Since there are quite a few of us who like to crochet, knit, sew, needlepoint, etc., I thought having a thread to discuss our projects and plans would be nice. I'm not going to move it to the permanent thread section, since those never get any traffic.
So, what is everyone making?
I am still working on my world's longest blanket, but I've been getting quite a bit done while I watch tv in the evenings. It's a gorgeous orange (I think the official shade is carrot) in a half-double crochet on the back edge.
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"I never understood why blessings wore disguises. If I were a blessing, I'd run around naked." - Sophia Petrillo
Still working on my orange socks. I am only 75% of the way there, but luckily I followed my daughter's advice and made the second sock first.
Also there is the obnoxiously bright quilt (haven't added to the grand total of four blocks) and a 1940s-style dress to cut out and sew for my middle daughter.
Obviously I have more projects than time, or sense.
Working on a knitted baby afghan. Simple pattern but easy to drop stitches and not easy to pick them up. I seem to go 4 rows forward and six rows back at times. But slowly making progress.
I have six or quilt blocks made in the 40's or 50's by my great grandmother or her sisters. My grandmother gave them to me and I've always wanted to do something with them, but I don't think there are enough for an actual quilt. And I don't know how to quilt. What could I do with them?
Evil, I'd go with a wallhanging, because I'd personally be afraid to actually use them! I just know that if I made a table runner, DH would get something on it.
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"I never understood why blessings wore disguises. If I were a blessing, I'd run around naked." - Sophia Petrillo
I have six or quilt blocks made in the 40's or 50's by my great grandmother or her sisters. My grandmother gave them to me and I've always wanted to do something with them, but I don't think there are enough for an actual quilt. And I don't know how to quilt. What could I do with them?
You could easily make them into a lap-sized quilt by adding borders, or a larger one by adding plain blocks in between the pieced ones. Assuming the fabric is still in good condition, this is what I would do with blocks from that era. Making them into a top would not be complicated, just basic sewing really. A lap sized quilt could be displayed on the wall rather than used as a quilt; you can even have it framed if you wish.
Quilting is easy to learn but I can understand you might not want to begin on an heirloom. I bet you could find someone through a quilting guild or circle who would either hand or machine quilt it for you, or you could just tie it which is easy to do.
I looked in the box again and I have more than I thought. There are several like this. Is this the bow tie pattern?
These are a couple of different ones that are prettier:
Excuse the quality of the pictures and my finger. I draped the squares across the back of my couch and took the with my phone. The star and basket blocks are much more attractive than the bow ties, but they are all hand sewn and the fabric is very crisp and in good shape.
Yes, the blocks int he top picture are bow tie. Hard to be sure but from the pics looks like they may well be from the 50s. I'd guess the two Ohio Star and the basket block are later, maybe 70s from the fabrics?
If you want to put them all into one quilt I would think about sashing (strips of fabric sewn betwen the blocks and the rows of blocks) to tie them together visually, maybe a solid pink or medium blue. This would give you a bigger quilt top, especially if you added borders in the same fabric. I think it would make a simple, slightly quirky quilt of the type called a "sampler,," i.e. different blocks in one quilt, and you could have fun arranging them.
I want to make a blue and white bed sized quilt for my friend Laura because that's what she would like. I do admire that classic look but am not very excited about such a sedate color scheme. I liek to work in brights/warms and mix up pattern and textures or I get bored.
Anyone have any ideas as to how to make this more interesting? I thought of Jacob's ladder using random dark and medium blues (keeping the diagonal lines in the darker blues) but when I made up a couple blocks they looked much less than exciting.
Try to find some blue and white prints, plaids, checks and so on that could all be mixed in with some solids. If you can find fairly bright blues that should help too.
I have quite a few prints in dark and medium blue pulled from my scraps but it seems like only the small scale ones work mixed up in this block.
Plaids and checks are a good idea, Molly's Mom. Maybe I could find a few on a really light background and use them in the light-colored part of the block. Hmmm
I came up with a much better idea--a pattern called Storm at Sea. Much more interesting and so long as I keep the blues separated by value (light, medium, dark) int heir proper places in the blocks every kind of fabric seems to work!
