I'm organized. Very.

I felt good with this setup. But it didn't leave much workspace on the table.

So, on the day after Thanksgiving while Bill was working, I cleared off the bookcase in our bedroom and moved it into the craft room (thick felt pads on the bottom of the bookcase made it easy to move!). Then, I added the containers of fabric sorted by color. (Cleo is testing access to the cat bed!)

Ah, workspace on the table! I'm inspired to work on a project when I see it!

I busily crocheted for the first 7 months this year and then burnt out on crocheting. I did, however, begin the first step in quilting: cutting fabric into squares, rectangles, and triangles and then sewing them together. Using the pieced squares, I made Quilt Block Curtains to hang in my craft room.

When crocheting, I sit in the living room and watch TV while following a pattern in a book or making it up as I go after I've selected the yarn to be used. I don't need to move for hours!

Quilting is much more interactive. I sit or stand and think and select a pattern to use. I stand and think and select fabric and measure fabric and cut fabric. And, I sit and think and move between the work table and the sewing machine to layout fabric pieces and pin them together to be sewn and then sew them - and sometimes pull out the stitches and restitch. A DVR-recorded television show or DVD or music CD is playing in the background.

2008 Projects in Review

Crochet: 19 lap blankets for donation; 1 lap blanket for a gift; 1 round lap blanket for me.

Knitting: Nada. Nothing.

Sewing and Quilting: 1 set of quilt-top curtains using 24 12-1/4″ blocks; 12 12″ quilt blocks.

The Project List:

1. Quilt Block Curtains for craft room using 24 varied 12-1/4″ quilt blocks (start Jul. 13; finish Dec. 20)
2. 24 12 1/4″ (including 1/4″ seam allowance) varied quilt blocks for Quilt Block Curtains for craft room (start Jul. 19; finish Nov. 2)
3. 12 12″ (including 1/4″ seam allowance) varied quilt blocks left over to use for a quilt (start Jul. 19; finish Nov. 2)
4. Primary Colors Granny Square Lap Blanket - Blue, Green, Red, Multis of Blue / Green / Red, black (start Jul. 5; finish Jul. 23)
5. Custom Granny Square Lap Blanket - Print Pastels, Blue, Yellow, Pink (start Jun. 29; finish Jul. 7)
6. Granny Square Lap Blanket - Pinks, Blue, White, Beige, Yellow, Baby Pastels (start Jun. 22; finish Jun. 29)
7. Hexagon Lap Blanket - Greys, Red, White (start Jun. 8; too hot to continue hiding yarn ends Jun. 18; finish Jun. 29)
8. Blue and Gold Blocks Lap Blanket - Blue, Gold, Green, Red, Orange (start May 31; too hot to continue hiding yarn ends Jun. 8; finish Jun. 29)
9. Granny Squares with Flowers Lap Blanket - Scraps (start May 18; finish May 31)
10. Flower Centers Granny Square Lap Blanket - Melon, Purple, Yellow, Baby Print, Light Yellow, White (start May 3; finish May 18)
11. Round Wheel Lap Blanket - Burgundy, Multi (start Apr. 14; finish May 3)
12. 4-Patch Granny Lap Blanket - Pink, Blue (start Apr. 3; finish Apr. 11)
13. Double Crochet Striped Squares Lap Blanket - Pink, Blue, White, Purples (start Mar. 19; finish Apr. 1)
14. Flowers in Snow Granny Square Lap Blanket - White, Coral, Green, White-Pink-Green-Yellow Multi (start Mar. 28; finish Mar. 31)
15. Panel Variety Lap Blanket - Green, Purple, Off-White (start Mar. 20; finish Mar. 24)
16. 6-patch Striped Squares Lap Blanket - Pink, Off-White (start Mar. 10; finish Mar. 18)
17. Steps with Ruffle Border Lap Blanket - Red, White (start Mar. 2; finish Mar. 9)
18. Offset Log Cabin Lap Blanket - Greens, White, Black (start Feb. 23; finish Mar. 2)
19. Log Cabin Lap Blanket - Greens, White, Black (start Feb. 17; finish Feb. 23)
20. Double Crochet Scraps Panels with Black Lap Blanket (start Feb. 13; finish Feb. 17)
21. Granny Square Lap Blanket - White, Greens, Pinks, Yellows, Blues, Grey, Purple (start Feb. 10 using leftover squares from blanket just finished; finished Feb. 12)
22. Granny Square Lap Blanket - White, Tan, Greens, Pinks, Yellows, Blues (start Jan. 22, 2007; put aside early Feb. after 20 squares; picked up again May 28; put down again May 29, 2007; finally finished Feb. 10, 2008)
23. Flower Picture Afghan Lap Blanket - White, Reds, Greens (start Jan. 21; finish Feb. 7)
24. Filet Pinwheel Granny Square Lap Blanket - Greens (start Jan. 2; finish Jan. 14)

