Whew!!!

It's getting to be time for a rest!!! Took Rach & her young'uns back home to Donie today and tomorrow Marvin & I will go to a funeral....Then I can rest. We had a wonderful Holiday and actually got a picture of us all together except for my son-in-law that had to leave so he could get back to the church he pastors for Sunday service. I thought the picture came out pretty good....1st one we've had in a long time...

Aprons....

This week I've finished 2 aprons and a soda can plane---but I can only show you pixs of the plane and 1 apron...I forgot to take a pix of the other one before I wrapped it...ugh! Anyway, I'm about wound down with my Christmas projects...at least the ones I'll be able to get finished. Marvin's quilt will have to wait until his birthday in January, and the jacket I'm working on hopefully won't have to finished until actually Christmas day...so I'm fudging the time a bit... Maybe I can finish it tomorrow and Wed. morning before I get into 'high' gear cleaning for the company arriving Thursday.... Hope you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!

Very PINK!!!



Guess who this is for!!!



Pretty rough looking.....and was made out of about 8 cans of different kinds...so I painted it black...

Still pretty rough looking....But not tooo bad for a first try.....

I believe it supposed to be a Corsair------I think! LOL! Hopefully I'll be able to make a few in different colors and/or each one made out of one kind of soda....I think I know a little boy that might like one hung in his room....and I'd like some hanging under my patio in the breeze. Practice should make perfect, right?

Been Knitting....and other thoughts...

Yep... getting ready for Christmas, don't ya know! Still haven't put up the tree...hopefully it will happen this weekend. Still haven't wrapped a single present...probably won't have the mojo for that until the tree is up. But I have been knitting! Christmas is already special for me this year for lots of reasons... We're all healthy...and happy...I've had the awesome experience of being able to garden and can this year...(I'm already planning how much of what I want to plant for spring!)...I've been blessed to be able and have time and finances (thank you hubby!) to make most of our gifts for the first time in ages... and for the second Christmas in a row I'm not clinically overweight. That is a huge deal for me! One summer, at about 13 years old, I went from 115 to 145 lbs. By the next summer, I was over 160 lbs. Granted, I'm tall for a girl...I'm 5'7.5" now- down from a majestic 5'8.5" in my youth---taller than any of my siblings or parents, but Christmas 2 years ago, I weighed just over 200 lbs. and was officially in the clinically Obese range. Fighting my weight has been a most frustrating journey that has gone on for at least 40 years of my almost 54. The last two years has taught me volumes about  eating right and exercising--- and the consequences of neglecting to do so! I watched 'Super Size Me' last night after our hospital Christmas party. This man ate McDonald's 3 times a day for one month. In that time his blood work results changed dramatically, with the surprizing addition of impaired liver function! It was as if he had become an alcoholic (sp?) In this one month he gained 25 lbs. It took him 8 weeks to get his blood work back into normal range and 9 months to lose all of the weight back off! Besides all that, he was sick with all kinds of aches, pains, headaches, stomach trouble...etc. I wish for everyone this year the gift of health... No, it doesn't require a BMI of 20... but it does require effort each and every day on our part to conciously make good decisions about what we put in our mouths. It also requires us to not just think about exercising, but  to actually get up off the couch and move!

It's Quilting Day Again!!!

YAY! I'll get to work on the Texas Quilt! It's coming along nicely, slowly, but nicely! I've been knitting up a storm since the Studio 328 got here, so the quilt has had to take a 'back seat' so to speak...But today is going to be spent working on it! Yesterday evening I knitted another baby blanket and booties, this time in pink for the hospital... that was after knitting blue baby booties, 2 dog collars and a dog sweater earlier in the day... so yep, guess it's time to get back to  quilting....Think I'll take my camera to the Quilting Group today and see if I can snag a pix or two of some of their projects!

Knitting Day...

Today's been spent machine knitting and putting a new sponge bar on the standard gauge knitting machine...then I knitted a pair of baby blue booties to go with the baby blanket that I made for the hospital, made two cute little knitted collar's for my dogs in sparkle red with cookie buttons for closers, and since Canela, the wiennie dog is so cold natured, I knitted her a sweater out of the sparkle red yarn too--and added a classy black cord bow on it's back. I can't tell if she likes it or not, but it does fit her well, and I think looks cute on her! It's not from any pattern... just 'guesstimates', but fun all the same...

Canela, you're too cute!!!

