Design Wall Monday - 12/26/11

It's the last Design Wall Monday of 2011. I am working diligently on the t-shirt quilt so nothing has changed on the wall except the addition of thread to the quilt.

On another knitting note, one of the gals who purchased some knitted items for Christmas gifts called me today and ordered more!

Paula, the knitting factory, at your disposal.

Merry Christmas

Calendar Cover

The 2012 calendar cover is made, finally. I carry a calendar every week day because of work and I decided many years ago that it did not have to look utilitarian. This one is the Quilt Art 2012 calendar published by American Quilting Society. Small projects like this are a wonderful place to use up cheap fabric. Want to make one for yourself? Search for notepad/portfolio/journal cover tutorials.

Wordless Wednesday - Snowy Bench

Design Wall Monday - 12/19/2011

The design wall hasn't changed at all, so I am showing you what is on the needles.

I had 8 pairs of socks knitted just hanging out in inventory. I took them to work and sold 6 pairs. Imagine! Of course, after I figured out the cost per hour to knit them, I realized there was no profit margin in hand knit socks, but then I kinda knew that in the back of my mind already. By taking the cost of the yarn and doubling it, I basically paid myself less then a dollar an hour to knit socks. Ugh.

But these little loveys are another thing entirely. I use the bits and bobs and the odd ball of yarn to knit these up. I was playing with the pattern for this pair as the original called for a finer yarn (like sock yarn) and this yarn is a worsted weight variegation. Someone saw me working on these and wanted to buy them. Sold! She also purchased a hat and two more pairs of mitts. Then the word spread like a wild fire. I took orders for seven more pair all in black. The only catch was that I had no black yarn, so on Saturday I had to go shopping. Be still my heart. I ended up purchasing a nice washable merino wool in the correct weight for the original pattern AND and super soft 100% baby llama in this worsted weight. Now to get knitting.

For other (actual) design walls, please visit Judy at Patchwork Times.

Baby Surprise Jackets

I've been knitting Baby Surprise Jackets, so named because the jacket is knit in all one piece and then Surprise! folded like origami to form a jacket. I used some sock yarn that made very ugly wide stripes when knit up into socks; I think it looks better paired with a solid yarn and knit into these jackets! I modified the pattern a bit to use the buttons I had on hand. Now to figure out what to do with them.

Wordless Wednesday - Favorite Shoes

Design Wall Monday - 12/12/11

Remember last week when I mentioned I was cutting tshirts for a quilt? Here is what I have accomplished. The shirt for that empty space is in the laundry.

I didn't notice that I have two shirts the same before I took this photo, so I guess I'll have to find another shirt. The Alexander Henry yardage on the left will be the sashing. Once again the camera caught something that my eye didn't see. Look at that repeat! I measured, and it is a 12" repeat; the blocks will finish at 15". I will have to shift the sashing a bit so it doesn't repeat. The shirts in this are car related and the oldest is from 1996.

Don't forget to visit JudyL at Patchwork Times, to see more design walls and what others are creating.

Wordless Wednesday - Shadows

How to make a ribbon scarf

I was asked if I would explain how I made the ribbon scarf. It is really very simple. Start with Sulky Solvy which is a water soluble stabilizer. Mine was old and and some was missing due to being used so I do not know how long it was, but I'd guess about 36" by the width of the stabilizer.

Since I am out of the stabilizer, I'll show the next step using waxed paper. Open the stabilizer flat and if you want to, spray it lightly with a bit of washable spray adhesive as this will keep the fibers from shifting. Lay the fibers on half of the stabilizer lengthwise, leaving tails at each end. Fold the other half of the stabilizer over the fiber-covered half. Pin the edges and transport it carefully to your sewing machine.

Put a walking foot on your sewing machine and stitch across the fibers every inch or so and then do a large  'x' to further stabilize the fibers.

Now comes the tedious part. Carefully remove the stabilizer from the stitching lines. You do not have to get it all out from under the stitches. Once you have the larger pieces of the stabilizer removed , dunk the scarf in a bowl or basin of warm water and swish around. I let it sit in the water for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the bowl and roll the scarf into a terry towel to squeeze out the remaining water. Block or dry flat.

That's all there is to it! Here's a photo of the finished product again.

Design Wall - 12/5/11

Remember the two applique blocks on the design wall? I machine appliqued them to see if that is really the technique I want to do with the Baltimore Christmas blocks. I have made my decision on how I am going to applique the BC:  freezer paper, starch and hand applique will be the preferred method. I am just not happy with the curves on these two pieces.

Major Fail

 As a recap, the red block called Icho (design and kit by Grannie 'G' Applique) was prepared using a glue stick, freezer paper and machine applique. Really not happy with this at all. To me, this technique was a sticky mess and I couldn't get smooth curves.

Minor Fail

Noshi (design and kit by Grannie 'G' Applique) was prepared using starch, freezer paper and machine applique. This one is much better but I am still not super happy with the curl.

These are the types of experiments that end up with me having a lot of orphan blocks.

On another note, I started cutting t-shirts apart for a family member's quilt. Stay tuned.

For glimpses to other design walls visit JulyL at Patchwork Times.

The Ribbon Scarf

Here is a closer look at that ribbon scarf on Monday's design wall. This ribbon was so slippery that when I tried to wind it on the yarn ball winder and I removed my hand from the top of the ball the ribbon just exploded into a mushroom. Once I got it contained in a zip lock baggie I tried to knit it up into a scarf. O my. Once again this yarn was a PITA and twisted and knotted. So this was a really good solution because I could cut this silly stuff if needed and I ended up doing so several times. I added bits and pieces of other yarns and fibers to add a bit of texture and interest. The scarf turned out very soft and drapey. It may become a Christmas present for someone.

Vote for your favorite entries - Christmas Quilt Show

It is time to vote for your favorite entries in the Christmas Quilt Show. I am number 49.
You make a comment on the post in the blog I linked to above. You can vote for one Christmas quilt (#49) and one Winter quilt in the comments section of the post. (#49). The voting closes on Sunday, tomorrow, and winners will be announced next week. Remember, I'm #49! Thanks!