My Sewing Machine is Dead

Well, I finally took my sewing machine in. It had been making a horrible squeaking noise since almost after I first got it. I took it apart, cleaned and oiled it... Still...  I tried to sew the seams of the sashing on the t-shirt quilt with it. Still squeaking. So I took it apart cleaned and oiled it again. Still.. So I took it in. Well, the hand wheel wouldn't even turn then! I told her what was going on. She said unfortunately they would have to take it apart, it's inside..  They wanted to charge me more than what it would cost to buy a brand new machine!!! 

$100 more than it would cost to buy a brand new one, to be exact.  Ridiculous. I just saw this when I was at Hobby Lobby yesterday.    Makes me mad.  I told her, "I could buy a brand new one for half that." (Actually, it was $100 less than that...)  At least I still have my sewing machine my husband got me for Christmas. The woman said it's not really a heavy duty machine. I could just use it for regular sewing. So...   That's what I'll do. I want to sew a baby quilt for our friends' daughter, she is due in September. I got a pattern and all the fabric. I just need to do it.

I have been making cards lately. I don't have a picture of two other ones I made, it was with the Dollar Tree stamp set with "Summer", "Travel", flip flops, beach ball, ice cream cone... (I made this card with that set, too.  I used another stamp I have, it's a turtle. And I printed out "You're Turtle-y the Best" to put on the card. I printed out a bunch of turtle "sentiments", maybe I'll make another one (and take a picture next time).  
 

A Hat Just Like Eons'... But Different

A friend of mines' husband has been in the hospital for about three months. First they said it was Covid. Then he had pneumonia, a collapsed lung, sepsis... Now he may need a lung transplant. 😳  He gets better, then he goes back to ICU...  I was going to send him a card, and I asked what he likes. She said hunting, cooking, and religion. So... I thought I would knit him a hunting hat.  Even though it's summer right now. I thought it would give him something to look forward to, when he gets out of the hospital.  I am using the same pattern I used to knit Eons' hat. This is the book it's in. I don't know if I ever posted a picture of it.  

 I finished it today. In camo colors. It's done in elongated ribbing. I haven't found a similar hat pattern online. I don't know what to look for.  Anyway I thought I would share it.

Progress

I don't remember what I wrote in my last post. My original plan was to quilt this myself. But... It didn't work. So, I called someone that was recommended by a local quilt store to see if she could quilt it for me. I just got it back last week. 😁 Our youngest son went to help some friends move the next day, so I laid it out on the dining room floor to trim the edges and pin them. 

 And, I finally today (got a chance to) started the binding.  I actually did start it that same day as the above picture. But, it was all messed up on the back side. I got so mad..  I ripped it all out the next day and started the hand binding. But then my husband came home from work and it's just been one thing after another so I haven't had a chance to work on it. Today I TOOK a chance to work on it. 😠 I need to finish this so I can give it to him for his graduation party. Which I tenatively planned for the second week of July.    Anyway, that's my progress with that.  Stay tuned... 😉

Another Graduation Present...

I forgot to post this last time, the Graduation Bear I finished for Eon. I don't know if he will even want it or like it...  

                                          And, I made a 2021 version. With a face mask. 🙄

 And I just put some number stickers on for "2021".  It's the pattern from Lion Brand yarn: Amigurumi Graduation Bear. They are redoing their website so you may have to contact them for the pattern. It looks like it still isn't up. That's what I did. (And printed it out this time!)  I just made the mask up. I think I chained 6 and did three crochet rows, then the white with long chains to tie in the back.

Why I Have Been Missing..

 It's because I've been working on this t-shirt quilt like mad! Trying to get it done in time for graduation. Well, that isn't going to happen. 😒The last day was last Friday. I was going to quilt it myself. I bought a walking foot, watched YouTube videos, put it on.... Practiced quilting. It isn't going to work. I have never quilted a quilt. And this one is huge!! So, I finally decided to have it quilted by a professional. I have an appointment today. Then I just have to sew the binding.

