sao’s Crafty Report – Summer 2010
Posted By drsao on August 27, 2010
Do you remember the OLDEN days when you returned to school and the teacher asked you what you did on your summer vacation? I guess you didn’t have to live in the OLDEN DAYS to remember this!!!
Well, I spent almost two months in Kansas and Missouri – and since I stayed indoors in fancy resorts (University of Kansas Hospital and Lakeview Village – Rehab Center) I had lots of time to read and do hand work.
Here are some of the fruits of my labors….
First – my hand knitted socks – I have decided that my NEXT strategy will be to FIND A TEACHER! After trying a MULTITUDE of different knitting needles and at least 4 different patterns, I have decided to take a class (hey I am GOING to do this! I am more determined than ever!)
sao Practiced Knitting and Unraveled SOCKS - 4 times
Newspaper Bag Rug - Side Two
Newspaper Bag Rug - Side One
I FOUND this small beginnings of a quilt top in a stack of fabric that used to belong to my sister-in-law’s mom and sister-in-law and I decided it would be the PERFECT thing for me to practice my hand quilting on. SO HERE YOU HAVE IT – my first hand quilted quilt that I gave to Abby! Abby is SMALL and I figured that she wouldn’t mind my awkward FIRST ATTEMPT at hand quilting a quilt! And you will notice I took a FARAWAY PICTURE…….for obvious reasons…..LOL
Abby's Hand Quilted Quilt
Daddy and Abby
OK – here is a PEEK at my MODA Pumpkins Gone Wild Hand Quilted Wall hanging – close up. I decided to go with FOLK ART large hand stitches (well, they aren’t that large, really!)…..and I will post a picture of the whole thing when I finish putting the binding on. (Speaking of BINDING, since I have been home I have sewn the binding on “several” quilts – so my binding chair is full. I am going to post a picture when the chair is EMPTY! YEAH!)
Close up of PUMPKINS GONE WILD hand quilting
And now for some HAPPY ENDINGS. I gave Jan, my CA daughter, her lap quilt – MAIN STREET HOUSES! I hope she enjoys snuggling under it – if she EVER HAS TIME TO SIT DOWN!!! 🙂
Main Street Houses for Jan
I also gave Jan her BIRTH OF A SAMPLER QUILT. I made it for her originally but then figured it was presumptious of me to give someone a LARGE QUILT like that without asking if they WANTED it or without giving them a choice in colors or patterns. So I gave her the small lap quilt instead and SHOWED HER the Birth of a Sampler. She LIKED IT and so both quilts found a good home with Jan in Newport Beach, CA! Sherry Whitford – designer of the quilt – has yet another fan! (Oreo, the cat, had to have one last cuddle on the quilt before it went away!) I told Jan that this was a very special quilt because I would probably never choose to have that much fun again – hence this could be my ONLY quilt with a bargello border. AND YES, IT WAS FUN – the first time! :):)
Jan with Birth of a Sampler Quilt
And finally, Grandangel Brennan graduated from USC this spring and he got my MODA SELVAGES QUILT for a graduation present!
Brennan with Moda Selvages Quilt
Happy Graduation Brennan – I am proud of you!
Happy USC Graduation Brennan
HAPPILY EVER AFTER…
Finally – I decided that with 17 grandangels that I should start making baby afghans for my great grandangels……….hey, Brennan is 23 and I probably don’t have that many years before this generation starts to multiply. I order the Pineapple Afghan booklet (the one that Subee used) and started making my first one – blue. I think I made Jan a bit NERVOUS but I assured her that I didn’t know anything that she didn’t know…….but if I get a BOY GREAT GRANDANGEL soon no one will ever believe my innocence.
Stay tuned for a picture………….
OH YES – I did do one more thing – I was actually going to set up a little sewing center while I was in KC – but this potholder is all that I made.
sao's Potholder
- I made this wonky potholder with a borrowed sewing machine – it hadn’t been used for a number of years and I think it needed some lubrication – or something…..oh what a difference a great sewing machine makes! So this potholder ended my machine work while I was out of VA! I was all ready to work on Marge’s summer mystery quilt too but decided to wait until I got home to my beloved BROTHER SEWING MACHINE (the mystery quilt is now on my to do list!)
- In case you might be wondering the potholder is one of the blocks from Bonnie Hunter’s Carolina Crossroads Mystery quilt. I was making my SECOND one when I left for Missouri so the pattern was FRESH in my mind and I used it to TRY OUT the sewing machine!
My, oh my, what an accomplished summer vacation you had, especially when you consider you didn’t have a “vacation” at all!!!!!!! Just so VERY, VERY proud of you as always, job well done, especially taking such great care of your Dad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!