Power of WIPs, the sequel

It's that time of quarter once again! Time to take stock of unfinished quilts and see how many still need to be done!

How can it be? Even though I finished two quilts last quarter, I still have more unfinished quilts now than last quarter! Are they multiplying and replenishing the earth or something?!?


1. Hawaiian Compass


2. Snowflake Heartburn


3. Square Robin


4. Leaf Me Alone


5. Welcome to the Jungle


6. Blue Floral Leftovers, the Sequel


7. Long Forgotten


8. Blue Floral Leftovers


9. Green Batik Leftovers


10. Lizard Toes

If I did one lizard per week every week, I could have this one ready to piece at the end of the year. But can I do one lizard a week???


11. Snow-Dyed

This is high on my list this quarter because I can't make any more snow-dyed fabric until I use up what I've already made. We have about 13 inches on the ground right now... perfect for another batch. So hurry, hurry, hurry!!!


12. Turtle Sherbet


13. Skinned


14. Under the Sea


15. Skinned, the Sequel


16. Boohoo Hexies


17. All My Heart


18. Tickled Pink, the Sequel


19. Teal Maybe Not


20. Gemtones


21. Teabags


Then


Now
22. Hollyhock-Dyed

This one may need a new name and a new dip in a new dye pot. I'm very sad to confess the gorgeous hollyhock purples have faded over the last three months to various shades of eggshell with no direct sunlight. Dang!


23. Secret Project

This is my main goal for next quarter, but I can't share details (or photos) until about February. Hopefully then I can do a Big Reveal!


24. Snowflake Strip Bar


25. Charmed by Snowflakes


26. Rainbow Strip Bar

Just need about four more colors...


27. Dreaming of a Lavender Christmas

One of my goals this quarter is to use up all my Spoonflower fat quarters. These little quilts will make perfect Christmas gifts, I think.


28. Ticker Tape

Probably the last thing I needed to do was start yet one more quilt, but I absolutely fell in love with Amanda Jean's Ticker Tape doll quilt and thought this would be a great way to use up the scraps I've been saving for too many years that are too small to use any other way. I also think this could be a great way of using up tiny scraps as I go while keeping the project fun and fresh at the same time.


29. Blue Christmas

Another Spoonflower fat quarter put to good use.


30. Blue Christmas Leftovers

I think this will make the coolest commute bag!!!


Linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict here and My Quilt Infatuation here.

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Sans Bike

Eldon Nelson, aka Fat Cyclist, recently posted a thought-provoking question most cyclists do not like.

Without the bike, what would be left of me?

Fatty said biking is what he and his wife do. But he also writes and raises money and awareness on behalf of cancer. Nevertheless, when he thinks about going without the bike, he likens the inner turmoil to going without air.

That's pretty dramatic, but I wonder if it isn't a tiny bit true for me, too.

I have needlework coming out my ears, and I have cameras and photography spilling out of every other dream in my life. I love to write, hike, bake, garden, read, research genealogy, design, cross-country ski and stalk wildlife. In another life, I loved to play chess and Tetris. I suppose I would play more if I didn't have a bike and cross-country skis.

Fatty said his favorite dates with his wife are when they ride together.

I love everything I get to do with my husband, and thanks to a recent severely conflicting work schedule, I appreciate every minute with him now more than ever. Takes me back to the days when he lived across the state from me...

Yet cycling is a huge part of our lives. What if one or both of us couldn't ride anymore?

I've faced fears of that very chilling thought through the trauma my back has become since about six months after we began dating. But I've always been able to work my way back onto the bike. What if the day comes when I can no longer do that?

This is a beautiful world, and I'm trying to enjoy and find beauty every day I live on it. Nevertheless, going bikeless would present a level of sadness I don't even want to think about.

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Wordless Wednesday

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Snowflake Warmth

The final two work weeks of 2014 were rough; always are that time of year as clients push to get their books closed out for the year and my bosses have their own accounting-type stuff that has to be done before any of us can go home on New Year's Eve. I often don't get home in time to do anything fun or personal that entire two weeks.

My husband was never a big fan of Christmas until he met me, and even then, he wasn't initially a fan; he just tolerated it on my behalf at the beginning. Yet he always has allowed me to snowflake indulge since Day One. He is my biggest supporter when it comes to snowflakes. He hates the commercialism of the season, and he wants nothing to do with Christmas shopping. (Most guys are like that, right?) (Unless they get to buy a motorcycle or something like that for a lucky recipient...)

