Christmas on Thursday

Well, technically, it was Tuesday, but today I'm sharing the Christmas I made this year.  It seems I forgot to take pictures of the headband I made for Jen, or the hat I made for Abi, but whatcha gonna do.

<- This photo is recreated every year - the subjects get bigger and smarter, and more beautiful, but a little Lego in the stockings goes a long way to slowing down the frantic.

Braiden's quilt has been received, I assume there will be some acknowledgement shortly.  He's a really good kid, in spite of the circumstances of his childhood  - my brother Rob tries, but his (almost) ex-wife has not made anything easy for the past 5 or 6 years.  (Notice that almost - they've been divorcing almost as long as they were married.)  Braiden's sister, my niece Katherine, is 14 and the youngest of the grandchildren on this side.  She'll get a quilt in 2 years, Daniel is next, and then that's it.
Have I shared a picture of Braiden's quilt?  I think so, but here.

 Tori - picnic bag.

It's padded and lined, with sleeves to hold 4 canning jars upright (two pint jars, two quart jars, both with plastic screw on lids.)  There are four cloth napkins in there, knives, spoons and forks for four, and melamine plates that Tori decorated when she was nine or ten.  She'll give me feedback on any improvements she can think of, but more than anything, a bag where the jars don't fall over is a step up from anything she has right now.  ✓

Simon - storage containers.

Simon has terrible leftovers storage.  He brought some at Thanksgiving and I knew what he needed.  Since this is a "making" Christmas, he got them filled.  Cadbury chocolate, candied jalapeños, cashew brittle, "just add water" split pea soup (vegetarian for Jen if he wants,) molasses cookies, and little chocolate chip cookies.  ✓

Daniel - Cardigan.

When I started this, Daniel weighed probably 20 lbs more than he does now.  So it's a little roomy.  Note to self - buttons are troublesome. ;)  I think he likes it, and will like it even more when it actually gets cold - it's pretty cozy. ✓


And that's a wrap.  I think I'm making this the new thing.  Making Christmas.

Christmas on Thursday

First: tada! Braiden's quilt is quilted.  Holy cow, quilting a big quilt like this is, as I've said before, like wrestling a hippo.  I'm very sore, but glad it's done.  I'll trim and bind this weekend.  

 And also, tada!  This is a close up pic of the last few bind off stitches on the cardigan!  A little seaming, some buttons, and done!

And Tuesday night I cast on a cute headband for Simon's girlfriend Jen - it's more blue than this picture would suggest, and quite wide - you could probably fold it in half and still have your ears covered.  The pattern includes a big crocheted flower that I will add with a pin - on or off depending on how she's feeling.  It'll be sone by the weekend.

Now to determine what day I'm taking off to go to Canada to send the quilt.  Hmmm

Weekend Update

Ooooh, it's cold (and getting colder?!)  It was 40º when I got up, it's 37º now.  I think the laundry will go in the dryer, not on the clothesline.  It's windy, but I can't imagine that's enough to dry jeans.  Sigh.  Hello higher electric bills.  But we're not running the AC, so there's that.

Yesterday Daniel and I went to the ReSource thrift store in Williston - he's keeping an eye out for a tent, and I wanted to check if a chair I passed on last week was still there (it wasn't) but they did have a sweet little deLonghi cappuchino machine.  for $8!  So I had a lovely latte with my breakfast today.  Ahhh... (this might signal the return of a bad habit. 😉)  I had found one at Goodwill a few weeks ago, at Goodwill, and I wasn't thrilled with the results.  So I swapped it on the counter, cleaned it up, bagged it, and drove it straight down to HOPE in Middlebury when I went to get gas.  I had a partial box of donations anyway so I topped it up, and out it went.

I've been sewing in the evening!  There's not a lot I want to watch on tv, so after dinner most evenings, I head upstairs for an hour or so.  I think I'll have Braiden's quilt top done this week; I'll post pictures on Thursday.  I've been knitting as well - fronts, back, and (almost) one sleeve done - this WILL get done before Christmas!  Woo!  I'll post that later too.

This week at work will be LONG and busy - well, long days at the beginning of the week, I think, less as we get to the end.  Breakfast today at the harbor (over now, I imagine) and a final checkout of yesterday's wedding guests and the doors will close on the 2019 season.  Staff will begin leaving immediately, with the largest exodus Wednesday.  I'll miss them all.

So, let's have some easy dinners this week.


