…it's yukata time
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
toasty toes
classes have officially started. I have one, maybe two more to add, and I'll be up to 16 credits. Not terrible. I have two part time jobs also.
About a year ago I was visiting a friend who lives in the Cleveland OH area, and i was knitting my first pair of socks at the time. I was keeping my yarn and needles in a cigar box to keep everything contained. Aparently, I left it there by mistake, and they just found it, because it appeared on my front porch. The yarn is self striping... I think it's called Sassy Stripes but I don't remember the company, it started with an M. I gave them a look over and realized I was doing a very bad job of knitting these socks, so I've ripped them apart and will start them over again. It's a nice project to do waiting for class to start, or sometimes ...mmm, never mind. Sufficit it say, it won't, no, shouldn't take too long to get them done. If I find my needlework book, I may even work some kind of fancy stitch in.
Now if only I could figure out how to read and knit at the same time...
About a year ago I was visiting a friend who lives in the Cleveland OH area, and i was knitting my first pair of socks at the time. I was keeping my yarn and needles in a cigar box to keep everything contained. Aparently, I left it there by mistake, and they just found it, because it appeared on my front porch. The yarn is self striping... I think it's called Sassy Stripes but I don't remember the company, it started with an M. I gave them a look over and realized I was doing a very bad job of knitting these socks, so I've ripped them apart and will start them over again. It's a nice project to do waiting for class to start, or sometimes ...mmm, never mind. Sufficit it say, it won't, no, shouldn't take too long to get them done. If I find my needlework book, I may even work some kind of fancy stitch in.
Now if only I could figure out how to read and knit at the same time...
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
fa la, fa la
hah! got the camera to work!
so that's one of the corners, and the result of 4 months of toil at the cutting board and sewing machine! I do have a few other, larger pieces, the other corner to this end for example, but the front porch isn't big enough to lay everything out.
yay!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
ocean waves is lying in pieces about the living room. Doc says I have bronchitis, so all I'm good for momentarily is coughing and laying around in my pajamas. Thank God school hasn't started yet, or I'd be dead.
I had two other projects I wanted to do this summer, and I'll be darned if I can find either of them. The one hasn't even been cut yet, its still in the yardage phase. I got two pieces of batik fabric in England this summer, and I can't find the rest of the batik stash. The other project was a purple charm quilt. It was a chain letter, and I did it because I love getting *not* junk mail, and for the fun of seeing where the fabric might come from. I know some people look down their noses at such things, because "God knows where the fabric might come from", ie, not from an exclusive designer like Moda, God forbid trash be run through the pristine bernina or viking. But seriously. Prewash it. Re-cut everything if you must, sew it up and give it to Project Linus, or the local women's shelter, or donate it for a raffel to benefit a cause you support. Someone, somewhere in this world would love to have a warm blanket. Or a quilt, even though they know nothing about the craft. I understand the why and the what concerning quality fabric. However, I'm a college student. I worked part time this summer, and the only thing those wages will cover is my books. College tuition went up almost 50% since I started four years ago. Where is my money going?! The college professors are complaining they aren't paid enough while climbing into brand new volkswagens, or bmw's. I don't have money to spend on fabric that's $15 a yard, because that $15 dollars just heated the practice rooms in the music department I attend. I'm using my mother's 35 year old White, and yes, some of my fabric came from wal-mart, or Jo-Ann's. Some of it I have no idea where it came from because people gave it to me.
This is something like what I wanted to do with the purple fabric. I've been buying remnants for sanshing and binding... but I don't know where it got off to either.
I had two other projects I wanted to do this summer, and I'll be darned if I can find either of them. The one hasn't even been cut yet, its still in the yardage phase. I got two pieces of batik fabric in England this summer, and I can't find the rest of the batik stash. The other project was a purple charm quilt. It was a chain letter, and I did it because I love getting *not* junk mail, and for the fun of seeing where the fabric might come from. I know some people look down their noses at such things, because "God knows where the fabric might come from", ie, not from an exclusive designer like Moda, God forbid trash be run through the pristine bernina or viking. But seriously. Prewash it. Re-cut everything if you must, sew it up and give it to Project Linus, or the local women's shelter, or donate it for a raffel to benefit a cause you support. Someone, somewhere in this world would love to have a warm blanket. Or a quilt, even though they know nothing about the craft. I understand the why and the what concerning quality fabric. However, I'm a college student. I worked part time this summer, and the only thing those wages will cover is my books. College tuition went up almost 50% since I started four years ago. Where is my money going?! The college professors are complaining they aren't paid enough while climbing into brand new volkswagens, or bmw's. I don't have money to spend on fabric that's $15 a yard, because that $15 dollars just heated the practice rooms in the music department I attend. I'm using my mother's 35 year old White, and yes, some of my fabric came from wal-mart, or Jo-Ann's. Some of it I have no idea where it came from because people gave it to me.
This is something like what I wanted to do with the purple fabric. I've been buying remnants for sanshing and binding... but I don't know where it got off to either.
Doc says I have bronchitis! Icky!
The sewing machine was acting a bit lurchy, so I had to take a break for a while.
