Lucky Frog

State Fair Win

2011-08-11T09:07:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends,

Sorry it has been such a long time since I last posted. I'm afraid that my postings will be quite sporadic from here on out. Life is hectic and I am spending less time on the computer. While I am not leaving comments, I am catching up on many of your blogs every week or two.

I did want to tell you about my 3rd place finish in the Ohio State Fair. Thank you Kaaren from The Painted Quilt for the fabulous embroidery pattern that helped me win a ribbon. This was my first time entering anything in the State Fair. I don't know if I will enter next year but ideas are rolling around in my head.

Summer Shawl

2011-05-22T10:23:00.002-04:00

Pattern found HERE but I can't imagine putting all this work into 100% acrylic yarn that will not block! (Somehow, I messed up and my lace pattern differs from the sample but I still like it--makes mine one of a kind LOL!) If you choose to make this, I recommend a natural fiber like cotton--or wool if you want a toasty winter shawl.

Talk at you later! Rumi

Miss Farrah

2011-05-03T15:07:00.001-04:00

Farewell darling girl.

Thank you for 14 years of Joy. You will always stay in my heart.

Mug cozy and book light cozy

2011-04-18T08:36:00.000-04:00

Daughter Lucky just got a new job in Minnesota and moved there last week. While packing up her things, she came across her full sized booklight that I had promised (about a year ago!) to make a cover for.

Well, she didn't want it to get scratched in transit so I got right on it.

She likes Giraffes.

I made a cover for her paperback size booklight HERE.http://luckyfrogblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/book-light-cover.html

She also asked for a cozy to put over her mug while her tea was brewing.

If she ever decides to get a little teapot, this cozy will fit that too. As is, she is moving into a tiny studio apartment with a tiny kitchen so must minimize her "stuff".

I'm happy that she has this new job and a start on a great career but I will miss having her around on a daily basis.

Knitting Project Bags

2011-04-11T15:20:00.002-04:00

Hello Friends,
Like many of you, I usually have several projects in the works at any given time. My sewing projects pretty much stay in my sewing room unless I am sewing binding. My knitting, on the other hand, is usually done in front of the tv in the evenings. To keep things a bit tidy, I try to keep my knitting in project bags so I don't have my stuff strewn all over the room. While plastic grocery bags will suffice I suppose, having cute project bags are so much nicer.

Look at these lovelies.

The red one is a gift from a dear friend and is currently holding a scarf in the works. This size bag is also perfect for embroidery projects as well. Don't you just love the teacups!

The pink and black one was also a wonderful gift and great for larger projects. Very cute indeed!

I just finished sewing the green one. Great for large projects like blankets and the like. I put a patch pocket on the front.

A little embellishment to make it super cute.

Hard to see but I added the work "Knit" along with some flowers and leaves on the handles. I love how my machine will do these cute little extras!

Have a wonderful week everyone! Talk at you later. Rumi

Wrist pocket and a win

2011-04-05T16:05:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends,
I was very fortunate to have won a giveaway at Pink Penguin. Thanks Ayumi!

Look at these cute stuffed birdie kits!

I opened up one of the kits. Comes complete with printed pattern on fabric, a bit of stuffing, a straw and wood pick to aide in construction and a piece of white ribbon to use as a hanger. How adorable these ornaments will be when complete! Lovely kit by Berene at Happy Sew Lucky. She has other cute, cute, items so please go check it out!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A friend of mine has really gotten into walking and has signed up for a 10 mile walk! She asked me to make her a little wrist pocket to carry her car key in during her walks so she didn't have to carry it in her hand.

I had to think about it for a bit and this is what I came up with.

Kinda hard to see because of a bit of glare but I put a little pleated zippered pocket on this gauntlet lined in terry cloth for comfort.

Here it is opened up. Velcro closure for easy on and off.

Not sure how good it will work but it sure beats carrying a key in your hand for 10 miles! Hopefully she will like it.

Talk at you later! Rumi

Drumroll please

2011-04-02T08:09:00.000-04:00

A quick post to announce that Carrie from A Passion for Applique has won the green spring scarf/shawl! Congrats Carrie, I hope you love it as much as I loved making it!

Lady Kina, revised

2011-03-29T21:37:00.001-04:00

Hello Friends,
Reknit cardigan:

Daughter Lucky says I look dowdy in it.

I did lengthen it a little bit--it was supposed to be shorter but I wanted my cold tush covered! Maybe I would't have looked so dowdy if I left it cropped.

On another note, we dog-sat out granddog, Walter, on Saturday.

Don't let this "serious" look fool ya, he was a big crybaby the whole time. He missed his Mama and Papa and kept looking out the window for them. He is not quite 2 years old and nearing 150 pounds but he's still a playful (very drooly!) puppy.

BTW, yes, we do have purple leather furniture. Honest, when we ordered it, we thought it was burgundy--darn florescent showroom lighting! Over the years, I have grown to like it though. What the heck, why not purple furniture!

He has to scrunch to fit on his bed! This is the biggest size bed they sell. (Walter says thanks to Stephanie and Mr. Creations for this comfy bed!)

Lady Kina cardigan

2011-03-26T11:05:00.002-04:00

Jodie from Jellywares turned me on to this cardigan pattern. It is called Lady Kina and for those of you on Ralvelry, the pattern can be found there. Being a bit bored with endless stockinette stitching, I decided to put in some floral "embossing".

Cute huh? Hard to tell on the screen but it is a pretty green color.

Ok, that is not the end of this story. In fact, it has a sad ending. Things would have been peachy if I had used a nice wool yarn. Alas, I used a wool blend (really, only a touch of wool, mainly acrylic). This type of yarn does not block well and will not hold it's blocked shape. I know this, but for some reason hoped it would be ok.

As I wore it, it slowly unblocked and reverted to it's pre-blocked state. I hated to do it but I unraveled the bottom section, removing the floral border. I am almost done reknitting per the pattern instructions. Sigh...lesson learned.

Giveaway for a cause

2011-03-19T09:23:00.003-04:00

Please go to Stephanie's blog, Loft Creations and enter her beautiful quilt giveaway. To enter, you need to make a donation to help earthquake victims in Japan. Details HERE.

To sweeten the pot, put your tracking number in a comment on THIS post and I will give you the chance to win this beautiful knit spring shawl. It is 100% wool and wonderfully soft. Winner will be chosen on April 2nd so you have two weeks to spread the word! Thanks in advance, bloggers are the best!

Udate

2011-03-15T18:50:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends,
I finally got ahold of my family in Yokohama. They are all fine and I was told that family members in Fukushima are also ok. They have not been able to contact family in Sendai so we are still worried about them. Hopefully they are safe and in a shelter. Please keep them in your prayers. Rumi

Japanese earthquake distraction

2011-03-14T09:03:00.000-04:00

I have been spending alot of time (too much time, really) in front of my television watching the horrible disaster unfolding in Japan. I have relatives there-- mainly in Yokohama but some in Sendai. The phone lines are down so I have not been able to contact family to see if they are allright. I have been trying to distract myself by picking up my needles and making this

Look ferocious? No?

How about now?

You're right, it's not ferocious at all! Cute little baby alligator.

Find this knitting pattern here.

I am going to try to pull myself away from the TV. It only makes me anxious about a situation I have no control over.

Ribbit, Ribbit and a Koala win

2011-03-04T10:57:00.002-05:00

Hello Friends,
A bit of time spent in my sewing room this week. I started making Stephanie's Oak Park Bag last year. I am happy to say that is one more UFO completed! And look how cute it turned out!

I fussy cut a variety of frog fabrics for the patchwork on the sides.

Here's the other side.

I used denim for the bottom and straps and a lily pad fabric for the top.

I did change things up a bit. Instead of a button and tab closure, I decided to put in a zipper.

See my cute little froggie zipper pull.

Inside, I put a zippered pocket on one side and and an open patch pocket (per the pattern) on the other.

I can't wait to tote my frog purse around town. Thanks Stephanie for such a cute pattern!

On a different subject, I was browsing the Koala sewing cabinet website when I came across a monthly giveaway they were having. Well, lucky me won February's giveaway! I received via FedEx this morning this wonderful sewing machine trolley.

It's extra large and has a telescopic handle for easy transport. Of course I chose red, my favorite color. My other options were blue, silver and one other I can't remember.

They also included some needles and thread.

Now I can wheel my sewing machine to any sewing class in style!

By entering the contest I was also entered to win the big Kahuna of a prize--a Koala studio. How wonderful would it be if my luck held out and I won that too! A girl can dream can't she! Anyways, why don't you try your luck at winning something too!

Cables and Lace baby blanket

2011-02-25T13:49:00.001-05:00

Hello Friends,
Haven't been spending lots of time in my sewing room. I'm trying to spend more time getting other things done during the day--like getting the house in better shape and getting me in better shape. My evenings, though, are free for an hour or so of knitting to wind down from my day. I can't seem to sew in the evenings. I'm tired enough to make careless mistakes! Not so much while knitting--as long as the pattern is not too intricate.

This is what I just completed (remember the sneak peek in the last post!)

A creamy colored baby blanket.

Close up.

Who is this little charmer for? Oh, I don't know yet. I will put it in my "gifties" box so it will be ready and waiting the next time I need a baby gift. I like to have some Christmas, birthday, baby etc gifts on hand. I have a large plastic box that I add things to throughout the year. Do you do the same?

Talk at you later, Rumi

Lucky Girl!

2011-02-18T08:59:00.000-05:00

A wonderful parcel arrived at my house yesterday.

Can't you just taste the yumminess of this cute mat! Thanks so much my little Houseelf friend!

