EASY STREET MYSTERY QUILT with BONNIE HUNTER

I have started to follow Bonnie Hunter on the new mystery Easy Street.  Easy Street Mystery Quilt
I have chosen my fabrics that I have for now in the colors of purples, teals, limey greens, back/white, and grey for the constant.  These are not colors I would normally use but I really do like them together and using the paint "chips" from Lowe's was the perfect way to focus material choices.  I will make this process a part of my routine in taking color needs with me as I shop.  I can now get ready for the first installment to get cutting and working.

Boneyard Off the Needles

The Stephen West workshop I attended and cast on the Boneyard Shawl challenged me to a new type of cast on.  Getting past that then it was all about getting the rhythm of the shawl.  Two skeins of Malabrigo DK weight in .......... it was done.  Now the issue I have  it seems it is very "small" and I am not sure what to do with it.  If it were really cold here and one needed a great coat neck scarf it would work.  It is really nice and very pretty, but once again I am not sure I would wear it much.  I have not blocked it and I think that will help for it to lay flatter and be more pliable and possibly I could extend it more.  I am going to do that and then see what it brings.  I really did enjoy knitting it and it is  fun knit and easy to do while visiting with my knit sibs.  A few pics of how it is now. Stephen West

MODERN QUILTS GUILD

I like the new trend for modern quilts.  When I was growing up and was about 10 or so the Contemporary Arts Museum was opening in our town.  My parents were invited to all those kinds of openings and of course was expected to attend.  So my Dad and Mom took me with them I think because they could not find a baby sitter BUT I was taken in by all the color and movement in the art, all the different kinds of impressions and I remember thinking how it was so fabulous.  My Dad on the other hand thought it was certainly not "art" and while he smiled and made nice sounds I knew he was thinking...are you kidding me?  Art?  There was sculpture and one was of a chair...Dad turns to Mom and says, "That's a chair".  Mom says to Dad, "Well, one might think that, but it's artfully done."  Dad says to Mom, "OK, so that is an artfully done chair, but it is still just a chair."  and with that said it was time to go.  I loved the chair art and thought it was perfect, just as an artfully chair should be.  I have loved modern art since that day and could only dream of putting together color and movement in such splendor.  This is my first attempt at a modern quilt.  I like that it is simple lines and the quilting I did in hand dyed wool yarn.

I am going to join the Fort Worth Modern Quilt Guild  http://fortworthmodernquiltguild.blogspot.com/  this week and see where this takes me in this contemporary adventure.  If nothing else I will love seeing those quilts others make.

STEPHEN WEST SHAWL WORKSHOP

OH, what fun the  Stephen West workshop was.  I was so out of my league with most that were there but really that has never bothered me because I know it is just knits and purls!  Stephen jumped right in and I was holding on by the skin of my fingers.  I had no idea what he was saying and all those around me were off and running.  Then -- I just sat back, took a breath, put my yoga focus into the breath and  picked up the pattern that was on the table, read it, started again and again and again till I get it.  As I was doing my thing to get it, everyone else was sailing along and he was going a million miles an hour with it all.  I just kept breathing, stayed in my zone and worked to understand the pattern.  I know that I do not really care that others are sailing along because I will get my wind in my sails too....and I did.  Stephen then gave a lecture on the math of his pattern(s) and I was in my element and many around me were struggling to keep up.  I love the math of his designs and the creative repetition of pattern that creates genius of flow of motion to a flat surface.  I knew then that I would love to do his looks.  I have now on my needles the Boneyard Shawl that was the workshop and I can say I can now hold my own with anyone that was at the workshop.

JUST RIGHT SOCKS DONE

Finally done.  See blog post for August 25....  These 6x2 rib pattern was easy and boring.  It is what it is, a "vanilla" sock.  Fits OK, not hard to do and fits good.  I thought I would like the coloring of this yarn better and after seeing it in pics the black is not my favorite.  The pooling of the black and in general how it threaded through the socks were not for me that attractive.  All this to say, I will like wearing them as I do love the hand knit that fits my feet well.  It will be in a shoe, so who will really see the things I don't care for.  DONE - OFF THE NEEDLES that is all that really matters.  Now what shall I cast on?

I am going to the Stephen West workshop Saturday, so maybe I will  wait till after that to see what might be.  The workshop is at Madtosh....more on that later.

LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION

Inspiration should come from inward to be expressed outward and I get that.  To fill the inward I look for people, places and experiences that will jolt me into action.  I have belonged to Quiltsittters at my local quilt shop for gosh a really long time and it seems stale now.  I am going to visit the Modern Quilt guild meeting this week to get new input, new people and who knows maybe new inspiration.  I can't decide if I will join my long time group of Quiltsitters (this is renewal month)?  I am inspired in the modern quilt simplicity lately and have enjoyed the clean lines and simple but not boring lines.  I visited the Contemporary Modern Art Museum this last week that I had not been to for several years and it brought back the joy of color, lines and movement rather than complex, color heavy and complex images.  Clean lines, fresh color and ones self interpretation of what you see inspired me to look around and take some renewing breathes of creativity.  I am on the hunt for different experiences this month to see where I might land.  More later on what it means and where I land.  Taking off now....

