Variety!

I have been inattentive to my blog.

Time has gotten away as commitments have dominated my life. This past week I had three medical appointments, work began on changing our screened-in lanai to an enclosed space, and I attended my regular activities. 

With limited bursts of time for working on one thing, I found myself project-hopping.

A lot!

I started knitting another Cupcake Skirt Doll on the 24-peg round loom. 

I did a little diamond painting. (No, I haven't yet begun trying to correct the Ocean sunrise painting. See last blog post.)

Made small progress on hand-piecing Inner City.

I crocheted more 4½" medallions, and need 15 more to begin assembling my Crochet Lacy Motif Top. 

In fits and starts I completed sewing a jumper like those being made by some of the young girls in our local 4-H Club. I'll be wearing mine to the November club meeting. 

This is McCall's 7831 in a size 12. Before sewing, I hand-embroidered a pocket design using a pattern from my digital copy of Aneela Hoey's book Stitch and Sew.

At the September 4-H Club meeting, two women came from the Junk Journaling Club to teach the kids how to make a book. After making the book, the kids were to use it to take notes and write about their experience sewing their garments.

Anyway, as I assisted the kids making their books, I was fascinated by the project.

"Squirrel!"

This week, after a medical appointment, I stopped at Michaels to buy 12" X 12" cardstock with which to make my own book. Unable to find a two-sided print design, I opted for a single color. 

It was fun to be creative! Once I'd folded and made the book cover, I used a scalloped-edge rotary cutting blade to cut fabric scraps to arrange and glue to the front and back covers. I like that the cover interior has two pockets.

At left: The interior "signature" (pages) is an assortment of what I could come up with here at home - a combination of construction paper, different sizes of graph paper, transparency paper, and printer paper for a total of 10 pages that I trimmed and folded to sew into the book. 

At right: Pages are hand-sewn with pearl cotton along the ¼"-wide spine.

Instructions to make a 12" X 12" Quick Journal are in this YouTube video. I'm already using my book to record my morning devotions, and plan to make another book soon.

As fun as these are to create, I am reminded of why I've never allowed myself to try scrapbooking or card-making. I'd be hooked!

Lastely, I completed the Filmstrip Quilt. In an upcoming blog post, I will share a complete tutorial of how I made it.

As of today, I have yet to begin making eight Posh Penelope blocks for October.  

My to-do list is definitely full of variety. Linda

Diamond Painting Kit Update

In early June, I attended my first Diamond Painting Club meeting. It's where I first learned about this interesting hobby - a way to create sparkly pictures with a kit. Diamond painting has been likened to paint-by-number, or counted cross stitch, both of which I've done in my lifetime. Heck, I even owned a counted cross-stitch shop, called The Stitchery Niche, back in the early 1980s, when we lived in Iowa. 

Anyway, diamond painting interests me, so after making my first little picture...

I ordered three kits. The first came from Diamond Painting Pro, and two came from an Etsy shop.

I quickly learned that not all diamond painting kits are created equal.

I happily plunged into a lovely ocean sunrise kit from Diamond Painting Pro, making great progress in about 20 hours of "painting." When I was about one-third down from the top, I noticed that the sun was pink.

Pink! Shouldn't that be yellow?

This is my photo of the diamond painting of the pink sun with one drill removed to check that I was using the color according to the key. I was. 

Close up of the sun.

Color 819 is definitely pink!

comparison photo of website picture, and my diamond painting

I contacted the company who promptly replied that they would send me (at no charge) yellow drills with which to correct the error. I only needed to tell them which colors I wanted. That's when I learned that drills are colored using the same system as DMC colors - just like the floss colors used to stitch counted cross stitch. 

However, not wanting to be the artist designing my own canvas, I asked for a corrected canvas instead. I was assured a new, replacement kit would be designed and sent to me. Three weeks later (that's how long a kit takes to come from China), I received my replacement kit - a new canvas and all 42 drills colors. There was NO YELLOW among them. The sun was still color-coded pink.

That's when I worked out that this company must use some type of digital program to assign colors to a picture. A real artist (person) would not have colored the sun this way. 

So, I again contacted the company, simply to say I was unhappy with the second kit. That's when they suggested they would send me a different kit of my choice, or give me a store credit. I appreciate that they really seemed to want to work out the problem. 