Haven't been spending too much time in my sewing room lately but have been doing a bit of knitting in the evenings. Here is a peek at what I am currently working on .

iPhoodie

2011-02-10T14:16:00.001-05:00

Hello friends,
I have not been totally idle in the craftiness department. Take a look at this cute hoodie! Designed to hold your iPhone (or other kind of phone, or iPod, or camera, or snacks etc, etc)

The bottom of the hoodie is closed but the sleeves are open--in case you want to thread your headphone cords through there.

Here it is in action! I single crocheted the hood opening and chain stitched some hoodie ties. As you can see, the pocket is functional (if you have anything THAT tiny to store.)

View from the back.

Yarn used: Amazing by Lion Brand yarn in Aurora colorway.

This cute pattern can be found here. Thanks CoffeeBra for this great pattern. Now to pack it up and send to my hoodie lovin' friend Ang!

Talk at you later, Rumi

No Worries

2011-01-29T15:33:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends,
Thanks to those of you who e-mailed me because you were worried about me since I hadn't been on blogger this month. Bloggers are the nicest people. I so wish we all lived close enough to get together for tea! I'm fine. I've just been taking a break while I evaluate my New Year's resolutions. I have truly enjoyed reading and posting blogs and I am thankful for all the lovely local people who have supported my little sewing business. But (and I'm talking about a big But(t), I have found that all the time that I put into sewing for my business and making things to post on my blog has not done my backside any favors. Over the last couple of years I went from being a very active person to kind of a slug. Funny how the less I moved, the less I wanted to move. Science has proved that right? A body in motion tends to stay in motion. Sooo...to improve my health and loosen up my tight clothes I have decided to get back to my old active self. That means pretty much giving up my sewing business and spending less time crafting things to show on my blog (Unfortunately, I'm a slow crafter so it takes me a long time to make anything). I'm not giving up blogging, just slowing down quite a bit. I will definitely be reading your blogs but I apologize in advance for my spotty blogging.

Having said all that, I am currently working on a couple of quilts that I will blog about later and I have completed some knitted scarves since my last post.

Doesn't this look like..

this candy?

Colors don't look quite so bright in this picture (ooh, just shaking my fist at gray winter days that drain the color out of everything!)

Made this lovely scarf out of Lion Brand Yarn's "Amazing" yarn which is 53% wool and 47% acrylic. The color changes are truly "amazing" don't you think. Find this free pattern HERE.

Irish Hiking Scarf. Pattern by Hello Yarn.

Finally, a meandering rib scarf. Pattern HERE

Hugs! Rumi

Fabric goodies, Snowmen

2011-01-03T14:23:00.000-05:00

This came in the mail today--my order from Jackie of Canton Village Quilt Works. She has great fabric in her online fabric shop. Go check it out!

a stack of black and white fabrics and 2 Australian fabrics. Thanks Jackie!

Starting to put away the Christmas things today. Kinda sad about that but at the same time, it will be nice to get the house back to normal.

The snowmen can stick around a bit longer.

Honey embroidery, Neck cozy

2010-12-22T08:28:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends,
Yea for me! Another UFO complete!
I purchased a wonderful embroidery pattern from Jenny of Elefantz called Honey.

The pattern includes the embroidery patterns and instructions to make a large pincushion, a needlebook and a scissor fob. I made one complete set to give to one dear friend and the needlebook and fob for another.

Closeup of the pincushion center. I used a stem stitch for the flowers (DMC 4215) and leaves (DMC 4045). Instead of French knots for the centers, I made candlewicking knots using 6 strands of (DMC 726) floss. Do you know the candlewicking knot? It may be called something else as well. I like it because the knots are consistently very round and full. My French knots are sometimes lopsided--of course, it could very well be just me.

I also made this neck wrap for a gift.

The pattern called for super bulky weight yarn but I knitted it with 3 strands of worsted weight wool held together. (2 strands dark blue and one strand of light blue) Toggle buttons keep it nice and snug around your neck when the fierce winter winds blow. I found this pattern on Raverly. If you are a member of Ravelry and would like to knit this neck wrap, it is called Pidge Podge. You can also go HERE to get this pattern.

Merry Christmas everyone! Hugs, Rumi

Grandpet's Stockings

2010-12-20T08:09:00.000-05:00

Another finish!

Stockings for granddog Walter and grandcat Jolly.

Less UFO's--Yea!

2010-12-18T09:53:00.000-05:00

Been working like mad on these.

You all know how much I LOVE Messy Karen's wavy wipers. I made a bunch to stuff in stockings and give out to co-workers and friends. I tied them up in pairs

Christmas colored wipers and

assorted colors.

I know my friends and family will love these and want more, but quite frankly, I don't want to make any more for awhile. Other projects beckon. So..

The back of each gift tag has Messy Karen's etsy site.

Now onto other UFO's in my pile! Talk at you later, Rumi

New Toy

2010-12-15T11:28:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends,

I was sure getting tired of doing this:

Not having young children at my disposal, I had to call in the dining room chairs to do my bidding.

Amazon to the rescue. What I ordered is in the skinny little white box. The big box is what it was shipped in. Really now, doesn't that seem like over packaging to you? Well, guess they didn't want an angry customer with a broken item.

After a tiny bit of assembly, here is my new yarn swift.

Here it is in action. The cross arms turn on it's base while I turn hanks into neat little balls.

So these lovely merino wool hanks become

Two little cuties like this. Now the trick is to not start a new project with these until I finish up some more of my already overflowing UFO pile.

Talk at ya later, Rumi

Gingerbread Bowie

2010-12-08T11:11:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends,

Are you like me, trying to get all the things on your Christmas To-Do list complete? I'm trying not to stress myself out too much even though I have several unfinished Christmas gifts in my work basket. I will finish what I can and leave the rest--Christmas will come again next year and whatever I do not finish this year will be under next year's tree.

While on the subject of gifts (and stressing out over gifting) I would very much love to exchange heartfelt holiday cyber greetings with all my blog friends. However, at the risk of sounding Scroogy, on the slim chance that anyone was planning on sending an actual gift, please don't. I promise to do the same.

Ok, how about a Christmas table runner.

Cute huh! When I made this, I was disapointed that I only had 3 blue buttons to use for eyes. Daughter Lucky came up with the idea to have one Gingerbread man with one blue and one brown eye--like David Bowie--making him a Gingerbread Bowie.

Hopefully, I'm not the only one who thought this was brilliant.

Paris

2010-11-30T09:56:00.000-05:00

Sorry you haven't heard from me lately.

I was at the Arc de Triomphe

Notre Dame

Eiffel Tower

The Seine

The catacombs under Paris

The Louvre

Whew! Now I need time to recoup!

Short attention span

2010-11-16T09:16:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends,
I've been very unfocused lately and have been prone to jumping from one unfinished project to another. Soooo...nothing complete to show you. How about some UFO's today...

Wavy Wiper made from Messy Karen's pattern

Almost finished bookmark

A scarf to donate to a veteran through the WWII museum's Knit your bit program.

My daughter's quilt

Embroidery project from Jenny of Elefantz

More bibs waiting to be cut out.

I have a few other projects in the works too! Better get busy!

Vietnam Wall

2010-11-12T20:28:00.000-05:00

There is a striking wall in Washington DC honoring those in the US military who gave their lives while serving their country during the Vietnam war. I was fortunate enough to see this memorial wall when I visited DC several years ago. It is very difficult to view this wall without welling up with emotion. So many names, so many grieving families.
There is not a single name on the wall that I recognize. The war ended a year or two before any of my friends and classmates were old enough to be eligible for service. And yet, unexpectedly, tears came.

A much smaller "traveling memorial wall" has been touring the country. It is in my town for 5 days. I went to see it this afternoon.

Again, the tears fell. This time, it was not unexpected.

Bibbies

2010-11-12T07:04:00.002-05:00

Made some baby bibs for Touching Little Lives. They still need snaps at the neck. We have some volunteers that come to our monthly workshops that we affectionately call "Snappy Ladies" who man the snap attaching machines. They will snap these lickety split.

Can you guess which ones are my favorites?

Yup! The froggy ones.

Thanks Stephanie for dropping off a bunch of cute flannel fabrics for me to use for my charity sewing. I have enough left over for many, many more bibs! I try to sew a bib here and there between my other projects.

Talk at you later! Rumi

Lazy Girl purse revisited

2010-11-09T10:22:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends,
Awhile back I made myself a purse using this Lazy Girl pattern. Read post here.

Well, I like it but felt it needed a couple of changes so I had to tinker a bit with it.

I decided the optional curved bottom was indeed nicer.

The pattern has just an open pocket in the back. I hardly put anything in there since it doesn't seem too secure--I can picture things falling out when I lay the bag down. I decided a zippered pocket was in order.

OK, changed up the inside. Pattern had you sewing elastic directly to the top of the pocket. I decided that making a casing looks much nicer. Pattern has you attaching the strap by sandwiching it between the bag and front flap. As you can see, some of the raw edges didn't get caught up inside the topstitching. In my new bag, I attached the strap early in the process and inclosed the raw edges within the bag--no chance of raw edges hanging out. Again, I turned the flap at a seam and did not cut a turning hole in the flap as the pattern said--who wants a whipstitched slash in the flap anyways!

Inside.

This bag is a Christmas gift for a friend. Hope she likes it.

Monkey Cake

2010-11-02T11:39:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends,
Whew! October sure was a busy month for me. Our son got married on the 23rd and there was so much to do before and after. We had several out of town relatives that came out for the wedding and boy, it sure was great to spend time with them and catch up on family news.
Now that the wedding is over, I can breathe a bit before I'm off and running again getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Haven't done any sewing but I did bake the most adorable cake to take to a Halloween Party. I figured that even the dessert should be in costume!

One boxed cake mix made 2 of these cuties. The monkey "fur" is chocolate rice cereal (in this case Cocoa Pebbles) and I used upside down Rolo candies for the eyes.

Would you like to make your own Monkey cake? Watch the video on the Better Homes and Gardens site

One word of warning though. Make this cake the day you want to serve it. The cereal gets soft and loses it crunch if you make it too far in advance.

Talk at you later! Rumi

DIY win!

2010-10-09T14:34:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends,
Bet you weren't expecting to hear from me so soon after I said I was not posting till November. Well, I received the most wonderful box in the mail today so had to share!
Not too long ago Messy Karen had a DIY wavy wiper giveaway. Those that sent in a picture of completed wavy wipers using her wonderful pattern were put into a drawing and lucky me won! I was thrilled but I had no idea what fabulous things I would receive!

Wow!

Look at all this yummy yarn! Enough to make a bazillion wavy wipers!

Karen included a nice big project bag. Don't you just love the cute birdies!

Also this great scarf pattern. I REALLY want to make this great sampler scarf! May have to bump one of my current knitting projects aside to make this.

Karen also included some great bamboo knitting needles and a package of steel yarn needles.

My head is reeling just thinking of how wonderful this win was! Thank you so much Karen!

Back in Ohio

2010-10-04T09:13:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends,

After spending a week and a half in glorious warm sunshine, I return to a cold, drizzly, gray Ohio. Sigh...

We spent the first couple of days visiting friends in North Carolina (yes, they liked the placemats and napkins), then headed south to Orlando, Florida. I spent the first half of the week nursing a head cold so missed out on some of the festivities but felt good enough by the end of the week to venture out to Universal Studios park. They just opened up a Harry Potter section in June. It's not very big, but fun. Check it out HERE.http://www.universalorlando.com/Amusement_Parks/Islands_of_Adventure/islands_of_adventure.aspx#page=Amusement-Parks_Islands-of-Adventure_harrypotter_wizarding-world-of-harry-potter.html&expID=13-15522&contentID=13-13095&seq=1

Love the "snow" on the roofs. It was really a very hot day! Most of these storefronts were just for looks. Those that were open did a very brisk business! (go check out the shops in the link above) One could spend a lot of money in these shops--and people did! I'm sure Mr. Lucky is glad I am not into "stuff". There was plenty to be had!

Hogwarts.

We drank our fill of butter beer (tasty butterscotchy yumminess) and tried pumpkin juice (pumpkin pie in a bottle), rode the fun rides and ate pasties.

HoneyDukes offered chocolate frogs ($10 each!) and assorted other goodies.

My only purchase of the day. Lemon sherbet drops.

The rest of the day was spent enjoying all the rest of the park.

Of course, there was other vacationy stuff that we did but I won't bore you with those photos--I'm sure you all have loads of similar photos of your vacations.

OK all, now I must apologize for this will probably be my last post for a month or so. My son is getting married soon and I must ready my house for out of town family (read between the lines here, that means, among other things, bringing in a bull dozer to clear out my sewing room so we can put a guest in there; and also evicting our spider friends from the guest room in the basement.) I'll try to pop in and visit your blogs but I don't see much crafting going on here until November!

Talk at you later, Rumi

Placemats

2010-09-24T09:15:00.002-04:00

Hello Friends,
We are visiting friends in North Carolina. I always like to bring a little something to thank them for their hospitality. They live in a community attached to Pinehurst golf course. I'm not a golfer but I understand that Pinehurst is quite a famous golf course. Anyways, here is what I came up with.

4 placemats with a golf theme. I originally thought I would make the entire mat with this fabulous golf balls and tees fabric but decided it would be quite jarring on the eyes. A strip was plenty don't you think?

4 matching cloth napkins to go with.

Here is a look at the placemats that are currently in use at my table.

I made these a few years back. Fun and functional.

Lazy Girl bag

2010-09-19T08:52:00.001-04:00

Hello Friends,

One of the many ongoing project on my list is now complete, Yea! I wanted a hands free bag I could sling across my body but I didn't want anything huge like a messenger bag. I found this Lazy Girl pattern at my LQS.

Cute huh?

My version only has 1 button instead of 3 and I didn't round the bottom.

Could I have made up a similar pattern myself? With better features? No doubt, but I was being a "lazy girl" myself and just wanted something quick. I did change one thing. The pattern wanted you to cut a slit on the underside of the flap to turn it right side out, then whip stitch the slash shut. Well, nix that stupid idea. I turned it at a seam.

This size bag is just the right size for taking to the grocery store for hands free shopping (I can't believe how many women leave their purses in the shopping cart while they are looking at produce etc.) I plan to take this on vacation. It will be nice to not have to worry about keeping track of my purse.

That's all for today. Talk at you later. Rumi

Swap reveal

2010-09-15T06:48:00.001-04:00

Hello Friends,
Remember the sneaky peeky post a little while back. Well, let me show you pictures of that. Mare of Mare's Nest and I decided on an impromtu swap. Here is the fabulous tote bag she sent me.

How great is this! It's quite roomy and just perfect for keeping my knitting projects in. Cute pink balls of yarn adorn the outside and...

Very cute "bubbles" for the lining. I couldn't have been more pleased with my swap gift. Thanks so much Mare!

Now to show you my half of the swap...knitted cotton dishcloths.

Don't you think this looks like a brick wall? It has alot of texture. Now, it is obvious that I am a much better knitter than I am a crocheter. Look at that wobbly job of edging the sides with single crochet. In my defense, it is a rather "bumpy" pattern.

I loved the way this white one turned out. Worked with 5 double pointed needles from the center out.

Center detail.

I also threw in a couple of Messy Karen's wavy wipers. Sorry, I didn't take any pics of those but you know what they look like. They are fabulous! You won't regret buying a few from Karen's etsy site.

Finally, how about that tiny project with pink crochet thread?

A lace bookmark. Needed good lighting and my glasses to knit this one!

That's it for today. Next post is from my sewing room. Talk at you later. Rumi

Samoan Love and Lovely Bees

2010-09-12T08:41:00.000-04:00

Hello friends,
Yesterday was a very good day. We started the day with a moment of silence for the victims of the terrorist attack in New York. Years have gone by but there is still pain in our hearts.

The entire day was not somber though. This wonderful package arrived in the mail from Samoa.
Barb of Bejeweled quilts has an Artfire site and I ordered these wonderful Samoan goodies.

A big fat jellyroll of assorted Samoan fabrics and some yardage to go along with it.

Barb very kindly threw in a lovely charm pack and some additional orange yumminess! Thanks so very much Barb! I want to jump in and start sewing with these but I already have a huge "to do" craft list so alas, this will probably have to wait till the first of the year.

Yesterday was also the 4th annual Honey Festival at nearby Lithopolis. We had meant to go in years past but this year Daughter Lucky and I finally made it there.

We watched beeswax being scraped with a heated knife prior to the frame of honey combs being put into the honey extractor (that big steel drum pictured on the left side of the picture.)

We also saw this brave (or crazy!) man with a bee beard. Yes, all that brown stuff hanging off his face and shoulders are hundreds and hundreds of bees! He was sitting in a mesh enclosure so the picture is not all that clear but it made things safer for us observers!

We walked around and sampled different kinds of honey, had honey glazed salmon burgers for lunch, followed by a scoop of honey ice cream. Vendors were selling all manner of items from tee shirts to lawn ornaments to jewelry etc, etc. I'm not much of a "stuff" person (unless, of course, it involves fabric or yarn LOL!) so this is what we came home with. Things we can enjoy but won't add any clutter.

Two types of honey, lemongrass and CHOCOLATE soap made with honey (yes, they really smell strongly of lemon and chocolate!) and honey infused lip balm.

I hope your Saturday was fun as well. Talk at you later! Rumi

Sneaky Peeky and a win

2010-09-08T10:16:00.001-04:00

Hello Friends,

I have been very lucky lately and wonderful bloggers have picked me for fantastic giveaways. Yesterday, I received this from the lovely Jenny of Elefantz.

Wonderful cotton labels. Oh, now I need to think of a creative way to use these! Thanks so much Jenny!

OK, how about an update on my lace shawl.

Disappointing huh. Did you think I would be farther along than this? Well, you know me, I always seem to have several different projects on needles at any given time.

Like this tiny lace project using size 1 needles and crochet thread.

I also have been knitting for a little swap I am doing with Mary at Mare's Nest.

Here is a little sneaky peeky of that (don't look Mary!)

and this

As for all my non knitting sewing friends, stay with me, I promise to have some sewing projects to show you soon.

Talk at you later, Rumi

Baby quilt and new knitting

2010-08-28T16:27:00.000-04:00

Last year I made a couple of baby quilt tops in anticipation of needing baby gifts at some point. I blogged about them here. Well, my daughter has 3 friends having babies. I knitted items for two of them and the third is receiving one of these quilts. I just finished machine quilting--nothing fancy, just stitch in the ditch and some diagonals and now on to the binding.

Also, some new knitting on needles.

A short while back I bought some lace weight yarn from Caroline of SockPixie. She has an array of yummy hand spun yarn, as well as roving--if you are into spinning yourself, to choose from on her etsy site.

This is what I bought,

Denim colored merino/silk blend.

I usually ball up my yarn by winding it around my hand but with over 1300 yards, I thought it would be too much. What I needed was a nostepinne. Well, ok, I don't own one of those so I went looking for something suitable around the house. Muddler to the rescue! It is usually used to muddle mint leaves for mojitos (yum!) and so I figured I don't want minty yarn or yarny mint so I wrapped it in plastic wrap.

Not having any children around to press into yarn holding service, I used chairs. This is considered an "action shot" of the makeshift nostepinne.

All wound. Now to slip it off the muddler, er I mean the nostepinne.

The start of my new project. This one will probably take MONTHS! so I will update you every so often on my progress. What will it be, you ask?

