Crochet Hand Warmers

I came across the website Ravelry and got incredibly inspired by all the fantastic projects and patterns.  I have always wanted to try knitting and crocheting but because of my problem with my left hand and arm I didn't think I could do it.  I'm still not sure about knitting, but I found a way to crochet!  That makes me pretty happy for sure.  I made my first project today:

These are just practice for now.  The left one I made with a size H hook, and the right one a size J.    My sister (my hand model for today)  and I both like the one made with the smaller H hook better, but I think they would be better longer.  This pattern is so, so cute!

I'm glad I was able to find a way to crochet.  I'm excited to do many more projects!  


I have to share this with you guys as well, as it made me laugh.  I apologize in advance for my sister, but she got really tired of hand modeling...

Guess it's time to find a new model.  


I probably won't post again before Christmas so I'd like to wish all of you a very merry Christmas!!

WIP Wednesday

I was fairly productive this week... yay!


~I got some hexies basted for my Grandmother's Flower Garden project.


~If you look at yesterday's post you can see that I machine quilted something for the very first time!  This was my first attempt at a mug rug.  The quilting went really well...the binding on the other hand... oopsy!  I still haven't un-sewn it yet, but I'll get to it.  


~On my Fandango Log Cabin project, I was productive, but then got discouraged again.  I have 15 log cabin blocks completed, and I felt like I needed more blocks, but I didn't have any more Jelly roll strips.  So I decided to at some more simple blocks to tone down the busy-ness of the log cabin blocks.  This is what I came up with:

Excuse the random straight pin on the block... my cat batted it onto the block right as I snapped the picture!  Here's where I really need your advice! Do you like the simple block next to the log cabin??  Is the white too white?  The white in the fandango fabric is more of an off white, but I've seen fandango paired with white successfully before.  I just don't know!!  

~The Moose on the Porch layer cake quilt along (see button on the right) I finished block #4 this morning at around 4am.  I really like how this one turned out.  I'm so enjoying this quilt along.  The blocks are so much fun and I'm so in love with this Happy fabric!

So, that was my week :)  I hope everyone had a wonderful past week! Happy WiP Wednesday everyone!

Every fail is a learning opportunity...right?

I posted about a wall hanging I'm working on last week.  I was going to use that to practice my first machine quilting.  After getting it all put together, though, I didn't want it to be my first attempt, because I figured I'd mess it up.  So I decided to throw together a little mug rug and quilt that first.  


It actually went together very easily, especially since I just used scraps from my stash.  I used my walking foot to quilt straight lines about a half an inch apart.  I used the thread that I want to use on my wall hanging so  I could get the feel of it.  I think the quilting itself went pretty well.  

Not the prettiest thing in the world, but its just a practice run.  

So then today I decided to bind this little mug rug.   I measured, cut, pressed, and pinned... everything set.  The sewing itself went really well with my walking foot.  And when I was done I went to pin the binding to the other side and start my hand sewing... Then I realized something was a bit wrong...

Fail!  I don't think I was supposed to sew that flap down - ha ha!  It was my first try, so  I guess I can't kick myself too hard.  So now my seam ripper and I have a date later.

Great Give Away!

I found this great give away and wanted to share it with my readers (and get another chance to win hehe).  Head over to Stray Stitches and enter.  It's a "mostly complete set of Thimbleberries Quilt Club 2006 BOM Quilt Kit"!  Isn't that a great give away?  I think so!  Thanks Linda!

WIP Wednesday

I tend to plan things, but never really get them done lol.  Life gets in the way, or I get distracted by some other project.  I was supposed to go to North Dakota this week where I was going to get a lot done on my Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt.  Neither of those things happened.  My trip (and my progress) is rescheduled for later this month.


The only WIP I have to report this week is this:

It's a wall hanging that I measured out for a specific place on my wall (that's why it's long and skinny).  I love these fabrics!   I'm going to use it to practice quilting with my machine, which I've never attempted before.  I'm just going to do straight lines either horizontally or vertically, I haven't decided yet.


