Category: crafting

  • progress

    cabley goodness

    I finished and blocked the back of my new pink sweater, and I loooove it. So cabley! I’m almost done the second sleeve and have cast on for a front.

    binding

    The quilting is done and the binding is attached, just need to sew it down. Purple!

    cross stitching

    Since the case is black, I can really only cross stitch by the window! I don’t think I have enough floss to finish, but I’m enjoying how it’s turning out. Maybe I’ll pick up some blue.

  • Random Tuesday

    the tiniest pepper ever

    The tiniest little bell pepper. I’m sure it’s not a hot pepper because the only hot peppers I planted are jalapenos!

    colours!

    Lovely Haymarket from Lorna’s Laces. I’m hard at work on a little collection using their yarns, which are so gorgeous! Starting the last sweater now.

    scrappy border

    Added a scrappy border to the giant start quilt to make it longer. I struggled with the backing for some reason, but it’s all settled and basted now. On to the quilting!

    Fjord-ing

    A finished sweater for my fall collection, in Lorna’s Laces Sportmate in Fjord. Such a nice soft colour, and I’m very pleased with how the sweater turned out!

  • Summer Daze

    tomatoes!

    Tomatoes are happening, finally. I find container gardening pretty challenging – the critters getting in, having to water constantly, having to keep adding nutrients. I think it’s finally paying off though! There have been cherry tomatoes to eat for a little while, and yesterday we harvested about 1kg (2.2 lb) of larger tomatoes. The yellowy ones are White Queen, which I think will be most of the harvest, and the little one in front is a Purple Calabash that managed to survive a flea beetle infestation. The plants seem to be coming back from that, so hopefully there will be a few more. Unfortunately, the summer squashes have powdery mildew and I’ve lost some of the fruit already. I cut off the worst leaves and sprayed baking soda solution on the plants, so we’ll see if that helps at all. I was really looking forward to garden zucchini, seriously.

    giant star in progress

    I started a new quilt! Okay, two. This top came together really quickly, despite the fact that I still haven’t repaired the sewing machine – I’m still sewing by hand, but I think I’m getting a bit better and quicker at it. I loved these neutral Daiwabo fabrics from the workroom, and was itching to make something on a bigger scale than the chevrons. The squares started out at 15″, cut from fat quarters, and the star is about 54″ square.

    giant star in progress

    While waiting for batting, I decided that I don’t want this quilt to be a square after all – I want it longer so it can go on the bed (or couch). So I started piecing up some scrappy stuff to add to the top and bottom, as well as some sashing on the sides.

    My stitching is getting better, I think. This air-fade pen fades a little too quickly though!

    blues and yellows

    The second quilt I’ve started is mostly using the Comma jelly roll that I got in St Jacobs, though I took out the coral and melon strips. It’s going to be a simple random strip quilt with some blues and yellows added in from my limited stash.

    Watching: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II is in the queue for today – I’m working through the movies for the first time, so I anticipate tears!
    Reading: Rage by Jonathan Kellerman (random crime novel), City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare (part of The Mortal Instruments series, which I don’t love, but I rarely quit books).
    Eating: Summer bounty, of course! And these delicious peanut butter oat cookies. Warning, use a smaller scoop or they’ll be HUGE!