Top Done

Finished the Grumpy Witch top. I just added 6 inch solid black borders. It won't get quilted until I finish more tops so that I know what I can use for the back. I have Peanuts (i.e. Snoopy, Charlie Brown) fabric, but not enough for the whole back especially since it is a directional fabric.

My plans for working on the Ladybug afghan came to a temporary halt, but I hope to pick it up tomorrow now that I've finished the Grumpy Witch top. Too many distractions, darn it! I have to keep reminding myself not to get sucked into the Spike TV marathon of all SIX episodes of Star Wars given that I have them on DVD, but it is tempting. Sad.

Halloween Quilt Progress

I'm nearly done with my first Halloween quilt. I'll call this Grumpy Witch for the center squares. I had originally planned to follow the pattern and just use the orange for the single border, but I just didn't have enough. So, tonight, I'll set out the quilt with several border fabrics to determine what I'll use. As mentioned before, I'm focusing on just getting the tops done for now. When I have all the planned quilts done, I will know what I have to use for backings. If you are new to my blog, while this particular pattern is no longer available, it is called 'square in a square' and there are plenty of instructions and sizes available on the net for free.



What about other crafts? I plan to work primarily on my crocheted ladybug afghan this weekend so that I can get it done. I have a portable table with adjustable height to set by my chair and will probably finish watching the remainder of my Buffy or Next Generation dvds while crocheting and attaching spots to wings and wings to bugs.

In June, not only do I need to finish a knitted sock pair for my sock-a-month group, but my online quilting group has a contest that requires 20-40 minutes a day of quilting. I really get a lot done with these contests (I won once) and it's fun to see all these other folks also getting project progress.

Fish Bowl Quilt is Done!!

I finished the Fishbowl Quilt a few days ago and have been testing it for several nights. Comfy, comfy, comfy! I deliberately used a light batting in this one because I planned to use it in the summer. The fish fabrics in the bowls were the only birthday gift I ever received from my brothers (bought in FL). I added a border fabric with cats and aquariums. While mostly meander quilting, some of the bowls feature quilted sharks and rock fish. Around each bowl, I quilted bubbles and in the blue sections, I quilted watery streamers. I'm really happy with how they turned out. This quilt is about 70x86 inches. I've had the fabrics since the mid-90s, but the quilt was started in 2004. Another UFO DONE!



Here's a closeup.

Fishbowl quilt pattern. It is not paperpieced!

Fish Bowl Quilt Almost Done

I'm nearly done with the Fishbowl quilt now. I attached the binding to the front and just started sewing to the back. I do need to do a little finishing in the center area (redo the quilting on some spots and quilt a spot that I missed). I expect a finish in the next week. I also need to do some catching up on quilt labels. I'm getting a tad behind on those. I think I have 6 to do now.

Once the quilt is done, then I'll be doing more finishing on that ladybug quilt. The wings need to be redone (they are too small) and then I make and attach black spots to them. A couple of days of good solid work there.

Got a lot to get done. I plan to start the first of the Halloween quilts on June 1, so getting some of this other stuff out of the way is really helpful.

Finished the On Hold Socks

Yes, ironic that the name of these socks should be "On Hold". They've been on hold since July, but done they are. I used size 0 (2.0 mm) circulars to make these in Knit Picks Stroll Sock yarn (Lantana). Pattern is On Hold Socks from Socks from the Toe Up by Wendy Johnson. The pattern is not all that complicated, but I found that I couldn't do these while away from home or watching TV. I'd just get messed up and have to rip back (over and over). I did learn that I need to adapt her patterns just a bit by cutting them about 3/4 inch in length to get the right fit. Then I don't have to adjust the heel - save a step. So, one sock is a little longer than the other, but I'll live with it. I also chose to do a regular K2P2 cuff with a sewn bind off.



I'm not too happy with the photo. The color is totally wrong, why I don't know. Here's the correct color.