WIP Wednesday

Hi all!!  Ahh, a Wednesday with both finishes and works in progress!  Yay!  I'm really trying to stick to my new stop thinking and get it done plan.  #finishit2013 on Instagram has been a real boost to see what everyone else is finishing up too.

So...for finishes this week I have Hayden's baby quilt and 2 Something New Sampler Blocks.  More info on all of these projects later in the week but here's a sneak peek...

And as for WIPs--the next thing to finish up in my WIP basket is Oren's star quilt.  I'm making him a star quilt for his Star Wars' themed birthday party (2) years ago...  I'm just trying to decide if I want to do all wonky stars or mix it up with lots of different stars...either way this is a project that I've put off starting, so it's time to get it done.

Here are my fabrics.

I'm hoping this one goes quick.

Also on the to-do list are

--Emma's Stargazing Blocks

--The Scraptastic Block for the Something New Sampler.
--My February Lady Sweater (this beast is taking forever!!)

--Sorting my scraps (still....)

So, all in all, I feel like I'm making a dent in my WIP basket while starting some new things at the same time. Ahh, balance.  I wouldn't say I'm there yet, but I feel better about it...

Don't forget to head over to Lee's to see what everyone else is up to this week as well.

Review and Resolve

Happy New Year to each of you!  I hope that you can take the good out of 2012--remember the good times, savor the love and friendship found in it, learn the lessons life offered and make 2013 the best year of your life to date!

Last year I wrote about my goals for 2012 and my word was Balance.  I wanted to find balance between the Mom/Wife me and the "leave me alone I'm sewing" me.  I wanted to find balance between quick finishes and big projects.  I wanted to find balance between stretching my skills and getting projects started and finished.

I'd say I'm still working on those goals.  Balance is a hard thing for me.  My scale is usually tipped one way or the other and it's something I need to continue to work on.

I made collages of my finished projects this year.  I say collages because I figured I'd make one and be done.  But picmonkey will only let you add 40 items and I had way more than that!  I was pleasantly surprised.  Now--most (like 95%) of these finishes were bee blocks (in fact I had more than 40 of those alone!) and only a handful of big quilt finishes, but I was surprised to look back and see how many clothing items I sewed or knitted this year.  Wow!

Bee Blocks completed for NuBees, Modern Bee Block Swap and Empower Group of do. Good Stitches

Clothing and Accessory Finishes:

Big Quilt Finishes (fronts and exciting backs):

As I look forward to 2013, I want to continue to find balance.  I want to clear out my WIP basket and find new ways to express myself.  I want to see more finishes, but also more starts.  I want to not lose momentum on projects so they don't become WIPs in the first place.

So, I think I'll stick with Balance as my Goal Word but I want to add More to it.  I want to find ways to push myself in trying new things, in finding my own style and in creating more.  I want to let fear and procrastination go and find ways to do more.

What are you looking to acheive in 2013?

p.s. I forgot to add my last finishes for 2012 to my mosaics, so I'll post those soon...like tomorrow?!?!
p.p.s.  I'm linking up with Craft Buds and their review and resolution party!

One Random Friday

Hey y'all!  I know everyone has been doing random Thursday posts and linking to Really Random Thursdays, but I just couldn't swing it yesterday.  So--you get a whole bunch of randomness on Friday instead.

1.  I FINALLY joined instagram.  I don't know why I held out so long other than "all the cool kids were doing it."  Then the day after I signed up I saw this post from Deborah at Whipstitch and straight up laughed because it is exactly how I felt.  Really, if you don't already follow Deborah you should.  She was one of the first people I "met" when finding my way into the world of blogging/blogs/fabric-minded people on the internet and I've followed her ever since.   So--I'm Kelliw6 if you want to watch me figure out instagram and post way more about my life than anyone probably cares about but why not since everyone else is doing it...

2.  I am way behind on the plank challenge that I mentioned a few weeks back because I honestly forgot about it altogether.  But I am keeping up with my miles for Pile on the Miles pretty well.  So far in November I've ran/walked 29 miles so far this month already and am doing at least 10 tomorrow.  I have skipped my sprint/speed training for the last 2 weeks because I am lazy and I hate it, so I'm 2 miles behind this week, but  whatever...  I'm still pretty happy with how I'm doing with it.

