Finishes and Limitations

 I have found that I will probably be giving up test knitting and test crocheting. It has been a great experience in my life, but I have found that the testing requires something I can no longer do easily, and that is make sense of what the pattern writer wants to say. Even tested patterns don't always make sense to me any longer. I've had to put things aside and wait to see if I can make sense of the instructions days, weeks and even months later. With these limitations, I am considering paring down on my yarn stash and donating some to that local second hand craft shop. Yes, it's sad, but life. Getting older is presenting challenges that I can either remorse over or accept. I choose to accept the challenge and find other things to do.

I'm finding these challenges with reading directions in all aspects of my life. Some things are crystal clear while other things feel like they are in another language and don't make sense. I received a project box and the person sent me an email stating the directions were correct but the fabric cut that was sent was too small. She had a great diagram and everything, but I couldn't wrap my head around it. Was there a problem with her explanation - I seriously doubt it. I'm pretty sure it's my end. I guess I'm finding more limitations to the strokes I've had. Gotta love a good challenge, eh?

So, I am having more fun with the Mrs. Quilty box. I completed project #2. I cut out all the squares, but found that I had issues with the quilt square slipping, even after pressing down hard - so I put it all aside, did an order on Amazon and got some anti-slip dots to put on the back of the rulers/squares. The arrived yesterday and OH WOW does it make a difference after putting them on the square! I trimmed up my poorly cut squares and completed the potholder. It's far from perfect, but will be useful all the same!

Mrs. Quilty Project #2 - Potholder

I also completed a jar opener which was the small project from Open Gate Quilts Subscription Box. I was chugging along until I hit the explanation for the mitered corners. I've never seen them done this way before and I just couldn't for the life of me, get how they were done. I spent hours searching youtube for grippy jar openers but came up with nothing dealing with this type of miter. Well, to wind down I was watching different tutorials when I accidently came across a placemat video that had the technique! I was doing everything correct, but missing one vital step that I should have known, but... Now my gripper is done and I'm quite happy with it!

Open Gate Quilts - Jar Gripper

I have never used the gripper type fabric before, so I did find that because it grips (and grips well), my foot would not allow me to sew over it. I took a thin napkin and laid over the top of it, sewed over it and then tore the napkin away. I didn't get my "X" perfect but I know how I should do the second one in the kit now.

I never  had the patience for the precise cutting and even less for the precise sewing when I was younger. I have some kits and even a year of Sew Sampler boxes that I never used. I would look at them, say maybe next month, and then never touch them. Until now. I'm using some of the notions, threads, and needles, and as I get a little more practice under my belt, I'll be using the jelly rolls, charms, etc. that came in each box. By letting my perfection attitude go, I'm getting really excited about trying things! And I'm not setting myself up for failure by choosing an advance pattern when I'm just a beginner. Yes, making potholders, grippers, etc. seem insignificant, but they are great for skill builders and useful at the same time!

First Quilt Block & Snow

 Well, the Mrs. Quilty box has arrived and after a while of hoping to set up my machine and tools in the guest room, I have given up and again, am sewing on the kitchen table. The guest room is occupied at the moment, so, kitchen it is. I really hate lugging everything to the table and then cleaning it all up again, plus I'm on a time frame of meals, so if I really get into something, I have to quit in the middle of it. Well, that shouldn't be forever. Just a little inconvenience now. Besides - I love having guests!

I finally have my first square finished! I did a little hand quilting back more than 50 years ago, but that's all I was ever exposed to. Mrs. Quilty wrote everything out as well as had illustrations and some very helpful videos to guide the beginner and believe it or not, I actually got my first quilt block done! It took me hours and I measured many times before I cut, ironed and followed ALL instructions and it actually looks a lot like the example! Well, there are a few mistakes that make it my own, and my perfectionist personality wanted to take it out - but I left it there so that I could remember my mistakes and how I improved (or didn't) as time goes on.

Box1 - Project 1

So, it's far from perfect and the square needs a good pressing yet. I did a preliminary one while sewing and see some areas that I stretched the fabric wonky. But it is finished. 

