Crafters, August 20 through August 26

Now this site made me login and of course the password that was there didn't work so I had to set a new one. We'll see if this message goes thru

Ginny, I'm glad to hear that your dd had success in finding clothing she wanted for her new job. You're probably both tired now from all that walking and shopping.  You inspired me to clean out my storage space beneath by stairs. I mostly have Christmas decorations and toy stash in there. I needed to find toys for all the little boys' bdays that are coming up. The two dggs' will be two soon, dgs with be 5 and other dgs will be 1 in late November. It was exhausting and I'm still not done. It's amazing the amount of "stuff" you can store in such a small space. I have enough Christmas wrapping paper for about 3 more lifetimes and I don't give gifts anymore except the kinda joke ones for dh and I'll give some to dd and 13 yr old probably. I send money to ds and ddil who are very creative in using it. They find the greatest things to do with it.  I plan to give my dd one of the mountain land scarves that I've already made so don't know if I'll be making any other crocheted things as Christmas gifts this year. kLast year when I gave fingerless gloves to the men and cowls to the women of the family I didn't wrap them just took them over and let them all choose which ones they wanted and did the same the year before with hats.. I do want to make some ornaments maybe. It's great that your church has a donation box. I'd love to be able to give some of my things to a church that gives away the clothing to those in need. I've donated a lot to GW that was brand new with tags still on them and have more of the same to donate somewhere. I maybe need to look into whether or not there are places I can donate where they give them out.

CJ, I agree with Ginny on the pillow. Esp now that you've read over the instructions you won't have any problem, You're very talented. And it will be great to have that momento of your dad. I like books like that too. As Ginny says, the characters become friends and I often hate when I'm finished reading and can't wait for the next one to come out.  So many of my favorite authors have died. I'd love to read a book set in WNY since I used to live there. Is the series mysteries...those are my favorites.

Dh tells me that the next 3 or 4 days are to be really hot again. I'm glad you ladies are enjoying some more pleasant weather right now.

Well I have things all over my family room. Things I pulled out of the storage space so better to and put them back where they belong and see if I can make some headway on other things we piled into that room "temporarily". We never use it as a family room so things tend to be put in there and dh needs space to put things from his "cave" in there so he can paint there next.His cave is as bad as mine with all my collection of crafting things and then his cave with all his collections.

I have my roll top desk in the family room but have never sat at the desk and actually used it as a desk except to store things in the drawers.

Good afternoon,

Like where Ruth is, the weather is getting a wee bit hotter...and yes I can see where the air conditioner will be on for 3 or 4 days.
Ruth, I totally understand how much stuff can be packed into a small storage space. Our home is short on storage, but seems to have junk everywhere. I hope that you can find some way to eliminate some of the stuff that is no longer useful to you without irritating Dh. It sure is a challenge.

I dropped off one large bag of items to the church donation box. And resulting from todays efforts, two more bags are ready to go and waiting in my car. I will drop them off on Tuesday. Cannot wait to get this stuff reorganized so that at the end of next week it can go in the attic again. Rome was not built in a day.....so I hope that I can get this stuff done.

I did look over the split rail quilt directions to see if I can make sense of them. Its a quilt as you go quilt, so the construction is different. I am finding it a wee bit confusing, but did master the first part ( or should I say understand it). Now I am stumbling over how to assemble the quilt blocks and when, if at any time, the blocks are stippled or top stitched. Here are the directions and how it is supposed to look.

www.popularpatchwork.com/sites/4/documents/jellyrollqayg.pdf

I will be using jelly rolls to make this quilt in a blue and yellow color scheme. (to go with the yellow room)

So reading those directions today might count as my crafting...we shall see. I figure I will not get to working on the quilt for a few weeks. And I do have to finish that baby afghan. Regarding the afghan, I have been looking at it and will probably finish the edges with a reverse single crochet. The pattern calls for a lovely ruffle, but the baby is a little boy.