APRON with a MEXICAN THEME

I work fulltime and we are having our employee campaign to give to United Way.  I get the joy of working every year with the employee campaign committee and it is the best time of the year in our organization.  It is an honor to work in the community and make differences in lives across the community.  We know in this organization that one never knows when it will be us or someone near us that will need help.  Needing help crosses all socio economic status and we can need help as well as anyone.  It is an honor to work to raise money to fund programs that give aid to many in the community.  The theme is one around the Olympics with groups formed to put together "baskets" to raffle.  The baskets are themed by counties that participated in the Olympics  and I am on the Mexico basket team.  I bought a chiminea to use as our "basket" and fill up with goodies.  We are well on our way to a full and fun "basket" with lots of gift cards to Mexican restaurants, Tequila, Mexican beer, books on Mexico, Mexican food items and ingredients to whip up a fiesta.  I have put in a Mexican cook book and thought I needed to add something to dress it up, so why not an apron with a Mexican touch.  I have a great fabric stash which made it no problem to pull from what I have and a couple of hours later...dada.....APRON.

JUST RIGHT SOCKS

This pattern "Just Right Socks" a free download on Ravelry.  I was looking for a "vanilla" sock pattern that would fit and be an easy knit.  I can say this is easy to do, but I am not sure I started with enough cast on stitches.  I would like a little more give in the fit.  It fits me like a glove but is snug.  I also will definately make the top longer if I do this pattern again.  I seem to tend toward the top not long enough issue as I get bored with the top...need to remember bored is OK if I want longer tops.  The thread used is a  Lisa Souza in the Bloojay colorway.The blue is very jean blue and I like it a lot. It is heavier/thicker than I have used in the past, but I like it.  I just hope it will not be too heavy for some of my shoes.  

Curve Master Pressure Foot and Round Alaska

I fell in love with the quilt in the magazine Modern Quilting, the quilt is  Project Curious Nature as it is so simple but so beautiful. I was taken by its use of circles and the math concept that has always intrigued by Pi, that the circle doubles itself as you add outer circles.  This quilt grows very fast into the 64x64 as Pi falls into play with the circle.  I decided it had to be the pattern I use for the "Ugly Fabric" quilt event at my local quilt store Quilters Dream, Colleyville, Texas.   I took the material to Alaska with me to find fabric to make the quilt and had so much fun visiting quilt shops (see previous blog post).  So here is the start of the quilt on the design board ready to sew.  This is after many many material auditions!  The fabric except for the one with the pop of red are all from my trip to Alaska, so I think I will name this quilt Round Alaska...but still auditioning names.

As I thought of sewing all the curves I remembered the Curve Master Pressure Foot  http://www.justcurves.biz  I had bought at the Dallas Quilt Show and knew it would be a perfect time to test it and see just how it works and if it is all it says it is.    I remembered how easy it looked as it was demonstrated, and I was sure that would not be the case, but hey, guess one has to try. OMG, it was like a dream come true, I have never known such ease in joining curves.  This foot works exactly as advertised and better, no pinning, no guessing, no fussing, no problem.  I am sailing along on getting it put together.  When complete I will post the final results.  This foot is amazing and I recommend it highly.

Curve Master Pressure Foot http://www.justcurves.biz  YOU WILL NOT BE LET DOWN!

Alaska Quilt Shops

Morley J. Moose III

Quilted Raven

I got to meet my friend in Anchorage, Alaska for a week of fun.  We have never been to Alaska before and were exited to just be there.  She was judging a dog agility show and while it rained the whole weekend, no one seemed to mind and the dogs cared less--they ran and jumped and had tons of fun.  After the weekend of making new friends and getting to pet lots of dogs we had the next week to explore Anchorage and surrounding area.  My friend and I are both quilters so of course we looked up all the quilt shops in the area, we wanted to visit a few.  The first was downtown Anchorage.  The Quilted Raven was a feast for the eyes and while cozy, it was packed with great Alaska material and locally dyed yarns and other great things.  The pattern Morley J. Moose III was another delight for the eyes and just darn cute. Moose are after all very Alaskan!  Morley J. Moose III  - this is the link to the pattern.



We visited 3 other quilt shops  Quilt Zone, Quilt Tree and Dinas Cozy Cabin Quilts ....   and found a lot.  I bought many cuts for a quilt I am going to do for an "ugly" fabric challenge they are now in  audition status.  But another pattern that really caught our eye was the Labyrinth Maze from the April/May issue of Quilt Magazine.  I will have to order that back issue.   It was so much fun to shop, play tourist and relax.  There is still much to do and see in Alaska....next trip.

Lunch was great...Texas don't have these!  My friends all believe that I did not made Santa happy, but I do not see Santa as a vegetarian.