I got home late the Monday before Christmas, frazzled and overwhelmed with things that still needed to be done. I went right to work on home stuff, even though he kept trying to encourage me to slow down and take a nice hot mineral bath in the guest bathroom. He ended up going to bed before me, and I never did get my soak that night.

He tried again Christmas Eve's Eve, and once again, we both rushed to and fro, trying frantically to get things done, get neighborhood treats delivered, get the kitchen cleaned up after dinner, get laundry going... Finally, at at bedtime, I stepped into the guest bathroom to light my snowflake candle, as I do whenever I do get to soak in lavender/spearmint/rosemary-infused bathwater, and my eyes nearly popped out of my head!!!

My dearly beloved said he'd been trying to get me into the guest bathroom for three days, and I never had time until Christmas Eve's Eve, and then, he wasn't right there, so he missed my expression! But he did hear the vocal reaction.

My dophin shower curtain I bought 18 years ago when both my kids wanted to be marine biologists had been replaced with a snowflake shower curtain!!!

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Snowflake Monday

My husband's nephew got married in Shady Cove, Oregon, before Thanksgiving. Shady Cove is a gateway to Crater Lake, which didn't share its lovely view while we were there. Nevertheless, the area is beautiful, and the snow we encountered in the national park inspired this snowflake.

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


Finished Size: 3 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 8 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

Shady Cove Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as 1 tr), 1 tr in ring, * ch 5, 2 tr in ring; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 2, 1 tr in 2nd ch of starting ch 3 to form 6th ch 5 sp of Round. Pull magic circle tight, but leave opening big enough to allow stitches inside it to lay flat.

Round 2: 3 sc over post of tr directly below, * 3 sc in next ch 5 sp, ch 6, 3 sc in same sp; repeat from * around 4 time, 3 sc in next ch 5 sp, ch 3, 1 tr in starting sc to form 6th ch 6 sp of Round.
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 3: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 4 dc in same ch 6 sp, * ch 2, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook (sc picot made), 5 dc in next ch 6 sp, ch 6, 1 dc in 6th ch from hook, ch 6, 1 dc in same ch, ch 5, sl st in same ch (lacy tri-picot made), 5 dc in same ch 6 sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last 5 dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: 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 the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I try to help crocheters having difficulty with my patterns when possible, but I do not have (and do not want) 24-hour internet access.

If you need immediate assistance, please consider asking for assistance on Ravelry (either the Snowflake group or the Techniques group), Crochetville or Sisters of the Snowflake. All three are totally free and wonderful resources loaded with friendly, experienced and helpful crafters. Thank you for being patient and considerate.

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Finally Flimsy!

Finally finished the final block final day of the year!

I thought this fabric, and therefore this project, was a teenager. I thought I'd bought the batik leaf fabric and made it into a dress before I began dating The Lizard. I thought I'd started this quilt back before I had a riding partner.

While cleaning my desk recently, I ran across the original receipt for the fabric, and it wasn't back in 2002 as I thought but five years later, in 2007. Still not a young project, but well past toddler!


This forlorn child was born as a brown quilt block, using leftovers from three different projects. I would have liked to have started with the plentiful golden leaf leftovers, but at that point, I had no other yellow fabric leftovers at all. Yellow, outside of aspen leaves, has never been a huge inspiration for me.

My original idea was to use leftover blue snowflake fabric with leftover blue leaves and leftover green batiks or bright florals with leftover summery leaves. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do for the fourth season - spring - since golden aspens are so magical here, and having two autumns in the quilt with no spring didn't seem right. As a result, the project sat indecisive for quite a while.


I finally began working on it again when I had new ideas for matching the leaves to my collection of hand-dyed remnants instead of print remnants. I think I'm glad I changed the original plan. I think I like what I've done much better than what I originally saw in my head.

I think I had just finished the third block when my sister-in-law put elated dibs on the quilt. She rarely leaves comments on my blog because the process is difficult for anyone who does not have a Google account. She suffered through the process and wrote, "I WANT THAT QUILT!"

Her comment ignited my desire to finish the quilt for her by Christmas. Then by her next birthday when I missed that first deadline. Then the next Christmas. Then the next birthday. I don't remember how many years it's been now, but I keep missing the deadline!




