought I'd find you in a day, then I didn't and now it's just weird and not funny anymore so you're kind of avoiding me? Did I leave you somewhere and now you're pissed at me? I miss you. I think everyone I know should look for you where ever they go.