BooTacular and Gnome For The Holidays

Never can have enough BOMs!

and these will be fun to work on..

BooTacular is coming to your

mailbox today--if you go to

Fatcat Patterns and download

the first pattern.  These patterns are free

each month.  You can sign up for a small

fee to receive the pattern in your mailbox

each month.  What a great

Block of the Month to do! 

I love Fat Cat Patterns!

Gnome For the Holidays is another

BOM that is running as well each

month.  It began February 1st. 

Shhhhhh, Don't Tell Them!

My intention has been to make these soup bowls cozies for

Christmas gifts--didn't get done last year though.  

friend Sandy was sewing several for her family during one expatchers

meeting --and that inspired me to 'just 

do it!'

we have upcoming birthdays--now, that's a perfect

opportunity to get that special fabric under the needle.

Happy Hour Stitches offers a free tutorial

Blond headed daughter has chickens--this

chicken print is great for her soup bowl cozies!

There is even a chicken wire lining!

Brown headed daughter enjoys coffee--

Luckily I had this coffee print in my stash--

All sewn up and ready to turn--now, to find just right

soup bowl!

Storage...............

There are way more ideas for projects than there is time to create--

If one of those project ideas gets away from me, I could spend

hours down the rabbit hole looking for that one idea that 

escaped--in order to capture those projects, I'll make copies--

doesn't mean I'll make the project in the future,

but at the present time, it looks like a good idea!!

To store those UFO's and project ideas, I use the plastic

storage package that comes with sheets or other large

linen items.  These plastic bags are clear so you can see

at a glance what it is--this one is 2017 Pat Sloan's

Grandma's kitchen--Some day it will be finished!

This bag is collecting Buttermilk Basin's free Block of the Month

Mystery blocks--once again, you must get each month as it comes

along; otherwise, there is a charge.  I'll keep updated--in the

future I might-just might- make these blocks!

Those clear plastic bags have pockets on the inside--

I make notes of the projects in each bag

An empty bag just waiting for that special idea to pop off the

printer---

This bag contains Moda Bakeshop pattern designed by Crazy Mom Quilts

I've had a batik jellyroll for years and this pattern

uses just one jellyroll--now, it resides in  pouch

My quilter/knitter friend,  Colorado Judy shared with me

how she stores her projects--she uses these clear plastic bins--

great idea for a larger project, like the latest Bonnie Hunter

mystery.

It pays to keep some plastic items around--someone can always

find a good use for them!  The only problem--I'm must buy more

sheets--I have more ideas!

!! Warping....................

Since my latest cotton towels have been woven, cut off the loom, hemmed, washed, tagged and bragged on--it is time for the loom to be warped again.  What will I weave next?  The obvious answer is more towels!  Especially since there is already a warp there--just tie on and weave!

I know it looks like one hot mess!

but it isn't!  I use this method often especially

when the warping pattern is twill set.

I'm tying on in sections--as I warp a few 

threads--these are my handspun cotton--white, brown

some blue/white combination--I'm also spinning

white cotton for the weft--

I keep my cross as I tie onto the warp--

it's a start--I hope to be weaving within the month--

got more spinning to do..............

Back to My Childhood!

Deep down in the stash bin, I found this pattern!

It had been completely forgotten about--oh, so many

years ago did I begin this journey down

Periwinkle Lane.  

As the patterns surfaced to the light of day, the

challenge was on--can I finish these this year?

Oh, yes--how fun this project was when I begun 

I immediately went to the toy closet to search for

Crayons--I so love Crayons--I have several different ones.

Now, the challenge was--which ones should I use on this

crayon quilt project?  You see, I don't like to mess

up my crayons--isn't that stupid!? 

I picked out this tower of crayons to use--many colors to

choose from..........

such a wonder wheel of fun.  I felt like I was back in my

childhood--just coloring away......in the quiet of the night

I'm coloring to my heart's content--no one to tell me to

use such and such color or to color within the lines!

Being Speedy--OOPS!

I like to prepare several blocks for projects when I had time

to sit and cut--that way I can sew any spare minute I have

Cut out January block for Clementine SAL

provided by Fat Quarter Shop

I'm using bright colors--thinking this will be great children's

quilt.  This is February block all cut and ready to sew up!

I had just an hour to sew and speedily whipped through

February block--oh, it was going really well!

the block is all together--then I take it to the pressing table

and Crunch Berries.......

There is a mistake!  Doesn't help to be speedy--now, it will take

several minutes to unsew this block and right the half square 

triangle in the correct direction. 

Drats!  thought I was getting some sewing done.

March--ing On

Yes!  Here is the another hat--am I capable of getting this

knit in the month of March?  

I like this pattern and I'm using some of my stash yarns

(sock yarns) to make this dandy little hat!  You can find this

free pattern at 

Magpie Fibers

I like to knit at night as TV blares away with the latest 

adventures of whatever.........

Wonders never cease!  I'm  finished with this hat!!

The yarn is 4 ply soft wool Rowan Yarns

Knitting hats is not time consuming--I'm just procrastinating- though-

there are much larger, harder pieces to knit!

I'm Pickling and In Jam!

We came to our Hill Country abode for a few days--traveling through

one of those quaint Texas towns, we happened on their farmer's market.

Now, this is a farmer's market!  lots of organic produce--eggs,

chickens--lamb--beef--fresh baked bread & cookies, etc.

I couldn't resist the watermelon and black Spanish radishes!

