Working on a Found UFO

Now that I have made a commitment to myself to work on things I love, I have been sorting through boxes. I am sorting the things I love from the things that are 'eh'. In the midst of the sorting I found pieces for 2 pillowtops I worked a little bit on when we lived in Minnesota. They have been entombed for about 3 years, and I didn't even remember that I had them!

They are based on the old Cathedral Windows pattern, but the updated version with circles and squares. You can find my tutorial at: http://www.puppetsandprops.com/BlueJeans.html

The first picture is closer to the actual colors. Deep chocolate brown heathery fleece, and autumny velvet. They are both upcycled fabrics. The fleece was from a thrift store blanket, the velvet from a size 6 skirt from a friend (yeah, like the size 6 was gonna work! lol). In the photo you can see that I have some of the border placed around the pillow top. The border and backing will be chocolate suedecloth that I have JUST enough of to finish!

I was going to finish these and put them in my Gifting Cupboard. DH saw them and claimed them for our sofa. I love it when he feels strongly about what I make!

I am showing these, even though they are not finished. I have taken the Process Pledge (see the button on the right), and want to show things as they go along.

I am fighting a bug of some kind, so will close for now.

Take care!

Cathy B

Sometimes I Just Get So Tired.....

Tired of making things to sell instead of making things for the enjoyment. Tired of making things I don't particularly LIKE to make.

Enough! Enough, I say! (Dramatic, huh?)

After talking with hubby, I have decided to stop. No more making things for etsy or other venues. (Well, I did promise to make a quilt on commission for a friend....but I get to pick everything about it! More about that later.) I will let the items on the venues stay until the end of the year, but I'm not gonna promote or list more items.

I have been making stuff to help out financially. Dear Hubby said it isn't worth it for me to lose my enjoyment of what he calls my 'gift'. He said we should make enough when he finishes another couple of new projects for the business that it won't be necessary. And he said that he needs me to run the office and shipping parts of the business anyway. And I sew the arms and legs for the puppets. And he wants me to be happy.

Boy, I love that man.

So.....expect to see projects that I love instead of what sells. Scary thought, huh?

I have some pics to post, but will get to it tomorrow.

Take care!

Cathy B

OOPS!

If you are interested in any of the books, email me at:

cathy@threadbenders.com

More Destash

I have culled some more books on sewing and quilting. If you are interested, they are:
A Quilter's Companion by Dolores A. Hinson. Softcover, 282 pages. Some wear, my name on a bookplate on title page. All pages firmly in place. $6.00
Quilt in a Day Pioneer Sampler. Softcover, 88 pages. Good condition, cover has mark where price tag was taken off. $6.00
Picture Quilts by Joan Masters. Hardcover, 122 pages. Good condition, dust jacket has a few small tears. $9.00
I am trying to organize everything. Whew, what a job! Organizer Peter Walsh says that you can't have more stuff than you have room for. You can't put 10 pounds of stuff in a 5 pound bag! I have WAY more stuff than I have room for. A lot of it is my fibery stuff. I want to make a bunch of stuff for gifts, and I want to finish decorating our new house (moved in April). After that, I need to access what is reasonable to keep.
For every item that comes in, at least one other like item needs to leave. Yesterday I bought the Audrey Hepburn dvd of Sabrina (love it!!), so 4 vhs tapes are leaving. That's a start!

Take care!



Cathy B

Weekend Pillow Sewing

I finished a bunch of pillows this weekend. Yay! They are made from some silkscreen panels I got in the 90's. The design has been percolating in my mind for weeks. I knew I wanted something simple and asymmetrical, and this is what I got!

Sometimes I like working on simple designs. It is a visual break from the crumb blocks I usually like to work on.

Do you find that you need a break from your usual techniques?

Take care!

Cathy B

Inherited Quilt Magazines--Woo hoo!

As promised yesterday, I will tell you about the quilting magazines I am going through. Lots of quilt magazines. MOUNTAINS of quilt magazines.

A dear older friend of mine is at the point, healthwise, that she needs to be by family to take care of her. She is 'gifting' things she isn't going to move. She has been a quilter longer than I have been alive, and has the stash to prove it. I got all of the quilt magazines and quite a few books. I will probably get fabric when her daughter in law comes out next week to help sort stuff.

Now, getting her magazines and some books was great! But wait, there's more! She also had the complete magazine and book stash of a fellow quilter who passed away 3 years ago. And that quilter had complete sets of 8 different quilt magazines, as well as tons of other quilt magazines. 9 big shopping bags, each at the limit of what I can lift. And guess who has them all now.....

I am sorting to fill in my own collections, and the rest will be sold or swapped to other quilter's to fill in their collections. It has been so interesting seeing the history of modern day quilting as it has changed and progressed. And the international quilts!