I brought home two pieces of batic fabric from England. I have a whole stash of it, in all colors of the rainbow… but I have no idea where it is. I have no idea where my purple squares are either. Some one sent me a chain letter last summer for a purple charm quilt, and I passed it along. I got fabric from, effectively, the I-90 and I-80 coridor, all the way out to Wyoming! I thought it was a really neat project, and I've been buying up remnants of purples to use as sashing and binding. I was going to stitch it up this summer, but I can't find it anywhere either. It was all togetherin a box or a bag, something.
The sewing machine was acting a bit lurchy, so I had to take a break for a while.
I brought home two pieces of batic fabric from England. I have a whole stash of it, in all colors of the rainbow… but I have no idea where it is. I have no idea where my purple squares are either. Some one sent me a chain letter last summer for a purple charm quilt, and I passed it along. I got fabric from, effectively, the I-90 and I-80 coridor, all the way out to Wyoming! I thought it was a really neat project, and I've been buying up remnants of purples to use as sashing and binding. I was going to stitch it up this summer, but I can't find it anywhere either. It was all togetherin a box or a bag, something.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
progress progress progress
the ocean waves quilt is definitely coming along. I'm not entirely sure about the directions though.
for a while I was keeping track of all the patches I had done on a scrap of paper. The case my machine sits in has a cubby off to the side, so I kept a pencil and the list in there, and every time I got something done, I'd make another hash mark. One day I went gang busters and finished an entire group of patches, just so they would be done. I keep trying to make an example using Apple works, but some genius in their programming department decided you shouldn't be able to draw and paint at the same time, so I'll just have to wait till school starts and borrow someone's camera. Grumble grumble…
What I shouldn't have done was start to piece the middle together before I got all the sashing things done. Sashing is certainly not the best word to describe the outside half row of patches, but it's the best I can come up with. There were no yardage specifications in the directions, so I sat down and tried to figure out exactly how much coordinating fabric I'd need for the center squares, and two rows of sashing. I'm pretty sure I'll have to find something else to use for binding, but as long as the colors are close, I really don't care what the calico is. The fabric I bought is a sea foam color - appropriate, eh? - that almost exactly matches the carpet in my parent's living room. I had everything laid out in pieces one day, and accidently left some of the sea foam squares lying on the carpet. It has a light print on it that looks like crackled glaze, so it blended right in like camouflage. Anyway, about the yardage…
The first yard I bought covered all the center squares, but as I was trying to figure out the half squares, a 2 1/2" and 6" floater sashing, I got completely confused, as there is going to be a flying geese sash between the two floaters(yeah… went a little crazy with the foundation triangle patches, so I have tons extra and even more loose triangles floating about) , and I couldn't remember how wide that was going to be, or what the seam allowance was supposed to be if I wanted such and such a size sashing… I even drew myself a diagram, a big rectangle with 45" at the top as a reminder of how wide the fabric would probably be, and hashed out the squares, writing in the pre-sewn size as I went to have an idea of the cutting lay out… and I still got screwed up. So I went to the store and just bought that one yard, said a prayer it would still all be there when I went back for more, and went home to cut out squares. A week later, after I'd gotten that all done, I went back to the shop and bought the rest of the bolt, all 4 1/4 yards. I still have no idea how much I'm going to need for this project, since I couldn't keep the seam allowances straight in my head or on paper, so I just bought the lot of it. The guy- yeah, a guy, working at a quilt shop, he does the free arm quilting, and it's gorgeous...- told me that moda redoes it's line every six months, so if i ran out of fabric, I'd be able to find it on the moda site only if it wasn't popular … gulp. As it turns out, I ended up with a strip of fabric from the first yard that is 2 1/2" wide- don't remember if it goes selvage to selvage or is all selvage on one side, I'd have to look at it. I think it's 2 1/2" wide, it may only be 1/4" but what ever it is, that's going to be my first floater sash. Waste not! So that's all folded in my sewing machine cubby waiting to be attatched.
And what am I doing right now instead of cutting out large triangles, pinning finished squares or sewing more dog eared trianges together? blogging about it! I've been really busy at work- there was a wedding two weeks ago that I worked, and a craft show with my dad last weekend. I work at the college cafeteria, and there's three shifts a day that are about 2-2 1/2 hours long, with about 2 hours in between. Working several shifts in a row is sort of like riding the bavarian swings and and not giving yourself enough time to stop being dizzy. For example, I worked breakfast, lunch and dinner yesterday and today, and I'm doing it again tomorrow. All I've done in the last 72 hours is sleep and work, and during the down time I've been working on the quilt, because I'm really not a napper. Napping just doesn't like me or something. I just finished a 22 hour week, I have another 22 hour week starting tomorrow, and school starts again in less than two weeks. I really hate school. I can't help thinking it is terribly inefficient and that there has to be a better way to prove to the world I know my stuff… maybe it's test anxiety, but I'm pretty sure I amaze people with my retention rate. My fellow students sure are amazed. Most of them memorize for the test and forget it all the next day. I, on the other hand, completely bomb the test because I can't remember half the stuff on it, but by God ask me theday before and the day after day, or two years later, and I could give a dissertation on the subject. Its great, people look at me like I just sprouted turquoise pigtales out my ears. I actually had a teacher tell me in a suprised sort of way that here they thought I wasn't paying attention in class.
