Pooling socks challenge.

Today is the day that the final pictures of the socks Judy challenged us to make here are due. The challenge was to choose a yarn that we thought would pool, I chose an Antonia yarn.

We were then tp take a picture of the yarn  on a March calender to show that it was a new pair of  socks being made.

 Here's a picture of my final product on my feet. I used a set of double pointed needles, size 2.75mm and cast on 60 stitches. I played around with the tension as I was knitting in order to try to control where the colours were landing. I love the effect. The next time this type of yarn goes on sale, I'll have to get some more.

 Here's a flat picture of the socks facing one way,

and facing the other way. I like the way the colours pooled on these. And, considering this is only the third pair of socks I've made, I'm very happy with them. I'm linking up to the reveal post at Judy's Patchwork Times.

Getting it done challenge

For the month of May, my goals were:

1. Catch up on Grandmother's Choice block of the week. I'm not caught up, but I have more done now than I did at the beginning of the month, so I'll count this as partial success.

2. Paper piece 10 border units for Cactus Rose. I did 8 of them, so I'm going to count this one as success, too.

3. Finish step 2 of Lazy Sunday Mystery. Not done. :-(
4. Do 2 blocks for Thanksgiving quilt. Didn't even open the box. :-(
5. Quilt Endless Chain. Done!
6. Bind Disappearing Nine Patch. Not done, but I did bind Endless Chain, so I'm going to declare this one as a success, since I did get a quilt bound, just not the one I said I would. And Endless Chain was a lot more difficult to bind, with all the irregular edges.
And, considering the challenge, stated by Judy here says to list 4 things, and I listed 6, I'm going to consider myself as achieving May's goals.

Now, for June:
1. Finish step 2 of Lazy Sunday Mystery, and begin step 3.
2. Continue with catching up with Grandmother's Choice block of the week.
3. Continue working on Meteor Shower.


4. Quilt and bind Gratitude.

 I'll be linking up to the Getting it Done Challenge post at Patchwork Times when the link up is posted. It's up and posted here.

Note to self...

Do not work on projects that require the brain to be fully engaged when I know my brain is not fully engaged.
 That star in the upper left corner is supposed to have 4 blue points and 4 orange points. The offending piece is already sewn in place, and I'm not ripping all those seams out.

I'm going to take an orange diamond and applique it over the blue one. And then I'm going to find something to do that requires no thought at all.

Customer quilt

I'm sitting here in my chair, looking out the window and enjoying the sight and the sound of the rain. There is something soothing in it, especially the quiet but constant spring rain that comes just in time to water what was planted yesterday. I woke up with a headache this morning, at about 6:30, and it took 2 Maxalts and an Advil and 2 cups of coffee, but it's finally gone, six hours later. So I'm a bit late and a bit fuzzy getting started with my day. And I had such great plans for getting all kinds of stuff done today, too...... sigh.

Charlene picked up her finished quilts last night, so

now I can show a picture of it. There was a baby quilt as well, but for some reason, I didn't get a picture of that one. She probably wouldn't mind if I posted pictures of her quilts before she picks them up, but I figure it's not fair that others get to see them before she does. This one was made from fabrics that she purchased at the fabric party Gail had last spring, sponsored by the online store Mad About Patchwork. I think Charlene said that the pattern for this quilt was out of a Fons and Porter magazine, but I'm not 100% sure about that. Anyway, the whole quilt is done in continuous curves, with the curves extending into the white fabric echoing the piecing. Thanks, Charlene, it's always a pleasure working with you.

Design Wall Monday, May 27, 2013

I had hoped to get some more work done today on the Meteor Showers block I started the other day, but events today decided otherwise. So it still looks the same.
 I had a meeting this afternoon at one, that took up a large chunk of the afternoon. Then, after the meeting, Scott and I decided that today was a good day to go out and pick up some annuals for the flower garden around the one tree in the back yard. The forecast for tomorrow and the next day is for rain and thunder storms, so we took advantage of the one nice day.
 After picking up the flowers and having supper, there was time to put in the flowers before Charlene came to pick up her quilts at 7 this evening. I didn't get any pictures of the finished planting, though. I do have a picture of Charlene's quilt, that I'll do a separate post about.

Then Scott and I decided that the weather was still good enough to be able to get out and get a good walking workout in. We now live less than a 5 minute drive from the best park in the city, Springbank Park. It is a huge park that follows the river for miles. It's like not even being in the city at all. I'm hoping, on days when the weather is good, to get in a daily walk there. So, it is now 9 pm and nothing quilty has yet been accomplished today. But, once I post this and link it to Judy's Design wall Monday, that is going to change. Maybe I'll be able to get the last of the pieces for this blocks assembled and the block put together.

Stash Report, Week 21, 2013.

After 2 days of cutting for a new quilt this past week, I can report more fabric usage, and no fabric income. Now, I must confess that there might need to be something coming in to add to the lights for this new quilt. But it will be a while before I get enough of it sewn before I find out if I have to go out and buy some. I'm hoping to get some more sewing on the first block done tomorrow, and maybe even another one started, before I post for the design wall Monday, so I can show one finished block and maybe the beginnings of another. In the meantime, I have to work this afternoon, so this will be a quickie post.

Used this week:                                      5.2 yards
Used this year:                                      68.4 yards
Added this week:                                      0 yards
Added this year:                               131.25 yards
Balance:                                              62.85 yards more in than out. I've passed the halfway mark in using up what I've brought in, so that's not too bad, even though that isn't necessarily my purpose or focus. It's just kind of fun to see where the numbers are going.
I'm linking up to Judy's Stash Report.

Friday catch up

I've been really busy this week, working on customer quilts. I finished Charlene's, and loaded Maureen's Easy Street. I can't show  a pic of Charlene's until she picks them up, but I can show a sneak peak of Maureen's.

I spent a large part of Wednesday evening and yesterday cutting the fabrics to start making Meteor Shower. Last night I finally had enough cut to be able to begin sewing. This one requires the total engagement of the brain in order to make sure that all the colours are in the right place and that none of the units are turned the wrong way. I found that out the hard way, which involved a couple of sessions of unsewing. But I am lovin' what I'm seein'. One of the light blues in the light blue star section is a bit too pale, but I have something in my stash that can replace that particular fabric. This pattern is my Newfo for May. I hadn't thought I'd get much more done on it, since we were planning on going away next week. Those plans have since changed, so there is a whole week left to sew on these, and also some other things. Right now, I'm going to pull out my Grandmother's Choice box, and piece together 2 blocks, and see if I can't keep doing 2 per week until I'm caught up.