21 Crockpot Chicken
22 Grilled Cheese
23 Beef Stew
24 Spaghetti
25 Chicken strips & Fries
26 Scott's birthday
27 pizza
28 Mac & Cheese
29 Bread & Soup
30 Shepherd's Pie
31 FFYS (It's Halloween)
Nov 1 Meatloaf
2 pizza
3 chicken stew & biscuits
4 pork loin roast
5

Oh! It's Thursday, I almost forgot!

My plan, last Christmas, was to not BUY Christmas this year.  I'm still thinking that same thing.  Up first, of course, Braiden's "You're 16 now" quilt:

It'll be probably a little bigger than some of the others, but so is he. ;)

<- this is not the layout.  The "tree" blocks will alternate with the "X" blocks that you can see in the top(ish) corner.  Think Irish Chain.  I laid them out like his for a reason that escapes me now, oh wait, I remember.  Those aren't 4s, they are paired 2s.  I laid them out to make them INTO 4s, which I will then set alternately with the Xs.  Glad I'm just thinking about it, and not doing it right now - there'd be un-sewing this weekend, I'm sure.

So that's that gift.

Number two is not what t appears to be.  Daniel believes this is a sweater for Simon.  It is not, it's a cardigan for Daniel!  He doesn't read this, so he'll never know.  And if he *does* read this, he's smart enough to keep his mouth shut.

If you look carefully the rib changes about 1/3 of the way up - the body of the cards is knit in one WIDE piece, 190 stitches across.  I'll continue along until 16" from cast-on, then shape armholes from the back (while holding front stitches on 2 spare needles, then shaping armholes from the front, then knitting sleeves and finally attaching the whole business together with saddle shoulders.  (no top shoulder seam - more of an epaulet treatment.  Finally collar and front button bands, and boom!  Instant sweater.  Not.  We'll see.

I'm thinking of asking Daniel to set up the knitting machine I was gifted, to see if I can speed up the process for the next creation.

And that's it.  Christmas gifts for Tori ad Simon?  Still under consideration. (= I have no idea)

Christmas on Thursday

*ETA *publish!* hit the publish button or this goes nowhere!

This is some, but not all, of Braiden's quilt.  I like it!

The X blocks are all done, and I plug along on the trees - they're all sewn but not assembled - these are all 2s, they need to be 4s, but I want to avoid matching trunks, crowns, and backgrounds and that will be easier if I do this in stages.

Is it 'manly'?  I think it's manly enough.  The trees get a little lost when assembled into the 4 patches, but they sort of turn into compass roses, and that's good too.  The x blocks all have blue centre, like the sky, right?  Whatever, I like it.

Christmas is 6 months from now

Gah!  

I spent a little time yesterday on Braiden's quilt - I'll post pictures on Thursday.  

And I think I'm going to knit Simon a Gansey sweater for Christmas.  Like this one.  I wonder if I have any/enough yarn.  Bet I do.

Maybe one for Daniel as well.  he and Simon both like sweaters - maybe I'll make one of them a pullover, and one a cardigan.  hmmm...

Christmas on Thursday

Woo!  I remembered what day it is, and I actually have something to share.  This is Braiden's quilt - as it stands (sits.)  The chain blocks are almost all pieced (I need to press before I finish assembling those last 6) and the trees are all pieced and trimmed.  A few still have paper attached, but that is a job I reserve for babysitting the oven.

After this, I'll group the trees into 4s, assemble those blocks, and then lay the whole thing out to see how many extras I made, or how many more I need.  There's a slim chance I'll have made exactly as many as I need, but... nah.  No worries.  They all go fast.  I do know that I need to make some 1/2 blocks to fill in the edges - I guess if I made too many, then I've already started! :)

Other Christmas... there's a dulcimer for sale in the local Facebook Marketplace.  $50!  It's screaming SIMON!  for Christmas, but, as Daniel reminded me, I'm really hoping to achieve a $0 Christmas this year.  If it remains posted, maybe I'll reach out and see if the seller has an interest in a barter arrangement.

It's approaching lunchtime, and I have to work this afternoon.  Lunch and get ready.  Maybe I'll see if I have any potting soil in the garage to transplant my radishes.  They're going wild!

It works!

Looks like the idea in my head is actually going to work.  Woohoo!  All the components are sewn, except for the half blocks for the edges.  Well, even some of them are 'done' (the tree parts are made) but others not-so-much.  I only need to do 6 (I think) half chain blocks but, meh, I'll wait until I get to that point.

