Beaded Purse Necklace

After I finished my hooded sweater, I needed another project until I could get to the yarn store to buy yarn for the shawlette project. Several years ago, I bought a kit to make this purse and it became my new project. Until then, I'd never knitted with beads or knitted with such small neeedles, thinner than tooth picks. It was lots of fun to do this quick project. The most difficult part was stringing the beads on the pearl cotton from the nylon thread hanks. Tonight I'm going to knit a swatch to check the gauge for my shawlette. I'm really excited about this project.

Stumpwork Beetle

This is my first attempt with stumpwork. I just completed an on-line class with Arlene White through Joggles.com. I enjoyed the class and am pleased

with the results. This beetle is going to be part of a pin cushion. My quilting group is going to put pin cushions in our library's showcase this January and I think that this would make an interesting addition to what others in the group will create.

One Step Closer to Completion

With the completion of this geometric block, the calendar quilt is one step closer to completion. My goal is to have it totally finished and ready to go to the machine quilter by the end of January. I have five more applique blocks to do and then I have to concentrate on the sashing. The quilt blocks are put together using over five hundred two and a half inch squares. This project has been challenging to say the least, but enjoyable. I hope that I can say that at the end of the project. The pictures are of the block that I just finished and those that I've done so far.

Presents for Adina

The last time that I visited with my children, Erlisa, my daughter-inlaw took me and the three children to JoAnn's so that Adina, the then three year old could pick out fabric so that I could make her a pair of pajamas. I loved the fabric she picked out. What could be better than ice-cream cones, cupcakes and hearts? At another time, I purchased the t-shirt to complete the outfit. A few weeks later, I decided to make Adina's Bitty Baby doll a matching outfit so off to JoAnn's for some pink knit fabric. During the week, I made the pj's and machine appliqued the shirt and today I finished the doll outfit.

I Finished It !

On Thursday, I got all of my courage together and sewed the zipper into my sweater. When I put it on, I was thrilled with the fit, thrilled with the sweater, and thrilled that it was finished. I started this sweater almost two years ago and frogged many errors along the way. The yarn is Tahki Donegal Tweed homepun and the pattern came from the book, Continuous Cables by Melissa Leapman. I think that this sweater was the most difficult thing that I've ever knitted. After I come home from California, I think that I'll order yarn to make myself a lace knit shawlette.

Empty Spools, Here I Come

On Sunday I will be leaving for Empty Spools in California. Last year I took a wonderful class called Fabric Collage with Rosemary Eichorn. My goal was to make a vest from the collage and yesterday I finished the vest. It is definitely something that is out of my comfort zone. I'm someone who is very concerned with finishing techniques and have never done anything with raw edges and free motion quilting. Throughout this journey I learned many new techniques that I hope to incorporate into future projects. Another plus of this class was that I learned to not be so up tight about finishes and enjoy the work I'm doing rather than being nervous about the outcome. I will proudly wear my vest for Show and Tell at Empty Spools.

The class that I'm taking this time is hand applique and embroidery. Even though I do lots of both techniques, I want to learn how to use a map in order to place my applique pieces in the correct places and in the right order.

Pink corduroy jumpers

Today I finished the pink corduroy jumpers for Adina and Eva. It is the fourth time I've used this smocking plate but some how it didn't get any easier to complete. I do like the finished result and hope that the girls like them too. The jumpers are size 3 and size 2. The girls are two and almost four. The back of each jumper is closed with three pink pearl buttons and has a tie belt.