First Weekend of 2014

  My 1st finish of the year.

 I have been reading some knitting mystery books by Maggie Sefton and in the back of the books are knitting patterns and recipes from the stories....I started one of the scarfs (Cable Knit scarf) and am about 1/2 done. I wanted to make a hat and use the cable pattern from the scarf......I have never made a hat (only socks). Looked at different patterns and made up my own to use the cables. Started the decreases at 5 " and kept going til 15 stitches on needles then pulled threads tight and finished off 2 days work...I am very happy with my finish and IT FITS!!!! 

Now we are waiting for a very dangerous snow storm....the temps could reach -45 with wind chill. Churches are closing Sunday services and school are announcing closing for Monday. We are expecting to get 8 to 10 " of snow.  They have been showing pictures of all the empty shelves at the grocery stores and people filling their cars gas tanks.

I will probably have time to do a lot of knitting or even work on the sewing/craft room.
   

 Happy Stitches, Margie

IT'S HERE   2014!!!

This year has been very crazy!!! I have same job only different hours...leaves very little time for sewing. I started knitting again in 2013....well more than just socks...I made all the grandkids washclothes with their initial (J,C,D,J,R).

 I also made each of the girls 3 daughters and 1 daughter-in-law, my sister and niece a caterpillar scarf. This one is my youngest daughter Kendra's scarf (she wanted bright colors) I made each one a different color and have maybe yarn for 3 more. I made three pairs of socks this year and started 4 pairs in different stages.
 My mothers' coat that I talked about in my last post is progressing..I have the bottom half complete pockets in and 1 sleeve almost complete, I did not work on this from May until September because of work hour changes. I will be able to work more on this as I will be working 4days 10 hrs.shifts with Fri.,Sat. Sun. off.
 I have many plans for 2014....I have knitting to do for Christmas (waiting on yarn), have 4 table runners to do and I really want to finish my Presidents Quilt. I was the President of our local Quilt Guild in 2004 and the members make blocks for out-going presidents and have not been able to find JUST the RIGHT fabrics to finish....I think I have found what I wanted (needed) to accomplish this. My two quilting buddies all are past presidents and are going to meet once a month to work on our settings and get these off the WIP list. LOL.

TaTa for now and again HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Happy Stitches,  Margie

SPRING TIME !

Wow ,this is what was on the car when getting  off work .

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!!
As most of you all know Google Reader is leaving out in July, 2013......
So please follow me at : Follow my blog with Bloglovin

This where I have imported all my RSS feeds and seems to be quite handy so far.
I have been quite busy with knitting for 2013 Christmas and making some quilty gifts also.

Went to Bloomington IN. Quilt Convention and took a class from Bonnie K Hunter of Quiltville....It was her Pineapple Blossom quilt from the website....SO MUCH FUN....

Everyone Enjoy the day and I'll be back soon.



 Happy Stitches, Margie

Back from the Past

Hello Blogland!!!!
I had not realized I have been gone for 15 months.
Things have been quite crazy on the Ark.
Daughter(#3) moved back home and started working at the factory with me on 3rd shift...so seems as if we get nothing accomplished.
Daughter(#3) was not able to get into the grad school(s) of her choice so she went back to school in January.
I am again an empty nester.
 Daughter(#2) was married in May of 2012...She lives on the East Coast and came home to marry, because when my darling granddaddy passed she met up with an old acquaintance and well just a little over a year later they hitched....and are living in Virginia....she has a big home on 10 acres...what guy wouldn't like that....and Daughter(#1) little daughter turned 1 this past June and boy oh boy what a party!!!!! Loads of family and friends were there with lots of cake and ice cream.....
This past summer 2012 DD#3 and I went to MI. to spend a week at my son's house....we went swimming and visited several local places...Spicer Orchard (I think), Local Goodwill store, a great farm yard sale out in the middle of nowhere, had great food and family time....by the way it was also the 2 grandsons BIRTHDAYS.....so more parties....let's see that was in July...also went up there in  Sept., and maybe one more time.
We had a great Christmas at my DD#1 house. Weather was good and everyone was there....all 4 of the children and their spouses and the grandbabies and the 2 new grandsons.....GREAT TIMES.

Now for the quilty NEWS....NOTHING NADA NILCH..........I have been missing in action......my sewing room if you remember is still not back together from 2011.....had some set backs to that fiasco(too long story for now).....I have taken up knitting again after 40 yrs.......My mother had taught me to knit as a young girl and I never made much.....after my father passed in  2011 I found a large project she had started and thought I would someday like to finish if I could only find out what it was to be......I have been knitting socks since my trip to Portugal and think I have enough experience to tackle this project of my mother's. The yarn store my mother purchased this yarn from is still open with the same owner......I take the yarn and my mother's picture in to see if they can help me figure out what this projects was meant to be......the owner remembered my mom and asked me to count the stitches on the needles(mom had about 10 rows knitted)......I say 150 and she says it's the ***** coat (I have asked 3 times again for the name still can not understand...owner is from Morroco) . Longer story short she had me knit until the piece was 7 inches then said come back and we will make the pockets and go from there....I did that and now I am making two pieces 30 stitches by 5 in for the inside of the pockets then I will go back and get more instructions.....this has been very moving for me to maybe see what my mom had envisioned......Time will tell....I am going to give it my total attention!!!

My next trip is in March to Bloomington Quilt Convention  to take a class with.....Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville.......One of my most favorite quilters..... time won't pass quick enough.

I hope to get going on this blog and add some pics of the things I have done in the last 15 months....

God Bless and
Happy Stitches, Margie

Thanksgiving

Things sure have changed this year.

