Thank you!

I received my "Pay It Forward" gift from Lisa. It is a mounted embroidery, done in beautiful variegated threads. Thank you so much Lisa, I will really enjoy it!




I don't know if you can say I finished, but I am done with this temari. It was a SAL on TalkTemari on how to stitch a yubiniki. The method of stitching is how Japanese stitchers make their own thimbles, but this one was enlarged to fit around the middle of a temari. This type of pattern will take a lot more practice before it looks wonderful! It's acceptable for a first try, but there's a lot of room for improvement.




Shortly after I got the quilt I talked about yesterday I met and married DH, and started a family, and got a dog, and bought a house, and etc. I didn't see my grandma for several years, but she was very good about keeping in touch. After my second daughter was born I invited her to come and visit us, stay for a week, and get to know my husband. She jumped at the chance. She arranged her ride from Iowa with friends, and arrived bright and cheery. She was at loose ends for the first day or two, but when I suggested she make me an afghan, she jumped at the chance, and got busy on it right away.



We had a lovely visit. She fell in love with my 3-year-old (who loved her back, of course) and she finished the afghan before she had to leave at the end of the week. I think I had to weave in a couple of the yarn ends after she left, but she completed it.

You can see we were still not able to avoid the earth-tones (by this time it was the mid 80s) but it was a cool pattern, and it still gets pulled out when someone needs some comforting.

Treasures from the past

Just in case you were worried, I wanted to let you know that I haven't stopped making temari. This one (a c8) was the first step in a SAL (Stitch-along). Now we are going to attempt to stitch the "same" pattern on a c10.



I mentioned yesterday I have been thinking of my grandma. When I was in college I asked her if she could make me a quilt. She agreed, and I picked out a pattern, and sent it to her with a pile of fabric, thinking that would be all there was to the project. Little did I know! The project became a real learning experience for me and a wonderful bonding experience for us. After the blocks were made, she asked me how I wanted them set? Well, first I had to figure out what she meant, and then figure out how I wanted them set, and then let her know. Then we had to decide on the quilting pattern, and then she invited me to come and quilt with her. I was a senior in college, and hadn't been to see her in quite a while, but I jumped at the chance to spend spring break in Iowa quilting with my grandma.

We had a wonderful time! We spent most of every day quilting and talking, talking and quilting.



The quilt was 1/2 done by the end of my time off, and she finished alone and sent it back to me (I lived in Michigan at the time). It was in the 70s, and so had to be earth-tone colors, but even though it would coordinate with harvest gold and avocado green I did manage to avoid those colors.

During those days of quilting I got to know my grandma as a person and learned things about her life that she didn't share with too many others. I treasure the memory of that time together.

Finished PIG

While I was ailing, I didn't feel well enough to stitch, but crocheting doesn't require any concentration. I put together all the blocks and finished the edging for my Lizard Ridge afghan. It would have been more beautiful if I had arranged the blocks, but it is very colorful and nice.



While I was crocheting away, I was thinking of my grandmother. She never sat in a chair without her "work" in her hands. This was anything from tatting or crocheting lace on hankies, to crocheting a double-bed size bedspread or curtains. For a long time, she was the only person I knew who had made a quilt, and I loved sleeping under them when I was little. I will share my treasures from my grandma (needlework and memories) in my next couple of posts.

I'm here!

I've been sick since last Friday, a combination of headache and upset stomach. It's been fun (not!). Anything I do for the headache makes my stomach worse, and if I don't treat the headache, I can't do anything.

Hopefully I'll be better soon. I woke up without a headache this morning, so we are down to dealing with the stomach issues. I'll talk to you later.