3.  My sewing machine has been in the shop which is why there's been no sewing going on.  I just got it back Wednesday, but I had planned to have me sewing room/office all cleaned up by the time it came home and I don't have that done yet.  So I am kinda punishing myself by not sewing until it gets done.  Which means it's still in it's little case as I don't trust myself not to sew if it's set up and plugged in and ready.  haha

4.  I've been knitting a little every evening on my sweater.  After doing 10-15 rows and hating it and ripping it all out and restarting 2 more times I have made significant progress (for me, not like in getting close to being done) and knitted enough that I have 2 buttonholes done.  I'm almost ready to start the lace design part which will be incredibly new to me and probably challenging since I only tend to knit at night when I'm tired and trying to watch Castle or NCIS or Duck Dynasty or something else compelling.

found via Ravelry

5.  I changed up a few things on the blog the other night.  I need to make a new header and maybe update my sidebars a little, but it's kinda intimidating, so I'm keeping it lowkey for now.  In other words, I'm not sure what to do, so I'm just going to ignore the problem for now until inspiration or a free redesign from a blog-design guru strikes.

6.  Both kiddos had their Thanksgiving lunch at school yesterday and I came to eat with them.  Oren ended up getting chicken nuggets instead of the dinner.  What?  A bunch of the kids did.  Emma got the whole shebang and ate some of it.  I ate mine.  Boy do I love a good $3.35 cafeteria style Thanksgiving dinner.  Seriously--except for I got a bunch of dark turkey meat...and they forgot to put out butter for my whole wheat roll.  But on a whole, it was my Thanksgiving warmup!  haha

7.  I am mentioning something I'm thankful for each day on facebook this month and my list includes both the big things (the people) and the little things (my compression socks and my comfy bed).  Most nights I have a hard time deciding what to be thankful for because I am so very blessed.  It's hard to just choose one thing.  So...I wanted you to know I'm thankful for each of you as well.  :)

I'll be back soon with sewing content.  I promise...

So Random....

1.  I meant to link up with Debbie on Tuesday and then forgot it was Tuesday and posted bee blocks instead but as the temps cool (and by cool I mean I don't start sweating as soon as I step outside, it take 15 or 20 minutes...) I've been wanting to bake more!  I made these last week and they were DELICIOUS!!

Apple Cider Doughnut Muffins via My Baking Addiction

Seriously--make these.  You won't be sorry.  I've also made Salted Caramel Pumpkin Blondies and they are also a winner!  Although I originally got the recipe here I found almost the same recipe here and mine look much more like the second version.  Bree's are so pretty.  Mine might not look so pretty, but definitely taste delicious.  I don't use Bree's caramel either.  Chris makes a divine and simple caramel here for ice cream and the like so I used that instead.  As mine weren't overly pretty--here are Bree's to get your appetite going...

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Blondies via Baked Bree

2.  To counteract the baking, I've signed up for 2 fitness challenges.  Tina is hosting a plank challenge to strengthen our core muscles.  I have like little to no core strength and a bad back to show for it, so I'm in.  It just started this week, so definitely jump in if you're interested.  On Mondays you hold a plank position as long as you can to get an initial time.  I got 75 seconds before my back started literally popping.  Then on Wednesdays she posts a core workout involving planks that takes 10 minutes or less.  Yesterday's was difficult by not quit-worthy impossible.  Then on Friday, we'll hold a plank position again to get our new time.  Most people have set their goal in 4 weeks to double their time--I'm going to try and push myself harder and get to 3 minutes.  Things like this are often as mental as they are physical and I really need to start pushing myself harder mentally.  I want to give up way too easily when it comes to exercise.

