Quilting:
Ever see a needlework kit or pattern and get utterly obsessed by it and can't think of anything else until you get your hands on it? Well, that's what happened to me when I saw
these pictures of
Old Mill Pond by Pam Buda of
Heartspun Quilts. I pre-ordered the kit as soon as I could, and once it arrived last Thursday that was it -- I wasn't doing anything but playing with my new toy. :) Hence the lack of a blog post last week. I checked to make sure all the fabric was present and accounted for, figured out which cuts were which, rewrote the center section of the pattern to fit my piecing style (that's not a reflection on Pam's directions which are very clear; I always have to rewrite machine piecing directions because I'm a hand piecer), and washed and ironed all of the fabric for the center blocks, setting triangles, and sashing. I also checked to see if there was enough extra fabric for the center section or whether I would be more comfortable ordering extra fabric (kits make me nervous; I usually order extra materials for my projects just to be safe). I needn't have worried; there's more than enough. Those quick-cutting techiques and sewing shortcuts that machine piecers use may be faster, but they sure are wasteful of fabric. I still need to rewrite the pattern for the borders and check the fabric amounts for the borders and backing.
After all that, I did manage to make a pretty good start on the first block. :)
Finishing:
I started sewing Olivia onto the Octopus Garden Blanket by
Georgia Vincent.
I didn't do any work on my other finishing projects.
Cross Stitch:
Blackwork:
Knitting:
Crochet: