On the Needles - 6/13/14

I've been giving some love to my needles this past week!

My Happy Dance Socks are moving right along!

I admit it - I'm addicted to this colorway!!!!

Before you know it, they are going to be done and it will be time to load a new pair on the needles.  I like having a pair going at all times because they are the perfect "take-along" project when last-minute things pop up.  And they are perfect for late-night knitting along with my TV shows because by now they require very little thought except at the heels :)

I've also decided to knit along with Amy Herzog's Summer Sweater KAL - check it out on her blog HERE.  All the way back in February, I blogged that I wanted to start this sweater.....



Rocio is a summer sweater knitted with a very lightweight fingering yarn - perfect for the KAL.  You can find the pattern HERE in Ravelry.  You can follow my knitting adventures HERE, but I have to admit I don't keep my Projects Page as updated as I'd like.

Here is my very humble start for this sweater....

It's worked top down and starts with the back section.  The red yarn stitches are provisional stitches which will come out when it is time to join the front and the back.

I'm hoping this project will be challenging enough to grow my knitting skills, without being such a challenge that I hate it before I'm done!  And of course I'm hoping I've calculated correctly and it fits when I'm done!!!

The first thing I've learned is that I can read the chart for that lace pattern in the back much more easily than a list of stitches - who knew????

What's on your needles?  

I hope it's as fun as my projects are proving to be :*D

You can see more projects on needles at Judy's Patchwork Times today!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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Hello Yellow!

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge color for June is the audacious YELLOW!!!

"Audacious?" you ask?  Absolutely!  What other color unashamedly takes over quite the way yellow does?  And what other color is the color of the Sun, around which our entire universe revolves????  And what other color can make you smile, just by looking at it?  Yes, I think YELLOW knows that it is special, and it is audaciously smug about it too :*)  But you just have to love it, right?  It's like puppy dogs and kittens and babies - what's not to love????

But before we continue with our love for YELLOW, I have a little unfinished business to attend to....

Ta Da!!!  

Here is my GREEN Soul Searching block, finally finished!!!!

I was determined not to let this block slide - I've been really good about keeping up with my monthly blocks and I didn't want to fall short now!  I just love this GREEN one - such rich color!!!  And for once, I didn't have problems finding fabrics with interesting things going on :)

As soon as I had Soul Searching caught up, I happily dove into the YELLOWS and began washing them up so they could be ready for some serious playing!

It didn't take too terribly long to wash this color, considering I don't really have that many of them.  Which is a problem since I'm making my Happy Dance quilt in the Pink/Orange/Yellow colorway!  I'm finding that yellows are quite hard to find in something other than plain and boring.  However, I did run across these fun yellows while traveling a few weeks ago....

All washed but not yet ironed :*)

I found quite a lot of the yellow and black combination (top row) - so fun!!!  Don't you just love those glasses on the end of each stack on the right?  And those FUN bees?  They make me feel ready for summer!!!! 

I bought only quarter yards of these sweet prints.  I simply couldn't afford 1/2 yards of each at today's prices, and the shops did not cut fat quarters.  I think next time I'm in that situation, I may spring for at least a third yard.  Those quarter yards look so tiny!

I also picked up a few black-and-white prints - you can never have enough of those, right?  My favorite?

This fun monkey print - it makes me laugh!!!

(May camera makes some of the monkeys look stained black, but they are not :)

I haven't had time yet to begin with my usual RSC blocks for this month, but I've already begun to play with the new yellows, putting together the pieces for a Happy Dance block....

I've recently finished two more HD blocks....

This is going to be one bright and happy quilt!!!!

And remember the picture I showed you yesterday of my latest sock project?

I want to thank you all for your kind comments *blush*

And I've decided to name these my Happy Dance Socks!!!

I thought you might also like to see something I won the other day at Guild - it has YELLOW in it as well ...

A lovely mug and mug rug made by one of my favorite people in the whole world - Starr Howell!!!!  Can you see here that she even hand quilted around the flowers?  I'm not sure how I can be expected to actually EAT anything off of that lovely quilt!!!!!

Starr always makes everything so wonderful with her special touches!

And did you notice the beautiful green spatula in the above picture?

It came in a set as a gift from my lovely friend Lynn, who recently visited from Seattle!!!!

(They are not yellow - but lime green and aqua always win with me - every time!!!!)

While she was here, I loaned her one of my machines so she wouldn't have to bring hers on the airplane.  She was able to sew at retreat and then all the following week at her sister's house.  

And I was delighted to be able to help of course :*)

This week I hope to get my YELLOW Soul Searching block done.

But tomorrow will be more work in my sewing studio - if I have time I'll share some photos with you!

What will you be working on?

Check out all the fun projects in YELLOW at

SoScrappy's Rainbow Scrap Challenge

And see more Stash Enhancements at

Judy's Patchwork Times

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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On The Needles - 6/6/14

We're on the road today, so I brought along my current sock project to keep me busy :)





Aren't these going to be FUN????

