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Post by choney2 on Jul 3, 2023 11:01:40 GMT
Good morning and Happy Monday!
All crafters are welcome here as we discuss crafting, life and our weight loss journey. Crafting includes actual hands on crafting, such as crochetting, knitting, sewing, quilting, needlepoint, painting, jewelry making, etc.....plus reading craft catalogs, craft blogs, watching craft you tubes or other crafting videos, chatting here about crafting,chatting with another person about crafting, playing a musical instrument,reading craft emails, thinking about crafting, organizing crafting supplies, going into craft stores or the craft aisle in a store , attending craft fairs,or any other activity that inspires or directs your mind toward a crafting activity- even visiting us here to join in our posts!! There are plenty of days in which the closest we get to crafting is a visit here, so even if you have no time to craft, we would love to hear from you. We welcome newcomers to our friendly discussion! So glad you are here!! Please feel free to stop in and say hello!!
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Post by choney2 on Jul 3, 2023 11:03:17 GMT
Happy Monday!!!
Got some errands to run this morning- and hope mid day to get back to quilting. I really want to finish the project, which I am getting weary of working on.
Hope you slept well and are ready to face a new week. G
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Post by Ruth on Jul 3, 2023 20:06:39 GMT
Good afternoon and wecome to the second half of the year.
Ginny, I hope you get all your errands taken care of and have returned home safely. I know the feeling of becoming weary of a project you're working on. I can't wait to get my current items completed to that I can move on to another.
Speaking of moving on, I guess that's why I have so many UFO's. I've been sorting through bins and bags and have found more than I knew I had but one that I was working on seems to have hidden from me. Among my UFO's are a bunch of half made hats. I think I need to take a week and just work on getting all of them done. On many of them I have no idea what stitch I was using or what hook size.
In attempting to declutter I remembered my huge collection of knitting needles and other items used in knitting. I can't even remember the last time I knitted anything so obviously I don't need a thousand knitting needles. Ok, I'm exagerating but I do have a lot and have all kinds...the normal kind,circulars, the double end ones you can use for hats and socks (which I found long ago that I was not adept at) and many stitch markers and holders specifically for knitting.Wish I had all the money I wasted on all this but I do have to say that probably about13 or more years ago I did knit a lot of hats and scarves.And added on to mine, my friend in Alaska, when she had to give up knitting, sent me all her knitting needles.
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Post by choney2 on Jul 3, 2023 21:00:34 GMT
My errands took a bit longer than anticipated but it was for a good reason. My shopping list was short, but I shopped with my dear friend and we are usually dangerous when together. A woman (stranger to us) asked our opinion about something in Walmart and we both came back with silly answers- thankfully she had a great sense of humor also. We did warn her that if she shopped with us, she might spend an awful lot of time laughing… anyway, I hit almost all the aisles of Walmart because my list and my friends took us there. Errands are done- but I will still have to go to a local store as I was unable to get some items.
Ruth, perhaps working on 2 hats a week might help? Sounds like an overwhelming job to get them all sorted out. I got rid of all my knitting needles. Like you, I inherited crochet hooks from my mom (sort of like your knitting needles). Perhaps a local school has a knitting club or they can go to a charity. I do not knit- and you crochet so beautifully…just stick with that.
CJ- hope you had a wonderful Monday
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Post by cj59 on Jul 3, 2023 22:05:05 GMT
Hello Everyone Hope you are doing well today and having good weather. It's really hot here, about 90, with some storms coming through this afternoon and evening. I've been busy with more decluttering. Today I'm going through my cookbooks and I was surprised how many I have! I'm sorting them out with the ones I want to keep and those that are worth donating. The rest of them I'll probably just throw away. I can't imagine that any younger cooks are interested in cook books from the 1980s It is interesting how ingredients and styles have changed. I have a stack of them that I just want to take a look through before I decide to keep, donate, or throw out. I used to want to have a kitchen with a baker's rack that I could put all my cookbooks on, but I don't really care about that anymore. I have made one of the shoofly blocks each day and this morning I put together a quick table runner with some seashore/beach themed fabrics. I have a nice lighthouse fabric I'll use for the backing, so I hope I can get this one quilted this week. I have the Halloween one ready to quilt too. Hope you have a good week
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Post by Ruth on Jul 3, 2023 23:14:42 GMT
Ginny, it sounds like you had a really good time shopping at Walmart and your friend did also. You both probably made the stranger's day being so friendly. It's too bad you have to go to another store because walmart didn't have some of your items.
CJ, you are decluttering and also got all those blocks done and things ready for quilting! You get a lot done in a day.The beach theme table runner is going to be beautiful. Beach scenes make me happy although I don't go to beaches.
Just lost a huge amount of babbling on here so will bbl
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Post by choney2 on Jul 4, 2023 11:19:22 GMT
CJ- you are totally right, younger cooks get a lot of their recipes straight off the internet. When going through my mom’s belongings, I brought back a lot of cookbooks and found that I kept them all, without really using them. I ended up getting rid of most of them- think I kept 3 which have some sort of emotional tie. You are making great progress de cluttering!!! Does the local library near you accept used books (which they sell for a very small fee). Perhaps you can get rid of the cookbooks that way. I know VIetnam Veterans takes book donations also. Hope that working with those lighthouse/ beach themed fabrics was fun. Bet the table runner is pretty.
