"Quilter's Block"

Dear Friends and Family,  last week I was in a sewing "funk" . . . "quilter's block" I called it . . . similar to writer's block, I suppose.  I just couldn't bring myself to sit at the sewing machine and do anything . . . nothing was inspiring me . . . winter doldrums? who knows! 

      One evening I was sitting in my chair getting ready to listen to a web cast on something from Bernina.  I was staring at my pile of "stuff" near my sewing machine and thought I could just do some seam ripping while listening to the presentation.  I picked up a summer shirt of Jeff's that needed the collar turned . . . something I'd never done, but thought I should so he could still wear the shirt.  This would fall into the category of MENDING.  For those of you who know me really well, you may know that I don't do MENDING . . . I've convinced my hubby, Jeff, that MENDING, for me, is a 4-letter word and I just can't do it . . . my sewing machine is meant for a "higher" purpose . . . sewing buttons on, repairing hems, fixing this or that were things I couldn't bring myself to do . . . my hands would start shaking at the thought of it!  

     When we lived in PA and worked our "regular" jobs, we accumulated a pile of MENDING over the course of a year.  Then my parents would come visit and my mom would take pity on Jeff and do the MENDING (for her favorite SIL!).  God bless her!  I just didn't do MENDING.  One weekend my BIL, Scott came to visit.  He said he had a favor to ask me . . . would I do some MENDING for him . . .  ARGH!. . . he need a button sewn on or something . . . I thought "Hell must have frozen over; Jeff will have a fit if I do Scott's MENDING and not his own . . . this can't be good!"  Now seriously, this was a big dilemma for me . . . my stomach still gets queasy thinking about it!  I did the MENDING for Scott and swore him to not flaunt it to Jeff . . . I felt like a traitor . . . unbelievable!  When I met Jeff he would repair his pant hems with staples or Scotch tape . . . not the kind of thing a seamstress wants to have to admit.

     Anyway, here I was, after all these years of avoiding MENDING, actually thinking of sitting and doing it  . . . my mother would be so proud!  I started the web cast and sat ripping out the seam of the collar so I could flip it over, re-insert it and sew it back on.  Once I had the collar pinned in place, I paused the web cast and went to my sewing machine to finish the task.  I sewed it in place and was getting ready to button the collar down, but one button was broken and had to be replaced . . . imagine me, sewing on a button!  I did it, buttoned the collar and showed Jeff.  He said "Wow, that looks like a professional did it!" . . . I was tickled pink!  I told him the shirt had special meaning to me . . . it was his favorite summer shirt and he'd worn it on our first date . . . he got the biggest smile on his face and it made me realize that MENDING isn't a 4-letter word . . . sometimes, MENDING can be an effort from the heart.

     Here's hoping all of your stitches, whether for quilting, sewing or MENDING, are happy ones!

All the best,

Kim

Happy New Year

Dear Friends and Family, I hope you had a lovely Christmas and a wonderful New Year's celebration.  We had LOTS of house guests for the week and we served dinner most nights.  We offered lobster for dinner on New Year's Eve and that was a blast . . . with Jimmy Buffett music in the background and a casual theme at the dining room tables, everyone enjoyed the feast!

Vintage Knits for Modern Babies

     It's the new year and my mission "Operation Finish-It" is officially kicking off.  I just finished a sweet little hat for our great-niece, Lexi  . . . she's "Little Lexi" and 4 months old; Alexis is called "Big Lexi" to keep from us all being confused!.  I couldn't resist starting something  around Christmas (I had the yarn on hand) and it was a quick project.  From the book, Vintage Knits for Modern Babies, the hat is knit in simple stockinette and a band with a button for securing under Little Lexi's chin.  Below is a picture of the yarn 'cause I can't find the hat!  I have until the end of January to find it when Little Lexi comes to visit! 

Extra Soft Merino in Lavender

     We were lucky enough to have a snow storm on Wednesday (12" of new powder, yes!) and I got quality time with my sewing machine! I pulled out the flannel fabric and pattern for pj pants that I planned to make for Alexis for Christmas (opps, missed THAT deadline).  Even with interruptions I actually got them cut out and sewn in the same day (unheard of for me).  I had to have Alexis try them on to measure the hem and check how much elastic was needed at the waist . . . she was a total giggle box every time I checked the waist band . . . what a noodle head!  She got to wear them that night, though, and she was delighted!  Cute flannel with girlie stuff on it for my girlie-girl!  So that's 2 finished projects so far . . . can I keep a running tally somewhere on this blog?  Hmm, I'll have to look for that feature! 
     Here's my helpful 411 for the day . . . Gingher scissors are the industry standard for quilting and sewing.  Forged from high carbon cutlery steel, the scissors are finished with hand tuning to ensure the precision cutting and high performance we are all accustomed to having.  And, though they are a bit pricey, they are well worth the investment  . . . I've had mine for over 15 years.  But, I keep dropping them (usually on the concrete floor in the basement) and they just don't work so well after that!  I've sent them to Gingher for sharpening and repair several times now.  It's a bargain at $7.50 per pair (which includes return shipping) and it is a whole lot better than buying a new pair of scissors!  Here's the link for the address and the details: Gingher sharpening and repair.  The link also includes some helpful info on general maintenance to keep your scissors in top working order.  Mine "take a lickin' and keep on tickin'" . . . or cutting actually!
      And one last word about scissors . . . keep your fabric cutting scissors AWAY from the paper  . . . it's really true . . . cutting paper with your good fabric cutting scissors will dull the blades . . . get a separate pair for cutting paper and keep the Ginghers out of reach of your children, husband and visiting friends/relatives who might not know that it matters!