  The second fitness challenge is from Monica.  To encourage us to pile on the miles instead of pounds this holiday season she is hosting a challenge.  Pile on the Miles 2012 is a chance to sign up to commit to run your choice of miles in November.  There are prizes for those that do participate.  As I'm still half-marathon training and starting to get into real training time, I've committed to running 60 miles in November.  I can easily do that and would like to do more, but I didn't want to over commit because I'm not sure how busy we'll be yet.  You have to sign up for this one by October 31.  I encourage you to do this, even if it's only 10 miles.  Even if you're walking.  Any exercise is better than none!!

3.  I've got my dGs quilt basted and ready to quilt.  I think I'm going to go with random straight lines across it, BUT...I might go with a diagonal cross hatch instead.  I was leaning toward the random but with the symmetrical and very orderly design of the quilt top, I'm not sure if random will take away or add to it...

4.  Oren's got a field trip to the local "pumpkin patch" tomorrow.  And by pumpkin patch I mean the Methodist Church who sells them under a tent.  It's a long walk from the school, but they did it in pre-k too, so I'm counting that as my mileage for tomorrow.  ;)

5.  We're trick-or-treating Saturday night with good friends at the local carnival.  House to house trick-or-treating around here isn't big and the city decided to do it Friday night this year instead of Saturday (no, we never do it on actual Halloween here and especially not on a Wednesday night--people gotta get to church!  Yes, this is the rural south.)  I'm trying to convince Emma that her store-bought Merida costume is enough and we don't need the wig.  I bought some red hair spraypaint and I want to just curl it or braid it wet and let it be wavy...

6.  It is such a dreary day here today I just want to put my yoga pants on and curl up in bed with a good book.  Unfortunately it looks like some sort of kitchen monster threw up in my kitchen so I'm going to spend some time in there.

7.  I started a new sweater last night!  I'm knitting the February Lady Sweater in a mustard yellow.  I've never done a sweater before so I am excited.  Well, that's not exactly true.  I started a sweater last year and got the collar done before giving up on it...  BUT, I'm determined to see this one through!  It's so pretty!  Here's Pamela's:

So, there's a whole bunch of randomness for you...

Settling down

Alright!!  We are starting week 5 of school this year (I can't believe it!!) and I think I'm settling down into a routine again.  Yes, things pop up and life gets in the way, but a routine is again beginning to develop and for that I am grateful.

This routine has brought me 2 finishes in the last 2 days!  And I thought I'd take a minute to show them off. You know, so I don't forget what it's like to finish something.  

First up is the baby quilt I made for some sweet friends having their second little girl any day now.  It's a simple raw-edge applique where I sewed the squares down and got the quilting done all in one shot.  Yay for easy!  I'm considering going back and adding a little hand-quilting in some of the squares...we shall see.  It probably depends on when baby Sydney comes!  This baby is in process of being washed, dried, and then having all of those yucky strings that come with the first washing cut off. 

This was during a 5-minute break in the monsoon...sorry for the fuzziness, I had to work with what I got!

 Here is Miss Sydney's name up close and personal.  It's the first thing I've satin stitched in about 100 million years, so I'm just glad it's readable!  I was going to outline it in a pink perle cotton when I got done with the brown, but decided to leave well enough alone and not mess it up.  ;)

Second up--I finished a knitted project!!!  Over the summer we went to a family reunion in Alabama.  It was about an 8 hour drive, so I grabbed my GAP-tastic cowl that I'd gotten halfway through and then frogged completely (ripped it all out to start over--get it frog rip-it!!!) and started over.  Y'all know me and my on-again, off-again affair with knitting, so the fact I even started this project when temps were in the 90s is amazing, but even more so that I finished it.

It is not without flaws--first off, even with as careful as I tried to be in the car, I somehow managed to twist my stitches on the needles to make this straight cowl into an infinity style...I'm calling it a style choice although it would fit much better if it were straight like intended...  And there were some holes where my focus was apparently lacking.  And I think my seed stitch (knit 1, purl 1 consistently) took on a more ribbed look where I must have got off track in places.  BUT, aside from all of those mistakes, I am proud to have this project done and off of my needles.

I'm calling this my far-away and dreamy look, but really it's just that I felt dumb looking into the mirror to take a picture of myself! 