Ruth, sorry your post got lost. Did you start the border on the car afghan for the little one?
Got back a bit after 10 from practice last night. I did go to the local food store after practice so I do not have to go out today. The store was empty and they were well enough stocked for the few items I was looking for.
Humid and cloudy here…but thankfully a bit less warm than yesterday.
Happy Independence Day!🇺🇸
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Post by gramma15 on Jul 4, 2023 18:28:04 GMT
Ginny, I'm glad that your son had a good experience with Geico. They are very thorough and I was surprised when the garbage bin hit my car that they said that whole side of my car needed to be replaced. All it really needed, in my estimation, was some paint.I'm also glad that you had a good and fun shopping trip with your friend and I bet that stranger you met loved meeting you both
I got rid of all my cookbooks a few years back. I thing I donated them to Goodwill. Goodwill sells a lot of used books online. I do have quite a few recipes in notebooks that I saved.
Now today, since it's a holiday and people want to celebrate the weather is not good at all. Right now it's only 60 degrees and cloudy and looks like rain again,We sure don't need to worry about dryness causing wildland fires so far this year.
I'm still working on the body of that blanket, Ginny, so haven't started the border part yet. And thank you for the suggestion about doing a couple hats a week.I have one that has a really pretty stitch but I don't remember the stitch name or how to do it. I may work on my craft room again today and drag the really large tote out to the living room and sort out knitting things.
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Post by choney2 on Jul 4, 2023 19:32:32 GMT
Glad to see you here Ruth! Somehow I figured you were getting ready to move onto the border of the afghan..oh please, only do a hat or two a week! Other wise it will be overwhelming and if you are searching for patterns and hooks, it’s going to be a struggle. Hope you can figure out which stitch you used for the really pretty design. It’s a long way until fall/winter when those hats will be put to use. Did you get any work done in your craft room?
Got all the quilting done on the tshirt quilt and I have just enough fabric to make binding strips (which are cut- just need to be joined.). Oh the end is near on this nightmare. I did put a new list of quilts to make and did a very short straightening up in my sewing room. Guess I am a bit inspired to straighten up a bit more, once I get the binding on the quilt.
Right now it’s raining and dark. Who knows what the rest of the day will be like, but it is humid. No desire to be outside at all.
CJ- how is your day going?
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Post by cj59 on Jul 4, 2023 20:25:58 GMT
Hello Sounds like you are both doing well today and having a Happy 4th of July! It's in the high 80s here and partly sunny. I'm hoping we don't get a storm this evening. Last night around midnight we had some strong rain. I'm sure everyone down on the Mall are hoping for clear weather for the fireworks tonight. I finished going through the cookbooks and just kept a few. I did have a lot of cookbooks from churches, since that was a popular thing to do years ago for them to make money. I kept most of them because that's where you get some of the best recipes. I also sorted out my box where I keep recipes I've cut out or printed off the internet, so that's in better condition. Next up is all my business receipts and papers, which won't be as bad as it seems to me right now. I already have labeled hanging folders for everything, I just need to go through it get out old documents that need to be shredded. This morning I made my daily mini shoofly block and I also put together a backing and batting for the table runner. I also sandwiched the table runner and the Halloween quilt and I have them all pinned and ready for machine quilting. I'm hoping to get to the machine quilting tomorrow. Since they aren't that big I should be able to get them both done and then I can get to the binding. Have a great holiday
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Post by Ruth on Jul 5, 2023 2:21:20 GMT
Ginny, I know that you much be so very glad this quilt is nearly done. And you already have a whole list of quilts you're planning to do? Yes it is awhile until hats are needed but that time goes by so fast! Here it is already July.Before you know it winter will be here.
CJ, you also got a lot accomplished. Did all those blocks and got other quilts ready for machine quilting PLUS you also got those cookbooks sorted out and some other paper work sorted.You will have that paperwork completed sorted and shredded before you know it.
Well I did a little more in my craft room and did get all (I think) of my ufo's all put into one bin.I did make one hat today with some yarn I ripped out from whatever it was I had started to make with it. I had no idea of what I was planning to make so out came the yarn and most put to use in something completed. I do have a little of it left to make something else that's small.I haven't worked on the car seat blanket yet today because besides the craft room I had a little bit of other work to do and a little cooking. I'll start working on it as soon as I'm done here.I haven't even finished the second section yet so hopefull I'll get that done and a little, at least, of the third section.I also ordered the yarn for my dd's Christmas gift blanket. It's sort of a mosaic blanket. The youtube person calls it that but I don't really think it's a true mosaic. It has a few drop stitches. I'm kind of changing my mind about grandson's blanket (the waffle stitch) so I might go ahead and work on his older brother's blanket while I decide.
