ARDIRI

I Fibbed!

So I fibbed...I said I don't like to quilt and yet here is some sort of evidence that perhaps proves otherwise:

A baby blanket for a newborn baby girl.  And, YES, I DID go the route of gender-stereotyping by making it pink*, but only because I was using recycled material and these patterns/colors happened to be plentiful and matchy-matchy-ish.  (*You must check out The Pink and Blue Project at the International Museum of Women site.*)

Clearly the blanket isn't perfect...it's not a true square and I think it is a bit short of the desired dimensions of 36X36 inches.  But I figure the parents will be happy to have a handmade gift that is pretty much practical.

Finally, here's a pic with the backside:

S.O.S. Quilt

Finally.  Finished.  Just some peeks at the quilt--a better picture with more sunshine will likely come Sunday evening after I spend Sunday in the Park with George (not really, but with the book club.  Gosh, I'm a nerd.)  I am not so happy with this quilt, thus the name "S.O.S. Quilt."  I see it as a ship at distress and even the morning weather agrees...

P.S. I've come to the conclusion that I don't really like to quilt.  I am now going to work on my version of this dress/top, for which I've had the damn pattern since August.  Mine will  be shorter, much shorter.

One Christmas Present Down and Less Than a Week Left to Finish!

Inspired by the imperfect* "points" (or at least that's what I remember them being called from the quarter of a class I took on quilting) of the quilts at the Gees Bend exhibit at the De Young Museum that B. and I visited yesterday, I created the following pillowcase for my parents' Christmas present.  They really are interested in far East culture and art so an antique-y Geisha reproduction pattern will float their boat. 

*N.B. I am working on trying not to be a perfectionist.   It has been a goal since at least age eighteen--I turned 31! on Friday BTW--and more so of a serious one during this last semester.  I gave up on the the quilting class because the teacher insisted that our points be perfect and I took the class inspired by the quilts of the women of Gees Bend, the work of Denise Schmidt, and Amy Butler--each of which seems a little more chill about approaching quilting.  Life is short, quilting/sewing should be enjoyable--otherwise I won't do it.

And now the secret of Mamoko's wild and crazy kitten energy has been revealed:

P.S. No kitty was harmed in the taking of this picture; i.e. Mamoko did not drink the Tab.

Thinking About Drinking More of the Quilting Kool-Aid

I SO like this quilt-in-the-works by Dogged-A Girl, Her Mutt, and Some Yarn

and so definitely need to pull my sewing skills and quilting skills up to speed.

Pattern: Turning Twenty (the pics on the cover of the pattern book are just tooooo country for me.  I like how Dogged--don't know her real name--has given this quilt a bohemian feel.)

More Quilting and Too Much Sopranos

Living
Yippee!  On my last day of summer work (Aug. 16), I found out that I don't have to return to work till September 5th.  Unfortunately, school starts on August 29th, but nevertheless that's almost three weeks vacation and, I might add, a much needed vacation.  So I've been busy with listening to talk radio (either NPR or KGO 810) and watching the Sopranos (starting from season 1) while either knitting or sewing.  I think that I've sort of overdosed on the Sopranos because I couldn't help but think "Mafia" when I bought this canned coffee, Hello Boss:

Quilting

Here's my imitation of Denyse Schmidt's oven mitt pattern:

Unfortunately, I didn't use her xerox reproducible pattern in the back of the book and my pattern turned out funky and wonky when sewn up into an actual mitt.  So I'll have to find me a Kinko's to do the reproduction at +400% and try again.  I keep reminding myself that it is all part of the learning process.

Knitting

Knitting continues with the Noro Mitered square blanket.  When I find myself burnt on making squares, I repeat the Mason Dixon mantra: "Remember: No project is too ambitious if you crave the result enough."  And I indeed do crave the result, especially on cooler evenings like tonight's whereupon in my mind's eye I can imagine curling up in one of my armchairs, wrapped in my Noro Blanket with a pair of needles in my hands and my cats beside me. 

Quilted Bag for Sale--CHEAP!

The poor graduate student in me has decided she has too many handbags and too few dollars and so she shall put her latest creation up for sale--for cheap!  $12--that's right, only twelve dollars--plus shipping (your choice via USPS).  First person to contact me at hollyarn@gmail.com and arrange payment via paypal shall be the lucky owner.

Randomnalia

Worker-Bee
Busy teaching summer school at the tutoring center I work at.  Actually contented with the group of kids I got this year: I have two 4th grade boys in one class and for my 6th and 7th English class I have 3 boys and one girl.  They are all pretty well behaved (not like last year's classes--way too much hormones and sugar for the upper level kids).  I'm having the 4th-ers read The Indian in the Cupboard which I absolutely loved as a kid.  As for the older ones, I am having them read Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle which I've never read, but I know that Avi writes consistently good and compelling kids books. 

Crafty
In my free time I have been sewing and, of course, knitting Noro mitered squares. 
I recently made this quilted bag.

With this interior:

I decided that two of the Noro squares I knitted up were just too bright for my taste and so decided to add edging:

and to seam them together:

in hopes of making a decently cute purse which I'll add a sewn lining to, a zipper closure, and  a strap. 

A couple of weeks ago, I made these two pillow covers (the smaller pillow is a down pillow I picked up from the thrift store, while the larger pillow is actually my old down quilt folded up and seamed at the edges to make a pillow.  Perhaps I got some good old thriftiness from my depression era grandparents?  Or I'm just cheap.  Probably both.)

Meowsers
And here's Zoe sitting on my jean skirt and modeling the pillow for me:

And the fat cat, Cyrano being fat and cute:

SUPER SECRET PAL!!
I swear my secret pal must have bugged my phone or my mind...She knew exactly what I wanted and relatively close to the time of which I was fighting myself about buying the summer edition of Interweave Knits.  She gave me a Scharfenberger 60% dark chocolate bar (the wrapper is all that is left!), a cute superwoman (fave superhero) card, and a measuring tape (very useful since I am always misplacing mine).  On a related note: if you are ever in the Berkeley/Oakland, California area you should definitely take the Scharfenberger Factory tour.  Divine chocolate overload--YUM!

Bargain!
Joanns is having a massive sale on some of their tchotkes and I was able to get this birdfeeder for 80% off!  Reg. 24.99 and I got it for about $5!  Now, if only the birds will come.

Update: Cat Charity Knitting

I just can't give a cat an ugly cat mat.  So, I undid the horribly ugly, knitting-in-the-dark-while watching-a-movie (Munich) edging as seen below:

And fixed it to look decent:

I also made a "camoflauge" cat mat for the shy cat who wants to hide when s/he has visitors:

And a mat for the moderne cat (which ended up looking--unintentionally--inspired by the Mason & Dixon book):

As well as the previously posted three sewn/quilted cat mats.  Yay!  The Humane Society will soon have some more comfy and happy cats!

Two More Beds for the Meowsers

I decided to sew a few  beds for the Humane Society Charity Drive I joined.   I decided to sew  three of them because sewing is so much quicker; thus I could make more kitty beds for the poor kitties.   I also had an ulterior motive: learning some simple (machine) quilting skills.  I am so very much intrigued by Denise Schimdt's Quilting book and would like to try my hand at some of her pieces.

Fancy Cats Up-Close:

And the navy blue and fuschia bed: