Sunday 30 November 2014

Sunday Funny

How is it the end of November already?


Today is the Grey Cup, the end of the Canadian football season.  Good thing I didn't have this agreement!

I mentioned in the last post that we had received a dumping of snow this last week.  I thought I'd share a picture.


My deck, complete with the furniture I never got under cover before the snow came.

Have a happy Sunday!

Maureen

Friday 28 November 2014

Friday Finish

I almost didn't have any finishes this week.  I've been sick, and didn't even have the energy to pick up my knitting needles.

Today was my day off.  I had hoped that I would feel well enough to go out and get some errands done.  That didn't happen.  We received several centimetres of snow, and I just didn't feel up to fighting the snow and fighting the crowds out to do some Black Friday shopping.

I decided in the afternoon that I wanted to do some sewing.  So, I pulled out the Mickey Mouse fabric I bought a few weeks ago, and made a new project bag.

Quilting the fabric prior to making the bag takes more time than making the bag itself does.  From start to finish, this bag took about two hours to do.


And the inside


I didn't make a zipper pull for it yet.  I've ordered some charms off Etsy, and I'm waiting for them to arrive.  I did make one pull though.


I have other pouches that still need pulls, so it will get used.

Linking to TGIFF

Maureen

Sunday 23 November 2014

Sunday Funny

Anyone with a cat can relate to this one!


I swear, Katie could be at the other end of the house, but the minute the fabric hit the floor there she was on top of it!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Maureen

Saturday 22 November 2014

Friday Finishes

Thank you to everyone who came here from the Blogathon, and to those who commented.  I haven't had a chance to reply yet, but I will!

I had a couple of finishes this week.  The first one you've seen part of.  It's the bag I finished on Wednesday, and made my first zipper pull for.



I also finished the second sock from my fourth/fourteen sock goal.


I came close to having the stripes match exactly, but that was totally by accident.  The colours are darker than they appear in this picture.

We had a chinook blow through yesterday, and the temperature went above 0 degrees Celsius.  Most of our snow disappeared, and it rained last evening.  I haven't been out yet today, but I'm hoping that it isn't too icy on the roads.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend

Maureen


Wednesday 19 November 2014

WIP Wednesday

If you're here from the Blogathon, welcome!  I hope you enjoy your visit!

Like my profile says, I'm a quilter, a knitter, and a spinner.  Lately, knitting socks and making bags have become a bit of an obsession for me.  I'm still quilting a bit, but very slowly.  I am getting the urge to make some applique Christmas wall hangings after seeing the awesome one my friend Val made (hi Val!)

I set some crafting goals for myself for 2014.  The first one was to knit 14 pairs of socks in 2014.  I'm working on my 13th pair; this is actually the fourth pair I started but I didn't start the second sock until this month.


It's almost finished!  I started the decreases for the toe today, so I'll probably finish it tomorrow.

My second goal this year was to finish the strippy quilt I started a couple of years ago.



It's stalled out for now.  I still need to sew strips together, but just can't seem to find the motivation to do it.  I'd like to start something else, but this keeps staring at me to finish!  Somehow I don't think I'll meet this goal.

My third goal this year was to put together my Cricket Loom and actually weave something.  Hasn't happened yet, but the year isn't over!

I've been making little bags lately.  I was working on this one earlier.


I finished it, and decided to try adding a charm for the zipper pull.  I had picked up some clasps, jump rings and charms at Michaels last week, and put one together for the bag.


Then I went back to a finished bag and added this one.


I really like the way they look, so I'm going to make another trip to Michaels to get more charms.

This post turned out to be longer than I thought!  If you made it this far YAY!  I hope you enjoyed it!
Please feel free to comment, I love reading them!

Linked to the Needle and Thread Network WIP Wednesday.

Maureen

Monday 17 November 2014

Blogathon Canada is on!

See that button to the right?  That button will link you to lots of lovely Canadian blogs!

Sew Sisters Quilt Shop in Toronto is sponsoring Blogathon Canada this week.  Each day will feature bloggers from each province.  I believe today is British Columbia.  Saskatchewan and Manitoba will be featured on Wednesday.  There will be prizes to be won!  Go, check it out!

And just so there is a picture, here's my 11th pair of socks.  They're made from Lorna's Laces Solemate yarn.  The colourway is called "Christmas at Downton".


I finished them in early September but finally took a picture of them today!

Maureen

Sunday 16 November 2014

And One More Thing...

After I posted, I came across this article.  I couldn't wait to share it.  Enjoy!

18 Important Life Lessons


Maureen

Sunday Funny

Happy Sunday!  Hope your day is going well.  I think I'm going to spend some time sewing, in between tackling Mount Washmore.



Maureen

Saturday 15 November 2014

Acquisitions! (Language warning)

I haven't bought too much over the last couple of weeks.

On my Friday off a couple of weeks ago, I took in soft drink cans for the deposits.  And then went straight to my local quilt store, Peachtree, and spent the money on fabric related items!


I bought a metre of fusible fleece, five fat quarters from the bargain bin, the Canadian flag fat quarter, a Frixion erasable pen, and two packs of the 2 1/2 inch squares.  I'll use the fleece and fat quarters to make bags.  I bought a pattern from Miss Rosie's Quilt Company a while back that uses the 2 1/2 inch squares to make a mini quilt.  I thought the pen would come in handy for marking lines on fabric.

Last week at work, I had a bad day.  A really bad day.  On my way home from work, I decided that rather than eating my way out of my bad day, I would indulge in some retail therapy.  So I went to my local yarn store, Golden Willow, and announced that I needed some "I had a shitty day" sock yarn.  Sharon helped me to find some very nice Berroco Ultra Alpaca fine sock yarn in a dark heather shade.  The sock yarn will be used for my 14th pair of socks.  I also bought two "it's getting colder" Noro Nadeshiko skeins to make myself a new cowl.  The Nadeshiko is an angora/wool/silk blend.  I'm thinking I might make a Gap-tastic cowl with it.  My last purchase was the newest issue of Handwoven magazine.


I left the store with my "I had a shitty day" purchases feeling like the day was a little less shitty.

Maureen

Friday 14 November 2014

Friday Finish

Hello and welcome to new followers!  Thanks to everyone for your lovely comments, I do enjoy reading them.

Only one thing got finished this week.



This is pair 13 of my goal of 14 pairs of socks to be made this year.  I think I'm going to make my goal!  It does leave me with a bit of a problem for next year; making a goal of a smaller amount seems like going backwards.  If I make a goal for a larger amount, how likely is it that I will reach my goal?  I enjoy making socks, and don't want to make a chore out of it.  I'll have to think about this some more.

Maureen

Wednesday 12 November 2014

WIP Wednesday

Happy Wednesday!  It doesn't really feel like Wednesday, since yesterday was a holiday and it felt like Sunday.

I'm making some progress on my Christmas projects.  This bag is the one I'm currently working on.


I'm at the point where I'll be sewing in the zipper.  The little piece of fabric in the upper right is what I'll be using for the zipper stop.

I finished off the zebra stripe socks on Monday, and decided to pick up an abandoned project.  I had started this pair of socks in February.  After I finished the first sock, I wasn't sure I liked the wool, and didn't start the second sock.  A classic case of second sock syndrome!  But that orphan sock called to me on Monday, and I started its twin.


The actual colours aren't as bright as they appear in this picture.

It snowed yesterday, and the temperature dropped.  I thought I need a new scarf, and picked up another abandoned project.  I have no idea when I started this scarf.


It's made from Noro Kureyon, which is 100% wool.  I might felt it once it's done.  Again, colours aren't as bright as they appear in the picture.


Linked to WIP Wednesday on The Needle and Thread Network.  Go check out the marvelous things Canadian Crafters are working on!

Maureen

Monday 10 November 2014

In Flanders Fields


For all those who have served, and for all those who continue to serve:  Thank you.  Canada is a better place for your service.



Maureen

Sunday 2 November 2014