Something To Smile About.....

....and that's exactly what I'm doing....smiling!! Just like Casa.   :<) Why are we both smiling? Well, today I found out that my blog has been featured in the Best of the Web over at CraftCorners.com . Take a look!!  It's exciting!! My blog is being featured. Yea!! And here I thought all that I was sharing was simply disappearing out in cyber space somewhere. Hard to believe that I have readers.  It is truly a very humbling experience. Thank you, CraftCorners, for featuring my blog on your wonderful site. What wonderful inspiration to keep on going no matter how wrong a project may go.  :<)

Fibery Pursuits

 We've had quite a few rainy days lately. Not just rainy days. But those cool, rainy days when there's a chill that only a nice fire in the woodstove will chase away. Those days are absolutely perfect for spinning, knitting, and quilting....which is exactly what I've been doing.

Pictured is a few of my latest creations. The first picture is of a fulled hedgehog. He was knitted using a hand-spun, hand-dyed polypay yarn...and Erda tweed eyelash yarn. He stands 9" tall and is about 22" around at his widest point. He has button eyes and a nose that was needle-felted using chocolate brown Suri Alpaca fiber. When you press his tummy, he plays a lovely little diddy. Wish I knew the name of the tune. Unfortunately when I purchased a group of those musical buttons, there were a few that weren't labeled. And this just happens to be one of those "mystery buttons". Still, it seems to fit him.  :<)  The pattern for this little guy is from FiberTrends. This happens to be one of my favorite patterns to knit. I love all the short row shaping. I find it very relaxing. I have made about a half dozen of these. Most of them were given away as gifts. I kept my very first one. This little guy is available for purchase at my etsy shop. (Was that a shameless plug or what!!)

Another great thing to do on those chilly wet days is to spin....which I've been doing a lot of. Pictured here is a skein of hand-spun, hand-dyed superwash 2-ply yarn.  I have to confess that I wasn't real happy with the way the roving had dyed up. Wasn't real pretty at all. But the yarn...Wow!! The yarn was a very pleasant surprise.

The pink/red skein pictured is also superwash. And, it too, was another rather disappointing dye job. I had pictured the roving coming out with reds and pinks transitioning softly from one shade to the next. Not the case. When the newly dyed roving finally dried it looked like it was a nearly solid red with not the slightest hint of pink anywhere to be seen. Have to admit, my heart dropped when I saw that. All I kept thinking was, "great...another skein of red yarn". Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised when I spun it up. The finished yarn reminds me of those peppermint candies that are popular around the holidays. The kind that starts out a stark red and white....then the pink starts emerging as you suck on it.

I have a soft spot for superwash wool. I think it's because when I first started spinning I had such a hard time spinning it. Could never get enough twist in it. My yarn was always falling apart. Plus I found it to be a rather slippery fiber to spin. Now I can spin superwash without any problems. Actually find it to be rather enjoyable. The only challenging part about it is the dyeing. I have yet to have a superwash roving turn out the way I had thought it would. It seems to take dye a bit differently than normal wool. And that's not always a bad thing. It is kinda nice to be pleasantly surprised when you see the finished yarn.

Onto quilting...another one of my favorite ways to spend a wet, chilly afternoon. Pictured is a quilt in progress. I know it really doesn't look like much right now. This is a UFO that I pulled out. The pattern is fairly simple...but you need to pay attention to the way the pieced blocks are laid out. I don't know how many times I've had to un-sew seams because I got the pieced block in the wrong way. The quilt is a large one (108" square when finished) and won't fit on my design wall. So I'm doing it in sections. The first section is on the left in the picture. The second section (shown in progress in the picture) is on the right. I'm using all civil war reproduction fabrics for it. Sometimes I look at it and think "what a jumbled mess!"....then my hubby will walk in and tell me how pretty it is looking. The quilt pictured in the pattern I'm using is done in blues, grays, and taupes. For some reason I chose to incorporate as many colors, prints, and patterns as I could. Who knows what I was thinking when I originally started this quilt eons ago. The blocks are 6 1/2" in size (unfinished) and there are something like 324 of them....total. While the quilt is taking time to make I have a feeling that it will end up being one of my favorites...not to mention my hubby's....who has a passion for large quilts.  :<)

I signed up for my very first online quilt class at Quilt University. Today is the first day of class. Yea!! The class I'm taking is on how to design and make your own Hawaiian quilt. I've had a passion for Hawaiian quilts for y-e-a-r-s!!! So much so that I've spent years collecting books and patterns on it. Even have a couple of dvds on how to make your own Hawaiian quilts. Spent years trying to convince hubby that we really needed to go to Hawaiia just so I could take a class.  :<) He never really bought into that one. Just imagine how happy he was when I discovered this online class. Lesson one covers how to design your own pattern, among other things like fabric choice, yardage, etc. Can't wait for the first lesson to open so I can get started.

