TAST-WEEK 30, OYSTER STITCH

This week the challenge for Sharon B's Take a Stitch Tuesday was the oyster stitch.  This is another one I knew about, but never really tried and I like it.  I did my oyster stitches above a herringbone stitch.  This was on the little accessory  case I just finished. 

Accessory Case

As I mentioned the other day, I am taking Pat Winter's Accessory Case  with Clasp Class on Artful Gathering.  I finished my first case yesterday.  Have been trying to post it since then, but my blasted computer is still having issues.  I spent most of the morning being able to get this far. 


Mine is going to be my new cell phone case. 

I usually wear my cell phone clipped to my waist.  So I made adjustments to mine with a clip from an old cell phone holder
and attached it to the back of my case.  I just need to finish
adding gimp to the inside to cover up my stitches and I will be done.  I just got back from Hobby Lobby to get the glue.  I found mine was dried up.

EXCITING NEWS

Long before I was a crazy quilter, I was a sane quilter, and still am in my heart.  I had always dreamed about going to the International Quilt Festival in Houston.  I was talking online with a a friend I have met Liz Bugh through her Etsy Shop, Gypsy Feather.  She had mentioned she was meeting Pat Winter, and a friend. I really, really wanted to go to meet them both, as well as the quilt festival.  DH encouraged me to find out if I could get off work (which I was able to), gave me $$$ for the hotel, and I purchased my airline tickets on Friday.  I am so excited I can hardly wait for November to get here.  DH keeps telling everyone I had talked about this Quilt Festival for  years, and years.

I am currently taking one of Pat's classes at the Artful Gathering, a clasped CQ accessory purse and will try to post pictures tomorrow.  My computer freezes after each link I try to make, and this post has already taken me 1/2 hour just doing this much.  So can't do the link to Artful Gathering.

Well better go get my stuff together to go to work.  This is my Thursday of my work week, so am looking forward for Tuesday and Wednesday  to get here (my days off)

Wonderful Mail Week

 Last week I had a wonderful week for packages in the mail.

The first was a book I had been wanting to purchase for quite awhile by Kathy Shaw, which is brimming full of seam treatments, monograms and motifs to stitch.  I am still browsing this book.  I had noticed she was having a sale on her blog, which I can't show the link to right now because my computer is still having issues. 

My second package was some of Nicki Lee's beautifully dyed laces.  They all came packaged in a cute little lace bag.  I just love her laces and just wanted to show my purchases. 

TAST WEEK 29, BASQUE STITCH

Due to computer problems, have had trouble posting the last week or so.  Last week's stitch was the Basque Stitch on Take a Stitch Tuesday being run by Sharon Boggan.  I  didn't do much with the basic stitch.  But I stitched it in a ring, and it was sort of wonky so I added a pearl button.  This post took about 45 minutes to do because of my blasted computer!   Am going to try to get in another couple of posts before heading to work. 

WORK IN PROGRESS WEDNESDAY

Sharon Boggan has been reporting her Work in Progress on Wednesdays and I have decided to join her to keep myself on track blogging more.  I am currently actually working on 2 projects.

The first is my CQJP for July. I am just about ready to start adding my stitches.  This shows my daughters and I.  Kristen is about 22 months old.  Katie is 3 months.  I had driven down to San Diego from Sacramento, a trip of over 500 miles by myself to spend time with John's parents for Thanksgiving.  John had something going on at work so he couldn't make it.  John and I had received a free photography package for listening to some time-share deal, and this was about the third of a set if pictures I got.  Its hard to see in the lighting I had last night. 





The second project I am working on is my Sumptuous Surfaces 2nd project.  It is going to involve a starfish, and coral.  I was attempting to put a second border on of a scroll stitch.  I cannot seem to get it right though and am about to pull all this out.  Either I have it too loose, or too tight, and I cannot seem to keep a consistent tension.  I had put down a first border of chain stitch and that is fine.  But the scroll stitch has to go and I will do something else to cover up the holes it is going to leave.






So these two projects are what I am going to be working on after I got get the back lawn mowed this morning.  It is supposed to be 107-109 today.  So I need to get it done probably before 8:30 or 9 or else it will be too hot. 

TAST-WEEK 28-UP AND DOWN BUTTONHOLE

This week's stitch on Take a Stitch Tuesday was the Up and Down Buttonhole.  This is another one I have never done, but it was easy, and I loved it.  I will definitely be adding this one to my stitch list.  You can read more about Sharon B's Take a Stitch Tuesday here.

 

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are my days off, and I feel I had a pretty productive day.  Back in 2008 I participated in Sharon B's Take it Further,  This was my project I made.  I had started out with the idea of a starfish, which I see every day as I leave my office.  I stamped some starfish and added a piece of the border of the wallpaper which hangs in my bathroom.  This project I had intended to frame, but it got buried under a pile of "stuff" in my office.  Then I discovered it wasn't a standard frame.  So I asked my dear husband to make me a rustic-looking frame.  I spent my 1/2 day off yesterday trying to find some dark blue stain and discovered I couldn't buy a tiny tin of Minwax dark blue, I had to buy a quart.  I nixed that idea.  I came home and discovered I did have some blue stain, not the dark I had intended, but it actually blends will look

good in the bathroom where I intend to hang it.  I found the Tim Holz's corner pieces at I think JoAnn's in the scrapbooking section.  I am really pleased with the result, and after I put the hanging bracket on the back I will hang it up tomorrow. 

 

 

The other thing I am really pleased about is that I was able to catch 2 of the feral kittens that were born in my yard and take them to the SPCA.  I caught 1 last week.  Now if I could just catch momma and another one running around my yard, I wouldn't have to worry about kittens being born in my yard anymore.  Over the past 2 years I have caught 12.  Out of the other 9 I caught, they were able to adopt out 8 of them.   I neutered another 3 and kept them as pets. 

TAST-WEEK 27-BONNET STITCH

Last week's stitch was the Bonnet Stitch on Sharon B's TAST.    I started out sort of small, and decided to 

enlarge my stitches after a couple of stitches.  I had trouble getting the hang of it at first, but finally understood it.  I will definitely use it in the future.  

Karrin

CQJP-2012-JUNE BLOCK

This is my project for June.  It shows my husband John and his mother.  He was about 15 months old.  I will probably do a little more, sometime, on the blank strip of teal above the sailboat, but I need to get busy on  my July block.  I hope to make it today before I go to the barbecue.  First I have to finish cleaning house!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

Happy 4th to all those who celebrate.  I have my patriotic quilts displayed in my house.  Going to enjoy a barbecue this afternoon at my daughter Kristen's house, and look forward to getting together with my other daughter Katie too, their husbands, and all 4 grandchildren.  Hope everyone has a great 4th!