        I crocheted a hanger cover. Don't ask me why. I just wanted something fun and different. 

Recent Projects, and a Really Old One

I was going to sew/work on Eons' t-shirt quilt today. But... My sewing room was SUCH a mess!!! Ugh, it made me crazy. And every time I would go in there to work on it it bothered me so bad. I literally had to step over things to get anywhere. So, I cleaned and organized it today. 

 It's still not completely done but I can walk in there now!! I can actually sew and not be distracted/stressed out from the mess. 

I cleaned out one drawer of yarn that I hadn't used in over ten years, and put more yarn in it. I still want to clean more drawers out so I can put all the bags of yarn on top of the bins, inside.

And, I completely moved one whole book shelf into my bedroom. And kept the one in there with all my crochet/knit/quilting books and patterns in here.

Do you like my redneck quilt hanger? 😂  I was actually thinking of doing something with the hanger, maybe crochet over it, bend the wires. And paint the clothespins. This is a crafting room after all.

I found this doily I crocheted about 25 years ago, while I was cleaning my room out. I need to wash it and re-block it. My old boss had bought one and I copied hers.

And this is a recent project, a Graduation Bear. I crocheted a couple of these before. When I went to find the pattern (because I never printed it out), it was gone. 😩  I sent a message to the website, and they emailed me the pattern! They are re-doing their website, and this is one of the patterns they still hadn't uploaded yet.
 

A Dishcloth and Cards...

I just felt like knitting a dishcloth one day. I wanted something I didn't have to think about, or count.. So I knitted a new dishcloth for me. It's the Idiot's Dishcloth.

                                              And I used it the same day I finished knitting it.

Eon is supposed to be graduating this year. One of the things he has to finish in order to graduate is "volunteer work".  Long story short, he is making cards for hospitalized kids. So I have been making my own cards along with him. (To keep him going...)  This is actually a card I made a long time ago, but I found it when I was looking for something. And since he is graduating, I thought this would be relevant. Plus I don't know if I ever posted it.

This is actually the last card I finished. I just made it up. The stamp is one I got in a big bag at Goodwill. I just made the little purse up. 

Two other cards I just made up. I have been trying to get organized (what a mess). I got out all my cardstock/paper, which was in a big bag (the bag was ripped). I went through the whole bag. I found some stamped pieces I had already done a long time ago. The card on the right is one of the stamped pieces I found.  I also organized my cart my husband bought me, I put all my papers and cardstock and punches and other stuff on it. I still have a long way to go. (My whole sewing room-sigh...-- But I did get the bag of paper out of there. LoL)   
 

Questions About Mickey Mouse Head/Squares

 I just went in to my "comments" section today. I haven't really been on top of my blog for a long time. I had a lot of comments, I forgot you have to approve them now. A couple of people had said they saw my Mickey Mouse squares on Pinterest. (Wow, I made Pinterest status? LoL). The link was not working (I had posted it on Crochetville..) So... I went back on there (it's been a long time), and FINALLY found the post where I said how I made the Mickey Mouse heads. So here is what I wrote: 

"I made mine up. I did a circle with 22 triples (Ch 4, 21 trc in first chain) for the head, two circles with 14 dcs (ch 3, 13 dc in first chain) for the ears, sewed them to the head over three stitches with three stitches in between. Made a 6 inch square that is like a granny square but with no spaces in between. Sew the head onto the square."

My apologies to everyone who commented and I hadn't responded.

New Afghan, And A New Hobby..

 I started a new afghan for our new couch. Our old afghan doesn't match at all now. Hopefully it doesn't take me 8 years to finish this one. 😆  Since I finished my sons' friends afghan in less than a month, I can finish ours soon.  

Aaaand, I started another new hobby. (I need another hobby...👀)  Collages.  One of my friends invited me to her Facebook group.  It is kind of fun. But, I cannot keep up with all of them. She posts one, then two days later there's another one.  Sigh. I just don't sign up for all of them. This one is the most recent one I finished. "Black and White" was the theme. 

