An Amish Lifestyle...

well... not exactly... but my laptop died and I have been without far too long!  Yesterday the husb took me out and we shopped for, and bought, a new laptop. YEAH... I am back in business. 

While I was offline I got a TON of things done.  {Imagine that!}

I took Eva K to see her grandson play college football.  It was 900 degrees {slight exaggeration} that day.  In the fourth quarter the sky turned black, it began to hail, lightening, rain cats & dogs, and we had a 3 hour delay {no exaggeration}.  The Wartburg Knights came out on top beating Monmouth College.  Yeah team! 

Mom and Skinny Sister's son Riley

At my Rockin' Bobbins meeting we decided to exchange blocks for our Scrapity-Do-Dah quilts one more month.  I completed 5 more sets of 12 blocks for our exchange.  {OK... hardly Amish... what would I do without my Bernina?}  

I cranked away at my YO-YO Along project and I now have 782 completed! 

My yo-yo travel kit

I finished knitting my Fledermaus-Tuch.  It is waiting to be blocked.

I finished knitting Mom's Stitch Sampler Shawl.  Again... waiting to be blocked.      

I began this project....

Found @ ClassicCableKnits.com

I bought this pattern at the Classic Cable Knits trunk show held in August at Village Yarn Shop. This project begins with the pretty edge and the pattern uses a chart.  {Why have I been so afraid of knitting charts?} It has been SO enjoyable to knit.

I am using Madeline Tosh Vintage yarn.  The pattern is written for sock, DK, or worsted weight yarn.  Nice touch!  Since I am generally a serial knitter, rarely knitting a pattern just once, I will probably knit this project in another weight...soon.  Maybe a KAL at VYS?

I finished listening to The Daughter's Walk, by Jane Kirkpatrick.  This story begins with the historically factual 7,000-mile walk taken by a reluctant Clara Estby and her mother, Helga, from Spokane, Washington, to New York in 1896. The fashion industry is looking for promotion of the new, shorter dress for women; Helga is looking for a $10,000 prize to save the family farm from foreclosure. The novel follows Clara after the walk, spanning 40 years.  I enjoy historical fiction and I found this novel interesting.  I was not, however, totally captivated.

 

I began reading a bevy of Lincoln books.  Very interesting.  I look forward to downloading a new book for my walks.

What were you up to while I was gone?

To Knit or Sew?...

That is the question.  The next few days are pretty low key, and with Prince Charles back at college my nest is empty, so I should be able to do both!

I am teaching 2 classes at our LYS and I am trying to get my samples knit.  Maybe I'll have one done today.

 

In my sewing room I have had a lot of fun this summer.

I've kept up with my yo-yos for Penny's {from Sewtakeahike} Yo-Yo Along.  The girls from my Iowa quilting group and some of the Rockin' Bobbins gave me their red, white & blue 30's "scraps".  They were VERY generous!  {XOXO girls!}  I have completed 651 yo-yos.

See that basket in the back of the picture?  I bought that little gem when I went to Shipshewanna this summer with Mary, Julie and Jeanne {Skinny Sister}.  My friend Theresa bought one a couple years back and I have had honest to goodness basket envy since that time.  The basket is handmade locally and signed.  It is on a lazy Susan and the inside is divided into sections.  I like to keep my smallish rulers in the center, and my rotary cutter and scissors in another section.  I almost feel organized!

I have kept up with my Rockin Bobbin Scrappity-Do-Dah exchange blocks.  We meet tomorrow night with our last 5 sets of 13 blocks.

I started putting my blocks together and I have decided to keep making blocks to make my quilt bigger. 

I have sort of  kept up with Karen's Summer Bow Tie Quilt Along.  I might be a week behind.   

My tumbler quilt made of 30's prints is sewn together in strips.  I need to cut a few more tumblers for the border.     

I want to finish a project before I cut into this...

I ordered 2 BOLTS of Bella Solid from Anna's store.  Anna, of Thimbleanna fame, sells Bella Solids by the bolt and you can get yourself some here.  Fabric by the bolt brings sheer elation.  I purchased the Kumari Garden fat quarter pack from the Fat Quarter Shop when it was on sale a month or so ago. 

I'd better sign off and get my 10,000 steps in for today.  I hit my goal of 310,000 steps for the month of August yesterday.  I can't believe September arrives tomorrow!

I hope you get time today to do the things you love.

Mt. Yo-Yo...

605 yo-yos...403 to go

What have you been sewing?

Yo-Yoing along

I have been so busy lately. 

No time to blog, no time to sew my summer bow ties. 

But I have managed to keep up with these little beauties...

525 Yo-Yos!

I am more than half way to my goal of 1008!

Today I am off to see Dr. OZ at the Indiana State Fair.

Planned or Random?...

I now have 210 yo-yos!  My original plan for this Yo-Yo Along was to use up my 30's repro stash.  Then I decided to use only my red, white, and blue repros.  Well... I have depleted that stash and I have only completed 20% of the yo-yos needed for the the project.  What's a girl to do?  Should I use up my other 30's fabric for a more random color variation?  Or should I stick to the planned color way {and use this project as an excuse to frequent more quilt shops}? 

What would YOU do?

Yo-Yo Mama...

We had 2 beautiful days for sitting on the back porch and making yo yos.  This is what 105 yo-yos looks like.

But today was HOT.  So I stayed inside and worked on UFOs... after my five mile walk.

Sew On,

I was sucked in...

I am an easy mark.  Last weekend I was blog hopping and read Jodi's {Pleasant Home} post about her intentions for her 2011 Scrappy Quilt.  She decided to join Karen's Summer Bow Tie "quilt along" on Facebook.  Participants will make one block for every day of the summer.   Hmmm...sounds like fun!    

The "quilt along" started on June 21st, so as of today I have 18 blocks pieced.  By the end of the "quilt along", and the end of summer, we'll have 95 blocks!   If you need inspiration just check out Jodi's post.  It sucked me right in.

Then, later in the week, I read that Amandajean {Crazy Mom Quilts} had joined  Penny's {Sewtakeahike} Yo-Yo "quilt along". 

Well, I have always wanted a Yo-Yo quilt.

So now I have this basket ...

sitting next to my nest.

And currently it has 26 of the 1008 yo-yos that I need to complete in it.

  I am using red, white, and blue 30's repros... at least in the beginning!

I think "quilting along" will be fun! 

What ever you do, DON'T read Jodi's blog for today.  She's joined the Farmer's Wife Sampler "quilt along".  MUST * RESIST * THIS * PROJECT.  I still have Dear Jane in a box begging to be set!