Update on civil war quilt: Section two is finished. Section three is on the design wall and partially sewn. Just might have the top together by the end of the month. Yea!

Lavender

Laveder is an amazing plant. You can use it for so many things from sachets to soaps to cooking. The plant is pretty, the flowers are prettier....and the smell. Well, that is simply heavenly!! I love lavender. Been growing it around the house for years, but never really did anything with it until this year.....when my loving hubby suggested I start a small lavender farm. Yea!!!

So instead of putting my lavender plants in the ground hubby suggested I plant them in galvanized steel tubs and set them at the base of each fence post. This way they can be moved if needed....it's easy for him to trim around......they are above the reach of the daschunds.....and it looks pretty. Currently my lavender farm consists of six tubs.....and seven types of lavender. I have two Hidcote Giants plants which have their own pots. They will get to be rather large plants when fully mature. The plant actually looks like a ball with the flowers coming out at all angles on long stems (first plant pictured).

Aromatic Blue Lavender (second picture) and Grosso Lavender (not pictured) share a tub. I have two plants of each variety. They are smaller plants when fully mature....but have a large fragrance!

Buena Vista Lavender shares a tub with Ellagance Purple Lavender (third picture). I only have one plant of each variety. They, too, are fairly small plants when fully mature....but very pretty!!

My Spanish Lavender (fourth picture) has its own tub. It has doubled in size since I purchased it earlier this year. It's flowers are very unique. Instead of tiny blooms on a stalk (like the other lavender plants have), its flowers are in small ball shaped clusters with what looks like a pair of angel wings on top. Very, very pretty!! My only concern about it is how it will winter. It is not zoned for this area. I read that plants winter better in containers....so in a container it went. In a few weeks I plan on trimming it back, then covering it with burlap in hopes that it will do well over the winter. I would trim it back now, but I'm hoping it will self-seed. It is such a lovely plant........

In addition to the varieties listed above, I also have Munstead Lavender....which grows in abundance around the house. I started it all from seed years ago and have let it slowly spread around the house. Haven't really done much with it....until now. It has bloomed and gone to seed so I will go out and trim all the plants back....dry the trimmings...and use them over winter. I read that I can put the dried stem and leaves in the wood stove. They will burn emitting a lovely fragrance. What a lovely bonus!! 

I harvested my first bunch of lavender this morning. One of my Hidcote Giants was in full bloom. The other Hidcote Giant is still budding. I thought that the cooler temperatures we've had lately would slow the growth of my lavender down.....but it hasn't. With any luck I will get to harvest a few more bunches before first frost. I plan on using the dried lavender in small felted sheep.

The final picture is of my Sunflowers. The last color of the season. Aren't they pretty?? They have already started going to seed. I hope they self-seed and I get to enjoy their beauty once more next year.

Buggy Barn Show (photo intense)

 Didn't think I would have my quilt done in time for this year's show....but I did. Yea!!! Pictured is my quilt "Bundling Board" as it was displayed on the big barn. The pattern is by Primitive Pieces by Lynda....for those of you who are interested. It's a really fun one to do.

Below are pictures from the show. Just a few. The first two are of quilt designer/author Cheryl Wall. I got to meet her at last year's show....and it was a thrill to see her again this year. I adore her quilts!! She was doing a book signing for her newest book. Of course I ended up falling in love with a couple of her patterns and just had to have them. One is the "When the Cows Come Home" pattern. The finished quilt can be seen draped over the table she is at. Another was this lovely star pattern..."Cabin Fever". The full quilt can be seen in the second photo down. It's the one with the star done with log cabin blocks and all the lovely applique. Looks like a good winter quilt.  :,) It was a beautiful show. Lots more quilts on display than the previous year. Lovely weather, too.

My great find.....

