So far in 2008, I’ve been as crafty as I can be. I’m not going to do one of those 2007 year in a review posts, nor am I going to do a new year’s resolution one. I do have a couple of resolutions that I will say, though - one is to post here at least once a week even if I don’t have much to say (that’s when ABC photos or photos of cute pets will surface) and the other is to see friends as much as possible. The year got off to a good start that way, getting together last weekend with some of my favorite local people, a visiting friend, and a hopefully new friend.

Knitting projects I’ve posted about are still in progress, nothing new to report there. I’ve taken up some of my free time starting a new quilt, this one a gift. Another log cabin, because they are easy, pretty, and quick. The fun of this one was shopping in Cassie’s closet for the fabric. The top is nearly done - it will be lap sized due to my floor constraints - and I need to go get batting this week.

A new knitting project I haven’t photographed yet - a quickie sweater for my pup. Ty had a pretty extreme haircut last week when it was 16 degrees, and although he does have winter coats, his only sweater (not knitted by me, the horror) is too small. I felt my boy should have some handknits, so I’m working on a sweater for him out of the brown Highland Chunky that no one wanted in a recent swap. Of course it’s nearly 70 degrees (!) today. But that will change. And since I promised Claudia, a cute photo of Ty with his spiffy new do.

Hopefully next photo of him will have him wearing the sweater.

Knitting Stuff, Animal Stuff, Quilting Stuff | 5 Comments »

Not knitting much, I’ll tell you that. I do a line here and there on my ribby cardi. But I sure don’t need a wool sweater these days. So today I dug out an old started project, the ballet camisole from Magknits. A quick easy knit, right? sure. Provided I can concentrate on more than a line at a time.

So with the baby quilt washed and packed off and given to it’s recipient (finally! and you know, washing it puffed up the stitching and gave depth to the flat colors that wasn’t there before - and I ended up really liking the quilt in the end) I needed a new quilt project - so here’s fabric that is actually going to be a quilt style duvet cover rather than an actual quilt. I started on it the other day.

I really lamed out this weekend - usually memorial day weekend is the first beach weekend for me and this year the weather was really accommodating. But I relished some quiet time and getting things done. I’d been so busy lately that projects were piling up. So aside from one evening of dinner/drinks and a lot of sitting in park time, I holed myself up to sew. I finished a top I’d started literally a year ago. Photos of that soon. And, I started on a skirt that I’d cut weeks ago. I was helped along by watching the entire second series of Life On Mars in one day, and most of Life As We Know It the next. It’s not like me to spend a beautiful weekend indoors so much but I needed this down time.

I watched my little garden grow.

I also cooked. Prune meatballs from Chocolate & Zucchini.

And I prettied up the place a little. Sometimes it’s nice just being home.

Food Stuff, Home stuff, Quilting Stuff | 3 Comments »

There’s been little crafting with all this kitchen stuff going on, and yes, it’s still going on. I don’t know what possessed me when I thought I could do the whole room in 2 days, but it’s coming along. Some deliveries still need to arrive to finish, and I left my floor only partially laid tonight because my hand was killing me from cutting tiles, but by next weekend, all should be done. I have to say, for a small cosmetic only makeover, it’s looking kickass so far in comparison to what it looked like before.

But I took a break from it last night to finish binding the baby quilt. All I need to do is wash it now, and it’ll be ready for my grand nephew. The quilt is not any particular pattern other than a traditional pinwheel, and the rest I just played by ear. It’s my second quilt ever, and first attempt at free motion quilting. I originally tried a stencil but I found for inexperienced me that I did a lot better just going hog wild with the stitching. It ain’t great, but I’m fairly pleased.

(Added later - I didn’t notice till now that I messed up the diagonals on the right side. Oops. I’m not gonna stress over it.)

The front.

The back.

Quilting detail.

Next on my agenda - a quilt top made into a duvet cover rather than quilted. When the kitchen is done…

Sewing Stuff, Quilting Stuff | 9 Comments »