UFO-a-go-go.

I had several irons in the fire this week, but the big news is, I'm coming down the home stretch on my Delectable Pathways quilt.

I got the top pretty much put together yesterday. I still have some appliqué to do on leaves that cross over seams. There are also two seams to sew, left open to make  appliqué and embroidery easier, but otherwise, it's done. This was a major UFO for me, started seven years ago. I should call it "Peggy's Sistine Chapel."

I'm going to allow myself to piece one new quilt before tackling the next UFO, and I still have to piece the Habitat House Quilt in early September. However, Julie is going to quilt it and Janet has agreed to put on the binding.

We had an amazing turnout at Common Threads (12 people!) Julie brought along a couple of quilts she's finishing. Here's her comfy cabin quilt:

With  Minky on the back:

She also brought a batik quilt:

Also with Minky on he back:

Pru (Tigermum), a friend of mine from the Tudor Roses KAL group and Starmore Junkies on Ravelry, is in Park City part time. She came to Common Threads and brought her Katherine of Aragon sweater (in progress) for us to see. 

It's really interesting to see in person, partly because she used the yarn called for in the pattern, and she has so much of it done. Here is Pru's Katherine of Aragon sweater:

She also brought some socks she had made and wore another Starmore project. We have a lot of knitters in Common Threads, so it was great she could come and bring along her great projects.

In other quilting news, the Park City Quilt Guild met last week. We had a great show-and-tell.

We saw this great baby quilt:

And this fantastic paper-pieced quilt:

One of our members made this book for a child, including chalk, in a zippered pocket, and a chalk "board."

We saw this great quilt:

One member had made a quilt for her mother, using some blocks her mother pieced before she had to stop quilting due to macular degeneration. The quilter had family members make personalized patches to put in the quilt.

Another quilter had some children help make this quilt. She explained to them the meaning of the log cabin block and how colors were used in early quilts of this type to represent the fireplace and the warmth or light from it.

Some of us visited Joanie on Friday. She had finished her vest.

She is recovering from a major procedure, and is doing well.

I made my second nylon scrubber out of nylon net while I was there.

These are not only handy in the dishpan, but also for cleaning up your cutting mat.

This week Sunny and I completed our recertification process with Therapy Animals of Utah (TAU) and Pet Partner. Our first job was to go to a BBQ put on by another organization, and give a presentation about TAU, during which I explained what we do and talked about some of our experiences with clients, and Sunny did her thing, providing "therapy" to people who seemed healthy and well off. You never know, however. The organization decided to give us a donation.

Baby Johan has been growing. He's still pretty much a night owl, though. Photos of him taken during the day are pretty much with his eyes shut. However, this shows how much he has grown, if you compare with the photos of him in his car seat when he left the hospital. Amazing.

Zachary got his first haircut. Daddy provided the labor, and Mommy cried. Believe it or not, this is after the haircut:

What's on my needles: Still Cat Bordhi's "Bavarian Twisted Stitch" socks from her book, Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles, but I'm calling them the Johan Socks. 

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished The Blue Sapphire by D. E. Stephenson from Audible, which was the first one of her books I read years ago. It led me to read as many of her books as I could get my hands on. Now I'm listening to The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness, also from Audible. Still reading Joseph Lallo's The Book of Deacon from Book Bub.

What's my app of the week: I've been getting a lot of use out of my iPhone calculator. I love that I can just whip it out, the way I do my iPhone camera. It comes in handy when calculating my knitting gauge or when cutting fabric for a quilt.

What's in my wine glass: Apothic Red winemaker's blend 2012. DH thinks it's too sweet, but I don't find it sweet at all, and I don't like sweet wines. We found this at Fred Meyer in Oregon, picked up by chance. I went back and got more. My friend Rob says it's more expensive in Utah, but I may have to splurge anyway.

What's my tip of the week: If you're piecing Delectable Mountain blocks, and you know you are going to have to press the seam that has the points under, give the points a wide berth. An extra thread or two will do. The points will tend to bend into the seam otherwise.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.

The Skies of Roswell

It's Like the Skies of Roswell! Except this is a different kind of UFO.

My Yei Figures Bag is finished except for adding the beads to the necklaces and bolos.