......is an 1892 Singer treadle sewing machine. Isn't it beautiful?  :>) I adore this little machine. I've never seen anything like it before. The treadles that I'm used to seeing are the ones that fold down into the table. This one has what is called a "coffin" or "breadbox" lid. It has seen some use....and some wear, but I love it even more. 
I'm not one of those people that stumble upon things like this. I'm the person that is always hearing about how others are stumbling upon such great finds. "I was at a garage sale and picked up a 1920 featherweight in pristine condition for $20." Nope. Not me. Until now.  :>) 

 My hubby and I were driving across town to pick up my sewing machine from its annual cleaning and tune up when I saw a treadle sitting in the middle of a dirt parking lot of a junk store. He turned around so I could look at it. Little did I realize at the time that this machine was meant to come home with me.  So off I go to look at the machine while off he went to haggle about price (isn't that what all guys do?). I knew the machine was meant to be mine when I got a small splinter in my finger from the lid. So while he haggled (which I knew was useless since the seller of the machine was on her mobile device showing him how "cheap" he could get parts for it) I went inside to pay. Came out a few minutes with someone to help load it up into the back of my Outback.

While we were picking up my sewing machine from the dealer, I had one of the technicians come out and take a look at my new treadle. He was really impressed with it. It moves smoothly and easily. The belt did snap, but I purchased a new one before I left. I also got a quick lesson on how to use the shuttle/long bobbin system on the machine. I have never seen anything like it before. There was one plate missing from the bed of the machine. The technician did a bit of digging and came back with half a dozen plates for treadles. We found two that fit mine....which I purchased.

My treadle is missing one castor wheel. I went online and was able to find (and purchase) one to fit it. That is now on its way. I also found a few more long bobbins for it. Those are also on their way. The only thing left is to spend an afternoon with it getting acquainted.....which I am looking forward to.  :>)

Of course that will have to wait until I finish up my Bundling Board quilt. The Buggy Barn outdoor quilt show is this weekend. I so want to have my quilt in it.....but I don't know if that will happen or not. While the top is done.....and I did sandwich it......and machine quilt it.....and bind it......I'm still working on it. Why? Because when I machine quilted it I used a serpentine stitch for an all-over 2" grid pattern. Loved the way it looks, but was not happy with the way the applique was laying. It was flat in some places, buckling in others. So I had this crazy idea of simply hand quilting all the applique using #8 perle cotton and a big stitch. "Shouldn't take all that long." Right? Wrong. It takes me about 8 hours to quilt one block.....and there are four large blocks to do. While I'm not the fastest at hand quilting there are places on the block that really slow me down. Like where I'm quilting through layers of applique and seams. I have managed to get two blocks completely done and am half way through the third block. There is still time for me to finish it completely and have it in the show. The only question is will my quilting finger hold up? I'm hoping it will. It would be such a thrill to see my quilt in this year's show.

Quilts......

 .....pretty much says it all.  :,) I've been spending quite a bit of time in the sewing room lately quilting. The first picture is of a quilt I call "Serendipity". It's actually the Porch Time pattern from the Quilt in a Day book "All Through the Seasons". The quilt got its name because I simply could not seem to get the block placement correct....as per the pattern instructions. I finally gave up and left it as is. Turns out the completed quilt is actually rather pretty.....and is being enjoyed by my "helper", Harley.  :,)  He gets so excited everytime I finish a quilt. It's almost as if the quilt was made just for him. This one got the "happy weenie roll" when he first got on it.

The next picture is of my Sudoku quilt. This was made eons ago when an online group I was on decided that this would be a fun New Year's Eve project. I enjoyed making this one so much that I actually made a second one (which I need to get a picture of). Obviously I need to get a better picture of this one as well. Seems I had two "helpers" who were more than happy to help me arrange the quilt for a picture.  :,) The quilt has been "doxie approved".  :,) They had fun burrowing under it for a while before finally falling asleep.

The last picture is of my latest quilt project, The Bundling Board by Primitive Pieces by Lynda. It's being made from grab bags that I've been collecting from the Buggy Barn. I had to add a bit of green from my stash though because I wasn't able to get a green grab bag this month. A large group of ladies had been to the shop before me and bought all the grab bags. I'm guessing there will be a nice display of "grab bag" quilts at the Buggy Barn show this year. At least I hope there will be. It's always fun seeing what quilters can do with a bag of scraps. I made a lot of scrap quilts when I first started quilting. Really couldn't afford to buy yardage unless it was on sale at JoAnns. So I have a soft spot for scrap quilts, especially scrap quilts with applique.

