merry day

hia. last week my sister noticed that her 3 kids handled their advents differently. one left the doors open. one closed them back up. and one tore the doors off. interesting. these were always a part of our holiday tradition. and we are lucky to have a popular German meat store nearby that sells other very nice things. including special items when the holidays come around. i really needed a stress-free Xmas this year. but it still had to include handmade things. so here's what i did-got-done. 2 kindle covers. 2 teatowels with names. 10 hemp washcloths. plus a few more for after holiday gift-giving. and 11 fleece hats. and the to-go-with-things were. 2 kindles. 2 purchased teatowels. and 11 soaps. mission accomplished. feels good. but to set the record straight. i gave one of those kindle to me. finally. Santa must have lost my letters for the last few years. i must write and tell him he can cross that off his list.

kindle cover. a tutorial by Elizabeth of Elizabeth's Whimsies blog. super directions. i continued the patchwork on the back instead of one piece. fits a K-keyboard nicely. for the K-touch i just made it 1/2 shorter. used an upcyled blanket in lieu of batting. so omitting the quilted stitching was not a problem. names on teatowels. my own design. thinking about doing a tutorial. are you interested. hemp washcloths. yarn and pattern by Hemp for Knitting by Lanaknits. the yarn was fabulous to work with. and the pattern super quick to make. even quicker because i dropped off a few stitches and did only 8 repeats. but a nice finished cloth measuring 8 in. x 8-1/2 in. fleece hat. The Green Pepper pattern #549. super simple. the little ones got shorter ears and just a tassel on top. the boys got longer ears and just a braid on top. and the girls got longer ears with all the braids. i omitted the topstitching and just zig-zagged-closed the opening by the back seam. i made all the sizes for the baby to the 18 year old. and very pleased that everyone liked them. soap. Pre de Provence. i got Linden and Lavendar Fig. you can also get some here. this was a recommendation from the LYS. and much appreciated. William and Kate Royal Wedding teatowels. so happy i found these. a perfect souvenier to end the year. and next year aka next month maybe these.

i hope everyone is well rested or will spend time this week to do so. my wish for you. just a few moments to enjoy the quiet of a regular day. but if you're anxious to get an early start on next year's list. above are some details that helped me.

3 things

these are a few things i would like to start in 2012. Swoon. everyone seems to be making this quilt. and i can see why. i want one. might even have some fabrics. looking for a background. i ordered a pink. but it didn't work. so using it for my Blogger's BOM quilt. i like it there. The Night Garden. i emailed to get templates. and soon will be deciding on fabric. so i will make some practice blocks. and to get me started there is a lovely tutorial. can't ask for more than that. Flock Together. found while flipping thru Sarah's book. possible stash fabrics will be used. but i really-really want to use this b&w for the background. trouble is. only purchased one-eighth-of-a-yard. crazy. now i want yards of it. does anyone know who makes it. have you seen it. anywhere. help.

Underground Railroad Sampler

an update. and i will put you-annoying-blocks away for a few weeks. every night they were taunting me. "aren't you going to finish me tonight". "why are you working on those other things". nag-nag-nag.i was all confused and tried to attend my October class a day late. so Wagon Wheel not finished.and for November there were so many pieces. and the little one. well as you can see. extremely tiny ones. so Carpenter's Wheel not finished. so nothing serious. i feel better. now i can work on som-other-annoying-blocks. and then something easy-pretty-please.

Blogger's BOM Quilt Along

block 1 is designed by Sherri of A Quilting Life blog.

block 2 is designed by Vicki of Field Trips in Fiber blog.

for more info on the Blogger's BOM Quilt Along see Jackie of Canton Village Quilt Works blog.

a really-mini-version of my quilt

i like saying that. really. i love muggie rugs and dollie quilts. but these little lovelies can be used or not used so many different ways. i know that i was going to show you my mini quilt yesterday. but when i got home. well i forgot about you. just sat there flaberghasted by all the bloggie blog hop traffic. and here too. 160+ comments. thank you. overwhelmed by many of you wanting to win. or just plain see. well i put it in the mail yesterday. and i miss it. i made the squares 3 in. only because of few of my scraps were not bigger. looks good. but they can't really handle such long ties. they look much better on the 4-1/2 in. squares. but i left them that way. Jackie can cut them down if she wants to. but the Ghastlies may not approve!! have you all been enjoying the hop. i have. been to every blog. left lots of comments. have been Ghastlie-inspired in directions i never thought of. taking some notes. and there are 5 more days to go.

