Farmington River - In Progress

My section of the map (#2)

River fabrics need to end within a certain area of the sides

What should the river edge look like?

Experimenting with 'thunderstorm' in upper left

Work in Progress Wednesday - Stitches and Knits

STITCHES                                      If you visit my studio you will see the scraps I keep. I love recycling and cannot bear to discard good lengths of fabric. The leftovers of strips of 2", 2 1/2" and 3" wide are kept in bins on a shelf. I sew smaller pieces into strip sets. 

These are sometimes put away in bins (for years!) until I decide on a project. 

Here are seven fabrics that I sewed together randomly. 

Then I used a Kaleido-Ruler to cut triangles. This ruler has easy to read marks that indicate what size setting triangles to cut from what width fabric to match your triangles.

In the photo above the marks to indicate the triangles from strips are on the left and marks for setting triangles from strips on the right

And this is my completed block.

KNITS
On the knitting needles this month is a rose-toned mohair shawl. It is a variation on a pattern that I saw in Free-Spirit Shawls: 20 Eclectic Knits for Every Day by Lisa Shroyer.

The pattern starts with a big cast-on of around 240 stitches. I used a size 9 needle. I modified the lace pattern at the cast-on edge to one of my own liking.

Shaping for the shoulders is done with short-rows and wraps. I plan to use an i-cord bind-off to finish it and when I do I will post more pictures.

I have had the mohair (gift from a friend) for more than 2 years and finally decided to use it!  I only have one skein left.

Retreat in the CT Woods

I was on retreat this past weekend with a group from Shoreline Quilters. Can you imagine being snow bound in the Connecticut woods with your stash and a bunch of friends? 

That is obviously a bit of an exaggeration, but we did have an evening of snow and mixed precipitation that made for treacherous walking the following morning. However, the folks at the Incarnation Center were very attentive to the situation by shoveling and putting salt down. They even cleared the snow off our cars!

Each year I take more fabric than I need and wonder why I cannot be more selective in the packing, but I just don’t seem to be able. Maybe I am so excited about the possibilities that I cannot prioritize.

Here are a few photos of what I was working on. 

Scrappy Disappearing 9-Patch

Scrappy Disappearing Square in Square

Shirtail Triangles

Cut Outs

Drink, Lift and Organize

I am trying to start each new day with positive affirmations about myself and my art. Some days it is easier than others, but I am working on it. I also made a few resolutions for the New Year and can honestly report that so far I have been diligent. The resolutions are 3 and all begin with “W”. They are: Water (drink), Weights (lift), and  Wardrobe (organize).

Water: I fill a water bottle up each morning before work and push myself to drink it by noon. 

Weights: I am of eastern European ancestry (complete with, what my friend Patrick Cooney, calls SIS (S----- Irish Skin), though I think I am Scottish, so in my case it would be SSS.  Eastern European women also tend to be at increased risk for osteoporosis. Weight lifting is earmarked by me as one attempt to ward off bone loss.

Thanks to my dear husband (DH) we have an extensive weight set in the basement that he bought when our sons became teenagers. It is the kind that has a stylized stand and a clever little gizmo that allows one to select the preferred poundage for each barbell. One of the boys used it on a regular basis, but now he is away at college. Last night, after that son gave me a brief intro to proper breathing and lifting, and how many reps I should do I gave it a whirl, or maybe I should say lift. But first he had to explain “rep”.

Because I am a task oriented, I decided that if I miss my serious session in the basement (and I do want to keep my 3W’s), I should use a 10-pound barbell with one hand while brushing my teeth with the other (electric toothbrush). Then of course I would switch hands and do the same number of reps with the other arm.  (Yes this barbell had a mate but I misplaced it. It is somewhere, possibly in my studio. You might wonder how anyone can misplace a barbell, but it can be done, and I am living proof. ) And that brings us to the wardrobe.

Wardrobe: I am a victim of the post-season sale, the clearance section, and Marshalls/TJMaxx. I am a soft sell for a flouncy floral skirt and a velveteen jacket.  In the past I have given little thought to what colors or necklines are flattering, but all that is changing. I have borrowed books from the library on personal style and organization. I pulled the summer clothes out of the closet and moved them to a separate zippered storage bag. (I figured I could do the summer stuff later if this plan works.) 

Current Project: Paperpiecing Shamrocks

I understand that my wardrobe will be an ongoing process. I prefer to fewer items and love each one more. My friend Linda T. Gottlieb, who runs Fit Training, LLC http://www.FitTraining.net is an inspiration in more than one department, and although her personal style is so different than my own, she always looks fabulous.