Wonderful Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas with our grand kids-yes the boys I made quilts for. As predicted, the boys looked at the quilts and pushed them aside to open their toys. I didn't mind at all.................we had already baked , sledded and played with tinker toys and Lego's. The boys made certain that the quilts were packed in the suitcase rather than send them through the mail. They call me GRANDMA!!!!!!!!!!!And WE have snow................about an inch but you would have thought it was a winter wonderland the we way they carried on.

I will be traveling to see my quilting mentors tomorrow AM. Hoping for good travel weather. There's a good chance we will be going to our favorite quilt shop Patchwork Plus. Hoping to limit my purchases.....................they would be on the same "Christmas bill" I am dreading.

Bento box sucess!

I decided to use the black as the binding to frame the Bento boxes!

It took two full days of relentless quilting but I did finish and I am happy with the results. I am certain that both grand kids will say a quiet "thank you" then push the quilts aside reaching for toys BUT..........................someday when they are snuggled in their Quilt, they will think of me or remember what I hope will be a great Christmas memory!Can you see the leaf quilting pattern on each quarter of the Bento box-it looks neat on the back as well.

Please don't look at the back!!

Well, I finished piecing the top but please don't look at the back. You know, I have a quarter inch foot and I measure with a host of quilting rulers........I can't believe what a variance there was each time I cut and sewed pieces together. My mentor Lisa would be shocked and dismayed BUT......................if you don't tell, I may just be able to pull it off because the affect is a success.................may be an optical illusion but ...it works.Thanks Lisa and Nancy for the color advice!! Sorry about the camera wire in the corner. Today I had a proud moment in my motherhood career. My daughter Vanessa had a "premier event experience" participating in the annual "second storie indie market 2009".

She has a site on Etsy and has had much

success selling on the internet.......................Today she sold at a craft fair for the first time and we enjoyed watching people purchase her loom woven scarves after viewing, touching and trying on her beautiful creations. Check out her work at http://www.etsy.com/shop/pidgepidge

Bento Box

Well, I finished the blue quilt-no photo yet cause I have yet to gently wash it-love the way that first wash yields all the puckers!!

I have begun piecing the Red-lover grandson's Christmas present. I am referring to the Bento Box Quilt I am working through the vague directions I have gleaned from several articles and blog posts. Basically it is like a log cabin quilt in that you create a design with fabric strips that are frames around a center square. The trick is that you then slice those 16 inch blocks into quarters and sew THEM together to yield Bento Boxes.

Here is a sneak peak-you can see that I have just folded the three top squares in order to demonstrate the transformation. I need to really press the framed blocks and cut them to square them up for size before I quarter them. That will take time, several trips to the basement where the Rowenta iron lives and precision slicing.

I'm certain that the project would have been easier if I had ordered a pattern........... because my thoughts of random cutting and paring of color failed. I realized that each four block arrangement needs to have the strips arranged with opposite colors when next to the section you will sew them to ..............after the quartering. Not sure if you get it but check out the photo to see that each seam has opposite fabrics.

Light at the end...........

Well, I thought I was well on my way last post................but there is a lot of quilting to do in order to cover an entire quilt top. I finally finished the machine quilting and have made the binding.

Next, I will sew the binding on and I have put in a couple of straight pins to show where the stitches will be and then rolled the folded strip over to show how the finished edge will look. I usually use a "walking foot" to sew the many layers together so that the binding doesn't slip. The walking foot is an

attachment that has "feed dogs" like the ones under the needle plate on the sewing machine. With feed dogs on the bottom and on the top of the fabric, all layers of fabric will move under the needle at the same speed and without sheering away from each other.

SNEAK PEAK AT THE FABRIC FOR THE OTHER GRANDSON'S QUILT!!!

Machine Quilting

Well, I held my breath and just BEGAN. I try not to look until I have finished a section because it always feel like the stitching looks stark and intrusive on the quilt. As the stitching theme begins to cover the surface of the quilt top, there is s softening and a new character born in the quilt.

The feed dogs are down under the surface of the sewing needle guard so there is no advance of fabric when the pedal is depressed and the needle begins to sew. You hold the fabric and move it under the rapidly punching needle developing a speed, rhythm,and swing from the shoulders. I am a doodler with pen and paper so I just pretend I am doodling with the needle and fabric. There is a special machine quilting foot with a spring loaded mechanism and a clear plastic ring to allow better visual attention to your pattern.

I chose a blue thread in an effort to make the quilting further color and unify the blocks.