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Post by choney2 on Jul 5, 2023 11:11:30 GMT
Ruth, what color and kind of yarn did you order or DD’s Christmas gift? It’s not often we hear of you ordering yarn for a specific item. Good that you used up the yarn from a UFO. And the car seat afghan will get done for sure, sounds like you are ready to finish up the second section and make more progress. As it’s for a car seat, at least it’s not too large a project. And congrats on separating out all your UFO’s. That is a project in itself.
CJ-that is great that you will be finishing the table runner and wall hanging. It’s not often that you finish projects to the point they can be used. Sounds like you have plans to put that pretty table runner out in your home.! Oh I feel your pain. Its such a process going through paperwork and deciding which documents can be shredded. What a pain in the neck job. Hope that it goes quickly for you. Yes those church cookbooks are nice to keep, plus they do not usually take up much space. I still have not gone through my mom’s recipe box. My own recipe box is still in shambles…I give you a lot of credit for doing all the decluttering. The daily mini shoo fly blocks are they in a specific fabric line or have you gone to your stash to come up with fabrics? We have not heard about the mini house quilt either recently, have you worked on that at all?
I saw a hummingbird on my feeder yesterday evening! The bee balm (flower) is near by and has not opened up yet…glad the little fellow found the feeder. I did get the binding clipped to the quilt, and I do hope to finish that project later. Yes I have a list of quilts to make- and am now waiting for the pattern for DGD#3’s quilt to arrive so I can start figuring out how I will make that. It’s warm and muggy here. I guess typical weather for this area in summer.
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Post by choney2 on Jul 5, 2023 22:24:46 GMT
Thankfully Annies crafts refunded my “trial” membership. DD and I really liked a pattern for a quilt, but it looked as though it was loaded with applique. I called their customer service number to ask for details on the pattern, all I wanted to know was how the hearts were worked into the pattern. The customer service person said they knew nothing about crafting at all and the description of the pattern was useless. That left me with taking out a trial membership- which I did - so I could actually view the video of the pattern. Well the pattern calls for I think almost 50 applique hearts and I am not a big fan of applique. I emailed them this weekend to cancel my trial membership so I will not be charged. Personally I just think it’s a somewhat crummy policy not to be able to answer a question, about their patterns.
Made some progress on the quilt binding. Going to head out and hang some irish spring soap on my small garden. Bambi and her ilk got in and ate what little was left, but the plants will still survive and maybe I will get a squash or pumpkin. Maybe. I am not optimistic.
Really hot and humid here today. I did some outdoor work this am, some straightening up. Will do more tomorrow am before the heat becomes a problem.
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Post by cj59 on Jul 5, 2023 23:09:38 GMT
Hello Ruth - I'm glad you were able to get all your UFOs in one place and had time to work on a few projects. Ginny - That's great that you have a hummingbird at your feeder. Hope you can get your quilt binding done soon. It's warm here today and was sunny, then some rain and now sunny again The Shoofly blocks that I'm making use my 2.5 inch scrap fabric squares that I have organized by color. Even after I pulled out a bunch of them to be ready to make the blocks, I still have a lot of 2.5 inch squares. I think after I've made the Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks I have ready to piece I'll work on a rainbow project with the squares, we'll see. This morning I machine quilted both quilts I had ready and made the binding for both of them. I hoping to get the binding sewn on and attached tomorrow morning. I'm just doing it all by machine, so it should be quick. This afternoon I started going through the business papers. I made it through 2 of 3 containers that I have them in. It hasn't been too difficult because I already had hanging folders with labels on them so most of it was organized I just needed to get out the old stuff. I found things back to 2020, so Covid must have really got me off track if I hadn't been through these since then. I used to look through them every 6-12 months to pull out the old documents. I do have a big bag of paperwork to shred - I'll have to do that slowly so I don't hurt my shredded. Hope you have a good evening
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Post by Ruth on Jul 6, 2023 3:31:12 GMT
Ginny, that's ridiculous that Annie's doesn't have a customer service person to answer questions. I've only ever called customer service once for info on a pattern h it was at Herrschners and she did know what she was talking about. I think Lion Brand has someone also and probably Mary Maxim but I don't know for sure because I've never thought of calling or emailing. I'm glad you got your money refunded. That does sound like a lot of work to do 50 appliques and being that you don't really like doing them I think a different pattern is a good idea. You could find another really pretty pattern and do it instead. Then you could crochet a small blanket with bobble hearts. The one I'm making has two sections of hearts and the two sections with word but you could do only the hearts
CJ, those tiny blocks seen challenging but with your expertise I know they look beautiful as do all of your quilts that I've seen. I need to go thru paperwork too. I don't have a shredder so I burn all the ones that need shredding in my woodstove. Last winter we never used the woodtove though so I have a whole trash bag full and I'm sure another trash bags worth of old papers in my file cabinet.
I have a good excuse for my typos today because I got something in my eye and my vison is very blurry. I work up with it like that and it's still blurry and I can feel something still in it. I've tried eye drops and need to try more. I have been crocheting though and also rearranged some of my yarn.
Have a good night all and get a good rest
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