Projects started in 2008 but not completed yet:

• Quilt using 12 12″ (including 1/4″ seam allowance) left over varied quilt blocks from Quilt Block Curtains (start Jul. 2008; 12 blocks done Nov. 2; quilt top in progress)
• Houses art quilt - fusing (start Oct. 17, 2008; in limbo)
• Garden art quilt - fusing (start Oct. 16, 2008; in limbo)
• Hexagon Mile-A-Minute Lap Blanket - Blue, White, Blue-White Multi (start Jul. 24; got bored with crocheting and too hot so in limbo)
• Ripple Lap Blanket - Multi, Burgundy (start Jan. 15; got bored with it so in limbo)
• Ripple Lap Blanket - White, Lavender (start May 29, 2007; Jun. 2 put aside for Pineapple Blanket, then Babette Blanket; still in limbo)

Projects started in 2006 but put not completed yet:

• Keepsake Kitty Wall Hanging (start May 7, 2006; top nearly done except for applique tail Jun. 2, 2006; now in limbo; March 2008 sewed/appliqued the cat's tail onto the pattern; again in limbo; Dec. 2008 began quilting the top-batting-backing "sandwich")

These photos were taken on August 3 after a few weekends of quilt block piecing.

From the doorway:

From the opposite corner:

I still crochet a great deal of the time - it's still my number one hobby. The number of projects completed this year is just over half of last year - but many of the projects were large blankets and some had a lot of time-consuming yarn ends to hide.

In 2007, I pursued learning to knit (again - for the third time), but it still hasn't taken with me. Of course, if I don't continue working with it, knitting doesn't have a chance of becoming "second nature" for me like crocheting is! I haven't given up my desire to make colorful knitted socks, but I also haven't become comfortable enough with knitting using 2 knitting needles to want to try to handle 4 or 5 double-pointed knitting needles.

With regard to sewing and quilting, the desire to play with colorful fabric is there. However, I still haven't gotten around to getting comfortable with it. Someday…

2007 Projects in Review

Crochet: 1 huge full-size afghan (my Babette Blanket), 1 large round 6-point to 24-point afghan, 4 full-size blankets, 8 lap blankets (7 donated, 1 gift), 6 scarves, 2 headbands, 1 cardigan, 1 hat, 1 cat-size blanket.

Knit: 1 head band.

Sewing and Quilting: Zero, zip, nada. Bah! The year slid by with no progress here! Didn't finish the Keepsake Kitty Wall Hanging, and didn't start any new sewing or quilting projects.

The Project List:

