whats gotten done today?

Nothing except a little knitting and working on the computer. I guess it's time. Heading to Powder River tomorrow that should be kind of fun - Hubby's coming with too.

Wow -I think I'm in trouble :)

Of course none has too much going on - the only question is who doesn't. A few weeks ago I reorganized my sewing room and love the result. now if I could just find anything. I try to use common sense when putting things away, like logically asking if I were needles where will I be used the most? Then the next time I need them it takes me a half hour to find them. Waiting for the ah ha moment and then away I go again.

I've been working on a baby blanket made with minki on one side and fleece on the other - quilted with decorative stitches off my machine. It's kind of cute. My niece started out helping me about 4 years ago. I just took her word that she knew what she was doing - but she didn't. I worked on it for many sessions unsewing the whole thing. There are holes and it's stretched out. The biggest problem is it cost over $20 for the minki and I'm to cheap to toss it out. So hopefully I'll be able to salvage this one. :)

Next I started going to knit night at "all that Yarn" in casper, WY - what a cute little shop. There is an abundance of help - so I'm jumping in with my first pair of toe up socks on addi 2.5mm 2 at a time. I've never managed to complete any socks, but I'm going to get these done. Ramona started me on a new to me cast on method that is practically invisable and looks great. so far. :) I haven't got the first sock toe increase done yet. The directions are from crazy toes and heals book. Great information, lots of detail an awesome book for someone like myself who is a very visual learner. I'm still having a hard time with the left hand increase - dang hard to see. I guess I'm going to have to get out my magnifying glasses too.

I'm also working on an all wool quilt. It was a kit, but the finished size was more wall quilt than anything else, so I added lots of wool scraps and am making it look very old fashioned. Every block is of a different flower and I'm very satisfied with the overall result. It's on the machine right now waiting to be quilted - using a felted wool backing and no batting. It is going to be lap size and very warm for these cold Wyoming winters.

I'm trying not to buy anything new and working on existing supplies only. For the most part It's working fairly well.

I also have a turning 20 top finished - just waiting to be quilted; a few baby quilts one made with solid flannels for a boy with a very simple four patch design. Really cute. I have two - one for a boy and one for a girl baby quilt tops with very simple design flannel I finished a couple of weeks ago.

At the yarn store I saw an amazing bundle of yarns that change about ever 2 to 4 feet and the ending result was amazing - I'm going to try and duplicate it with my stash goodies.

There are many more UFO's to work, a couple of sweaters, several quilts, and now working on new cami and tap pants. Can't wait to get started on those.

Have ton's of fun and hopefully I'll remember to keep this up to date.

Promoting Your Blog

Promoting Your BlogDo you sewing and crochet and knit and like to meet others with the same things in common? Here is your place to share.

Where are we - Where do we want to be?

Do you ever get so tired nothing seems to work right? I'm not talking about physically - but mentally.  We are constantly bombarded with stuff. Trying to be "better" "smarter" "happier" "thinner" well you get the idea.  Sometimes the same thing can happen with sewing. Trying something, analysising, how will this work, will it work, what will it look like and how can I finish?  I've learned in my case I just need to take the step and do it.  Stop trying to think about it.  The reality is nothing will ever be perfect and we can always find something that could have been done better.  No one who matter will care. 

I just finished making 3 baby blankets, oversized receiving for a little boy, and pieced two baby quilt tops one for a boy and one for a girl.  And, I'm really excited about this one, a wool pieced flower block quilt top with a very old fashioned look.  As soon as I get them quilted I'll photo and post.

My "STUDIO" and other stuff

The other day I finished some cute $1/yard flannel and I planned to make an old fashioned quilt top.  Then I thought it would be better as pj's. I used two coordinating fabrics one for the top the other for the bottom and then switched for hems and facings and added a little bit of ribbon accent for transition areas in the hems. It really turned out cute. Simplicity pattern - not sure of the number but it was one of the new ones, plus size and shortened for petite, but only needed to go about an inch.

I also made a cami using stretch lace for the hems and around the top as well as the straps. For the straps I used 2 pieces of lace stitched together.  No pattern I used a book that took one measurement and talked you through creating the whole thing. I really was a little unsure of how it would turn out, but I love it. For the front V neck I sewed several strips of the lace strips together.

Now I'm looking at my stash and wondering what I can do with lots of little pieces of shear fabrics. Originally I thought about scarfs, but that wasn't working. So I pieced all of the fabric together and cut everything out. The fabric was all over the place. I would have done better if I interfaced before cutting out - live and learn. Still learning after 35+ years.

Today I'm sitting at an open house just waiting for someone to come by - really nice house.

Just getting started

How many of us sewers are out there? I doesn't seem like many. I live in Wyoming and it's all rural, but I would have thought in the larger areas there would be more. It's hard to find someone to talk about something that I really enjoy - sewing. I'm a petite plus size and over 50 :) with what seems to be an ever changing shape. Plus size petite is difficult because hardly no patterns fit. I have started working on some fitting books from sew books that I bought through Amazon as second hand sewing design and pattern making books. Would love to take a pattern making or pattern fitting class, but there doesn't seem to be anything on line or in the rocky mountain area.

I'm hoping to find some people to talk with about these problems. Gain some more confidence and quit trying to make the perfect anything.

Let me know if you are out there and I'll keep up dating something and as much as I can.

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204671,00.htm
This link is for the IRS web site regarding the first time home buyers tax credit of $8,000. This must be your principal residence and you have to keep it for 36 months. Flip houses will not qualify - so unless you want to owe the IRS $8000..... You must also be under contract no later than 04/30/10 and close no later than 06/30/10.

How to make millions by buying and selling real estate on eBay - you have got to be kidding. Things are never this easy. If it were everyone would be a millionaire. There are so many different scams - we want to believe this is easy.

I think this is the bottom line... You have to think and make intelligent decisions about what to do.... And then be willing to risk everything. Look at some of the most successful people in the US. Many of them have been bankrupt or nearly lost everything at least once.