Well, I can only hope I can do this. Doesn't look impossibly hard so I should be ok. Pattern from the book Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush

Well, that's all for today. Talk at you later. Rumi

Frost Flower Lace Cowl

2010-08-23T19:04:00.003-04:00

Hello Friends,

TaDa!

Picot edge turns out to be a leaf

and flowers

More leaves and flowers

A cowl to wear around my neck when the cold winds nip.

This pattern is by Esther Budd. I found it on Ravelry but she also has the pattern here on her blog. Of course, she made this in 1 day!! Me, it took a couple of weeks!

I used superwash merino wool. It was fun and not too difficult to knit.

Is there anything I don't like about it? Well Esther said it was loose but maybe a little too loose. The top wants to flop over but hey, that's the nature of cowls so why am I surprised.

Overall, I am very pleased at how it turned out.

Now on to some sewing! (and a new project on needles too, of course!)

Talk at you later, Rumi

Peek-O Picot

2010-08-22T20:08:00.000-04:00

Just off my needles. Blocking pins on the picot edging.

Tune in tomorrow!

Cross Stitch

2010-08-15T17:09:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends,

I don't have anything new I can show you yet so thought I'd show you some ancient items I dusted off. I am the queen of UFO's and here is proof!
In the 80's I was really into cross stitch. Couldn't get enough. I gave away a bunch, sold some too but when it came to stuff for me and my little boy, things languished and never got finished. (My poor daughter didn't even get anything started!)

I had the grand idea to maybe make a quilted wall hanging for my infant son with cross stitched sports blocks.

These were made in early 80's

My little boy also liked the Disney movie Lady and the Tramp so I made this to frame and put in his room.

If you can read the date--it says '84. Needless to say, he wouldn't want these now (he is 31 now!)

I also worked on things for me. The stitched part of this measures about 12x12". It still needs some outling stitching before I can frame it. Again, haven't touched it since probably the early 90's.

Another good sized project. I have the female counterpart somewhere as well.

Final one to show you -- until I dig up some more stitchery lurking around my sewing room somewhere.

All of these will go back into their storage place for the kids to dispose of when I am gone (hopefully many, many years from now LOL!)

That's all for now. Talk at you later. Rumi

Thinga-ma Bag

2010-08-11T08:22:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends,

I have an embroidery feature on my machine that is sorely under utilized; mainly because I have not played with it enough to feel comfortable with the whole process--especially the downloading patterns part. Well, the local Husqvarna dealer has free machine classes. They pretty much take you by the hand and walk you through any aspect of learning your machine. Once a month they have an "embroidery Club" session. You purchase a kit that includes the software and printed instructions for that month's project and bring any fabric, interfacing etc. needed to make the project.
The latest project was a pyramid shaped zippy bag with embroidery on all 4 sides of the bag.

The same embroidery pattern is on the 3 sides and the bottom.

There was supposed to be a ribbon tab at the top of the bag but silly me forgot it.

I lined it with a coordinating yellow fabric.

Not quite sure what I will use it for. Maybe a project bag for stitchery or knitting.

I may not make every month's embroidery club session but each one I do attend will make me feel a bit more confident about using my embroidery feature.

Car Seat Blanket

2010-08-06T17:54:00.001-04:00

Hello Friends,

My poor sewing machine is feeling pretty lonely and neglected. I have been having a love affair with knitting lately. Not too long ago, I happened on a yarn sale. I didn't have anything particular in mind at the time but picked up 3 skeins of yellow sportweight. Well, some of that ended up as the baby cardigan I blogged about a few posts back.

Now I have just finished a little blanket to throw over baby when he/she is in a car seat or baby carrier.

Measures about 19 by 23 inches.

Close up. Looks complicated but really quite simple to knit.

Edit: Pattern from Bernat yarns

http://www.bernat.com/pattern.php?PID=3820

Changes I made to make it car seat size: CO 95, increase/decrease 6 sts evenly on the rows above and after pattern body. Happy knitting!

My daughter has 3 friends having babies in the next couple of months. The cardi will go to one and the little blanket to another. The third friend will receive a quilt. Well, guess I had better dust my machine off and get working on the quilt. I made the top last year anticipating a gift giving opportunity. Now to sandwich and machine quilt!

Of course, I'm also on the hunt for another knitting project. I have a partial skein left of the yellow but I think I'll give that a rest and find something entirely different.

Talk at you later. Rumi

I heart Wavy Wipers

2010-08-03T14:05:00.002-04:00

I told you yesterday how excited I was to receive one of Messy Karen's wavy wipers. Well, I promptly printed up her pattern and whipped a couple of them up. I know what all of my family will be getting in their Christmas stockings this year!

They fit in the palm of your hand and are great for wiping up little spills on your table or countertop. Useful for wiping up little faces too and I figure they would be cute little coasters as well! Probably good as little hotpads for lifting hot lids or baked potatoes. Gee, so many possibilities!

Karen has the pattern for this on her blog so it you are a knitter, I think you should get this great little pattern. If you don't knit, Karen sells these on her Etsy site.

Cherry and a win

2010-08-02T16:45:00.000-04:00

Hello friends,
I was very fortunate to receive one of Messy Karen's wavy wipers in the mail today! I am a Lucky Frog indeed! Take a look!

I can't wait it use it. She also gave out this pattern on her blog so go check it out. I know I will be making several of these! Thanks so much Karen!

I also wanted to talk about one of my favorite fruits. Look at these beauties!

This time of year brings a bounty of Ranier cherries! They are a bit pricy but oh, I can't resist!

I also like these cherries! Want another look?

A cute little zippy pouch.

Nice red lining.

Also made this little tote with this cute fabric

Added a recessed zipper

Inside.

That's all for today. Have a sweet week everyone! Rumi

Baby knit

2010-07-23T15:04:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends,

This just off my needles. Yes, yes, it needs blocked but I had to show you straight away.

Too cute huh!

Flowers in the back too!

For a more professional looking version, see this same sweater made by Melanie at Jellybean Angel HERE Thanks, Melanie for sharing this wonderful pattern.

I know there are a few baby showers in my future so this will go in my gift box.

Talk at you later, Rumi

Great Sew In

2010-07-21T18:55:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends,

I had an absolutely lovely day today. Stephanie of Loft Creations invited me over for a day of sewing. I lugged my machine and all that goes with it to her sewing room and we were off and running. I worked on my daughter's quilt as well as a tea wallet and Stephanie worked on her fabulous bags. She is so creative!

I made myself at home and took my shoes off. Glasses of peach iced tea to quench our thirst during all our hard work.

I brought pesto chicken sandwiches and Stephanie made yummy spinach salad to go with it and a lovely berry crisp for dessert. Everything was so yummy, we devoured lunch before realizing that we didn't take any pictures of all that tummy pleasing food! Bad us! Well at least let me tell you the recipe for the sandwiches.

Pesto Chicken Sandwiches serves 4

10 ounces of cold cooked chicken, diced or shredded (about 2 cups)

3 ounces provolone cheese, diced small

3 Tablespoons prepared pesto (or see here for recipe)

2 Tablespoons mayonnaise

4 sandwich rolls

sliced tomato

lettuce or spinach leaves

Combine mayonnaise and pesto. Pour over chicken and cheese. Mix until chicken is evenly coated.

Place lettuce and tomato slices on the bottom half of the roll. Pile on the pesto chicken and top with the 2nd half of the roll. Enjoy.

Oh man! it was a great day. OK all, talk at you later. Rumi

Touching Little Lives

2010-07-18T06:30:00.002-04:00

Well the Touching Little Lives 10 year anniversary get together turned out very nice with about 80 people in attendance. We had a lovely lunch thanks to the wonderul volunteers who brought in all manner of yumminess. Because our focus is babies, the table decorations had a baby shower feel. Take a look at what a couple of our volunteers made.

This "baby bootie" is made from a styrofoam cup!

Side view

Pacifier made from 2 lifesaver mints and a jelly bean.

I also came home with a door prize

A red (my favorite color, so yea!) cosmetic bag. Maybe I'll use it for sewing or knitting notions.

AND, everyone received a cute critter--a frog for me, of course!

All in all, a very good day!

Door Prizes

2010-07-17T07:00:00.001-04:00

Hello Friends,
This afternoon I am going to a get together to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Touching Little Lives, the charity organization that has wonderful volunteers making a multitude of fabulous items to donate to premature as well as needy babies here in Ohio. Having been a preemie myself, I have a soft spot for this organization.
I am a bit chagrined to say that I have been busy with my ailing mother and my fledgling business and not pulling my weight lately with TLL. I must make a promise to myself to set aside a bit of time each week to work on that.
Anyways, I made a couple of little things to donate as door prizes at our get together.

Wish I would have thought to make this cup cozy for Stephanie's recent string challenge.

Matching coaster.

Pieced pin cushion. With a room full of sewers, I think this was a good idea.

Lovely fabric for the back.

Talk at you later, Rumi

Froggy Fun

2010-07-16T06:22:00.002-04:00

Yea for me! Look what was in my mailbox yesterday afternoon; a package from Pago Pago. I won a giveaway from Barb of Bejeweled Quilts by Barb.

Some luscious orange Samoan fabric and a too cute froggy baby quilt pattern.

A closer look at the pattern.

Now what a perfect pattern for little ol' me! Thank you so much Barb, I'm a lucky frog indeed!

Knit Your Bit

2010-07-14T16:12:00.000-04:00

Walter could not be left unsupervised for long so I could not cloister myself in my sewing room this week. However, I could knit some while he was being good. I worked on a charity scarf I was making for the "Knit Your Bit" campaign organized by the WWII museum.

I wanted to use yarn that was both economical for me (but I didn't want cheap, scratchy yarn) and easy care for the veteran who received the completed scarf. This is 100% acrylic by Lion Brand Yarns and is machine washable and dryable.

