What's happening

Hi!  I've been blogging since February 2009 and I realized that 1) I let my 10 year anniversary go uncelebrated and 2) I am in danger this month of not posting for the first month ever.

I started a scrapbook layout video and then had to set it aside for another project. So that will be coming along one of these days.   I have been doing some crafty things mixed in with some fun travel, some family obligations that were less fun and home maintenance which is never fun but turned out well.

So here are things I've completed in the last few weeks.

This is the first cowl I've ever knitted.  Honestly, I didn't really get why anyone would want to knit a cowl probably because I still remember cowl necks from the 70's or 80's and was hoping to not wear that trend again.  Yet knitting shawls is the most popular choice of my knitting group.  While I like making them, I don't like wearing them.  I find it difficult to place my work so that the right side shows the way it should and for it to stay put as I wear it.  If they cover my entire shoulder area, they aren't flattering on me either.  Broad shoulders, round face, it just doesn't work.

But I do like making them and using that pretty fingerling yarn without having to buy so much for a project.  So I bought one hank of Baah La Jolla in the March colorway and gave the Naranj pattern a go. I couldn't get gauge so I had to adjust the design just a bit adding two more stitches to each repeat and redoing the math. I'm incapable of leaving a pattern alone.  I added some beads I had to the bottom section.  I enjoyed making it and I love wearing it!  I plan to wear it more this fall with my denim jacket.

My big finish was this quilt I started last summer.  And it is big.  Maybe a bit too big.  The photo is taken on a double bed but it is even a little large for our queen.  I wanted to make something large enough in case we changed to a king mattress.  That may happen as another thing I've been doing is trying mail order mattresses without success.  Ugh, that is a whole other story.

This is the largest project where I did free motion quilting.  I did the quilt in sections and used the joining methods in Marti Michell's wonderful class on Bluprint called Machine Quilting in Sections to help me.  I took a few months off in the fall but I'd say I worked on it as a primary sewing project for about 7 months.

Also I recently was invited to do a demonstration of mixed media techniques for boxes.  I started a set of nested boxes in the demo, brought them home and added a few embellishments.  They were gifted. I'll post those on Instagram soon.

I have a baby quilt done and fabric for another.  I just haven't taken any photos.  So I guess I have been busy lately just not in making videos.  I do hope to get back to those when life settles a bit.

You can always find me on Instagram with projects I have completed, flowers and goodies from the kitchen at https://www.instagram.com/lisaecherd/
Thanks for your patience and I hope you have a very crafty summer.