In the Pink

It's finally done!!! And the baby isn't six months old yet! I'm getting (slowly) back on track!

This quilt was so fun, start to finish. I loved shooting flowers in my garden, sometimes on the ground on my belly. (Not knowing at the time I had rattlesnakes sharing my living quarters!!!) I loved composing the Spoonflower cheater panel. I loved piecing the back with the only pink charm square pack I had in my stash. I loved piecing the borders with leftovers in my stash. And oh, how I loved quilting this one!

I think I've already reported that I had to take the longarm into the shop last fall because I hadn't used it in more than four years, possibly longer than that. I wanted to make sure everything worked right. I'd had trouble with tension and timing the last time I used it. I picked it up from the shop in October, and I almost felt as if it needed another tune-up before I used it this month because it sat so long again.

But everything works fine. My first free-motion quilt in years just a week or so ago got me back into the groove, and my goal for this quilt was fewer mistakes (which I proudly achieved!!!) and more fluidity. I feel like I'm getting the hang of driving Ringo again! This quilt made me LOVE quilting again!

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Wordless Wednesday

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Decisions

Last week, I asked my friends and family if I should begin shaping the tail so I can bind off at the end of January, start a new snake on February 1, and finish the year with 12 little unique temperature snakes about two feet long each, or keep going and wind up with a 24-foot snake at the end of the year. I got two responses, one that whatever I do will be cute as can be, and the other a warning to be wary of making a long snake if the forever home might one day be a kid who might play tug of war with it... I must confess, I never considered that second possibility. My eyeballs are still sort of rattling around in my head over that.

I was leaning toward 12 little snakes because one month of growth would be easy to tote around if, by chance, we happen to go anywhere this year. Nothing planned, but I do still keep hoping Lizard might be able to handle another trip one day. I also considered the possibility of making each snake two months long, which would be a pretty cool finished length, in my opinion. I'd wind up with six very unique four-foot-long snakes.

My mind was made up a couple of days later when I saw, for the first time, Planet June's temperature snake CAL photo gallery. I decided I want my own long, long, very long snake!!!

But then a couple of days later, I was trying to come up with a name for my snake. And boy, have I seen some cute ones! Caution Ramen, Fang Ramen, Assault Ribbon, Speed Bump, Slithery Shoelace, Hiss Tube. Suddenly, I was back on the monthly or bi-monthly kick because I wanted to use all the cute names I came up with...

Psychedelic Angel Hair, Lumen Udon, Bulging Bucatini, Plump Pappardelle, Tallow Tagliatelle, Tubby Tube, Paunchy Pici, Roly Poly Tuffoli, Stocky Gnocci, Stout Kraut, Chubby Buddy... I bet I could stay up all night and coin new names!

I briefly considered calling "her" (I think I've decided my snake is female... maybe so she can be bigger than whatever other temperature snakes I create, and she can be the mama mamba...) Desi because there are just too many decisions to make!!! I toyed with the idea of naming her Fredrica, Freddy for short, and I hope you pick up on the connection. I finally named her Mercurina. Because that's so much prettier than Mercury. And I've still got more than a handful of cute names for her offspring!

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Snowframe Monday

It is 11 degrees outside as I type today's pattern, and I'm keeping my eye out for real snowflakes. Our electric fireplace is running, and Kīlauea is teasing me on my TV with tiny little lava splatters as it builds to Episode 41. Lizard is sleeping peacefully, and February is just around the corner. The instant it begins to snow (and yes, it is predicted!), I think me and my camera have an extremely chilly date... Until that moment, I'm trying to perfect today's pattern, which is inspired by my Cold Heart Snowflake.

You may do whatever you'd like with snowframes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!

Finished Size: 6 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 7 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, water soluble school glue or desired stiffener, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

Cold Heart II Snowframe Instructions

Ch 60. Taking care not to twist work, sl st in starting ch to form circle.

Round 1: Ch 1 (counts as 1 sc), 1 sc in each of next 2 ch, [3 sc in next ch, 1 sc dec across next 3 ch, 1 sc in each of next 3 ch] 6 times, omitting last 3 sc of final repeat; sl st in starting ch.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 2: [1 sc in next sc, ch 3, sk next 2 sc, in next sc work (1 sc, ch 3, 1 sc), ch 3, sk next 2 sc, 1 sc in next sc, ch 1, sk next 3 st] 6 times; sl st in starting sc.
NOTE: Binding off here makes one cute little mini snowframe!

Round 3: [3 sc in next ch 3 sp, in next ch 3 tip work (3 sc, ch 15, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, 1 dc in next ch, sl st in 4th ch of ch 15, ch 3, 3 sc), 3 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 1, sk next ch 1 sp] 6 times, omitting last ch 1 of final repeat (unless you're binding off here, in which case, work the last ch 1 and then sl st in starting sc and bind off); 1 hdc in starting sc to form 6th ch 1 joint of Round.
NOTE: By golly, binding off here makes yet another unexpected little snowframe! An absolute bear to pin, but, oh, my goodness!!!

Round 4: [Ch 3, sk next 4 sc, 1 sc in next sc, in next ch 3 sp work (1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, ch 1, sl st in top of dc just made, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc), in first half of heart tip work (sl st, 5 sc, 2 hdc, 5 dc, 2 hdc, 3 sc), sk over top center heart picot, in second half of heart tip work (3 sc, 2 hdc, 5 dc, 2 hdc, 5 sc, sl st), in next ch 3 sp work (1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, ch 1, sl st in top of dc just made, 1 hdc, 1 sc), 1 sc in next sc, ch 3, sk next 4 sc, sl st in next ch 1 sp] 6 times; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: I've been stiffening my flakes with undiluted, full-strength water soluble school glue for quite a while now, and I've been squishing the glue onto and throughout each flake with my fingers (yucky mess!!!) instead of gingerly painting the flakes with glue. Yes, it's a mess. But it's faster. And stiffer.

Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.

If using glue, mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture or desired stiffener. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

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Wild Thing

(affiliate links to my designs)

I think this cheater panel has been waiting since November of 2020. I'm not sure I even liked it after I had it printed by Spoonflower Thankfully, it grew on me while I was quilting it. I kind of like my latest quilt now. Especially the quilt back.

I hadn't touched my longarm in at least four years, and possibly longer. So I took it in last fall to be serviced, just to make sure everything was working properly. I then worked up a practice quilt because I know I'm super rusty on free-motion quilting.

I had every intention of finishing this practice quilt by Christmas last year. The actual quilting took only two days once I loaded the quilt onto the longarm. It took me nearly two weeks to get around to the binding. Binding took not quite two hours. I've been playing chicken a lot lately with crochet thread and sewing thread. I did it again with the binding... I won, but boy, was that ever a close call!

It's not perfect. There are plenty of mistakes. Lots of time went into watching and re-watching Handi Quilter tutorials. I had to relearn everything. Literally everything. How to thread the machine. How to adjust the tension. How to work the touch screen. How to drive smoothly...

I didn't have to relearn how to pick out and redo stitches. I didn't have to relearn how to bury my thread ends. I didn't have to relearn how to bind.

When I first finished the quilting, I thought I'd have to do another practice quilt before I begin quilting the baby quilt for my friend's first granddaughter. By the time I finished the binding, I couldn't wait to get the pink floral quilt that has been waiting since December loaded onto the longarm. Who knows??? Perhaps I'll have it finished this weekend! Naaaaa... We're expecting snow tomorrow. If I can snap snowflake photos, I think I'll be tied up editing snowflake photos!!! I can't resist!!!

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Wordless Wednesday

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