However, I am one step closer now, and thrilled to have conquered this last roadblock. I don't know why I didn't just finish the final block in a night or two; that's all it took. Purple is one of my favorite colors with which to work. Perhaps I procrastinated because I was dreading the binding process? I had ideas for a coordinating pieced border of leftovers, but I didn't really want to take another year or two to finally finish this gift for her. Maybe my mind refused to process finishing the main quilt top due to indecision about final visual impact.

While working on the final block, I still didn't know yet what I should do with the border, especially with new quilt deadlines looming now for the next couple of months. At 49 by 71 inches, though, I think it's big enough without an extra border.

It feels good to be able to hang this lovely whole grade-schooler on the quilt stand instead of in baby sections all over my bedroom wall!


Linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict here and Crazy Mom Quilts here.

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A New Day

Each year, I make calendars for my bosses, loved ones and friends for Christmas. I've been using mycanvas.com via SmugMug for a few years, and the quality was phenomenal. Customizations were unlimited.

About halfway through 2014, mycanvas.com announced they would be abandoning the calendar side of their business to focus more on family history and genealogy-type books. I had to find a new calendar printer. We decided we'd try Zazzle after seeing calendars a few of my co-workers had received from various Zazzle users.

Then mycanvas.com announced another printer, Alexander's, had stepped in to take over their calendar business. Dang! Too many choices this year!

I'd already set up a Zazzle account, and transition by the new calendar printer was still in the works, so we decided to go ahead and order from Zazzle. They had something mycanvas.com had never offered... the ability to sell the calendars I design!!!

So I ordered calendars. Back in November. Calendars take a while to print and bind, so photographers such as me need to plan in advance. I'm afraid I didn't plan quite in advance enough.

When my calendar order arrived the week before Christmas, I excitedly shuffled through the pages, horrified at the results. The printing was fabulous. The dates were wrong. The calendars were for 2014 instead of 2015!!! OH, NO!!!

There wasn't enough time to order more. Zazzle offered to reprint them, to their credit. I had to come up with a different gift idea, which would result in trashing all that good photography. Aaaack!

So, me being the graphic designer wannabe I am and not wanting to waste perfectly good outdated but unused calendars, I whipped up new calendar pages, which The Lizard then glued in place. Over and over and over and over and over again about 1,000 times. (No, we didn't order 1,000 calendars, but I'm sure The Lizard will attest to the fact it felt that way when pasting in new pages one by one!)


My month-before and month-after minis are better than Zazzle's!!!

I composed a poem and placed it on a fancy Microsoft Christmas letter template to explain to recipients why their homemade gifts were a little more homemade than usual this year.

To my surprise, many recipients said they would not have noticed, had we not included the poem. But many also said they thoroughly enjoyed the poem.

So, a wee bit late, I offer it up here for your new year's reading pleasure!

Happy 2015!





'Twas the night before mailing
And all through the house
Not a recipient had been missed
Not even the rogue mouse
(Whose trap had been reset
With fresh gourmet cheese
In the hopes of bringing
The thief to his knees).
Our calendars had been ordered
On the internet with great care,
In hopes that the printing
Would be quick as a hare.
The photographers were nestled
All snug in their beds;
While memories of White Pocket
Danced in their heads.
Mamma in her ERock T-shirt,
And me in my lizard skin,
Had settled our checkbooks
For a long winter's grin.
When the calendars arrived
There arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my computer
To see what was the matter.
Away to the office
I flew in a flash,
Tore open the package
And examined the stash.
The calendar cover
With a beautiful glow,
Gave way to the horror
Of the pages below,
And what to my wondering
Eyes did appear,
But page after page of
2014 so disastrously clear.
The snowflake creator
Now desperate and quick,
Fashioned new pages
I glued on with a stick.
More rapid than eagles
My fingers they flew,
As I whistled and shouted
"Now dry, you cheap glue!
Now, January!
Now, March followed by spring!
On July and October!
Bring on winter zing!"
And then in a twinkling
The postman arrived,
Calendars tucked 'neath his arm,
Away he did drive.
Homemade we prefer
All our presents to be,
And this humble project
Gives us great glee:
Never so thankful
Have we ever been
To rid our abode
Of such disgruntled chagrin!
Not even the mouse
Who sneaks in to steal
Every last crumb
Of every good meal!
We sprang to our bikes,
And took off like a missile,
Down the road we did pedal
With enough air to whistle.
You may have heard
As we rode out of sight—
"Happy Christmas to all,
And to all a good night!"

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