You see my trusty Bernina-consistent, quiet, able to sew at top speed without missing a stitch or tangling the bobbin. Can you see the pattern-like a hot air balloon concentrically repeated several times before beginning in another direction.

I have taken a break and will continue tomorrow. Machine quilting can be very tiring and monotonous and there is always a tendency to RUSH which may produce a sloppy pattern result. I don't want to slip up-this is for my grandson!!

quilt back

I worked on the quilt back today and I am happy with the results. I wanted to make it more interesting and use up some extra blocks. I will bind it in the deepest blue.

I also washed and pressed red fabric for my next quilt. I have a blue loving grandson and

a red loving grandson. They will both be here for Christmas and hopefully they will experience their first real snow............................not just a dusting........... cause they had that in Georgia last winter. BUT a good old fashioned Buffalo SNOW. They will both be snuggled in their quilts and hopefully they will treasure them............................do 7 and 8 year old boys care about quilts???? Hope so :)

Sewing again

This was the scene out my kitchen window today. The leaves are falling, the last of the apples are tasty treats for deer. No, I don't live in the country-these are citified deer apparently having dinner at 5PM with cars whizzing by and people walking about?!?!?!?!

I am reminded that this is October and I have two quilts to make before Christmas. I have moved my precious Bernina into the living room and

am ready to roll. Today I began creating a "stripe" to incorporate onto the quilt back. Tomorrow, I should be able to assemble the quilt sandwich (panini if you are Italian) and begin machine quilting. I am auditioning some stitch designs in my head and am looking for one that will flow. I like to choose a round design for a geometric block ( it's a tip my quilt mentor Lisa shared with me). I am thinking of a bubble design but have never actually tried it before...........or maybe a hot air balloon ..........not a flower.........maybe concentric circles......TOMORROW!!

October surprise memory

Things are settling down and my mom is settling in. We have a bunch of MD appointments coming up with the focus on stabilizing my mom and checking that there are no medical conditions that are left to continue without medical attention. We have been blessed with caring and comprehensive Geriatric specialists and are steadfastly seeking help with good results. Thank you for your prayers! God is good and everything that He does is good!

Thought I would enlighten some and remind the locals of the October surprise some three years ago. There was a lot of snow but the real disaster was that the leaves had not fallen from the trees yet. The heavy wet snow snapped huge branches and sent them crashing to the roof, ground and in our case, through the built in pool. There was much damage in the city and burbs. We were without electricity and/heat for 10 days. WBEN radio via battery power was our life line.

We had three houses hooked up to the generator on the RV. I set my cell phone alarm for 1.5 hours and each tome the alarm went off, we started up the RV and ran the generator for 15 minutes. Each day, the neighbors left gas cans at our door as we kept the basements dry and the meat in the freezers frozen.

We learned a lot about what neighbors can do to help and encourage each other. We learned how to do without and to be grateful for fireplace heat, electricity and light. I actually wore a forehead flashlight most evenings ( you guessed it), I knitted. There was no TV but we did get an extension cord to run the coffee pot once per day. Our next door neighbors treated us one night to a deep fried turkey dinner-delicious!!!!!

Hot cider, hot chocolate,sweaters, wool socks and down comforters.........it's quilt season..........holidays are coming.....................snow flakes and Christmas...........I'm ready!!

Thank You Knitting

I apologize to all my panini blog fans for the absence from my post. We have been going through quite a bit of change at our house. My mom has been living with us for the last two weeks. It has been unsettling at times due to her confusion, rebellion, denial and frustration with all of us who believe that she needs help. The good news is that tomorrow we will have a bed delivered and she will have her own room where all her accumulated stuff will be housed. She'll have her own TV to watch the Nanny and all the Gossip shows and her own telephone with privacy. Also, we got the go ahead from Independent Health to make the appt. with the neurologist. I also put out a letter to all my friends and family explaining what has happened and asking for prayer and advice. I am happy to say that I had an almost immediate response of love and support which was and is an enormous comfort and encouragement to me. My sister got her letter and showed up at the house to take my mom out for the day freeing up my husband to attend to some outdoor chores etc. WHEW!!!

I also must tell you that my knitting has been a delight because of the process and because of the result. The yarn is luscious and the design is really beautiful. The pattern is lace-like and if the yarn were thinner (like a DK weight)-it would look like lace. While my world is whorring by and all is upside down, I can sit in the midst of "madness" and find peace and creativity........Ahhhhhh

RV "camping"

This is an admission of fake camping.......I realize that often I tell people that I am going camping-well...... you decide if this kind of "roughing" it should be classified as camping:

This sofa opens up to be a bed. The sofa

is part of a "slide" or a movable floor that is electrically pushed out from the main rectangle shapeof the RV. You push a button once you are parked at a site to broaden the living area inside.

