No Shopping Here!

 Nope!  No Shopping on our agenda this weekend--just plans for a quiet time at home--eating leftover turkey and looking forward to Sunday when our daughter performs her original songs at Cowboy Church--She has been blessed with good lyrics and good musicians to assist her along the way--

in the meantime, as we try to complete a few chores around the house, I'm working on my loom!!  Yes, I finally sat down to retread my warp and begin a way vision of tea towels--

So far, I've found very few mistakes!  But, just wait till I begin to throw that shuttle, that's 

when those nasty mistakes will appear..

Here we go--yes, there were couple mistakes--mostly, missed

dents in the reed and 3 missing threads in the warp--not bad, I say!

Weaving along and already I'm thinking about the next warp--

do you do that?  I/m not even finished with this one, but I'm moving

onto the next one--

Up I jump to pull out my yarns--here is what I gathered--I'll

look at these for a few days--or weeks--I'm thinking that purple up

front could go back into the closet!  

Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!

 

Mapping..........................

 Mapping has taken a whole new meaning!  Have you seen this?  you can go down the rabbit hole if you visit this site!

I'm in awe!  I sat for an hour just watching these fascinating ways to do mapping--it's genius!  and an interesting way to use computers.  A friend is using Mind Mapping--something totally different--not something I'm going to do--besides, it takes way more time and brain power than I have!

Enjoy Skullmapping site!

Treadling We Go!

The fever has struck!  I pulled out some dyed cotton baggies that have been aging for some time now--

I've been wanting to spin these colorful fibers--actually, I want to downsize my stash!

Is that possible?

Let's begin with these two--

This nicely dyed fiber is 80% Pima and 20% Mohair--

spins smoothly.  It took me about 5 hours to do 2 oz.



Now to go to the other bag--80% Pima Cotton, 10% Mohair, 10% cashmere--whoop whoop!  Luxury mixed with plain Pima cotton!  

When I placed them side by side--it's not the same red, is it?  The one on the left has more blue color--

Guess it doesn't matter when they're plied together, it will look great!

I'm off to ply these two together and share the combination 

Should Be Doing This, But I'm Doing That

Have you ever set a goal for yourself and then promptly didn't complete that goal?

Found something else completely off track to do instead?

I have about 10 quilts that need to be bound--stitch on the binding

and do the hand stitching

I did cut the binding, pressed a couple and then guess what?

I looked over to the corner and saw the file cabinet and

said to myself, " Self, wonder what's in there?"

And Self got up from the sewing chair, walked over to the

file cabinet and began to open drawers............

I went down the rabbit hole!!

Oh gee whiz, here are patterns I want to create!  I pulled them out

and began to process my fabric selection for each of the patterns--

I guess it's called "Procrastination!"  

Oh sorry, just thought of something else I should be doing--

looking in my yarn closet...................

I'll see you later to finish this post...............

 

Celebrate Advent

Need ideas to celebrate Advent--look no further than Pinterest!

Reverse Advent

Printable calendars

Advent dailies filled with candy and activities

And for adults!--Wine each day!!

Decorate a gingerbread house--

Doesn't matter which one you choose--just Celebrate Advent in your

own way--prepare for Christmas!

 

Fall Comes.....................................Acorns Drop!

  A friend gifted me a huge bag of Acorns that dropped around campus==these are nice fat acorns!  I set out to make fabric acorns for house decorations and gifts for friends.  First, I baked all the shells--who wants any bugs in their decorations?!  Once, they had cooled, I set about make a pattern for these interesting accents.  The first ones I made were with plaid cotton fabric, not happy with those, I remembered I had a box of wool scraps--let's get cutting and deciding how to go about this.

I used a 3" circle--worked great.  Cut many circles

Cut slits even around by marking in half each way

Folded in half and stitch a dart

By sewing in each quarter, you have an acorn top--then

I wanted to do a short cut and decided not to cut the slits

And just folded the circle in half and sewed the dart in each direction--

that way worked too and saved some time. Next step was to sew a gathering 

stitch around the circle, pull up, stuff with fiber fill, pull up thread,

glue inside acorn half and place top--

There you have it!!  My acorn decorations for fall--

Was thankful my friend gifted me with these--in

turn I gifted her with a small basket stuffed with these goodies!

Veteran's Day

 

Project Handwork

UFOs on the Horizon!

As if you don't have anything else on your plate this time of the year--

here comes a few more projects to put in your UFO pile!

Jenny of Elfantz is graciously offering a free stitch along, Joy to the World, beginning

Tomorrow ( Friday).  Each Friday she will post a free pattern for her quilt.

To begin the stitch along, she is offering this free pincushion.  

Join Jessica for her Little Village Quilt Along that began October 30

and runs through December 4.  Each week a different pattern will be 

released-- Will you choose Red--like this one

or Red  

I'm leaning towards Red!  Who doesn't love Red or Blue?!!

And the Grand Mommy of all quilt challenges is

Bonnie Hunter's Fall mystery.  The introduction is ready--

giving us a chance to gather our fabrics before the first

clue drops Friday after Thanksgiving.

 

Grateful, Thankful, Blessed

 Thanksgiving is fast approaching, which puts me into the thoughts of Gratitude and blessings that I've received from far and near.  

Seeing this Gratitude quilt by Diary of a Quilter gave me the idea to use my saved signature

blocks (from friends in Venezuela) and add other blessings and make a quilt

similar to this one--I've saved those blocks for years and always wondered

how to display them.

I’ve saved these since 2008–a couple of those signed

Have their angel wings, several live in different states but

Many are in the same region—fond memories every time I 

Bring these out to admire

Another stitchery shows our Thanksgiving thoughts throughout the year.  This is designed

by Flamingo Toes

Turkey Trot by Sewing Loft  would make great placemats for the Thanksgiving table.