How It All Began

 How It All Began

My obsession with red and white quilts.

This book ... a treasured gift

The beginning of my red / white fabric stash ...

💖💖💖

So much joy here!

Socks with Cables

 Socks with Cables

I was home from work yesterday, after being exposed to Covid at work, I took the day off in order to get tested. Being at home gave me the opportunity to start a new pair of toe up socks. The pattern I use actually has a cable pattern but I've never made a pair of socks with the cable design ... I decide to do that this time around.

I normally cast on both socks, even though I don't use the method of casting on both socks on one set of needles. I cast on both socks but on separate needles. It just works better for me.

I love using the Felici yarn by Knit Picks for my toe up socks. I love the self striping yarn and the colors are always so vibrant.

The pattern I'm using has a chart to follow for the cabling portion of the sock. It also has the words ... thankfully ... I never learned how to read charts in knitting. I think I will make it a goal to learn how to read knitting charts. Although, I've just begun the cabling on this pair of socks I can already begin to see the pattern. 

So exciting!

😎😎😎

Sock Knitter

 Sock Knitter

I learned how to knit to specifically learn how to knit socks. It was my goal to have a pair of socks always in the works. Sock knitting is my ongoing portable project. 

When my children were smaller there was always some place to be, like a doctor's appointment, dental appointment, practice for this sport or that dance class. I spent a lot of time sitting in dingy offices, bleachers, or my car waiting for my children with nothing to do. Quilting is not a portable project ... that is when I decided to learn how to knit.

I love the idea of making something useful ... quilts ... socks ...

I have two sock patterns that I follow. Picture here is the cuff down pattern by

Very Pink

https://verypink.com/category/socks/

I love working on double pointed needles (dpns) in the round.

I love the stretchy cuff of a cuff down sock. It is hard to get that stretchiness on the cuff of a toe up sock.

And, check this out ... my Sewing My Stash Scrap Quilt #17 - Paint Drips - 68 x 70 inches!

My longarm quilter had knee replacement surgery a few months ago and she is just beginning to get back to machine quilting. I'm so happy that she is healing and that her rehabilitation has been successful. Her work is amazing and I'm so glad she is able to return to what she loves to do. I love her work and it is worth waiting for.

Sewing My Stash Scrap Quilt #19 - Scrap Bag

 Sewing My Stash Scrap Quilt #19 - Scrap Bag

I love making scrap quilts. It always amazes me how the scraps of fabrics from various quilt projects can all come together into an amazing quilt top all on its own.

I have a Joann's bag under my sewing table that I put scrap fabrics in. When the bag gets full I dump it out and work on organizing all of the pieces. I sort the scraps by size, 2 inch strips, 2.5 inch strips ... and so on.

This scrap bag ended up having a lot of 2 inch strips, which make wonderful log cabin blocks.

So that is exactly what I decided to do ... make log cabin blocks. I ended up with 31, 9 inch square log cabin blocks.

I popped a quilt label on one of the blocks before piecing the 6 rows of 5 blocks each.

These pieces were leftover so I made a 2 inch strip scrappy jelly roll. I may use it as a border around this little scrap quilt.

Sewing My Stash Scrap Quilt #19 - Scrap Bag

45 x 54 inches

I'm still considering using the leftover scrappy jelly roll has the border on this quilt, so the size may change. Regardless, this little quilt will become a car quilt. It's the perfect lap size.

Summer Is Not My Jam ...

 Summer Is Not My Jam

I love all of the seasons and I enjoy living in an area that experiences all four seasons but, I will say that summer is my least favorite season.

I'm more of an indoor person but in the summer I seek the shelter of the cool inside.

This past Sunday afternoon I decided to go to the pool at the Lodge. I had a great time but in a matter of a few afternoon hours ...

Packing up more than I really needed ...

The pool was cool and refreshing ... but not biting cold ...

I managed to get a sunburn ... even with multiple applications of sunscreen.

50 to 100 sunscreen!

Only me ... summer just isn't my jam!

