Many Things

 I will start this blog post out with a picture of our really cute great granddaughter, Scarlett, who turned 1 year old today.  She is so much fun to show as she loves the camera as much as the camera loves her.

 I have been knitting.  Here you can see the two front pieces of the cardigan I am currently working on.  And I hope you can see where I have started the increases on both sides of the slip stitch.  These increases will be the beginning of the wide collar.  I have to say I am really impressed with my ability to knit both fronts with the opposing increases.  On the other hand it has been pretty easy and I again will credit having learned to knit two socks at the same time.
                                                                                                               

And speaking of socks, here are my leftover socks.  I have completed one heel and half of the other.  I hope to be done with these this week as I really want to wear these very colorful socks. 

I think I will be making more of these, they are really fun to do. 

I have done a little sewing.  

~

These are some simple blocks

I am making for some easy sewing, trying to get back to it.  I have several applique blocks I need to be working on but I need to get my cutting table cleared off before I can work on them.

The centers of these blocks are these

charm squares that I have had for

quite some time and didn't come up

with an idea for them.  They are being

sewn onto some 2 1/2" strips.  I am

trying to make them as different from

each other as possible.

This is my design wall.  The interesting thing about it is that it hasn't changed since Spring.  Well, that's not quite true.  Some of the blocks that were on it have fallen off and I haven't yet been able to pick them up off the floor and put them back.  However, I am feeling so much better that I am hoping that I will soon be more productive in my quilting again.  I did take the bobbin out of my Handi Quilter and start to  see if I could figure out why the thread is being cut while I was quilting.  And then I will begin to work on the quilts that became UFOs when I became sick.  And then I will have something new on my design wall, I hope.

But for now I will leave you with this terrific picture of Abby, the sweetheart who sleeps under the covers of my bed.  She has to have her nose outside the covers and I think she thinks she can't be seen.  But on this morning she could be seen twice, on the bed and in the mirror.  I had a pretty good laugh before I could get up and start my day.

Please forgive the mess this post appears to have.  Blogger is making it very difficult to write my post and I have been unable to upload a post from Live Writer.  But despite this: have a great week, I plan to.  Gari

                                                            

Look at my roses. Don’t they look happy?











Well, don’t tell them but here in South AL tonight it is supposed to be going down to 32F and 28F tomorrow night. And on Sunday it got up to 81F.

Other signs of spring:

I was home alone this weekend so I did get some sewing done.

This is for the LQS BOM: I also did one for a block swap at guild and laid out some strips for the calendar challenge block.

Last week Lisa gave me a Sisterhood Award (see sidebar). Lisa has a great blog showing the beautiful quilts she has made: wonderful for inspiration.

First of all, here are the rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post. Done
2. Nominate 10 or fewer blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude! One of the reasons I read blogs is that quilters have great attitudes and show gratitude for each other’s and their own creativity.
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post. Please, anyone who fits the above description, accept this award from me.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received your award. Done

Thanks Lisa for thinking of me. GARI

So my husband said “I am doing a paid project and I thought I would share with you so you can have some money to buy that quilt table you keep talking about.” After asking the polite questions about his project I asked how much money I could expect. I unfortunately “snorted” when he said “$100 – 200.” “So how much is the table,” he asked. “$2500,” I said. “Oh, I thought it would be around $500 – 700.” I guess he just had not been listening.




On the good front: Saturday I completed the strips for my March calendar challenge, including the potential appliqué for it. I wanted to get it done so I didn't have to do it in April. LOL


I had gotten up early so I got these done, just prior to DH’s decision that we should drive to Pensacola (100 miles) to get bird seed and dog toys (and of course eat out). So off in the rain we went and had a good time.


This morning I spent some time working on a guild challenge idea. We have two “ugly” fabrics that must be used and can add 4 more. It is not due until September but an idea came to me in the middle of the night so I started drawing. I will share pictures of the fabrics next time (forgot to take pictures)


This afternoon I practiced on my first
pantograph.

I did pretty well on the first pass.

And the second pass was part of the first pass, so no problems there.

But when I had to advance I didn’t do so well: missed it by about 2 ½ inches.

I was able to adjust and the last 2/3rds was ok.

I also noticed that I got more comfortable with it and was not as tense toward the end. I think I will use the good part of this to make a notebook cover to go with my datebook.