A little bit on the quilt pattern itself. The quilt consists of four blocks that are 21" square. There is a simple sashing/cornerstone separating the blocks....then two scrappy borders.....one light, one dark. The completed quilt will measure approximately 60" x 63". The applique is on a pieced background. The designer started off with a 15" square and then added on until the block was the desired size. Since I didn't have any scraps that would yield a 15" square I opted to go a different way. So my pieced background started off with a large 4-patch to which pieces were added to until the desired block size was achieved. The applique is being done using fusible web and a small zig-zag stitch in matching thread. I had started off using a new-to-me fusible web, but will finish it with my old fusible web. The new one didn't quite live up to all the hype I had been hearing/reading. It had some nice features to it, but not enough to where it was worth switching over to. And I'm purposely not mentioning any brand names here because I feel that what brand of fusible web one uses is a personal choice. What works wonderfully for one person, may not be all that to another.

Where has the time gone????

 It's hard to believe that it's been well over a month since I have posted to my blog. Guess time really does just fly by when you are in the midst of a creative spurt.....like I have been. Guess it also means lots to share.  :<)

The first photo is of my latest pair of socks. They were knitted from a Shetland/Soy Silk blend. The yarn was hand-spun and hand-dyed by me. The wool is from my sheep, Carrie. I love working with her fiber!! It feels like silk and takes dyes beautifully. Plus she has a bit of black sprinkled throughout her medium gray fleece so that always adds a little something when you dye it. Couldn't be any happier with the way my socks turned out....especially as they are my first attempt at knitting lace socks. Yea!!

Now to change gears and talk about quilting for a bit. Been real busy there. The second picture is of my Beginning Baltimore blocks I have been working on (very old pattern by Fig Tree Quilts....for anyone who may be interested). Pictured are all of the completed blocks. They were all done on the machine using fusible web and a small zig-zag stitch (with matching thread). Again, another first for me. I had played with machine applique years ago, but never to this extent. I absolutely love the way the blocks came out and will definitely use this technique for future applique quilts. The blocks are now in a top and the top is finished....waiting to be sandwiched, quilted, and bound. PIctures of the finished quilt to come soon.....hopefully.  :<)

The last 3 pictures are of more completed blocks for my Sheep in the Willows quilt. I was going to post pictures of all the blocks I have finished so far, but decided to save the rest for when the quilt top is finished. I put the final stitches in block #10 this morning. Only two more blocks left to stitch up before I can finally put them into a top. I really love the way the blocks look....and, yes, I know I say that about every project I do....but it's true.  :<) Besides it's good to love the things you are working on. Means you will really enjoy them when they are done.  :<) I think I will actually be a little sad when I'm done with this quilt. It's become such a wonderful part of my day.

Changing gears again....back to spinning. Over the weekend I was lucky enough to finally be able to visit a particular alpaca farm. I've driven by it enough times and always admire the beautiful animals in the pastures. Finally, the open sign was on and I was able to visit (it's always closed whenever I'm in the area). Definitely not what I expected. You walk into the shop and it's like walking into a high end boutique. There are all these lovely garments everywhere....jackets, scarves, wraps, and such. At first I thought, "oh a weaver!!" and was really impressed by everything......until I started looking at tags and discovered that the garments are all brought in from South America (I believe it was). Of course that didn't make things any less pretty.....just a bit disappointed because I was thinking that the fiber came from all those beautiful suri alpacas out in the pasture. So I walked around looking at things and wondering if there was anything in the shop that came from the suri alpacas outside....until my youngest said, "mom, you gotta see the yarn room!" Yes, that did perk me up a bit. Perked me up even more when I saw a wallful of handspun yarn. Then I turned around....and there it was........suri alpaca roving!! And not just any suri alpaca roving, but suri alpaca cria roving.....AND from animals that were right outside. Yea!!! It was so hard trying to decide on what I wanted, but I did end up walking to the front of the shop with two beautiful bumps of roving....where I met the owner of the shop and of the suri alpacas. She told me the names of the alpaca that my roving came from.....which I can't remember because I was just so darn excited about the roving.  :<)

One bump is a lovely cream color that will be blended with moorit shetland and a bit of soy silk. The other bump was a mix of fiber from 3 different animals. It had a bit of light gray, medium brownish gray, and almost a black in it. Notice the word "had". That particular bump is in the process of being blended with black shetland and soy silk......and spun up. I'm carding it up as I spin it....something I only do when I'm really excited about a fiber. The fiber of both bumps is amazingly soft!! The yarn I'm currently spinning is incredibly soft as well. I'm planning on knitting socks from the finished yarn. Wonder if the finished socks will end up feeling like heaven on earth?  :<)