I sat down to do the second project yesterday - but decided to do a jar gripper instead. I had a little kit here and wanted to make a badly needed one. I got all the lines drawn and pressed and was so excited to have something quick done, but for the life of me, I couldn't understand how the directions were written to miter the corners from the opposite side, turn and then slip the grippy material in. I'm hoping I'll find a tutorial for it. I've done a search on jar grippies, but none are done like this. Yes, I could just do it like a quilt, folding the backing over the grippy material then sewing, but I really want to try this new way of doing the grippy. I finally put it aside and cut out the fabric for my next project, a scrappy type potholder. I found when cutting the small squares, that I had and awful time with the ruler slipping, so I went online and bought some non-slip grips to put on back of the ruler. They should be here tomorrow. That will make life easier, I hope!

We are again getting snow - the flakes are big and coming down gently. I love big snowflakes - they are gorgeous and makes everything look so appealing and snowglobe like. I need to enjoy this snow for next week temps go up to the 50s and rain is in the forecast for the end of next week. 

You might be able to see the snowflakes in front of the evergreens.

Not much else to report from the needles. No other finishes or exciting starts. How is your month going so far?

Another Goal Off The Bucket List

 My stitching for the month of January was very successful - putting hands on over 20 WIPs. Each one received more than 2 hours of stitching time, not much, but more than they had before. That's more than a work week of stitching progress! Plus, I had one finish. Another WIP down. Now I need to turn items into FFO! My issue has been that I'm not good at crafting and finishing has always been a talent that I have never conquered. This year that is going to change along with my bucket list of things to do.

I have always wanted to learn how to quilt. Yes, I did do a 9-patch quilted pot holder all stitched by hand and cut out with scissors, plus quilted by hand, but that was when I was 18 or 19. Unfortunately, that is no longer around, but was given away. I remember how proud I was of it and how the recipient tossed it aside because it was just a pot holder and not something I did by hand. Ah well, I had put a little experience under my belt, but I really never quilted anything again. 

I was talking to my hubby the other day and said to him that one of these days I really want to learn how to quilt. He said we were in our 60's now, so there's not much time left to put things off any more. No time like the present. So, being "dumb", I ordered a Mrs. Quilty box. I so so many reviews before ordering it - some positive and some not so positive. Those that weren't came from very experienced quilters that were complaining about the quality of the fabric not being the best. Seriously - I don't want the best. I want to be able to cut into it and not worrying about destroying expensive fabric. The more experience quilters that have comment on the quality, and were not fabric snobs, said the quality was about like JoAnn's fabric - and better than Walmart's. Well, heck, I'm definitely fine with that - so that was what solidified my decision. 

Today, I am supposed to get my first box. I cannot wait. From my understanding of how this works, the box comes in 10 teaching shipments - and each builds on the other. Hopefully, when I'm done with the 10 boxes, I'll have learned how to quilt - not perfectly - but better than what I can do now. I have seen where the boxes go on longer than the 10 teaching ones and saw that if you pay the year up front, there a discount plus no shipping charges. We'll see how the first few boxes go before making my decision to make a year commitment. Either way, I'm doing this. I need a push and a guide to get started. We'll see what happens after the box is received!

Warm Things

Since we just found out that heating oil prices are about $3 a gallon, I'm going to be looking at other ways to keep the family warm. I so wish we would have had the boiler fixed this summer, but hopefully it can and will be done soon. Then we'll just get wood each weekend until we have enough. At around $750 for a tank of oil, we really have to think of other alternatives! So, this entry will be dealing with warm things or things that make me toasty :)

I've been making many oven meals for the duel purpose of warming us both inside and out. :) Monday, I got out some chicken breasts that weren't skinned or deboned, so I defrosted them and then did the deed myself. By buying my breasts this way, we end up with 2 meals, one of a nice oven roasted breast dinner, and the other, I take the bones and little meat I cut off and make a broth out of.

I tried a new recipe with the breasts - so simple and soooo good.

Crunchy Onion Chicken
2/3rd's can French's Original Fried Onions
4 boneless and skinless chicken breast halves
1 egg

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (not really necessary, but makes easy clean-up!)Crush fried onions in a sandwich or similar sized plastic bag. Pour into a bowl or pie plate. Set aside. In another bowl or pie plate, beat egg - set aside. Take chicken breasts and dip in egg then in crushed onions - coating both sides. Place on cookie sheet. Press on any left over onions if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until no longer pink. Makes 5 servings.

I found that there was enough egg to dip a total of 6 breast halves, and if you are going to do six, you might want to crush the whole can or close to it. I baked these for 30 minutes because the breasts were nice and large.

While the breasts were baking, I put the bones in a pot and covered with water. I brought them to a boil, and them simmered for a good hour or so. I cooled and strained the bones from the liquid, then put in the fridge overnight.



