Quilt basting frame

This was a surprise and revealed to me just days before my husband's saga in hospital. There are four posts with 10 foot boards. I will staple strips of fabric onto the boards and pin the quilt's three layers to the strips. The boards will be clamped to set the dimension and then I will be walking around the quilt pinning as I go. I will then move the corners in to target the interior. I'm hoping to watch how this is done over Christmas break in Geneva before trying this myself. I currently have two completed quilt tops ready to be quilted.

BTW I have not finished my pink sweater yet-I have put some Christmas gifts first on my to-do list!!

Knitting to avoid panic

I am grateful on this Thanksgiving Friday to report that my husband is recovering from emergency intestinal surgery! For almost two weeks, I spent most of the days and evenings as a hospital visitor and resident knitter. I brought with me a project that was intended to be my "car passenger" project as we were to travel to Georgia. We waited for the stomachache to go away before leaving.........but took a side trip to the ER. Nevertheless.......look how my sweater is coming along! It will have long sleeves and a turtleneck.

BTW, I knitted both sleeves at the same time which obviously took longer and could have been a problem had I gotten the two skeins I was working with tangled BUT....the the sleeves are identical!!!

The pattern is from a gorgeous book that I bought with a 40% coupon at JoAnn's called "Knitting Nature" by Norah Gaughan. The yarn is 25% wool and 75% acrylic: Encore and although it looks like cinnamon it is really a deep mauve pink.

I guess the sweater will remind me of this trying time.......but I'd like to think that I made pink lemonade out of the ordeal!

Bill is so grateful for all the prayers and concern for his welfare. He is humbled and grateful to God for healing.

Finally finished!

You may remember this sweater from October 2009. That's right people-2009! Well, I finally finished and have worn this soft lacy beauty! The buttons really make the sweater...I bought them at my favorite knitting store: "Have Ewe any Wool" here in Amherst, NY.

The challenge was counting the pattern stitches. I found that if I took the time to place markers, I could then easily correct a mistake within a group of maybe 10 repeating stitches. It was easier to spot the mistake with markers separating the REPEAT.

It feels good to finish before starting another sweater.

Knitting break

Okay-have to admit that in the middle of all that quilting, I just had to treat myself with some knitting.This lovely beret was a "pattern and skein" gift from my friend/sister Carol who also bought a skein of a zinnia color for herself. The intention was for us to start this complicated pattern together(with many changes and the need to count to the point of NO TALKING or TV please). Well I had the perfect opportunity as Carol had some minor surgery and needed to stay off her feet for a day. I "babysat" for her hubby the day after surgery and we started together. Three hours later after knitting and ripping out(called frogging) we finally seemed to be getting the hang of the drop stitches and counting. I had to quick go back to the yarn store and get us each another skein in order to finish. The instructions have you block on a dinner plate. It's made out of super-wash wool so I can laundar and plate all winter!

Christmas in August

Just finished a Christmas Quilt for a special friend's wedding present. It is a "stack and whack" design where the border fabric is stacked in layers EXACTLY on top of the next layer with images EXACTLY under the same. Eight layers are then cut into diamond shapes and when arranged make a beautiful Poinsettia. For a better look at the quilt, take a look at the new blog Header on top of this blog. Each different poinsettia is made from the border fabric and nothing else!!

Thank you Lisa for helping do the math and stopping me from messing up those diamond shapes.

The machine quilting is not my favorite especially the back which got a little puckered....but no one noticed but me.....so it will be my signature and proof that I made it myself. By the way.....when I cut this quilt out, I actually cut enough pieces for two quilts....maybe next summer.............

Tomatoes

Well, it's August and Vanessa and I are celebrating canning season. This time, Vanessa has shared her recipe for Tomato Juice which tasted like V8 cold and like wonderfully flavorful tomato soup when hot. We went to the Clarence Farmer's Market and bought a bushel of ripe tomatoes and spent the day cutting, simmering, milling out the seeds and skins and then canning. We had two huge canners going and used the dish washer to prepare the jars. We yielded 21 quarts!

It's been a while

`I recently visited my home away from home in Geneva. Yes, yes, yes...it was a quilt event and Lisa presented a target project, made a crock pot lunch and invited several ladies (and their sewing machines) to her living room. Her sister Nancy and I shared a card table with a quilt covering to cushion the racing machines. I had the blessed opportunity to use Lisa's featherweight again and that sweet thing just sings and sings!!

I had great success sewing but I realized in all the hub bub that I cut 3.25 inch strips instead of 3.75 inch strip. Luckily, I had another sewing project with me.

Thought I'd show you some of the other work of the day-that's Nancy's block in the right corner. (For some reason, I can't move the photos to where I want them on this post????)

FYI-I have been so blessed by the Lord in the last few months-My mom is well and living in an Assisted Living Facility which she has described to her friends as....." if you can't be at home, it's the best place to be." She has been participating in many activities and enjoying live music. On April 15, she will be honored for her china painting with a little show for the residents. She can be very proud of her accomplishments. I will post some of her work at a later date.

Happy Easter and a Blessed Passover!

The Best Christmas Present!!

I wanted you all to see the beautiful Christmas present that my husband Bill made for me in his "Basement Getaway" /or workshop. (I equate his get away with the AYYYHHHHH that I feel when I sit down at my Bernina to sew). I had heard the buzz and smelled varnish for some time after Thanksgiving and I knew something important and secret was going on down there. Knew enough not to open that door or look in the window. I knew enough not to ask what that sheepish yet excited look was on Bill's face..............................and it was worth it! I love you Honey!!!!

Tree's down :(

I'm back from Geneva, a short reprieve......... so appreciated and cherished!!! I was fortunate enough to spend hours of quality time with Lisa's daughter Chrissy as well as with Nancy. You will be so excited to see the "show and tell"time I enjoyed. I had all of you in mind when I took the photos so here goes:

This is Nancy's Spider web Quilt-notice the firefly quilting.

To the left is Nancy's "Thirty's fabric quilt-hand quilted

WOW!!

Lisa's "Dress form" quilt-also hand quilted. I an blown away at how much these ladies have accomplished since my last visit. I have so much to be inspired by. There are two pieced but not yet quilted tops on my "To -Do " list and two quilts cut and ready to sew. I have started a knitted scarf but have not finished my cardigan sweater yet.........But the tree is down and I'm back to work on

Monday.............My regular schedule will need some creativity .........so stay tuned!!