Below right is the kitchen area. At the far right is

the refrigerator/freezer (yes we do pack ice-

cream!)

You can see the fridge on the left, closet doors back left, bathroom door and the spot where we place the TV.... ;) .....above another storage space.

So I guess you can stop thinking of me as an Adventurous naturalist...........I must say that I have paid my dues-tent camping in the rain and mud...............now I enjoy luxury in a campground........or a Walmart parking lot in a pinch (but only for a stop-over on a long trip).

Well, another season has passed-there will be antifreeze in the pipes soon and we'll hope that all the snow stays outside and there are no leaks. Springtime will come soon.......I hope!

SUNSET

The weekend was bitter sweet for so many reasons. We were able to get away because my daughter Rachel covered for us. You see, the night before we left my mom had a crisis evening with confusion and fear. A friend called us to alert us that my mom was in need of help. Upon arrival at her condo, we found evidence that she needed to be at home with us. There will be doctor appointments etc. in the near future. We are all pitching in to make sure that she is safe and happy. Please pray to our Creator who has a plan for my mom and loves her more than we do. I am praying that she will know we love her and will accept help, look past any embarrassment and just enjoy the next phase of her life.

Bill and I enjoyed walking through the trails and watching the lake especially when the wind picked up.

I thought I would show you an applique quilt that I have been working on while RV camping over the years.

YES, I LOVE CHICKENS!!

The pattern came with pictures like a paint by number diagram. I had a photo of what the chicken should look like. I then tried to match the many layers of colors with my stash of colorful fabric. The center wing of the middle chicken is actually fabric with the the head of a zebra turned on it's side. Some day.......... over the rainbow, I will finish all the chickens and the vines and flowers that will complete that quilt top .

I began my copper cardigan (from my last post) and although I had to unknit or "frog" about 4 inches, I did make a good headway in the back piece. I will share more of that in future posts.

Last chance for RV knitting

Before our world looks like this.......................................

.............We will be spending one last RV weekend enjoying the lake and the autumn chill around a campfire.

Not to worry you craft stalkers-Look what arrived in the mail today-yummy copper yarn: Swish super wash merino wool!! I'm thinking of making a cardigan and am considering a pattern that looks like fun. This sweater will be washable...... or so it says on the label.

After this weekend of knitting on the lake, we will have to winterize the RV (so the pipes don't freeze and then the season of fun camping will be over:(

I will take my camera with me and hope to share the lovely sights and knitting progress next post.

Ready for fall

Well, the house was 65 degrees all weekend. I had to close the windows yesterday because starting out at 65 indoors, and dipping down to the 40's outside at night.............Yeah-trying not to go to turning on the heat just yet. BUT I DID FINISH THE COWL....so my neck will be warm.

Yesterday, I realized that the leaf pattern was morphed and decided to "unknit" back to the spot where I was confident that I was following the pattern exactly. Basically, I had to RIP out the "skirt" at the bottom. I also realized that each line of the printed pattern had the number of stitches in the REPEAT so.................I methodically placed little markers between those repeats. It took time to get it set up But .....was a great saving of time ("UNKNIT"

time) in the long run. I knew that the stitches between the markers had to be the same number. If there was a mistake, I only had to RIP out a few stitches to get back to a marker.

I blocked the finished cowl and let it dry in the sun. How does it look??? I love the way this fiber feels on my neck -great way to dress up a plain sweater or long sleeve Tee.

I am so blessed to have the resources, interest and ability to create.I am grateful that God has led me to friends who have taught me how to craft so many things. I love the quiet time while I am working and so many times, God meets me there... right there, in the process of creating.

He as our Creator has shared the process with me and made me realize how amazing He is, in His genious-creating you and me for a purpose, bothering to put spots on a ladybug, changing the seasons and then of course creating heaven-a place He has prepared for us.

Read John 14:2-6 for such wonderful HOPE.

Knitting everywhere

Thought I would let you into a behind the scenes knitting project. No, I am not knitting in a closet but I always carry a little project with me -everywhere- just in case I need to wait in a waiting room or get a minute at lunch and of course if someone else is driving.

I had an itch for knitting after making two baby sweaters but didn't have enough yarn in my stash for a sweater. So, I looked on Knitty for a cowl pattern and then hunted through the stash for my favorite color and a soft enough fiber for my naked neck. I came up with the "Poinsettia" pattern and "Kathmandu" yarn from the Queensland Collection DK weight. It is 85% Merino Wool, 10% Silk and 5% Cashmere.

