crochet flower square

aahh..i do love it when something "clicks". for the longest i have tried to read {and follow} a crochet pattern. i realize now more of the logistics behind the craft. basically, crochet is a series of loops and pulls. going from a single crochet, to a double to a triple adds height to the stitch. also, the amount of times you do a stitch in a single hole gives you ruffles or frills or holes. {{yawn yawn says the old hookers...but these are things that i just did not understand till now..}} so, when a pattern says 3sc - it means to do a single chain three times  into that one hole. eureka indeed!
this pattern was passed on by the lovely tamara {dont you just love it when bloggers share crafty links!?}
the free pattern is at the every so talented rosehip blog.
three cheers for crochet !
hip hip hooray!!!

Quilting

.

Weekend Sewing!

My princess + frog + unicorn quilt is finally underway.

I am thrilled to pieces {ha ha get it?} ..this is so much fun. I am using a simple block pattern

with 12 inch squares (by Heather Ross) bordered with a nice brown cotton

(by Amy Butler)...this pattern is found  Material Obsession.

Quilting is such a holy word.

It is such peaceful mindful meditation.

As I pin and piece and sew , my mind is clear

and reflective. I think of my quilting ladies.

They seem to be all around me.

Two (of many) beautiful quilts that my 'Thimble Game' Grandmother has made.

When I tell her I am making a quilt her eyes get such a twinkle.

She is a restful sweet lady in her 8th decade of life now, and

has made so many beautiful treasures that she has shared with us all!

My paternal grandmother was an excellent craftster as well. She dabbled in so many different things...embroidery, doillies, crochet and knitting, running her own business, and of course quilting.

As I was working on my quilt yesterday, my thoughts also went to her. She passed down to me a homemade quilt to which she named her " million dollar quilt ".

{That's it above}

It's really a one inch cathedral window quilt..but she said that's what she'd take to make another.

Funny.

Are there quilts in your life?

the thimble

                                                  sit down, will you?
                                                allow me to tell you a story.

Growing up, in the southern state of Georgia, i was  naturally surrounded by sewers, knitters, crocheters, and quilters.
{Not to mention accordian players, arrowhead makers, and snuff spitters...but that's another story.}

Living in the country provided us with lots of 'natural' playtime. For example, my cousins , sister and i made many a mud pie under the oak tree. We played with baby chickens and made them diapers with kleenex tissues. {poor birds you say? they loved it}
We had a pet donkey which we rode and fed hay.
We had goats, ducks, a pet turtle, {which i still say my mother murdered with cold running water under the sink one morning} ..... you get the picture.
Lots to do out in the great big world.
But when it was raining and we all had to shuffle inside.....my ingenious grandmother
created a game which was called  
                                                  THE THIMBLE GAME.
Now there wasn't anything terrible hard or terribly interesting about this game.
But we loved it.
Grandchildren, great grandchildren, and now great great grandchildren all alike.
Basically the little thimble was placed somewhere in the room and from where you were sitting you had to look round till you found it. It might be on the organ. On the bookshelf. Coffeetable. Poppy's knee. You understand.

So growing up this little metal thingy called the thimble was given utmost respect.

Now i bring you up to present time, whenst i began sewing myself.
i have tried to use the thimble.
but it seems so awkward a thing.
i can't feel what i'm doing.
you know?

                  My newest inspiration is to get back into my primitive craft frame of mind.
                  I have wanted to make a traditional rag rug { or ten } for ages.
                  Having recently landed myself on a slew pine of bias tapes at a knee-slapping
                  thrifty price, i knew i was soon on a role with this project.

                  The traditional way, as a few crafting books say, to make a rag rug
                  is to braid three strands together, then roll them round flat and sew
                  together. Problem is...the sewing was tough.
                  An argument occured between me and this needle.
                 
                  Basically he said he was not going in.
              And i said oh yes you are buddy.
              The very next minute i was taken back to the very
              beginning of this post in a not-so-rainbowy-feeling-way.
              The needle eye has pierced right thru my index finger.
                                             OW.
               silly girl, grandma would say.
               why weren't you wearing a thimble?
              
        So i have heard of a 'leather thimble' and i think i might like one of those.
          as i could feel what i'm a doing. do you use a thimble? do you make rag rugs?
          perhaps i will crochet one instead i thought. what are you making now?
                                               is it painful?
              

a glad day

              with our upcoming reunion in mind,,,,i opened up my lovely birthday present [thank you mama]
               HANDMADE HOME by Amanda Soule is the best book. Her blog is here . 
               Using a thrifted wool blanket for the blocks, scrap fabrics for the lettering, and bias for the
                joining, this banner was created in no time. Seriously, this is the funnest craft i've done in
                a very long time. Every project in this book is made with reusables and is just as fun to do.
                   (beautiful mantle piece artwork done by the talented Katherine of Sleep & her Sisters.)

                                     i think it adds such a homey feel to our living space.
                                     in short, i just love it. i will be first in line for her next
                                     crafting book ! [when!??!?]

                              so ive been given some good and bad. the good is : it is nice and hot and sunny
                              and warm and friendly where we are going. the move date is possibly flexible.
                              we can buy a queensize bed [a little one is sandwiched between us currently].
                              i don't mind honestly, ive had him next to my side since the day he was born.
                              he is my dear cuddly little one..and his birth seems just like yesterday in my mind.
                                (who sees the kink?)

                                                  (banner relocated by smoky the bear)
                                   the bad is ... my beloved JAN does not appear to be coming with.
                                   packed away in storage for two months. saved for the movers.
                                   can this be happening? the separation seems bleak...would a
                                   non sighted be told no dogs allowed? a no pacemaker sign
                                   for the faint of heart? and yet this...a passionate maker deprived of
                                   the peace. i suppose i could just crochet [i did get a snazzy new crochet
                                   book from the kimberely bookshop from my hunny].
                                   i just dont know..what to do? its certainly too heavy for a carryalong.
                                   i just had a thought. perhaps perhaps  i could get a smaller . lighter .
                                   portable . one of those ministhatstillwork ones . like heather ross' ?
                                         {{**welcome home john! so glad you're back !**}}

being southern [and PROUD]

" It's really pretty simple. Years ago, somewhere down here, some corn farmer lost all his teeth and with them the ability to eat corn. So he just dried the corn, ground it into bits, boiled it into a soft, gummable mash, sprinkled it with salt and pepper, stirred in two tablespoons of butter, and called that 'grits'. Now, truth is, there's nothing wrong with grits.  They won't hurt you.  And if you don't like them, that's fine with most
Southerners. Just means more for us. "  
                                                      - Wrapped in Rain ~ by Charles Martin.

            brought to you by this southern gal, who currently lives in a land far far away from her precious    
            grits and who's picture is being (BADLY) taken by a little southern boy who declares
            that while all this is taking place, his icecream is melting.