A Little of Everything

A visit to Davidene's Quilt Shop brought me face to face with this cute quilt.

It's Called "Sunny Side of the Street" and is by One Sister Designs. I was just back from Vintage Stitchers at Rebecca's on Thursday, where Janet had mentioned that she planned on making this quilt, which is available at Davidene's as a kit. Davidene is branching out into online selling. Currently her moose blocks are available in her online store, but she says if anyone needs anything, and she has it, she would be happy to send it out, if you just call or email (see link above).

I brought a couple of boxes of books to Rebecca's so my quilting friends who didn't make it to my house two weeks ago could go through them and see if they wanted any. DH had some business in Salt Lake City, so he dropped me off and picked me up, along with the books that were left. Rebecca gave me some books to drop off at Davidene's when I took mine. Davidene is always working on some charity project, and she will find a use for them.

We had a nice meeting at Rebecca's. Good company, good eats and inspiration are always a good combination.

Janet was working on this project from Buttermilk Basin:

The patterns are free, and there is a new one each month. For the next one, she is trying to use tissue paper to guide her embroidery.

Barbara had just finished this quilt top. She gave me permission to post it in my blog, but not openly on Facebook, because it's a surprise for someone. I think it's amazing, and this photo doesn't do it justice.

Every time we meet at Rebecca's, she has something new on display, usually a finished quilt. You may remember seeing this bunny quilt before quilting in a post of mine from June, 2016. The designer is Laura Heine.

The quilting doesn't exactly show up in the quilt, but the quilter made the bunny look very plump and cuddly.

Rebecca had been reorganizing her sewing room. I had to go have a look, so I could get ideas for after we move and I have to give up my huge fiber studio. Here is the sewing/cutting area:

Here's entertainment and storage:

More storage is in the closet, but she wouldn't let me show it with the doors open. She has more wire shelves and a small area for hanging clothes.

The sewing room isn't her guest room, but she can use it for guest overflow.

Here's her real guest room.

Every room has quilts on display. This was in the guest room.

Rebecca also does amazing embroidery and cross-stitch.

I was hand-quilting my Susan Branch Spring Flowers quilt, which you have seen. Making some progress. However, DH has been after me to take down the loom (as mentioned last week), so I spent some time this past week finishing the weaving to use up the warp that was on the loom. I made this bureau scarf. I may trim the fringe a bit. I need to try it on the dresser first to see how it looks.

It took most of the day Friday to take the loom apart into pieces small enough to move easily. The castle (main body) is still very heavy, so it will be one of the things we get help moving. Here it is, all dismantled and sitting against the wall.

As we took things apart--a two-"man" job--I took photos of the individual parts and made notes about the photos and what goes where.

Then I used the photos and my notes to write up what we will have to do to put it together on the other end. I ended up with a little document printed off to take with us when we move, but I also have the document saved in the cloud, in case we lose it.

I've been participating in the Ravellinic Games in the Frog Prince group on Ravelry. One of my "events" was to make little hats for the dolls that "live" with me. Vroni got the first one. The pattern is Deb Denair's Lace Newsboy Cap, but without the bill.

The next hat was for Mandy. This one was Deb's Shontae Slouchy, which I had reworked to knit in the round.

Then I made another for Lotte so I could test my pattern. I made both with worsted-weight, rather than the DK suggested in the pattern, but it worked out OK. Mandy thinks she looks like a snowboarder in her cap, and Lotte wants to be a ski jumper, although both would need helmets for either of these sports. These are for watching the others perform.

I had some loyalty points with My Doll Best Friend, so I used them (and some additional money) to buy some boots, slippers, shoes and underwear actually made for these dolls, who have longer, slimmer feet and smaller hips than most dolls in their size range. I also bought some tights and a windbreaker that came with boots that I really wanted.

We will be ready for rain when it comes. I just need to make some little raincoats and hats.

I made a little book out of the photos from Vroni's birthday, using the Apple Photo app, which has the option of making cards, calendars and books, similar to what Shutterfly does. There was no discount for multiple copies, so I ordered just one to see. It came on Thursday. It basically tells the story from the special blog post I made on her birthday, February 2nd.