I did get some decorating done, the lights are up on the house and the trees are both up and lit, they are just waiting for ornaments.

Hope everyone had a more productive week than I did!

I'm still here....

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, I swear!!  My boyfriend, Eddie, was in town this week (he is only in town one week at a time since he works out of state) so I was spending as much time with him as possible.  I've also been feeling really crappy so I haven't been doing much quilting.  Eddie did surprise me with 2 dozen roses yesterday - so that made me feel better :)  He's amazing.


I did get some quilting done late last night, which I will post pictures of when it looks like something other than stacks of squares.  Its a mini quilt that I'm making to practice my machine quilting - which I've never done before!  


I have had a chance to look at some blogs, and everyone's productivity is very inspiring!  Tomorrow I will get the house decorated for Christmas. (Thats what I keep telling myself) We've got both trees up, just not decorated yet and all the boxes of decorations for the house are out, just not put up.  So I'm half way there!

To my readers...

This will be a personal post, but one I want to share with my readers, to say thank you.


First, a bit of background:  I was born with a condition called lymphangioma.  When I was born it wasn't so bad, but I did have a few surgeries and some pain.  In 2007 I had a follow up surgery to address some issues that needed to be corrected.  Unfortunately complications from that surgery have left me with debilitating pain, blood clots and the loss of most of the use of my left hand.  I had to quit my 5 year banking job, and grew apart from many of my friends.  I don't expect people to understand constant pain, and I know its hard to believe me when I cancel plans all the time because of it.


So the last year or so, I've felt very alone.  Then, a few months ago, I discovered that I loved quilting.  I don't even know why I started, or what inspired me at first, but I knew the minute I picked up my first fat quarter that I was in love.  I started getting out of bed more, just to sew for even 15 minutes if thats all I could manage.  I feel creative and productive for the first time in over a year.


Then I started blogging.  I've always loved to write, but I didn't have anything to write about that I felt others would like to read.  Now that I've discovered the online quilting community I don't feel so alone any more.  It might sound cheesy, but it's how I truly feel.  Not only do I have people to share my work with, but every day I find a new blog with ideas and beautiful works of art from people who have something in common with little ol' me.


So to my readers, I say thank you.  And to those who blog, thank you too.  I have something to look forward to daily now.  Even as I sit here in pain I can read others' blogs and get lost in the beautiful projects that I see.  Its so good to have something I can focus on beside my disability.


Ok, enough sappy stuff - just wanted to thank the people who need thanking in my life!

WIP Wednesday

Happy December!

Well it's 3 am, so it's technically Wednesday, so its time for a WiP post.  So far my week has consisted of:


Fandango Jelly Roll Quilt:  Has been put away in frustration.  I looked at the fabric store and just couldn't find a solid (even the white looked funny) that complimented it.  Then I found a print that was tone on tone that looked great color wise, but it was butterflies...which doesn't really go with the "Spanish pottery" type look that the Fandango fabric has.  But I'm sure if I put it away for a few weeks, and stop looking at it so much I'll find something that looks great.


Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilt: I'm happy to say I found some great fabrics for my flowers this week.

My goal for this week will be to get two more 'flowers' completed.  I'm working at a pace of about one per week and if I'm going to do 49 of these darn things I'm going to have to pick up the pace if I want to get done within a year of starting it!


Layer Cake Quilt Along: This week I did all 3 blocks for the quilt along at Moose on the Porch Quilts, since I just joined.  I just completed #3 about 20 minutes ago.  I love these "Happy" fabrics by Me and My Sister designs.  Every fabric is great in my layer cake!  Here is block #3

I thought about the fabrics in this one a lot and I'm glad I decided on the purple.  Purple is one of my favorite colors, and I really like how this turned out.  Now I just have to be patient and wait for the next block to be posted in 2 weeks.  Here are my 3 blocks together:

So that was pretty much my week.. We have about 2 feet of snow so far this week, with more falling right now.  It's a great way to start December!