I love this knitting pattern. It's a variation on a rib stitch and so easy I can knit while watching tv or put it down at any moment (to run and rescue Mr. Lucky's shoes or my hat from Walter, for example) and know exactly where to start back up. For you knitters out there, cast on multiples of 3 plus 2. I casted on 32 for this scarf . Knit the first and last stitch and the pattern in between is knit, knit, purl. How easy is that! Makes a nice stretchy reversable scarf that is very warm. Now to add this to my charity box.

Footnote:

Walter went home last night. He was very glad to see his dad! As for me, I won't miss his drooling or his mischief but I will miss his sweet face.

Granddog

2010-07-09T08:19:00.001-04:00

Hello Friends,
Not much crafting going on this week. Why? We are watching our son's dog while he and his fiancee are on vacation.
Walter (edit: South African Mastiff) is still just a puppy (at 125 pounds!) and really must not be left alone for too long unsupervised. We have already had him in wastebaskets and the like. Just like a small child, when it is too quiet, it is time to investigate!

Here is my handsome boy!

He has his rambunctious moments but he mostly looks like this..taking up alot of space in my foyer.

or blocking a passageway entirely.

Java Jacket 2

2010-07-05T06:55:00.004-04:00

Hi Friends,
Do you remember my Java Jacket post?http://luckyfrogblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/java-jacket.html where I made this cup cozy

Because the cup had straight sides, it was a fairly easy pattern to make up.

But what if your cup was shaped like this? The bottom tapers so a straight cozy won't do.

Darts are the answer.

Lining side

There, that's better.

Matching coaster.

Talk at you later! Rumi

Tea and Tomatoes

2010-07-01T07:15:00.001-04:00

Hello Friends,

I've a little bout of wrist tendonitis so not much crafting until that heals a bit. Did manage to sew a little tea wallet without too much discomfort though. I've seen many tea wallets on other blogs so mine is nothing new and exciting but I'm happy with it. Perfect for a small purse; this one holds 2 teabags.

I put a velcro closure

Inside

Also thought I'd give you an update on my tomatoes.

Regular slicing tomatoes

Roma tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes

Gotta say that that upside down tomato planter is working out pretty good so far!

A parting shot of my out of control mint plant. Attention! Never plant this in your yard, only plant in a container because it will take over your entire yard in nothing flat! Well, seems like Mint Juleps are in order--Yum!

Kiwi Jam

2010-06-28T08:35:00.002-04:00

Hello Friends,

I love kiwi fruit! I recently bought several to make this

Kiwi Jam---Yummy green goodness!

Found the recipe here http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Kiwi-Jam-11522

My changes--only used 3 cups of sugar instead of 4--I don't like my jam super sweet. Added some lemon juice to give it some more zing and added one little drop of green food coloring to brighten up the color a bit.

I also don't have all the correct equipment for proper water bath processing so my jam will live in the refrigerator and freezer instead of my pantry shelf.

If you like kiwi fruit, give this jam a go!

Talk at you later--gotta slather some of this jam on my toast!

Yurt Stay

2010-06-23T20:16:00.003-04:00

Hello Friends,

Tomorrow is my 32nd wedding anniversary. Mr. Lucky and I celebrated a little early. There is a 10,000 acre nature preserve and conservation center a little over an hour away from us. http://www.thewilds.org/ This season they opened up an area for overnight stays in Yurts. We spent last night there. What's a yurt? In this case a fabulously well appointed canvas and wood round tent.

Here is ours, nestled in amongst the trees. How about a look inside?

This doorway led to a bathroom.

Window had no glass, only screening.

What was our view from our Yurt?

Much more impressive in real life. A picture does not do it justice.

Before leaving this morning we went on a 2-1/2 hour open bus tour of about 1000 of the 10,000 acres.

Animals roamed free within vast pasturelands.

Giraffes, rhinos, Przewalskis wild horses, antelopes, zebras, etc.

Persian onagers

Indo-Chinese Sika deer

Cheetahs, wild African dogs and rare dholes were housed in another part of the preserve away from the prey animals. The cheetah's inclosure had a sign that I absolutely loved!

All in all a memorable anniversary. I'd love to go back and do it all again!

Jasmine Lace Scarf

2010-06-13T15:22:00.000-04:00

Hello friends,

My scarf is done! Yea!

Whatcha think?

Closer look

Made with one ball of this.

From this free pattern from Crystal Palace yarns.http://crystalpalaceyarns.com/cpy/patterns2/MMochi-jasmine-scarf.html

Now to toot my own horn a bit. I was very frustrated with this pattern at first. It just wasn't coming out right. I almost gave up on it but took some time to really look at the pattern. Well, found mistakes. No wonder it wasn't coming out! Contacted Crystal Palace yarns with the corrections and they were very nice. The pattern was corrected and now you can make your own skinny little mini mochi scarf! While I'm at it, thank you to the staff of the Black Sheep yarn shop http://www.theblacksheepshop.com/ in Orlando for helping me when I came in with this project.

That's all for now. Must find another knitting project! Talk at you later.

Garden and cables

2010-06-09T08:32:00.001-04:00

Hi Friends,

Today is cold and dreary with rain, rain, rain! Yuck!...I have errands that must be run! Sigh...

On a more cheery note, how about a look at my mini, mini garden.

I am trying this upside down tomato planter this year. There are 3 different tomato plants in here. A roma tomato, a regular tomato and a cherry tomato. We shall see if this works. So far there are a few flowers--Yeah!

Another one of these hanging planters for 30 strawberry plants. So far only a few puny little strawberries but they were tasty!

I found these tiny tiny tomatoes. Micro mini's I think they were called. Well, had to try them!

My tiny patch contains 2 sweet banana peppers, 1 green bell pepper, 2 basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, garlic chives and rosemary

OK, how about some craftiness.

As most of you know, I like to knit a bit in the evenings. I am currently working on a skinny little scarf. The pattern requires a cable stitch holder.

This is the kind I have used for years. Ok, but I would often have stitches slip off.

I recently bought this style to try. I absolutely LOVE it!

Here it is in action. Slip your stitches onto it and it hangs securely

knit the next 3 stitches from your left needle

Then, knit the stitches off the cable holder. The shepherds hook style is so much easier to use.

I have a bit more to knit before I'm done but I hope to show you the completed scarf soon!

Tote

2010-05-31T22:18:00.001-04:00

Hello Friends,

Sorry I have been AWOL for awhile. I was busy working on customer orders. I am very thankful for all the business I have been getting locally but I am also thankful to have some time to do some fun sewing now that I have some free time.

I had been wanting to make a fun tote out of some Debbie Mumm fabric. I kinda made up the pattern as I went along. I would make changes if I were to make this again but I am fairly pleased with how it turned out.

I like the front pocket. The opening is where the "flap" folds down. I put a pleated pocket on one side for a water bottle and another pocket on the other side to slip sunglasses (or anything else) into.

Close up of pleated pocket

I put a zipper closure on top.

A peek inside.

I turned the bag inside out so you could see how I did the bottom of the bag. I incorporated a pocket on the bottom to accommodate 2 pieces of plastic canvas cut to fit. The plastic canvas is easily removed when the bag needs a wash.

This will help keep the bottom from sagging too much.

If you look closely at the pic of the inside of the bag, you can see a little of the plastic canvas peeking out. Hmm.. that won't do.

To make it more finished looking, I made a sleeve for the plastic canvas to fit into. There, that's better!

That's all for now. Talk at you later!

Java Jacket

2010-05-02T14:32:00.001-04:00

Hello Friends,

I was reading Linda's blog http://texmorg.blogspot.com/2010/04/woolly-latte-anyone.html recently where she knitted the cutest cozy for her latte cup. Well, that inspired me to take some coffee themed fabric that I had and play around with it.

Cute huh!

Handle side shows my velcro closure

Pretty simple design, really. A little fleece gives it warmth power!

I'm left handed. For righties, the tab would go on the opposite end. Not that it really matters but you don't have the tab facing you that way while you sip your cup o' Joe.

Matching coaster completes the set.

Talk at you later! Rumi

2010-04-28T15:49:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends,
     Sorry I have been AWOL for awhile. My attentions have been diverted lately and I haven't done much that I can blog about. I did have one finish though.

   I usually do a bit of knitting most evenings while winding down from the day. Some days it's only for 10 or 15 minutes but rarely more than 30 or 45. It takes a long time to get anything done but by golly, those 15 minutes add up and eventually I have a finish.
   I found some yarn a couple of months back that had some lovely colors.

It's not a yarn of great quality but fun so I bought it. It was a pretty big skein; 621 yards for about $8.

This is what I made with it.

Here is Daughter Lucky modeling my new shawl. (Little Farrah is unimpressed) Of course, it's too warm to wear it now but should keep me toasty next fall.

OK, all, that's it for now. Talk at you later. Rumi

Apron

2010-04-10T10:43:00.000-04:00

I never cook without wearing an apron. My favorite apron was long past it's freshness dating.

Look at the sad condition of the neck strap.

I have seen simple cotton aprons for sale for up to $40! I figure I can make one for much less using some nice Debbie Mumm fabric. Since I'm making up the pattern, I can personalize it too. For one thing, I want one pocket.

I bought this while living in Japan. It makes really wonderful curves!

You have your choice of 4 different curves. I picked the widest one and placed it 1/4-inch from the raw edges of my pocket bottom. Round the corner by cutting away the "point".

Slide this onto the second metal piece to turn up the hem. I used the tip of my iron to press the curve.

Here is the pocket ready to sew onto my apron.

After it is sewed on my apron.

Ta Da! My completed apron! Do you see that I sewed a short strap on the left side in this photo?

