What's On the Needles Now?

I finished my fingerless gloves and they are winging their way to the West Coast, where the weather is more suited to fingerless gloves.

I took a few pictures, before I trusted them to Canada Post.

They look a little odd without hands to shape them. So I will model them for you.

The odd bulge on the right side of the picture is my watch, under the glove.

A glamour shot, showing off the manicure!

Meanwhile, I needed a new project on the needles, so I cast on a rather ordinary pair of socks in some very cool yarn.

I might have to keep these for me. Don't they look like spring time? Good thing we still need wool socks in April! I used a tubular cast on, and I am liking how the top edge looks.
Today, I decided to try something a little more challenging, and cast on a toe up sock.

I love this yarn. It is a hand dyed merino yarn, from Tanis Fiber Arts. I bought the yarn in Halifax, while on vacation a couple of years ago, and it just suited my day, today. In case you missed it, the yarn colourway is Lilac, which is just a fancy way of saying PURPLE!!!!
Note the nice tidy, toe up cast on. It only took 4 tries to get it right. The sock itself will have pretty girlie cables.


I know I am getting tired of winter, since I seem to be drawn to lighter colours in my knitting right now.
Not much sewing today, but lots of knitting. A good way to spend a snowy afternoon.

DaGMT - Day 20

On Monday, I showed some pieces of crazy patch, that I was working on. None of the guesses for what I was making were close. Hard to tell from a couple of scraps of cloth.
I have been working away at them, and they are more recognizable now.

The pieces for the left

The pieces for the right

By now, I think there may be one reader starting to get the idea. (at least I hope she is!)
Here another piece of the project.

I found this in my UFO collection and there is a second one to match. Sometime in the 90's, I bought this pattern.

I did all the knitting, but I guess because I wasn't a quilter at the time, I chickened out on the quilting part.
Though I didn't know it at the time, the pattern is by my friend Cheryl over at the Kingdom of Coco.  I have made some modifications to the pattern, and I hope she will forgive me. I have backed the quilted pieces with polar fleece to make them nice and cozy. All I have left to do is to add the binding to the pieces and sew them into the mitten bases. I wonder why I waited about 20 years to do it.
Although I don't see the pattern for sale on Cheryl's blog at the moment, maybe if you drop her a line, she will find a copy for you.

DaGMT - Day 18

I am falling behind in my posting.

I finished the first fingerless glove.

Still need to weave in the ends, mind you. I took some time out after looking at the picture to redo my nails, since the chips were really showing. (Does that count as needlework?)

I spent some time quilting a vest panel I am making up for a friend. Then I spent even more time picking out the quilting on the vest panel. Note to self: always put the walking foot on, before putting anything with batting in it under the machine.
I have requilted it, but no pictures until I get it finished, since there isn't much to show yet.

Meanwhile, I came across an ancient ufo today, and was inspired to finish it. This is my progress so far.

I like what I have done so far, but you will have to wait to see what it becomes. Of course, you are welcome to guess.

Happy Valentine's Day

Found the recipe here.

Your turn, Cheryl!

DaGMT - Days 10, 11, and 12.

I seem to have lost some of my momentum. Sunday, I sewed some more leaves on my applique block. Those silly little leaves take about 15 to 20 minutes each (longer if I am having a hard time threading my needle.)
Yesterday, I got a request from one of my dear ones to make a pair of fingerless gloves for her friend. Since this person is special to me, and the gloves are for someone special to her, I felt I should get right on it.
I was asked for some in pink and white, and I had some yarn I really like, so I started to knit with it.
As I worked at it, I started to think that it might not be quite what she had in mind.

It looks kind of orange in the picture, but it is really a sort of peachy pink. I sent a picture and was told no, that wasn't what she had in mind.
On to Plan B. She asked for some yarn that I had a couple of years ago, but there isn't enough left in my stash for this project. I had something similar that I hoped would work. My pattern is for fingering yarn and the new yarn is a double knitting, so I am winging it.

I sent this picture off, and it was accepted as what was envisioned.
Today, I celebrated pancake day with my quilting friends, and spent the morning knitting instead of sewing. I did do some marking for some quilting I hope to get to tomorrow.
If I total my time spent so far on DaGMT, and average it, I am well over 30 minutes a day, but I am a bit under for the last two days.