This booth had both radishes along with  multi colored carrots (love

the sweetness of these).  There was a bag of various pieces of

radishes, carrots, beets and one turnip--not especially happy

about the turnip but it was included.  Hard to see the Black

Spanish radish as it blends into the black countertop.

I put the small pieces of carrot and beets to cook--these

are going into a jam

Here is a better photo of the radishes--

black radish has a snappy taste, very spicy--

These are going into a pickle along with

the turnip!

Another farmer had fresh microgreens--crisp pea shoots!!

Looking forward to our favorite sandwich--sourdough bread

covered with swiss cheese, avocado and topped off with

these pea shoots--yummy!

Beets and carrots are cooked and run through the food processor-

off to be slow cooked for several hours before I add spices and

sugar for the jam.

Sometimes those drives through small towns pay off--

Really?!! Finishes!

Hurray!  for me!  I finished something--these mitts from

FLG group on Ravelry--January featured mystery--

Winding Staircase mitts--challenging for me--as you 

can read about in previous posts.

Another finish is the January hat of the month group!!

Yep--I got it all ready for the charity box--who needs warm

hats in the summer?!  

Barley Light by Tin Can Knits is an easy knit--I used a Knit Picks wool

yarn--this will fit a young child. 

Boy, I'm on a roll........

Stitching A Year in the Garden

Sometimes, there is an opportunity to stitch a peaceful scene

Elefantz Designs offers such lovely patterns to

stitch and enjoy as time goes along.

You can find March's free pattern now--available till

April 1--

Luckily, I remembered to save January's pattern in

my Craftsy file--

Not so lucky for February--I needed to purchase for

a small fee of $2--well worth the cost for pattern.

I have my needles ready along with my perle cotton--

let my evenings be filled with pulling threads through

luxury linen.

Cable Challenge

How about a challenge to kick off your Monday--a Cable challenge!

Solene Knits is offering a 10 day mystery knit along--

oh, I love mysteries!  and here is a chance to learn

interesting things about cables--

A cowl pattern leading you into simple rope cables to

complex traveling cables with textures and lace--

I'm hoping to learn tips and tricks to create pretty cables as

I knit this cowl--or it could be a scarf instead.

And it's all free!

The challenge runs from Monday March 12th through

Wednesday March 21

I'm in!

It seems cable are just wanting to be learned to

be knitted!

Sign up at the Solene Knits website or

check it out on Ravelry.

The Color of March--Yellow!

The third bear in the Beary Colourful Quilt is the Yellow Bear of Being Active Outdoors. This bear is cheerful and energetic and is just itching to get out and have some fun. Grab this pattern from Clever Chameleon and your yellow fabric scraps to bring some

sunshine into your March stitching!

Yellow, the color of sunshine, hope, and happiness, has conflicting associations. On one hand yellow stands for freshness, happiness, positivity, clarity, energy, optimism, enlightenment, remembrance, intellect, honor, loyalty, and joy, but on the other, it represents cowardice and deceit. A dull or dingy yellow may represent caution, sickness, and jealousy.

Studies show that the meaning of the color yellow can be warmth, cheerfulness, increased mental activity, increased muscle energy. The color yellow helps activate the memory, encourage communication, enhance vision, build confidence, and stimulate the nervous system.

Do You Ikea?

Have you seen this?  It's from a postcard set at Ikea designed

by Tom Frazier 

This quilt was designed by Jeli Quilts and she has the free

pattern!! What a color blast!  

Now, Sandra of Musings of a Menopause Melon is hosting a QAL--

Of course, I'm late coming to the party but this is calling my name!

And if color isn't your thing--here is another mathematical 

challenge for you, designed by Sarah Goer.

There is a fabulous tutorial on how to design your

own

Donate!

The Clementine Quilt Along benefits the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to help advance cures and means of prevention for catastrophic pediatric diseases. Fat Quarter Shop is happy to be partnering with Moda Fabrics to match up to $20,000 of donations for this awesome cause. And, on top of that, Fat Quarter Shop will auction their Clementine Quilt Along quilt at the end of the program, and 100% of the auction proceeds will go to our St. Jude campaign. So please DONATE today!

The patterns appear monthly but you can still get the last two now on

Fat Quarter Shop's website.

How Would You Interpret This?

 Chain and Bar Quilt, Maker Unknown, Alberta, c. dates not specified, cotton, 185.5 cm x 179 cm, from the collection of University of Alberta Museums.

How would you interpret this quilt in modern day fabrics?  Mary Elizabeth Kinch

is leading a quilt along for this "Foothills Quilt"--she has laid out a series 

on how the QAL would work.  There are many lessons to be learned from

this quilt--so jump on the foothills wagon and let's learn together

about history.

The pattern and instructions will be on her site till May 10th; then it

will come down as she journeys around the country teaching this

interesting pattern.

Cables! Cables! Cables!

We have been striping wallpaper in the master bath--

up and down ladders, peeling, picking up papers--

by afternoon, all I want to do is sit, relax and

knit--there is so many other things that I 

should be doing. 

It's a treat to get to my knitting 

and now

I'm enthralled with cables!

Elizabeth Ravenwood on Ravelry is hosting a monthly

cable knit along--cables are something I haven't knit often;

thought this would be a good exercise to learn

some of my cables are lopsided but I'm learning.

Then there is a new book  (Something New to Learn About Cables)

coming out March 15

authored by Arnell-Culliford knitwear.

I definitely haven't learned much about cables yet--I'm just

looking forward to the pattern for March Knitalong. 

And look!  FLG (fingerless gloves) pattern for February is 

Aegwynn Laure Marmier--

cables!!  more to learn about cables!