Seems like I am constantly washing my hands while I cook. This little strap is to hang my kitchen towel from. No more searching where I layed my towel. Ha! I've never seen that on a $40 store bought apron!

This was a quick and easy project but I have made more involved aprons too.

This is one I made for Mr. Lucky a number of years ago using a commercial pattern. The body and swim shorts are machine appliqued onto the apron. The swim shorts have elastic at the top and is actually a large pocket.

Chest, complete with chest hairs, are hand embroidered.

Want a peek inside the shorts? Sorry, this apron is rated G!

Tote Woes

2010-04-03T07:17:00.001-04:00

Hello Friends,
Have you ever bought a commercial pattern that just drove you nuts?! I was very frustrated with this one.

The bag itself was a piece of cake. It was the insert that gave me fits.

They wanted you to make a "box" first using timtex stabilizer so it is very stiff.

Then sew on the side pockets. I strained my brain trying to figure out how this is possible. How did they expect my sewing machine to do this? Obviously, I was missing something. I ended up taking the thing apart, sewing the pockets to the sides and then sewing the "box". If any of you have made this pattern, would you please explain how you did it?

Tote inside

With removable insert in place. You can also see the zippered pocket I made (not part of the pattern)

Tote front

From the side.

Turned out to be a huge bag. It will hold everything you would need for a day at the lake or beach.

Happy Easter everyone!

Talk at you later, Rumi

Gifts from India

2010-03-31T06:15:00.001-04:00

Mr. Lucky just returned from a business trip to India. He is not one to do any shopping when he travels so I was surprised when he brought home some gifts.

First, a small box of Masala tea. Very yummy!

A lovely wooden box that looks like a book.

There was a bag of loose leaf Darjeeling tea inside. That is yummy too! I plan to store some teabags in this box.

Finally, a small box of saffron.

Mr. Lucky rarely brings home gifts from his business trips so I can count myself lucky this time.

The last few posts have been non-crafty but I promise the next one will have some sewing involved!

Walter update

2010-03-27T12:15:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends,
You may remember this sweet picture of my son's dog Walter.

This was Walter when he was a few weeks old.

This is him now at 8 months old. He weighs 104 pounds! What a handsome boy! He is huge but still a floppy puppy when he runs and plays.

Walter and me comparing hands.

Curse you, Winter!

2010-03-26T07:57:00.000-04:00

Woke up to this!

Ugg! Can you see the little tufts below my nest spruce. Those are day lilies. Poor little things!

Good thing I have these to keep me company while I cry about winter's return.

Zippies

2010-03-22T06:09:00.002-04:00

Been in a pink mood lately. I dug into my scrap pile and pulled out assorted pinks. Cut them into 2 1/2 inch squares.

Little quilted zippy bag

Other side.

Inside.

Still had some little squares left so made another little bag.

Smaller bag has a wider bottom. I'm going to pop this one in my purse to hold lipstick, eye drops etc.

Talk at you later! Rumi

Book light cover

2010-03-18T15:10:00.001-04:00

Daughter Lucky is an avid reader. She can spend hours in a bookstore drooling over books she wants to buy---kinda like me in a fabric store! She asked me to make her a sleeve for her booklight. This booklight is very cool. It is called a Light Wedge. It comes in 2 sizes, paperback size and magazine size. She has the paperback size.

It's not really smudgy; it's just reflecting the ceiling fan above.

Here it is in action. It lights up the entire page.

Edit: for those who have asked, I bought this at Barnes and Noble book store but can also be found online at http://www.lightwedge.com/

Ta Da!

Velcro closure

She asked that "I heart books" be incorporated into the quilting. Luckily, my machine can do this.

That's all for now. Talk at you later!

Happy St. Pat's

2010-03-17T06:01:00.000-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I don't have a single drop of Irish in me but count me in for wearing the green today!

I truly am a Lucky Frog!

Checkbook cover

2010-03-10T09:08:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends,

I don't know about you, but the convenience of using a debit card has my checkbook languishing on my desk. Having said that, I still wanted it to look good so I made a cover for it.

Lucky frogs, of course!

A friend of mine saw this and asked me to make her a cover too. She loves lighthouses and I had the perfect fabric in my stash.

I'm pleased at how it turned out.

Here it is on the inside.

OK, I'm sure you're tired of seeing my organizers but this special order turned out so cute I had to share.

Don't you just love their little faces!

Here it is on the inside.

And the outside.

That's all for now. Talk at you later.

Organizers complete

2010-03-03T16:16:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends,

Well, I finished a heaping bunch of organizers! Whatcha think?

Here is how one of them looks on the inside.

Two vertical pockets on the left, one pocket on the right and a pen tab.

OK, on to other things...

Organizing organizers

2010-02-21T07:41:00.000-05:00

When I was in college, I spent my summer and winter vacations sewing for a company that made ladies fashion tee shirts. It is there that I learned the value of sewing in an assembly line. Tee shirts would arrive from the cutters in big bundles. Sewers in the back row would start by binding the neck edges then passing the bundle on to sewers in the row ahead who would bind the sleeves. Other sewers would sew in the sleeves and yet others would sew the side seams and finally the bundle would make it to the hemmers. The goal, of course, was to move as many bundles from the back to the front of the room by day's end.

I use this assembly line method when making quilt blocks and I am currently using it to make organizers. I received several orders recently and decided I could sew more efficiently this way as opposed to making them one at a time.

I cut out all the fabrics for the organizers and bundled them. I also cut all the fleece and interfacing that I would need.

Here are the covers with fleece ironed on and ready to quilt.

And the lining and pockets with interfacing ironed into place.

Now I can start sewing by color--all the ones that can be sewed with red thread, for example, then with blue and so on.

OK, now onto sewing! Talk at you later!

Germ Blaster

2010-02-16T06:33:00.003-05:00

Hello Friends,

It seems that anywhere you go nowadays there are bottles of hand sanitizers out. Well, with H1N1 and the the ol' run of the mill flu and cold germies floating about you can't be too careful. I prefer to wash my hands with soap and water but what to do when out and about with no sink in sight...
I was forever digging into the bottom of my purse to find my little bottle of hand sanitizer. Well, gang, I got tired of that and decided to do something about it. TaDa! My solution.

I made a holder for my 2 oz bottle of Purell. The bottle is inserted upside down so the flip top pokes out through an opening. No need to wrestle it out of the pouch when I need to use it. Decorative button on the flap hides a velcro closure. Fully lined and with a hang loop on top.

Now I can hang it on my bag and it is easily accessible.

Winter yuck

2010-02-13T09:30:00.000-05:00

I am sooo sick of snow and winter in general! Spring cannot come fast enough! Uggg...

Here is Daughter Lucky helping me shovel our driveway.

There were a few bright spots in my day yesterday though. Stephanie of Loft Creations invited me to a lovely lunch at her home. I didn't bring my camera but you can see all the yumminess at her blogsite. Thank you Stephanie! (and Abby too for all the wonderful puppy attention I got!)

Daughter Lucky invited me to the ballet last night. The Columbus BalletMet put on Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream. We braved the cold and had a wonderful time.

Lastly, we got a Valentine's day card from our son and his lovely fiancee. The front of the card has a puffy frog with googly eyes. Well, as you can see from the torn envelope that the card went through some wear and tear at the post office. Apparently those googly eyes were poking the envelope just enough to get caught in whatever mechanism the post office shoots mail through. Both eyes were ripped horribly off poor froggy. I found one in the envelope and precariously layed it back in one eye socket but the other is no doubt rolling around on the post office floor somewhere. Now you know the dangers of sending animals (or amphibians in this case) through the mail!

Remember me?

2010-02-08T09:44:00.001-05:00

Hello friends,
It seems like forever since I last posted. Thank you to all who sent good vibes my way while I took a break to help out my folks. My dad completed cancer treatments and hopefully will receive good news at his follow up appointment with his doctor.

I haven't really gotten much crafting done. Sometimes the "engine" is slow to start up after a long period of disuse. Before I show you what little I have done, let me show you my poor little sweetheart Farrah.

She also had a second bout with cancer and had to go in for surgery. Hopefully, it will not come back a third time. Doesn't she look pitiful in her pink party hat?

OK, on to some crafty bits.

I found this cute pattern on the Paton yarn website so decided to whip it up.

Won't this look cute on the tree next Christmas?

That's all for now. Hopefuly I'll get back in the swing of things and have more to show you in the near future. Talk at you later!

knit cap

2009-12-27T10:24:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends,

I hope your holidays were wonderful. We had a wet Christmas day but who cares! It was Christmas!

2010 is looming right around the corner and hopes are high that it will be a great year.

I have not had as much time to craft lately but did find time to knit this pretty roll brim hat. Please pardon the makeshift hat stand.

I like the way it looks from the top. The decreasing stitches used to shape the top makes a nice swirl pattern.

My father is currently going through cancer treatments and there is a basket of donated hats in the waiting room for ladies going through chemo threrapy. Add one more.

Holiday Houses

2009-12-05T09:16:00.001-05:00

Hello Friends,
I have not been doing much crafting lately while I tend to my family but I do want to share something I made last year.

Oh, who is this handsome fella? He's actually a wooden pin. Thank you Stephanie for this clever idea!

Appliqued tree with french knot ornaments and a shiny star on top.

An embroidered Menorah with tiny beads in the flames.

Clear beads around the roofline for Christmas lights!

Add some shiny star buttons and appliqued chimney smoke. A cozy little wallhanging!

This is going to hang on the wall at a Weight Watchers center where I work.

Fall embroidery

2009-11-23T12:23:00.002-05:00

Hello Friends,

We are on the cusp of winter and I am finally finished with my fall wall hanging! Well, better late than never I suppose. Many of you will recognize the wonderful pattern. It was the first Friday Freebie put out by Kaaren of the Painted Quilt.