Miss Karen ♥ The Ghastlies

comments after 10 p.m. EST will not be included.
you are welcome to continue to comment.
congrats to Jackie #122.
you're the winner of a really-mini-version of my quilt.
will post picture tomorrow.
grand prize winner for today has yet to be announced.
there were 2 grand prize winners for Day 3.
Sheri from Ms. Penny. and YES. Jackie from Miss Karen.


today is my day to share a secret project. and it's....
my go-to-patchwork-and-flannel-blanket-with-lots-and-lots-of-ties.4-1/2 in. squares.
in a 12-by-12 design.
12 each of 12 different fabrics.
"a Ghastlie night" on white, and pink.
"trees" on white, grey, and pink.
all six prints from "Shades of Grey" by Daisy Janie.
and a blue from "Lou Lou Thi" by Anna Maria Horner.

you might also want to have a look at.
my Madison bag which i completed a few months ago.

so.
at the end of today one comment will be picked from this post.
that name will win (from me) a really-mini-version of my quilt.
got that. a really-mini-version.
AND that name will be shared with Madam Samm.
for a Ghastlie giveaway on Madam Samm's Sew I Quilt blog.

now i'm off to see what the other Ghastlie girls have been up to.
Mrs. Barb.
Ms. Loralynn.
Ms. Jen.
Ms. Penny.
Mrs. Rhonda.

The Ghastlies Blog Hop

Miss Karen welcomes you.
to the 1st Annual Ghastlies Blog Hop.
it starts Monday, October 24th.
and ends Friday, November 4th.

54 of us.
have secretly been making things
using The Ghastlies fabric.
we knew it would be fun.
and thought you would think so too.

every week day there will be a list of bloggers to visit.
each blogger will show you a trick (aka their secret project).
and some might even have a treat (aka their own giveaway).
at the end of each day one comment will be picked from each blog.
and that name will be shared with Madam Samm.
for a Ghastlie giveaway on Madam Samm's Sew I Quilt blog for that day.
shipping cost will be the responsibility of winners.
however there is one prize which will have free shipping.

stop back on Wednesday, October 26th.
to see my secret project.
but be careful.
you could very well catch The Ghastlies fabric fever.

mystery sew along - day 1.

a quick mystery. here are my fabrics. i cut 2 of each for a total of 18 squares. for details see Trish on her Two Peas In A Pod blog.

sew along : the Madison bag : finished.

another Two Peas in a Pod pattern. made with Ghastlies fabric. for more pics of my bag see my sew along Flickr set. it's hard for me to believe that i did not initially like the Tree fabric. but got a bit of it. so really. how would i have made this bag without it.

next up for the sew along was meant to be the Spice Market Tote bag by Amy Butler (or any AB pattern). but i didn't plan well needed more interfacing and missed the deadline. but there is no reason why you can't go look at what everyone else made. while browsing the TPIAP patterns. which i guess are really called Sprouts. i was liking the St. Mary Backpack. so not part of a sew along i am going to make that. fabric has been picked. so Spice and St. Mary are in the works and need some attention.

while all this was going on a new event has popped up. it's The Ghastlies Blog Hop. if you love this fabric and wondered what to make i am sure the blog hop will give you lots of ideas. so keep an eye out for that next month.

Cream and Sugar Cowl

Cream and Sugar Cowl by Alana Dakos of Never Not Knitting blog.
Shalimar Yarns. Breathless. Sprout.
75% merino. 15% cashmere. 10% silk.
#5 circular needles.
other Never Not Knitting patterns.
and Coastal Knits.

Underground Railroad Sampler

the September block is Monkey Wrench.
click here to see all my blocks.
24 pieced cornerstones. 0 since last time. 18 more to go.
and 128 flying geese. 32 since last time. 76 more to go.
HST's finishing the size of a dime. thankfully i only had to make 4.

Jelly Roll Classic Sampler BOM

here's Block 12.this is the Jelly Roll Classic Sampler BOM from The Quilt Room. the pdf files are no longer available from the website. but the pattern has been published in their new book. Jelly Roll Sampler Quilts.

