Finish it up Friday -- Quilt #17

I don't know why it feels like I haven't finished a quilt in forever.  I finished three tops just last week!

Here is my February "Another Year of Schnibbles" quilt.  ISTH stands for "Insert Snappy Title Here."  This is the 17th quilt top I've made this year.

I used my favorite Heather Bailey "Nicey Jane" fabrics. The colors are actually more subtle than show in the photo -- evening is approaching, so the light is fading.

NEXT MONTH I swear I will get my Schnibbles quilt finished in time to enter the "Another Year of Schnibbles" parade at Pink Pincushion!

Farmer's Wife Thursday

The Farmer's Wife QAL group at High Country Quilts came around quickly this month, as the first Thursday of March is also the first of March!

Each meeting Karen provides a kit for two blocks.  This month for the first time, I finished both!  OK, they are pretty easy blocks.  And they are very similar:

On the left is #89, Steps to the Altar.  On the right is #91, Strawberry Basket.  Rather than using the templates (which we have found are not always accurate), Karen drafted the blocks to use strip piecing and half-square triangles.

It's a good thing I am not in a hurry to finish this quilt -- I don't think I have quite one-half of the blocks completed!

Small Blog Meetup

Look at this -- Lily's Quilts has a new button for the Small Blog Meetup.  How cute!

The idea is for writers of blogs with fewer than 50 followers to post the link, then linkup and visit some other "small blogs."   Waaay down there on the right is the link, if you want to look at some other fun blogs.

 I have 43 followers -- guess I'd better get linking before I'm too "big!"

WIP Wednesday

How's this for a Work in Progress?  That's Elder Son assembling my new Mega Quilter.

A lead cashier at the orange store, he is one handy dude to have around.  Not least because he is tall and can easily reach the top shelf of the pantry.  That is a 60" LeClerc floor loom behind him -- yes, it's for sale.  Interested?

I chose the Viking Mega Quilter because one of the employees at my LQS, Vivian, owns the same machine.  My thinking is, if I have a problem, I can just call Vivian!

Of course, my machine will be named Meggie!

The worry corgi, Oliver, is supervising.

Oh -- and I'm linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced!

Simply Charming

Lucky for me:

My poor free-motion quilting is not visible in this photo!

This mini quilt is the February Charm School project.  It's a miniature version of the Lil' Twister quilt designed by Marsha Bergren of The Country Schoolhouse quilt shop in Superior, Wisconsin.  Carole Charles of Primitive Gatherings received permission from Marsha to make a tiny twister tool.  It uses 3 1/2" squares and makes a 11" by 12 1/2" finished mini quilt.  The tool is included with the pattern.

I added a 2 1/2" border to make my mini the right size to cover the top of my sewing machine cabinet.  This is a really fun, quick project.  And I'm counting it toward my 52 quilts because I did the quilting myself!

Can you pick out the 4-H fabric?

She knits, too!

I don't knit much these days, too hard on the wrist.  But my younger son (The Little Sailor) is the only person who loves my handknit sweaters.  He always wore one of the sweaters I made him when he worked at the Pikes Peak Library District.  And he says it's cold in Japan, so I cast on a pullover for him February 1.

Yes.  February 1.

And yesterday I finished it!  As soon as the snow stops, I'll take off for the post office to put it in the mail.

This is an Ann Budd pattern, Guston.  The recommended yarn is Brooklyn Tweed's Shelter, but I used a wonderful Aran Weight from Ram Wools in Canada, "Selkirk."  The color is a true Navy blue, darker that it looks in the photos.  I had one or two problems with the pattern -- particularly where instructed to bind off at the end of the row.  Huh?  Wouldn't that leave your yarn dangling at the end of the row, three stitches away from the live stitches?  It was a quick and easy knit, but NOT for the blind follower.  There is a lot of  "read your stitches" involved, so I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner.

 

 I wish the photo of my personalized label showed up better.  I also sewed in a tiny silver heart that reads "made with love" that my friend D'awn bought me.  I put one in every garment, hidden away for a surprise.

Older son thinks it is too big, but he wears his clothes pretty tight.  DH thinks the sleeves are too long, but they are according to the measurement of a previously worn sweater.  Keeping my fingers crossed!