I love it! I did change it a bit though. Instead of a backstitch, as specified by the pattern, I used a stem stitch ( I think it is sometimes called an outline stitch). For you non-embroiderers out there I basically do a backstitch but instead of butting up against the previous stitch, I overlap halfway. Uses more thread but that is how I learned to embroider eons ago and am comfortable with it.

It will only grace my foyer for a few days this year. Christmas decor will be put up early next week.

On a different note, please forgive me if my postings become less frequent. I have things going on right now that need my attention. I will try to drop by and read your blogs as much as I can as well. I am hoping I will be back up and running full force in a couple of months.

Have a wonderful holiday season everybody! Hugs, Rumi

Shichi-Go-San

2009-11-15T11:45:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends,

In Japan people celebrate Shichi-Go-San (which translates to seven-five-three) on November 15th. While not a national holiday, it is a day for celebrating children ages 7, 5 and 3. Girls age 7, boys age 5 and both boys and girls age 3 are dressed in their finest kimonos. They may be taken to the local shrine and some festivities. Here I am at age 3.

It doesn't look like I am too thrilled with that head thingy. It looks a little heavy.

Talk at you later, Rumi

Little Embroidery

2009-11-11T12:18:00.006-05:00

Remember to go to Barb's quilt giveaway. Picture of the wonderful quilt on my post yesterday!

A little embroidery to show you today.

A sweet little pincushion. I wanted it to have a romantic, nostalgic look about it. I found the perfect fabric in my stash. A little lace and pretty ribbon bow makes it complete.

Quilt giveaway link

2009-11-10T06:19:00.003-05:00

Barb of Bejeweled Quilts by Barb is having a great giveaway. Stop by her blog and leave a comment!

Halloween party and completed quilt

2009-10-31T10:14:00.000-04:00

Who is this ravishing creature? Why, it's Edna from "The Incredibles" movie. So stylish don't you think? Mr. Lucky spent alot of time sprucing up the basement for our Halloween Party. Here are some of our party guests.

Not all goulish goings on at our party. Look at these fabulous cake balls I made using Bakerella's recipe. Yummy looking huh! Well, they were delicious and a big hit with our guests! Thank you Bakerella!

OK, back to quilting. Here is the completed quilt that I posted about last week. The same quilt I posted about waaaay back in July. The machine quilter took 12 weeks to get it back to me. Hmm...must find another quilter for next time.

Here is DD holding up the quilt in our backyard. See her cute feet!

Closer look.

And the back. I was a bit dissapointed that the quilter didn't center the backing a little better but not having any personal experience with longarm quilting, maybe I am being too picky.

I made this for my DD to give to her good friend as a wedding gift. Well, they liked it so I am pleased.

Talk at you later. Rumi

Happy Halloween

2009-10-28T06:56:00.000-04:00

Witches on a broomstick flying real fast
Ooh Ooh, Ooh Ooh, Halloween at last.

I cannot take credit for that brilliant piece of poetry above. It is actually words to a song that my daughter learned when she was in Kindergarten. Yes, that is the entire song. Easy for 5 year olds to remember. Sorry for the crooked shot of my little Witchie Poo.

Happy Halloween everybody!

Autumn Splendor

2009-10-26T07:21:00.000-04:00

I both love and hate autumn. My yard has a bazillion trees. Look at the lovely fall leaves!
Ok, now look at my lawn!

Time to break out the rake. This time of year, raking leaves is almost a full time job! Well, I get some great exercise and my compost pile is happy as well so I guess I can't grumble too loudly--but I want to!! Waaah...

Boobie Cookies

2009-10-24T10:05:00.000-04:00

Have you been to Bakerella's blog? There are some yummy things going on there. Awhile back she posted a recipe for Cowgirl cookies. Click here to see the post. Well, I had to try them. With October being breast cancer awareness month, you can easily find pink M&Ms in the stores.

OK, so here's the story. I didn't realize until it was too late that I had purchased peanut M&Ms instead of plain. Oh what to do. Do I turn off my oven and dash to the store for the correct candy or do I just make do with what I had? Well, I made do.

They were delicious! The peanut M&Ms seem like a good pick for breast cancer awareness month don't they? I rename this batch to be Boobie Cookies.

Pumpkin Pin

2009-10-21T09:31:00.002-04:00

Hello Friends,

Nice crisp fall weather calls for a cute pin to wear on your shirt. I made this pumpkin pin a few years ago and love wearing it. Simple, really. Quilt a little pumpkin shape then pink the edges with your pinking shears. Add a narrow ribbon piece for the stem and couch a little vine. Glue a pin to the back and it's ready to wear. Mine is getting a little frayed so I may have to make another but it is good enough to wear today!

Binding corners

2009-10-18T08:49:00.003-04:00

When I first became interested in quilting, I had neither the time or money to attend quilting classes so I taught myself to quilt by reading quilting books and magazines. I tell ya, there is some bad information out there to trip up the novice. For example, attaching binding. One source said to use 4 strips. Bind the top and bottom, then the sides.

OK, granted, mine looks very much worse than the book sample but I know now that this is not the way to bind a quilt! What terrible corners! This is how I do corners now. Do you do the same or do you have a different method that you like? First off, I do not trim my backing and batting until after I have attached my binding. I find this cuts down on the backing buckling while I sew the binding. The pin is placed 1/4-inch from the edge of my quilt top. Sew to this point and stop.

With the needle down, pivot the quilt clockwise. sew to the edge of the binding then backstitch.

Now turn the quilt 180* so you are in position to continue sewing the binding.

Line up the binding to the quilt top.

Backstitch and continue sewing your binding.

Once all my binding is sewn on, I trim the batting and backing even with the quilt top and binding. When you flip the binding to the back of the quilt, you get nice corners. By the way, for instruction on how to flawlessly finish attatching your binding, go to Stephanie's great tutorial on this subject! Now onto hand sewing the binding to the back.

I received this thread conditioner (along with other wonderful items, including yummy Samoan fabric!) in a giveaway I won from Barb at Bejeweled quilts by Barb. Like beeswax, it coats the the thread. Less thread tangling. Oh, must mention that it is resting on one of the wonderful coasters Jane sent me for participating in one of her block swaps. Love them! (ok gang, I keep trying to hyperlink you to Jane's blog but blogger is being fussy! Go see her at janesfabrics.blogspot.com)

A traditional over the finger thimble was always awkward for me. I discovered this ring thimble while in Japan. It fits right under the first knuckle of your finger.

You push the needle through the fabric like this. While I haven't seen metal ring thimbles like this in local stores, I have seen leather rings with a dimpled metal section. Maybe if traditional thimbles are not for you, you can give this kind a try. (yes, I know I should be using black thread but I didn't have any and didn't want to drop everything to run to the fabric store. The white thread forced me to really work at making my stitches invisible!)

OK, here is the completed corner. Much better than that first quilt corner I showed you! Alright, back to stitching the binding. I'll show you the completed quilt next time.

Talk at you later. Rumi

Indiana getaway

2009-10-14T08:55:00.002-04:00

Hi All,
Mr. Lucky and I drove over to Indianapolis, Indiana for the weekend. Here is a shot from our hotel room window on the 10th floor. I believe it is a picture of the capitol building.

Also out that same window. Beautiful building, don't you think? Wish it was a bit clearer for you. Never good to take pics from a window; especially at an angle.

Panning down the same building.

Ok, why were we in Indianapolis? To go to the King Tut exibit at the Children's Museum. Of course, we were not allowed to take pictures of the exibit so no pics, sorry. I will tell you that it was very neat and I enjoyed it alot.

The museum was 4 stories tall and this massive Chihuly glass sculpture ran up the center.

Here is the middle

The top

And looking down to the bottom. Very impressive in person!

Indianapolis is a great town to visit. Saturday night, we had dinner and a pint at Rock Bottom Brewery and Restaurant then listened to a blues band at The Slippery Noodle. There is quite a good night life scene there. It was a fun time. Once again, I didn't take pictures so you'll have to take my word for it.

OK, next time I hope to show some craftiness. Talk at you later. Rumi

I'm back

2009-10-05T00:32:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends,

We came home yesterday from a lovely trip. Mr. Lucky, our daughter, 2 friends and I started our vacation in Pinehurst, North Carolina. The boys played golf and the girls went into town for some shopping (mainly window shopping--I'm not a big shopper). I didn't bring my camera to town but did pick up a tourist's map. Pinehurst is a very pretty little village.

A couple of days later we headed south to Florida.

Mr. Lucky and I with Goofy at Disney Epcot. Do we look like tourists or what!

Great little "chef's band" These guys drumed on all kinds of kitchen utensils and were great fun to watch.

We also took a road trip to Naples and Ft. Lauderdale but sorry, no pics to show you.

Most of the trip was spent relaxing in the wonderful Florida sunshine. I did have time to get quite a bit done on Kaaren's Sept. freebie stitchery. I'll show you once it's complete. In the meantime, I thought I would share a tip with any new stitchers out there.

Many stitchery projects call for 2 strands of embroidery floss. What I like to do is take one strand of floss that is twice the length I need (about 35" is what I like to use).

Fold in half and pass both ends through the eye of the needle.

Take your first stitch but don't pull all the way. Come back to the underside and slip your needle through the loop.

When you tug to secure, you have a neat little starting point with no knot. This trick is wonderful for your cross stitch projects too; no more having to secure the ends in your first few stitches.

OK, all. Will talk at you later, I've still got unpacking to do! Rumi

Old trick, new dog

2009-09-25T06:30:00.003-04:00

When you sew something right sides together then turn it right side out, it can sometimes be a chore to iron the seams flat--especially when batting, interfacing etc. is involved and wants to puff out. Here is my solution. I take a scrap piece of fabric (I like flannel) and fold it once or twice. Put it on a coolwhip or other plastic lid and add water. The lid has a well to catch any excess water. While ironing your item, wet your fingertips on the flannel and it will give you traction to beat that seam into submission!

