hodgepodge

hodge•podge |ˈhäjˌpäj|
a confused mixture

This is the word I would use to describe my brain the past few days. I’ve had so many ideas swirling around up there, it’s hard to stay focused on just one! I’m discovering new blogs, starting new projects, planning my upcoming move, applying to graduate school (yipes!) and dreaming about Thanksgiving and Christmas.

So here’s a peek in the hodgepodge of my mind:

1. Lisa Hannigan | 2. modern double wedding ring | 3.  moebius cowl | 4. skunkboy creatures blog
5. osoberry bag | 6. dawn of the daylily hat | 7. grandma tree | 8. home decor
9. vintage style | 10. t-shirt quilanket | 11. ornaments | 12. photo skillz
13. goals (among a beautiful mess inspirations) | 14. tattoo? | 15. “big love” | 16. crochet blanket

What’s boggling your mind?

new project, new scraps

My plans for my day off yesterday got canceled, so I decided to dive into a new project. My little brother dropped all these shirts off with me, well, I don’t remember when, but I’m hoping less than a year ago. I spent a few hours sorting, measuring, arranging and rearranging, and then I spent something at least six hours starching, pressing and cutting. And here I thought I was embarking on a quick project… I should know better.

brainstorming

Ideas for this quilt have been brewing for more than a year. When I took up quilting again in the spring of 2010, my mother asked that I make a king-size quilt for my parents’ 40th anniversary (August 2012). I decided it should be a Double Wedding Ring pattern, because how else best to mark an anniversary? But I wasn’t really pumped about the project until I came up with this. In the wee hours last night, way past my already late bedtime, I started to sketch it out. My “modern” take on a traditional pattern:

I like the idea of playing with borders, extending the motif and, in this case, subtracting it. For this to be a king-size quilt, each ring will measure a bit less than 30 inches. The whole quilt will be about 100″ square.

As far as colors, my mom’s favorite is purple, and my dad’s is blue. I’m toying with the idea of purple and blue patchwork in the “rings,” a red tone for the intersecting points (and binding or backing, most likely), and a beige or warm gray for the background. I’m trying to avoid any green tones, and I think I’ll use all solid fabrics. I spent way too much time on design seeds putting this together:

First finished crochet project: Seija hat

So Lesson 20 in Crochet School at the Crafty Minx blog was all about reading patterns. To be honest, I started this project when I was all caught up, at Lesson 17 (granny squares), before Dana had written up and posted the wrist warmer pattern she made for the class. I haven’t decided if I’ll make the wrist warmers, though, because I can’t think of a time I’d wear them. (Either way, free pattern pdf with awesome video instructions here.)

My friend Etienne loaned me her copy of Happy Hooker, which just happened to have a super-easy pattern for a baby hat. I modified it a little — used two colors instead of three, opted to do decrease stitches instead of skipping stitches on the earflaps and nixed the braided ties that should be hanging from the earflaps (because they’ll just wind up in baby’s mouth). Here are pictures on Ravelry from people who followed the pattern as written.

My patriotic, matted teddy bear is serving as a model right now. I’m thinking this hat is a tad big for the newborn, so I’m going to hold on to it, and probably add matching booties and other goodies, until Christmas, when she’ll be about 2 months old. She’ll still probably have some time to grow into it at that point, but hopefully it’ll fit her before spring.

Change of pace

via flickr.com

I had been feeling unmotivated in the sewing department for a while. Since I started learning to crochet in the past week, I’ve gotten all craft-obsessed again. Hours have been lost on Pinterest and Ravelry — and somehow, it has reinvigorated my desire to quilt. My mind is boggled with all the projects I want to start.

cross-posted from http://scrambledmeggs.posterous.com/change-of-pace

Because I don’t have enough unfinished projects already

I bought yarn. It all started with pinterest, then I found Crochet School at the Crafty Minx blog.

Turns out I thought I knew how to crochet, but I was doing it wrong. I’m about to start lesson six. I also really need to finish the baby quilt, since the baby is scheduled to arrive at the end of this week!

cross-posted from http://scrambledmeggs.posterous.com/because-i-dont-have-enough-unfinished-project

secret option number three

Horizontal lines

I was thisclose to vertical lines in the center and this type of pattern in the border (per the suggestion of Bobbi). But then I thought that horizontal lines would look pretty cool on the back. Also, the baby shower is Sunday, and I knew this would be faster. So procrastination works out in the end.

cross-posted from http://scrambledmeggs.posterous.com/secret-option-number-three

indecision

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Now I’m stuck on how to quilt this. Definitely straight lines, but should I go diagonally? I’m considering quilting from the back and following the stripes on the backing fabric. Is that crazy? cross-posted from http://scrambledmeggs.posterous.com/indecision

quilting skittles

It helped that they’re only about 12″x28″. I basically started on one end, vaguely basing my pattern on the quilting in the original, then I shadowed the lines about ¼” to ½” away. Both of these panels ate up almost a full bobbin. Next up, the longer panels, 12″x56″. Hoping I can get through the pair in three bobbins. And I’m hoping I can get through them without breaking my back. I need to work on my posture, or come up with some stretches that can be done while sitting at my machine. (Or while waiting for the iron to heat up, maybe?)

(The pattern is Skittles by Kate Conklin, with a couple of slight modifications for size.)

cross-posted from http://scrambledmeggs.posterous.com/quilting-skittles

making stuff for babies doesn’t take long because babies are small

This gallery contains 3 photos.

I really hate the cutesy baby crap. And applique. But I love my cousin, who is having a baby. So this is for them. Considering what to do with the extra border strips. I have enough for another quilt the … Continue reading →