Making progress

Progress is being made around here-both on the crafty front and on the recovery front. I'm just about all better (YAY!).

I finished this little quilt over the weekend. It's a Bare Roots pattern. I just love those patterns! Thank you, so much, Jenny, for sharing it with me!! (Jenny keeps hers on her kitchen table and you can catch glimpses of it in the backround of many of her pictures)

I wanted to make progress on the Wild Things quilt but we were out and about most of the weekend and I needed something portable. The Wild Things quilt is at a stage where it isn't portable. It's on the agenda for this week though.

I also started on this Annie embroidery (from a free pattern) in the interest of portability. It's for a future project-a quilted wallhanging for my bathroom, which is decorated in Annies and quilts. I don't usually embroider before putting the quilt top together. But I had to grab something fast and it was all I could think to pack. I can't leave the house without a project, you know!

I've also started on a little jute basket. I usually have a simple crochet project in the works. They get worked on when I'm sitting on the deck drip-drying after swimming or when I'm sneaking in a few minutes of crafting in bed by very dim light (so as to not wake the husband).

Giveaway packages are on their way!

It took me a bit longer than it should have, but the giveaway packages are on their way! I hope the recipients enjoy their goodies!!!

Not much going on here. Still feeling poopy. I'm headed back to the doctor tonight since I have one more dose of antibiotics to take and the sore throat, fever, and fatigue have returned. The rash from Hades has just started to take leave, so there's no way I'm going to take a "wait and see" approach. This has, by far, been the worst rash I've ever experienced in my life. I'll be shocked if I don't end up with permanent scars.

Oh well, I'm sure no one wants to hear me whine. I have no cheese to go with the whine (wine) anyway. :-) I hope y'all are having a great Wednesday!!

Edited to add an update: I just got back from the Dr. and the strep is gone!! YAY!! I just have a secondary yeast infection on the insane rash and where the throat spots were. I've got cream and pills and should be back to normal soon!! :-)

Harry Potter Day

We don't expect to see much of Isabelle today. The UPS truck came by with the final book in the series about 9am this morning.

Last night we all went to see the latest movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix. Or, as Mason calls it, Harry Potter and the Order of the Felix.

Other than that, not much has gone on here the past week. I've been sick and have tried to stay dosed up on as much benadryl as a human body can handle to take the edge off the scarlet fever rash that accompanied the strep throat. Antibiotics took care of the throat issue but, apparently, the rash has to run its course. Bleck.

I wasn't getting much sympathy at home until I pointed out that scarlet fever is what led to Beth's demise (in Little Women). Even Isabelle was able to deduce that with antibiotics, it wasn't nearly so dangerous. Her sympathy waned a bit when she figured that out. ;-)

The Wild Things quilt and I have plans to watch some movies in a bit though. I can't stay away from crafting for too long!

Just for fun I'll share some of the hilarious pictures I found on my camera just now.

Time for the drawing!!!

I went the lazy route this time with picking names. Rather than writing them all out, I was instant messaging with a friend and I said to her, "Pick three numbers between one and twenty.". And I only told her why after she had given me her picks. Which were 2, 5, and 17.

So Lisa, Leah, and Mrs. Royer...please send me an email ( PrincessNimbleThimble @ gmail.com -without the spaces, of course) with your mailing address!!

Crochet Pattern: My Favorite Dish/Washcloth

I'm not much for following patterns for things such as this, but my favorite way of working up a dishcloth has pretty much become a formal pattern. I tend to make them this way because they work up super fast, have a good "scrubby" texture, and are kind of pretty while still being completely utilitarian. So here goes...

A size H crochet hook

worsted weight cotton yarn (one small ball is exactly enough)

Ch 36.

Make 2 DC in 3rd ch from hook. Skip 2 ch, then SC in next ch. *skip 2 ch, 4 DC in next ch, skip 2 ch, SC in next ch.* Repeat ** until end of row. Ch 2, turn.

2 DC in first st (last sc of the last row). SC in the center of the 4DC-cluster (insert hook between the 2nd and 3rd DC). *4DC in next SC. SC in center of the next 4DC-cluster* Repeat ** until end of row. Ch2, turn.

Continue in this pattern until you have completed 20 rows.

At the end of the 20th row, ch 1, turn.

next row: sc in each stitch to corner (29sc). Ch 1. Make 29 sc along each of the remaining 3 sides with one ch in each corner. Then connect to the first sc with a sl st. Ch1, turn.

NOTE: The bottom edge where the beginning foundation chain is contains 33 sts. Just skip a few for a total of 29 sts.

Picot edge:

Sc in first st. Ch 3, sl st in the same sp as the sc you just made. *SC in the next 3 sts. Ch 3, sl st in the sam sp as the last sc.* Repeat ** until you've covered all 4 sides. Connect last st to first sc with a sl st. Bind off.

Weave in loose ends.

Now go clean something :-D

GiveAway Time...times three!

I'm still blown away that people actually take the time to read my blabbering and look at my projects. Seriously. One of the reasons I started blogging was that I was sure my message board friends were bored to death with me and my never-ending string of projects. So I figured I'd go off to some quiet corner of the internet and play quietly. Not bothering anyone. It amazes me that so many stop by on purpose! And so I'd like to offer another Thank you! for your friendship in the form of a giveaway.