I decided to line it with some nice quilting fabric. The lining has some pockets for knitting or quilting supplies. 

The bag is big enough to hold a fairly large quilting or knitting project: 23" wide and 16" deep. (It's hanging on my front door in this photo.) This project was started in 2008, and I'm glad to have it done! This isn't the last of the UFOs. No, I have a nice supply!

The bedding for Daphne's dolly bunk beds isn't really a UFO, but it needed to get finished in time for her birthday next month. I finished one of the quilts during Vintage Stitchers this week and the other the next day. Here's one:

And the other:

I used '30s reproduction fabrics for the quilt tops, and some fabric my friend Ellen gave me for the backing. (It's cute fabric with little baby sleepers all over it.) Instead of batting, I used a layer of white flannel.

Some Peter Rabbit fabric left over from Daphne's baby quilt made great contour sheets, pillowcases and trim on the top sheets. I made the pillows out of the same ticking I used for the mattresses.

DH is going to help me recover the mattress boards, which are currently topped with a layer of foam and then some Con-Tact paper, which has become torn in places. I found some shelf liner that's more substantial and might last longer. It also looks like the kind of material that might be at the bottom of baby beds or play pens.

You might remember that I picked these dolly bunk beds up at the antique fair in Ogden. The whole thing comes apart for shipping, which is a good thing. This would be pretty expensive to ship set up. 

Vintage Stitchers met at Janet's this week. Joanie is almost finished with her James Bond baby sweater. She has promised to let me get a photo before she sends it off.

Carol was sewing the binding on her Planet Quilt:

I really like my minigroups, Vintage Stitchers (mostly quilting) and Common Threads (mostly knitting). The members of these groups are so excited about what they are doing, and they share this enthusiasm, but they also are learning different things, which they share with everyone, and their efforts are a real inspiration to all of us.

I bought some Palette yarn this week from a friend who was destashing, and in the batch of yarn was two of the colors I need for the for Mary Tudor cardigan. I was talking about the sweater at Vintage Stitchers, so Janet did some stash diving and came up with two other colors I needed, which she donated to me. She can come and "shop" in my stash of Palette any time she likes! Here's what I have now for the Mary Tudor:

Clockwise, from top right: Toffee, Brindle Heather (MC), Suede, Regal, Marine Heather, Blue Note Heather, Clematis Heather. I have more than one ball of several of these. The Regal is not as red as it appears in the photo. Not in photo and still to be purchased: Indigo Heather and Abyss Heather. (Waiting for the Abyss to come in before I place my order.)

Finally, having finished the Yei Figures bag, I allowed myself to CO for a new Baby Surprise Jacket  (BSJ) for Soren's baby brother, due in August. I'm using two Crazy Zauberballs (fingering weight) the way the BSJ I saw in Knit on Pearl in Jackson, Wyoming, was made.

I have the two balls in bowls to keep them from rolling around, but zip bags will work for travel.

Tuesday was Zachary's birthday, and we had a great Skype session with the family. His I-spy quilt had arrived, and and enjoyed setting his trains up on it. He has another big present coming.

Some of you may not think the dolly bunk beds and Zachary's birthday Skype session are enough cuteness, so here's a new photo of Soren:

They're growing up so fast!

Well, I don't see any more UFOs hovering over me, but then it's snowing again!

What's on my needles: BSJ for BS2, Soren's little brother. 

What's on my loom: Waffle scarf, no progress this week, but it should be warming up soon, so it will be nice to work downstairs. 

What's on my Featherweight: Back to the Delectable Pathways.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished another novel by Georgette Heyer, Sylvester, then read The Secret Countess by Eva Ibbotsen. Now I'm listening to Regency Buck, another Georgette Heyer novel. (I seem to be on a Heyer binge lately.) All of these were from Audible. The Knit Wits Podcast is back, yaaaay! I'm watching "Stranded Colorwork, Basics and Beyond" from Craftsy.

What's my app of the week: The Podcast app. Now that my favorite podcast has returned.

What's in my wine glass: Concannon merlot 2011. The big bottle. It will last several days because we're still in Lent, and I've given up my second glass of wine for Lent. :-( 

But Lent will be over the end of the week. :-)

What's my tip of the week: When casting on a large number of stitches, I like to put a stitch marker every 20 sts, so I don't have to count over again from the beginning if I lose my place.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.