1. Ripple Blanket for Bill (start Aug. 18; then too hot so put aside to do granny squares; picked up again Dec. 12; finish Dec. 22)
2. Stone Path Hat - Browns (start Dec. 3; finish Dec. 11)
3. Patchwork Solid Granny Squares Blanket for Bryan (start Aug. 25; finish Sep. 30)
4. Babette Blanket for me (start Jun. 24; finish Aug. 13)
5. Pineapple Blanket for Billy and Rowena Wedding - White (start Jun. 2; finish Jun. 23)
6. Delicate Summer Jacket Cardigan for me - Purple Cotton-Ease (start May 10; finish May 28)
7. Simple Knitted Head Band for me - Green Sugar 'n' Cream Cotton (start May 7; finish May 8;)
8. Ripple Lap Blanket - White, Pastel Scraps (start Apr. 6; finish May 6)
9. Sampler Stripes Blanket for Elizabeth - Green, Maroon, Pink, White (start Apr. 19; finish Apr. 30)
10. 6-point to 24-point Round Ripple Blanket for William - Greens, Blues, Multi (start Apr. 7; finish Apr. 18)
11. Ripple Lap Blanket - White, Cream, Dark Scraps (start Mar. 31; finish Apr. 4)
12. Ripple Lap Blanket for Candace - Purples (start Mar. 22; finish Mar. 31)
13. Ripple Scarf - Beige/Cream, Cream (start Mar. 18; finish Mar. 21)
14. Ripple Scarf - Gold/Orange, Cream (start Mar. 13; finish Mar. 17)
15. Ripple Scarf - Black/Grey, Cream (start Mar. 13; finish Mar. 15)
16. Round Motif Scarf - Cream, Gold/Orange, Black/Grey (start Mar. 3; finish Mar. 12)
17. Ripple Lap Blanket - Blues, Greens, Tans (start Mar. 4; finish Mar. 11)
18. Head Band for me - White, Purple, Green, Blue (start Mar. 8; finish Mar. 9)
19. Head Band for me - Purple, Green, Blue (start/finish Mar. 8)
20. Burgundy Shells Scarf (start Feb. 25; finish Mar. 3)
21. Octagon Cat Blanket (started as a baby blanket) - Dark and Light Turquoise (start Dec. 16, 2006; Dec. 17 need more yarn; Mar. 3, 2007 decided to finish off as is and use for a cat blanket)
22. Long Soft Warm Scarf for me - Black, Brown, Tan, Pale Blue, Cream, Blue-Purple (start/finish Feb. 25; ooops! too long: shortened Feb. 28)
23. Cluster and Lace Granny Square Lap Blanket - Red, Pink, White (start Feb. 9; finish Feb. 17)
24. Calico Lap Blanket - Red, Pink, Light Green, White (start Feb. 4; finish Feb. 9)
25. 9-patch Granny Square Lap Blanket - Blue, Beige, Off White, Multi (start Jan. 4; finish Jan. 21)
26. Granny Square Lap Blanket - Pinks (start Jan. 13; finish Jan. 17)

Projects started in 2007 but not completed yet:

• Ripple Lap Blanket - White, Lavender (start May 29, 2007; Jun. 2 put aside for Pineapple Blanket, then Babette Blanket)
• Granny Square Lap Blanket - White, Tan, Green, Pink, Yellow, Blue (start Jan. 22, 2007; put aside early Feb. after 20 squares; picked up again May 28; put down again May 29)

Projects started in 2006 but put not completed yet:

• Keepsake Kitty Wall Hanging (start May 7, 2006; top nearly done except for applique tail Jun. 2, 2006; now in limbo)

Projects started in 2005 but put on hold and then pulled out to re-use the yarn:

• Not completed: Jazzy Beach Wrap (cardigan) for me (start Mar. 24, 2005; put aside Apr. 13, 2005; pulled out Feb. 18, 2007)

I still enjoy crocheting a lot and spend part of nearly every day doing it, as evidenced by the number of projects completed!

I'm pleased that I learned more about sewing this year. I even bought a new sewing machine - it has been much more fun to use than Mom's older-than-I-am sewing machine!

I finally started my first quilt project. I didn't get around to finishing it (yet), but there's no rush. I'm strongly drawn to quilting - and the use of line, color, light and shadow. I am also, however, intimidated by my strong desire to not waste fabric or time or money.

2006 Projects in Review

Crochet: 1 huge full-size afghan, 24 lap blankets (16 donated, 4 gifts, 1 door prize at work, 3 toward 2007 donation), 3 baby blankets, 3 cardigans/sweaters, 2 pairs of socks, 2 bags, 1 vest, 1 scarf, 1 pet bed wrap, 1 flag cover, 1 pin cushion, 1 stuffed VW Bug, 1 stuffed turtle.

Sewing: I completed 4 sewing projects and bought my own sewing maching this year! 8 panels used as curtains for home office closet, 1 cover for fabric cutting board, 1 set of bathroom window curtains, 1 sleep shirt (and learned the basics of using a sewing pattern!).

Quilting: I also started my first quilt project this year, but didn't finish it: Keepsake Kitty Wall Hanging (top nearly done except for applique tail, then needs to be quilted).