Enjoy your weekend!!! Linking up with Judy's Patchwork Times.
http://www.patchworktimes.com

Hugs & Blessings
Teresa
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Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sizzix Fabric Cutter Review

Thanks to all of you who commented on the new Sizzix cutting area My Guy put in my sewing studio!  

Having a dedicated area for cutting is amazing!!!  I've never had that kind of room for sewing before, and believe me I am so grateful for it now!  I suppose there is something to be said for the Empty Nest, right?

The question most of you asked was for my opinion on the difference between the Sizzix and the Accuquilt machines.  So I thought I would share on a post for all of you :)

I really haven't used an Accuquilt Go cutter, but I have friends who own one and they are very happy with it.  I have to tell you though that I LOVE my Sizzix Big Shot Pro!  I purchased it because I got an amazing deal on it, and it does everything I would want a cutter to do.  The only cutter that can hold a candle to it is the Accuquilt Studio, but the cost of Studio dies takes my breath away!!!  I can cut very small pieces from a 6" die or up to 5 strips at a time if I'm using the extended tray and large dies - such a time saver!  And they are perfect every time.  I waste very little fabric because I cut my fabric to a size just a bit larger than the piece I am cutting before I put it in the cutter.  Some waste, yes, but I find that my pieces are more accurate so no waste from mistaken cuts or time spent thinking about where I need to cut each time.  It's definitely worth it for me!  What I may waste in fabric I more than make up for in time and the lack of stress.  And don't forget the lack of stress on my hands from rotary cutting!

I can also use any die with my machine, both Sizzix and Accuquilt dies.  However, the Accuquilt Go can only use Accuquilt dies, not Sizzix.  I felt it gave me more options.  I think Accuquilt has more die options, but since I can use any of them in my Sizzix with an adaptor, that's not a problem.

I cut Easy Street almost exclusively with dies..... see my posts HERE and HERE ...

..... most of Bonnie Hunter's quilts can be cut using a die cutter!

At our last Guild meeting, Scrap Queen Pam, shared that she purchased a Go Baby for the smaller dies and loves that it is transportable.  I have to say, I was intrigued and will store that in my little brain for the next time Joann's has a sale :*)

So those are my thoughts - I would love to hear any of your thoughts or experiences too.

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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It's Party Time!!!!

My NewFO Challenge project for May was supposed to be a simple one.....

Bird on a Branch

I finally decided to make this small wall-hanging from this awesome Piece O' Cake book, Applique Outside the Lines, that I've been drooling over for several years now!

I love Sharon's Let's Book It party because it encourages me to get some of those dusty books off the shelf and make those quilts that I love so much!

This small wall-hanging can be used as part of a larger one that I also love.....

Can you see that the left side portion is Bird on a Branch?  I still need to decide whether mine will just be Bird on a Branch or if it wants to be part of this bigger wall-hanging called Tree O' Life.  I reeeeaaaallllly like this bigger one!!!!

In the meantime, I decided to go ahead and make the small portion and see how I like it before deciding whether to go for the whole shebang.  (Note:  I'm going to pull a 'Barbara' here and advise you that Miriam Webster Online states the definition of 'shebang' is, "everything involved in what is under consideration."  Just sayin'.....

So I pulled fabrics .....

........... and traced off the designs onto fusible.....

But then I realized it was going to be pretty darn small - a lot smaller than I thought it would be.  Looking back at the pattern to see why that might be, I realized they were supposed to be enlarged by 50% - yikes!!!  And of course since I was at retreat I didn't have access to a printer and had to stop working on it.  Basically I'm going to have to start over .....  but I did get started on it!  And that's all that's required to be eligible to join in the NewFO Challenge according to our NewFO Guru, Barbara.  

(Of course, if you ask me -- and you did, didn't you? -- I think Smitty and Gracie are really the ones pulling the strings over at Cat Patches blog *VBG*  They make Barbara say it is all her idea so they won't have to deal with any of the work.... cats are really, really smart that way!  =^..^=)

Linking up with these fun parties - Come on and join in the fun!!!!

Cat Patches' May NewFO Challenge party -

Vrooman's Let's Book It! party -

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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Not Yet Done with Green!

Our Rainbow Scrap Challenge color for May was GREEN, and I finally managed to find enough time to put together my little GREEN Hootie Owl to add to the growing flock....

And then there were FIVE  *wink*

I washed GREEN fabrics until I began to feel like a stalk of broccoli!!!  I wonder if that is the reason I ate so few salads this month?  Hmmmm..... oh well :*)  Honestly, I had no idea I had so many GREEN fabrics!!!  And it's not even my favorite color - go figure :)

I did start pulling out some fabrics to audition for my Soul Searching block....

..... but all plans of working on that flew out the window when My Guy announced he was ready to set up my Sizzix station in the studio!!!  Yippee!!!  I was almost as excited as Gypsy gets when she hears me yell "Treats!"

