Bet This Doesn't Happen To You!

I hate this!  I'm knitting along--and there it goes--the yarn gets all tangled

and in one big mess of knots!

I can almost understand the reason behind this--as this yarn has been

used more times than one can count--I begin a project, and then

just don't like how it is looking, so I unknit and ball the

yarn (this yarn!) up for another day!

I think the yarn has a mind of its own--

and taking revenge!

I love this yarn--and I want just the right project and I think, NO,

know, this is the perfect hat to wear this handspun silk/wool yarn.

To untangle, it takes some time away from knitting this yummy yarn into

this super duper hat.

The Gilmore Girls Hat!  Studio Knits figured out the pattern--and I want that

furry thing on top too--just right for this yarn!  Oh, yeah!

Well, look at this--Finished!

and I love the little furry ball as a topknot!

Finally! found something that looks great in this yarn!

Heart Gifts From The Heartf

Are you thinking about something to make from your heart for that someone special?  Now is the time to begin.

Here is a quick knitted heart block from Studio Knits

Hearts, hearts and more hearts from

Quilt inspiration blogspot

Here are some of my favorite ones from that site:

I Heart this small table mat or it could be a wall hanging--

anyway, it comes from the heart and hands of

Cluck Cluck Sew

And a sweeet embroidered message for someone special

Allie Oops Sweet Appy Life

What ever you make for your sweetheart it will come

from the heart and hands.

The Geese are flying!

Temecula Quilt CO has a super duper way to make those geese

fly right off your machine.  

And then here is another way those geese blocks can be used.

Robert Kaufman's  website has inspiration in color

Generations quilt patterns has a different method of build geese blocks

Quilters Cache has a paper pieced method

So many ways to make those geese fly!

So we come to  Ocean Waves QAL MamaSpark

Ocean Waves Coloring Grid 

Another UFO Bites The Dust!

Oh yeah, I'm on a roll--well, maybe, not knocking them out of the

ball park yet, but I've tackled another UFO and

Nailed IT!  Yes, under the belt, bit the dust, finished--

So excited to have another quilt top ready for the quilter--

don't know if she's ready for me though!

I begun work on this summer of 2016 with the

Bonnie Hunter Gals sewing group and then we headed back

to home base and the box of finished blocks set idly by

in their cute little container.  This pattern is

"Hopscotch, Butterscotch" from

Bonnie Hunter's book 

Adventures With Leaders & Enders

I love the piano keys border--I tried to use different fabrics

in order to use up scraps--

here's to another UFO being a FO! 

Wool Work Project

Do you like to do wool work?  Or Maybe you would like to learn how

to do wool work.  Here is your chance to participate in this 

free monthly block program.  On the 2nd Friday of each month, until the end of the year you can download the pattern.  

Please note you have 30 days to "click & print" out each pattern before the next month's block is released!  After that 30 days, it will only be available to purchase as a pattern/kit.  Be sure to check back often and print off your patterns!!!!  Buttermilk Basin also has kits & threads available!  Enjoy the world of wool stitching!

Here is the first pattern--and you're off to a good start!

Happy stitching!

Can I Share?

I LOVE my group meetings--whether it is a weavers' or quilters

gathering, I'm always in awe of the hands that make beautiful things.

At our January weavers meeting, we didn't have much show and tell

but what a delight it was to praise those who did accomplish

a goal--like Karen, a new weaver several years ago--and all she

wanted to learn to do was weave a baby blanket!

Okay, Karen, show it off!

Her first baby blanket!!

She was worried about this small mark of "creativity"--what was the cause?

Most likely, she skipped a few warp threads when she passed her

weft shuttle through--we call it a 'design element' and

she'll pay more attention the next time she throws the shuttle.

and the 'tracking' in this is absolutely bonus!

Tracking comes in plain weave with the twist and ply of the yarn--

washing brings out that element.  Who worries about pattern

weave when you can get such lovely tracking?

Lisa is learning to use her ridged heddle loom for braids or bands--

she wants to use this length for strap for her yoga mat--fabulous!

and then there are the quilters!  This lovely batik pineapple pattern was

on Judy's machine--she was quilting this for her church's raffle--

The applique was added as an after thought--

doesn't matter in my book, I'm there for those raffle tickets

when they're available.

Karen is planning her baby quilt for new addition.

Here are her fabrics

and this will be the pattern--from Elanor Burns book--Trip Around The World.

It will certainly be a lovely quilt for the new baby.

This video gives you an insight as to the process, using strips.

Annette was doing her hand stitching with her English Paper technique--

she is working on her flower garden quilt.

This is an easy take along project

Camilla brought along her finished Texas quilt--we exchanged the

5" squares of Texas theme fabric in the fall--(have to say, mine

are still in a bag--who knows where!)

Great quilting theme with Texas stars!  Okay, we are off to a good

start for 2017!  

Natural Jeans......................

I don't usually subscribe to these magazines, but I have a couple

of subscriptions so I can send the paper version to my 96 yr. old

mother, who doesn't have much entertainment but

watching television and reading magazines.

I thumbed through the issues and this one peeked my interest--

what?  someone is bringing  indigo back to farmers.  As a person who

worked as Education Curator on an Louisiana indigo plantation, this

article came to life for me.  

Indigo is different from all other natural dyes (apart from shellfish purple)in that it needs no mordant (a substance used to set dyes on fabrics); it is insoluble and is deposited on the fibers as microscopic particles without needing to form a chemical bond with them. The chemical properties of indigo dye remained baffling well into the 19th century. It was so mysterious and challenging to work with that, in many cultures, folklore arose around the dyeing process. In Bhutan, pregnant women were not allowed near the vat in case the unborn baby stole the blues, and women in Morocco believed the only way to deal with a particularly challenging vat was to start telling outrageous lies. All this trouble was worth the final result. Once dyed, indigo is so colorfast that it can last for centuries or even millennia.

The process from turning the leaf form into this powdery blue magical dye was laborious.

Slaves spent their time walking through the blue sludge every day turning their hands, feet and

every body part that touched the plant, blue.  Even today when you work with indigo,

you will come away with blue hands.  It is always like a magic act when you

use indigo vat to dye--

But, this is the only natural dye that will give you BLUE!

Here we have an industrious company bringing farmers together for

this venture.

They even sell their dyes to independent dyers like me.  

You like that pair of jeans you wear, then you can thank

an indigo vat!