I think the pattern will be much more obvious once I get a few more blocks in.  And maybe I'll turn those trees trunk in - I do like the way they intersect with the chain, but maybe I'll like the way the points do.  We'll see.  I have many, many trunks to attach to trees before I get to that point.

Ignore the socks in the background.  I hate socks, take them off at my earliest opportunity and leave them where they fall.  And those log cabins - that's a leader/ender project for...?  Dunno.

I'm hoping someone needs an emergency baby quilt - the tax department has come to the conclusion that this stone has some blood left in it.  And I just quit my job. ugh.

Christmas on Thursday?

Sure.   I spent most all of Sunday in my pajamas, shuffling from sewing room, to kitchen, to couch... it was glorious.  I did not get any specific thing done but I did make progress.  No pics, though.

I must start thinking about a no buy Christmas.  I really REALLY want to do thins, but gee whiz, it's already March.

It's 9:01 and time to call mom.  And then bed.  I'm tired - out last night with Lynne and Stacey, and I really didn't sleep well.  Earlier tonight, I hope it works.

Oh hey, look at that

Not sewn together, except in the most initial sense, but I think I'm going to like this.

Happy Little Trees

Not such a great picture, to be sure, but I'm about a third of the way through the trees.  I've tweeked the pattern and technique so that I can accurately put the components together in minutes.  That accurately is important.  Doing something over takes more than twice the time.  I think I'll print the rest of the patterns and see if I can get these suckers done before next week.  Woo!

Stumping

 This is how I'm proceeding - with pieces kinda/sorta cut to size to maximize scraps and minimize waste.  To the right of the bin of "stumps" is a bin of 3ish inch background squares.  I have a stack of patterns and will make all the stump sections, then all the tree sections, then connect and trim, then assemble into the alternate 4-Tree blocks.  Then repeat with the chains, made out of strips and 2" squares.  Onward!

Oh, yeah, right

I'm remembering that I don't like paper piecing.  It is precise, and allows for odd angles and sharp points, but it is sooooo wasteful!  I need to make 84 of these little trees.  Fur done.  It will get faster, and less wasteful since I'm being very left brain and pre-cutting components - not quite templates, but way less wasteful.  84 green triangles, 84 background rectangles cut diagonally, 84 trunks, 84 background squares also cut diagonally.  Cut all the components, then assemble all the trunk parts, then the trees, then combine.  Or something like that.  I'll probably do batches to avoid the tedium.  This is the slow part - the eighteen X squares will go faster.  But I'm started.  Woo!

Christmas on Thursday

This will be my routine,  I think - Christmas updates on Thursdays.  There will be little progress for a while, but accountability is always good, especially in 2018 when I think I will not be buying Christmas.  Up first, Braiden.  

My next to youngest nephew turns 16 next summer, so he's next in line for a quilt.  And, less than a week after Christmas 2017, I not only think I know the design, I've started gathering fabrics!  Go me!

It will not be white, it will have way less bright red and blue in it - I'm leaning more to browns and greens (those are pine trees!) with a tan/gold background.  And I believe it will be a little less delicate than this picture suggests.  I'll post pictures as I get blocks together, assuming this goes as planned.  Sometimes plans change!  And change is good.

And I need to think about everyone else's gifts.  If I'm knitting or sewing, I'll need to start early.  Ugh.  Fibre arts in summer are a little sweaty.  And barter is an option... let's see.

Christmas Approaches

One month from today, in fact.  I have nothing but plans, and a firm belief that Christmas will happen whether I'm "ready" or not.

That's not entirely true.  The ready or not part is, but the nothing is not.  I have a commission for two little aprons (done) and Juli's quilt is under the needle.  Pictures tomorrow, perhaps.  I'm going to take Dec 8 off work, and run gifts up to Quebec to mail.  I had toyed with the idea of going to Ontario at Christmas time, but I don't think I can afford it.  It's a long drive, and the pile of work I'd return to here would be overwhelming.  Maybe, though.

I've also picked up some knitting.  A year ago, someone gave me a large quantity of beautiful yarn, saved dumpster by way of the cousins when mother-in-law died and the family cleaned out her house.   She refused payment, but I found out from her daughter that purple is her favorite color, and everyone needs an extra hat when the temperatures drop, right?

I'm tired, it's late, and this long weekend os almost over.  Weekend update tomorrow.