I volunteered to work 3rd shift at the factory for 6 months and it has now been 13 months. Won't do that again. The things you never think will never happen seems to always be thatta way. Not much sewing going on here at the ark as I have tried unsuccessfully to clean out the sewing room and life gets in the way. I had everything out and was slowly getting it back together when I decided I didn't want my entertainment center in the Living room anymore. It was a massive piece of furniture with shelving all over. Any guesses was where all that stuff is now? Yep, in the sewing room along with 4 bags of stuff from my dads' house.

You see....My daddy passed away this past summer. He became ill late May...doctors thinking he had a mild stroke only to find out he had Pancreatic Cancer. This was diagnosed on July 18th my grandson's 8th birthday. He had been up all night with terrrible stomach pain and called me when I arrived home from work to ask me to take him to ER. Once there it only took the ER Doc to touch his stomach and order a CAT scan the the results were in. My loving father passed away only 33 days later Aug 21. He turned 85 on July 22 and we were able to have a great birthday party with family and friends.....EVERYONE was here....his brother came from Texas as a surprise and my kids came from all over to help us celebrate. We had 2 wonderful loving weeks to say all the neccessary things and get *stuff* in order....the last 2 weeks were just astounding. Things move very quickly and the man you love and have respected all these years is gone. Just a shell of a human being and needs constant care. My sister and I shared the duties. I was there during the day and would go home and sleep when she came home from work. The last 7 days neither of us left....We always thought daddy would be there forever....He was never sick and had very good health. The days have been LONG since his passing and I struggle daily with his loss. I hope writing this and getting more order around the house can help. Slowly things get back to "normal'....How do I know this? My mother has been gone for 37 yrs ....been here before so I know times will get better.

I want everyone to know I have not been sitting around in a daze due to this. I had been knitting apair of socks with some yarn I picked up in Portugal in April...They are completed...My daddy used to tease me that I would never get them done. I was able to get that pair done and 3/4 of another pair complete. Only started these when he was hospitalized. Pictures if I can get them recovered from my other computer.

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Stitches,Margie

Purchase at County Fair

Hello and hidey-ho,


Aren't these gorgeous!!!! My daughter found these at a little log cabin store called Apple Cart Creations located at the Howard Co 4-H fairgrounds. Made of hand spun alpaca preshrunk yarn. She fell totally in awe at the softness and the fit was perfect for her. The name Karen Hainlen was on the tag with washing instructions. There were several different shawls, some crazy long socks and scarves, cutest baby mittens,and some very nice hats. All were in the grey/brown (maybe natural color) yarn. She was spinning black yarn when we were talking to her. Dressed in time period clothing and was very helpful with answering questions about spinning or weaving.
Forgot to tell you....Fingerless gloves....if you're wondering.
Happy Stitches,Margie

HAPPY 4th JULY

Have a great Holiday!!!

This postcard is from an excellent website on vintage 4th July cards. Check it out

http://www1.american.edu/heintze/postcards.htm




Happy Stitches,Margie

Save the Kindle project!

This is what I was working on last night. The neighborhood fireworks kept me awake into the early hours.
My sister received a Kindle for her birthday in May with NO COVER. She keeps it stored on her buffet in the dining room. I decided after some searching on the WWW that I could make one easily.
I used a pattern for Bookkeeper on MODA Bake Shop and one from Expect Moore blog and using features from both. This is so easy that I made one for mine that is in a leather cover (one with a light feature) 1st picture.
I think everyone should try this,very fast and rewarding. Give it a try.



The next thing I would like to talk about is scraps and what to do with them.

This pile (1st photo on the floor)is leftovers from my daughters project to make Greek Letters for her music Fraternity. So many pieces with fusible and scraps large and small. I cut the fusible pieces away from non and then I divided out small usable and large non-fusible. I like to make postcards and fusible appliqué so into their respective bins in the sewing room. the large pieces on the chair were cut done into squares and then into the proper bin.

Happy Stitches,Margie

Been Trippin'

Well long time no see!!
I have been everywhere and nowhere.
The last you heard of me I was snowed in and waiting for the blizzard of the century...Never came...did get snowplowed in my drive pictures in previous post from February.

Getting our rental car, Audi s4 AWESOME!!!
To make things go faster I will let everyone know I have been to Portugal and stayed a week in Lisbon with My son and daughter-in-law with her family for a week. This was the end of March and beginning of April. My birthday is April 1st so I had a very nice present being in Europe and learning lots of new things... This is the grocery store(taken with my phone)I have several pictures but at this time not able to post...son is going to have to help at this point. What I did was post to facebook a now I am not sure how to get them over here to Blogland. Was the most fantastic thing I have done and the pictures (over 700) are so wonderful to look back at and think....I was really there....

My daughter graduated from college BSU this May after 6 years and now is spending her time looking at grad schools and internships...working this summer with me at the factory....not real happy with this but the money is good so she *deals with it* LOL.
My father had a stroke at the end of May and has been going to therapy 3 times a week and the doctor appointments are endless. He is not a happy camper...hates taking medication..only 4...so grumble grumble grumble. He is doing good and was thinking of driving to church today. I keep telling him he is getting his days and nights mixed....napping on/off during the day and then can't sleep at night....just like the NEW GREAT GRANDBABY. YEA!!!! she is here.
Now on to some more exciting news and what has been going on here. This is the last thing that has been happening. Just a gorgeous baby girl born on June 14th 8lbs 14 oz 21 inches. Hello, Roxie

This is her 1st quilt from Grammie. Spinning stars. The hospital took a photo for the new baby with her wrapped in the quilt with a little crochet hat and flower so very cute.



Happy Stitches, Margie