The Project List:

Hmmm, I may just have to go to this! Tour of the Quilt National 2005 collection. The tour of Collections A & B will be at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles from October 10 to January 7 (tour information). Hmmm, I didn't even know there was a Museum of Quilts and Textiles in San Jose!

My 3-day weekends for the summer are over. Bummer. It's hard to believe 12 Fridays have already gone by. Back to 8-hour days 5 days a week starting today. I really like working 4 9-hour days (I take 1 hour of vacation each day to make 40 hours a week). If I didn't have to take a 10% cut in pay and pay 10% of my benefits, I would switch to a 4-day week working 9 hours each day.

...

Craftwise, I've been uninspired since before we left on our Hawaii vacation. Other than the 3 1/2 books I read on vacation and the 1 1/2 books I've read since we got back, I haven't done much except watch lots of TV and DVDs.

...

We're working our way through DVDs of Rescue Me season one right now, then moving on to season two. I want to get Bill involved with Lost but he says he's not interested. I'm gonna try, though, with the first DVD of season one.

We've switched from Netflix to Blockbuster's online DVD service because it is cheaper. Blockbuster is $7.99 for 3 DVDs (one at a time) and 2 coupons for free DVD rentals at Blockbuster stores. Netflix is $9.99 for an unlimited number of DVDs (one at a time). The usual turnaround for us is 1 DVD per week by mail so the Blockbuster plan works nicely for us.

...

Before we left on vacation, Bill offered to switch the bedroom he uses as his office with the smaller room I use as my craft room. So, I took him up on it! We switched rooms last weekend. My new craft room has lots more room and natural light and a great breeze through the window! Bill decided to use his new space as a TV Room since he really doesn't need an office (hmmm, not that he really needs a TV Room either...). We moved the TV from our bedroom into the TV Room since we don't watch TV in bed anymore. This weekend, we bought a new recliner chair in a nice shade of sage/light olive green for the TV Room. We also hooked up the livingroom TV to also display on the small TV in my craft room (which used to be in my office for when I used the treadmill... but since I haven't used the treadmill since probably January...). Now, Bill can watch a football game or whatever in the TV Room while I'm watching something in the craft room or livingroom.

...

Even though I've been uninspired craftwise, I did try to jumpstart myself yesterday afternoon by starting a sewing project: a t-shirt using flannel fabric which I'll use as a sleep shirt. I had to do something (besides sit on my butt) when I kept nodding off while watching the NASCAR race even while my Tony Stewart was winning! The back and front and sleeves are cut from the fabric. Now I just have to figure out what to do next... I've read the pattern directions and read about sewing online and in a book, but I'm just not comfortable with the pattern markings.

...

Greg and Lauren took the Oregon bar exam at the end of July. They'll get the results sometime in September. In the meantime, they're still looking for jobs. Makes me nervous, but something will work out.

...

I have quite a bit of sock yarn that I'm not sure what to use it for. I'm not on a crocheted socks kick anymore. In fact, they're just not comfortable. Unusual and cute for when I'm feeling that way, but not for everyday use.

...

I collected more fabric in the past month or so. Another sale at Jo-Ann Fabrics. At about $80-85 each visit, I must stop the insanity. I have been able to resist the recent 30% and current 40% off sales on Keepsake Calico fabric.

Must. Not. Buy. More.

Must try to use what I have collected.

...

The monthly online transfers from my checking account into my ING Direct savings account are growing.

Must. Not. Buy. More. Fabric. Or yarn... Or other collectibles...

Must. Put. More. Into. My. ING. Account.

Late Monday evening last week (June 10), we arrived home from 2 weeks in Kona on the Big Island, Hawaii. A 2-hour delay at the Honolulu airport meant landing in Oakland at 12:15am Monday night/Tuesday morning. Luckily, Bill had suggested when we were making vacation plans that we also take off the day after our return. Sounded good to me, so I did. He did too, but of course felt compelled to go to work Tuesday morning at 6:30am as usual! (By the way, 6:30am Pacific time is 3:30am Hawaii time!) I was exhausted Tuesday (and the rest of the week!). Grocery shopping and laundry were on Tuesday's list of things to do.

Since returning from vacation, the bah-humbug don't-know-what-project-to-do feeling I had before we left has continued.

