Work In Progress Wednesday

When I can remember to post it, I have joined Sharon B's Work in Progress Wednesday.  I am currently working on 2 projects, having finished Katie's accessory case, which she absolutely loved.

Tonight I finished the first block of Betsy's Closet, in which I joined the Stitch-A-Long.  I changed my colors, as I am not much of a pink person, although I still kept the flowers pink.

This is my August CQJP  which I really need to get going on, since August is almost over.  This features my 2 daughters, who at the time were probably about 4 and 5.  This picture was taken by a friend who happened to be watching them at the time.  I am trying to dye a lace motif of Holly Hobby.  At about this time my daughters had Holly Hobby wallpaper in their room, and my dear mother-in-law designed quilts for them with Holly Hobby, who had a pocket that contained small Holly Hobby dolls.  I found the hat of one of the dolls in my sewing basket the other day and will incorporate that into the block too.




My friend Liz Bugh, of Gypsy Feather on Etsy recently sent me a lace order and had included this Holly Hobby motif which I knew I had to include too.  So as soon as I finish dying it, I will add it to this block too. Then I can start my stitching.

Well off to get ready for another week of work starting tomorrow.

TAST-WEEK 33, PEKINESE STITCH

Last week was week 33 on Sharon Boggan's Take a Stitch Tuesday.    My sample is here.   I thought I had a previous sample but I could not seem to find it.  Am going to try to get to this week's stitch before I go off to work tomorrow.

Katie's case

I have just finished an accessory case for DD Katie for her birthday which is Friday.  I am picking her up from work today and taking her to lunch as I will be working on Friday.  I have enclosed a gift card to Macy's which I am sure she will be happy about.  Katie has always loved frogs so I included a frog charm on this one.  Now to get going on my CQJP for August.  Am running behind on this because of all the accessory cases I have made for August Birthdays!

Betsy's Closet Stitch-A-Long

As if I really needed another project, but I was reading Kathy Shaw's blog the other day and found out about this cute stitchery-quilt pattern, and I had to join in.  It is hosted by Kathy Shaw and Jenny of Elefantz.

I ordered my pattern here at the Acorn Quilt and Gift Company.  I was so excited, I came home from work and my pattern had arrived.   I have cut out my backgrounds for the stitcheries and plan to trace out a couple in the morning before work.  I plan to use some of my innumerable 30s's fabrics I have and put them to good use.  The Stitch-A-Long Blog can be found here.  This Stitch-A-Long is from August 2012 to July 2013, so there is plenty of time to join in the fun.  I think I will probably have mine done long before then.  This is a project I will be able to take to work on my lunch hour, or while we are camping.  

Blog Give-Away

I noticed the other day, I am now at 293 posts.  When I get to post 300, I will be giving away one of the little accessory cases I have been making.  It will be in my choice of colors, but will be similar the ones I have been making in previous posts.  All you have to be able to win is to make a comment on this post and I will have DH choose a name out of a box.

TAST-WEEK 32-CAST-ON STITCH

On Sharon B's Take a Stitch Tuesday this week the stitch was the Cast-On Stitch.  I use this stitch frequently and is one of my favorite ones.




In finding examples of past work, it seems I am using the same thread and bead each time.  Didn't realize that before

CQJP-July

I was determined to finish up my July block yesterday so I could move on to August.  I need to piece that today before going back to work tomorrow.  My stitching time is generally early in the morning when I get up, until I go to work.  They I generally take something to work at on lunch break.  By the time I get home I am usually worn out and stitching is the furthest thing from my mind.  This block features some of Cathy 
Kizerian's hand-dyed lace at the top and some more of Nicki Lee's hand-dyed lace in the corner, the flowers in a pot.

I took my granddaughter and Marine, the French foreign exchange student staying with them for 3 weeks to lunch at Cheesecake Factory.  We had a great time, though the service was not that great this time. I was showing my daughter Kristen how to take a picture with my I-pad when she snapped the crazy picture of Kyleigh by accident, and it is priceless!

Well better get off the computer and sewing as I have a busy day.  Also need to get the house cleaned today!

Kyleigh's Accessory Case

I just finished my third accessory in the class I am taking at Artful Gathering, Pat Winter's CQ Accessory case.  I made this one for my special granddaughter Kyleigh Grayce, who turns 12 next week.  I am going to fill it with 2 necklaces I had gotten her, and a gift card to her favorite shop "Forever 21".

This case features the beautful dyed laces of Nicki Lee and some of Rengin's beautiful oya's.

This is my favorite case so far.  I love it.  I think I am going to have to make another similar!  But first, I need to make another case for daughter Katie, whose BD is the 24th.  I need to piece it on my days off, today or tomorrow.  And piece another CQJP for August.  Am a little behind on that one.    I think from start to finish this case took me 4 days.  I am proud of myself!

TAST-WEEK 31-ALGERIAN EYE STITCH

This week the stitch Sharon B chose for Take a Stitch Tuesday was the Algerian Eye Stitch.  This is one I also have known of, but never use.  My samples weren't that great.  I don't think I made my holes big enough for the eye, and I kept running out of room.  I tried using a finer thread and that helped a bit.

ANOTHER FINISH

I finished another accessory case in the Pat Winter's class on Artful Gathering.   This one is for my sister whose birthday is next week.  I slipped a vintage pin I had gotten for her at Gypsy Feather into it.  All I need to do is package it up and get it in the mail.  I hope to get my CQJP July block done this morning before my 22-year-old grandson comes over.  I won't be able to get anything done while he is here, and need to pick my CQ goodies up and out of the way!

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!