The kids' elementary school had their annual sock hop on Friday. One of my boys said he didn't want to go, but in the end, enticed by root beer floats, they all came with me, all danced and had a great time. I made a poodle skirt for my DD and she looked so cute. One of my 3rd grade sons even danced the Merengue with a GIRL!
Their P.E. teacher dressed up as Elvis and looked adorable... I mean, COOL!
It dawned on me yesterday on my way to work that my stepsister is expecting her first baby sometime this summer. I thought what a great quilt gift the pink one would be if she has a girl. Then, in talking to my girlfriend about being torn whether to give the pink quilt to DD's teacher, my stepsister, or keep it, she said "Why don't you make 2 smaller quilts?" The girl is a genius!
With a 6" outer border, I'll end up with 2 quilts that are 44 x 62 - perfect size for a baby quilt and a thank you gift! I only have 4 blocks left to sew and then the 2 pinkies will be ready to go together. I did have to order more of the stripe for the inner border, so hopefully that will arrive soon.
Yesterday at the quilt store in downtown Seattle, I stopped by to get this cute Michael Miller My Valentine fabric for the back of the quilts. I had a credit from filling out my punch card on my last visit, so my backing cost me just $1.50 out of pocket - SWEET!
While at the shop, I saw the new Moda line - Johnny & Buck - the sweetest cowboy fabrics ever! I think I might have to buy some of those too and make a baby boy quilt, just in case! ;-)
My lofty plans for the 3-day weekend included finishing 2 of my UFOs, but I didn't quite make it. I did, however, finish the oldest one, this Magic Star quilt top made with Asian print fabrics. I love the way it turned out, and am so happy to have the top completed, because I did not enjoy the construction of it at all!
I didn't finish the Buttercream and Figs quilt top because I didn't make it to the quilt store to purchase setting block fabric until yesterday. I found the perfect one, I think, and will work on getting that top together after I finish the Valentine quilt.
Here is a picture of that one in progress on my design wall. It's very PINK, but I love it. I'm considering making it a present for my daughter's kindergarten teacher, but I'm not completely sold on the idea yet.
Now that I have my Buttercream & Figs quilt up on the design wall, I'm thinking that the dark brown alternate blocks are too dark for this quilt. I think it looks ok in this photo, but something about it being on the wall and me being able to step back makes me think this fabric is all wrong.
I know from trying some other fabrics earlier that it really needs to be something tone-on-tone that reads solid, because even a small flower print I tried looked all wrong. I want the pieced blocks to stand out, so the alternate blocks need to fade into the background.
But what to do now? Look for a different brown, something more cinnamon-y? I don't know, but I hate having to buy more fabric for this quilt that I thought was finished!
Oh yeah, to support my fabric junkie ways.... I sure wish there was some way around that! I have so many ideas swirling through my head, I'd like to be able to just stay home and work on quilts all day!
Yesterday I finished all the blocks for my Magic Star quilt made using my collection of Asian print fabrics. My quilt will be wider than the one pictured here because I felt those proportions looked "off." I saw this finished quilt at my guild's retreat last April. I already had my quilt cut out, and seeing it cemented my resolve to make it my next quilt project.
The resolve didn't last a heck of a long time, though. This is the most boring quilt in the whole, wide world. I had it up on my design wall 3 times and took it down to work on something else, but I finally made myself finish it. Well, I finished the blocks, anyway. I still have about 6 rows of blocks to sew together - I hate that part too! lol
When I'd taken Magic Star down from my design wall, I put up my Buttercream and Figs quilt to check the layout. I decided that I wanted to do a square quilt instead of the 3 block by 5 block quilt that I was planning. So I had to cut out an additional block last night, but I like the 4x4 layout much better for this quilt.
And as I was lying in bed last night, I had a great idea for some heart-shaped appliques of the Valentine quilt that will be next up in the rotation. Fun stuff!
One of my favorite web resources - Missing Fabrics - has come through for me again! They posted my ad for a 2004 Alexander Henry fabric on Saturday, on Sunday I had an email with a link to an online store that had my fabric, and yesterday I had 3 yards of fabric in my hot little hands! The fabric is perfect for the alternate block of my Valentine quilt. I'm excited to get it done. So if you're ever looking for a fabric that is out of print, give Missing Fabrics a try - you might just find it!!
Here are a couple of pictures of current works in progress.
First, the Fickle Fingers scarf from the most recent Interweave Knits.
Next, the most likely arrangement for my Buttercream & Figs quilt - I like the brown setting blocks, not sure about the outside edge triangles. Might try them with an olive green instead of the gold.
And finally, an idea for a Valentine/heart themed quilt. I've had the red fabric in my stash for at least a year, and now that I know what I want to make with it, don't have enough for the quilt! But I think I can make do with putting an alternate solid block. I'd love to use this Alexander Henry print with words of love on a pale pink background, but I don't have enough of that either! So the search is on for a suitable substitute.
I started the Fickle Fingers scarf from the latest Interweave Knits magazine, using the yarn called for in the pattern. After a few false starts, I'm almost through my first ball of yarn. I bought 3 rather than 2 in order to make it a little longer or wider.
I first cast on 19 stitches as the pattern directs, but after a couple of inches, decided it was too narrow. So I cast on again with 29 stitches and decided after a couple of inches that it was too wide and too dense. So I restarted with larger needles (size 10) and 23 stitches and it seems just about right. Except the yarn isn't striping like it did in the magazine photo. I still like it, though, and it couldn't be easier.
Photo tomorrow, as my camera battery croaked this morning trying to get a decent shot of it!
I picked up Samus to work on the cable band for the body of the sweater. After 3-4 restarts, I finally made it into my third pattern repeat. But after this morning's knitting, I looked closely and found that on one of the legs of my cables, I purled where I should have knit, so it was showing reverse stockinette on the front instead of stockinette... about 15 rows back!
I have a terrible time frogging cables and figuring out where I'm at, which is why I've had to begin this band so many times. I don't know if I will be able to find my place this time, so this may be shelved for another few months until I can bear to look at it again.
This is my favorite online quilt store these days. Kimberly is a doll to work with and orders are shipped out the same day, I usually get them 2 days after I order. She carries most of the Moda lines, which is my favorite fabric brand. My SIL calls me "Moda Girl" - I think they need to fire all their designers, because every fabric they produce is more beautiful than the next!
My most recent purchases include the Faded Memories and Quilt Pink charm packs. These are 5" squares of each of the fabrics in the line. I discovered that buying 2 charm packs and putting them together with fabric from my stash (yeah, right! lol), I can make a really pretty quilt pretty inexpensively. Of course, if I really LOVE a fabric, I have to buy the fat quarter packs - like Rhubarb & Ginger and the Poetry Collection by April Cornell. STOP MAKING FABRIC, WILL YA???
