AM I KITTIN' YOU?

Usually I don't buy quilt kits. It's more fun to find an interesting pattern and then shop around for the fabric, but I just could not resist these KITS (!) when I visited some Texas quilt shops. They were so tempting! All packaged neat! Pattern and fabric included--all in one little bundle. Okay, it won't hurt, just this once to work up a kit, or two, or three or maybe four!

See just how neat this is--it's hard to resist.  Besides, someone else has already gathered the fabric, cut the length needed and it's folded so nicely.

Making this small wall hanging was fast and fun to create

and included in the bundle was enough fabric for 8 placemats or 4 placemats and a runner.

We certainly needed some new placemats.

Another wonderful KIT was this quilt package I picked up while visiting  One Quilt Place in Fredericksburg or was it when I visited Gone Quiltin in Bandera or might it have been Creations in Kerrville?  The interesting thing about this pattern is the fact that it comes from Mountain Peak Creations, located in Colorado!

And I really like this pattern--okay, it was a KIT too!

 

The pattern comes from Cross Mountain Stitchery, Fredericksburg, TX--there is no website.  I've left the white star off the blue until it is quilted.

I'm having so much fun with these KITS--that I just might buy more in the future--well, maybe!

 

Clicking Those Needles!

It has really been slow knitting lately...................just not in the mood to break out the needles and yarn. Some days the mood hits me to stitch a few rows. Here is what is I'm working on (slowly)

This man's scarf is from Brooklyn Tweed's blog.  It is called Noro Striped Scarf, but since I didn't have Noro and wanted to use handspun, this pattern was perfectly easy to pick up and put down.

Two rows of handspun wool and two rows of baby alpaca--of course, it is taking longer to knit due to the fact that the yarn is lace weight--Really?  Lace weight?  Well, it was in the real aged stash!

Ananka by Shannon Squires is being worked in hand dyed handspun wool--once again--lace weight, so taking just a little bit of time to knit; .

easy pattern to follow; another pick me up and put me down knit.  You can find this pattern at Ravelry also.

 

We continue on with this knit--yearlong , a group on Ravelry.

I'm liking this--a small lace section each month.

Using this handspun with beads (I know, hard to see the beads, but trust me--there are beads)

This pattern comes through another group on Ravelry--Ryan Eejits and those that fit in--Christmas in 12 months.  It took me a few days to get my act together for this month--

It required LARGE needles and bulky weight yarn (which I do not have) but I found this aged yarn.  although it isn't quite what the pattern wants, I thought maybe, it will work, but now that I've begun--I think I'll take two strands of wool and make a bulky yarn--

Okay, the needles are clicking some--slowly, but surely

ARE YOU SUPERSTITIOUS????

It is Friday, the 13th!  Does this day send you into overload of worry?

 Do you avoid Black cats?
 Do you avoid ladders?

Do you not open an umbrella in the house?
Do you go into a panic when you break a mirror?

What do you do when you spill the salt shaker? 


Relax..............................................................Just listen to Stevie Wonder and let those Superstitions go away!

Love Those Bonnie Hunter Gals!!

When we return to Colorado summer home, I'm always anxious to meet up with the Bonnie Hunter Gals club meeting at Wooden Spools.  The group meets twice a month and their challenge is to follow along with Bonnie Hunter and make her quilts.  They choose a pattern to complete.  And there is always so show and tell of those completed quilts.

Here is Judy's quilted BH..............

Such yummy colors

and the back is just as colorful.  Quilting done by Jessica, our fearless leader.

Judy had another baby quilt to show that wasn't a BH pattern

and the back

This isn't a BH pattern--but, still worth the admiring--can we all say 'ooh and ahh'?

We had a  Kansas visitor who came for the day and showed the Marilyn Monroe fabric she was using to fashion shadow box blocks

"Tall" Pat had this wonderful BH pattern completed--don't you love the color selection?

string piecing on muslin for the back

and this will be the border--yummy!

The beginning blocks of yet another BH quilt top

I love the blues and browns

Our challenge this quarter is Majestic Mountains--an easy peazy quilt

Tall Pat( so called because we have a short Pat also in the class) has completed her MM quilt top

and begun the next BH challenge, which is to begin in August for us slow quilters!  Tall Pat is an overachiever!!  it is a fun group and very inspiring. 

Wooden Spools

Denver's Chalk Art Festival

Denver holds a wonderful Chalk Art Festival every year and it is a definite trip to see. Many wonderful artists create masterpieces over three days...................................take a walk with me along the streets of Larimer Square.

The crowds were large

maybe, it would be good if there were directional signals--down this side, up the other

notice the artist chalk colored pants!

Some of these drawings are unbelievable!

There were four featured artist tents  

Most artists were working from a colored photo

another featured artist

It was a hot afternoon but it was worth the trip downtown Denver to enjoy some delightful creations--and on the evening of the third day--all this beautiful work is washed away!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guild House Spinners Gathering

Usually, the spinners meet in homes each third Tuesday but this Tuesday we decided to meet at the Guild House, which is located near Houston Museum District.  We had a nice gathering.  We always are chatting as our hands and wheels are at work and then it comes time to share.

Penny had recently taken a barge journey in Netherlands and brought this lovely skein to show off.  Of course, when we travel we always look for the local fiber people.

It is a wool blend with some alpaca

Penny was told by the spinner (in their limited communication) that it was dyed with purple onion skins

Then we had this discussion about achieving  this color with purple onion skins--interesting

Our young spinner, Lucy, pulled out her hugger she is knitting.  The brightly colored yarn is commercial purchased with the black being her handspun.

Here is the skein of commercial yarn

She also had been on a sock knitting spree and produced these warm and cozy socks--we all loved the yarn

These cushiony socks are cotton blend--felt good by hand; imagine how they would feel on your feet.

She had used some of her handspun to create this cell phone case

Carolyn showed off her first knitting project using her handspun alpaca.  We heard her say she had 21 alpacas with 3 new babies in the fold--WOW!  She has lots of fiber at hand.  This scarf was so soft!

Susan was spinning this yummy dyed yarn from Penny's bins  She is Skyloom Weavers

Lovely, lovely, lovely sliding through the hands of Carolyn; some of her own blended fibers

Marion had recently taken a trip to New Mexico and of course, found a neat fiber shop-- Quillin Fiber Arts.  she picked up bits and pieces for her spinning pleasure

Penny brought her spindle, which is convenient to carry wherever you travel.  never leave home without one!

Another good thing about visiting the Guild House are all the looms--dressed and ready for some shuttle throwing--don't you love this block weave?!

Here is the weft for the above warp

This is a sample weave--can you believe?  It was used for demoing and the pattern is perfect to show off the colors

Here is your pattern for goose-eye treadling.  Can you guess what book this is from?

A weaver was busy on her warp, weaving tablemats and runner--super duper!  Yes, there is always action at the Guild House.