I think she looks quite 'fetching' in her new frock!!!

Hope you had a Great Holiday!

We sure did! Our son and his family came on Wednesday for a early Thanksgiving Dinner, complete with homemade yeast rolls, Turkey, dressing...etc...yum!!! Then on to daughter's house in Donie to enjoy going to the Homestead Heritage Thanksgiving Fair...Oh WOW...was it nice! The kids got to dip candles and make a wreath....and I got some beautiful fingering weight plum colored hand dyed superwash yarn that I'm hand knitting a scarf for my grand daughter Cara.... I took a picture of it in progress to share with you... It's sooo yummy to hand knit with! I also took a picture of the machine knitted baby blanket for the hospital in Baby Blue...I'll make a pair of booties to go with it, probably tomorrow -when everything has settled down a little-- (this week was wild! LOL)--Then I have to get a Baby Pink one for a little girl knitted... I also dipped some pine cones in melted candle wax last week for fire starters for a couple of friends of mine at church, then Marvin & Rachel picked up two bags full of pinecones at Donie, so guess it's time to heat up the wax again so we'll have enough fire starters for our wood stove! I also have another sweatshirt jacket going for my sister....Life is always an adventure! The only time I'm really unhappy, is when I'm bored!;) (and that can be easily rectified!!!) LOL!!! Here's hoping your Holiday Projects go well this next week!!!

Machine knit tuck stitch baby blanket using sport weight baby blue yarn.

Hand knit scarf for grand daughter for Christmas....beautiful yarn!

Cathy

Almost Thanksgiving....

Turkey Day is almost here!!!!! gobble, gobble..... We had a wonderful meal at the quilting group today! There was 17 of us joined together for fun, food and quilting! Can't beat it! While I was at the club meeting, hubby was working on Christmas presents and putting a storm door on the greenhouse and recovered the east & west walls of it with heavy clear plastic....what a good guy.... & just in time.......it's suppose to get into the 20's Thursday night...nevermind it was in the upper 70's today and should be in the lower 80's tomorrow! YIKES! That will be quite a change! Hubby & I have ridden our bikes to Santa Anna & back the last two days! It's been beautiful! 23 miles each time...stopping for breakfast Monday and stopping for a diet coke today as a break, then taking the long way through the mountain back home...too much fun!
The next few days around here will be pretty busy...I do love the Holidays! I hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving....I know I have too many blessings to count....I'm so very thankful to the Lord... He has supplied all my needs and the vast majority of my wants... Who could ask for more?

The Studio 328 is here!

YAY! It's here, and it's a Honey! It came by UPS yesterday and I spent the afternoon playing with putting it together and checking it out... So far I've knitted a scarf for Cara and a set of baby booties. I got the scarf seamed and the pompoms made last night...I still have to seam the booties. It's so exciting to have a machine exactly like the first one that I learned to machine knit on... so many memories...so many ideas! Anyway, thought I'd share some pixs....The scarf - made for an 8 year old -is just 70 sts. wide and 400 rows knit with sock weight 4ply at T 7 -E wrap cast on every other needle, then put all needles in work on 2nd row...at the end, I transferred every other needle putting empty needles in out of work position. Knit one row--take off on waste yarn...Thread tails through end stitches and draw up tightly. Secure tail...Mattress stitch seam together... Make pom poms and attach.

What a pretty old girl!!!! I love her already!!!

Close up of baby bootie in progress... I found this pattern at
http://www.rayofhope.co.uk/

She knits beautifully!!

Sorry the pix is so dark...The background is a swirl afghan knitted on a Singer 155 Bulky machine.

Homemade Yeast Rolls...

My daughter is the bread maker in our family... I can make bread, but whether or not it rises and turns out ok is a 'hit or miss' situation. Rachel worked in a donut shop for quite awhile when she was younger and really got the program down to an art, so I haven't made bread very often since then. Well, when Marvin said he wanted to take bread to the hospital's Thanksgiving meal, I opened my big mouth and said, 'I'll make rolls rather than buy them.' Why do I do things like that? Doh!!!! Anyway, I fretted and fretted about them, but the yeast gods smiled on me and they came out ok... at least almost all of them were gone by the time I left and I didn't see any being thrown in the trash or people using them as projectiles! LOL! Here's a pix...don't pay attention to my poor stove...It had quite a workout this summer canning hundreds of jars of veggies from the garden...It's had a tough life... But it still works!

