Milestones

With friends like mine, who needs enemies.  My good friend Lee has reminded me on more than one occasion that I haven’t blogged lately.  She was also very anxious to point out that I would need to change the information on my sidebar.  It did say “a fifty something mother, wife, etc.” and that now needs to read “sixty”.  Yes, I turned the big 6-0, but it’s just a number, right?  Happy now Lee?

I also retired from my job where I worked for 27 years.  It was very emotional leading up to that day, but I feel wonderful now and can’t imagine why I was emotional about leaving.  Retirement rocks and I won’t be sitting here again!

My other so called friend Diane talked me into doing the current mystery shawl on Ravelry by Stephen West – Rockefeller.  Sure, let’s knit with wool when the temperature outside is 150F – what a great idea.  See what I mean about my friends!!

This is my progress to date on the shawl.  This pattern has really challenged me.  It hasn’t been difficult but there are many things I haven’t done before, like the Icord edge, German short rows and it’s been eons since I knit with two colours.  I can hardly wait to sew in all those ends – NOT!

I seem to be doing more knitting lately than quilting, but here is my Before and After scarf.  When you are knitting this, it looks like a rag, but once it is blocked, it turns into a princess!

I finished another scarf (don’t ask me what I’m going to do with all these scarves) but the ends aren’t sewn in and it hasn’t been blocked yet, so I’ll save it for another day.

 

Way back in May, Lee and I took a class through our Guild to make this Weekender bag.  I’m really pleased with the finished product, but with the money we put into this, I’m sure we could have bought a Birkin bag!  There are 4 zippers – two large ones across the top for two separate areas, and one on each end for two more pockets. 

 

We had a heck of a time finding parachute clips wide enough to accommodate the strapping for the shoulder strap, but I finally found a boating supply store online and ordered them there.  Here is the link to the pattern. 

Sandra also had a birthday this month, and since she’s shoe crazy, I made her this:

I also incorporated shoes in the lining.

 

I just finished some blocks for Quilts of Valour – Hugs Across the Nation Campaign made from Northcott’s Oh Canada line of fabric.

Actually, Lee and I went to Northcott’s Canadian facility yesterday.  You are allowed to shop there if you have a Vendor’s Permit.  I had no idea there were so many different colours in Stonehenge – dozens and dozens of them.  We weren’t thrilled with the prices, though.  This is a wholesale facility and the fabric was anywhere from seven something to eleven something a metre.  Since you had to buy a whole bolt, I didn’t think it was any great deal.  If you shop the sales online, I think you can do much better and then only need to buy what you want.  Since it was in the area, we also checked out Sew Sisters which is a nice little store with a great selection of very reasonably priced batiks.  You’ll be amazed to hear I didn’t buy any   Lee treated me to lunch for my birthday, so it was a great day!

I have quite a stack of quilts that need to be quilted, including some Cuddle Quilts for the Guild, but it’s been so hot and humid here lately that I haven’t been inspired to do much.