Catching up

I'm so far behind I think i'm ahead! This is going to be mostly a picture post so I can catch myself up on what i've gotten done lately and what's next. So from the top: black and white churn dash quilt from a swap last year, 2 tote bags that will be donated to the dance team as door prizes, 2 pairs of flannel sleep pants for ds, one stack of swap blocks, 4 fancy towels for Christmas gifts, 3 runners/table toppers from the "Holly Jolly" charm packs that I started last year, and one not so impressed model for the 14 soldier costumes I altered and added new trim to for the Nutcracker Ballet that will finally be over next weekend!

Finished by friday

I promised myself that I'd finish at least one small crafty project every day for the rest of the year. Now I am sure that I am probably not going to be able to keep it up but so far I'm doing good. Some of the projects I've got lined up are 10 or 20 minute projects, but that's OK. Its still something i want to do and hopefully this list will keep me on track. So far I've finished 5 off the list of 17. I'll keep adding to the list as i think of things. The list has projects from across the spectrum on it, everything from swap blocks, sleep pants, baby quilts, towels to applique all the way to the candle decorations I've already finished and crochet doll clothes. So here's pictures of the first 5. Two afghans, the red white and blue one will probably get donated to the women's shelter or something similar. The multi colored one that i obviously used differing dye lots on is for the dog's kennel. The candles were just gussied up by adding vellum and some peel and stick rhinestones. I made up several more for christmas but since i only have 3 candles i'll have to wait to use them. And since the christmas ones are still flat they will stay nice and not get crumpled. The hand towels just got some ribbon added to store bought towels. I've made up 4 that match and have 2 more pairs in different colors to do still. All 8 of those will end up as christmas gifts for neighbors or coworkers i think. I made 2 of the runner and they have been sitting for quite a while in the finished pile even though they really weren't. I had never done the blanket stitching around those stars. And now i can't even remember why?

not quilting

This is what i've been working on lately. She's not done yet-she needs a hat and a cape, and maybe if i have enough black thread left a cauldron. I promised dd that she'd be done by Halloween but its going to be cutting it close. The hat wont take long but the cape might. I've been working on the cape today.

This was my other project today. Banana bread! Yes, i know the one little loaf is upside down. It broke when i took it out of the pan and i left it upside down to remind me to let the kids eat it. I love to bake, but banana bread is probably my least favorite thing to make. I cannot stand the smell of it baking so for me to make this much and have enough bananas to make about the same amount more tomorrow is pretty much torture to me. My husband's work is having a bake sale this week so this will all go to them along with at least a couple batches of cookies, some brownies, some other quick breads, and the rest of the banana bread.

Quilts of Valor

I'm mailing off these 5 tops this week to my old guild in Germany to be finished for the wounded soldiers/marines/airmen/ect that arrive at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center(LRMC). When I lived in Germany and was a member of the guild I made bunches of Quilts of Valor(QOV) but when we moved here to South Dakota I could not find a group to work with on them so I kind of let that project go. However, this past year has been more difficult for the base and for me. We have had 2 active duty suicides, 1 war death, one major war injury and one or two other active duty deaths. I knew one of the suicides and one of the others so its been wierd/hard to just go on like nothing happened. This has been my outlet. After I pieced these and 2 more I quilted a while back I decided i needed to find a way to get them to the men and women who needed them. So, I emailed back to my old guild and they will take these and finish them. Then they will go off to LRMC for those who need them. Patterns are from: an oline mystery, alicia's not so top secret#1, my head, Judy L's most recent quilt for an hour, and my head again. I've got 3 or 4 more tops started from my various sized scraps but this box is full and the others will have to wait a while before they get sent on.

runner swap

I participated in a fall/halloween runner swap that was a bit unusual lately. The rules were to send FQs to one person, then they would make a runner out of them and send it back. The top runner is the one that I sent away the fabrics for and recieved back. I LOVE it. Its been patiently waiting for me to get the kids healthy enough to have time to clear off the table and set it out. Today that finally happened! The second one is the one that i made and had to send back. That was the hardest part! I loved this one too and really wanted to keep it here for us. But its been recieved and is being enjoyed by the recipient.

pictures? what pictures?

I've got 4 finished projects that i want to share pictures of but due to life, I can't seem to get those pictures actually taken! I finished 3 QOV tops this week and I finished a king size quilt for myself weeks ago. Between windy or rainy weather, dance classes, work and school there is just too much going on to go outside in the daylight and take the pictures. Of course it does not help that if we are home with some down time the kids think they need to run down the street to the park. It would take about 5 minutes to go out and take these pictures but they seem to be off before i can even make the request. Oh well, done is done and pictures will have to wait another day or 2. Maybe wednesday after school?

A change of pace

Since dance and gymnastics classes for the kids have started for the year I now find myself with a LOT of time to just sit during those classes. Something like 6 hours a week! I know that some of those night will be full of errands and stuff like that but the first few weeks I wanted to sit and watch, so I brought along some thread crochet. I have not made doilys in probably 5 years! My crochet has been easy stuff-potholders, afgans, Edgings on flannel for baby blankets and stuff like that. Nothing in thread since we moved from Germany 3 years ago! So when i went back to the thread books and patterns I really had to think about it. The white doily was a royal PITA. I dont know if i had the wrong hook, a bad pattern or if i was just that far out of practice but I truly did not expect it to block flat. The Pineapples were pulled tight and the edges were ruffled! But with a lot of work and some starch it is flat and looks way better than I expected it to. If you are wondering about the slightly off color, the thread has a metallic red/green thread in with the white so its going to be a Christmas decoration. Its about 15 inches across at the widest point.

This one was MUCH easier! I have no idea what possesed me to buy this thread, varigateds are hard to use on doilys and thats about all I do in thread crochet but its kinda neat...maybe under a candle on the table with a blue table cloth?

Now that these 2 are done I need to find another travel project. I've got a neat pattern for a thread crochet angel using a cookie cutter as a body/base. Should I use red/white/blue (patriotic style) or red/white/green(Christmas)? Or should i jump on the homemade socks bandwagon and start a pair for myself? Decisions, decisions, decisions!