Thursday check in

I'm with Skyler----isn't it time to take a nap?  Before my mom calls to see if I am okay and remind me I have not posted in what, a week?  I guess I better to a check in post.  LOL

It has been a fairly quiet week on the creative department.  I spent the better parts of three days just working on binding----ugh.  BUT my twister wreath is finished, just in time for show and tell at Friendship Quilters this coming Saturday.

I also got Faux RR Crossing shown in THIS post finished up as well.  It still needs to be laundered to get the markings out but getting at the washing machine has been a little problematic lately---more on that later.

 I have also been knitting a good bit-----my pal Cindy got me started.  It knits up quickly especially if you do the German, pick knitting like I do (hold the thread and move the needle, not throwing it over for each stitch, more like crochet that way.)   Oh, I learned how to do it the other way, tossing the thread for each and every stitch but somewhere along the line picked up the faster way.  The only time I do it the other way, is if it is a heavily patterned row with a lot of cable twisting OR the first couple stitches on the purl row side.

I have made two like the variegated primary colored one and working on a 2nd one with this "pink camo" Red Heart Super Saver.

 Cindy will get the job of sewing them together but the knitting, the fun part, is done.  She sends them on to school kids in her area who are in need.   She used to make mittens, she said, but you'll seldom get a kid to wear those.

I had intended to run over to WM and look for a green and/or blue variegated yard for the ones when I was out earlier this morning but time got away from me and I needed to be home to start our noon meal.

I am trying to think what else I have possibly been up to.  Nothing pertaining much to sewing that is, for sure!!   I was researching Christmas tree skirt patterns for my niece/godchild Allison and have that narrowed down. Originally she had seen a picture of my twister wreath and jokingly asked if I could cut a hole in the middle and make it into a tree skirt.  No,  much too small for that but I guess she was serious about looking for one.  

 I sent her some links to see what she had in mind and a crazy patch version was the one she liked the most as it would go with any color theme she might choose in the future.  HERE is the pattern I'll be working on.  Because it is a Christmas project, it will fit the criteria for the "Leisurely Turtle Race to Christmas with Squirrels Allowed"  or LTRTCWSA challenge that my left handed pal and Linda in KS cooked up.  I have some fabric pulled but primarily that was because I was still trying to figure out the tree skirt pattern that came in an old Better Homes and Garden quilt kit.  You could make a small throw with the same yardage plus ornaments etc.  Trust me, this stack of stuff has antiqued sufficiently though I have run off with some of it for other projects.  I will happily use the fabric elsewhere for this special project.

Also my dear niece is now an engaged woman!   Yep, he proposed on Halloween.  Turns out he had taken her to dinner and while they were gone, someone left a pumpkin he had carved with the question "will you marry me?"  (not a real pumpkin but some material that she can save his hand work).  No date set yet though she did tell me she was thinking a fall wedding.  Her Grandma H. has the perfect quilt presently at the long arm quilters.  From what she told me, Allison has seen it and remarked that Derek would love it----a  medallion with blue and white stars all around it.  Derek went to the University of Kentucky and their colors are blue and white.  LOL  I had said  "do me a favor and don't get married in the winter so I can be there" while grandma said  "please don't tell me you are getting married two months from now so I can get the quilt back from the long arm quilter".  Mom had said there was no rush when she dropped it off, LOL.   

Anyway I'll be on the lookout for some other kind of quilty idea for a gift or shower gift but her grandparents have the wedding quilt covered.   I am thrilled for them---Derek is a good guy for her and to her.  

So what else?  The car had to go into the shop as I thought something was smelling like it was hot and I was afraid a belt was going out.   The chirp it had been making was getting louder or more frequent----turns out whatever took the place of the distributor in modern cars needed replaced---bad bearing or something.  DJ and I dropped it off and then went to vote on the way home.  Then another run into town to pick it up.  

I had a lab work run, laundry, errands and dropped off a quilt to a friend of a friend for a project he is collecting quilts for (troubled teens and runaways in the Guntersville, AL area named Ogden House that I believe is run through the Tennessee Valley Family Services).  Gene has more about this on his blog as they did this last year as well.  My BQ 1 picnic fabric quilt is going to this project----it was a pay it forward project from a quilt shop in Washington State so I feel it is an appropriate site. 

Of course, I stayed up way tooooo late watching the election coverage and the concession/ victory speeches.  Wouldn't you know that I had accidentally set the alarm be picking up the silly thing on the very morning that I SHOULD have slept in??  Well, if not that, then the little furry alarm clock would have been rousing me anyway! 

Yesterday I spent a ton of time in my kitchen.  I baked some cookies to take to twister class that Marilyn was doing today at her church near here.  I had some prep work to do for our noon meal today as I would not be home till about 11 or so today.  I had everything ready to put in the crockpot this morning first thing for navy bean and ham soup.   Beans soaking overnight etc.  I must have been out in the kitchen at least 4 hours and that did not include cooking supper.  DJ had gone into town earlier in the morning and I asked him to get some coconut as I did not  have enough to make Pride of Iowa cookies.  I thought it was the only thing I needed----well, I was a half cup short of oatmeal and had to make a quick run after all.  

 My kitchen is in a bit of a mess at present and will be for some time as DJ has decided to paint out kitchen cabinets.  The doors have been gone for a little over a week---just long enough for me to NOT be trying to close the door when I get something out of there anymore.  This is just the bonding primer stuff---stark white does not go with that wall paper in the first place and I do NOT want flat paint on this.  We have discussed it for some time since we cannot afford to just replace them.  If we could have, we would have when we had discovered that the bottom of the sink cabinet and the one to the lef to fit were warped from water damage.

This is not wood but that composite stuff, and it looks dated.   The lower half of the room where there are no cabinets or appliances below the wall paper is green colored so the paint selection will be a hair darker than that---as close as we can get it.   It should go well with the kitchen table and chairs.

So he can't paint outside on the saw horses as it is too cool out. Not above 50 when he had time to work on it. The rain threatened the other day and actually started to sprinkle on one door that had not quite dried so we had this scenario yesterday too.  Obviously access is limited to both the washer and dryer but go for it---sigh.  I already had the discussion with him to NOT plan on this spot till after I get a load of towels done tomorrow.

He has only concentrated on the upper part so my kitchen access has not really been a problem.   I suspect that won't be too problematic till we get to the bottom cupboards and I'll have to be mindful of wet paint and my pants legs near the sink anyway.    I have a feeling that it will be awhile before I can show you any after pictures, above or below.

I DID go over to help Marilyn with her twister demo/class this morning for a little while.   As you know I have a few more examples of how to use the ruler than just the wreath so shared those.   Marilyn had lunch planned but I needed to get home.   I have not cut anything out as I had planned other than the "Tons of Black" Challenge piece and prep "Happy Halloween".  Fabrics are pulled for the other project----just sitting and waiting.  Absolutely no sewing this week unless you count binding.  My sewing machine is apt to be getting lonely at this rate!   I've frittered today away to the point that I'll be warming up that pot of soup that I finished making after lunch and making cornbread all too soon.  Now I am out of the notion of doing much of anything productive.  More binding??  There are two more to go.   Go read and forget it??   Just do some Twin Sisters strip sets---that might be the ticket for now.

And sew it goes---------