Layer Cake Sampler QAL

Follow Up and More Quilting

For the last month or so I have been working on the layer cake sampler QAL hosted by Material Girl Quilts.  I've really enjoyed making these blocks.  I'm a novice quilter and was excited by the somewhat traditional looking blocks that I paired with modern fabrics.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE how this is turning out.  I started the sashing last night (sorry, don't have photos of that) and this quilt is going to be HUGE!  Those are 16" blocks!  I've somehow managed to screw up my lay out in sewing the rows together.  I don't have enough space in my sewing room to have this laid out on the floor, so going between my living room and sewing room are kind of screwing me up.  It doesn't matter though, it still looks gorgeous!

Last month, I posted a sneak peak of a quilt I'd just had quilted.  I'm not a good photographer, nor do I really have the space or place to take a full pic of the quilt, so here it is all folded up:

The quilting is absolutely beautiful. I'm so pleased with this quilt.  When I was organizing my fabric this weekend, I found all the scraps from the piecing of this quilt and decided to make two throw pillows to match.  They aren't really pretty, but I used almost all my scrap to make them, and only used fabrics that are in my quilt.

On a completely different note... The new meds were tried and rejected.  I've never felt so horrible in my life.  The side effects were too bad and I was told to stop taking them immediately.  Waiting for another call with another med...  I've put a call in to my local doctor, going to have my heart checked.  I have heart disease and issues on both sides of my family.  Might as well rule something else out.  My only consolation is that we have ruled out so many things...down side is we still just don't know what is causing the localized pain.  Frustrated.  Truly frustrated. 

It's been quite a while, but....

...but there has been some knitting, and some quilting, and definitely lots of boating.

There has been knitting, but mostly for utility and friends.

There has been quilting, not as much as I'd like, but still plenty:

 There's been some crafting too:

AND...there has been lots and lots of boating...

Thanks to those who still read my blog....

I've been a really bad blogger....and now I have more time than ever to blog. The company I was working for closed our branch and I've been without employment since mid-September. I've been trying to make ends meet with my fibery skills.

I have been knitting some the last year, but more so in the last few months. Here is some of what I've been doing since I've been absent:

I finished this Clapotis scarf (rav link) last year:

We bought a boat earlier in the year and spent all summer boating:

This is only the sleeve, but I'm nearly finished with this sweater; yarn is Madelinetosh:

I finished this scarf last month; yarn from twisted:

I've been sewing a bunch; this is a king size quilt I am working on. The top is about half finished.

The new kitten puts a twist in things; she needs to be sleeping for me to knit or spin:

Ah, spinning...I've missed you!

My handspun yarns are for sale at Starstruck Cat Design in Greenwood, IN:

So, that's pretty much what I've been doing recently....I've also been making knitting needle and crochet hook rolls and stitch markers, and of course Christmas knitting!

Workin' it Out

I was sick all weekend. Not sick in the way most people would think this time of year when they hear the word "sick." Many times over the last five days I have wished that I had just gotten the flu. I think I would have rather been bed ridden, vomiting, and unable to eat than what I had. I had a sore throat. I had a throat that was so sore it was bleeding. I couldn't stand the thought of swallowing. And, NO, I did not have strep throat. It started on Friday night with that feeling in your throat when you KNOW something is coming your way. By late morning Saturday, I knew I was going to be laying on my couch in sweats for the rest of the weekend. It was terrible. I'm still not at 100%, but I'm getting close.

Saturday morning I went to a "craft day" hosted by a woman who works in my office. She, as well as most of her friends, are quilters. Last craft day (over the summer) hanging out with the quilters and being the only knitter, I bought a quilt kit and started sewing my first quilt. Shortly after piecing my quilt, my machine died. Having not bought a new machine or getting the old one fixed, I brought my quilt along to use someone's machine. I got all the quilting done, all I have left to do now is the binding. But that won't get sewn on until I find someone's machine to borrow. But currently the quilt looks like this:

My friend Jennie (knitter, pictured right) came with me on Saturday and worked on her Malabrigo sweater. Since it's been a while since I have designed and knit a sweater I told her I was going to do so. And I actually did it. Because I was couch ridden (hehe) I spent the whole afternoon Sunday working out a design and casting on for a new sweater. I'm pretty excited about this one. When I am finished writing up the pattern Jennie is going to test knit it for me.

I Promise I am Almost Done

I spent last night over a Leslie's pinning my quilt layers together. It didn't take as long as I thought it would. You are probably sick of hearing about my quilt, I know others are as well, but I can't help it, I'm so excited about it! All I have left to do is quilt it and bind it and I'm DONE!! I was going to take myself out on a "date" tonight, but I think I will work on this and maybe take myself on a "date" tomorrow night. This quilt is one of the coolest things I have ever made...and that's saying a lot because I REALLY love knitting.

**Edited to add knitting content**

I have been knitting on this again. I think it should be done rather quickly. The body is waiting for the sleeves and I have one sleeve half done. I'm already in the planning (thinking) stages of my next sweater using a beautiful yarn from Briar Rose...I will try to remember to take pictures of the yarn soon.

Here it is with the borders....

It's getting there!

Here is the quilt. I just have to add the border, quilt it, and bind it. I have to say, it's going very well! I just love all the colors. The border fabric isn't straight black. it has blue and green swirls with brown under tones. The border was not part of the pattern, but I think it will draw the eye to the center of the quilt and it just makes the colors pop!
Is this not just the coolest quilt you've ever seen? Leslie is a wonderful woman whom I recently taught to knit and whom has helped me get started quilting. She made this for me! She knew my love of frogs....and you know what the coolest thing about this quilt is? The line of fabrics feature knitting "stitches"!! How cool is that? She is really a great friend!

Here are some fat quarters I bought when I was buying my border fabric. I spotted these a few weeks ago at The Back Door and have been thinking about them ever since. Purple and gold look so great together! This is going to be an awesome quilt as well!
Here is my new sewing box. This is sooo me. I just had to show it off. I bought some other stuff as well, but I haven't taken pictures yet.

There hasn't been an actually knitting, but there has been a lot of thinking about knitting. I am going to finish my Dream in Color sweater and start another sweater in a beautiful yarn from Briar Rose. We'll see pictures of those soon.

Quilting....almost there.

This is a picture of the half of the quilt that I have completely sewn together. I am currently working on the other half and hopefully will have a picture by tomorrow of it all finished. I must say...not bad for my first quilt! It's very exciting! And I LOVE the pattern, Shade Cascade.

Look at what I've gotten into now

There has been knitting, sometimes. I went to a friend's for a "craft" day in which I was the only kniter amongst quilters. Around lunchtime, we ended up in a quilt shop. It was a very modern, beautiful shop. I bought a quilt kit. I am sewing my first quilt. I am ecstatic. Here are my firt ten blocks:

All of the blocks are the same, except in varying colors of blue and green. It's going to be gorgeous....and not bad for my first quilting project! More to come.