About an hour and a half before I wanted to serve dinner on Tuesday, I took out the broth, skimmed off any fat, and poured in a pot. I had about 6 cups of broth. I then added a few fresh carrots (sliced), a diced onion, 3 cloves garlic, and 2 small leafy stalks of celery along with about a cup of diced cooked chicken. This simmered for about a half hour after coming to a boil. Then I brought a pot of water to a boil and and cooked some wide egg noodles until almost done. While the noodles were cooking, I added some leftover lima beans to the soup, as well as some salt, pepper, one "ice cube" of frozen chopped parsley, and one chicken bullion cube. When the noodles were done, I strained and added them to the soup. I cooked more than I needed, for those of us that like a more "noodle-y" soup. They were kept to the side. YUMMY!!



I finally finished my DS's pair of hunting socks. He has size 13 feet, so the photo of these covered almost my whole coffee table! I hope his feet have finally stopped growing :) I still need to make him another pair or two of heavy wool socks, and one more for DH, but the way things are going, I'm not going to get them all done before hunting season this year. Then, after I need to do some for DD as well as myself, but that will certainly be down the road.

My quilt needs to be brought out and sewn. I am looking forward to working on that. I found a couple of pillow cases that I put away of the children's from when they were little. DD's is an Little Mermaid case and DS's is a Barney pillow case. I have decided to pull them apart and integrate them in the quilt along with a few other scraps from things they wore when they were young. It will probably look weird, but hey - I've decided to make it even more warming with thoughts of the children every time I use it. I offered to put them in each of the children's quilts that I am going to do for them, but neither wants them - so... It'll be my memory type quilt. :)

It's Picture Time!!

I haven't had much time to blog, so I'm going to condense what I did during the past week with lots of pictures today.

Cross Stitch

I finally started to do a little cross stitching again. I love Little House Needleworks patterns, and just had to order this to celebrate the season. Spring is my time to look forward to gardening, fresh veggies and beautiful flowers. It's a time when all the animals give birth and everything is new. So when I saw the "Season of Hope" it just HAD to be done and stitched right away. The needle hit the fabric as soon as it arrived. :) I'm stitching this on 28 ct. cream Pastel Linen using the recommended DMC floss.


Socks

I finished my daughter's fair isle socks on the 10th. She was so pleased with them that she's begging for more. Although they came out nicely, I found them to be a slow knit for me.



I've started a pair of sports socks that are for a contest for the Socktopia KAL. They are called Fanny and are being knit from a pattern written by the group "momma". I'm knitting it in Knit Picks Dancing and am just ready to start the toe. I know they look strange, but the gathering in the "middle" of the sock is a type of arch support.



Quilting Attempts

I had posted a bit ago that I was going to try to make some yo-yos for a coverlet. I have finished 24 and need to cut out more. They are a nice take-along project as they don't take up much room and they can be done while talking or riding in a car.



My other attempt is a simple quilt from 5" squares (becoming 4" squares after allowing for seam allowance). Now realize, this is my first quilt - so go easy on me.



Let's Talk Vintage Crafting

As you know, I love older needlework items. There's just something comforting about things made from them. Maybe it's bringing back those memories of things I loved as I child... my grandmother's home, her aprons and how I was allowed to wear them when I was cooking, her potholders, our spending time together and laughing. I remember watching her make things and staring in wonder as she'd make beautiful things from thread and needles.
So when I can, I try to find things that give me that comfortable feeling. I'm slowly finding what those things are. I hope to someday give my home that same good feeling to my children (and possible grandchildren).

I finished another embroidered towel. This is a Day of the Week transfer pattern from Aunt Martha's.



I was lucky enough to be the recipient of a large tin of old perle and rayon embroidery floss. To my surprise and delight it had some stamped pillow tubing at the bottom of the tin along with a few embroidery patterns and needles. The tubing had been started in the rayon thread, and I have been slowly working on it ever since. The thread is not kind to work with, but the finished sheen is well worth the effort. I wish the photo would show it, but the sheen is lost no matter how hard I tried to get it. After the embroidery is done, I will have to sew the cases, and then crochet an edging on them. I have been searching for the "right" edging, and am torn between a filet butterfly border and a small lacy one. Then there's color. Since these are older, the tubing has yellowed a bit with age, so I want to keep away from white. I thought of a variegated color, but I know that won't look good with filet.



Old Transfers

Here's my meager Vogart collection. I'm hoping to add to it with yard sale and estate sale finds.