And another...

You'd think I'd have the pattern memorized by now.

Flower Coaster

When I started knitting two years ago, I never thought I would have gotten into patchwork and quilting. And since I started patchwork and quilting, I never would have guessed that I would enjoy hand-work more than machine-work. We're always surprising ourselves, and I guess that's why we try new things. At least that's why I do.

I had fallen in love with the "grandmother's flower garden" motif long before I had any good idea of what patchwork or piecing was all about. When I looked into making a quilt with that motif last year, I balked at the idea of doing it by hand, let alone with all those little papers. Papers? What the heck kind of crazy prairie boredom was this?

So now that I've discovered hand-work to be more gratifying, I had to give this stash-busting technique a try. I bought some pre-cut papers from Paper Pieces and the cutest little japanese book with adorable illustrations and pictures to get started.



Yes, it's time-consuming for the novice. And yes, it took an afternoon for me to finish one teensy coaster. But, sometimes... it's about the journey and not the result.

One UFO Down!

I can't remember when I started this quilt. It must have been last winter '07. It has been adorning the back of my chair since I started it all those months ago. It's been a great cushion, patiently waiting for my attention to return.

You may remember the pity party I threw for myself when I had to baste this super sized quilt. I have vowed never to make a quilt this size ever again... unless I use some quilting service. I'm happy with the result on the top. The back? Not so much. There are quite a few tucks and folds since I wasn't able to get it completely flat to baste.



(more pictures to come on Flickr. i just have to find a way to photograph the whole thing.)

It covers my king-sized bed from side to side and almost from top to bottom. It fits perfectly below the pillows. Of course, once I finished it I decided to give it away. I find more comfort knowing things I've made are sprinkled about, instead of piling up in my apartment.

My mom is visiting and wanted it. I was surprised as she usually likes brighter bolder colors. Since she recently beat ovarian cancer, I figured it was only appropriate. Something to mark the start of a new chapter in her life.

I'm so relieved this quilt is finit-o! Now I have to find a proper cushion for my chair.

Update: More pics of entire quilt.

Getting Back in the Game

I just haven't been feeling very crafty lately. But, I think my latest project put a little crafty back in me.

I had to make a little something for The Migglesworth's friend's new baby boy. I had done two quilts in a row, so I figured it would have to be a little knitwear this time.

What better than a Baby Surprise Sweater. I haven't knit a good old-fashioned Zimmermann project in awhile. Getting back to the basics was just what I needed.

I feel invigorated again and infused with ideas. And best of all, I'm looking at (with great disgust) all of my UFO's and wanting to finish them up and move on with a clean slate!

So, here's the Baby Surprise Sweater for a little Champion. Jack Champion to be specific. Isn't that the best name ever?




Notice the quilt it's on? Oh yes, I'm still not done with that quilt I started MONTHS ago. That's my first UFO to slay.

New kicks: Don't hate

I wasn't going to let something like jury duty get me down.

On this glorious day, during our lunch break, I strolled into Soho and stopped into Opening Ceremony - a boutique that is generally too cool for school. I started to get bored flipping through racks of clothing made for people who have nothing better to do than, well... shop in Soho during the weekday.

But wait! What was this? In the sea of black micropolyblendedviscosecyanide pleated high-waisted short shorts, I spied some floral print as I rounded the first display. Liberty of London? As I got closer I realized they were Nike's!



Of course, I had to buy them.



I haven't worn high-top sneakers since the 8th grade when those velcro Reebok's were the sh**. I'm sure I'll look dumb as heck walking around in these, but I don't care! I love them! So what do the kids do these days? Tie or untie? I should go all the way and dig out my E.G. socks and peg the legs of my jeans.

I can't wait to brighten up that dreary jury duty waiting room tomorrow with these guys.

New toys

It's been more than a year since I got the Canon Rebel Xti. It was a vast improvement over the point & shoot that I had. Well, I finally invested in some proper lenses. I wanted a lens I could walk around with and take candid pictures of people and things on the city streets. After doing what felt like 100 hours of research, I decided on the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L. It is a great lens, and now I just have to learn how to use it. And, don't let anyone tell you different - it is HEAVY. I mean HEAVY, no joke. And for a walking around lens, it'll be quite the workout. But, I'm prepared! I can't wait to get some nice springtime shots!

The other lens I bought is the Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 macro. I'm excited to take some close-ups and also have an alternative if I don't feel like lugging the heavy one around. I was told this is a decent lens as an all-around basic use kind of lens, but since there's no zoom, there would be some limitations. Here's some pics from this new lens:



I like how this picture turned out, but I really have to work on my hand shake. So, I should definitely look into mono/tripods. The lens was about 2.5 inches away from the earring.



Then I played around with using this as a basic lens. I think it looks great! And, I was able to catch Brigitte showing off her pink belly in the awful lighting of my apartment. Fun!

Oh yes, another baby quilt

Sometimes I feel like my friends are single-handedly keeping this planet populated. Migglesworth's old old friend had a baby boy, born May 5th, and he'll be receiving this one. I had been working on the other baby quilt, so I had to whip this one up snappy-quick.

I had been tempted for a long while to try the reversible quilt technique. And tempted only because I wouldn't have to wrestle a monster through my sewing machine to quilt it. I loved the idea that I could work on each individual square, and then put it together. It is the answer to anyone's problems if they're dealing with very little workspace.

After flipping through Sharon Pederson's book and looking at my fabric stash, I decided I liked the idea of a quilt not having a back, but I wasn't really a fan of making "two quilts in one". I think quilts, if used properly, are in fact actually being used. So, more likely than not you would see this underside, and that would be an eyesore.

I had so much fun making this quilt. I cut out all the batting squares. Cut out all of my half-triangles. Sewed half-triangles onto batting squares, and then... CHAIN-QUILTED. So, not only could I quilt manageable sized squares, but I could run them through assembly line style. Oh, I was quickly becoming a convert.



And then I had to put them all together with these strips. The strips being the connectors of all these quilted blocks. That was easy enough.

It's definitely not one of the neatest looking quilts I've made. I didn't line up some of the strips, and when machine attaching the final part of the strips, you have to be careful as to what it will look like on the other side. Mine not look so good. Well, I guess mine does have a front and back then. Oh well.