Here is one of my organizers right after turning. See how puffy it is? That water trick really helps!

Now it's nice and flat and ready to topstitch.

Ta Da! Sew on my button and I'm done.

OK, that's the old trick. Here's the new dog.

Meet my new granddog, Walter. He is a South African mastiff and is just a couple or so months old. Full grown he will be about 150 pounds. My son has a small house so he should be constantly underfoot by then. Right now he is just a sweet, floppy puppy.

I will be gone for a little over a week on vacation. I'll catch up with you when I get back!

Lace scarf completed

2009-09-20T08:24:00.001-04:00

Another knitting project off the needles.

Close-up.

Into the Christmas box. OK, now to find another knitting project.

Tailgating bag

2009-09-15T06:54:00.000-04:00

My friend's son CJ is a huge fan of our local professional soccer team, the Columbus Crew, and enjoys tailgating before games. He asked me to make him a bag to hold 2 small propane tanks for his portable gas grill. He wanted a pocket or two for other misc. items and it to be in black with yellow trim since black and yellow are the team colors of The Crew. Well, as with any other custom order, I had to mull it over for awhile to get the right pattern in my head.
This is what I came up with. I used black denim for the body of the bag. For a neat effect, I put in a zippered diagonal pocket on the flap. Yellow zipper of course. Parachute clasp for closure. Also adjustable web strap with another parachute clasp.

With the flap open, another zippered pocket with yellow trim. You can also see the key fob I sewed in the side.

This was the trickiest part of making up the pattern. How to include a divider so the 2 propane tanks don't bang against each other. This part really burned up some brain cells! (thanks Stephanie for helping me brainstorm!) First off, I used denim covered timtex stabilizer for the divider. Attached the divider to 2 seams in the front and back of the lining. The divider is not attached to the lining bottom. In fact, I left about a 1/2-inch space at the bottom. Enough space to put in a piece of plexiglass for stability (can you see light reflecting off the plexiglass?)

I installed a 3-D zippered pocket on the back of the bag.

Both sides of the bag have pockets with elastic tops and pleated bottoms. Great for carrying water bottles.

Whew! Well, I'm pleased at how it turned out. Hopefully, it will work out well.

That's all for today. Talk at you later. Rumi

Lacy scarf and more basil fun

2009-09-09T12:37:00.008-04:00

Well, the local weatherman is predicting frost by the end of the month. I must do more with that basil before frost turns into a black yucky mess. OK, I rinsed my basil leaves well then stacked them on my cutting board with a large leaf on the bottom. I rolled it up tightly cigar style.
I sliced it up thin and then ran my knife a couple of times in the opposite direction (that part not shown but you know what I mean)

Next I placed them in a couple of ice cube trays and filled it up with water. Into the freezer they go.

Next time I am making spaghetti sauce or anything else that I want basil in, I just pop a frozen cube or two into the pot--no need to defrost, it will melt in the pot.

While I'm at it, let me give you one of my favorite pesto recipes. Easy and delicious! This makes enough for 4 sandwiches.

Mix about 3 tablespoons pesto with about 2 tablespoons of mayo (adjust to your tastes)

Add about 10 ounces of shredded or cubed cooked chicken and mix until the chicken is well coated with pesto goodness.

Grad some good bread and pile on the chicken. Add a slice of provolone, a slice of tomato and some lettuce to each and enjoy with 3 of your friends.

Now onto some knitting!

I bought some lace weight yarn at the knitting convention in June. I had never knit with this weight yarn and quite frankly, I was afraid to. The yarn is so fine that it is akin to knitting with spider webs. (ok, a bit of an exaggeration but it is very, very fine!)

Well, I took the plunge and bought some--I couldn't resist this lovey blue! My fears were unfounded. Yes, it is a bit tricky getting used to working with lace weight but it was not the impossible feat I had anticipated. Here is the lovely scarf I am making. This is slated for a Christmas gift.

Can you see a thin red line almost halfway down the photo. That is red quilting thread. Mary Grace of Hooked on Needles posted that neat trick recently on her blog. She called it a "lifeline". I have been knitting for years and did not know about this fabulous trick! You run a thread through your stitches at the beginning of your repeat rows. My scarf pattern has a 16 row repeat. At every "row 1" I weave this red line through with a large eye yarn needle. That way, if I make a horrible mistake or if the project should slip off the needles, I can unravel to the red thread and know that that is row 1 and I can pick up from there. Knock on wood, I have not had to use that lifeline but it is nice to know it is there, just in case!

That's all for today. Talk at you later! Rumi

Birdie, revisited

2009-09-05T07:28:00.001-04:00

Yeah! I had some time to work on my birdie quilt. Here is a pic of the top corner.
Ta Da! Whatcha think? Several people suggested that instead of a narrow white first border, I should pick one of the colors in the quilt. Good call people! I like it! I decided to jazz it up a bit in the corners by using some more of the birdie fabric. (ahem, this decision was easy to make since I was a tad short on the blue border fabric.)

Now comes my least favorite part--putting it together and quilting it. Hopefully it will not languish in my UFO pile!

Talk at you later. Rumi

Pesto

2009-09-03T15:39:00.001-04:00

My 2 basil plants have done very well this year. Look at all this! I must make a dent in it! How about some pesto! I'm making a double batch so I need 4 packed cups of leaves.

Be sure and look on the backsides of the leaves. Those pesky insects!

Well, not a big dent in my plant but a dent none the less.

The stripped stalks go into the compost bin out back.

I gave the leaves a good rinse and patted them dry with kitchen towels.

Next I toasted up some pinenuts in a skillet. Don't walk away while toasting them; they can burn in the split second your attention is diverted! Mmmm, smells good in here!

Whirl up in the food processor along with fresh garlic.

Mix in the freshly grated parmesan cheese.

I put the pesto into ice cube trays and freeze them. When frozen solid, I pop them out and put them into zip top freezer bags. I'll take out as many as I need for a recipe.

I made enough pesto to fill 1 1/2 ice cube trays.

Yummy!

I got this recipe from the food network. Here it is for those of you who are interested.

Giada's Pesto

2 cups fresh basil--packed

1/4 cup pinenuts, toasted

2 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/3 cup (approximately) extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

In food processor pulse everything except olive oil and cheese until finely chopped.

With the food processor running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth and thick consistency.

Transfer to a bowl and stir in parmesan cheese. Season with more salt and pepper to your taste.

Can be made 2 days in advance. Store in the refrigerator.

Note: This tends to turn dark after being exposed to the air so if I am not freezing this, I will put the pesto in a container and place plastic wrap directly on top of the pesto to seal it from the air.

Winter Scarf

2009-08-28T09:39:00.000-04:00

Not too long ago Jodie of Jelly Wares posted here about a great scarf she knitted. Well, I liked it so much I thought I would give it a go. (It took Jodie 3 nights to make this! Me, much, much longer!) This is knit with Berroco Sox yarn (75%wool and 25% nylon) that I posted about here. The pattern calls for 2 different colored skeins of yarn that you alternate every 2 rows. Well, I didn't do that. Only used the one skein.

Look at how wonderfully it striped! While an easy scarf to knit, it did start with a provisional cast on that I had never done before so I learned something new. See that vertical line running straight up the middle of the scarf? At the very top of it is where I started with 3 stitches on my needle. I increased 4 stitches every other row until it grew into the size I wanted. I could have kept on going and made a shawl!

I had my daughter model it for me. This will be great to keep that chilly air at bay around my throat and upper chest when wearing a jacket or blazer. I may make another for a gift but this one is for me!

OK, another knitting project off my needles. Time to put another on! This time, a scarf made with lace weight yarn that I bought at the knitting convention in June. I'll show you my progress on that scarf in my next post.

Talk at you later, Rumi

Spring scarf

2009-08-24T15:42:00.007-04:00

Hello Friends,

Well, I have spent my days sewing for others but the evenings have been my time to catch up on my knitting. I have several knitting projects going at any given time and as I finish one, I pick up another. Eventually, things do get done. My latest finish is a lacy spring scarf/stole that I started a few months back. I posted about it here. Knit in a fingering weight wool, this light airy scarf is perfect for those cool spring evenings. I love the soft green color too!

Here is a close up. Into the Christmas stash it goes.

Samoan Treasures

2009-08-20T15:00:00.002-04:00

Hello friends,
Thanks to everyone for their suggestions for finishing my baby quilts. I liked all the suggestions so what's a girl to do! Well, I think I will finish each quilt differently. I was lucky enough to receive orders from several customers this week so have not had too much time for personal sewing. Hopefully in a few days I will have some sewing to show you! Maybe some knitting too!

OK, now on to the good stuff!
I am truly a lucky frog! Look what was in my mailbox today! Samoan goodies that I had won on Barb's giveaway. If you haven't been to Barb's blog, go now. You will be glad you did! Triangles on a roll, a package of quilt fuse, lovely pins and a thread conditioner.

Beautiful samoan fabric that I had been drooling over whenever I saw the wonderful things Barb was making out of them. The light blue fabric in the upper left is canvas--can't wait to turn that into a tote! Thank you, thank you Barb!

Birdie quilts

2009-08-13T06:15:00.000-04:00

Hi friends,

Here is what I am working on right now. Aren't these cute little baby quilts!

I think I will add a dark blue border. Hmmm, I think they need a narrow border first. What do you all think? White? I wish I had enough of the birdie fabric for it.

I just love this little birdie and ladybug fabric. Look close, there is even a tire swing hanging from a tree!

What am I going to do with these you ask? Well, one will go to Touching Little Lives and the other will either go to my Etsy shop or be set aside in case I need a baby gift one day.