Planning for the NYE Mystery

I started my sock knitting class based on Cat Bordhi's book. It isn't so easy as the dishcloths I have made a million of. I have started over five times or so. This one has boo boo's in it but trying my best to just keep going for the practice of it. I was finally going along and doing well when I somehow turned things around and started knitting the inside and got a ridge I didn't want on my sock with the knit side inside the sock. I have pulled all that out and have tried to get it back in the needles to continue knitting....that isn't going so well so I keep pulling it out...DJ is currently trying to get it back on the needles. Meanwhile I am going to start another in. I am never going to get my sock homework done by Wednesday's class!

I finally took some time tonight to try to figure out what fabrics to use for Ann B. Smith's annual New Year's Eve Mystery quilt. Here are one of my choices...

And here is another choice...switched out the purple for a more red color.
And this is all the fabric I have in this line by Mark Lipinski that has been waiting for me to come up with something good to sew it into. Which colors would you use? We need a background (my only easy choice) and two mediums and a POP color. Some of my fabrics are medium and some are darks...I think that will be okay though. Usually I do these quilts with one color for each so this will be my first scrappy if I wind up doing it this way.

Sewed this up tonight for another Lil Twister..it is puckery as my auto tension wasn't doing its job or something. idk!

Sewed with AZ huggy bunch on the way up to a party in Cave Creek on Saturday. Here is Ros working on her butterflies and quilt bindings.

And here is BJ--way ahead of me on Orca Bay! She shared several good tips with me that she picked up reading the quiltville or quilt talk list. I am way behind on my mail too!

She was cruising on clue four in reds! We couldn't resist putting our clue threes together to see what they would look like! (hers are blue and mine are yellow).
I wanted to show you my presents arrived from Shannon. I am dying to open them but resisting so far! They don't even all fit in my Santa Sack!

Here is the view from the loft of our tree. We got home from being overnight at Mom and Dad's and cleaned (as in did the windows, washed the drapes, vacuumed, etc.) and set up the tree. Kathy came by with Rosie and hung out and gabbed with us while we worked hard. So very happy to have accomplished that this busy weekend!

Machine back at the Hospital

My lovely Viking Husq. Diamond is back in the "hospital" ....I just got it back about two weeks ago and was told that the bobbins I was using weren't the right one for the machine. I purchased the expensive bobbins (lovely green color) and then attempted to get them wound for use. Well, my sidewinder won't work with the green bobbins because the center is too small to fit on the sidewinder....in fact my other machines won't fit them for winding either. Really? So I dug out the book and attempted to wind the bobbin on my Diamond. I am pretty sure I did do this when I first got the machine, but it is easier to wind a bunch of bobbins on the sidewinder so I didn't use the bobbin winder regularily. Now the Diamond has two motors, one for sewing and one for bobbin winding...guess what? My bobbin winding motor doesn't appear to be working so I can't wind any of the right size bobbins! So luckily the shop said I could bring it back and they wouldn't charge me for labor since it was apparently missed in the tune up the week before. So back to the hospital she went and now once again I have no machine to sew on.
Do you feel my pain? It seems like forever since I have had time and a working machine to sew on. I know it hasn't been that long and I have been keeping busy with knitting and work and prepping for work, but I miss my machine! Anyone got any cheese to go with my whine?
I am also trying to get back to daily exercise and eating right. I sort of (cough, cough) fell off the wagon during the summer. I am happy once I get going on doing the right thing and what I need to do, but I am not so happy easing into it.
End of rant....
On a good note I got my next installment of gifts from Shannon and haven't had a chance to take a picture and tell her thank you, so THANKS! For some reason I cannot comment on half the blogs I read anymore, including Shannon's. It has something to do with adding my work account and I don't know how to fix that so if you used to get comments from me and you aren't now, know I am still reading your blog and I need to figure out how to adjust my settings so I can comment.

Shop Hop, Smith Mountain Morning and Santa Sack Swap Two Arrived!

Here is the Arizona Huggy Bench (minus our youngest member and DJ who took the photo) as we shop hopped! This photo was taken at one of the shops (I already can't recall which) but I did buy the ruler they were selling for the hunter's star quilt we posed in front of. I am making that Crown quilt for my sister and I think it will help it be a snap. Lots to show and tell you about day two, but will leave that for another post since I am not getting much sewing donw to talk about. My Viking is in the shop and my Singer and Janome are not working. Even hooked up the antique machine to see if it works but it isn't sewing (need to google that machine and see if I even have it threaded right!).

I got my first gifts from the Santa Sack Swap Two and have been remiss in posting about them! I can't open the gifts til Christmas so no idea what they are but I got a really cute handmade card with a sweet note inside from Shannon and here is my sack to put my presents in as they arrive. I think it is really perfect! I have it hanging in my quilting studio awaiting the next set of gifts.

So after the Packers kicked some Bear behind.... since I am not able to sew (seriously going nuts on that!) I did some more knitting and then started on some cutting. This is Smith Mountain Morning. All the peices are cut for this block except the muslim squares. So that was some forward progress!

Then I pinned the small brown logs to the centers on both sides and lined them up next to the machine (along with an Auntie's anvil block and a Bread and Butter flag I cut and pinned today) for sewing. Wish some actual sewing was going on...can't believe I own four machines and not a one of them works at present! GRRRR!!

Santa Swap 2 Take One!

My model (who shall remain nameless) reluctantly agreed to pose with my Santa Swap 2 partner's bag. Shannon likes 30's fabrics so I am hoping my fabric choice is one she will like.
I was super happy with my handles. I honestly would rather buy handles and use them because they look too homemade to me, but I decided the bag was charming enough and I am just my worst critic. I have made this bag before and forgot how large it is once it is made. That is good though because we are sending two gifts for the next four months and can't open them until Christmas time.

I can't say what little goodies I have packed up for Shannon, but since she filled out her likes and dislikes sheet I had something to go on. I will get this stuff in the mail this week!