I need to make some bags...

We went to Trader Joe's tonight after the spaghetti dinner and I bought one of their canvas shopping bags. A very nice bag, but $2.99!!! Since I use them more for WIPs than for shopping, I have a little more leeway in what type of fabric I can use.

I went to the Bethesda Quilters' show on Friday. A small show, but some very nice quilts. No vendors at the show, but a super white elephant sale. Big ziplocs of fabric scraps for $1.00 (I got two). Small cuts of fabric for $1.00 each (I got two approx half-yard cuts). One is a cream with white design that just makes my heart go pitter-patter.

I also bought a floor-standing oval hoop for $10.00. Now I just need to shovel the junk off the living room floor so I can use it.

The ugly quilt is almost finished. I have two more hearts to quilt, then about a foot on each end to decide what to do with, finishing the edge, and I'm done. The mid-kid's afghan is almost done, too. Just some edging left. No evil ends to weave in on this one - I'm just crocheting over the ends to finish.

Ravelry

Getting closer...

From Ravelry:

Found you!

• You signed up on July 23, 2007
• You are #19915 on the list.
• 4844 people are ahead of you in line.
• 14350 people are behind you in line.
• 43% of the list has been invited so far

Wahoo!!

A wonderful, wonderful weekend

First the Shaker Forest Festival (info on my food blog).

Most of today we had to spend outside - the little dictator decided that it must be so. It was the best idea anyone could have had. I pulled some weeds, killing my left arm with scratches from the bindweed.

At any rate, the crafty progress consisted of:

1. Getting all of the fabric washed. This was
--the planet fabric for the toddler's quilt
--the fabric for the quilt guild challenge quilt
--pumpkin placemat fabric

2. Buying beeswax at the festival. REALLY helps with thread breakage.

3. Finishing quilting the center motif on the ugly quilt, and starting the edges.
--top:


--back (that's my ancient sewing box on top):


--quilt with Cookie:


--felt heart template (thanks to a tip heart at the quilt guild):


--quilting shows up better on the back:


4. Drawing templates from leaves for a fall table runner:


5. Helping TMOTH refinish our dining room table. (OK, all I did was help carry it outside, but that counts.):
--Sanding:


--In progress:


--TMOTH:


6. Inspiration- not sure what chewed up these walnut leaves, but they sure look pretty that way:

Afghan milestones

The hexagons are all together and the border is done! Now all I have to do is finish tucking and trimming all of the little ends from joining the hexagons. Why the heck I didn't do that as I was joining them I will never know.

I was also able to get a skein of black yarn 40% off at Jo-Ann's today. That should be enough to finish the mid-kid's afghan. It's about half-done now. I managed to make it out of there under $20; surely a minor miracle. I got a yard of cream for the background for our guild challenge quilt, some orange for pumpkin placemats, a couple of clearance remnants, and some big safety pins. Everything on sale! Everything I needed! (Well, except for the $0.34 remnant that will likely turn into a bag.)

The ugly quilt is progressing. I should finish quilting at least the center motif this weekend, even with the busy schedule. Shaker Forest Festival this weekend! WOO HOO!!!

Progress on many fronts-

- Only about 8 motifs and 4 half-motifs until I can start edging the pre-teen's afghan.
- The mid-kid's afghan is about half done.
- I got a couple of new animal prints for the toddler's quilt and finished another block. I bought some cool space fabric to finish it with a couple of weeks ago with a 40% off coupon.
- I almost finished the back for the ugly quilt this weekend - I ran out of light and thread (now I know that it IS possible to run out of white Dual Duty Plus!
- I bought more thread and a bulb for the sewing machine!!!
- I bought a pattern and fabric to make pants. One of my few remaining work pants busted out the zipper last night.
- I bound off the knitting for TMOTH's Christmas hat.

The rotary cutter

is a wonderful tool. I faced my fears yesterday and cut some strips to finish the back of the ugly quilt. I still have respect, though. It's clearly sharp as the devil, and I'm appropriately compulsive about keeping it away from the kids. So far, I've only used it in the bedroom when they didn't even know it existed, and will probably keep it that way.