Fun with Friends

Common Threads met out in Midway on Thursday.


Ginny is making progress on the hand-quilting of her pillow shams, and Lynda modeled her latest chapeau (another project for a friend).


Janalee, our host, was crocheting a chemo hat, and Georgette had a small needlepoint project to work on.


DGD1 brought her garter stitch scarf to work on.


Julie's working on this sweater for her DGD1:


She had already finished this BSJ (Baby Surprise Jacket) for her DGD2.


For something a little different, Angie shows off the Dream Catcher she finished at Common Threads.


Angie is the author of the novel Copper Descent, which I just picked up from Kindle.

Ginny showed us how to make an apron from a pair of old jeans. She cut the front off, leaving the waist band and the seat down to where it starts to curve for the crotch. You use the front closure to fasten in the back.


Here Ginny shows the finished apron, which she presented to me.


I've been collecting fabrics mostly in these colors.


I'm planning on using them in the Pine Burr quilt from McCall's Quilting magazine, May/June 2012.

I think I've learned enough about paper piecing that I'm ready to start on it. However I have a class at Davidene's on Wednesday from 11-1, so I'll be starting that first, although I may try just one block, just to see. The class at Davidene's is based on Tales of First Ladies by Eleanor Burns. They're making a stack of fat quarters in Civil War fabrics available at a great price, so I plan on using those.

We've been walking the dogs on the street, because it's too muddy on the trails and there's very little snow. I think the northeast got all of our snow this year. The local resorts have snow, though. (They can make it.) We try to get out and walk on the days we don't have an exercise class.

DGD1 brought home a new friend to knit with. While DGD worked on this scarf with some new (to her) stitches, I taught the friend how to use two circular needles to knit in the round. She did some stash diving in Grandma's little yarn store and came up with some yarn for a hat. During the times when they didn't need my help, I organized my fabrics for the Pine Burr quilt, so it will be ready to go. I also tidied up my studio a bit and put away a bunch of interchangeable needles I had just lying around.

What's on my needles: Brick Cardigan, second sleeve coming along well. (It looks the same as in last week's blog post, except that there are now two sleeves.)

What's on my Featherweight: Mending, but I'm ready to start a new quilt on Wednesday. I have a class at Davidene's at 11:00 AM, so will have to pack up my baby and include some supplies and equipment.

What's on my loom: Still some warp for another scarf, but still folded up.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished In the Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotsen. Now listening to The Secret of Pembrooke Park by Julie Klassen from Audible. Just started Angie's book, Copper Descent, on the Kindle app.

What's my app of the week: Virtuoso Piano from this website (there are several other piano apps), for figuring out what notes I'm supposed to sing in a piece were singing Sunday at church.

What's in my wine glass: Woodbridge Zinfandel 2013. Always nice.

What's my tip of the week: This tip came from someone in the Just Us Quilters group on Facebook. She cuts up her larger leftovers into squares and triangles, and keeps them near her sewing machine. When she's piecing a quilt and needs to start or finish sewing by using a small scrap of cloth, she sews together two squares or triangles instead. When she has enough of them, she uses them in a quilt.


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.

Warped in Mind, Body and Looms

The first Waffle Scarf is coming along. I warped the loom for three, if things work out.

Of course, if I run out of weft (not likely) I can switch to a different yarn, but there should be enough warp for three. It's a waffle pattern normally used for dish towels. I found it on the Internet. I thought it might be warm and fun to do. So far, I've confirmed the fun part. I also warped the small rented table loom for the rug class with Jason Collingwood, which started Saturday and continues through today. I should have a full report next week. 

Common Threads met at Lynda's last week. Julie brought Margareth's quilted blanket, which will be finished just in time for winter. 

Margareth did the weaving, and Julie quilted it with Minky on the back. The quilting pattern is snowflakes. It doesn't show up very well in the photo, because Minky is so shiny. 

Lynda showed us her "evening hat." It's an evening hat because it took an evening to knit it, and she can wear it when she goes out for evening. 

Georgette had finished this scarf. 

And Karan had made a poncho from the same pattern Joanie used for her purple poncho several months ago. 

Chablis paid us a visit. She's very sweet, and she gets along well with Lynda's dog and two cats. 

I started a cardigan for Daphne during the meeting. It's a priority, because it would be nice if I can finish it in time for Christmas. 

I'm calling it "Green Pastures," and I'm using Swish Worsted in Dublin, White and Black. The pattern is "Welcome to the Flock" from Moth Heaven. 

The pattern is designed for babies, but I'm making it with thicker yarn and bigger needles, and I'm pretty sure it will come out big enough for Daphne. Wherever the pattern refers to inches, I convert the inches to rows or sts based on gauge for the original pattern, and then convert the rows or sts to the gauge I'm getting with the Swish and larger needles. The pattern is thicker around the waist to allow for a diaper, (not needed for Daphne) so I just started out with the number of sts needed around the chest and eliminated the decreases. It's going fast. I think I have enough yarn to make a smaller one for Soren. Zachary will get to wear this one when Daphne grows out of it. 

It has been a week dedicated mostly to weaving adventures. I was feeling bad about having nothing to show quilters this week, so I went through some of my old photos and scanned in this one of my "Stars of Yesterday" quilt. 

It's made up of Ohio Star blocks on point with a border of flying geese. I used 19th Century reproduction fabrics and heavily quilted it with feather wreaths in the plain blocks. Getting the border to fit was tricky with all those seams. Any other quilters ever have that problem?

Just for fun, I thought I'd share this photo Susan the Blue Lake Knitter brought to my attention on Facebook: a new breed of fiber animal, perhaps? Let's call it a Sheepoodle. 

You can read the true story of this amazing creature here.

I thought you needed a dose of cuteness, too, so here's a shot of Daphne in her dance class. She seems to be a natural, like her mother.

What's on my needles: Dogwood Blossoms, Christmas Waffle sweater, and Green Tea socks with the heel almost done. First Green Pastures cardigan started and a few inches done.

What's on my loom: Oh, no! I have two looms with warp on each! Making progress on the Christmas present scarves. The smaller loom from the guild is being used for the class. Photos next week. 

What's on my wheel: Full Circle Roving in "Wolf". First bobbin finished. No progress this week. 

What's on my Sewing needles, Featherweight: Delectable Pathways, piecing the Delectable Mountain block panels. Appliqué panel #3, No progress this week.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Still listening to The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore on the Overdrive app. Reading Cry of the Peacock by V. R. Christensen on the Kindle App, purchased through BookBub. Listening to the Fiber Hooligan podcast and the Knit Picks podcast.

What's my app of the week: iWeaveIt, the weaving app for iPad. I used it for e first time to make a draft for the class project. I'm finding it easy to use, and it was useful for warping the table loom for my class. Maybe the best part is, it's much, much cheaper than the desktop version, and it does everything I need to be able to do.

What's in my wine glass: Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon 2011. Lovely. 

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.