~Jean Quilt~

I have wanted a jean quilt for quite a few years. Not to put on a bed, but to use as a picnic throw. It would be perfect for throwing on the ground or over a picnic table!

I saved a pile of Kevin's jeans, added in a skirt, shirt, and some fabric scraps (all denim). Then I got busy and cut:



If I were sewing anything else, I would have taken a little more care and ironed my fabric. But this is something that is going to take a beating. So I figured if the seams didn't match up perfectly it was not a big deal (as it turns out jean fabric is kind of "stretchy" along the edge so it was easy to get the seams matched up! They are all perfect except for one or two that are off by a tiny bit). My squares arranged how I sewed them:



I'm very pleased that some of the squares come pre-stained. LOL There are some with grass stains, and some with paint splashes. It adds character to the quilt, and ensures that I will not be upset when extra stains get added to it!

I sewed it up in a jiffy! Big squares are fun to piece! It took me two afternoons to get sewn, and then it sat on or near my sewing table:



Yesterday I decided it was high time to to get it finished up! I watched some of the Olymic coverage and tied it off with bedspread weight cotton thread. Using a curved upholstery needle helped me make short work of the tying.



Several years ago I bought a vintage sheet at an estate sale for 50 cents. I never could figure what to do with it, so I saved it. And now I'm glad I had it! It made a perfect back for my quilt! I carefully figured the size of my squares to correlate with the sheet size (twin size).



The total cost of this was $.50! I used up thread that I've had sitting in my sewing cabinet for years, and all the fabric was free or "upcycled".

~WIP Wednesday~

It's been awhile since I've done a WIP Wednesday! Here is my current WIP (Work in Progress):


A sweater for The Baby, using the free pattern Mossy Jacket. I haven't added details to my Ravelry page yet, but I'll do that soon. You can find my projects here.

I am making the 12-month size, but my gauge is a little off so it is probably closer to the 18-month size. That's ok, it will give The Baby the rest of the winter and spring to wear it. :-) This will be my first sweater! I started a sweater for myself long, long ago, but it got frogged. I am moderately pleased with how this sweater is coming out. The neckline is a little big which gives it a bit of a homemade look. But once it gets sleeves and is blocked I'll probably like it more!

~Bloggy Stuff~

I recently added a list of blogs I enjoy to my sidebar: ------> I didn't realize how ridiculously easy it was! I was able to import the blog addresses straight from my Google Blog Reader!

I've been working on my Etsy shop lately. I have a number of baby items in my shop that I am very pleased with. The blanket and burp cloth sets would make lovely gifts. I made three blankets just like these for myself, and I used them every day until we stopped swaddling our daughter, which was around three months. Even now I still find uses for them. They are the perfect size!



And finally, are you searching with Swagbucks? It sure is fun to earn Swagbucks as I do normal online searches! I've earned another $15 in Amazon gift cards. I don't know what I'm going to spend them on yet! Any suggestions? :-)

~Chocolate Bread~

With special thanks to Anna of Pleasant View Schoolhouse for her wonderful idea, I made chocolate bread this afternoon.


My hips, however, do not thank Anna. ;-)

~Happy February!~

I can't believe we turned a calendar page already! January just flew by!

I am growing basil on my kitchen counter top. I didn't know if it would be too cold or if it would get enough sun, but I thought I'd give it a try. I set out to do this last November, but who carries seeds in November? No one around here! So I waited till the seeds came out in stores. And guess what? my seeds are coming up! Which makes me do a little happy dance. ;-)



Do you like to spell? Have I found the book for you! So You Think You Can Spell; Killer Quizzes for the Incurably Competitive and Overly Confident, by David L. Grambs and Ellen S. Levine. I checked this out of the library yesterday and last night I was doing spelling quizzes and all of a sudden it was 11 o'clock! So far my best scores are 16 out of 20, which isn't too bad!

(Picture and link from Amazon.com)

The weather has been cold, cold, cold! I'm ready for spring already! I dug up most of my bulbs last fall since they weren't flowering very well, so I don't have much color to look forward to this early spring. Next fall I will make it a priority to plant some bulbs! But first on the list is to make sure all the voles are out of our flowerbeds. Those little boogers drive me nuts! They can plow through a flower bed and wreak havoc!

Well...just wanted to say a February "hello!" Keep warm! =)