nearly defeated

sock disaster

this yarn and 4 different tries have resulted in nothing. apparently though, i am too stubborn to move on. i desperately need to get a pair of socks started before school gets underway. it’s always nice to have something knitty to pick up in the midst of reading and discussion boards. anyway, my final attempt will be hedgerow on the smaller of the 2 most recent tries. the gauge is correct, and i increased from the toe to 1 pattern repeat less than the recipe indicates hoping for a snug fit. i am modifying the pattern to be toe up but it shouldn’t matter since it’s basically a ribbing sort of pattern. famous last words.

if this doesn’t work, i am going to use some beautiful plucky i have in my stash and do my most favorite and most repeated sock pattern, charade. so there.

gone baby gone

iphone pic :: i moved some squares around but this is basically it

mother-in-law quilt is off to be quilted! i count that as temporarily marked off the list. of course i didn’t get a picture but i ended up happier with it than i was feeling along the way. there is one oops, but it was in a place where i couldn’t fix it, so the oops remains.

i laid out my small plates quilt and plan to start sewing the plates together maybe 2 rows or so at a time. i really really want to get that done before school starts on 8/21. it’s more than doable, but is it possible? i’m thinking of something sort of grayish for the back. need to get that picked out and ordered.

i’m also pondering my next quilt. i want to move beyond squares, but don’t know if i’m ready. swoon is always on my mind. there are some really beautiful ones floating around. if not that then maybe granny squares? or spin cycle? chevrons? or something basic like coins, strips, or triangles. decisions are not a strong point of mine.

really

these make me laugh

where did july go???

tomorrow i’m on my way to denver to visit some pals. i’ve made a few random goodies to take them. dishtowels, pin cushions, zippy pouches (a la noodlehead)…all a little on the kooky side, but they will be totally fine with that. i’ve also packed a bag (cutest bag purchased from hey porkchop!) with sock fixins so i won’t be bored during my travels.

finished and unfinished zippered bags from noodlehead’s awesome tutorials

i finished the quilt squares for my mother-in-law quilt and should be able to get it sewn up posthaste upon my return. i’m sad to report i don’t love the quilt so far. the fabrics are great…but i let the ladies at the store talk me into a pattern i just am not happy with. and i can’t really explain how that happened. i’m usually not swayed so easily but i think the nervousness of making something for my mil clouded my judgement. i’m hoping the quilting will make a (huge) difference.

these squares are big! inspiration fabric behind the squares.

my first epp project. i am starting to understand all the fuss about hexies!

and don’t faint, i also completed a hand stitched class project. it has it’s flaws, but overall it’s pretty cute! i loved the english paper piecing and could see doing a pillow or another bag. i really admire full quilts done this way as it’s quite labor intensive, although a little more portable than your average pieces since a lot of the work is done by hand. my whipstitching of the pieces definitely needs some practice. i couldn’t figure how to make my stitches not show.

so i’m off to denver and when i return it’s going to be the final push before summer ends and grad school starts. my list:

• finish mil quilt (piecing, send out quilting, binding)
• finish small plates (piecing, quilting, binding)
• finish colorbrick quilt (hand quilting and binding)
• finish green sweater (the sweater that won’t go away must. be. finished.)

why is cutting so hard?

it’s a question i ponder often.

i am terrible at cutting.  tomorrow when i sit down and start sewing, it will be a miracle if all these pieces are actually right. apparently cutting a bunch of rectangles is way too complicated for me. as always, squareness remained elusive. and additionally i repeatedly cut a 10.5″ square as 9.5″ on one side. i think i did that 3 or 4 times. but all the cutting is done and i’m ready to start piecing. i even cleaned my machine and changed my needle!

my mother-in-law has hinted she would like to be snuggling under this quilt by fall and that suits me just fine. school starts end of august and i’m squeezing in a big trip to london and a couple smaller trips over the semester plus it’s time to get a job. all that means the sooner i get this quilty underway, the more likely it is to get finished.

look at me, i’m epp!

before

who knew english paper piecing would be so much fun and totally addictive? well, the internets knew. i probably would never have tried making these precious hexagons even though i love all the projects i see. like this, and this, and this. anyway, in the handstitched class there is a cute little linen bag with a hexy design and i just couldn’t pass it up. so this morning i watched a little wimbeldon and did a bit of epp. two things that seem very well suited for each other. if only i had been drinking a spot of tea. maybe next time.

after

zip it

zippered pencil cases

i’m completely consumed with zippered pouches. i made these six from a tutorial compliments of noodle head. mine aren’t quite as zakka as i didn’t embellish them or use any linen. i did use some discontinued decorator weight fabric from one of those sample books interior designers have. the pencil cases were just perfect for the multiple patterns and odd shapes in the book. plus it was (very) low dollar investment which is perfect for when i’m not sure how bad i might screw something up.

more zips are on the horizon as i hope to make these open wide pouches this week. but first i must finish (start) my hexagons for our handstitched class project.

3-2-1

i’ve been making some stuff y’all!

not rocket science

three
i made three simple square pin cushions with button centers. they aren’t rocket science or anything, but they are cute and useful. the buttons were surprisingly difficult to sew on. and i was sad to discover i am woefully short on buttons and don’t have a good source for them. i would love to have a big jar filled with yummy buttons. i’m visiting with some of my crafty pals at the end of july and plan to give them the pin cushions as gif ties. it’s one of the things you just can’t have enough of, in my opinion.

loving embroidery lately

two
these dishtowels are hopefully going to be a small housewarming gift for one of the above crafty pals who recently moved. she lives in and loves all things texas as well as retro. so while these two towels are a funny match, they are perfect for her. i didn’t mean to get all stitchy, but the handstitched class got me started. i’ve basically been ignoring my assignments because i am so distracted by the embroidery. a happy oops. ps. i am finishing the second one ASAP. promise. plus i have two more towels and plenty more transfers, if i really get going.

big orange bag

one

i made a tote bag! it’s an amy butler pattern called market tote. it’s very much like the spice market tote that i see around, but this was in the sew-it kit. i love this bag. it’s huge, but nicely constructed. the fabric is some dec weight from ikea that had been waiting for the right project.

the inside is cute too

i think it came out just perfect. i did struggle with the straps, but not because of the instructions. i didn’t have enough of the ikea fabric and i didn’t really search too hard for more dec weight, just decided to sub in some quilting cotton and add interfacing to make it more sturdy. i think the woman at the sewing store misunderstood what i needed and i got fusible interfacing. or maybe that is what i needed? i don’t know much about interfacing, but it seemed to me this would have been better for appliqué or something like that. maybe it was right and i just didn’t quite understand how to use it. nonetheless, i am 100% happy with the results. i rarely give me two thumbs up, but i would definitely make this again and if i changed anything, i would consider possibly adding a firm bottom to make it easier to use at the grocery.

i’ve also gotten obsessed with zippered pouches. i’ve got some of those to share soon.