TBT...................

 Yes, it's throw back Thursday!  What memories do you have that you can throw your thoughts back to?

The other day I received a unexpected package in my mailbox.  I looked it over--"now, why would she send me this package?" I thought!  The secret was revealed when I opened up the flap--

Well, what to my wandering eyes did appear--this table mat--and I had the perfect spot for it in the front hallway on top of my Singer treadle sewing machine.  The top had been bare since January one when I took down the Christmas decorations--all that was there--our mask from Venezuelan artist.

Her letter stated, " I was thinking about one of our old friends (who has since gone to the happy weaving grounds in the sky" when I was going through all my handspun.  I thought of those good times spinning and dyeing with her and you along with the other members of our guild"  She continued,

"I'm sure she used natural dyes on these handspun yarns--maybe, goldenrod, or onion skins or maybe

cochineal.  Who knows?"

Well, I'm sure that our dear friend used natural dyes and I will cherish this TB gift.  It might have passed through two sets of hands to arrive to me and a spec of 20 + years but the memories of those 'olden' days resurface when I walk past the table mat to remember those days with friends.

Then, my mind wandered to my forgotten treasures lurking in the cedar chest--

I pulled out two of my first handspun projects--oh joy!  I've learned so much in the past

40 years!  Such bulky yarns, yet the brilliant natural dyes still remain!  

We did have such fun dyeing our handspun yarn--memories are good!  

Thawing Out!!!

It certainly been an interesting 2021 so far!  We thought life would be on track for

great things after 2020 shut in times.

No, 2021 brought us other complications to overcome--

RECORD cold temperatures, iced in, no power for days on end,

broken water pipes--NO water!

Which of these can you live without for days?

If you live in the Gulf Coast states, you know the hurricanes

can give you no water, no power and lots of Heat!

But, winter time--

No power is the pits!

We'd bundle up, sit in front of fireplace (if we are that privileged!)

layer, layer, layer!

For few days, I'd use my regular everyday socks--you know those

stretchy things

Then one bright morning, my mind thawed................

dumb dumb--why aren't you wearing a pair of your handspun,

handknit socks??

Duh!!

I pulled out the sock drawer and there they were!

Sooooo many--just waiting to be worn--to warm your feet

which in turn warms your body!

OH JOY!

pick one, any pair!

There are over 25 pair of socks in the drawer--each one a

different knit pattern

Oooh, I found my favorite ones!  The handspun angora ones--

that fiber came from my own rabbits--I would wear these socks

to demo spinning at the livestock show and let the kids touch my feet to 

feel what my bunny felt like-

I'm a happy camper now!  Feet warm!

Wished I thought of those socks last week!

 

Dots and Dashes

 Yes, you say "Dots and Dashes" are Morse code.  But we can take those dots and dashes and entered them into art form--like knitting and weaving. 

Like this lovely knitted cowl by Melody Johnson--she has learned how to 

translate those little dashes and dots into interesting garments.

Here are dots and dashes in weaving from friend Charlene--

what a great pattern!  

Pinterest has some from inkle loom weavers.

Even in Quilt patterns--

look around you!  where do you see dots and dashes?

Check out famous painters who have used dots and dashes as their brush strokes?

 

Mindless...............

 There are times when I don’t want to think about counting stitches as I knit.  I don’t want to read a complicated chart.  I want let my brain to rest as my hands do their “Thing”

This is such a pattern that my fingers can handle—mindless knitting! The pattern is Bias Scarf from Hands Occupied—You can also knit in garter stitch and it’s a good way to use stash yarns. 

Another mindless knitting project--I'm using up stash yarn--fun knit and easy

to knit, watch TV or listen to a book without thinking about the stitches--

except when it comes to stitching the heart.  I added hearts randomly around.

Here is a mindless quilting project from 

Confessions of a Fabric Addict

I think this would use up some scraps from the bin!!

Hope this will help you to be Mindless every once and awhile!

WIPs

                                                                                     My blocks are growing!  I'm having a hard time keeping up with what goes where with what!  But, it's all good!  I'll sort it out in the long run.

Every Wednesday Pat Sloan post a pattern for her Quilt Along called

HOME--This is from the first two weeks--I made the house block and 

then the next week decided to go all red, white and blue--I MAY

remake the house block some time in the future but right now, it's an okay

block.

Two more blocks from HOME—I look forward to Wednesday when patterns are released! 

What a mess!  The other half of this partnership said his winter socks

were 'holey'--He thought (wrongly) that I had knit those socks--NOT!

Anyway, I found some handspun wool balls in the stash and begin

his socks--I'm working on two at the same time--maybe,

the pair will be completed by next winter so he can wear them.

Stiches! Stitches! Stitches!

 

The National Quilt Museum has been hosting Block of the Month Club

Stitch alongs for three years.  2021 January block is super interesting!

The instructions are on their website--this block was designed by

Vibeke Ladefoged of Denmark

The original pattern was designed by Cassandra Ireland Beaver--

Sew Can She is hosting a fun color by number quilt

along!  This sounds easy peazy!

Pick up the videos on her site.

The sew along requires seven fat quarters and since I had this

bundle and some other fall fabrics--that is what I'll use.  Love fall quilts

anyway!

Hidden Nine Patch for Abigail May Alcott

Civil War Quilts has an interesting quilt along starting with

this unpublished block to represent true tales of the underground

railroad when people in Concord, Mass hid runaways in their houses.

This is a great way to sew up some history!

This should keep you busy for awhile!

Hearts A’Flutterin’

Since it's close to that big Heart day--I decided to sewing up some hearts!

I've had this pattern since Hurricane Harvey--it was a special bonus published

by Fat Quarter Shop

Healing Hearts Quilt pattern is such an easy pattern to assemble--

it takes some time to cut the blocks but once you begin you're

on the road to a complete quilt.  I'm not sure you can still get this

pattern now.

I used most of my red/pink fabrics from the stash. 

Then I made another quilt using random fabrics from the scrap bin.

This one will go to a friend--need to decide on borders and it will

go to the long arm machine soon.

Stitches From the Heart is a free pattern now--from Fat Quarter Shoppe.

I have all my half square triangle sewn and ready to assemble.  I decided

to make the large wall size.  there is also a counted cross stitch pattern

to download if that is your 'thing'!

Love this!  Needs backing and quilting. 

Found this in my UFO bin—decided to finish but

It needs something else to give it that sparkle. 

Isn’t it amazing that the camera picks up things the eye doesn’t see—like that little speck of thread!