After looking at a friend's finished diamond painting of a sunset, and noting her sun colors, I decided to ask for seven colors/values of yellow drills, AND a store credit. They gave me both.

The drills I received are on the left.

The $56 ocean kit cost me $46.39 (I received a first-time buyer 20 percent discount).

I now have a $20 store credit. 

Diamond Painting Pro has been very fair about trying to correct their error.

Now I have to be the artist of my own painting, removing drills from the sun and replacing them with yellow ones, and I also must determine how to place the correct colors of yellow reflecting across the water. 

That's gonna take some thinking, and work.

Until I'm ready to tackle it I've been painting the palm tree silhouette/ocean sunset painting bought on Etsy. The colors are correct on this one. It's the square drills that aren't top-notch. Many of them are misshapen, or have untrimmed edges that make them impossible to use.

The piece of release paper in the photo is covering the next section I will begin painting. 

With this kit I've had several drills not stick to the pre-glued canvas, even after using a roller on the painted sections, to ensure drills are stuck into place. I Googled what to use to re-glue drills, and bought this Tombow scrapbooking glue at Hobby Lobby. It works! 

Experience is a good teacher, isn't it? You get what you pay for. 

When I've finished these kits, probably not until next year, if I ever want another one, I plan to order from Diamond Art Club. Their paintings are generated by people who are artists, and though their kits are more expensive than others, the quality of the canvas and drills are evidence of their of their worth. Linda

Making While in KC

From September 28 to October 9, I was in Kansas City. I stayed with our daughter, and gave almost full-time attention to my dad who was in a rehab center. I'm glad to say my two siblings, BIL, and I were able to return Dad to assisted living last week.

Being away without a computer made it difficult to write a blog post, or read and comment on blogs I follow. I'll correct that this weekend.

Before leaving, and anticipating down time with Dad and evening TV time with family, I determined I'd travel with several projects. One of them was my Inner City hand-piecing project.

I arranged all the blocks I've pieced on the design wall, positioning darker value blocks along the perimeter with a swath of lighter colored blocks through the center. You might notice I used prints for some of the inside blocks. I have filled-in that one missing block. 

Then I carefully removed several columns of blocks, marking their position so I could begin hand-piecing. The little I accomplished was done mostly while sitting at a Southwest Airlines gate. Only most of the first two columns are joined, but it's a start. 

You might rightly guess that I filled a large suitcase for my 12 day visit. Clothes for two seasons (summer and fall) and yarn took up space and weighed 44 pounds. Yes, each way I had to pay $35 extra to check a bag. 

After much referencing of the "Crochet Lacy Motif Top" instructions and different crochet stitches, I think I've mastered and memorized how to crochet these medallions! I have happily crocheted 34 of the 65 needed for the top.

In the evenings, watching TV with family, I round loom knitted. These two dolls - Tiny Doll (on the left) and Comfort Doll (on the right) - came off my 24-peg loom, and are ready to be donated. I still think they're precious. 

Since I'd used-up my last cone of Sugar and Cream cotton yarn, I bought another one at WalMart in Olathe, Kansas. I knit two dish clothes while there, and gave away both of them - one to Dad's occupational therapist, and the other for my SIL. 

It's good to be at home again to spend time with my sewing machine. First on my list is piecing a backing for the Filmstrip Quilt. 

Needless to say, right now I'm not in Houston, Texas attending the International Quilt Festival. However, a couple friends from Central Florida MQG are there, and kindly shared pictures of Feelin' Groovy, my maximalist quilt that's in the exhibit Modern Quilts: A Twist on Tradition. 

I specifically asked these friends to take a picture of Feelin' Groovy with its neighbor. That's Christa Watson's @christaquilts quilt to the left of mine. 

Also, the International Quilt Festival posted pictures of Feelin' Groovy to Facebook (I'm not on Facebook) and Instagram. I've enjoyed reading the comments, including "Is there a pattern?" Ha, ha. No way. 

While in Kansas City, I made two large batches of salsa using a couple hundred (I'm not kidding!) grape tomatoes from our daughter's one tomato plant. With two teenaged boys, salsa didn't last long!