                                This was actually the first one I did. St. Patricks' Day.

                                                      And this was a "Collage Card" I did.

This one was "All Things Girly".  I have one more I did, I can't find the picture. I think it's on my phone. I'll save that for another post, I guess.

My back is feeling better. I found out that someone from my quilting group fell (only a few days after I fell), she was in her garage for two or three hours and didn't have any way to get a hold of anyone. Her husband was gone, and didn't come home for two to three hours later. 😟  She fractured a vertebra in her back. Initially they thought they were going to have to do surgery. But they didn't have to. So I guess that was good. I feel so bad for her. I at least had someone at home who eventually helped me. I got her a card. I still need to write and send it out. 

I Fell

I fell this morning. Right on my butt. It hurt SOOOO bad!!! 😭  I yelled. But no one came to see if I was all right. Except my cats. Cosmo came right away, and was meowing.  I couldn't even get up for a while. But I was able to after a few minutes, and walked to text my husband. I don't think anything is broken, if I could walk. 

 Eri came after I laid on the floor with the ice pack.  (I took this picture earlier this morning.) She's almost 10 months old.  Well not much is going to get done around here until my back (butt) feels better. Except maybe some crocheting...

More FO's

I had a bunch of things I have finished; but like I said in my last post, I haven't uploaded pictures is all.. These are two cross bookmarks I finished. The green and white one I finished a long time ago. I just found it (while trying to find something else). I crocheted a white with purple edging one for my Aunt. I used this pattern: Cross Bookmark.

And a blue baby boys' set (newborn).  The afgahn is the Corner To Corner Throw. The sweater is the Baby Surprise Jacket (crocheted). The booties are from a pattern book I have, and the mittens are Ruth's Crochet Set: Mittens. The yarn is Red Heart. The hat is the Pumpkin Side-to-Side hat.

                  And a girls' set. Same patterns. For some reason, I think I already posted both of these sets..  

And this is a baby bunting I started almost three years ago. I've been trying to finish projects I had started. (Sigh...)  This was a LOT of work. I am still weaving in ends on it, too.

And, I started another bunting. (Sigh...) Just like this one I made a few years ago. This one is going to be with a grey border. (For a boy.)  This is why I can never finish anything. I finish one thing, then I feel like I can start another project...

 And, my Baby Yoda socks I finished right after the beginning of this year. The pattern is technically "Comfy Alien Socks". The only thing I don't like about them is the eyes. But, I did them just as the pattern stated. I still haven't decided what to do with these. I'll probably end up sending them to someone.

Baby Sets, and Another Hat

I finished a girls' baby layette. I started this one a while ago. I just finished the blanket. It's the Corner To Corner Throw. The sweater is the Baby Surprise Jacket (crochet). The hat is Tiffany's Side to Side Pumpkin hat, and the booties are in a pattern book I have. The mittens are Ruth's Crochet mittens, which is no longer available online.

And a boys' set, too. Also started the whole set a while ago. I had a bunch of the blue yarn leftover, and so I started the blanket just recently and finished it. Same patterns as above. Both sets are newborn sized and are going to Bright Start on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. (With a bunch of other stuff). Soon as I get everything together and boxed..

And this hat I have had done for a long time, too. It's made with yarn (and the hat pattern!- her own pattern) gifted to me by a fellow crocheter I met at a Sit and Stitch locally. She dies and sells her own yarn. I went to a few of the meetings. Then they shut the meetings down due to Covid. But they recently started them back up again (last Saturday). I didn't go last Saturday (because I didn't know they started them up again). I went this morning and I was the only one who showed up. But that's okay. I got to talk to one of the ladies who work (and own) the bookstore where the meetings are. 