It has been fun. Thankfully I am keeping less than I am passing on. My dear husband paled when he saw how many bags I was bringing into the house!

Take care!

Cathy B

Truly Baking in this Heat!

Really, I am! A dear young friend made strawberry jam and peach jam. I make killer bread. We traded a loaf for 2 jars! I truly love barter.

The bread I make takes a fair amount of kneading, which I can no longer do because of lack of strength in my hands. I do the mixing and kneading in my bread machine, then plop out the dough to pat and shape. Tastes great, and it has real bread loaf shape, not a weird bread machine shape.

Baking at 425 degrees is kinda icky in this Arizona summer, though. I should have made it last night. Next time!

Well, I have a stack of quilt mags to go through. I will tell you all about it tomorrow!

Cathy B

Re-Post of Artichoke Trio Dishcloth pattern

Artichoke Trio Dishcloth

This is a dishcloth I designed in 2007. It went over quite well! I am quite fond of it.

Artichoke Trio Dishcloth


Dishcloth cotton
Size 6 needles

(MB) means make border—at beginning of row, k1, p1, k1, p1. At end of row, p1, k1, p1, k1
K2tog means k 2 stitches together

Cast on 41 stitches
Work seed stitch for 5 rows--k1, p1, ending with k1

Row 1-(MB) K across to last 4 stitches (MB)
Row 2- and all even rows-(MB) Purl to last 4 stitches (MB)
Row 3- (MB) K across to last 4 stitches (MB)
Row5-(MB) k10, s1k1psso, k2, yo, k5, yo, k2, k2tog, k10 (MB)
Row 7-(MB) k11, s1k1psso, k2, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2tog, k11 (MB)
Row 9-(MB) k12, s1k1psso, k2, yo, k1, yo, k2, k2tog, k12 (MB)
Row 11- (MB) k11, s1k1psso, k2, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2tog, k11 (MB)
Row 13- (MB) k10, s1k1psso, k2, yo, k5, yo, k2, k2tog, k10 (MB)
Row 15-(MB) k11, k2, yo, k2, s2tog as if to knit, k1, p2sso, k2, yo, k2, k11 (MB)
Row 17- (MB) k10, k2, yo, k2, s1k1psso, k1, k2tog, k2, yo, k2, k10 (MB)
Row 19- (MB) k11, yo, k2, s1k1psso, k3, k2tog, k2, yo, k11 (MB)
Row 21- (MB) k12, yo, k2, s1k1psso, k1, k2tog, k2, yo, k12 (MB)
Row 23- (MB)k13, yo, k2, s2tog as if to knit, k1, p2sso, k2, yo, k13 (MB)
Row 25- (MB) k2 * s1k1psso, k2, yo, k5, yo, k2, k2tog, k3* Repeat from * to *, ending with k2, (MB)
Row 27- (MB) k3 * s1k1psso, k2, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2tog, k5* Repeat from * to *, ending with k3, (MB)
Row 29- (MB) k4 * s1k1psso, k2, yo, k1, yo, k2, k2tog, k7 * Repeat from * to *, ending with k4, (MB)
Row 31- (MB) k3 * s1k1psso, k2, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2tog, k5 * Repeat from * to *, ending with k3, (MB)
Row 33- (MB) k2 * s1k1psso, k2, yo, k5, yo, k2, k2tog, k3 * Repeat from * to *, ending with k2, (MB)
Row 35- (MB) k3 * k2, yo, k2, s2tog as if to knit, k1, p2sso, k2, yo, k7 * Repeat from * to *, ending with k5, (MB)
Row 37- (MB) k2 * k2, yo, k2, s1k1psso, k1, k2tog, k2, yo, k5 * Repeat * to *, ending with k4, (MB)
Row 39- (MB) k3, * yo, k2, s1k1psso, k3, k2tog, k2, yo, k5 * Repeat * to *, ending with k3, (MB)
Row 41- (MB) k4 * yo, k2, s1k1psso, k1, k2tog, k2, yo, k7 * Repeat from * to *, ending with k4, (MB)
Row 43- (MB) k5 * yo, k2, s2tog as if to knit, k1, p2sso, k2, yo, k9 * Repeat from * to *, ending with k5, (MB)
Row 45-(MB) k10, s1k1psso, k2, yo, k5, yo, k2, k2tog, k10 (MB)
Row 47- (MB)k across (MB)
Row 49- (MB) k across (MB)
Work 5 rows of seed stitch—k1, p1, ending with k1
Bind off.

© COPYRIGHT 2007 All Rights Reserved by Cathy Brose-please do not post this pattern to another list, or sell for profit. It is perfectly fine to post the link to this pattern.

As always, feedback is much appreciated. Take care!

Cathy