Today we went to farmer's market and bought Tennessee tomatoes (the ones grown in Florida are not good) so I could make salsa one more time, also using most of a banana pepper, green onions, cilantro, and the juice of two fresh-squeezed limes. I discovered that dipping salsa with Tostitos Crispy Rounds is the perfect yummy combo.  

Linda

Yarn-y Things

Recently inspired by a crocheted top made by my Instagram friend, Debbie @bluebellridgehandworks I was prompted to buy Bernat Softee Cotton yarn to make my own.

This is Debbie's lovely pink "Crochet Lacy Motif Top," a free pattern from Yarnspirations. 

My top will be cream-colored. 

I'm struggling through a few of the crochet terms -  Tr2, CL3, and hdc - but have worked out each by watching YouTube videos.

I made the test block using the suggested H hook and the mean-to-be 4½" square turned out 4" square. I'll be crocheting with a J hook. 

The last project I crocheted was a ripple-patterned Moorland afghan that I finished in August 2020. I use it almost nightly, when sitting directly under the ceiling fan watching TV.

Since I've never crocheted clothing, this could be challenging. Perhaps by the time I've made 65 motifs, and 6 half motifs, I will have it worked out!

"Tiny Dolls" (YouTube video here) continue to charm me, so when I have a couple hours of sit-in-my-comfy-chair time, I round loom knit a doll. Each is knit on a 24-peg round loom and finishes at about 9" tall. 

I can make one from memory now, and they don't take long - maybe two hours, max. It's fun to see how variegated yarns give each one a unique look. All of these yarns are "I Love This Yarn" from Hobby Lobby. I use Cluster Stuff filling, also from Hobby Lobby, which is fluffier than polyester fiberfill.

When I showed my dolls to friends at Big Cypress Quilters, I heard many "They're so cute!" and even saw my friend Julia giving one a cuddle and rock. Precious. 

I'm working on round loom knitted toddler hats too. These are made on a 36-peg loom, and specifically knitted with double-strands of super-soft yarn for children undergoing cancer treatments. I'm using this Knit this hat with me! YouTube video,

I will donate hats and dolls to a local organization called "Nicole's House." Until I can get to a Boomer Loomers meeting to do that, I am especially enjoying having the dolls around.

Whenever my hands aren't otherwise occupied, I continue to mindlessly knit dish cloths.

In March I began knitting dish cloths from a cone of Sugar 'n Cream from WalMart. When I complete a dishcloth, I make a tic inside the cone.  

So I got about 14 and ⅓ dishcloths from a yarn cone. Since I keep giving away dishcloths, and my back stock of finished ones is low, it's time to restock yarn! 

Linda

End of September: Yardage Tracking, Books Read, and a Quilt Finish

After August's abysmal fabric output (.69 yards - sheesh), I am patting myself on the back for a more productive September. 

Incoming fabric totaling ¾ yard is for a modified version of a Clarissa Clutch that I'm pattern testing for a friend. The bright print will be the bag exterior; the tone-on-tone white print (it has Christian crosses on it) will be the interior. This picture is of my shop purchase including interfacing and machine needles. 

More than 10 yards used - out of my cupboards! - is a satisfying total. I'm counting it as good!

Those 10 yards included making the 65" X 70" Filmstrip Quilt top. (See previous blog post.)

I also finished this charity quilt. Between the scrappy pieced quilt top, and the pieced backing, making this 49" X 61" quilt used 4.2 yards of fabric. 

I quilted it with an all-over swirl hook design (see the design here, on Esther's I Patch and Quilt website), and used a diagonal black and white stripe for binding.

After making it with Big Cypress Quilter during an along, I learned the pattern is free on the Moda website. It's a jelly roll design called A Garden for Harper. My version looks much different because I didn't use a jelly roll, and I didn't arrange blocks as shown in the pattern.

This will be a nice donation to Children's Home Society of Florida. 

I also pieced eight more Posh Penelope blocks, using 2½ more yards of fabric. Whew, but these are tedious to make! Lots of steps for each block, so I've learned that assembly, factory-style, is the best way to tackle them.

At the rate of eight blocks a month (I need 16 more blocks) I should get this finished before year's end. 

Book Recommendations

I listened to 10 audiobooks in September. 

These are the scores I gave each, with 5.0 being the highest. 