Up to now, my Sizzix Big Shot Pro - which is extremely heavy! - has been stuck under a table.  I really haven't used it as much as I would like because it is too much trouble to get it out and find a place to set it up.

We had a HUGE legal-size, five-drawer lateral filing cabinet in one corner that I was anxious to move out of there, and we decided it would be the perfect place to give the Sizzix cutter a permanent home.  Here are the file drawers in the middle of the TV corner of my studio....

And here are the cabinets we planned to put in there instead - two 24" base cabinets in white.....

And here are the same cabinets all boxed up again and back downstairs so they could go back to Lowes!

I didn't realize until we got them set up that my dies didn't fit in them - oops!!!  I have the extended tray cutter which uses 25" long dies, so back to Lowes the cabinets went.  Ask me what My Guy thought about that little miscalculation - especially considering he is moving all these cabinets up and down the stairs with a bum knee!  (with my capable help of course *smile*)

And FINALLY, here are the new ones - one 18" and one 36" base cabinet.....

The cutter has to have all that space on each side for the tray to clear on each end

as it moves through the machine.

Perfect!!!!

And just in case you were wondering how BIG a MESS two people can make in one morning in a sewing studio.....

Yep, it looked like 10 bombs dropped in there!  

But have no fear, by this evening all is back in order, and my new cabinets look absolutely divine, even if I do say so myself :*)  Cutting fabric is now going to be such a pleasure!!!!

So I suppose I will be working on May's GREEN for a little while into June.  Hopefully Angela won't bounce me out of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!!  I promise to do better in June.... which by the way is tomorrow!!!  Wow, how time does fly, doesn't it?

Hope you are finding fun, quilty ways to enjoy your summer!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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Ahhhh..... It's Good to Be Home!

I really enjoyed my recent adventures at the Red Rooster Retreat and then visiting with family in North Carolina!  But it's always nice to come home again, isn't it?

This is how I spent yesterday morning .....

I love this view from our covered side porch :)  My Guy put up the hummingbird feeder (yes, we are a little late!) and repotted some luscious red summer geraniums while I was gone, and my favorite oriental lillies are blooming - everything just looks so relaxing and inviting!!!

I got SO MUCH done at retreat!  In addition to finishing up and hand-delivering little man Hudson's carry-around blankie (see post HERE), I also had tremendous fun playing with Jacquelynne Steve's lovely Cottage Charm fabrics!

Panel square from Cottage Charms - designed by Jacquelynne Steves

Everyone was ooooohhhh'ing and aaaahhhhhh'ing over these fabrics!  Which, by the way, are NOW available on her website - JacquelynneSteves.com !!!  Fat quarter bundles are HERE and the cute panel prints are HERE.  Go see them now!!!!

I also am happy to report that I have my June Bertie all stitched down and embroidered!

Machine stitching around the pieces.....

Hand stitching the embellishments .....

And the top is now a finish!

Now I just have to find time tomorrow to get it sandwiched and quilted so it can go on the wall June 1 :)

 I also crafted a removable Luggage Strap for my Vera Bradley bag that My Guy gave me for Christmas....

I didn't want to check any baggage on the plane trip to Carolina, so I packed my smallest suitcase and carried my essentials in this bag - it worked out perfectly!!!

And On the Needles, I finished up my Purple Kroy Socks!!!  This is my second pair in this yarn because my daughter claimed the first pair before they were ever even off the needles LOL!!!  They are just Plain-Jane design, toe-up, two-at-a-time with Magic Loop.

This bright and happy yarn is going On The Needles for my next pair of socks!!!

Not very shapely yarn cakes are they?  LOL!!!

The day after I got home from retreat, I had to be at the airport at 7am for my flight to Carolina!!!  While there, I got lots of time with the sweetest grandkids in the universe!!!  I was blessed to be able to attend this granddaughter's performance of a lead part in her school play.....

Sara with her mom (our daughter Christy) after the play

And we all came together as a family to celebrate our oldest granddaughter's graduation from high school - GO EMMA!!!!!

No, she is NOT happy about the cap-and-gown get-up!!!

Watching my son giving his little first-grade soccer players an impromptu bible lesson on the field at half time was a blessing I won't forget soon either..... notice there are players from both teams in that huddle :)

It was a lovely short visit and I miss them all already!!!

Thanks to all of you who asked about My Guy's knee - he's doing great and getting around with barely a limp!  We'll be finishing up the studio redesign soon and I'll share pictures as we do :)  Several of you also were curious about the tables in the picture I showed of our sewing area at the Red Rooster....



As nice as that would be, the Sew-Ezi tables were not provided by the Red Rooster.  Most of us at the retreat sew together often, and when one finds a tool that they love (like the Sew-Ezi table!), we all have to have one!  You know how that works, don't you?

Hope you have a HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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