The weather is absolutely awful today!  It's been storming, and I'm talking house-rattling thunder and lightning, for hours, so my pics aren't great.  And for the sake of blog honesty, it is supposed to be 88 degrees today, so I am totally wearing shorts and a t-shirt with this cowl!  

Is Barbizon Modeling still open??  Maybe I should give them a call...I've got that bored model look down!  ;)

As you can see, I got my hair cut last week, cutting off quite a bit.  Toni asked if I was was going to show it on here, so here ya go, girl.  You know I love you to put 2 pictures of me up for you.  I could never make it as a What I Wore blogger because taking pictures of myself each day/week would be torture!

And as far as the hair goes, I usually wear it straight, but today it's just scrunched it up, which wasn't a bad idea with all of this rain and humidity we've got going on today...I'm telling you, have you ever sat through more than 6 hours of thunder and rain?  I can say I have after today....

And since I do have a finish and all...head over to check out Megan's Sew Modern Monday link party.  I'm linking up!

WIP Wednesday

I will get this published today...I will get this published today...I will...  Tuesday and Wednesday are the two days I volunteer at the kids' school this year and it makes it hard to get a WIP post written and published in time lately.  Especially because Thursday is my day to sew usually.  ;)


But, I've got an hour today and I'm using it to get this post written and put out there so I can once again link up to Lee's awesome WIP Wednesday linky party.


So, here goes!


Completed Projects:
 I posted last Friday about my finishes for the week, including Emma's fairy dress for Character Dress-Up Day, the shrug I made for myself from Jenny's awesome pattern and the baby dress I made for a friend.

In progress:
Kirsten's quilt--I've got all 9 blocks ready to put together and then I'll just need to quickly piece up a back.  I think I'm going to with stripes of the colors from the front, but we'll see.  I'm already planning some free-motion quilting for this one too...something circular to break up all of the angles.  I'm considering hearts, but we'll see... 

 do. good quilt--So my black fabric came in for the sashing on this quilt and I was all ready to move forward with it and then Ronit showed us how she finished up our October dgs quilt for our Empower Group.  And that is VERY similar to how I was going to set mine.  So much for being creative, huh?  Back to the drawing board...and I thought about a "tilted block" layout might look cool, especially with the black setting it all off.  So, I'm going with that now instead.  Here's a pic of what I'm hoping to achieve.  This is very new for me.  I'm usually a "lay them straight and sew them up" kind of girl!

This is an idea of what I'm thinking of...I'll actually cut it out and sew it next...  ;)

Carrie's Christmas Gift--No actual progress has been made on this one, BUT I'm keeping it here because Christmas is now a month past and I HAVE to get this gift done.  So, it'll be moving up the priority list...


Free Motion Quilting Project--I'm participating in SewCalGal's FMQ project.  I haven't actually done January yet, but now I'll just have 2 months to do instead.  Oh well.  Getting better is the goal, when I do it doesn't matter quite as much...  ;)

And my latest project is on the knitting needles.  Circular needles to be exact.  After giving away the scarf I'd made, I needed something new to work on, so I'm using this super-soft Lion Brand Homespun yarn to knit up the Gap-tastic Cowl by Jen Geigley I found on Ravelry.  I've still got the honey cowl in my queue, but I didn't think this yarn was right for it.  I don't know if we'll have much more cold weather or not (it was in the 30s Monday night, but warmed right back up to the 70s during the day), but I'll have this baby on if we do.  I'm about a quarter of the way through it.

On Hold (for now...)
Summer Sampler Quilt (I will have this finished before summer starts again)
Postage Stamp Quilt (I thought about this one over the Christmas break and have some ideas to mix it up a little, just waiting on time to get to it...)
Mosaic Swap Quilt (The top is halfway pieced)

As always, go over and visit Lee and see what amazing things she's been up to as well as all of the great bloggers that link up each week.  I promise you won't be sorry!

Gift given

Have you ever noticed how giving a gift can sometimes make you just as happy as the person getting it?  Now, I'm not talking about those "Oh, shoot.  We've got to run to Walmart before the party to pick up a gift because I completely forgot.  Does she like Barbie or Littlest Pet Shop?" kind of gifts.  I'm talking about the gifts that take time.  Those gifts that you make for someone special knowing with each stitch, knit, or stir of the spoon that someone you care about is going to receive something from your heart.