I did change a few things to make it suitable for reading to children who don't know the characters and to get the type to fit in the text boxes provided in the program. Now I plan to send a copy to each grandchild and give a copy to Therapy Animals of Utah for their next silent auction.

I'm researching how to get a book published, so I can make another doll storybook as a fundraiser, hopefully for pediatric cancer.

I'm still going through things in my fiber studio sewing area, trying to figure out what to get rid of and what to keep. My new sewing room will be much smaller than the current one, but at least the loom will be housed elsewhere. Right now, we're thinking of a living-dining combination, with the dining area used for weaving.

What's on my needles: Nothing new, but some UFOs.

What's on my Featherweight: Doll clothes, when I get back to sewing.

What's on my loom: Empty, and put away until after we move.

What's on my wheel: Stanzi is still awaiting her next task. Good thing she's patient.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished Listening to Henrietta: The Daring Debutantes Series Book 1,  by M. C. Beaton. Then listened to Envious Casca: Inspector Hemingway Book 1 by Georgette Heber, always a great author. Then started The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry. On my Kindle app is still Miss Braithwait’s Secret by G. G. Vandagriff. Seems like a good story so far.

What's in my wine glass: Crane Lake Malbec 2014.

What's my tip of the week: Throw all junk mail and miscellaneous paper advertising into recycling as soon as you receive it. Look at it if you like, but don't put it aside to look at later. Papers have a way of piling up and taking over your living space. If you don't get rid of it, your children will have to. I know whereof I speak.

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 or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.

Back in Warp Drive.

The loom is in business again. 

DH has been after me to fold up the loom so he has a place to store the boxes as he packs things. I still had about 60" of warp left on the loom and didn't want to waste it, so I'm making a bureau scarf out of it. It should serve double-duty as a rug for the dolls from time to time. I was hoping to get a start on making some rag rugs for our new home, but that will have to wait.

Common threads met at Margareth's house. Lynda and I drove through a blizzard to get there, but we didn't want Margareth to have wasted all her preparations, so we braved it, as well as the resort traffic, which was awful (powder day). Karan and Georgette also made it, although we were all late.

Margareth was working on this wool felt project.

She had finished this advent calendar for her cabin, now under construction.

Georgette was working on the same needlepoint design she had last time we met, but she had picked up her santa picture from the framer. This one was for a family member.

I took my Spring Flowers quilt to hand-quilt during the meeting. I'm making good progress.

I finished the last Steampunk Blouse, so we had to get a group photo. I have a more posed shot, but this one was cuter.

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The girls had planned a special  event for Valentine's Day. They watched all six hours of the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.

The boys said they would rather do homework. It was a pleasant day, and we could have called it "Galentine's Day," because it was just for the gals, as it turned out. (That's a new term I just learned.) 

We didn't hear the sad news about the school shooting until after the last episode was over. 

I made an Easter bunny for Mandy. I used the Little Cotton Rabbits pattern I've used before, but this time with fingering weight yarn (Palette "Oregon Coast). left off the clothes (do rabbits really wear clothes) and made the feet according to the boy bunny pattern. I used tiny buttons for eyes instead of French knots, because I can trust Mandy not to bite off and swallow the buttons. 

I realized the next day that I had forgotten the tail, which was quick to remedy. We had to take another photo.

Remember the story of Vroni's birthday party? I decided to make a little book out of it for the grands. My laptop is a MacBook, and the photo program has the option of making projects like books (mostly photo albums) and calendars. Some of the options for pages have text and photos, so I wrote it up, printed off a copy for DH to proofread for me, and now it's ready to send to Apple to print as a paperback. Here's the cover (from a screenshot, so it's a little fuzzy).

I made a book for Daphne when she was a toddler, so this isn't my first foray into Apple publishing. Her book was all about her first year of life using all the best photos of her. I don't have permission to use the photos of the dolls, so I can't sell the book, but I'm going to give copies to the grands, keep one for myself and give one to Therapy Animals of Utah for their silent auction. It took 24 pages to get all the photos in. I had to change some of the wording to get it to fit without shrinking the type.

