Happy National Quilting Day!

Here we are---mid March, Ides of March actually.  St. Patrick's Day on Sunday.  Another couple of days and it is officially Spring by the calendar anyway.  Another month half over.  We get through St. Pat's and I am putting up a few Easter decorations in their place.

Our house guests were here for less than 24 hours and left this morning after we went out to breakfast.  They arrived about 1 pm and the guys immediately took off for the golf course.  Phyllis entertained herself by reading and enjoying the lovely weather we are having this weekend.  Open up those doors and windows!  Because I was ripping out a bad shamrock when they arrived, she told me to go do what I needed to do in the sewing room.   I printed off another block and cut some more fabric to re-do the boogered up block and switched gears.

The block measures 5 inches finished and I need 8 for the row though it is a substitution for the kites called for in the "Seasons in a Row" quilt.  (The shamrock pattern is from Sew Precise 1-2 software.)  I am already behind by NOT getting the shamrocks done by last Saturday's guild meeting.  I should be working on the bunnies with the pom pom or yo yo tails and dimensional ears.  All in due time, I guess.  Sewing does not get done when you are forced to take a few days off to clean up the house, etc.

Next up yesterday---since I threw up my hands on the other deal, LOL.  I sewed the 7 little aqua buttons on the challenge cupcake wall hanging. Deadline item:  due April 13.  I just pinned down the yo-yo cherry on the top as it will be in the way when I go to quilt it.  I intend to do the honors this afternoon but I need to make a binding decision right along with that intention.

Pattern is from Quilt Doodle Designs and the challenge fabrics are the border fabric choices.

BUT I have two packets of challenge fabrics---I had already pulled one but there was one left and I thought I would pass it on to one of my absent guild friends.  She baby sits her great grand-daughter several days a week (almost two) and is having a hard time carving out sewing time so I didn't even ask.

The picture is a little fuzzy but I think you can see what I was doing.  The two coordinating pieces were turned into this cute little basket using the tutorial from Buzzing and Bumbling's tutorial for snack tray or baskets.  Really you can make these about any size you want, use laminating stuff on the interior if you wish--add a handle even.   I used some binding that I initially had thought I would use on my sewing machine cover.  I did use it in a few select spots but now the cut strips won't go to a complete waste,  As you can see, the binding still needs to be hand stitched down before the little basket can be considered done.  That little peeps tin that you see atop the shelving unit fits in there perfectly but I have another spot in mind for it.

This is what I was piddling around with today.  I started some of the seaming on it last evening. making the fabric tube.  The pattern calls for a piece of fabric 11 x 21 and cutting an 11 x 14 rectangle with the leftover for cutting two matching 4 inch fabric circles.  I'm making a thread catcher out of some of the other shade of heart fabric I was challenged with.  It was not big enough so I decided to finish up the article with some of the machine cover leftovers---what I really DID use for binding  it.  It may not work as well as using a solid piece of the same fabric but we'll see.   This thread catcher is unique in that it collapses down for easy transport--twists somehow.  I want one for my embroidery bag and if it works out okay, maybe for my sewing away from home bag.

I used the pattern from Red Hen Fabrics craftsy site (free download and better pics than the one I had originally found on their own website)  but when I posted this on Facebook one of my guild pals said  this is also called an ORT jar (old ratty thread, old remaining thread for the acronym).  Shelia has made one and may be bailing me out if I can't figure out what is going on, LOL.  Melinda Quilts ETC has a good tutorial for this on her blog, slightly smaller.  (Hi, Melinda!)   FAB pal Pam saw the posting on Facebook and asked me this morning  "what holds this up".  Good question!!  I told her I may know more this afternoon when I work through the process.   You might be able to see this a little better in Melinda's relating post  http://melinful.blogspot.com/2009/02/piecemakers-and-ort-jars.html

The other pending thing---I got this hat up to the binding off point BUT I think I want to do one more row not called for in the pattern and knit two together across the remaining stitches as it will be easier to close up the top opening that way.

I am not crazy about this yarn as it twists up too easily and the ply wants to pull apart too easily.  It is nice and soft though and bulkier than worsted weight.  ( Lion Brand Baby's First)  Pattern source:
Knitting on the Net   Kid's Spiral Hat.  The pattern was fun and mixed it up a bit from what I had been working on though but I had to be watchful about what row I was on.  I have another skein of yarn so will make another like it.  Just not today, LOL.

Well, all this will keep me out of mischief for a few days anyway.  I'll be participating in the next blog hop "Stitch Me Up" so will be back to posting a daily schedule by mid week.  I can finally show you what I was so industriously embroidering for about 2 weeks!!

Hope you are having a good weekend---------