Little Wit Knits – Unplugged

Today the boy and I headed to his Grandparents G’s residence for their Thanksgiving meal. They live in an assisted living facility that is run by absolutely wonderful people. They served us a meal that consisted of your choice of a salad and then a plate full of ham, turkey, sweet potato casserole, green beans, mashed potatoes and a roll. Then assuming you had saved room it was your choice of dessert – pecan pie, pumpkin pie or iced sugar cookies. I opted for iced sugar cookies with ice cream on the side. Needless to say no one left hungry. The staff told us later that they had 120 guests come in for dinner in addition to the full house of residents they usually have. It was so seamlessly organized it didn’t feel like a large deluge of people coming to eat awesome food! After we gorged ourselves we hung around for a few hours chit chatting. Then the boy and I drove home by way of my parents’ house. You see we had to pick up a friend who is staying with us for the week. My parents’ dog.

I had debated going home and dog proofing the house first, since of course I didn’t think of doing this earlier in the week, but I decided against it. Of course as soon as we walked in the door with her I could see everything in our house that was in just the right spot for her to get into. So we set about putting things out of her reach and doing some general picking up. While picking up I made some great headway in adding more clothes to the pile to donate. My sister came over and relieved me of many of the camisoles that are too short for me anymore.

Then I set about putting away a box of crafts that has been sitting around unpacked since our move. While going through the box I found something that I had been requesting as a Christmas gift – a walking foot for my sewing machine. Turns out I no longer need one because umm I’ve had one for 5 yrs. It seemed odd to me that that my “quilting sewing machine” didn’t come with one but came with all the other optional accessories. I attributed it to being a cheaper model or something. I’ve reached a point in my sewing where I thought it might be useful to have one so I located the part online and noted the location for the boy requesting it for Christmas.  It was in my room the whole time. Silly me.

Oh hai. I have been working on this OU Quilt since umm this time last year. Actually since July last year. I don’t have much to show for it. But! I did spend part of yesterday sewing the backing fabric together. Then I sewed together the top and backing for another quilt. It’s going to be a Six of One, A Half-Dozen of the Other quilt from Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts.

For whatever reason, trying to get into quilting is making me completely devoid of all confidence. It’s a rather odd reaction for me. Especially when it comes to sewing. I generally barrel through things figuring I can do it. I think it’s the precise nature of quilting, that and people showing me that I have been doing it wrong when it comes to cutting fabric. Now I am afraid to cut for fear of not being square. (hahaha, does that crack any of you up as much as me?)

At any rate, Saturday I had to do some quick mending for a Halloween costume and just sitting there barreling through the sewing on this dress so that I could wear it that night got me excited to make sewn items again. So Sunday afternoon while the boy was attending his weekly Mario Kart gathering, I sewed quilt backings together. Then after some yard work I basted the smaller quilt using up all my quilting safety pins and googling furiously to try and figure out what I was going to do with the extra fabric. Apparently the extra fabric is there in case you need it and when you are done and before you put on the binding, you just cut it off. (Now why couldn’t my book just tell me that?) Then I went to another room and laid out the quilt sandwich for my OU quilt. It’ll probably sit there for a short while since I don’t have any pins to secure it right now. I also need to learn how to do this whole quilting bit so I can get the pins out of the smaller quilt. But enough rambling, you want to see photo evidence, don’t you?

OU Quilt laid out as a Quilt Sandwich

Six of One, A Half Dozen of the Other Quilt all basted

I will say that I did a pre-test of the small quilt and laid under it. It felt warm to me. I really do dig the colors too!

Since my last to do list was actually rather helpful, even if it didn’t appear so on the surface, I think I shall start another one. These tasks are to be done before I head to Maryland Sheep and Wool Friday May 1st.

1. Finish Vivian.
2. Cast on one of the tops with the Shelridge W4. It looks like the Fern Fitted Shell may pull out as the winner there. Unless Green Gable makes a last minute effort to come through.
3. Knit at least 2 more inches on that lace scarf that’s been dawdling.
4. Make a decision about the Belgian socks, to rip or not to rip? Will they fit a normal man’s foot? Are they really that big? Who knows?
5. Pick out the next pair of socks to be knit and cast them on if everything else is progressing alright.
6. Spend at least half a Saturday in the sewing room – clean up and oil the machines and pick out projects for the fabric laying around.
7. Get the indoor vegetables planted.
8. Spend at least 2 hours on the drop spindle to see if I can reclaim that spark.
9. Begin the clean out of the backroom for our guests that are coming this summer.
10. If there’s another free Saturday start piecing together my t-shirt quilt.

Oh and just for something pretty to break up the monotony of the text – one of my recent yarn purchases:

Pretty!

Last weekend while the boy was gallivanting around Japan I got together with my pal to finish up the top of my quilt. The *couple* hours stretched into about 8 but it’s done. Now all I have to do is buy some batting, backing and some tape because I want to put it on the seam. That will all get done later. Later = umm probably next year as there are a few holiday items left to knit up. Pictures:

Quilt top all sewn up.

Quilt top all sewn up 2.

This most recent weekend produced a bunny body, head and one ear as well as a bust for Francis. More details to come later.