Weekends Vanish in a Blink of an Eye

Weekends Vanish in a Blink of an Eye 

Why is it that weekends seem to fly by and workdays last 500 hundred years! hahaha! I know, I sound like a spoiled rotten 5 year old!

I enjoy my home, my sewing room, and lately activities with friends and family.

It's good that I finished this quilt up recently. I was able to gift it to the daughter of a friend who recently graduated with her Masters Degree. I love making scrap quilts and I usually have one on hand for gifting. 

I'm really enjoying the two quilt projects that I have going right now. It's been fun piecing a traditional churn dash block and then a modern tree block for the Legendary quilt top.

These churn dash blocks in red/white are amazing!

I still have quite a bit of red/white fabric in stash to get through ... next up on the red/white front may be a Jacob's Ladder ... I'm still pondering that though.

I spent a little time over the weekend gathering up and organizing my scraps into these wonderful scrappy pieced red/white jelly rolls.

It Feels Like Summer

 It Feels Like Summer

It is HOT HOT HOT here in my neck of the woods. It's been in the 90's everyday this week with the heat index hovering around 105! 

Yesterday evening ... even though it was still very hot, I decided to put a couple of steaks on the grill. 

Just a girl enjoying life!

I am truly blessed!

I love my home and enjoying all that having a home allows!

Especially peaceful moments like this ...

This is my Sewing My Stash Scrap Quilt #14

64 x 78 inches

I finished getting the binding on this quilt recently and decided that while I was out back grilling it would be a perfect time for a photo op for this little gem.

Steaks on the grill ... never a bad thing. 

I don't get the opportunity to spend a lot of time in my backyard enjoying a quiet evening. Even though it was super hot I still enjoyed getting out on the deck and just soaking up sites and sounds.

Churn Dash

Churn Dash 

Over the weekend I started a new quilt project ... yes, I'm still working on the Legendary quilt top as well. Sometimes a block will become laborious and for me starting another project helps break up the boring laboriousness of the piecing on a project.

I often have more than one quilt top in progress. Sometimes I will pack one away completely and revisit it at a later date. 

That being said, I started working on a very traditional quilt top made from a very traditional quilt block in red and white fabrics ... of course.

💝💝💝

Red/White Churn Dash Quilt

This fabric is one of my favorites!

This fabric will be the centers of my Churn Dash quilt

Pulling piles of red fabrics ... 

Getting my fabrics and my pattern together.

I am cutting all of the fabrics needed for each quilt block.

Then I'm going to chain piece the blocks.

I love this beautiful stack of fabrics ... so much joy here!

As always I'm using my construction paper book as a way to sort and organize all of my blocks.

My design wall is about to get busy!

😎😍😎

Daughter Dinner Dates

Daughter Dinner Date 

My daughter is the only person I know who will eat sushi with me. We both love it. Our new favorite place to eat sushi is at Nama's in Bearden.

We love our regular server, Phil, and the entire experience is wonderful.

We usually begin with fried and steamed dumplings, cocktails, and then a couple of their specialty sushi rolls.

As always we chat and chat and chat. Lots going on it seems. 

Then we head to Krispy Kreme for donuts and to Barnes and Nobles to browse for books.

It was a wonderful evening ... as all of our sushi dinner dates tend to be.

#lifeisgood

#wearefamily

 

Flag Day Services

 Flag Day Services

I enjoyed my first Flag Day Service.

I learned a great deal about our beautiful Flag today.

And, I was able to watch how torn and old flags were respectfully destroyed.

It was a wonderful ceremony and I am honored to have been able to attend.

O Say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave.

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Baby Spiders ... on my Spider Plant

 No Screaming necessary ...

Baby Spiders ... on my Spider Plant

I've had this spider plant for several years. It's always been indoors and it never produced "baby" spiders. This year I put this plant on my carport in my white wicker planters.

Since I've put it outside it has sprouted 5 little baby spiders.

It seems like every time I walk past this plant there is a new sprouted baby spider.

I love it!

Summer time fun!