If you've been reading here any length of time I'm sure you've noticed I usually have multiple projects going simultaneously. This is especially true when I have something in the works that it's a bit of a stretch for me. Like now. Often these little, easy-peasy projects are a sort of palate cleanser for me. Relaxing and soothing, they leave me mentally refreshed enough to deal with the projects that are mentally taxing.

Recently I've been on a roll with crocheting dishcloths. I'll have three separate packages to send off to three different people. And each will include:

*One crocheted washcloth

*Some lovely handmade soaps (not made by me...I'm still too afraid of lye!)

*A pair of earrings

*A crafty book from my stash, which desperately needs culling.

All you need to do to have your name added to the hat is reply to this thread. When replying, please mention where your crafty interests lie currently, so I can pick a book you'll hopefully enjoy! And if you have a color preference for earrings, mention that too!

I'll draw three names next Friday, July 20th!

Thank you, all, for stopping by!!

Finished!

Christiana's christening gown is all finished. The bonnet was an afterthought but it really seems to finish it off nicely, don'tcha think?

I ended up hemming it all by hand because a line of machine stitching just seemed wrong. And I don't know how to do a blind hem on the machine.

Oh! And there was a buttonhole emergency. I couldn't find the buttonhole foot to my machine that has one-step buttonhole capabilities. My other machine does horrid 4-step buttonholes that always look awful.


So I pulled out my handy-dandy embroidery book and followed the directions for making buttonholes by hand. And I thanked God that I'm the type who learns best from books. The buttonholes had to be done today. And you know what? In my opinion, it looked perfect. Not that my buttonhole making is flawless, but rather that the handmade buttonholes really suited the old-fashionedness of the dress.

All the leftover linen gets to stay here, too! I've been eyeing the instructions for cutwork in the embroidery book!

One big project finished...just one more to go (the Wild Things quilt!).

Checking in!

I've been crafting!!

Jewelry:



Embroidery for a friend's daughter's christening gown:



Working on sewing the gown itself is on today's agenda. And my friend is coming over tomorrow so we can finish up. The christening is this weekend!

And progress on the "Wild Things" quilt:



Don't mind the dampness on the monster's face. I had just "erased" the water soluble ink. All of the applique pieces that have been made so far are stitched down. The embroidery is almost finished. This monster needs some claws oh his feet and he'll be done. The other monster needs all of his embroidery. Then I just need to add all the greenery and stitch it down. Then piece the border. Then my favorite part...the quilting!



And just for fun I'll share what happens when a person stacks all of the beads they were playing with on top of the cart used to store the beads. And then moves the cart. As the wheel falls out. Tragedy. This happened more than a week ago and I still need to resort everything. I just scooped it up into one container and there it all still sits.

We're also experiencing pool tragedy here. Saturday I awoke to find the water had turned green. So I added a shock treatment. The green instantly disappeared but was immediately replaced with milky, cloudy water. I tried adding clarifier yesterday but messed up by adding way too much. Apparently I'm quite bad at guessing how many gallons of water the pool holds!

So the water is cloudy and over-chlorinated. I have no idea if it's ok to use or not. Which is a bummer as the pool is where I've been doing my exercise. (I'm still working on losing weight...down 44lbs so far!). I suppose I'll give it a few days and see if the cloudy goes away on it's own. All of the other water levels show to be perfect when I test them so maybe I just need to be patient. And do icky exercise in the meantime. Bleck!

Oh! Netflix finally decided it was my turn to see Miss Potter. I loved it!! Watched it twice this weekend.

And then, this morning, I received an email from The Fat Quarter Shop with their sales and new additions. I could not resist the Beatrix Potter Victorian Nursery line. So a "jolly pack" and half a yard of the green pansies fabric are on their way to me. YAY! I have this book of embroidery transfers that will go nicely!

Well I've got a bit of housework calling my name. Then it's on to sewing the christening gown. I should have more pictures very soon!

Still here

Thank you for all the commiseration regarding summer stealing all the crafty time. Of course, now that I know I'm not the only one, it's starting to feel like it's ok. Only it's not ok. I miss my crafty time.

I've been in serious deep-clean and declutter mode the past few days. That can't be a bad thing, even if it does infringe on potential crafty time.



I did, however, eek in a little. I had to finish this apron that was languishing as a UFO (unfinished object) so I could be cute while cleaning.

In the backround, off to the left, you can see some of the banana bread I made today. Somehow the 24 muffins have disappeared (I didn't even have one, I swear!) since this afternoon. But I also made 2 13x9 pans so there's plenty left.

Banana Bread

1 3/4 cups flour (2 cups if I use 3 bananas)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda (I use 1 1/2 tsp if I use 3 bananas)
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs (3 if I use 3 bananas)
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cups + 1 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Mush bananas. Add wet ingredients. Mix. Then add dry ingredients (stir, shallowly, to disperse the baking soda within the dry ingredients) and mix together until just combined. Don't overmix. Bake at 325 degrees until it passes the toothpick test. Makes 18 muffins or one 13"x9" casserole pan (spray pan with oil spray before pouring batter in). Recipe does not double well so make one batch at a time.