Seriously, clean that room!

Honestly, what are you doing?  In general, I'm tidy.  I clean things up as I go when I cook, run the vacuum here and there every day, and do laundry obsessively.  So, why is it I like a messy sewing room.  And I do really mean:  LIKE. 

The bottom picture is the shot I was going for.  I was going to show you my next project.  A cute little primitive Halloween wall hanging.  I've cut the pattern measurements in half, made notes, and spread out my fabric choices.  What I was careful to avoid was getting any of the mess with the threads in the photo.  Recently I received 4 boxes of cross stitch threads from someone who has given up stitching.  Four, you say?  Huh.  I see a whole lot more then 4.  That's because I got out my own boxes to frantically look for the correct color of green to put about 12 stitches in 'An Apple a Day' in order to finish it.  Annnnnnd, since I needed to incorporate the new boxes into my existing boxes I left them out.  Then I knocked one over, then the ribbon maker fell off the shelf, and I can't even explain what the extra foot pedal to my sewing machine is doing on the floor.  But, there it is and I'm willing to live with it until I can get back to it. 

I believe in the 'out of sight, out of mind' philosophy so when there are projects I don't want to forget about I leave them out.  I have similar messes around my sewing room that I'm still not going to show you.  I think it makes me work on things that I would ordinarily forget about.  My desk at work is like that, too.  I start out with a clean desk and end up with a clean desk but in between..... look out.  It's all spread out! 

I recently commented on KarenV's post from October 6th because she was willing to show her sewing room floor.  Anyone else brave enough?  I'd love to see.  I bet I don't even think it's all that messy.

Happy Stitching.

Pam

Broken record post

I feel like I've posted this exact same thing before... a finish and some baking.   Just different day, different photo..... but we all like to see the finishes so here's the latest......



An Apple a Day by Plum Pudding Needleart.  Cute and fast.  It will go nicely in my kitchen.  (Sorry, I don't know the fabric for sure, but I think it's Mello by Lakeside Linen.... I'm trying to get better about keeping track incase someone wants to know.  Over the last few years I've participated in a couple different fabrics of the month.  I'm trying to get over my reluctance to cut into the pieces by digging thru my stash and coming up with patterns that could use the same fabric.  Then I measure and divide the fabric and put the pieces with the patterns.  Sometimes the fabric details are lost in my excitement to efficiently allocate a piece.) 

Those apples in the photo will be baked into pies.  One to keep and one to give away.  The end result is worth the work... and unlike my last pie baking day..... my family will get to enjoy some. 

I'm off to get started in the kitchen. 

Have a nice day.

Pam

Lots of pictures and a little imagination

 will help this post make sense. 

Over the last few weeks I've been going to a quilt class learning how to make a quilt called 'One Block Wonder' from the book with the same title.  One fabric is layered, cut, and re sewn to create a new look.  I used 2 different fabrics and ended up with 2 table runners.  It takes a good 5 yards to make a throw or bed sized quilt and I was hesitant to buy that much fabric when I didn't know what I was going to end up with.  So, here's what I had......

From these 2 fabrics I cut the wedges to form the blocks.   This is just one example..... they're 60' triangles so can be turned anyway to make 3 different looks. 

My end results looked like this.....

and this.....

The jagged edges will get trimmed off and I'll make them into table runners. 

Here is another fabric someone else in the class used......



and here is her end result as displayed on her self made classroom design wall. 



Amazing, isn't it?  Almost makes me want to go buy more fabric and do it again... almost.  Someday, maybe. 

(I had more pictures of before and after but getting these photos uploaded and in place about killed me.  I spent an hour, the first time around, and ended up deleting half of them so I took a break.  On this second round I had to pare down my post and just put up these projects.) 

It's cold and rainy today.  A good indoor day.

Happy stitching.

Pam

Stitching about reading....

I have finally put the last stitches in a SAL piece I started back in January.  Along with my friend Rebecca, I've been working on LHN's 'The Library' on Mondays.  Monday is a good stitching day for me but this still took over 9 months.  While parts were tedious, the scenes inside the windows were cute and quick. 

The Scholar is coming home today for a quick over night.  She's leaving in January for almost 5 months in Spain so she has a couple of appointments to get some of the preliminary stuff taken care of.  The crisis of the day involves needing a new passport.  We didn't know her current one wouldn't work for the student visa, so we have only 2 weeks to get the new one.  Yikes.  I'll be writing out that extra check to hurry it up.  Doesn't that just seem wrong?  It feels like I'm bribing someone to put her application in the front of the line! 

Off to get the day started. 

The Queen Bee

Reading and stitching

Over the last couple of weeks I've been playing around with my new Goodreads account.  Now that I've become more comfortable with it, I've added a widget to my sidebar.  I don't think the books I've added are a good representation of what I read, but it's a start.  If anyone else has a Goodread's account feel free to friend me, or whatever it's called, so we can share our reading lists and thoughts on various titles. 

I haven't shown an updated photo of Jenny Bean in awhile.  This piece is what I stitch in my upstairs stitching chair, so I don't work on it regularly.


It's time to get another busy week started. 

The Queen Bee

I guess I'll have to eat all the donuts myself.