When I cruise crafty websites, I wonder at the inventiveness and creativeness of others...and wonder where they find the time. Then I remember that I'm watching TV or in some other way choosing not to work at creative projects.

So, during today's NASCAR Cup race, after my boy Tony Stewart crashed and dropped back 20+ laps, I dragged myself off the couch to take photos of the Julianna cardigan, as well as cute turtle goodies and colorful tropical-themed socks I bought in Hawaii. They're coming up next!

Another project for Bill! He likes making stuff! After work last Friday, I asked him to make an extension table for my sewing machine - and this is what he came up with Saturday morning at work! Cool!

Last night, I finally got around to removing the Singer 7462 from its box and setting it up. I even read the manual to get an idea of its features. I haven't used it yet...but it's ready when I am! On the right side of the first photo is the old 1960s-era Kenmore sewing machine Mom gave (loaned?) me a few years ago.

Bummer. Reorganizing my yarn stash wasn't very successful. But a little space was freed up and the 29 new skeins were put away. With Cleo "supervising", I did move the colors I use most in an easier-to-get-to place and have a better idea of what's in my stash (too much if I get Fabric Acquisition Syndrome and need to store fabric stash too!).

Because bending to measure and cut fabric isn't good for my back, Bill made a 24x48-inch cutting board that fits on top of the desk in the craft room. The top surface of the board is about 34-1/2 inches from the floor, about 6 inches from the top of the desk. The board is plywood. Since it isn't smooth, I thought I would make a freeform fabric cover for it and pad it with batting for quilts. (Another sewing project!)

As you can see from the closeup photos of the cutting board, Bill makes things so they will never fall apart! (You should see how the backyard deck is put together!) The clamps hold the board to the desktop so it doesn't slide or tip over (the desktop has a large 45-degree angled corner; when I'm working at the cutting board and lean on that corner, it tips). I didn't want holes drilled into the desktop so the clamps are staying unless we find another anti-tipping solution.

I didn't mention that last Sunday I bought a new ironing board cover (who would've ever thought that I would ever do that!). Oh, and, I stopped at Joann's Wednesday evening to pickup just a few more fat quarters for the closet curtains. I thought I may run out of fabric when making the second panel of each color. I ended up browsing for an hour and picked up 4 more pieces of each color, including additional patterns: 2 red, 1 yellow, 1 green.

This is the "sewing setup" in the craft room. As you can see, yarn is trying to take over the entire room. If I get hooked on sewing, fabric will enter the fray and there will be no hope.

The ironing board is set to a sitting-down height for me (good for pinning edges). The little television behind the ironing board is a small black and white TV Bill bought years ago. I watched most of the NASCAR Cup race (which Tony Stewart won!) on it while piddling around Sunday.

I still have not finished the first panel of my closet curtains - but I will tonight! The top curtain rod pocket and the bottom hem are left to do (photo above).

Since Bill cooks dinner a majority of nights (like 99%!), I find I usually have 1 hour to work on this project, more if I don't run an errand, talk on the phone, or post a blog entry...

I picked up Mom's sewing machine from the fix-it place Saturday, but haven't gotten around to turning it on yet to practice... Hopefully, this weekend. I looked at two of the quilting books Mom gave me from her collection on Sunday, and bought 2 quilting books Tuesday at the college's book faire - so, I'm getting geared up!

After lunch with Mom yesterday, we went back to her place and dragged her sewing machine out of the back closet where it has been for the past 10 years, and...and...she showed me how to use it! Cool. She and I went to a quilt show at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton months ago and I've wanted to learn to quilt since then, but didn't know how to use a sewing machine. So, now I do...and it seems it may need some work since it worked for the first 30 minutes or so and then got tighter and tighter and the wheel wouldn't turn so the needle wouldn't move up and down anymore. Gonna have Bill take a look - maybe the belt (which is the original belt!) needs to be changed (after 40+ years, I wouldn't be surprised).

Mom bought the sewing machine for $49.00 after she and my father got married - which will be 43 years ago in February 2004 - so it's older than me! It's very heavy, stitches only in a straight line, uses a foot peddle and bobbins (do modern sewing machines use these?), and has a large wheel on the right side that you turn to start the needle moving as your foot presses on the peddle. The instruction booklet was printed November 1, 1960 (circled in red in the third photo above).