recap

I meant to post about three times this past week. But I never felt like putting down what I was working on and firing up the computer. So here's the Sunday evening recap.

Week three of knitting lessons got us started on this washcloth sampler. I think I might be brewing a nasty knitting addiction. I even took this with me last night when Kevin and I went over a friends house. Just give me a handful of cats and I can be *that* crazy girl now. Eeek.

It was a great mail week, something new showed up on three different days. I got the latest Craft magazine - chock full of cuteness, as usual.


I also ordered more of the Echino fabric from Repro Depot. After finishing the cheating quilt, I immediately wished that I had made it a little larger. So I picked up these two prints with the idea that I'll make two 5' x 7' blankets, one for Xander and one for Quinn.


I'd like to be one of those piece-as-you-go quilting types, but I feel the need to do at least a little bit of planning, if only to keep me from buying twice as much fabric as I need. I started working on this little sketch, and the next thing I know, Xander had gotten a hold of it and was putting little 'X's' in the three large circles I had drawn. I asked him what he was doing, and he said that he wanted that quilt to be for him, so he was making sure I knew by putting his initials on it. Nice.


And if that wasn't enough mail fun, I also got this hardbound printed book I put together from my 2007 photographs using blurb.com. I'm so happy with the results!

The quality of the printing is great - better than whoever Apple uses for their iPhoto books. And, blurb.com is way, way cheaper too.

The largest book you can get from Apple is 100 pages, and it will cost you $120. The book I got this year is 160 pages, and cost me $38.00. Yeah, I hate to say it, being the Mac-elitist that I am, but when it comes to book printing, I'm leaving them for blurb.

Here's a couple of more snaps of some of the inside pages:

:: Xander and Quinn shot in a makeshift 'studio' in our living room ::

:: Apple picking back in September ::

:: Shots from our trip to Mexico ::

Incidentally, all of the shots on the recap post today were taken with my camera in manual mode, not auto. I'm still sticking to my homework assignment of taking at least one photo a day in manual mode. I'm determined to keep the flash off as much as possible, which continues to be a challenge in the winter in Ohio.

One final photo - Quinn asked me to stop taking photos of all of the 'stuff' and take a few of her. As you can see, we spent a lazy Sunday day at home, in our jammies, and I didn't even get around to brushing her hair. She loves days like this.

'cheating' quilt complete

It's finished! The only thing I don't like about the 'totally cheating' quilt is that I can't seem to snap a good photo of it. I finished it up yesterday and got it in the wash today. It's now all full of dimpled, puckered quilty goodness. I love it!

I tied off each square with 100% wool yarn, and it felted a bit more than I had hoped in the wash. Still, I'm really happy with the results. Especially the binding. Which is hands-down the best I've ever done, thanks to a couple of tips from Lynne.

Xander and Quinn love it and spent evening 'sharing it' since it isn't large enough for both of them to snuggle under together.

Despite the lack of photos (hurry up, Spring! I need light after 6:30 pm!), I had a great crafting week. I learned the purl stitch this week in knitting class. Now I know what they mean by "knit one, purl two". I think I remember that from old Bugs Bunny cartoons. Strange.

I also took a photography lesson from Ray. I've had a Nikon D-70 for the past couple of years, and I've hardly ever taken it off of 'auto'. Kind of crazy since I took photography way back in high school and have at least a basic knowledge of camera theory.

For homework, I have to take photos every day on manual, for 30 days. The quilt photos are day 1. As you can see, there's lots of room for improvement.

a Merry Christmas indeed

Wow. I've been gone for a month! I didn't mean to disappear for so long, but I'm sure I'm not the only one whose items on their to-do list outnumbered the days left before Christmas. I'm happy to say that I got most of it done. Even if I didn't take photos of everything. Here's a few I did manage to get:

:: the Munc holiday card, finished in time to get in the mail ::


:: matching print on canvas for above the mantle ::

:: opening stockings on Christmas morning ::

I'm now looking forward to playing with my gifts from Santa with the few days left before I head back to work.

Happy New Year everyone!

Fast Forward

It was 90+ degrees all weekend, and it's making me crabby. Since working on a bunch of fall related projects last weekend wasn't enough to coax actual fall weather in, I decided to fast forward a bit this weekend and get started on putting together my Christmas card.

Yeah, yeah, I know. It's a bit obnoxious to be working on that in October, but my friend Ray was available to take photos, and I was looking for an excuse to keep the kids indoors for a few hours.

Ray got some great shots, and I've spent several hours already today working up some rough comps.

:: The kids cooperated! ::

:: To be honest, they were bribed a bit ::

:: and it worked ::

I also finished up another messenger bag and put it in the bin for Patty Fair before I was tempted to load my stuff up in there and take it to work with me tomrrow.

:: zipper pocket inside ::

Random Photo

I found this one when I was organizing photos over the weekend. I snapped this while Kevin and I were at a pub on vacation earlier this summer.