Sewing and Quilting

Taught Knitting 101 today. It was quite a bit of fun. I teach quilting again tomorrow so I had to get my homework done...



Not done. I still have to baste the layers together and start quilting. I also have to start cutting the bias tape. In the meantime, Chuck is doing his quilt inspection.



I'm thinking no, but it's mostly because he disapproves of everything. He's a VERY disapproving rabbit.

Also got another store sample done and I dropped that off today.



Reusable gift bag. That was easy...

There just aren't enough hours in the day today, so I have to do tons more tomorrow. Atop that, I have to get up early to do some running around. Since it's 3am, I should probably try to get this done and get to bed...like 2 hours ago ;)

You'll excuse me for the abrupt end to the post, considering...right?

Been AWOL

Wow...I had no idea it'd been this long since I posted.

I've been crazy busy at work, and then I managed to slice off the tip of my finger during a quilting class, making typing nearly impossible. It's all better now :)

On the plus side:



Making serious progress on this quilt top. I'm adding borders and then I'll be ready to make my quilt sandwich. I have to get all of that done by the next class, which is on Friday. It's the last class.



I also started a table runner/placemats. They were supposed to be for a class but my student had to cancel. On the plus side, I was also making them as a Christmas present, so they'll still be useful :)



All of the supplies are in for the two biscornu patterns I'm trying to find time to stitch. I also got some 40 count linen for a side project I'm doing. I'm trying some projects from Trish Burr's book. I'll let you know about the book and how it goes.

Speaking of embroidery:



The hardanger ornaments are done for the classes I'll be teaching this Winter. I made an extra tag as a side project. It'll also come in handy when I crank out a ton of them this winter for adding to presents.



Isn't it cute?

In other picture news, both bad and good:



I can't learn loom weaving to save my life. It can't be complicated...I just can't read instructions because I have ADHD so I try snippets here and there and get hopelessly lost. I tried videos too but don't have one that makes a hat from beginning to end. URGH. Any advice?

In better news:





I have a new cutting table. Of course, for the moment it's covered with stuff so I need better organization, but it'll come. Some of those patterns I picked up will come in handy when it comes to organizing. I'm excited though. I really needed the space.

In less picture-heavy news...

Urban Threads, one of my favorite embroidery pattern companies, posted a picture of my rabbit on their blog as a craft mascot. He doesn't know he's internet famous yet, because it'd go straight to his head.

Speaking of Urban Threads, they're featured in another article of mine, which lists crafty projects and volunteer opportunities for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but don't let October's end be the end of helping others. Get out there and make a difference for someone who needs some handmade love.

Influx

My craft room is overflowing with new supplies. It's going to take days to reorganize all of this stuff. Most of it is for work or gifts in some fashion, sometimes both. They're pretty much coming in from every direction. It's a good thing I just organized everything? Now I get to do it all again.

First off:



Organization. I wrote an article on how popular bags are becoming for storage, outlining the uses and bonuses of using bags to make projects portable, as well as tips on what you'll need in the bag if you incorporate them into your crafting.



A recent finish, (actually, two finishes but I suppose it counts as one?) a pair of socks. I've got single socks done, which doesn't do me a bit of good, but this is actually my first pair ever. They're a wee bit loose, but I'll wash them up and I'm sure they'll shrink a bit. As a side note, however, I have to say I'm quickly becoming addicted to knitting socks for many reasons.

If you want a good recommendation on a sock book, I learned with this one, and it is AWESOME.





A couple things I was waiting for from Amazon.com (thanks, swagbucks for being my enabler) showed up but with some recent finishes I was starting to relax a bit and start some Christmas presents.

This just goes to show the fool I am because then this arrived:



and then this:



These are the rest of my square rulers that make quilting so much easier. I now have all the ones I currently need, thanks to swagbucks and amazon.com. Unfortunately, getting these tools in means I have to start working again...and I'm gearing up for a BUNCH of stuff for November through February.

Bunches and bunches and bunches, which led to the craftsplosion currently taking over my desk.



Money shows up, money leaves again. This stuff is for the fleece fringe classes...



NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now I have to learn to make jewelry???



What?



You might call these tools, but they are actually torture devices for wire. One of these is 'all of the tools in one', which is why it has a different handle. If the first ones look slightly bizarre and painful, the 'all in one' is obviously from a fevered mind.

Back into more familiar territory, which probably looks like torture to some.



JoAnn's is having their Columbus Day sale this weekend and Simplicity patterns are only 99 cents apiece (limit 10), so I stocked up. I like to stockpile patterns for when I need an idea or have some time, so I did just that...



Cute little gift ideas...some Christmas-specific...