• 4.5 - All We Thought We Knew, Michelle Shocklee
• 4.3 - I See You've Called in Dead, John Kenney
• 4.3 - If I Were You, Lynn Austin
• 4.2 - She Didn't See It Coming, Shari Lapena
• 4.1 - Hidden Nature, Nora Roberts
• 4.0 - The Girl I Was, Jeneva Rose
• 4.0 - The Lawyer and the Laundress, Christine Hill Suntz
• 4.0 - The Inn at Hart's Haven, Patricia Davids
• 4.0 - You Belong Here, Megan Miranda
• 3.4 - Martin Misunderstood, Karin Slaughter

All We Thought We Knew is a story that jumps between the mother's history in 1942, during WWII in Tennessee, working at a military base/illegal aliens camp, and 1969 when her daughter, Maggie, has returned to the family horse farm because her mother is dying. It's a good story with US military actions running through it.

I See You’ve Called in Dead is a humorous read alongside nuggets of thoughtful truths about our attitudes toward death. The premise is that an obit writer composes his own outlandish obituary on his employer’s syndicated news site, and inadvertently publishes it. So begins his experience being dead in a company that can’t fire him until the company technology makes him “undead,” and his own introspection into death by attending the funerals of strangers.

Just as soon as I swear off books on the topic of WW II, I find another one I really like. If I Were You is about Audrey, born into England’s aristocracy, and Eve whose mother is Audrey’s mother’s personal maid - upper class versus working class. The girls are the same age, and each admires what the other has - money, and confident courage. They become unlikely friends, enlisting to become wartime ambulance drivers. Years later, Audrey learns Eve has gone to the US, and lied to Audrey’s in-laws, claiming she (Eve) is their daughter-in-law. Eve steals Audrey’s identity. I found myself sympathetic to both women. I also appreciated the author’s inclusion of several character’s conversations about faith and Jesus. Not one swear word in this book.! 👍🏼 Also, a minor character in the story is Linda. I think this is the first book I’ve ever listened to that uses my name. 

She Didn’t See It Coming is a good mystery thriller. I had no clue who the killer was, and I fell for letting the author lead me to the wrong person. I can’t get my head around how an author can come up with all the misleading information, facts, and convoluted character storylines that make for a good murder mystery. 

About a couple other titles…

I’ll just say that the Lawyer and the Laundress was a pleasant, but predictable story.

Same for The Inn at Hart’s Haven about a pregnant young woman who runs away and hides in an Amish community. Childhood memories of visiting her Amish grandparents makes her determined to stay and become one of them. 

Karin Slaughter’s book is a short story, a little more than a two hour listen. All I can say is, disappointing, for an author of her stature. (She wrote all the “Will Trent” books.) I think this was supposed to be satire, but it didn’t work for me. 

I hope a couple of these books will appeal to you. Linda

JAX QuiltFest

Though I attended QuiltFest JAX in 2024 (Jacksonville, Florida) this year I did not attend the show which was last weekend. 

I entered two quilts in this non-juried show, both in the modern category.

My friend Candi, who is also the quilt show chair, sent me a picture of Party Time! hanging. This is a quilt made through two different improv workshops, in 2023 and 2024, with Cindy Grisdella.

Having seen me post Instagram pictures of Party Time! in progress, in February while at QuiltCon Phoenix, Cindy asked me for permission to include Party Time! in her new book. It's soon-to-be-released: Freehand Curve Quilts: Improv Techniques for Creative Play and Bold Expression. What an honor for me! 

What was also fun was seeing Turnabout hanging at the show. This is the appliqué and big stitch hand-quilted piece I designed and made earlier this spring for our Big Cypress Quilters Paint Chip Challenge.

Do you see it with a ribbon? It's for "Judge's Recommendation."

The quilt show judge, Sandy Gard, had nothing but complimentary things to say about both quilts. But the positives that put a big grin on my face were about Turnabout:

• All elements of your design are thoughtfully put together to create a magnificent piece.
• All techniques are exemplary.
• Big stitch is amazing.

Wowsa! I'm accustomed to less complimentary remarks about binding, or machine quilting. This sure makes my day!

I like how the commercially-made ribbon was enhanced with fabric.

I also enjoyed the ways my friends from Central Florida MQG recognized Turnabout! These are pictures they shared with me. 

Sandi and Gwen

Dee and Barb

Sharon

Thank you friends for making me feel special. I know the best people! Linda