Friday Fabulous

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Piecemeal

I've been known to collect fabric. I could probably open my own quilt shop now. I'm not sure if that's a confession or an attempt at humor. Or maybe both. Whatever the case, I sometimes go off on wild goose chases to find fabric I missed out on.

Sometimes I go on to make wonderful quilts from these gorgeous collections.

Other fabric collections are slumbering in sealed airtight bins where they receive no daylight so the vibrance and freshness might not ever fade. One is still stacked waiting its turn on my to-do pile. It was supposed to be a Mother's Day or Christmas quilt back in 2022...

I jumped into the Me and My Sister collections late in the game several years ago. I learned from their website there were earlier collections I had to have. But they were LONG out of print!

A persistent search perhaps six or seven years ago yielded four or five of the earlier charm square packs (I never did get my hands on "Giggles"). I still add to my Me and My Sister collection to this day. I've made a few baby quilts from a few of the "extra" yardage and precuts I found on sale over the years, but the main stash of two charm square packs each remains mostly intact. (I had to rob a few squares to finish one neice baby quilt.)

No matter how large my stash, there's always a new fabric line to capture my attention, my wallet and my motivation. When you don't have time to quilt, it's fun to find new fabric that makes you want to quilt, right??? So beautiful, you can't wait to sit down to the sewing machine. The instant your receive it. That's always my plan... The Limelight Baliscapes fat quarter bundle I bought last year was going to find its way under my needle within minutes the day it arrived. It was going to make the most beautiful quilted jacket on the planet. It (and some gorgeous floral green batik yardage I picked up on sale about the same time) is still waiting and hasn't even been removed from the package, except for the photo for this blog post.

The Guicy Giuce Art Deco collections are my latest addiction. I never saw the first edition, and the second edition was sold out in one of my favorite shops when the bright, fruity colors first grabbed my eyes. I searched high and low for the second edition and bought it online on the spot to make sure I would never have to buy it piece by piece. The first edition was a bit harder.

I found a fat quarter bundle of the first edition that wasn't missing any of the collection and ordered immediately. I looked up reviews on the new-to-me shop to make sure it was reputable, but I never thought to look from whence I was buying. I got a text from my bank alerting me to my foreign purchase. I received a confirmation email from the shop, and another when the bundle was shipped the next day, so I didn't worry. That was back in January. Here it was, late April, and still no first edition in my mail.

Turns out I purchased my original Art Deco bundle from Australia, and I paid for standard shipping. Had I had my head together back in January, I wouldn't have hesitated for a minute to opt into a more expensive but more reliable shipping method. Unfortunately, I had my hands, heart and head full of all kinds of trauma and stress for about eight weeks straight back then, and logic just wasn't to be found anywhere in my equation then.

I've since looked up a few times how long it takes to ship a package from down under to up over (Colorado). I get estimates everwhere from three weeks to eight months. I imagine my fat quarters bundled up and sitting in the dark depths of a huge ship somewhere in the Pacific Ocean still trying to make its way to America. It is possible that little bundle will still show up in my mailbox or on my doorstep one day. Maybe. Just maybe. I haven't totally lost hope. Yet. If it does, it now will be a superb bonus. Because I grumbled internally for four months. I wasn't satisfied. I had to have that first edition. I had to order again. I just had to. I had no choice. :)

I recently searched again and found even fewer results, now that the (estimated) 2022 collection is nearly six months older. I ended up buying 10 of the 16 initial colorway fat quarters from one shop, 3 from another shop, the most difficult to find color from a third shop, and two larger remnants from a fourth shop. This time, I did try to make sure I was purchasing either from inside my own country or paying for reliable shipping from Canada (and Alaska!).

Last week, I received an email from one of the shops stating the most difficult to find fabric was sold out, and my money for that fat quarter was being refunded. Off I went on another hunt to find one more fat quarter... that is, AFTER making sure all the other orders, which had already shippied, included all the fabrics I ordered. I didn't want to come up short again. I feel like time is running out on the first edition!

Only two shops I could find had my missing fabric. One was the original shop in Australia. I'm sure it would have been a safe purchase this time if I paid the higher quality postage. The other shop offered only half yards or yardage. Dragonfruit is not a color I would buy a lot of in most circumstances. Red, orange and yellow just aren't really my thing. But I want the full Deco Glo I collection. I added in half a yard of another couple of colors from the second collection I do like, thinking they might be good for binding or as part of a creative quilt backing when I do finally sit back down to my sewing machine. (And holy moly, I'll have to order from Whimsodoodle again!!! Then sent me a free dark blue batik fat quarter, which is going to go great in my Moda Blockheads quilt!)

Now I'm fully Giuced. At least until Deco Frost is released... (Ha!!! I preordered a fat quarter bundle!!! I won't have to piecemeal!!!)

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Wordless Wednesday

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Survival of the Fittest

Parkinson's is brutal. That is all.

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Snowflake Rock Monday

Week 3 of my rock crochet-a-long is underway! Today's rock was inspired by last week's RtR disappointment and fueled by my recent visit to my Ti Light Snowflake to create a white version for my Snowcatcher Snowflake Directory. I often wonder what Ti is up to these days and if she ever managed to live out her dream.

I've also wondered if I might be able to cover a rock with a crocheted bicycle. Because that would be the perfect addition to my garden, right? Initially, I thought I might be able to attach the bike to the rock covering via Irish crochet, but the stitching visually took away too much from the bicycle shape. I completed this project appliqué style instead. I did consider gluing the bike directly onto a rock with permanent glue...

