Fibers and Fabric This Past Week

Despite feeling under the weather (or maybe cause I was under the weather), I have managed to get some projects moving forward.  

The first, and one that had a definite deadline, was my block for the January Bee Hive Swap.  

I made two blocks, one to send, one to keep.  Mine, I sewed together and used the less than perfect blocks for it.  This way I will have a second quilt top by the time the swap is over at the end of the year.  One that is all my blocks and another one block from each month I sent out.  I love the deadline requirement and the color requirements the other "Queens" will come up with.

The second challenge I am involved in is the Rainbow Scrappy Challenge 2016.  The first month is blue and a Twinkle Star.

My shadow is involved with the picture and I was too sick to care.  My center block is a dark blue batik with the words 'create', 'imagine', among others on it.  Then the dark points are a purple/blue batik.  The light points are a blue/grey batik.  I wanted/needed to do six blocks for the quilt and I ran out of the light blue and subbed a darker blue on one block.  This was a fun block to put together once I got the measurements right.  Now I need more white background fabric for next month.  And I want to make another block with the white a dark color and the blues a light fabric in color.  In other words, swapping the light/dark in the block to see what it looks like.  May this week.

Another item I am working on for my goals for this month is this piece of knitting which I started, abandoned and have picked up to finish up in January.  I now have one sock finished and the second one started.

The picture of the sock on my foot is the true color of the yarn.  It's a worseted weight yarn and the pattern is Railroad Rib Sock by Fiber Trends and was recommended by my LYS in Great Falls as a go-to sock.  The pattern, so far, has been fast and easy, even finishing off the toe with a Kitchener Stitch which I have not done before.  Texter thinks the yarn is too stiff for her, which means I might be able to keep them for myself.  They will make a good pair to wear around the house to keep my feet warm.

While I hadn't planned on adding to my stash, I did pick up a hat to knit this weekend.  It's going to be a fun knit, and hopefully, a quick one.  At the yarn store they had some of the Plymouth Yarnimals which are super cute and I can knit it in an adult size.

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It comes with the eyes, ears, nose, mouth and ties already made.  All you have to do is knit the hat.  Can't wait to get started on it.  They also have an owl one, but Lady K wanted the monkey.  

Another fun thing coming up is I have a couple of friends who want to learn to knit and have asked me to get them started.  Can't wait!  More people speaking my language of fibers and needles.  I need to round up the rest of my needles I have 

The Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt is still in pieces.  Pieces being combined to become larger pieces.  I am so tired of pressing and trimming and trimming and pressing.  Since I feel like I want to 'get it done', I have set it aside for a couple of days and then push forward again.  Hopefully, this week I can mark it off my to-do list and move it to the next stage of 'needing border fabric'. 

Another thing I can't wait for and I will be lending a hand on (so I can take advantage of it), is my friend Kathleen is setting up a studio.  A studio! For Quilting!  And a large design wall!  And access to it!  And to her expertise! And a possible long arm quilter in the future!  It's like saying I have access to Aladdin's Cave.  But I have at least one quilt I need a large design wall to set out the pieces on and ask for suggestions on how to get the pieces 'together'.  My Geisha Garden Walk quilt I have designed for Savvy has the background fabric being cut on the bias and panels set into it.  A bit tricky on that part and will need some guidance and a large design wall to put it up on to mark and view.

Also, this week starts the Modern HST QAL.  Hosted by Alyce of Blossom Heart Quilts, who is also the host of the Bee Hive Swaps.  I have a lot of this owl fabric collection and will use it for the QAL. I will probably need to buy some solid background fabric, but can't wait to get started.

So are, 10 days into January, I am pleased with how my fabric and fiber tasks are being accomplished.  And I'm having fun doing it, they are not just things to check off a list.  The end of the month should be fun recounting where I am with my goals in this category.

Mystery Quilt and Stash Enhancement

I have committed to a friend to do the Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt this year.  One, because wherever KE leads, I just need to follow.  Second, it's based on Italy!  Italy...what could be wrong with a quilt based on one of my favorite countries.  So I am batik seeking.  I decided I would do it in batiks.

So the grey to the far right is my 'constant'.  Then I have my golds and I need some more black.  I have discovered one problem with my batik plan is the fluctuation in tones throughout the fabric.  So I will probably get a bit more fabric than called for by Bonnie Hunter in order to do a bit of picking and choosing for the correct look.  Now I need to get 1 more yard of blacks, some brick red and the biggie - whites.  And not just any whites.  This may be an issue too.  But I'm up to it.  KE also said I could come raid her stash and she has a stash very raidable!

In addition to the gold and black I picked up yesterday, I also found a couple of fabrics on the clearance table.

I have to double check, but I think the far left piece is part of a collection I have some fabrics to already.  And the smaller flower matches pretty well.  With them being on the clearance table I was 'forced' to buy a yard of each.  Twist my arm why don't you!

Now I need to start thinking about what colors I want for a quilt if I get accepted for the Bee Hive Swap 2016.  I'm thinking bright!  Purple and yellow maybe?   Those should be fairly easy for people to get their hands on.

It's a Mystery to Me!

November is my 'writing' month.  It's all about NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).  So that is my excuse for agreeing to participate with a friend in a Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt.  This is KE's third year at doing it and my arms are very sensitive and I was distracted, so I quickly agreed.  It also helped my decision knowing Lady K and Texter will be spending two weeks at Christmas in South Carolina with the other grandmother.  Two weeks of FREEDOM! And no little hands helpin'.  So I will be able to spread out and leave things out.

Anyway, I decided to do it in batiks.  And I love the fact Bonnie gives you the 'color swatches' from the paint store as the colors for the quilt.  It really makes selecting fabrics easier than just saying 'two yards of grey'.  So I have a file folder with the initial directions printed out and the swatch cards glued to it (KE also brought me color swatches to push me over the decision edge.  Have to love enabling friends!)  I also snipped a bit off the cards and put them in a little notebook I am trying to keep all my sewing info in for reference and ease of carrying to the fabric stores.

I started with the grey, because that is suppose to be the one constant in the quilt.

I thought this piece captured the spread of the shades of grey and also the pattern would give some movement to the quilt.

Unfortunately, the whole process has me thinking of 2016 quilt plans.  Let's not think about the stuff I already have, that's stupid.  On my wish list of quilts are the following ideas...

Fancy Forest Quilt is one I would love to do.  Texter would also love for me to do it (hint, hint).

I also have my eye on a Jen Kingwell design.  (We will not discuss the several Judy Niemeyer patterns I have all ready to go!)  Gypsy Wife is what I have my eye on.

And the Tokyo Subway Map quilt is still on my 'want-to-do' list.

Needless to say, none of the quilts I want to do are 'quick and easy' in category.  And my fabric stash is very limited, which means I HAVE to build it up.  Right now, when buying fabric for anything, I usually round up to the nearest yard in order to have extra to add to my stash for future quilts.

But December will also find me combing through my bins and updating my 'project' list.

I have a couple of 'ideas' in my head for a couple of quilts.  One is my "Tree of Life" quilt.  I have a panel I need to finish calculating the borders around the panel and stitch it all up.  It will be similar to the Asian themed quilt I just did for Savvy (which needs to be quilted, by the way).  I also have fabric for and an idea for a "Batman" quilt for Texter.  I want do to a design on the quilt which looks like the old "Pow" graphic design on the TV show and comic books.

But right now, it's a search for batiks and a lot of writing.  See you in December!