As Seen on TV

Have you ever purchased something after seeing an infomercial? I bought this and what a difference it has made!

Here's some background: I have sensitive skin and live in a very dry climate. There's a back scratcher that has taken up permanent residence on the coffee table. I'm like a bear scratching it's back on a tree. My back itches. Or at least it did. This has been my best most recent purchase.

I fill it with lotion and roll it on my back. It lays down a very thin layer of lotion. Ah, heavenly relief.

New Year's Eve UFO Challenge

I have joined Finn and some other bloggers on the New Year's Eve UFO Challenge. Want to join in? You can click on the badge over there in my sidebar and it will take you to Finn's blog.

Committing for two UFOs is maybe, just maybe, do-able. Now what should they be?

I would like to get this runner quilted before Christmas so it will be the first UFO done, hopefully.

The second UFO, is something I've been sporadically working on: a Halloween quilt. It won't be ready for Halloween this year, but I'll be ahead of the game for next year.

Thanks for hosting this challenge, Finn.

Wordless Wednesday - Squares Revisited

Wordless Wednesday - Applique

Public Service Announcement

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Did you know that?

I went for a mammogram and was given this bracelet. It reads: Hope Lights The Way.

I got mine so you go get your mammogram, ladies.

Stunt Knitting

I recently volunteered to knit a Christmas Stocking for Libby over at Plain and Simple. Here it is before felting. I am going to let Libby do the felting so it matches up in size with the other stockings she has. This is just too cute! And it was a very quick knit.

Want the pattern? You can find it here.

Liberated String Sewing

For the past several weeks, there's been some liberated sewing going on at Casa del Quilter. Block after block has come out from under the needle of the sewing machine. Seventy five 4.5x10" blocks to be exact. Really doesn't look like much when you stack them up like that does it? But that stack of blocks will turn in three of these quilts: liberated coins. Stay tuned.

Socktoberfest- TTL Mystery Sock 2010

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This section of the mystery took several days to knit up. It is really textured, isn't it? I am knitting two socks at a time on one long circular needle and the pattern calls for dpns. There was one row in the last section where I had to take one sock off the circ and knit it on dpns because of the pattern. I had to do that three different times because the pattern repeated three times. But they came out okay.

Wordless Wednesday - Hire Wire Act

Classic Crossed Leaves

Can you stand to see another block from the Hugs and Kisses BOM? Guess what? I'm now caught up. But, o my, you should see the October block I need to work on.

Socktoberfest - TTL Mystery Sock 2010

I decided to do my socks in the Magic Loop method. You can see the one long 40" circular needle. I decided to do the mystery socks this way so they will hopefully be identical. Here's the first part of my mystery socks.

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Wordless Wednesday - Determination

Socktoberfest 2010

I joined the Socktoberfest on Ravelry. Well to be truthful, I never un-joined since last year. Since I am a sock knitter, o yeah, I thought I would publicly proclaim my membership. To learn all about Socktoberfest, you can follow the link. If you are member of Ravelry, join the Socktoberfest group.

I will, from time to time, during the month, be posting a spoiler alert for the Mystery KAL when I post progress on my version of the Mystery Sock. So if you are doing the Ravelry KAL and see the Spoiler Badge STOP READING!

That said, I do want to show the first pair of Socktoberfest socks that I have finished. Please note that these are not part of the KAL. These "Sunrise" socks have been mailed to a dear interweb friend.

Winner of the Book

Nancy, Near Philadelphia!
Nancy, email me with an addy so I can mail this book to you. Thank you all for playing.

Squares

Do you remember these quilts I made in the Baby Pinwheels quilt post in June? I was left with a lot of 2.5" squares of 30s reproductions. What to do, what to do? I loved the look of the white with these fabrics so I combined some solid white and these 2.5" squares and this is the result.

This is another of the donation quilts that I sent to that long arm quilter again with disastrous results. I should have quilted it myself.

Real exciting post title, huh?

Whiter Than Snow

I received an email asking me if I wanted a copy of this book. I did and responded. I also mentioned that I pass my books on to Auntie to read. When I got the package there were two books: one for me and one for Auntie. Auntie and I, treated it like a book club for two and we both recently finished this book. It was hard to discuss it with her as she is deaf.

As for me, I liked this book. But then, I live in Colorado and can picture all the settings that Sandra Dallas describes. The avalanche was so descriptive I could actually HEAR it. That type of slide usually happens in the spring when the under layer of snow gets very unstable.

Do you want to read this? Since I have two copies (Auntie returned hers to me) I'll give one away. So here is another giveaway. Just comment on this post and we'll do another drawing. You have until Monday night -- I'll announce a winner on Tuesday.

REMEMBER: YOU MUST HAVE SOMEWAY FOR ME TO CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN!

Confessions of a Preprinted Panel Junkie

Okay, now, admit it. You've got some of those preprinted panels and blocks stashed away now don't you?

I rooted around in the stash and found more than I can remember purchasing. So I've been on a sewing spree to use these stash items. You've already seen the Seashell one in this post but I am putting a photo in here to show you the quilting. Here are two more (a third awaits layering and quilting).

I tried out a new long arm quilter. To say that I am disappointed is an understatement. Because I have a commission quilt in the offing I wanted to find a way to quilt it without breaking either my bank account or my back. The quilting is pantographs, but the spacing where the quilt was rolled is terrible. The quilter also did not take any consideration of the design of the quilt. And each quilt was quilted in white thread, irregardless of the color of the quilt. Thank goodness these are donation quilts and a child will not question it. Am I being too picky?

Click for bigger. I would have quilted this one across following the the strips of fabric.

Click for bigger. The Cowboys. I borrowed an idea from Elaine Adair for the top and bottom borders.

Click for bigger. Moths not Butterflies. My favorite of the lot, but it is too loosely quilted.

Shame on me; I guess I paid for what I got.

And the Winner Is...

I counted Anonymous comments because, after all, they took the time to visit and post. I removed Finn's and Michele's comments because they did not want to enter. After doing all this the winner is...

Cindy!

I want to thank you all for entering and if Cindy does not claim her prize I'll draw again. Good luck next time.