Today I was supposed to attend the 2nd of 3 all day quilt classes learning how to make a quilt called:  One Block Wonder.  (I'm still withholding photos until I have the end results.) But, late yesterday I got a call that the class was canceled.  I felt like I was given a snow day!  Woo hoo, 'cause I hadn't packed anything and I'd done shamefully little on the project in the 2 weeks since the last class.  It's a bummer, but I guess we'll get to eat those fresh apple cider donuts I bought Friday afternoon at the Apple Farm with plans of taking  them to share with my classmates.  Darn, hate when that happens. 

The rest of my family already had a full day planned, without me, so I was home for quite a stretch without anyone else.  That was weird.  I couldn't figure out why, though.  I'm home alone lots of days.  NEVER on a Saturday, though.  It was either that or the unexpected nature of my day off.  However it happened I liked it. 

Since I was away for a stretch..... and believe it or not.... I didn't pack any stitching....shocking, I know... I don't have much to show.  I  have some friends I meet every year at our annual conference and I knew I wouldn't have any time to stitch so I didn't bother carrying an extra bag into and back out of the hotel. 

Before leaving I did finish a cute Little by Little piece that I stitched last fall or winter. 

I can tell I'm getting ready to make the switch from fall themed stitching to Christmas because my newest start is Peppermint Twist by Blue Ribbon Designs. (40 count.... Yikes.... I keep buying stronger cheaters.)

 Last night, while watching the Yankees get killed (and the jokes on me because they apparently had a very exciting inning while I slumbered), I put the finishing stitches in this patriotic piece by Little House Needleworks.  I love patriotic/Americana.  This will be one of those patterns I keep just in case I need to stitch that cute little flower pot with the flags again. 

So, guess that's enough rambling.  Off to see what's happening with the Yankees.

The Queen Bee

Busy days & busy nights.

I think September lasted about 7 weeks.  It was so long that I thought October was the month that was over.  I was repeatedly shocked when I wrote the date.  I almost threw away a schedule at work that included an October class because I thought it was past.  I can't remember the last time time passed so slowly.  I don't have any real reason for losing track, unless it was my wish that October would go REALLY fast.  We have numerous trips and appointments in October.  When my husband and I were syncing calendars I said...... 'so it looks like I'm going to hate October'.  True enough.  Just for a taste.... I leave Sunday morning for a conference.  The Sunday morning of a long, no school weekend.  I will return Wednesday afternoon but my husband will have already left for 3 days in Dallas.  He'll be home for the weekend only to leave for Memphis early Monday.  And, that's only half of his trips and none of the school events we'll attend. 

On the stitching front I don't really have anything.  I'm taking a quilt class that fills 3 Saturdays.  I've taken a few photos but will save those for when we have the end results. 

I've made a few blog related changes.  I've removed my favorite blogs, in favor of Blogger's reader.  So far, so good.  It updates much faster.  It's different, as I don't see people's blogs and links unless I click their blog, rather then their latest post.  I've added myself as a follower to my favorite blogs.  I was number 900 on one!  900 followers!  That's impressive.  I've also signed up for Good Reads.  I need to get myself aclimated before I will add that to my sidebar.

And, finally, since no post is complete without a picture, I've asked KarenV of My Favourite Things if I could borrow this picture of her cat Thomas.   Just look at that look of shere pleasure on his face.  Bliss.  Maybe it's because he reminds me of our Oliver, but I simply love this picture.  If you've never checked out Karen's blog, go right now and do that.  Her finishing is amazing.  I won't even be offended if you don't finish here. 

The Scholar is due home this afternoon.  Her first trip home since returning to school in August.  I'll need to get used to longer and longer absences.  She's going to Spain in January for 4 months.  Oh, the joys of bring young. 

The Queen Bee

Some reading, some stitching,

and a cute Halloween finish.  This afternoon I put the finishing touches on this cute little pumpkin quilt.  Fun, fast, and easy.  

At the end of last week I stitched this very quick Shepherd's Bush piece.  We'll see if I can get it finished this season. 

This morning I finished reading The Red Scarf by Kate Furnivall.  This is my first book by Furnivall so I didn't know what to expect.  However, I did expect a better story based on the reviews I've read.  It wasn't until I was part way thru the book that I started to wonder about those reviews and looked for more and came upon one that said the book was so ridiculous that she quit half way thru.  While I hung in until the bitter end, I am disappointed that the author chose to include a gypsy with magical powers to explain away the harder parts of the story.  The parts of the story that would have taken some genuine creativity.  A book that could have been a very interesting historical look at life in Russia in the early 1930's lost credibility when a gypsy took over whenever the characters were at risk.  I think that if someone could put aside that one aspect of the story, they could really get drawn into life in a labor camp and later, a small village in pre WWII Russia.  I did find myself pleasantly surprised at a plot twist that occurred in the last 100 pages.  So hanging in thru the whole book wasn't a total waste.  I bought the Russian Concubine based on similar  reviews.  Hope I don't regret it. 

Next I'm planning to read the latest Emily Giffin book;  Heart of the Matter.  I really enjoy her stories and don't expect this one to disappoint.

Thanks for stopping. 

The Queen Bee