Working Ahead on Christmas Gifts!

Finished the last four bags for Chrstmas gifts for the nieces and nephews. I am feeling way ahead of schedule! Sure is a nice feeling. The first few I forgot to cut the handles in half so they are really long and then I had to find some other fabric to make handles for the others. No biggy, they are now easier to tell apart. These are a nice simple bag...pattern from Denyse Schmidt's book. I have made about 10 of these bags I think! Zoey is trying to get in the picture I see. Well, off to work for tonight.

Bow Tucks Bag Done!

Went back to June's today and she helped me finish this bag. I love it. I ordered some Birds of Norway fabric and think I will be making another of this pattern with that fabric. I love it, thanks again June!
Have started on my four patches for Holiday Lights...here they are as two's.

A few Simpler Bags

Finshed these simple bags from Denyse Schmidt's book for early Christmas presents. Kathy's great nephews are going to Ohio to stay with their grandfather since Kathy's niece is not really their mom and has left their dad. Sad story all around. We stuffed the bags with color books, crayons, a photo albulm with pictures of them and us all, glow bracelets and a Pez dispenser and candy. I am hoping they can bring the bags on the plane and it will all help entertain them. We will miss Mikey and Critter and hope to see them again in the future.
I am working on a second crochet washcloth, I have the hang of it! Also finished reading "The Suspicions of Mr. Wicher" by Kate Summerscale. It was pretty good and we are discussing it on my online BookiesToo group. I have been with that group since the beginning of the Oprah Book club craze and that was our original name...somewhere along the line we had to change our name since we weren't officially connected to Oprah but we continued to read her pics whenever she announces one.

Bow Tucks Tote in Progress!

Whoo hoo! I went over to my new online friend June's house and she helped me make 3/4's of my Bow Tucks bag! She has been making different bag patterns (she has several hanging on her sewing room door) and so I thought why not see if she will help me decifier this pattern? I emailed her and she was happy to! I had so much fun and it all went together quite well (with her help, lol). This next pic is the inside of it...we haven't finished the bottom or sewing the lining opening (for turning) closed. The bottom is a little tricky if you ask me, but I have no doubt it will work out.

I am in love with this bag and all the inner pockets, can't wait to complete it. The hardest part so far was the outside pocket...I truly don't think the directions can be right, and neither of us could figure out how to attach the pocket following the directions. We took a guess at it and it didn't quite work out, and have another guess to try with bag number two, but neither guess was anything close to the pattern's plan.

The side ties are made, but not attached yet, I just set them there to give you some idea. I got to use June's machine and it has an automatic thread cutter. I am in love with that! Thanks June, you made my day! (heck maybe my week!).

Crochet, What an Improvement a Day (and a Class) Makes!

In 1999 or 2000 my best Deaf friend Rachel taught me how to crochet. She showed me a granny square type thing and was very patient with me so that I could get the idea. My great grandma Myrt had also shown me numerous times before she passed on when I was twenty. It never stuck. Even after doing an entire granny square blanket with Rachel helping every time I got confused I could never really just do it on my own. Make that I could do the rows but needed help turning corners, starting, etc.

She tried teaching me another stitch which I should humor you with a photo of...I still have one of my attempts and just took it out to use as dog blanket! It looks more like a triangle because I had issues with dropping or adding stitches! Apparently this is common, which makes me feel better. HAHA!

Anyway I signed up for a Parks and Rec class for crochet in June (and knitting in July!) and took the first class last night. You can see what I accomplished from the pic above. I took some notes and really tried to pay attention to what I was doing when so that I could do it on my own. Then a few hours later I pulled out another ball of yarn and started all over on my own (do you hear the squeals here?) and just a few minutes ago I completed my very own dishcloth! It isn't perfect and I didn't count (I promise to try to count the next one as reccommended) but I am overjoyed with it. It is all sunshiny yellow too!

Two Quilts for my Cousin's Kids

My cousin Flo just had a little guy (Elliot) in Oregon and I decided I should send her a baby quilt for him. I got to thinking that when her daughter was born I intended to send her a quilt for her but never did so I am sending one for each of them now. Better late than never. I have had the nine patch one done for some time now (I made three awhile back and the other two found homes right away) and just today finished tying the streak of sunshine quilt with yellow floss.

Our new dog Zoe posed on the quilt and as I was shooing her off I realized it would make a cute picture so the pic stays, but Zoe will not be mailed off to Oregon! I put a label on the back of each of these and after I get them hand sewn on they will be wrapped and ready to go. I hope the kids like them.

Choices, Choices

I am feeling really overwhelmed today for a variety of reasons, and my migraine doesn't help. Sigh. I took my triptan and it is somewhat tamed, but I just feel like going back to bed. Sigh.

I should be excited because my online NewQuiltingClub group is celebrating four years of being around though I haven't been with them that long by having an online party which I am participating in the end of June. They are going to do a mystery wallhanging together that I hope to join in on.

Ann M. Smith is doing another summer mystery soon too. I have the fabric requirements for that and would like to do it if possible. I have done several of her mysteries and am always happy with the results. I may just do a crib size or at most a lap size on that.

And of course Bonnie K. Hunter is doing a mystery (in Quiltmaker magazine July/August issue) in three parts that I absolutely must do. This one is a lap size and the first clue has us making five different units. I am hoping to use my already cut strips for most of it since there aren't much funds for fabric shopping for now.

Seems like a big undertaking to make all three of these mysteries. I guess the timing will determine which gets made, but I will start with Bonnie's and go from there. Anyone else doing any of these projects?

My youngest son is coming for at least the summer this Friday. We are excited to have him here and hope to take him on a few fun, creative, inexpensive ventures.

Hopefully when the migraine goes my mood will improve...ugh!