WARM UP YOUR ENGINES!

After an hour and a half of fiddling with wires in tight places, the new handles are installed and they work!!!!  Now to tackle that pile of tops that have added up!

 And the churn dashes finished out smaller than I remembered (only 8" not 12"). Even with sashing, it willl still be too small so I need to make some more-8 more, in fact! 

 Plenty to keep me busy!

A SUNDAY SWEATER START!

Another top-down sweater has been keeping me happy with knitting!  This is similar to the sweater I finished a few weeks ago but this time, it is in worsted weight mercerized cotton yarn (Modern Cotton by Berroco) not Dk yarn. I used a varigated yarn for the rows of colorwork.  I will make this one with longer sleeves then the pattern states-a 4-5" sleeve looks better on me!  The pattern is Gioia by Berroco Yarns.  The knitting is going well and there was only one glitch when I jumped ahead to the wrong increase!  

 

A TALE OF TWO CREATIONS!

Remember a month ago I ordered some alcohol inks and some clear school glue? 

 Well, yesterday I pulled it out and started my idea!

I had already used the Gallery Glass  liquid lead to make the outlines of the picture underneath the glass of the pictureless frame.

See the paper pattern underneath?  This serves as guidelines and color assistance.

Not to self-put a tissue over the ink bottle when you poke a pin into the tip to open it!  Well, the poking went fine, it was the pulling out of the pin that gave a bit of a volcano and permantently stained these two fingernails. 

 I am NOT a green fingernail polish kinda girl! lol

But, I learned how to open the bottles and was able to complet the 11" x 14" picture frame! I changed the colors a bit to reflect our State Flower-orange blossom and our State Bird-the Mockingbird!

I removed the old handles from the quilting machine .

But Bill ran out of steam by the time the mail finally arrived with the new handles! It requires some tricky re-wiring which is above my skill-set!  Sigh.

It didn't stop me from cutting out some more Churn Dashes and I pieced 6 of them, too!  I am going to use sashing between the blocks on this one-but I will have to wait for the final layout to pick which color!  I can't say how much I have enjoyed being home 5 days in a row!  I do have to go out today for half a day but will return to piece some more blocks later, I hope!

WORN OUT!

There has been a trend this week-of breaking equipment!  The on/off switch on the quilting machine stopped working-I had to order replacements for the front and back handles. They are supposed to arrive today-if it comes early enough, I hope Bill will be willing to help me install them!

The rock tumbler has died--I have ordered a replacement for this which will be here Monday--I have the 2 barrels of WA rocks that are not finished yet!

And  woke up to naughty footprints all over the newly loaded quilt!  It's a good thing I hadn't started any quilting yet!

Outside, things were progressing much better!  

I worked hard and after an hour or so, 

 all of the new flowers were planted!

I even planted this passionfruit from a friend--this is the fruit!

It is set at the base of the freshly painted trellis arch--the new plant is 5' high!  I can't wait for it to perk up and begin to climb! 

After a swim to cool off--it was 96* outside today--I sewed the borders to the last top.

I wanted to start a new project so I pawed through the Shop Hop haul and found these fat quarters!

I am playing around with some Churn Dash blocks I cut out on the Accuquilt!

THE END OF THE MULCH MARATHON!

The last 15' of the front garden was weeded and mulch added.  

I couldn't celebrate too long because there is also the back of the house!

This isn't as long nor as wide and the weeding was done yesterday!  I had it done in no time! Ha!  It was in the 90's and I felt like a hot dog on the grill when I finished! It is looking a bit bare-the frost killed almost all of the plants but don't worry, I have a carload of flowers to plant today, also!

In the back of the garage, the Tree Crinum is blooming again!  It is a tall plant-taller than I am and the bloom is about 14" across!  It has a beautiful tropical perfume!

Speaking of perfume, the Plumeria is in bloom and look at all of those buds!!! I do love and apprciate flowers that are beautiful to both the eye and the nose!

Some stitching was accomplished at quilting group the other day--two quilts bound!  I still have the borders to sew to the bottom quilt--I will remedy that today!

 

WOOD ON WEDNESDAY!

 

STITCH THE BINDINGS!

Another quilt is off the frame;  I made bindings for both

 but didn't manage to sew it on yesterday. 

 I hope to accomplish that today.  

 The dwarf hydrangea bush is blooming!  

It is nice to see the yard exploding with color!

STUDIO PLEASURES

The mug rugs were first on the agenda Saterday.  I had a good time doing free-motion on my regular sewing machine.  It was neat to have a small project done so quickly!

Nest, I loaded up the Mini Petals quilt on the frame and set to work!  It was good to just keep working until I was finished!  I will put the binding on first thing Monday!  This one and the next few I will  finish will go toward the donation pile--we are collecting quilts for our local police  to carry in their vehicles--

more to come on this later.

I immediately loaded this one on, too, and only managed one row across it before I was done-done in that is!!!

It is a pretty panto called Birds and Blooms!  It is a wide pattern each pass which covers a lot of surface yet it takes longer for each pass!  

A SOCK ON SUNDAY

 One very large man-sock finished and another will be cast on immediately!  This pair will be for my oldest son who wears 

size 15 shoes so I hope they fit! 

 I thought I would never complete that foot! lol

A TA-DA!

Mary finished her quilt on the frame!  Almost everything that could've gone wrong did but we powered through all the trials and at the end of the day, it was off the frame and ready for binding!

The quilting still gave it texture even though this has not batting only minky fabric on the back! Mary made it for her granddaughter and will gift it to here soon!

I finished arranging this quilt which is the  Presto Change-O pattern  but I renamed it the Fractured Four Patch!  I will be making more-they are a truly fun blocks to play with for a quilt.

I saw this pattern today and decided to giveit a try!  We have missionaries from Africa coming next week to church and so I will be making two of these mug rugs to take home with them-in case you need a hint, it is an orange!

I will be layering and quilting today-I have picked out the back and the binding (top fabric) for them.

I will leave you with this beautiful calla lily--the stem is 24"" tall!

 

FRIDAY FELINES

Lena likes to pose for me

 when I am trying to take photos of a project!  

The new baby hat is pretty, too! lol  It is really for a one year old so my doll is a bit small but you get the idea. 

DK Yarn from Hobby Lobby.

I had an idea for the next Diamond Dotz porject--I mounted it to the canvas board before I started it this time!  It was easier to use the brayer and get it to seal without the dotz on the canvas! I trimed the corners this time to reduce bulk-much better.

Once the front was glued (Elmer's) to the front of the board, I glued the back and held it under weights (a pile of books)

 for several hours.

And now I can do the dotz without a table-it is it's own table!!!!   I could do it  on my lap while watching tv even!  My only irritation--the size of the Diamond Dotz lists it as 30 x 40 cm only it isn't!  I am glad I didn't just cut the board without measuring myself to be sure!  I am very pleased with this new idea!