A Little Yarn On The Side

Wow - more than a year.   I am still crafting - lots of chemo caps knitted this year, but I'm also still learning to quilt.  This, is one of a set of table runners after I made a huge mistake on what was going to be a quilt.  Whoops.  That's twice I've done that.  I'd show you the other set, but blogger isn't letting me upload any older pictures.  I can show you this, which is from a kit and is one of my new favorites. This quilt, is my first attempt with a striped fabric, and is going to be shipped off to it's recipient today, who hopefully doesn't suffer from dizziness or vertigo.  What I learned from THIS project is that stripes aren't always printed straight, and if they are, I certainly don't always cut or sew straight.  Ahem... I am back to working from home.  I had been the marketing director for a local air conditioning company, but it was a family business, and what I discovered during the slow months is that it was a nightmare....

 10-inch "layer cakes," which are 42 pieces of usually coordinating fabrics bought together as a set.  I needed a break from "hard" quilting after getting the stained glass quilt top together, so when I found an easy pattern , I made: which I loved so much I made: and then I found a set of fabrics that was perfect for a friend having a rough year, so I made this one: Honestly, I didn't know there was such a thing as an "easy" quilt.  I think I'm in love.  And I might have found a new thing to develop stashing problems with, but that's beside the point...at least until I run out of room.   I did take a break to make some new Spicy Spiral runners, Which have a slightly "scrappy" look because the batik fabric sets I used had a few pieces with color changing patterns, which look really interesting when put into the table runners.   Next year is my year to make Christmas gifts, so I'm trying out another new pattern, which is again, ea...

This weekend, after months of moving and pinning and sewing, all of these,  are finally together! It's not done, and it isn't even an actual quilt top because I'm going to add black borders to it, but you know how you have those daunting projects where you feel the need to celebrate each step?  This is one of those. To keep my sanity, there have been some side projects, because I pretty much used up my project monogamy button earlier this year.  Honestly, I'm just thrilled that I got one at all.   It's been so nice to enjoy the flowers of spring since this year I'm not working such abusive hours.  I love iris.  Each time one blooms, I think it's my favorite until the next one blooms. We planted several new iris this year, but we're not sure they'll bloom this year.  Next spring will be fantastic, though! Hope you all are enjoying a lovely late spring/early summer.  

 I've become truly lousy about blogging, but I am getting some crafting done.  Two new fabric & rope bowls are done and in the gift bin, but much of my crafting time has been taken up by... a new piano!!! My old piano had been my grandmother's and never had great action to begin with, and then shortly after we moved to this house, it was ruined by a water leak and was essentially unplayable and unfixable.  I have a digital piano, but it's just not the same.  I fell in love with the Essex upright pianos while I worked at the music store, and my mother had always wanted a really nice piano, so we went to piano shopping together and both picked out an Essex.  I love it!  Charlie isn't as sure. On the one hand, it's something new to climb on.  On the other hand, I think she sees it as a rival for attention and walking across the keys isn't as much fun as laying on fabric when I sew or laying on the computer when I worked from home.  And I won't le...