UFO Sightings

It's another week for UFOs. Janet's Sipalu Bag is finished!

Janet started this bag in 2008. She thinks of herself as a quilter, not a knitter, but she has the talent, learns new techniques quickly and has a great sense of color. She changed some of the colors for this bag, which she bought as a kit. On to her Dogwood Blossoms sweater!

My Yei Figures bag has come along a bit this week.

Common Threads met at my house this week, requiring some time spent with the H-word beforehand. It's always nice to get the house clean, though.

Bernadette is crocheting an afghan:

We have several crocheters in our group. It makes me want to do some more crocheting. Maybe another granny square afghan to bust my stash so I can buy more yarn.

Julie brought Zachary's I-spy quilt, which she machine-quilted for me. She wanted to get it to me in time for me to bind it and send it off for his birthday. Here's the front.

The back will be good for him to play with his trains and cars on. The quilt is on its way to the birthday boy. Zachary will be two on Tuesday.

I may not have enough of the backing fabric to use for backing for Soren's I-spy quilt, but if not, I'll find something just as fun. I finished piecing the top for it on Saturday.

As you can see, it's almost identical to Zachary's. Some of the I-spy patches are different.

You may remember the bunk beds I found at the antique fair for Daphne's dolls. I've been working on making bedding for them, so I can send them off in time for her birthday next month. So far, I've finished the mattresses and the blankets.

There are plans for sheets and quilts, then some repair on the base that supports each mattress. Foam rubber is covered with torn Con-Tact paper. I want to replace the Con-Tact paper, if I can find a suitable pattern.

In the meantime, I'm getting ideas for a quilt for Soren's baby brother, due in August. It's the Chinese "Year of the Horse." I'm looking for a cute horse image to use for designing an appliqué. I'm also ready to CO for another BSJ for the new baby. Even though he will have several BSJ hand-me-downs already from Soren, each child should have at least one knit just for him or her, I think.

The I-spy quilts and doll bedding don't count as UFOs, so I can't start a new knitting project or quilt until I finish one of the true UFOs in my pipeline. The Delectable Pathways definitely qualifies as a UFO, and I'm coming down the home stretch with that. I managed to get a few more leaves appliquéd on this week, and I keep reminding myself that this is the last panel. All the blocks are done, so when this panel is done, I can put the whole thing together and finish it. In the meantime, I have two quilts I'm hand-quilting, and they have been languishing, and another one partly pieced. There is also a Wedding-ring quilt partly pieced.

While finishing up my UFOs, I'm dreaming about the new projects I want to make. I have two kits and several patterns, all ready to go. One new one is the kit for CT's Lincoln's Log Cabin. And then there's the Clara's Journey quilt pattern.

These add to my collection of planned but unstarted projects, including the Treasure Chest quilt. The kit is in reds, blues and tans. There is also the Pine Burr quilt from McCall's Quilting, May/June 2012, only I plan on a different palette.

I have also picked out some Palette yarn for the Mary Tudor Cardigan in Alice Starmore's new Tudor Roses book. (Knitters, this book looks great on the coffee table!) I already have some of the yarn I need:

I'm going to use Palette in Brindle Heather (MC), Indigo Heather, Abyss Heather, Blue Note Heather, Toffee, Marine, Suede, Clematis Heather and Mulberry, listed in order of how much will be used. The photo shows what I already have on my stash. Missing from the photo are Abyss Heather, Indigo Heather, Toffee and Mulberry, and I will need more of the Brindle Heather and Marine Heather. 

I'm looking forward to seeing what I can finish this week. Stay tuned!

What's on my needles: The Yei Figures Bag, finishing up the embroidery and the duplicate stitch on the front. BSJ for BS2, Soren's little brother, due in August ready to CO. 

What's on my loom: Waffle scarf, no progress this week, but it's warming up, so it will be nice to work downstairs. 

What's on my Featherweight: Bedding for Daphne's dolly bunk beds. Mattresses and blankets done, sheets and two quilts still to go.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Mercedes Lackey's Arrows of the Queen was pretty good. I just finished The Girl in the Gatehouse, by Julie Klassen and have started another novel by Georgette Heyer, Sylvester. I'm watching "Stranded Colorwork, Basics and Beyond" from Craftsy.