I am working on a circular needle but may have to block it when I am done because it looks a little thick in the middle. Looks so snug on the model and although I'm just guessing that my neck IS bigger than hers-it may be looser than I had intended. I promise to model it when I am done.

In another post, I'd like to tell you about the transformation I had in the last couple of years: that is evolving from my former American or convention knitting to the European or continental knitting method. The American holds the yarn on the right and the Continental holds the yarn on the left.

Ta Daaaaa!!!

The quilt top is completed! I am pleased with the results although each time I look at it I wonder if there are areas where some color is too concentrated.

I WILL be quilting with a bright blue thread so some of the white areas will be toned down and the green areas will move to a shade closer to blue. I am considering a "pebble" pattern which I have recently seen demonstrated. It's simple and not entirely feminine like my usual preference- flowery quilt patterns.

My next task is to decide what to back the quilt with. I have three quilt blocks left and some of the original 10 inch (solid color) squares. I am considering incorporating these into the back rather than using a solid color. I also will design a quilt label with some important facts documented including the occasion, signature, year and place created..................you never know-it may be an antique someday and I would want my great grandson or daughter to own a proven piece of history.

chain piecing CHOO CHOO!

I'm busy working on the blue quilt and I wanted to share a tip that I learned at my last "quilt spa" in Geneva. For years I have Chain pieced sections of the quilt by running the sewing machine at a steady purr and feeding the face to face fabric pieces under the pressure foot. The pieces are then connected to one another with a twisted thread. You end up with the joined squares or triangles forming a type of connected-flag like the ones seen outside newly opened car dealerships etc.

You then cut the thread to separate each joined section, open the seams and press with an iron. The beauty of this method is that you can sew continuously without having to stop and reposition each section under the pressure foot.

There has always been the irritating problem of hanging thread from each block. I guess you

would expect that I had cut those threads

off...but I never did...and it is true that when the quilt is sandwiched and quilted, the threads are enveloped by the other fabric or batting layers.

But it is messy and the threads sometimes work themselves out.

Lisa showed me that if you start and end your seams by feeding a scrap piece of fabric (I call them thread eaters) under the pressure foot,..........then when you cut those scraps off the chained piece AND the unwanted thread tail is now embedded into the thread-eater.

I have to admit that I tried this method because of WHO suggested that it was the way to

go..............seemed like an added step without any apparent benefit...UNTIL I pressed the pieces and saw that the seams were free of the fuzzy tangle on the back. I really think that I saved thread and also prevented the loose thread from ending up on the floor and the innards of my machine.

The blocks you saw in the last post were arranged on my queen-sized bed into what I hope will prove to be a random arrangement pleasing to the eye. I concentrated on differing the block formation, colors and light and dark balance. I sometimes find that if I squint my eyes I can see the dark and light pattern better and then go about swapping one block for another until there is a balance of color and light and dark in the arrangement.

There were 9 rows of 7 blocks across. I sewed the 7 blocks to each other and pinned a paper square to the strip with the number in the order 1-9 so.......... I would be able to assemble the stripped rows together in the order that I had laid them out. WHEW!!

I will be sewing those 9 strips together this evening and should be able to show you the finished top tomorrow. I hope you are enjoying the process...........I know that it may seem complicated but it really isn't. I would love to hear what you think about this quilt and/or entertain questions about the process. Please leave a message-love to hear from you!

TGIF

I had a good but hectic/ challenging week..............................I have my typical Friday night exhaustion after a week's work(and it was a short week oh NO!)

Finally got to hug and encourage an almost brand new batch of "cookies". They all graciously accepted me as their new therapist and we got to work assigning standers and instructing classroom staff on how best to support the kids in their equipment.

This evening,,,,so as not to disappoint my imaginary Peeps I pushed myself to reveal my completed blocks. They are arranged in stacks of various configurations of differing width stripped fabric. The same colors are used AND the blocks all have a square piece in the upper right hand corner

I realized that I'd best arrange the blocks for the quilt top (7 blocks by 9 blocks) in the daylight. I will try to be aware of color, diversity of block design and the play of light and dark. I am hoping to I create a splash of blue much like a winter sky with snow and clouds in contrast. (The grayish color in the photo is really a turquoise blue with " blue on blue" textured fabric-bad lighting).

There will not be a border on this quilt. Iwill bind it with the darkest blue. I look forward to listening to my downloaded "This American Life" tomorrow as............. I take my time playing with these puzzle pieces until THEY please me. Then they'll be raced through the machine to get the top pieced.