Right now, I really just want to go to bed, but I'm pet sitting for a friend, and they live across town. It's dark, and I'm tired and I don't want to ride my bike because it's dark and up hill the whole way to their house and my mom has the only working car at a meeting somewhere. So I think I'll make myself a cup of tea and pin some more things together. Hopefully she'll be home in the next half hour, and I can go feed the cats before I fall asleep sitting up.
for a while I was keeping track of all the patches I had done on a scrap of paper. The case my machine sits in has a cubby off to the side, so I kept a pencil and the list in there, and every time I got something done, I'd make another hash mark. One day I went gang busters and finished an entire group of patches, just so they would be done. I keep trying to make an example using Apple works, but some genius in their programming department decided you shouldn't be able to draw and paint at the same time, so I'll just have to wait till school starts and borrow someone's camera. Grumble grumble…
What I shouldn't have done was start to piece the middle together before I got all the sashing things done. Sashing is certainly not the best word to describe the outside half row of patches, but it's the best I can come up with. There were no yardage specifications in the directions, so I sat down and tried to figure out exactly how much coordinating fabric I'd need for the center squares, and two rows of sashing. I'm pretty sure I'll have to find something else to use for binding, but as long as the colors are close, I really don't care what the calico is. The fabric I bought is a sea foam color - appropriate, eh? - that almost exactly matches the carpet in my parent's living room. I had everything laid out in pieces one day, and accidently left some of the sea foam squares lying on the carpet. It has a light print on it that looks like crackled glaze, so it blended right in like camouflage. Anyway, about the yardage…
The first yard I bought covered all the center squares, but as I was trying to figure out the half squares, a 2 1/2" and 6" floater sashing, I got completely confused, as there is going to be a flying geese sash between the two floaters(yeah… went a little crazy with the foundation triangle patches, so I have tons extra and even more loose triangles floating about) , and I couldn't remember how wide that was going to be, or what the seam allowance was supposed to be if I wanted such and such a size sashing… I even drew myself a diagram, a big rectangle with 45" at the top as a reminder of how wide the fabric would probably be, and hashed out the squares, writing in the pre-sewn size as I went to have an idea of the cutting lay out… and I still got screwed up. So I went to the store and just bought that one yard, said a prayer it would still all be there when I went back for more, and went home to cut out squares. A week later, after I'd gotten that all done, I went back to the shop and bought the rest of the bolt, all 4 1/4 yards. I still have no idea how much I'm going to need for this project, since I couldn't keep the seam allowances straight in my head or on paper, so I just bought the lot of it. The guy- yeah, a guy, working at a quilt shop, he does the free arm quilting, and it's gorgeous...- told me that moda redoes it's line every six months, so if i ran out of fabric, I'd be able to find it on the moda site only if it wasn't popular … gulp. As it turns out, I ended up with a strip of fabric from the first yard that is 2 1/2" wide- don't remember if it goes selvage to selvage or is all selvage on one side, I'd have to look at it. I think it's 2 1/2" wide, it may only be 1/4" but what ever it is, that's going to be my first floater sash. Waste not! So that's all folded in my sewing machine cubby waiting to be attatched.
And what am I doing right now instead of cutting out large triangles, pinning finished squares or sewing more dog eared trianges together? blogging about it! I've been really busy at work- there was a wedding two weeks ago that I worked, and a craft show with my dad last weekend. I work at the college cafeteria, and there's three shifts a day that are about 2-2 1/2 hours long, with about 2 hours in between. Working several shifts in a row is sort of like riding the bavarian swings and and not giving yourself enough time to stop being dizzy. For example, I worked breakfast, lunch and dinner yesterday and today, and I'm doing it again tomorrow. All I've done in the last 72 hours is sleep and work, and during the down time I've been working on the quilt, because I'm really not a napper. Napping just doesn't like me or something. I just finished a 22 hour week, I have another 22 hour week starting tomorrow, and school starts again in less than two weeks. I really hate school. I can't help thinking it is terribly inefficient and that there has to be a better way to prove to the world I know my stuff… maybe it's test anxiety, but I'm pretty sure I amaze people with my retention rate. My fellow students sure are amazed. Most of them memorize for the test and forget it all the next day. I, on the other hand, completely bomb the test because I can't remember half the stuff on it, but by God ask me theday before and the day after day, or two years later, and I could give a dissertation on the subject. Its great, people look at me like I just sprouted turquoise pigtales out my ears. I actually had a teacher tell me in a suprised sort of way that here they thought I wasn't paying attention in class.
Right now, I really just want to go to bed, but I'm pet sitting for a friend, and they live across town. It's dark, and I'm tired and I don't want to ride my bike because it's dark and up hill the whole way to their house and my mom has the only working car at a meeting somewhere. So I think I'll make myself a cup of tea and pin some more things together. Hopefully she'll be home in the next half hour, and I can go feed the cats before I fall asleep sitting up.
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