Firefly Cabled Socks

My Firefly Cabled Socks are finished...just in time for fall!  I love how these worsted weight socks fit and they will be perfect for keeping my always cold feet warm this fall and winter!

For those who were wondering if I had any tension issues while knitting the socks and the blanket at the same time...I haven't noticed any difference in either project!  I suspect that I was made to believe that there would be problems to get me to finish one project before starting another...I guess it worked for awhile!

Labels

Do you label your quilts?  I know all the reasons why we should label our quilts, but I rarely do unless it's required for some reason.  I guess I'm just lazy that way.  These quilts needed labels because they are going to be displayed at the Glenn Curtiss Museum with some other select quilts from the Out of Line Quilters.  Quilts will be on display at the museum from September 13 - November 4.   

A First!

I did something over the weekend that I have never done before...I started another knitting project before my last project was finished.  I've always heard that it's not good to knit more than one project at a time because your tension changes from project to project and the difference will be able to be seen in the finished items.  I have no idea if it's true or not, but it sounded plausible, so for that reason I've always just knit one thing at a time.  However, I needed something to work on that took a little less concentration than the cabled socks that I'm am knitting now and decided to throw caution to the wind and cast on a simple baby blanket.  This will be the perfect project to work on when I want to think about something besides what I am knitting.  I guess the tension theory will be proven one way or the other once the blanket is finished!

Silent Sunday

Finished!

Little Miss Five's quilt is finally finished and has even been crib tested and nap approved!

Quilter's Trading Cards 2

We traded our quilter's trading cards at last night's guild picnic and look at how different they all are from one another!  I love each and every one!  I now have them displayed on the design wall in my sewing room...they are tiny reminders of all my quilty friends!  

Quilter's Trading Cards

This is one of those little projects that needed to be finished up...quilter's trading cards for tonight's guild meeting.  They were fun to make, but the project turned out to be more time consuming than I thought it would be...I am glad that not all 150 members signed up to trade cards or I would probably still be stitching!

Silent Sunday

A Little Quilting

It's been a busy week of baby snuggling, and gophering at the construction site, but I did manage to find some time to do a little quilting on Miss Five's quilt!

Thinking Ahead

Lately my thoughts have been going more and more towards modern quilts, so on a recent trip to one of my favorite quilt shops I stocked up on some ash gray, snow white, and eggshell solids.  I have plans to use these in several different modern quilts, but first I have a baby quilt, curtains, and a couple of other little projects to finish!  It seems like my "to sew" list is always longer than my actual sew time allows!  Does anyone else have that problem?

Close, But Not Close Enough

The baby's quilt top is done and on the frame waiting to be quilted (pretty good progress if you ask me), but I didn't make the deadline...our new granddaughter was born yesterday morning!  She weighed in at 9 lbs. 13 oz. and apparently she is going to be the only member of our family who believes in being prompt! 

Silent Sunday

Any Day Now

Our fifth granddaughter is due any day and I'm somewhat ashamed to say that the only thing I have done on her quilt is purchase the fabrics.  Now I say "somewhat ashamed" because I have already made her two quilts, so it's not like she will be cold.  This quilt will hang on the nursery wall, so it was a little lower on the priority list.  The good thing is that I'm using the Quick Strippie pattern, so it won't take me long to get it done.  Honestly, this pattern goes together so fast that I could probably wait until my daughter-in-law goes into labor before starting it and still get it done before the baby comes home, but I don't think I'll press my luck and wait any longer.

A Quilt For A Cause

Awhile back when I was on a mission to finish my unfinished quilt tops, I decided that rather than sending them all off to various charities like I normally do that I would hang on to a few of them for a rainy day.  Recently it rained.  I got word last week from a friend that she had lost a dear friend to breast cancer and  was planning a benefit in her memory.  I asked if she could use a quilt for the benefit...she was thrilled with the suggestion.  I put a label on the quilt, boxed it up and it's now on it's way to Cincinnati, Ohio to be part of a silent auction that will benefit The Pink Ribbon Girls in Pattie Noel's memory.  I would have never been able to put together a quilt on such short notice, so I'm glad that I had a few quilts set aside for just such an occasion.

To read more about Pattie and this event visit Tami Boehmer's webpage at www.tamiboehmer.com

To learn more about The Pink Ribbon Girls visit www.pinkribbongirls.org

In case any of you live in the Cincinnati area and would like to attend the benefit, you can find all of the details HERE

Chocolate Zucchini Loaf

Zucchini bread or cake?  I guess it could be either, so let's compromise and call it a loaf and that way you can eat it with your meal or save it for dessert! 

Chocolate Zucchini Loaf

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350F; lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla. Add the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, mixing until well combined. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan; sprinkle a few chocolate chips over the top, if desired.  Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before turning it out of the pan onto a rack. Cool completely before slicing.

Silent Sunday

A Deal On New Curtains

Not only have we been helping to remodel our son's new home, but we have been doing a little work on our own home too.  Most recently we added new doors on our front porch and of course one thing led to another and I decided that I needed new curtains for the porch windows and doors.  My husband said to just buy new curtains and wasn't convinced that I could make them cheaper.  This proves that I was right...I got 8 yards of red check homespun at Joann Fabrics and with an assortment of coupons, it cost just over $30 and that includes the matching thread!  Definitely cheaper than buying curtains, but probably not faster...no telling when I will actually get them made!