Bags of many types/sizes and other organizational goods. These will DEFINITELY come in handy.



These serve no purpose at all. However, I rarely collect anything that could be considered 'cute' but baby shoes? I could see myself stitching and keeping some baby shoes. Not for actual babies, but because I can't think of a cuter canvas for some awesome embellishment.

The one on the right is a vintage reprint. Look at the back!



They don't make pattern requirement lists like THAT any more! Nowadays you practically need a degree in pattern reading to even make sense of the thing. I can do it, but only because I've been doing it for years. My students have a lot of problems trying to decipher them though.

Most of these patterns will be going into the ideas bin, basically...but they'll see he light of day again I'm sure. Some perhaps sooner rather than later.

Man...I start to breathe a little easier because I'm getting on top of things and life senses a disturbance in the force and fixes it by swamping me in one fashion or another. Good thing I've learned to thrive in chaos. It's much easier when the chaos is of my own choosing, but as Gibran says, much of our pain is self-chosen.

Some people start even earlier!

Scream with me. Christmas showed up on my desk.

Not convinced?



What about now?

The joys of feeding consumer hunger...I have to start early. On the plus side, making tremendous amounts of stuff makes gift-giving a bit easier. If they like Xmas stuff.

In less horrifying news...



Picked up the fabric to teach the huge quilting class at JoAnn's. I hope these prints will go together. We shall see.



This picture announces an upcoming tutorial. If you can't figure out what it's for, the anticipation will be over soon.

I bet you thought...

...that perhaps I wasn't crafting.

This would be a ludicrous assumption. I am currently up to my eyeballs in knitting and crochet, and once I get this cranked out I get to start on embroidery again. I was giving my hands a rest and doing things that involved less fine motor skills for a while. Less fine motor skills would include socks? If this confuses you, you haven't seen my embroidery.



This is actually 2 things I'm working on. The colorful thing is the start of a hat that I'm doing in Fair Isle (Intarsia). I'm learning that, but I'm sure it'll take time.

The white spool atop it is some silk I'm spinning up. I think I'll dye it, but I'm not sure if I'll ply it before I knit something up with it.



I'm teaching cables at work, which has been fun. The pattern I'm teaching is based on this new pattern from Lion Brand for a cabled afghan. I think it's very interesting, but I'm not sure if it's as cool in practice as in principle. I guess I'll find out?



Other things I'm learning: toe up socks. I wish I had some really easy instructions for a pattern that has lace. I don't know...perhaps I'll come up with something when I have some time.



Two socks ready for the heel turn for 2 different classes I've been teaching. One was Sunday, and one was today. I teach week 3 on Sunday again. Fun!



Ah, educational materials. My favorite! I have to learn this by January. Oh sure...I'll get right on that! ;)

I'm still trying to get Xmas presents done. I've been so busy with work and it shows no signs of letting up so I'm starting early. Of course, it's almost October now so it's no longer that early. I'm almost done with several projects but have many more to go. I'm still researching and organizing my projects to make sure everyone gets something. I enjoy it, but mostly I enjoy seeing the looks on their faces when they open their gifts.

I shot myself in the foot on this one. Since I can make ridiculous amounts of things...people expect handmade. They'd be disappointed if I bought something from a store.

Khalil Gibran says much of your pain is self-chosen. He was right.

The Purple Placenta

This is what I got done for my craft a day september (cads) work today. It's almost half a side of a purse.

I was given some Lion Suede and I hoped I'd have enough for this round crocheted purse project for a Christmas gift. The purse isn't bad looking in the pictures, but it's flowery and girly and not really my style.

I crocheted it up...and realized it looks less than attractive. I have to go buy more yarn now to finish this monstrosity.

Bets on whether it's doomed to be a craft fail? I'm leaning towards yes, but then I never liked frilly flowery crocheted things anyway.

Dear Lion Brand: This is not your fault. I firmly blame Ravelry for this nonsense.

Tearing through WIPs

Got the cutting done for the quilt top I have to do for the store sample. I like the colors together, and saved the selvage for other projects. I'll need to get more fabric assuredly to teach the class, but I hope people take it. It's going to be cute.

I'm a bit further along now, but will update with pics of that when I'm further ahead.



In other news, I know I'm committing an unforgivable offense here by bringing up the C-word...but I just got my first Christmas present done.



I'm hoping that by getting started earlier this year, I'll be done and relaxed by Christmas. Maybe I'll have time to devote to other things besides pulling my hair out and pulling 16 hour days. Unfortunately, I'm also busier this year than I was last year so we'll see how that pans out.

I've got a lot to finish in this next week so I won't have time to work on any more until I'm done with everything that's already on my plate.