FMQCategory Archives:

Swap box and Friday Night Sew-In

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Well, my partner (and new friend) for the Simply Notable “Make a Crafty New Friend” swap on Ravelry received her package today. I think I was just excited packaging everything up for her as she was to get it.

Swap Package

Lots of Goodies

There were a few skeins of Caron’s Spa yarn, an infinity scarf knit in Caron’s Spa in a taupe color, a set of four coasters made with Liz Scott’s Domestic Bliss for Moda, some crochet stitch markers I made when I couldn’t find any pretty ones to buy for her. She was hoping for bamboo crochet hooks, so I found some of those, a yarn/needle gauge, a few things for embroidery, the Doodle Stitching book (one of our favorites here), some note cards, a bag full of spiced pecans, and a dozen hand rolled truffles that I had a seriously hard time parting with despite being able to make more any time I feel like it.  She loved her package and I can finally stop being a bundle of nerves about it!

Now that that’s all wrapped up, I can start working on a couple other projects…perfect timing really, since tonight is this month’s Friday Night Sew-In hosted by Handmade by Heidi. There’s still time to sign up for tonight’s sew-in if you want to head over to Heidi’s and sign up. It’s fun, and you could win a prize for participating. And the rules…yeah, they’re super easy. Sign up, participate, and blog about it tomorrow. It’s that simple.

I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to be working on tonight. I want to work on something fun and for me…I had planned to make a blouse for myself tonight, but my material did not arrive in time. :( Sadness. Instead, I’ll either work on knitting one of about four scarves I owe people, a crocheted scarf, my February feathers FMQ challenge for Sew Cal Gal’s Free Motion Quilting Challenge, or maybe work on the blocks for the Craftsy BOM Course. I’m seriously behind on the Craftsy blocks because I’m not entirely certain I want to spend the time learning to make these blocks because I just don’t love them. I am probably going to attempt it anyway, because, as the ladies in my quilting club pointed out, even if they look horrible on their own, they may look really lovely once they’re all pieced together and you see the quilt top as a whole.

Anyway, feel free to pop over and sign up for the Craftsy BOM Course (free) or join in with the Friday Night Sew-In tonight.

I’ll be back tomorrow to update on what (if anything) I managed to accomplish this evening.

Have a fantastic weekend! :)

 

 

Friday Night Sew-In and some of today

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Last night I tried to work on a little sewing for FNSI, but really only got a little more of this mug rug quilted.

Grey/Red Mug Rug

Mug rug in progress

Fridays are movie and/or game night at our house. Half the kids wanted to battle each other on the computer. The other two wanted movie time with Mom and Dad. So I ended up putting away the sewing for the evening and working on the circle scarf I’ve got on my knitting needles right now. I was really too tired to do sit at the kitchen table all night anyway, so it worked out.  Well, there, you have it. My first FNSI was sort of uneventful and didn’t quite go to plan, but what in my life ever does?

We were up till 4:30 this morning though. I was T.I.R.E.D. But I was back up at nine anxiously waiting for the delivery of Bessie 2.

She is all that and a bag of chips, I tell ya. I’m loving her, but holy crap…free motion quilting when done properly is TOUGH. Like really tough. My shoulders are tired and strained and my test piece for setting the tension on the new machine looks like a thread store had sex with a knot company and their baby barfed all over the material. It’s that bad. But I did get my tension set properly for quilting, I cut apart a darning foot and rigged it to quit bouncing and I practiced. And practiced. And practiced. And it still looks like shit, but I’m going to call it a night for FMQ.

 

FMQ Take 2

FMQ take 2 on Bessie 2

Anyway, I’m getting surly, so I’m going to go shut up, set up Bessie 1 and get back to stitch in the ditch quilting. It’s comfortable and right now, my shoulders need a little comfort (plus I feel like I’m cheating on Bessie 1 with Bessie 2).

 

Last, but definitely not least, today is my loverly hubby’s birthday. He turned 35. I truly enjoy razzing him for being almost 4 years older than me. I told him today that if his life expectancy is 70, he’s half way to dead. I also told him I’m thankful he’s still alive because that means I get another year to torture him. He wasn’t really impressed with either of my birthday remarks. I am not sure why. 

Better late than never?

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I’m late. I know. “Let me ‘splain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.” (I’ll heart you forever if you know the movie and quote it as fanatically as I do.)

First I was busy. Then I was sick. Then I was knocked on my ass by being busy while being sick. Then I was lazy. Then I was busy. Then I was sick some more. And now I’m back to busy, although, between you and me, I’d much rather be lazy right now.

So, I’ve been doing the knitterly stuff not much at all. Instead I’ve been working on getting things together for my swap and finding out all sorts of cool things about my swap partner and, generally, making a new friend. It’s fun!

Oh my lord, I have such a TERRIBLE time keeping the goodies a secret though. Every time I find something cool to pack in the swap box, I want to pop over to my partner’s house and thrust it at her right away simply because I am too easily excited about giving gifts.  And then I remember that it’s a secret, so I get all bummed out until I find something new to put in the package and the whole evil process repeats.

So, today, instead of thinking about the swap and how bummed I am that I don’t have everything in yet so I can send it, I worked on my free motion quilting. I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that it’s quite likely I’m the worst free motion quilter. EVAH. I may have mentioned today that I hate it. I would not have been lying, at that point. My shoulders are strained and tense, my machine won almost every battle we had today, and the straight pin I dropped in my lap poked through my sweats and into my leg while I was rounding a corner. That corner is now more cornerly than roundy.

Here’s the horror, warts and all:

Free Motion Quilt Challenge Jan

Jan FMQ challenge. (AKA the project from hell) It makes me want to hang myself.

Since the challenge is to learn how to do this well enough to work the design into a quilt, I’ve obviously got a long way to go before I can call this month’s challenge a success. But hey, I’m doing something new. Check another 2012 resolution off the damn list already!! That makes at least 2 things off my list. I’m a freaking success this year compared to most years. ;)