I am impatient to get my sewing machine, but I hate to ask the woman about it. She offered it to me free, so I don't want to bug her. I want to get started on re-learning the basics.
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"I never understood why blessings wore disguises. If I were a blessing, I'd run around naked." - Sophia Petrillo
I am impatient to get my sewing machine, but I hate to ask the woman about it. She offered it to me free, so I don't want to bug her. I want to get started on re-learning the basics.
I know what you mean, but it must be hard to be polite and wait.
Maybe you can subtly work the conversation around to sewing next time you see her? Tell her about this crazy lady on the internet who babbles on about quilt patterns...
PS storm at sea looks like this!
-- Edited by huckleberry on Tuesday 16th of October 2012 09:51:04 PM
I came up with a much better idea--a pattern called Storm at Sea. Much more interesting and so long as I keep the blues separated by value (light, medium, dark) int heir proper places in the blocks every kind of fabric seems to work!
Yay! Knew you could do it. If you are anything like me when it comes to projects I have to think on it awhile and often end up going in a completly different direction than the first.
I want to take up working with stained glass but don't have the space or time for it right now. I wish I had taken the class when DH was still here. It would have been enough info to get me started, and I might have had a spot to keep my stuff safe in the new house. I have tried crochet but never stuck with it. I bought the stuff for knitting but it didn't hold my interest long enough to get it down. I have a sewing machine I don't know how to use. LOL I fail at crafty stuff. I really WANT to be crafty, I just can't find my area. I think stained glass could keep me interested. I may have to try to fit in that class before I move after all.
I was able to casually mention the sewing machine to my acquaintance yesterday. She said she had it, but wanted to check and make sure it all worked. She also said that her daughter was getting a new one, so I might end up with two! Her daughter's is lightweight and she thinks I'll like it better than the big, heavy one.
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"I never understood why blessings wore disguises. If I were a blessing, I'd run around naked." - Sophia Petrillo
How pretty, NANN! did you use actual rags (I mean scraps)
I ask because I have a LOT of scraps
Yes I did!
I thought I was going to have to buy some material but a lady gave my aunt a big tub of scraps and I got some from it!
when you need another tub, just let me know
LOL Thanks! You should give it a try! Sooo easy and it only took about 2 hours. The hardest part was bending the wire hanger into a circle but I was able to do it with my hands, no tool needed. I tied the scraps on while I was watching a Harry Potter movie.
As an update (or just more rambling on about quilts if you prefer to put it that way) I ended up changing the blue and white quilt for Laura plan altogether. It is nine patch and snowball blocks arranged so there is a chain effect. My reasons (other than ditziness) are
1) I had yards and yards of a boring but nice dull blue 2) I found a blue floral print on a cream ground that I love that goes very sweetly with it, and bought yards and yards of that 3) nine patches and snowballs are FAST!
the top is almost done so Laura might have her quilt by Christmas, especially if I give up the idea of hand-dying the back!
Compromise is the key to crafting. And if the crafter isn't working on something they enjoy then it is just work. Glad you found something you enjoy.
Mollys Mom
Thanks, Molly's Mom. I would definitely have enjoyed the Storm at Sea pattern and will probably get around to it sometime, but using a lot of fabrics that have to be individually cut into so many different shapes takes forever, at least when I do it.
I made a kaleidoscope pattern quilt for Mr. Huck in a zillion black and white fabrics that took two years to complete. He didn't mind waiting and I had fun doing it, but I'd like Laura to get her quilt much sooner than that.
I'm making a few infinity scarves. I don't make big project for Christmas anymore. Too many distractions. Expecting and new GGD after the first of the year and I have that afghan alread done. DIL kept drooling over one I had made so will send it to GD.
I don't know about all powerful but yes I do both. In the past I've knit one aran fishermen afghan that took me three years to do, crocheted a queen ripple/chevron, and many other crocheted regular sized. Most of the time now I crochet or knit baby afghans and donate them to our hospital, I've truly lost count of how many of those I've done.
I used to knit sweaters but haven't done that in years. Too much arthritis in the shoulders and hands.
The afghan I'm sending to GD for GGD is white knit. The one I did for other GD for GGD was white crochet. A good safe color.