What's my app of the week: KSL Weather, which I like better than the weather app that came with my iPhone. Our weather in Summit Park can vary a lot from that of Park City because of the difference in elevation and the location of the mountains. We have weather measuring equipment right here. KSL is a local TV station in Salt Lake City, but you can choose locations anywhere.

What's in my wine glass: Lelanau Cellars Autumn Harvest Premium Dry Red Table Wine, a Michigan wine. Dry and fruity. Surprising treat!

What's my tip of the week: When measuring for quilt borders, measure across the middle, vertically and horizontally, and cut the borders to that measurement, sewing one pair of borders on before measuring for the the other pair. Ease the fabric if needed when sewing them on. This usually ensures that your quilt will be square and doesn't resemble a potato chip, as the edges are more likely to be either larger or smaller than the middle of the quilt, and the edges may not match.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.

Happy Endings

This week brought this wonderful book into my life, Tudor Roses (2013 edition) by Alice Starmore.

It's a reworking of the 1998 book of the same name, but with the sweaters reknit, rephotographed and somewhat redesigned. Some of the original sweaters are posted on Ravelry.

Some of the new ones don't have photos available on Ravelry yet, but watch for them...unless you get the book, and then you can see them all.

The one I have been wanting to do is the Mary Tudor sweater, a pullover in 1998 and a cardigan in the new version. I( like the new version better.)

When I discovered that this book was out, I snapped it up. The 1998 version was out-of-print, and was selling on Amazon for $600+. I tried to find it in a library, but the libraries that had the book had it listed as "missing." I assume that is the same thing as "stolen." I had a gift certificate from Amazon for Christmas, so the the new edition of the book was virtually free!

We braved the snow on Thursday to meet for Common Threads at Ellen's. We had a great turnout, in spite of the weather.

Janet has continued to practice machine appliqué, including working on these chicks. (Sorry about the back lighting. Next time I need to choose my seat more carefully.)

She also finished her Heart Quilt. (Upper corners aren't rounded. Janet is holding on there.)

She used the leftover fabrics in this quilt top.

Margareth's pullover is coming along. She's working on the bottom ribbing and then just has the sleeves to go.

She's been smiling alot these days, but she had been smiling ever since she arrived and told us that her boyfriend had proposed on Valentine's Day. I think her "smiler" was exhausted when I took this photo. 

DH's Christmas Waffle sweater is dry, so I got a photo of it blocked and modeled.

Now I'm afraid DH will wear it in the house all the time and turn down the thermostat even further. That thought spurred me on to finish a warm sweater for myself. The Dogwood Blossoms is blocking! Here it is before finishing the steek edges inside, darning in dangling ends of yarn and blocking. 

We had a hard time putting the wooly board together inside my sweater. After we struggled it onto the wooly board, I took it out in the street to get a photo.

It's a little different from the pattern. I changed the sleeve to a drop shoulder instead of a capped shoulder, BO sts below the armescye steeks, split the top of the sleeve at the underarm by knitting back and forth for the last 2" and added a triangular gusset. For the colors, I substituted the discontinued color "Nutmeg" for "Almond" and reduced the amount of "Rose Hip" overall. I threw in a bit of greenish-gold colors, too. It makes me warm just to look at it!

My goal was to finish these two sweaters during the Ravellenic Games, which ended yesterday, so I'm pleased, even though I barely made it.

What's on my needles: Ready to CO new sweater for Rocky. "Green Tea" socks, second sock coming along, working on the foot. 

What's on my loom: Christmas present scarves, in holding pattern. 

What's on my Featherweight: Piecing the second I-spy quilt, this one for Soren. Sewing day didn't happen this week. Life got in the way.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer, from Audible. (Fantastic narrator!) Now listening to the sequel to A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, by Deborah Harkness. Finished reading Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen, by Sally Smith O'Rourke. Now back to Dragonseye by Anne McCaffrey, procured again from the library after a long wait.

What's my app of the week: NBC Sports Live Extra. It came in handy during the Olympics. 

What's in my wine glass: Alice White Shiraz 2012, the big bottle. 

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.