Ok, I have babbled enough.
Have a great day
Ginny

Ginny, don't worry about measuring for me. It sounds like it would be a lot of work for you to do that. I'll make it whatever width that looks good to me and I'm sure they'll like it. Thank you so much for offering but you have a lot to do.

I think the reverse single crochet is a really great edging. On this skirt they have two choices for edging and reverse single crochet is one of them. Yes I'm making it in red and white. Ddil sent me pictures of various skirts and some were in red, white, and green which I think would be nice but she said that they liked red and white best.

and Ginny, you do underestimate yourself. You're a really good crocheter. If you go by the fact that the mountain land scarf was difficult on the first 2 or 3 rows it's not because you can't decipher crochet patterns as you said yesterday but because those 3 rows take some figuring out. And I'm sure the quilt will be great. We've seen the picture of the split rail quilt you made before and although this one is a quilt as you go I have every confidence that you'll do great and that it will be beautiful in the newly painted yellow bedroom.

Congratulations on getting one bag already to church and the others all ready to go on Tues. Yes putting things back in the storage space or in your case the attic is a huge pain in the neck. I was thinking good thoughts yesterday after I got things back into mine but then realized there was a WHOLE bunch of stuff still sitting out that needs to go back. I did find some toys but mostly toys suitable only for the soon to be 5 year old. There was not really anything for 1 and 2 year olds so I may have to go shopping or let my fingers do the walking online.I do have to shop for my ds' oldest daughter. I have no idea what to get a 17 year old which she will be at the end of Sept. DDIL said she would find out what dgd likes best but says even she doesn't know what to get her. I won't hold my breath though because between taking care of a household of 10 and home schooling and Church activities  and the coop school she's pretty busy.I do have a mountain land scarf made for her too and also that little clutch purse/makeup bag whichever she wants to use it for

Good evening!

CJ- thanks for the reminder regarding Chesapeake Shores.....think Dd and I are going to watch it when it comes on. And sometimes I like Beachfront bargain hunt, especially when its a beach or state I have been to. Thanks for the heads up on Kathys blog, which I will check out. I think I will be ok deciphering my instructions, in the beginning they were all greek to me, but now that I have read through them a few times I have about the first half of the steps figured out- to the point that they make sense. Sort of. Now to figure out the assembly, which is where I am falling flat on my face. Have you had to put your airconditoner on this week? Hope you can stay comfortable....and hopefully this is the last of really hot summer weather.

As far as reading goes, I just wanted to add one thought....years ago I had a series of books I was reading, think the author was Alex Kava. Anyway, she killed off the protagonists boyfriend- and I promised myself I would never ever read another book of hers. (He was a really good character). I never did read another book of hers.

Ruth, finding and measuring the tree skirt really is no big deal. Its just a matter of working in that area and going in the storage space. Should only take me a minute or two to locate. I like the look and the durability of the reverse single crochet, even though it is so awkward to do. Funny that that stitch is also used on the tree skirt. Of course it stinks when you get all the stuff unloaded from storage and then have to put it all back!!! Even worse when it does not fit as wel. As far as crochetting goes, I am starting to line up my projects...with the hope that once I get the baby afghan completed I will be able to start on hats for the grandkids, and then Christmas ornaments. I figure the scarf will be a dead of winter project for me. I will put on my thinking cap regarding what to give a 17 year old. Not knowing what standards DS and DDIL have for their kids....I wonder if a simple manicure set with some clear or light colored nail polish might be nice. Of course....hey I just hit on something....what about a shower puff! (You can buy that funny yarn just for that purpose). I will keep thinking....you always come up with great ideas.

Guess I have blabbered enough for a day. Hard to believe that tommorrow is Monday!
Hi to Meg, Karen and Phyl
Ginny

Aw be quiet Ginny......CJ- thanks for the link to Kathy’s blog. I saw what she did (she keeps her squares in the freezer for real!!!!) and actually some of her info might help. It was pretty much what I figured, each square has to be either basted or pinned or quilted until the other blocks are all done. I appreciate the help. And now I have really blabbed enough for one day
G