I also considered gluing the bike directly onto the covering, using permanent glue. I think this would work fine, and I would be tempted to turn the rock covering upside down beneath the weight of a rock once the glue dries enough to not drip. This seems like a great way to have the bike dry completely flat, with no warping. However, I opted to sew (by machine) the bike onto the covering before I began the mesh crochet portion of the covering. Feel free to use the method you like best; there is no right or wrong way.

I recently spent some time with my mother-in-law, and she gave me a bag full of crocheted doilies she made before my husband began school. I used to crochet doilies on the bus during my commute to work back in the late '90s. So the doilies from my husband's mom brought back some great memories; I wonder what happened to all my doilies?!? Anyway, it did occur to me while I was working on the rock covering pattern below that I could turn this project into a table runner instead of making a rock covering for the garden, where it surely will sun bleach and fade, likely before the end of this coming summer. But I really want a bicycle rock in the garden. I will try to place it so that it doesn't get as much sun, and maybe the color will last just a tad longer.

Today's pattern isn't for a snowflake. This rock covering is the only way I could think of to make what I saw in my head come to life. Other than Photoshop or AI, of course...

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

Finished Size: 12 inches from wheel to wheel and 7 inches tall (you'll need a BIG rock for this one!!!)
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread in at least 2 colors (second color should be a strong contrast), size 7 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, water soluble school glue for bike stiffening, non-soluble glue for attaching snowflake to rock covering (or whatever surface desired, such as greeting card or poster board), water, rust-proof stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, optional thread for attaching bicycle to rock if desired

Snowbike Instructions

Make 2 Ti Light Snowflakes and set aside.

Ch 90. Taking care not to twist work, sl st in starting ch.

Round 1: To make bike seat, ch 10, 1 dc in 2nd ch from hook and in next ch, 1 hdc in each of next 2 ch, 1 sc in each of next 2 ch, ch 5, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, 1 sc in each of next 2 ch, draw up loop in next ch and in next ch of ch 10, yo and draw through all 3 loops on hook, 1 sc in next ch of bike seat; to make bicycle top tube, 1 sc in each of next 30 ch; to make handlebars, ch 15, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each of next 9 ch, ch 9, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each of next 4 ch, 2 sc in each of next 2 ch, 1 sc in next ch, 1 sc in next sc, 1 sc in same ch as sc just worked into, 1 sc in each of next 5 ch, 2 sc in same ch as 30th sc; to make downtube, 1 sc in each of next 29 ch, 3 sc in next ch; to make seat tube, 1 sc in each of next 29 ch, sl st in next ch; bind off. Weave in ends.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

NOTE: I would either stiffen or pin and spray lightly with water all pieces at this point so they will have the correct shape when you connect them to the rock. If you aren't making a rock and plan to just keep the bike as is, I would stiffen the wheels and the bike body.

Snowbike Rock Wrapper Instructions

Ch 39.

Row 1: 1 hdc in 5th ch from hook, [sk next ch, 1 hdc in next ch] 17 times. Do not turn on this Row or on any of the Rounds to follow.

Round 2: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 5 dc over post of hdc just made to begin working in the round; working along bottom of piece, 2 dc in each ch 1 sp 16 times, 8 dc in next ch 4 sp to continue around to top side of piece, 2 dc in each ch 1 sp 16 times; 2 dc in end sp; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2. Round 3: Sl st back over sl st just made between 2/dc groups, ch 3 (counts as 1 dc and ch 1), 1 dc over same sl st, ch 1, [in next gap between 2/dc groups work (1 dc, ch 1) 3 times] 2 times, [1 dc in next gap between 2/dc groups, ch 1] 17 times, [in next gap between 2/dc groups work (1 dc, ch 1) 3 times] 3 times, [1 dc in next gap between 2/dc groups, ch 1] 18 times, sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 3.

Round 4: Sl st into next ch 1 sp, ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in same ch 1 sp, 2 dc in each ch 1 sp around; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 5: Repeat Round 3 on each uneven Round to reach desired size. (I worked Round 3 9 times.) Increase 3 times on each end evenly spaced to achieve a round oval or above previous uneven Round increase to achieve elongated hexagon shape.

Round 6: Repeat Round 4 on each even Round to reach desired size. If desired, bind off after reaching desired size to create a doily or table topper.
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 21 (or Round after achieving desired size): Sl st back over sl st just made between 2/dc groups, ch 7 (counts as 1 dc and [ch 5), sk next gap or next 2 gaps between 2/dc groups, 1 dc between next 2/dc groups] around; ch 2, 1 tr in 2nd ch of starting ch 7 to form final ch 5 sp of Round. (I alternated between skipping 1 2/dc gap and 2 2/dc gaps because my rock is so gigantic.)

Round 22: Ch 7 (counts as 1 dc and [ch 5), 1 dc in next ch 5 sp] around; ch 2, 1 tr in 2nd ch of starting ch 7 to form final ch 5 sp of Round. Continue with Round 22 until snowflake fits snugly around rock, leaving about a 1- to 2-inch opening on the back or bottom side. (I think I did seven Rounds, and I didn't try to completely cover my rock. There is a large hole on the back of my rock. I ran out of Ocean thread. The front of the covered rock is what matters.)

Final Round, Rock Covering:Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each ch 5 sp around, inserting rock after about 2/3rds of Round, gently stitching while finishing Round and closing up hole so as not to damage crochet hook; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off, leaving 4- to 5-inch tail. Weave end through final Round of dc and pull tight. Bind off again, weave in end. Place in garden!

Finish: Attach bicycle motifs as desired if desired. I sewed mine on by machine with motif-matching thread before beginning Round 21.

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