Favorite Friday Blog Links

I started this little project yesterday. It's going to be my cowl this coming Winter. I know, Spring is just here, but it was calling to me to be made. A friend knitted this pattern to the end of a ball of Noro. She then put a loop on one end and a great button on the other. I'll post a pick when I'm done...it's too cute. I bought another skein to make one for someone for Christmas too.

Found this great link for rag knitting. I have a friend who made herself some great bags and a vest with leftover scraps from quilting/sewing.

Zakka Life Crafts did a great little tutorial on how to make a html button.

This clothespin apron has been moved up to next on my list of things to make.

I found a link to this quilt as you go table runner from Anne Marie's blog. I stumbled upon her blog today. It is very nice.

Enjoy your weekend.

And the Winner is...

Oiyi will get this Wee sewing room doll
Sherry will get this face cloth.
Upstate Lisa wins the book
I wish I had something for each of you that entered. I feel like I'm the real winner...it's been great blogging and being inspired by all of you.

100th Post Blog Give Away

Friday is my day to post about great tutorials and ideas I find on the web while reading blogs. (It helps me to organize and keep track of favorites.)
So here are my finds this week:

Bella Dia did a great tutorial on how to write a tutorial. You'll also learn how to make a flower chain if you check it out.

How About Orange, posted this cool link for making a photo book.

Crazy Mama Quilts posted a tutorial on how to make an Hour Glass Quilt. I fell in love with this one when she posted it. I was going to write her for more specifics...when I checked her blog she was one step ahead of me. Love her!

I started this blog as a way to keep track of things I make. I'm not much of a writer. It has become such a great way to make some new crafty friends and keep in touch. It's so great because I can "visit" in my p.j.'s as I sip on my morning coffee.

I'll be having a give away this week. I'll chose three people from comments on this post on Wednesday 5/28/08. I meant to have pics of the prizes, but I didn't get it done. I'll have a Wee Wonderful Doll done in a sewing room theme, a knitted washcloth with homemade soap,

and a sewing book to give away.

Gift Making

Completed this special washcloth just in time for a friend's birthday tomorrow. It's a great little pattern from Weekend Knits. I've already started another one. My 100th post is coming up and I have been working on a few things for a drawing, so be sure to check back soon.

Hiking

My hubby and I like to climb the ski hill now that it is closed. There are still patches of snow left. We climbed the steepest trail today (Twilight).
It will be the only time this year I go up that way! The top picture is as we almost are at the top looking up and the other pic is looking down from the same location. It took us 35 minutes today to reach the top. We have a pop and take a different route back down.
This is not the bottom of the hill. We just made a huge climb and came up over the ridge down below. You can see Lake Superior in the distance. This is 3/4 of the way up the mountain. It's a great workout with a beautiful view.

Favorite Friday Blog Finds

Not much time for sewing this week. We're Spring cleaning, painting and ...New flooring! We had to same carpeting for over 10 years! It feels like a whole new house. I still have to get a few more things on the walls, but I do like it all so uncluttered.

Elizabeth, at Oh Frasson! has done it again. She has a tutorial for making embellished covered buttons.

Traveler Returns Home

My daughter, Emmye just got back from 2 weeks in Germany and a week in Finland. Tired, but happy to get home last night.She knows her mom so well. She brought me back all my favorite things...
Fabric from Finland and lace weight yarn from Estonia!!!!!!
Wine from Germany and more fabric
Some more wonderful fabric and vintage dishes from Finland and Germany! Pretty perfect! I couldn't believe she got those dishes home unbroken. Can't wait to see all the pictures she took. She left there at 4a.m. our time and got home about 9:30 p.m.

Favorite Friday Blog Finds

Sew Mama Sew is hosting a sew along for a vintage smock. The whole month is about sewing clothes. I don't sew much for myself, but I do love to make doll clothes and used to sew for my girls.When I found this fabric, I was really inspired to sew along. Is anyone else out there doing the smock too?

Lunchbox Swap

A big, huge thank you to Sherry for my lunchbox swap. It arrived in the mail this week full of treats and things to help pack a lunch. I love it! The lining is all roses. How did you know I love roses Sherry?
We didn't swap with the person who made ours. I hope you get a real nice one Sherry. Mine should be reaching it's destination at Gigglepotomus any time now.

Retreat Projects

Don't look at the "bed head" (my hair always looks bad in the morning...), but check out another pair of vintage sheet p.j. pants. I had them cut out and just sewed them at the retreat. I made another that day. If you haven't made some yet, I would strongly encourage it. They are very comfy. It was too cool to sit outside and do any hand sewing, but beautiful to look out the windows at the river.Besides these two onsie dresses, I made 8 wonder wallets, an apron, and a table runner. Most of my projects were already cut out and taking up space in my sewing room. Good thing a few things got made cause there was a little shopping that went with the weekend...
This is most of my "shop the hop" loot from Friday morning. I fell in love with the table runner kit from Pine Street Quilts, and put it together right away. I bought a table runner/hot pad charm pattern, a tote pattern, and fabric to make a checkbook cover to match my wonder wallet. I also got some fabric, not pictured, for a wall hanging. I think I showed great restraint...could've been the day I spent digging through all the waiting projects in my "packed" sewing room to find to take to the retreat....
This is my scrappy quilt-paper pieced. I completed three more blocks and sewed them all together. I'm thinking with a few borders and backing it is almost done. It's destination is our NICU.
I used this free pattern for my foundation blocks. It would be the perfect size to make hot pads out of scraps with too.

We had a White Elephant event that was very fun. I ended up with a bag of wonderful vintage fabrics! I'm really looking forward to another quilt retreat someday.

My First Quilting Retreat

We had a huge area in the middle of the lodge for our sewing machines and cutting tables.
The kitchen is on the opposite wall of the table and chairs. Lots of great meals and snacks, microwave, 2 refrigerators, dishwasher etc. Really beautiful. The place sleeps 18. Five bedrooms, 4 bathrooms. Very clean.
This was taken on the deck just off the kitchen. One of our meals was grilled out here.
We didn't watch any tv, but we did enjoy this seating space.
There was alot of sewing that went on. I'll post some more pics tomorrow. My sister and I made it to 4 quilt shops on shop the hop before arriving at the lodge on Friday. It was such a good weekend.

Favorite Friday Blog Finds

Pretty Little Things posted a tutorial for covering a box with pretty paper to use for storage.

Elizabeth at Oh Frasson! has another great baby blanket tutorial with a giraffe applique pdf. She's also doing a free give away, but you have to enter before midnight tonight. Good luck.

Little Cotton Rabbit posted a free knitting pattern for a small bunny. Her knitted animals are the best!

My bags are packed. I'm off to a quilt retreat this weekend, so I hope to have lots of completed projects to show next week....It took me all morning to wade through projects deciding just which ones to take. It's also Shop the Hop in our area starting this weekend...More next week. Have a great weekend.