I just gave one of those this weekend.  I mentioned on Wednesday that I'd finally finished up my one-row lace scarf for a friend.  She's a very dear friend to me and our children are good friends as well.  Her Daddy's been in the hospital for this entire month fighting a lung infection and she's been splitting time between the hospital (which is in the big city 45 minutes away) and home taking care of her 3 kids.  She has a tender heart and has been very stressed trying to be strong for everyone around her.  I can't imagine.

So, I decided to give one of those special gifts.  I'd had this yarn out at the Santa Shop in December and she'd commented that she LOVED these colors.  So I dropped the project I'd started to make with it (another scarf for me that was a little confusing) and found this pattern instead.  I used Turvid's One-Row Lace Scarf pattern and would recommend to any skill-level.  If you can knit and knit 2 together, you can make this scarf.  It's that simple.


But simple doesn't make it less special.  As I spent hours knitting while watching TV in the evenings, riding in the car on trips, or waiting at an appointment or the dance studio, I thought of my friend and her Dad and her family.  I prayed for each one of them.  I prayed for comfort, for health, for encouragement.  My scarf became a prayer shawl.  My hope was that the warmth of this scarf along with the prayers knitted into it will comfort my sweet friend.  And years from now when she sees it hanging in her closet she will know that she is loved, not only by us here on Earth, but by her Father in Heaven who listened to every prayer prayed for her.

I am new on Ravelry, but love how how friendly the community is with so many free patterns offered and so many groups to join for support or for knit/crochet-a-longs.  I would encourage anyone who enjoys knitting or crochet or would like to learn to join over there.  It's free and easy to use.

Here's to gifts that feel as much a gift to the giver as it does to the recipient. What is your favorite gift you've ever given?

Knitting away the time

Is it just me, or does busy in your life often involve a lot of hurry up and wait.  You know what I mean, right?  Like hurry to get to an appointment only to wait 15 minutes for the doctor or dentist.  Or hurry to get a child to dance/practice only to have an hour to wait on them to finish.  Even in the Santa Shop at school in December, we'd be slam full with kids and then have 10 very quiet minutes before the next group showed up.

Well, I know I'm becoming an adult (haha), because I'm having a harder and harder time sitting down with nothing to do.  My Great-Grandma never sat still.  She always had some needlework or a crochet hook in hand, and I'm beginning to get there. Although I will admit that a good book or google reader is plenty to keep my hands full... :)

Anyway, tangent aside, I've spent some of this waiting time knitting.

I finished off my second mitten.  Don't they look nice?  Flatter me and agree here...they were more a lesson than an actual accessory that will get much use.  I mean, honestly, I should have made gloves or at least convertible mittens.  How am I supposed to check my email and smile about new comments here with a mitten on my hand???  ;)

After previewing this post I realized I put the mittens backward to how they fit on your hands.  Oh well, just pretend they're palm-up.  ;)

But I had still had some yarn in this colorway, so I just decided to knit up a scarf.  But not just any scarf, a scarf with a lacy pattern.  I've never done anything other than knitting and purling, so I wanted to try something new.

I have a ravelry account, found here.  I'm new to it and I don't have any finished projects on there yet.  I found this scarf on there offered as a free download and I loved it!  It's easy to follow and I love the look.  I mean, One-row lace.  I can handle that.  So I cast on...

This is a close-up so you can see the lacy areas.  It is very pretty in person and I am incredibly surprised at the ease  this scarf is coming together!!

As usual for me, there was some ripping out and starting over with this scarf as I lose focus often and start my own design.  :)  But, I am loving it so far.  And, it's destined to end up on the neck of a very good friend of mine sometime soon.  And that makes me keep working on it each night and during those hurry up and wait moments.

Just wanted to share...  :)

WIP Wednesday

Hey y'all!  I'm back with some sewing progress!  Now that Homecoming and Chris' birthday are over, I've got a little time to sew.  I've got a bunch of new projects in the works this week so that's been fun to finish up a few older things to start on the new.