Phin attacks the yarn! ^..^

     Hope you are having luck finishing your own projects.  Hope, too, that all your stitches are happy ones!
     All the best,
     Kim                           
p.s. Phin likes yarn . . . who knew!

Wrapping Helper

Dear Friends, I just had to add some pictures of our kitten, Phin.  He has been REALLY helpful with the Christmas wrapping and has already learned how to unwrap presents.  Isn't he clever!  Today I was wrapping the last of the presents and Phin decided I needed company.  Here are the photo ops. 

Enjoy!  All the best, Kim

"What's in here anyway?" 

"For me . . . from Santa?"

"Wow, it's bigger than me!"

"I need a break!"

Completed projects, Woo-Hoo :-)

Dear Friends, we're in the last few hours of preparation for Christmas . . . I chose to take a "less-is-more" philosophy this Christmas:  minimal decorating and baking, reduced shopping.  So, here I am calmly (for the most part) sitting and writing.  I have managed to finish a few gifts for Christmas and am thrilled about that!

Table runner ready to sew

Working on the table runner

     Last year I made a table runner for my SIL in Christmas fabrics.  But, it was only a "top" without backing or quilting . . . so I took it back that day (bad Kimmie!) and brought it home to finish.  It took me a year, but I did finish it.  I actually made a second table runner in the same pattern with different fabric as the "back" so my SIL could use the runner more than just at Christmas time. I layered it right sides together with batting, sewed the edges together with an opening to turn it right side out.  I hand quilted it to secure the layers and wrapped it up!  Yeah :-) one more project done! I will post a picture of both sides once my SIL has unwrapped it.

     I joined a scarf-of-the-month club at the yarn shop in Rutland, Green Mountain Fibers.  I signed up for the 6 month club (one every other month) knowing that a 12 month club would just be WAY too many UFO's for me!  I  finish two of the scarves (I gave the yarn and pattern to a friend one month; it was lace yarn and that's not one of my favorite yarns to work with).  One I gave away to a friend without taking a picture of it, but here is a link on Ravelry to show you what it was like.  The pattern is called "Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks" and it is a beautiful star stitch perfect for the variegated yarn in blues and greens.  My friend Cindy loved it and it looked wonderful with her coat!  She promised to send me a photo someday!

Patty's scarf

     I finished the second scarf earlier in the year as a gift for another friend here in VT.  The pattern is entrelac using Noro Silk Garden, a variegated yarn that looks like I changed colors every few rows or so.  It was fun to do and I look forward to making another one at some point.  I washed it in lavender Eucalan and then added some hair condition as suggested by my LYS helper . . . the scarf looks beautiful, is now soft and smells fabulous!
     A few weeks ago I decided I should count my UFO's . . . that probably wasn't the brightest idea I've ever had!  I stopped counting after 45 projects (some actual UFO's and some only wanna-be UFO'S).  When I stopped counting I had only counted my quilting UFO's and I hadn't even begun counting my knitting UFO's or my mending pile or things I should be making for the Inn.  It is all just better left uncounted!  I'll just get to it when I get to it!  So here's to having three projects off my list . . . Woo, Hoo!  
     Hope all of your stitches are happy ones!  Have a wonderful Christmas and New Years.
     All the best,
     Kim 

A funny kid comment

Abstract by Alexis

I picked up Alexis at the bus stop last Tuesday; she had a 5-day weekend for Thanksgiving (oh, those were the days!).  She showed me the art work she had done at school that week.  I said, "Oh, wow!  That would make a great quilt."  Alexis replied "Forget the quilt, Mom!".  I guess she is tired of me seeing a quilt in everything!  Here's her abstract work (that would make a great quilt) and her refreshing turkey! 

Cool Turkey by Alexis

 

 I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I hope all of your stitches are happy ones!   
                          All the best, Kim

Thanksgiving and Beyond

Turkey Line Up!

      We had a great Thanksgiving here at the Inn.  With 25 for T-Day dinner we had our work cut out for us . . . by 8 am we had 2 turkeys in the oven and lots to accomplish . . . thankfully Mom came over with Dad for dinner and made the gravy!  I always manage to make it with lumps and Mom's is perfection!

       I had a deadline on Tuesday before Thanksgiving to finish a quilt for my niece, Libby.  It was her 18th birthday present (March), her high school graduation present (June) and her "off-to-college" present (September) and it was late for all three!  I got the quilt on her bed about 20 minutes before she got home for the long weekend . . . phew!  

One of Libby's blocks

     When she came to visit me when she was 9-years old she wanted to learn how to quilt.  So I had her take some of my scraps and sew them down to 1/2 pages of newspaper for a foundation.  She made 6 of these and her mom, Lynne suggested I make them into a quilt for Libby's 18th birthday.  Lynne and I removed all the newspaper from the back and stabilized them with iron on interfacing.  I used my sewing machine to add decorative stitches to the blocks.  I then cut them into large squares and made them into a Turning Twenty quilt with lots of flannel.  I used Tuscany wool batting and flannel backing, quilted as-you-go in long columns on my Bernina.  

The Finished Quilt

     As I was hand sewing the binding I realized how wonderfully warm the quilt was and how much I would like to use wool batting again.  The quilt looked beautiful when completed and I was so happy to have it finished.  While it isn't 2011, I consider this my first UFO finished . . . now on to the next!