Since we're on the subject of blankies...

I finished the border on the crochet afghan that was more than a year in the making. I began the project last summer when I was inspired by Attic24.

Doesn't everyone craft at the lake?

Then all the little daisies went into craft storage until spring rolled around this year. I completed it just as this summer was ending and am looking forward to cuddling under it during the first cool front to hit South Texas.

Lola approves.

Back in the saddle....

Yea! My iPhone has been delivered and today it had it's maiden craft photo shoot. I've got to get a couple of small quilts mailed, so those were first up:

My little brother has a baby on the way and it was long past time to quit hording the I-Spy squares I exchanged with a group so long ago that my now-teenagers each had their own little I-Spy blanky.

When my father passed away several years ago, I brought all his jeans back to Texas and made quilts for my brothers. (Mine is still in the works. I really need to finish that last border.) I had lots of scraps of patriotic fabrics left after those two quilts, so I pieced together some crumb blocks and set them on point. I quilted stars in red, white and blue thread. This quilt is destined for the Vetran's hospital that helped my dad finally find peace.

iSuspense

So just after I get all motivated and decide that I am starting a blog... I start having all kinds of camera problems. Well, not actually problems with the camera but very very very irritating problems with getting the photos out of the camera and into the computer. You know, into any kind of usable format at all.

 

But now .... one of my greatest hopes, ever, has come true. Sprint is getting the iPhone. Aside from the fact that Sprint has the absolute best coverage in my area... (if you've ever wondered who in the real world cares about that, it's people who live as close to the American border as I do. As in... my colleagues with other cell phone services simply cannot use their phone in some parts of my workplace without paying international roaming charges)... also my entire household as well as my extended family in another state are all on staggered Sprint contracts, so dealing the kind of customer service calls that switching over would entail would be the end of me. Seriously. .... What was I saying?

 

I am getting an iPhone! I am ridiculously excited about this. I have not upgraded my phone in ages based on rumor after rumor of Sprint iPhone release dates. In fact, my daughter pointed out to me the other day that I have had a longer relationship with my current phone than my husband. It's true. I had my phone before I even met him. And my phone has almost no memory, so on my morning walks, I listen to the same 20 songs month after month, which leaves me NO room for photos. Oh yeah! Photos! 

 

I admit that my expectations are seriously out of whack. Because when the pre-order ad for the iPhone says "It just might be the only camera you'll ever need. And if you think that's amazing, wait until you see your photos.", I have expectations. Come on! I am suddenly having photo issues and you're promising me that the iPhone will have the only camera I'll ever need? Sold!

 

So ya'll just wait until after Friday or possibly Saturday and we'll put it to the test. How the internet has lasted this long without updates about my fabulous Johnny Boden shirt make-over, my agony over whether I've chosen the right shade of orange for my cross stitch kitty Halloween ornament or my first crocheted hot pad(wherein I use a giganto yarn for the project) is a mystery.

Bordering on finished

I've been moving along on finishing up my first crocheted afghan. I'm on the very last border, which I think is turning out very cute. It's from a tutorial by Attic 24, and it's interesting because you work it from the wrong side. It's alot of stitching, but it feels like it's going to be a nice, durable border.

Of course, as with all my projects, I kind of wing them as I go along. I've had to go back to the craft store many times to buy "two more skeins of yellow" or "lots more white." Now I've run out of green, so I've got one last purchase for this and about one more side to bobble stitch.

Ellen's Crazy Quilt

I've finally got some close ups of the crazy quilt wall hanging I made for my daughter.

It was based on this photo:

First I traced the photo onto some satin and embroidered it a la Jenny Hart.

Ellen had input into what should be included. Of course her dog, Lola, which I beaded:

And Finnegan the cat:

Some of the details were just artistic. She liked this button and I stitched a paisley to tie into the colors.

I also tried out a few new techniques like these sequined flowers:

And the finish:

Ta-Da!

Me (forcing my husband to acknowledge my crafts): Do you want to admire my parrot?
P: Hey honey! That looks great. ... I like how you died the fabric like that and it looks like you were riding in the stagecoach and the axle broke and you spilled your tea on it.

End of August Update

I've been plugging along on several projects. I fell in love with the covered rocks by Resurrection Fern and had to use her tutorial to create some right away. I don't know what it is about these, but my family absolutely fell in love with them too. In fact, when I gave some away to some friends of mine, my family was not very happy about it. Well, there's always more purl cotton in the world, isn't there?

The give-aways:

The next covered rock project in progress:

I've got all the daisy afghan blocks together and I'm working on the borders:

And finally, I am loving how the parrot is coming along. I think I am going to find some tapestry to use for the pillow backing. My daughter laughs about how I have a whole story that goes with each piece. She was asking why I dyed the fabric all splotchy and I told her because it looks like the pillow came across the ocean on a sailing ship centuries ago. They ran into some bad weather and water leaked into the hold where the pillow was stored in a trunk. When they finally reached America, the woman was just happy to be back on land after her treacherous journey and displayed the pillow in the parlor with pride, even thought it was water stained.