Christmas on Thursday

Not so much to share, but it's all Craft Fair related.  

 


I picked these up at Michael's on Sunday, so there's no excuse not to get those monster purses done.  They'll be ready to show off next week.  I promise.

And I've finished as many crib sized tops as I'm going to get done.  This last blue one seriously tried my patience, and I ended up making more blocks than I needed.  Deep sigh.  Now to get them quilted.  I'm moving on to a larger, throw size next, I'll try and get at least a couple done.  I'm thinking that a 50"x60" size is nice for the couch.  Right?  First up will be a scrappy (duh!) Ohio Star type quilt, and then I think maybe a Shoo Fly/Snowball combo.   I've done it before and it looks like more work than it is. ;o) 

And finally, this is the "bonus" quilt I'll be offering for sale as well.  I made it for a raffle and ended up buying it back when no one outbid my ridiculously low number.  If I make that back, I'm happy.

Oops

It's Thursday.  It's late Thursday, but not Friday yet. so here goes.  Christmas!

I've now got FOUR! baby sized quilt tops ready to layer and quilt for the craft fair

This one is pretty simple, and looks better in person than in the photo.  The sashing is a yello and white wavy stripe, with white cornerstones.
 The next is a copy of  the big quilt I did last year as a fundraiser for my friend's daughter with Leukemia.  And the last (of this bunch) is just Boxed Squares.  Easy peasy, it'll look better with quilting too.

I have another (#5) almost done, so that's for next week, and digging through my fabric I found a completed Bento Box quilt I'd done for a silent auction a few years ago (and bought back rather than see it sell for $15)  So that's six.  I'll see about getting a few larger ones too, but no promises.

Having posted a couple pictures on Facebook. someone has already commissioned a twin sized version of the Little Cedar Trees (the half square triangle one) from last week.  Woohoo!  And she doesn't want it until March!

The monster coin purses are still eyeless.   That's it for this week.

Christmas on Thursday

Yeah, let's start this now.

I'm pretty well stocked for the craft fair (December 3?) I've got a couple dozen monster coin purses, including 13 I made this month that still need eyes. I've got Santa Hat purses, too. And who knows what else in the box. Aprons at least. I've decided though, that after the interest in the quilts I had hanging last year, that I'll make some real quilts to sell as well. Grown up patterns in baby sized quilts. I've personally always preferred that look over the pastels and cartoony animals of "baby" quilts. So here's the first. Still just a top, but it's small enough I can handle the quilting here on my own machine. I'm working on #2 today, with plans in my head for at least 2 or 3 more. They're all scrap things, with leftovers from aprons, clothes, and other quilts, and a big contribution from the tote of fabric I got from Marilyn a few years ago. (Hi Marilyn!) Maybe I'll get close enough to the bottom that I can empty it and give it back to her!

Have I posted a picture of the quilt for Simon this year? I think so (update, nope, not a finished one.) but so here's a new one. This is his Welcome to "Adulthood" present, though unlike my nieces and nephews, he'll keep getting Christmas gifts from me. Of course!

So, this week - I'll keep working on those crib quilts, and maybe work out a pricing schedule for other sizes. We'll see...

Christmas? Already?

Well, sure! Only 5 months to go. :o) You're welcome.

I'm gonna trust that Simon doesn't read this (I don't think he does) but if I'm wrong, Simon, please pretend to be surprised anyway, 'kay?

So this is Madness. I have scheduled time on the longarm machine in Middlebury for Wednesday afternoon to get it quilted, which leaves me a week and a half to get the binding on before the fair. No problem!


The next project on my Next Four list is a denim quilt for parades and lawn concerts. When you create a big pile of this:




you end up with a small pile of this: I have 10 or so more small zippers to make monsters with! More pictures (and progress!) next month. Also, anyone have any links to free hardanger patterns on the web? Thanks!

It's Christmas!

Well, it will be. 6 months from today, in fact. So it's time to get this Show (and Tell) on the road! I believe I will again be doing the craft fair this winter, but won't need to make a lot - there's plenty still from last year. More monster purses, though, and I have an idea for something that will require some further study and testing first. More on that next month, maybe.
But this is the big work. I don't think Simon reads this, so I'll post pictures. If he does, well, he won't be surprised, but he won't get it until Christmas anyway. I believe I will go mad putting this together. In fact, I think I'll call it Madness. Like the 80s band! You remember this one, don't you?