Completed Projects:
--Last week I finished up my Fall Pops quilt.  That takes one from my UFO list and moves it to completed!  

Works in Progress:

--Summer Sampler Quilt--I'm in the home stretch on this guy.  I've got 1/2 of an Evening Star to finish up (turns out, I'd only made one!) and then two Kansas Dust Storm blocks till I've got all of the blocks done.  So, not exactly home stretch considering I've then got to sash them all, sew them together, make the backing, quilt it and then bind it, but whatever...  ;)  But, nearing up on finishing the blocks feels like a big success!

--Like I mentioned above, I've got some new projects this week.  For my Scrapbuster Swap, we're making wonky stars for Christmas.  

Block and tutorial found here

I signed up for 10 in the scrappy star category, but decided I'd really like to have 10 scrappy stars and 10 solid stars, so I'm working on making both...only problem:  they've got to be mailed by Nov. 10!!  AAAAHHH!! So I'm spending the day cutting and thinking and hope to spend tomorrow sewing and pressing!  This is a great low-commitment swap group, so if you're ever looking to join something new, check it out!

Sorry about this picture quality...it looked fine till it uploaded on blogger and I don't have it in me tonight to redo it.

--I've been thinking a lot lately of joining up in a quilting bee.  I love do. Good Stitches and thought it would be fun to do something similar but where I got to keep the blocks.  This month, I signed up with the Nubees Block Swap Group.  And I'm so excited!!  In this group, you're grouped up with 5 other people and you tell the group what you'd like as far as color goes.  Then each hive member makes 5 of the same block, just swapping the colors used for whatever each person requested.  Does that make sense?  I've got my mosaic of blocks I like done and ready to post.  I don't really have anything specific in mind with this project, so I just randomly chose the first 10 quilt blocks I liked on my flickr and pinterest boards.  I requested bright colors and the 3 I chose were red, yellow and blue, but said I didn't really care if others were added.  I can't wait to see what my hive-members request so I can start planning what I want to make.

--Speaking of do. Good Stitches.  Shannon gave us this block for the month in colors of aqua, turquoise, bright orange and grays.  I've got my fabrics set out and am ready to sew...next week or the week after!  ;)

tutorial found here

 --Mittens--I've taken another knitting break.  I'll never make it the year of the knit if I don't keep working, but I've got project fatigue on the mittens and am ready to do something else.  Isn't that always the way it is with me? ;)

Poor, lonely Unfinished Projects that have been cast aside:

--"Sent with Love" postage stamp quilt.  My swap blocks are back and I'm just finishing up a few things before this one comes back!

--Mosaic Swap quilt.  Actually, I think this one needs one more row sewn on before I can quilt it.  But I haven't touched it in like 4 months, so I'm not sure on that one.  ;)

--My Sewing Room Sampler.  I will finish it, but right now, it's taking a back seat to my other projects.  


  I've got some time tomorrow blocked off to sew before Chris and I spend the weekend at the beach to celebrate our birthdays!!  Hopefully I can get A LOT done, because I've got deadlines starting to hang over my head and that is not how I roll!    

   And as always, go check out Lee and all of the lovely quilters that link up! 

WIP Wednesday #17

Another Wednesday and as always, I have plenty of WIPs.  Its funny, I tend to think of myself as a one-project-at-a-time kind of girl so I don't get lost in my load and to ensure at least some projects get finished before I throw them in the WIP/UFO basket.  But, since I started keeping track of my WIPs to link up with Lee, I realized that I always have more than one thing going on.  Hmmm...too much inspiration out there in the world wide web to do one thing I guess.  :)


Before we get going on the projects...I promised to draw another winner since we haven't heard from Gayle.  Sorry, Gayle, I hate to redraw, but it's been a week and a half.  I'm sad that a few commenters were no-reply bloggers because I love to reply to comments.  If you've ever commented here and not received a reply from me...you are probably a no-reply blogger!!
  Anyway, I used old random.org again, and because I don't know how to do that cool screenshot thing, the winner is....#14--Gill from the U.K!!!  Gill, I've emailed you!