DaGMT - Day 8 & 9

Yesterday, I went to my quilt group at the church. Since I actually threaded a needle and put some stitches into the quilt, I will count that as my effort for the day. The church ladies are hand quilters. Although I can hand quilt, it is not my preferred method, so my skill level is not as high as many of the others. I know I would get better if I practiced more, but I don't see that happening any time soon, since I own 4 sewing machines, and love to use them.

I have read on other blogs about altered books. I haven't been tempted to try (though I heard a rumour that Grandma Coco has it on her to do list). However, today I completed an altered sweatshirt. A friend works at a local high school. When she received the shirt she had ordered for spirit days, it was way too big. So I recreated it.

It is now a cardigan, with a zip front. I shortened the sleeves, then sewed the cuffs back on. I cut the front open and added a zipper. Then I used strips of batik to make facings for the cut edges, so it would look finished on the inside, if she wears it unzipped.

I love the batik I used for the facings, and now I am wishing that I had bought more. Since the shirt was in my UFO box, I am sure that the fabric is no longer available.

Since I like how it turned out, I am wondering if I have a sweatshirt of my own, that I might like to alter.

DaGMT 2013 - Day 6 & 7

I am continuing the challenge, but not managing to blog.

I was recently gifted with a Fabric Mover attachment for my sewing machine. It is suppose to make free motion quilting easier. So on Day 6, I spent about 1 hour playing with it, and figuring out how it works. The jury is still out on how useful it will be. No pictures, because I didn't turn out anything useful.

On Day 7, I spent much of the day making my new foster cat feel at home. The Arts and Socks family welcomes Arthur, foster Cat # 115.

In the evening, I started going through one of my boxes of projects (I admit to having more than one). I found a table runner that needed only a small amount of finishing. I made it in a workshop at the local sewing machine dealer. I think the deal was that we paid $20, and got to try the latest top of the line embroidery machine. We also got to make a table runner, using the machine, that we could take home. I made my runner and decided that I didn't need the machine (I think you can buy a car for less). I brought the kit home and threw it in the box, since it wasn't really my style. I pulled it out last night, and finished it in about 40 minutes. It will make a nice hostess gift, I think.

It is a cold and snowy day, and a good afternoon to cuddle with a cat.

We will use this picture to blackmail Dolly later!

DaGMT - Day 5

Today, I went to lunch with some quilty friends, and worked on some hand applique. I managed to get 3 leaves stitched down. One gets so much more done, using the machine, but the company isn't as good.

Lacking a picture of my work, I'll give you a picture of a kitten, sleeping in a sunbeam! Who doesn't enjoy a good kitten picture!

This is Arnold. I fostered him in October.

DaGMT - Day 4

Today, I finished the borders on my Laurel Birch wall hanging.

And I did my first mitered border...I am so proud!

I also went to my quilt group this morning, but since I spent most of my time visiting, or reading magazines, I don't think I will count that.

DaGMT - Day 3

I am still managing to do some sewing every day. I guess it has only been 3 days, so that isn't a huge achievement.
Today, I have no pictures, because I did a bunch of odds and ends. I have been known to do some garment sewing, and I have a friend that I help out when she can't find a dressmaker for her formal wear. Today, she bought me a dress she had had made over the summer, which had not been fitted properly when it was made. So I did a quick fix on the dress. The inside is not as tidy as it would have been, if I had made the dress in the first place, but at least it now looks a bit more flattering (even better, when she puts her jacket over the dress!)
I also hemmed a pair of curtains for her vacation home in Florida  (at least my sewing is getting out of the cold). I prepared some fabric for the back of a quilt, and washed it (must put that in the dryer!).
finally, I gathered some other mending that I hope to get to later this week.
Not very exciting, but it took over an hour all together.

How about some cheery flowers, for a snowy day!

They are actually from this time last year, but a have a similar pot in my kitchen right now.

DaGMT -Day 2

A block for my tinners group.

For those that don't know, tinners is kind of like a block swap. You put some fabric in a container (tin) and each month the container is passed to another member of the group. Each member makes a block for you, from the fabric in the "tin", adding some from their stash, as required. My group has 12 members, so at the end of the rotation, we will each have 12 blocks.

This one came out a little busier than I expected...hmmm. Am I overthinking this?

DaGMT2013 - Day 1

I wound a couple of bobbins. Then I finished making the borders for my panel and sewed two of the borders on. A good start to the challenge.