Triumph!

The quilt, I has built it. My guess on March 31 was surprisingly accurate - it took 4.5 hours to sew up the last four seams (including fixing two squares that didn't have enough hem). Now, the big decision: to turn it into a comforter cover (easier to care for) or true quilt (more aesthetically appealing). I'm leaning toward the latter, but also have these buttons and white fabric I bought a couple of months ago when I was leaning the other way... hmm.

Anyway, here is the 12x12 block. Very exciting!

4.5 hours
Catherine

Pig Complete

I finished the pig, now named Sir Oinks-A-Lot, except for his tail and stitching on embroidery eyes and nostrils.  Smallest has been loath to release him, so it will have to wait a bit.  I'll get a picture of it then too.

Last weekend Smallest and I went to the Emerald Ball ballroom competition in LA and had a great time.  I needed a project to take on the plane since the pig was done, so I poked around in Ravelry and checked out what yarn I had handy and came up with a plan for a baby blanket.  Not only do I have all the yarn I need, when I knit my swatch, I got gauge!  That never happens to me.  I used the suggested needle size and it worked.  Amazing.

The blanket is for a friend's new grand baby.  She's very excited about the baby, and it's a nice way to do some knitting, use up some yarn and make a baby happy.

I took it all along with me (plus a back-up crochet project in case knitting wasn't an option) and finished four or fine inches of it.  Smallest and I played a computer game much of the time, so not as much knitting as I expected.  I did get about 1.5 hours in on the way there, and some more time here and there through the weekend, plus the flight back.

I've also promised Middle that I would make her a crochet top for summer.  Not sure how that happened, but I did.  Unfortunately, none of the stores in town have the weight of cotton that I needed, unless I wanted to buy 30 little skeins from the sewing store, so I "had" to go to www.yarn.com and order a big cone of cotton yarn.  I'll have lots left over.  I am sure I will not be allowed to make a matching top for myself.  So, once the yarn arrives, I'll pause on the blanket and get the top done.

Not much else that I know.  Our brother came and stayed with The Boy and Middle while we were off in Dancy-land.  They had a fun weekend.

So, a tally of hours - it took me an hour to finish up the pig parts and sew it together, then 1.5 on the plane to LA, and probably another 2 total on the trip, including the flight home.  I did get in another 30 minutes while waiting at Middle's dr. appt. Monday afternoon, so 4 hours to add.

8.5 hours total

Margie

Hoarding...I did it.

Well, I have to confess that I have been working away on the pig without posting my time.  I've completed the head and have also finished the ears, the nose and two little legs.

I think this covers several dance classes and some appointments, so I'll say another 2 hours.  I know I wasn't working on things all the time at class.

We do have another appointment and a dance class this evening, so I can rack up some more hours.  Bwa-ha-ha!

Big excitement at the house this weekend.  Darling's stuff will be moving to join him to Calgary.  I may have to find a new name for Darling.  It will be good to have that done.  As part of the process, Middle and Smallest's current beds will be moving as well.  Smallest told me she'd like to send her current comforter up to Calgary and use a quilt that I made many years ago as her cover instead.  I told her that since that quilt is a little sad now, I would make her a new one (but she can use it in the meantime).  So I'll have to add that to the project list.  Maybe I can work on Catherine's quilt too...

There are many projects waiting, still! (always!)

2 hours for me, 4.5 hours total.

Margie

Little Pigs

Or as Middle is saying, "Little living pieces of bacon!"

I completed the pig body and have moved on to the head.  I also knit a scarf like Smallest's for her ballroom coach's wife (who is the one who handles all the paperwork and keeps track of everything).  She likes it a bunch, so that's nice!

When I finish the pig, I'll post a picture.

I did a little cross stitch when I didn't have a sewing needle to finish the pig, so there have been lots of little things here and there.  I'm guessing it's about three dance classes, plus the scarf which I did at home and during choir.

So, the first hours on the board for Quarter II of 2013...

2.5 hours

Margie

All Hail the Conquering Hero

Yep, Catherine wins again.

My pig butt is getting bigger though, but still not enough hours to come close.

Fortunately, the class I've been teaching this semester will be over SOON, and then perhaps I will have a little more time.  Probably not, who am I kidding?
Someone who likes to quilt log cabin squares actually owes me some grades for my class.  I think she's been sewing annoying seams instead of working on my class though...

I did make a scarf like Smallest's for her dance coach's wife.  That was fun, and quick.  Middle has decided that she wants to knit a blanket, so that will start soon. She says she doesn't want to end up like me with a box of unfinished projects.  So then I reminded her of her unfinished scarf, and the cross stitch she started, and the purse she started for Catherine's Christmas present, and... she got the picture.  Perhaps it's hereditary?

Margie

The quilt, it has thwarted me.

Well, I had high hopes of having a megasquare by today, but I didn't make it. Somehow everything takes longer than you think.

I did work for 1:40 yesterday (sorry to hoard, but I did text sister to warn her), and 3:45 today. Doesn't that seem like a long time to do just 5 lousy seams? But, in fact, I spent a lot of time marking the lines where the seam should go, and then 5 (so far) squares didn't have enough hem allowance, so I had to detach them to some extent from the 12x2 blocks to lengthen them. Then it took FOREVER to pin up one of the seams. Fortunately, it was worth it, because the seam is beautiful and I do have one 12x4 block to show for my efforts. Evil twin was very impressed. And I've got another two of the 12x2 blocks totally ready to go (marked up, etc), so I just need to finish marking up the last blocks (one is ~half done) and then sew the seams. Maybe another 5 hours??

So close!!

All told, I'm at 45:10 this time.
Catherine

Fie you, seam!

Still on the quilt... Today I decided to face down the evil seam that had so discouraged me some weeks ago, along with 8 of its friends. That one darn seam still isn't perfectly perfect, but it was close enough and it was the worst one of the day, so I'm counting it a success. I also did some fixes to two squares that weren't long enough (there's one more that will be close, but it might be ok; will ponder). So I have 5 strips of 2x12 squares, one piece that's 2x4, and 4 that are 2x2. Only 9 more seams until I have a megasquare!!

2:20 today, 39:45 total.
Catherine