Underground Railroad Sampler

the August block is Underground Railroad.
from a Quilt in a Day book by Eleanor Burns & Sue Bouchard.
the fabrics are Sweet Emilie by Jo Morton by Andover Fabrics.
this will be my 4th sampler class at Quilting By The Yard.
to complete the sashing for 12 in. blocks i will need.
24 pieced cornerstones. 2 down. 22 more to go.
and 128 flying geese. 20 down. 108 more to go.
also making 6 in. blocks. they are so cute. and make me smile.

synchronized squares quilt along : stitching.

here are my 9 fabrics. stitched and then cut up. with the bottom layer trimmed to reduce bulk in the joining.

sew along : the Ava bag : finished.

i dreamed of buying new fabric. but instead used this Momo black oval. and this very old blue print. purchased at a beautiful fabric store called S.P. Dunn & Co. located on LaSalle Road in West Hartford. i was so sad when it closed down. i didn't get much. but it was 54 in. wide. so i might get another project made before it hits the scrap pile. the inside pockets are padded. i like that. and the magnetic snap. much easier to put in than i had imagined. thank you Sara for choosing this pattern. from Two Peas in a Pod. for more info see Sara on her Sew Sweetness blog. and for more pics of my bag see my sew along Flickr set. next up is the Madison bag.

Country Gatherings

The Kids

last Sunday my sister had a party combining the birthday of her 12 year old and the graduation of her 18 year old. and i was happy to finally get my "all the kids" picture. not an easy thing to do in the middle of a party. if you tell one kid to go sit on the couch and they don't see anyone else there. they just walk away. here are the kids. standing: Gabbi holding Frankie. Brianna (bff of Gabbi). sitting: Shannon (bff of Nora). Nora. Giovanni holding Logan. Giancarlo holding Vito. Franco holding Giulia.craft-y-wise i made a birthday present and a graduation decoration.i made the Origami bag from Style Stitches. the XL size. i found this Twizzler print & used a very old strawberry print for the lining. didn't piece the outside. & didn't topstitch near the zipper. i plan to make a few more. i also made Candy Cup Cap decorations found on the Bakerella blog. these took me forever to make since melting chocolate and assembling food is just not my thing. 34 sticks filled 2 glass containers.perhaps this is where i would insert pictures of what my sister made for the party. but it doesn't always work out that way. so that's my job at the next party. she made 7-layer salad. she made oatmeal squares. she made carrot cake. she made a large cupcake cake. oooh. all that & dinner too. she's very crafty in the kitchen.do you have these signs where you live? homemade signs all over the place. thank you Sal's Mom for being crafty. & thank you Sal for sharing your sign with Franco, Josh, & Elvis.

Yo-Yo Along

getting ready for a mostly-hand-sew-project. the painter's tape box bottom is my template for tracing circles. my theme is white backgrounds. and one block or 16 yo-yo's a week. Penny will be making 7.5 per day. that's very funny. she will of course finish before me. for more details visit Penny on Sew Take A Hike blog.

Simple Things Quilt Along

do i feel bad about replacing those four-patches with a one-patch. no no no. i made 68 teenie flying geese. so there. then went ahead and finished all 17 star blocks. for more details visit Kelly on Charming Chatter blog or Carol on Brown Quilts blog.

synchronized squares quilt along : preparing.

all week i was walking around saying "you don't need to do this one". really. but i liked where it was going. easy and scruffy. just one obstacle. could not be new fabric. so i found. in my stash. 9 light-ish florals. picked another for binding. and some background. Southern Belle. a 200 ct. muslin. for more details on this quilt along see Rachel on p.s. i quilt blog.

Simple Things Quilt Along

not my favorite part. but i did it. pre-cutting. done.
must find more colors. Art Gallery fabric called Floral Elements.for more details visit Kelly on Charming Chatter blog or Carol on Brown Quilts blog.

Simple Things Quilt Along

i just thought i would let you know i am doing this. the little one. of course. i had to send away for a print in black to match some prints i have in other colors. so the stitching and star points and binding will be black. i think.for more details visit Kelly on Charming Chatter blog or Carol on Brown Quilts blog. Kelly has already posted the cutting directions for the little one and Carol for the bigger one. i participated in Kelly's Half-Pint Quilt Along and finished the top but did not put it together. i remember wanting the perfect backing which i eventually found. maybe i will be inspired along the way to get that done.

