My back burner is burning

I think I need a blogging intervention.  I'm not getting anything accomplished because the lap top is constantly calling me to come look at all the pretty stuff everyone is making.  Here is what's on my back burner..... Cut and sew a binding for this quilt (also making baby bibs out of leftover material, but I will get to that later)

 I need to pick up the pace on my Giant granny.  At 32 rounds, it measures about 37 inches, but some people in the challenge are already done!!!. Aghhhhhh!

I just finished this quilt top, and it needs to be basted, quilted and bound.  I kinda like it as a table topper on my patio.  I finally used up my 2 charm packs of Urban Chicks and some pink polka dot from my stash.

The fabric is too cute.  Reminds me of the vintage sheets people are now collecting. The backing will be the blue and white gingham.

 

I need to weave in all these ends. *sigh*

And I just found this when I cleaned out a plastic bin. All it needs is the binding sewn down.

This pattern is a cute wonky lattice nine patch.   I quilted some free motion stars on it.  Not my best work, but the blocks are supposed to be crooked, so the quilting is too.  Find the original pattern here.

 So in spite of all the above, I found these potholders on this blog, and instructions here.   I had to make some. Right then and there.  I already had everything I needed, and I was just going to make one and try it out.  The other stuff could wait right?

While you're in my kitchen, check out this cute rug I just found...

Love the colors!  I just might have to make something with this color scheme.  For the back burner.
Have a great weekend everyone!

Slow Food

The blackberries have arrived!  I almost forgot about them.  I have picked them as early as 4th of July some years, and here it is almost the end of July and they are just beginning to ripen. It would have passed me by, had a bird not left the stained remnants of a berry on the path in front of my door.  Thank you birdie!  We have wild berry bushes around the edges of our property, which can sometimes be a pain to keep cut back.  But the fruit is delicious!

I like them plain, but when the urge strikes I make the cobbler recipe from this book.  Yummy!
Hope you have some good summer fruit where you are!!

Home from Disneyland

Ok so Disneyland was fun in a Mad Hatter kind of way.  I've never seen it so busy. It was like running with the bulls in Spain, or swimming with salmon upriver.  Talk about a Sea of Humanity!  You wouldn't think we were in a recession by the amount of people there spending money.  We did so much walking, I swear I couldn't feel my feet after the second day.  However, Apricot Martinis really helped with this!  The kids had a blast and managed to hit all the major rides. Here is a pic of them actually sitting still.  That's my son in the middle.
And here are a few of the parade .....

The best I could do considering I was smashed against a trash can, looking into the sun, with a stroller biting into my heels. Ha Ha.  It was very colorful and the music was great!  On Wednesday we stopped for lunch by Splash Mountain and this was the view.....

Word of caution.  If you go on any ride involving water, do not wear white capri pants that day.  Just saying.  So, now that I'm home it's back to business.

This is going to be a half granny shawl, made with Madeline Tosh merino light in the color denim.  I'm thinking of wearing it this winter with just a basic long sleeve black T, maybe from GAP and a pair of jeans.  There are a ton of these on Ravelry.  The pattern is super easy, just granny away and increase on each end.  I'm using a K hook.  Check out the one made here.

All right then, time to load the dirty vacation clothes in the wash, put my aching tootsies up on the coffee table and grab some hook time.

Summer reading

We are leaving town for a few days, and one of the first things I like to do when I go on vacation is get a stack of books to take with me.  Here's what is going in my carry on bag...

I read some Agatha Christie when I was a teen, but thought I would try a few more this summer.  This one is about a murder on an airplane.  Since we are flying on this trip, I though it would add to the excitement. (Ha Ha. Weird)

One of those nice long, lovely, gentle, English novels.  I already started this book, and it reminds me of laying on a raft in the water in Hawaii.  Warm sun , gentle lapping of the water, relaxing, but with slight bobbing of the raft, just enough to keep you aware of where you are. So far, there is enough of an undercurrent of mystery to make you want to continue.  Kind of like a slow leak in your raft, rather than a school of sharks swimming around you in a circle.

There is an HBO show on based on this book.  At 807 pages, I may have to pay a fee for overweight luggage.  I barely started it, but am already confused.  There are a lot of characters with odd names, far off lands, kingdoms, and things I can't pronounce.  But there are a gazillion great reviews on Amazon, so I will give it a go. At the very least I can use the books to stand on and reach the overhead compartment on the plane.

I will give you a hint where we are going...

Yep.  The happiest place on earth.  Where a small coke cost $16.00 and you get to spend your vacation standing in long lines on cement in 90 degree weather, with other sweating families trying to pacify whining, sticky, tired children......Oh sorry.  I was reliving the last time we went there.  This time our youngest is 16.  He can now walk on his own and doesn't require a stroller, bottle or diaper. Yay!  We are going with our dear friends whose son is the same age, and we will not see those boys unless they come find us for more money.  Sounds good to me.  The hotel where we are staying has an awesome pool (hence the books), because I really can't imagine spending every moment on a ride or in line for a ride, or walking to the next ride. (reading this post so far makes me think I have some kind of hormonal imbalance causing a bit of crankiness. Guess I need a vacation. Or some estrogen. ha ha.)  Seriously though, it will be nice to get away,  let myself be entertained as only Disney can do it, and feel like a kid again.

To infinity and beyond!!! (or ...to Anaheim and back to Sacramento)

Table Runner Ta Daaa!

This started out to be a quilt.  I would have needed 36 squares, but somehow along the way it turned into a table runner.  Not because I didn't want to put the time in ( I have 2 quilt tops ready to quilt right now, so I'm not afraid to go there.), but because IT WANTED to be a table runner.

Sometimes a project develops a mind of it's own and you have to listen.
I'm glad I did.  It was just the right size to include some hand quilting, which I never do with a full size quilt.

I put together log cabin blocks of random strip width and squared them up to 8".  There are  10 blocks total, five are cool colors, five are warm colors. I wanted a flat table runner so I did not use batting, but added a piece of quilters cotton in between the top and backing to give it more weight.  I also did not bind it, but layered everything, sewed it together leaving an opening to turn it right side out.  The stitching was a long running stitch using Caron Wildflowers floss in Tobacco and Peacock.  I did not use a thimble or hoop, just plopped it on my lap and went for it.  When all the hand stitching was complete, I top stitched on the machine 1/4" from the edge all around. It measures 44 x 21.5, and I love it!

I'm glad it's done because now I can concentrate more on this....

Giant granny square challenge in full swing. Hook on!

Puppy Love

Aren't these cute little pups?  They whip up in minutes and can be added to gifts or just propped up anywhere for fun.

I'm thinking of making some in Christmas colors.  There is also a pattern for a kitten, teddy bear and bunny.  Find the patterns here.

I also just received this...

My house has become a yarn magnet.  Now I have to go for my walk before it gets too hot and I melt on the sidewalk like an old crayon.  Have a great day!