Completed Projects:
--do. Good Stitches--AGAIN...  These are done and now measure correctly and will be headed out tomorrow in the mail.  

Works in Progress:

--Fall Pops---THANK YOU to everyone who commented last week with suggestions or at least sympathy for me and my thread-breaking issue.  I bought new thread, new needles and figured out how to slow down my machine and between one of those or maybe all the crossed fingers that y'all did for me, I've got it quilted.  There will be no closeup shots of this bad boy tonight, because I chose not to rip out all of the poor stitching from before.  I debated it, but in the end, I decided that this quilt was just for our use and at this point, I'd rather have it done and on the couch than keep it in my sewing room for a few more weeks.  I can always go back and add new quilting later...

--Summer Sampler Quilt--Oh yes, I made progress on this baby last night.  With everything cut out and ready for me, my first Rocky Road to Kansas block went quickly.  Faith's directions as always were easy to follow and I think the block looks so cool.  I'm itching to go finish up the other one.  Then I've only got 1 block left (I've got to make 2 of it though) and I'm all done!!  Then I'll start figuring out how to creatively sash them since none of them ended up the same size!  ;)

Sorry for the weird coloring on this and all pics tonight.  I got home after dark and had to work with what I got... 

 --Mittens--I am making steady progress on these.  I've finished the right mitten and am ready to make the thumb gusset on the lefty. This one looks even better as far as the stitches being even and where they're supposed to be.  :)  I am getting better.  Slow steps, but progress nonetheless.  ;)

Is it just me or does the finished mitten look huge?  Because as I was knitting it up, I thought this is like a giant's mitten...but it fits me.  So I don't know if I have bigger hands than I thought or I just haven't seen that many adult mittens.  ;)

--Gator Greek Crosses-- Absolutely no progress here.  Sad...

  
Poor, lonely Unfinished Projects that have been cast aside:

--"Sent with Love" postage stamp quilt.  Just waiting on my swap blocks and this little lonely is making his way back to the WIP list!

--Mosaic Swap quilt.  Actually, I think this one needs one more row sewn on before I can quilt it.  But I haven't touched it in like 4 months, so I'm not sure on that one.  ;)

--My poor Sewing Room Sampler is moved down to the UFO list.  I will finish it, but right now, it's taking a back seat to my other projects.  


  I've got some time Thursday and Friday mornings blocked off to sew, so I'm hoping to get the binding on my Fall Pops, and as many Summer Sampler blocks sewn up as I can.  I'm ready to move some of these very slow WIPS to a completed list and get busy on some new projects!  Slow and steady might win the race, but it can be mighty boring too!  

   And as always, go check out Lee and all of the lovely quilters that link up! 

WIP Wednesday #16

Okay, WIP is gonna be a little different today, because while I'm diligently working and am trying to make progress, I'm still having some tension issues like I mentioned in my last post...

So, who can help me with this??

WHAT IS UP WITH MY THREAD????

I've changed needles, thread, tensions, feet, etc...  I'm not sure why my thread tension is so tight that it's ruining the thread.  I believe it's tight between the first tension disks and where you loop back up to thread the loop that moves up and down when you sew.  I know, I know, technical terms.  But all machines are different and I just know that every machine I've ever sewn on has tension disks and a loop that goes up and down with the needle.

So, who's got suggestions?

Here's how it's looking overall.  If I could get the tension issue worked out, I'd be done.  FMQ came back to me easily enough, but my thread keeps breaking when I get in a good rhythm.  AAAAHHHHH.

On a happier note, I've also made progress on my mitten(s).  I knitted during Emma's dance class this week.  There were 4 parents/grandmas in there.  One Grandma was crocheting, one Mom was hand-sewing.  I was knitting and the lone Dad was on his phone searching the net or something.  Poor guy!  ;)  It did make me laugh though.

 

So, that's my contribution to WIP Wednesday today.  Go over and check out Lee's progress and all the lovely ladies that link up there.  And please, offer any suggestion you've got about my tension.  Because my machine is causing me tension too!!