Basic Ease

The Quilting Book Club. Quilt 1. this is Basic Ease. from Modern Basics. by Amy Ellis. each month Shawna of 1 Choice 4 Quilting and Melanie of Above All Fabric will have kits and offer discounts. i already had these 3 prints. Blossomwood from Legacy Studio fabrics. found at JoAnn's. many times they caught my eye and when i noticed the yardage dwindling i coupon'd what was left hoping i would eventually decide on a pattern. the binding is from Lily & Will. next up is the cover quilt Posie Patch. i won't be back until it's finished. but i'll be adding assignments to my Flickr set.

Candy Bar Pinwheels

old fabrics. some Yukata. and a Bella solid in grey.
just enough handstitching. planned to matchy-match the thread. but decided on a red i already had. and i very much like it better. layereed with a thrifted receiving blanket. so it lays perfectly flat.just 3 blocks. actual pattern has 6 with a border. for me this was just right. pattern measures 26 in. x 34 in. my trimmed down version measures 8-3/8 in. x 24 in.this is Candy Bar Pinwheels. a pattern by Doug Leko of Antler Quilt Design which you can find in the Moda Bake Shop. Sinta Renee of Pink Pincushion and Sherri of A Quilting Life are hosting Le Petite - a year of small projects.

a little DS.

why not.

bunny day

every bunny and turkey day you will find me shopping for a new towel at Williams-Sonoma. love them. sometimes i gift one. sometimes i don't. it's random. this time i stitched on the year. good idea. will do this again.

Country Gatherings

Love A Good Cloth

The Perfect Little Washing Cloth by Messy Karen.
Sugar N Cream. 100% cotton. #6 or #7 needles.
makes approx. a 4-1/2 in. square.
here's my pattern: cast on 21 sts.
or any combination of 4 plus 1.
K2, P2, repeat to last stitch, K1.
work 27 rows. cast off. weave in your ends.
i like it best in the big stripe colors.
but beauty and perfection is yours to decide.

sew along : the Jamie Dress : finished

a big thank you to Sara of Sew Sweetness blog for inspiring me to sew for me. i didn't know how short a short top should be. so i started with 24 in. then made a 6 in. hem. and before taking a picture pinned it up another 3 in. so now it finishes at 12 in. now i wish i had used this fabric for a dress. and picked something else to test out a top. all that cutting down has left me with large scraps. very pretty large scraps.and it's poofy. so some fabric will be removed before i make a final hem. check out my picture that i can't crop because i am not home right now. and check out all the other Jamie's on Sara's linky party post.

Kiss Kiss

fabric #4 for 37 kisses by Blue Meadow Designs.

Kiss Kiss

fabric #3 for 37 kisses by Blue Meadow Designs.

KAL - Stage 3 - B1 thru B6

two choices. going with B. can you see my 6 new rows.
working on KAL with Firefly on her I Live On A Farm blog.

Sew Along : Jamie Dress

i purchased the pattern. now i need some fabric. perhaps something i already bought. becuse i am joining a Sew Along with Sara on her Sew Sweetness blog.

Single Girl : piecing curves : Ring 1.

piecing curves. i had to slow this project down a bit. need to cut more background. lots of individual tracing. and individual cutting. then lots and lots of pins. and slow sewing. while removing all those pins. 15 blocks. but for today just Ring 1. next step was posted 3/7 - Katy's blog - i'm a ginger monkey - assembly.

KAL - Stage 2

must get me some longer circulars.
i put on two 29 in. needles so i could fold up nicely to show you.
love love love love love this wide seed stitch border.
still wishing i could have found a worsted cotton to use.
but this yarn is "like butter". so i am enjoying every stitch.
working on KAL with Firefly on her I Live On A Farm blog.

Kiss Kiss

fabric #2 for 37 kisses by Blue Meadow Designs.

KAL

i started a KAL with Firefly on her I Live On A Farm blog.
she promises the pace will be s-l-o-w.
and has named it Summer in the Country Blanket.
i picked T'ika. by Mirasol. 100% pima cotton. very very soft.
of course there are issues with my choice i am overlooking right now.
hand wash. more of a DK thank a worsted. using #9 instead of #10.
and pretty sure that i will need to get more yarn than suggested.
because i think a DK row height is smaller than a worsted row height.