We made two trips to Run-A-Muk Dog Park during the week.

What's on my needles: A hat for one of the "girls." I'm using the Newsboy Cap, but without the bill. The pattern is a free download by Deb Denair.

What's on my Featherweight: Pants and skirts for the "kids."

What's in my hoop: Still my Spring Flowers appliqué quilt. I think I'm past halfway with the hand-quilting.

What's on my loom: Bureau Scarf to use up the last of the warp.

What's on my wheel: Stanzi is still awaiting her next task. 

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished Listening to Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet by M. C. Beaton. This author is always a good read, so I downloaded Henrietta: The Daring Debutantes Series Book 1, also by M. C. Beaton as Marion Chesney. When I finished that, I started Envious Casca: Inspector Hemingway Series, Book 2 by Georgette Beyer. On my Kindle app is Miss Braithwait’s Secret by G. G. Vandagriff.

What's in my wine glass: Trader Joe's Coastal Zinfandel, 2014 vintage.

What's my tip of the week: Moths of all life stages die at 130ºF or higher. You can't put big rugs into the oven, but from time to time I put knitwear, incased in pillowcases, into the oven, turn it on to warm (170ºF) and turn it off again when the oven beeps that it has reached temperature. They should be good and dead then. I've never had any moth damage to quilts with wool batting, so I think the adult moths can't get inside to lay their eggs. Vacuuming helps keep them down. I use plastic bags for my yarn stash.

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 or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.

Turkey Trot

 It's that time again!

I made it to Park City Quilt Guild, held at Davidene's Thursday evening. Lynn gave a demonstration of how to make pillow cases with enclosed seams. She used this method.

The quilters had some great stuff to show, like this Kaleidoscope quilt.

There was this rail fence quilt top, using fabrics left over from a baby quilt this quilter made, I think for her niece.

There were some fabrics in this she thought she would never use. Here's the back:

There was also this Mickey Mouse quilt, from a panel in the center, but the quilter made it her own.

Common Threads met at Georgette's earlier in the day. Kathleen had finished the scarf she has been working on ever since she started coming to our meetings.

Karan is still working with wool flannel. She had finished this block:

And Margareth was decorating this wreath:

Lynda has taken up Brioche knitting. She says if you make a mistake, don't think you can fix it on the next round. It's fun, but it's complicated.

Mandy came with me to demonstrate steeks. She forgot to bring her own knitting, but she entertained herself with the birds Lynda is working on for Christmas Ornaments.

On Friday, we got our first blizzard of the year.

As often happens, our power went out and was out for 4 1/2 hours. Fortunately, we have a gas stove, so we can cook on the burners if we light them with a match. We also have a wood-burning fireplace on the main level and a Jøtul gas stove downstairs, which can heat the whole house if we leave the door to the downstairs open. We need this so the pipes don't freeze during outages. This was Lotte's first experience with real snow.

Since the power was out, so was the TV and the Internet. Mandy suggested she teach them to knit.

When it got too dark to see to knit, they sat in front of the fire and looked at a quilting book, discussing what kind of quilt they would like to make.

You might have noticed that Mandy is wearing her new steeked Fair Isle sweater.

Lotte wants one, but I'm working on Vroni's turtleneck, so she will have to wait.

You can't tell from the photo, but the color is sort of an aqua. It's a nice match for the pants she will wear with it. This time, I'm making up a pattern that will fit the girls. I'll make it available for free in my Ravelry store, along with the Fair Isle sweater I made for Mandy.

In the meantime, you won't hear from my blog before Thanksgiving, so have a happy one.

Be careful shopping next weekend. Online is safest. My Sibling is having a 20% off sale. Use the code: CYBERWEEKEND2017 at checkout.

What's on my needles: Vroni's turtleneck.

What's on my Featherweight: Getting ready for coats.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Music for Park City Singers Holiday Concert.

What's in my wine glass: Fish Eye Shiraz, 2015 vintage.

What's my tip of the week: If you live in an area prone to power outages, keep your devices charged up, or you can also get an emergency power supply to charge them if the power goes out. Just remember to keep it charged.

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 or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.