Friday, July 26, 2013

Finish it Up Friday- Summer Sampler, The WHOLE Thing!

 Stick a fork in her, she's done! She's stippled, bound, and big stitch quilted!
 She is all ready to be labeled and sent off to California to be auctioned at the 2014 West Coast MCC sale!
 The final touch was the black big stitch quilting with DMC perle cotton, to echo the look of the focus fabric in the border, and the center star block.
 It was tough to get through all the seam allowances of this paper pieced star so the back isn't as neat as it could be, but the front looks JUST the way I imagined it should!
Now mark your calendars, West Coast MCC Sale 2014 Quilt Auction April 5! Be there and bid her up!
I'm linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts and Finish It Up Friday!

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Really Random Thursday- Science, Sewing and such

I report back to school August 6 and I'm starting to let myself plan for school! I got these cool art cards from MeganLee.etsy.com and I love them!


I've been working on a knit dissected frog to display in my class.
Here he is with his organs!

I've also working on an anatomically correct-ish heart.
I can't wait to put this one in my classroom too!



I disguised a frozen California Pizza Kitchen Sicilian pizza with a fistful of basil and it was tasty!
Luke got back from a weekend of climbing 14ers in Colorado. Turns out he's as bad at applying sunscreen as I am.
I finally changed my rotary cutter blade. I always wish I'd changed it like a month earlier.
I used it to cut binding,

when I finished binding the quilt I began big stitch quilting the center star,

and the border of my summer sampler quilt.
While I am VERY excited about the upcoming school year, I am absolutely starting to feel the pressure to get my projects done eek!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

WiP Wednesday-Summer Sampler Stipple

Well the decision was made to stipple the main quilt and then big stitch the border.


I'm happy with that decision and I'm loving the look. I'm just about half way done and I hope that I can get it done by Friday. It's been a surprisingly busy week!
On the garden front, I harvested two tomatoes! Luke ate one, I ate the other, and I forgot to take a picture!!! They were apricot size cherry tomatoes and they were tasty.
Linking Up With Lee at Freshly Pieced.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday, July 15, 2013

Oregon Ducks Linen Stitch Scarf

Here it is. All 400 stitches in length of it. 
 My first knit item for my husband Luke the Human Heater. 
In his very favorite Oregon Ducks colors. 
 It is also in, my now, very least favorite stitch to knit, linen stitch....
 Though the stitch is so unique, and the fabric it makes is so light!
 It really is the perfect stitch for a man scarf. 
 I took it to the football field to take pictures of it, then to the park where I realized just how bizarre people thought I was taking pictures of this scarf like it was my child. Let me tell you, a gazillion rows of 400 stitches of linen stitch. It may as well have been.
Here is the front where you can really see how it gives the woven linen look.
 Here is the back. It still has the woven look but also as someone said "looks more like a plaid."
After two re-starts of this scarf ("oh I've done this scarf before, I don't need to pay too much attention to the pattern") I finally got it going correctly. I'm glad I did. 
Even if it meant frogging two inches. 
And another two inches.
 And casting on 400 stitches...3 times. 
Alas, it was on this scarf that I discovered the beauty of Addi knitting needles. It was this scarf that has been with me to Grand Junction as I helped John and Neola pack, Olton,Texas as I visit with my family, Denver for another family adventure, Dallas, Texas  to a Rangers Baseball game and more!
Now it will be ready to go on adventures with Luke (when it gets cold enough) and bring some green and yellow to this region of blue, red, and purple.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Spinning- Take 2

Well, when I get a bug, I get it good. On Thursday, I got the bug to start spinning some yummy roving. On Friday night I finished plying it. This is second spinning project and I was trying to see if I could spin small enough to spin the yarn for my sheep/ram to sweater project with the fleece I got from Uncle Doc.
Here's the roving I used today. Doesn't it look like a grey waterfall? This roving is merino wool and silk and heaven.


Before plying.


After plying.


On the niddy noddy.


Setting in the tub. (I love having a second tub for projects.)


Hanging to dry.


All twisted into a hank and ready to go!


Sport weight? DK weight?


In sports or working out, I quit at the earliest sign of being sore. When spinning, I spin through the pain, train my self to switch feet, and spin through the pain again. My calves are a wee bit sore. I'm a hard core spinner. When are they going to start making posters and slogans for that on Pinterest?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Friday, July 12, 2013

Finish it Up Friday-A Big One

I have been working on this Summer Sampler Quilt Along quilt for approximately three summers. Whew! I'm so excited to announce that this quilt top is DONE!
Some people hang flags in front of their houses....I hang quilts. 
This quilt is going to MCC. I think it will end up in the West Coast MCC sale. Now my big dilemma is do I send it to the NFC quilters to big stitch or do I machine quilt it myself and try to top stitch it with some DMC embroidery floss to make it look like the argyle focus fabric (Remix Argyle Plaid, by Ann Kelle)? Also, I really want to bind it in black. Do ya'll think it'll take away from the look?

I'm linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts and Finish it Up Friday.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Dallas- Sports Edition

On Sunday we hit up a couple sports stadiums, starting with the Dallas Cowboy's stadium. While none of us are fans, the stadium was quite the sight to behold!


 I took the combative press approach.

 Imagine meeting us on the field!
 Our best attempt at the Heisman trophy pose.



 Then we went across the way to a Texas Rangers vs Huston Astros baseball game. It was hot but there was a perk to getting the $7 tickets...we were second from the back with a breeze! (Sort of. It was still hot.)
 Keeping up with tradition, I took my knitting and made great progress on Luke's Oregon Ducks scarf!

They gave away bears to kids 13 and under. Val, a lover of soft stuffed animals, was green with envy! Especially of this little guy in front of us who was playing with not only his, but all of his siblings' bears! 
 She just about melted when they did a bear dance and all the kids were waving around their bears and dancing with them! Matt came to her rescue and procured a bear for her. (Shhhh. It's a secret!)
 This is my last post from our quick Dallas trip. It allowed for lots of talking time in the car, some delicious eating as Val and Matt are in the middle of everything in Uptown, a couple driving tours through neighborhoods and visiting schools (yeah I like to see schools from other areas) and lots of golf for Luke and Matt. Especially nice for Luke, was that it gave him some time to debrief and do some interacting with other similarly minded young professionals.