The Little Red Hen

Outside

Since it's not so bitter cold this winter I'm trying to get out more. This weekend we walked up to the park and saw a rafter of turkeys. (Did you know that was the collective name for a group of turkeys?)

It was really snowy while we were out. My glasses were covered and I had to take them off and put them in my pocket for the walk home. It was blizzardy - but just while we were walking home.


Today it was warmish and sunny. The fresh air felt good.

I would probably get more exercise if I left my camera at home but taking the camera along makes it more fun!

Also, it has been so warm lately that I've started pondering what new things I want to plant in the garden this year. My neighbor had some really good cucumbers last year that I'd like to try.

Are you planning your garden yet? Are you going to try to grow something different or new to you?

 

Estonian Socks that Rock

Yay, I finally finished my Estonian Knee Socks that Rock. In case you were wondering, knitting knee socks with a fine black yarn on size 0 needles takes a long time. My ravelry notes tell me that I started these back in early November.

I love the way they fit. I decreased two stitches every sixth row down the back from the bottom of the colorwork to the ankle which creates a lovely "seam" line. I tried to take a picture but it didn't turn out. And since you can see those goose bumps on my legs there I'm not going to try again. You'll just have to imagine it.
Here's the full view.
The yarns are Knit Picks Essential Soot Kettle Dyed and Jewel of the Nile lightweight by Socks that Rock.

I used the color pattern from Nancy Bush's Estonian Socks in her book Folk Socks.

It really feels good to finish a slow going project like this. I know I'll be wearing them though. They will be great with winter boots!

Flashback Friday

Panning for gold - 1974. Somewhere out west.

Baskets for Anita

My bee group on flickr is continuing this year. I made these blocks for Anita. She wanted bright, liberated baskets on a neutral background.

These were fun and zippy quick!

I also finished my black knee socks but I'm waiting for some photo assistance for those pictures.

Wordless Wednesday

Photo Play

Our scanner came with a copy of Photoshop Elements. I installed it and have been playing around with some old photos.

Layering with textures is fun.

Snow

We finally had a little snow.

It wasn't much good for snowballs or snowmen.

But it seems to have been good to eat.

Crushed

Here they are. All 130 string pieced blocks needed for a twin size quilt. I am smitten with this block on top. That row of tiny scraps gets me . I don't remember who gave me that skeleton fabric scrap but that is the last bit of that fabric that I have.

Really, it slays me. I know that if I had started with yardage of that fabric I wouldn't feel the same way. It was precious and I had to include it in this quilt.

Are you like that? Do some fabrics make you emotional?  Is it just me? I got a little teary feeling this morning cutting a center for a tiny star out of the very last scrap of fabric left from a dress I made myself in 1975. Sigh.

Look, they are crushed under their own weight.

This little stack is making me very happy. I think I'll just keep it and pet it for awhile before moving to the next step.

Stringing Along

I've really been using up the scraps this week. I'm making six inch (finished) string blocks. I need to make 130 blocks for the twin size quilt I have planned.  I'm using quite a mix of fabrics. Leftovers from a skirt for P, a sunhat I made for D when he was little, scraps from kid pajamas, scraps from other people, new scraps - do you see some Jeniffer Paganelli in there? A couple of the blocks even have scraps from a dress I made for myself when I was in middle school. Pretty much anything goes. I am not using the very pale or mostly white fabrics so there's not too much value contrast. These are just like the string blocks I made for this quilt and this quilt. I plan to do something different with these though.  I'll be sure to show you when I get to that step.
four six inch string blocks:

Here's my method for making these blocks.

Because I want there to be a visual direction to the blocks I use strings, or long skinny scraps. I often have strips of quilt backs after trimming, extra strips or parts of strips from cutting quilt pieces and they work great for these blocks. I am making these blocks 6 inches because that is the size of my ruler.  I work with the ruler right next to me.
First I cut a bunch of strips to length.

Fatter scraps are cut to narrower strip widths.

Short pieces are sewn together to make strips that are long enough for the block. I usually work with scissors for a more "organic" look to the piecing but I sometimes trim one edge of these pieced strips with the rotary cutter to make it easier to sew them to the block in progress.

I sew these strips together to make a chunck of fabric that is large enough for a block. As I sew each strip on I lay it where I want the seam to be on the block below. I often place it a little askew to get wedge shaped strings. I sew along the straight edge of the new strip and then trim the extra fabric away. Sometimes the bit that is cut away is wide enough to sew to another block.

It is best to press before adding each new strip. I work in big batches of sewing and then pressing.

Here and here are a couple of other quilts that use a similar string piecing technique.

'Tis the season to bust those scraps! String piecing is quick and easy. You should give it a try!

Crazy Love Quilt

I finished the binding on this Crazy Love quilt this morning. I am pleased with how it turned out. I used a blue Carolina Chambray from Robert Kaufman for the triangles and binding. I like that the zig zag of the blue makes diagonal channels of color.

I chose to do minimal quilting on this to echo the diagonal lines of the blue. I quilted in the ditch on all of the seam lines and then one walking foot width to either side of the blue triangles as seen here.

You can see a corner of the  pink tone on tone fabric Jennifer sent for the backing in the picture below. P was hoping there would be some extra of that fabric!

The binding on the quilt is 1/2 inch wide.
It measures 64 x 79 inches.
Fabrics are from the Crazy Love line coming out this spring from Jennifer Paganelli.

I started my next scraptacular quilt today. It already has some Crazy Love scraps sewn in. It will be one of those quilts that includes all kinds of fabrics. After a couple of quilt finishes I found that my scrap bin is over flowing again and the tiny stars are just not putting any dent at all in that huge pile of fabric. So, I have started a scrap intensive quilt. I'll share more later, after I have a few photos.

I am not the only one jumping into my scrap pile though. Check out the details of Stitched in Color's Scrap Attack Quilt Along. Lots of quilters are attacking their scrap piles this winter. Will YOU join the fun?