60 Homemade Yeast Rolls and Honey...

Baby Booties & Cap

I knitted these today on my old Studio/Singer 360 knitting machine. I was so happy to find the exact same pattern for the booties I used to use in days gone by. The internet is an amazing source of information, if a person has the time to spend hunting for what they want! I also found the pattern for the yokes that I used to knit and sew onto sweatshirts. I'll have to wait for my Studio 328 to get here to try it as the 360 is short about 10 of the needles needed to start the yoke with. I removed those needles from the bed when I deep cleaned it because they had a bit of corrosion on them and I was afraid they might cause trouble knitting...Anyway, here's a couple pixs of the yokes...one just the yoke and the other sewn onto a sweatshirt...

Today was Quilting Group Day!!!!

YAY!!! I do enjoy Tuesdays and we had LOTS of 'show & tell'. Now when you see in the notes under the pictures that some of these ladies were my teachers in school, realize that I'm 53 years old...I think that's just awesome! I am so blessed to be able to sew with ladies I've known so many years...One of the ladies (Ludy Jane) I'm elbow kin to through my hubby, another one I've known her mother since I was 12  years old....etc. etc.....So without further adieu....

Betty's Star Quilt is just beautiful!!!

Carol Burroughs, my Jr. High P.E. Coach, finished 2 Jackets.... This is the Bargello design one!

This is Vicki's paper pieced top in Swirled Log Cabin style!

This is Carol's Sweatshirt Jacket....Looks really good on her!

This is a close up of Vicki's quilt...I LOVE Purple!!!!

Biscuit Quilt! Blast from the Past! Thanks Ludy Jane Bryan for sharing!!!

Close up of the Biscuit Quilt!

Sybil's machine applique and pieced quilt - stunning!!!

Close up of a quilt by Sybil....Absolutely perfect work!

Isn't this Bunny Quilt going to be adorable??? Made by my High School Home Ec. teacher Raye King...
She's still doing beautiful work!!!!

Terra McMahon made some classy napkins to dress up her table for the Holidays!
I'm loving that fringe!!!

Ben's Quilt is Completed!

This one quilted easier than Cara's....thank goodness! I think it will suit him to a 'T'! The only problem now is that I've quilted and completed all the quilt tops that I have assembled....That means I've got to 'get it together' and get the Texas Quilt put together!
I joined the Pink Ladies Group at our  County Hospital here and have been wondering what service I could do that would really 'be my cup of tea' so to speak...and I think I've decided what it is I really would like to do...A very sweet lady in the group has been making Receiving Blankets for all the newborns. This is especially nice since most of these babies will start out with precious little in this world. She would make them up ahead in pink or blue colors putting 2 in a clear gift bag with a cute little pair of socks. These would be kept at and given out from the Gift Shop which is run by the Pink Ladies. I found out yesterday that the lady making these will not be able to make them anymore and there is only one gift set left in pink for a girl. I think this would be something I would really love to do... so guess I'd better get going on a blanket or afghan for a boy!-- and a pair of booties of course!

Gammie is playing nice again!!!

Yes, Gammie (my vintage quilting machine) is still fraying the top thread fairly often, but she is quilting perfect tensioned stitches again! I knew if I fed her the thread she likes that she'd respond favorably! Anyway, here's a pix or two of her with Ben's quilt in the works.... And, Hello to old friends Sheila and Phil---they found us on Facebook! Haven't seen them in over 10 years! We grew up together here in Coleman County, Texas but as time tends to do, we lost touch. It's good to hear from you again!

Ben's hand embroidered airplane quilt set up on Gammie....

Shows quilting..... meandering and loops...

Close up of Gammie's foot....

She's an oldie....but she runs!!! LOL! Probably circa 1983...one of the first years Gammill made quilting machines. 10 1/2 inch throat... long arm machines are now common with 24 inch throats!!!

Another Sweatshirt Jacket...

Yep! This is a second one for me....so you know I love the 1st one! They are sooo comfy! Did I mention I like green?!? Who would have thought? Tomorrow is scheduled to put Ben's quilt in the quilter and work on some tabogins, mittens & scarves for the grandkids...great stocking stuffers don't ya know!?! Let's see, Black & white for Jason with red trim... Pink & purple for Cara...hmmm... What to do for Ben... I'll have to check my stash of yarn and see what 'looks' like him!