I am trying to finish up another project I started a long time ago, a baby bunting. I am actually pretty much done with it, I just need to do the tying chain for the bottom, and sew the buttons on it. And weave in about 100 ends.  I started another bunting last night too. (For Bright Start.)  Same pattern as this one. But I am using Red Heart Super Saver Jumbo in "Icelandic", and dark grey for the borders. I haven't taken pictures. I also finished some cross bookmarks. I have pictures of them, I just need to upload them. (Or download them?) Actually I have a few things finished, I just need to get the pictures on here. I guess I'll save those for another post. 
 

Rats, and Hats

I don't know if I mentioned the Rat Bookmarks someone asked me to make them...  Someone from my quilting group posted a pattern and asked if I could make her a couple (three, it turned out).  And she would pay me.  I said I would. (Sigh...)  I HATE this pattern SO much!!!  #1. I could hardly see what I was doing, it was such small work. #2. There is so much sewing involved. You have to stuff the head. Way too much work for a bookmark!!!  I almost felt like messaging her and saying I changed my mind. But, part of me said "You said you would, just finish them.."  And it is my biggest pet peeve when someone says they are going to do something, and they don't.  So, I finished them.  

I used sock yarn and scrap peach yarn and white yarn I had.  The pattern is here.  I don't suggest making one. I never want to make one again.

On to the hats...  This is the hat I got out to finish from four years ago.  I like how the blocks of color ended up. I'll probably send this to Pine Ridge, or donate it to the Hats for The Homeless.

 This hat is for the HFTH. A lady who I met there once gave us her pattern for her hat. It's actually her pattern. And she gave me yarn to make one. She dyes her own yarn. So I'll take this up next time I go. They might be meeting again for the Sit and Stitch, I don't know. They opened restaurants here so I thought maybe they would be able to do the Sit and Stiches now..  Well that's all for today.

More Things I Finished in 2020

I didn't think I would ever sew any more face masks. But, my step-Mom had asked if I could sew another one for my Dad, "Since he just had the one."  I decided to do Christmas fabric (this was before Christmas). The top one is for my Dad, the bottom one for my step-Mom.

And the backs are both the same fabric.

Then I thought I would sew some for Eon and Eli for stocking stuffers. The top one is Eli's, the bottom is Eons'. The fronts and backs are the same fabric.

I don't think I posted the sweater I crocheted for Jetta for Christmas. This was a project I had started, I don't know when. And I picked it up and got the pattern out and finished it. Then I sewed a Christmas Tree I crocheted, onto the back.  I didn't crochet one for Jaxson, because he hates sweaters...  Well, he must have been jealous. Because I let them outside, and Jetta squatted down to pee. Jaxson walked over to her, turns and looks straight at me. Lifts his leg and pees on her, and her sweater!!  UGHH... So I took her sweater off soon as she got in the house, put her in the bathtub...  I couldn't believe it.

So, I went and got him a sweater, too. He was SOOO excited, he was jumping five feet in the air.  I for sure thought he hated sweaters, because he would never let me put one on him (except when he was a puppy).  Well, I guess I was wrong. 

I crocheted a couple twisted headbands. They are the Jolly Twist Headbands, on Ravelry. I know there are other twisted headband patterns out there for free, though. After I bought the pattern, I kept finding them for free online. Like this one. And this one.  Sigh..  

                                 Two variegated ones, I didn't add the contrasting color bands. 

 And this is another old project I had picked up, to finish. I didn't have a pattern with it, or even remember what pattern it was. I was hoping it was the same pattern I did Steve and Eli's hats with. But it isn't. This one I only cast on 88 stitches.  I looked through all my patterns I had printed out, nothing that I could remember. Then I went on Ravelry and typed in hat, knitted...  After some looking I found what I am 99.9% positive is the pattern I used. I remember for some reason, The Ships Project. Something in my muddy, pea brain clicked and I'm almost positive this is the pattern I used. I made a few of these in 2016, for a school on Pine Ridge. But I never posted the link to the pattern I used.  So now I have it.  It's called Hat With Heart.