Opps!

     I am rusty on posting so I had trouble getting my final comments written after adding the photos!  This is where I wish I had a personal IT assistant!  I can't remember what all the "Loose Ends" were going to be in the posting, but I do have the soap recipe!
     I have been doing my best to reduce, reuse and recycle around here at the inn . . . just doing my part to reduce the garbage that goes in the land fills!  I thought I was doing so well in reducing our dependence on petroleum when I read that it is used to produce laundry soap . . . argh!  As it happens, someone in a knitting class began talking about home-made laundry soap and where to find the recipe online.  Since we do numerous loads of laundry each week for the inn not to mention our own laundry, I decided to start making it myself.  I tripled the recipe and made 6 gallons of laundry soap.  It lasted almost 2 months . . . I saved money (one of my favorite things) and reduced our use of a petroleum product (another of my favorite things!).  Here's the link for the recipe:  Laundry Soap Recipe

Let me know if you have any questions!

Clutter Queen, Loose Ends & Soap Recipe

     Dear Friends & Family,  well, this is a long over due post!  I have been making a lot of progress on my UFO's, but here's where I left off writing over two months ago.  I will get back on the "blog wagon" and stay more current!  Thanks for your patience!
 From way back in February:

      I decided the "quilter's block" was being caused by the clutter, piles and "stuff" that was accumulating around me again . . . my dear friend, Judi, spent the summer here with us and helped me clear out, declutter, organize and clean out my "stuff" that had gotten out of control over the past few years.  So some of the piles started to creep back in:  around my sewing table, the office and the kitchen table . . . flat surfaces are my Achilles heel!  So I have been "cleaning"  . . . yikes! . . . another 4-letter word for me (sorry Mom!) . . . I've had some productive days cleaning out more piles and feeling a sense of accomplishment . . . and the best part:  I didn't have to have Judi here to keep me on task . . . though she is always welcome to come back!

     I gave Little Lexi her knitted hat in January and it looked adorable on her.  I discovered, though, that it just fit her and I will have to knit another one for next year! 

The finished hat

     I actually have been doing a little sewing, too.  I bought a pattern for a book cover at the Vermont Quilt Festival several years ago and finally got motivated to make it.  I pulled out my huge container of scraps and had the cover done in about 4 hours with lots of other "requests for my time" (a.k.a. inn keeping work!) . . . now my dear friend Judi was probably appalled at the size of the scrap bin, but it came in handy to make the book cover . . . so here are some of the pictures of the process . . . I had to start with paper piecing the center star and then add strips of scraps to make the fabric large enough for the cover.  Here is how it went together: 

Mini blocks for star

Pieced star with border

All done and ready to use

Scrap fabric added makes book cover

"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