A Quilted Gift - sorta and a little crocheting

Last week I received a package in the mail from a friend in NC.  The  box contained a Tee Shirt, this collection of yarns

A pattern book for the pink yarn and a small pile of fabric.

Digging through the fabric I found 23 pinwheel blocks.  If she thought that she was going to move something from her UFO pile to mine she was mistaken.

I took her blocks and some of the other fabrics from her pile and came up with this sweetheart of a quilt. 

I had 3 left over blocks that I added to the back. This quilt is going back to her in today's mail. J if you are reading this, don't get any ideas. This is a one shot deal.

Yesterday I was over at Debby Kratovil's Blog and she was showing some crocheted potholders.  They were very neat and very easy  potholders to whip up.

I got this one done in about 2 hours while watching the season openers of NCIS and NCIS New Orleans.  Once you have made the chain there is no counting, no paying attention required until the end when you need to  do the loop.

Off to work on some quilty Christmas gifts that I have got started,  4 started, need to focus on any one of them and get it done. You understand, not getting side tracked with things like misc crocheting  projects.

The Traveling Crafter

This has been a busy week at our house. Nettie had to have some eye surgery yesterday.  She had Entropion on the lids of both eyes top and bottom.  This means all of her eyelashes turned in to her eye and were scratching her cornea every time she blinked. Surgery went very well.

What this event meant was that Nettie and I went up the University of Florida Small Animal Hospital in Gainsville on Tuesday afternoon for pre op evaluation  and she was back there on Wednesday morning at 7:30 for surgery.

Gainsville is about an hour and a half drive from here so we opted to stay overnight a couple of miles from the hospital at an animal friendly Marriott Residence Inn.

Considering her stress level, she was able to make herself right at home.

They weren't sure if she would be released the day of surgery or not so I took the room for 2 nights.

This meant packing for me to be busy so I wouldn't be worrying about the dog all day.

I packed enough stuff to keep a small army busy.

3 Knitting projects
1 Crocheting project

1 Nook loaded with over 250 books on it
2 Small books, the old fashioned kind made with paper

1 Sewing Machine and its parts
1 Iron and Ironing board

a stack of fabric
cutting board, rotary cutter and ruler.

and 1 change of clothes.

I did read while I was in the waiting areas at the hospital
I crocheted while in bed watching TV
and I cut out an entire Christmas project while waiting for word that she was out of  surgery

I opted not to start sewing because by then I knew she was being released at 5 and I knew I wouldn't get a chance to finish sewing the project on that machine.  The project would have too many seams for me to want to switch machines mid way.

So I did a tiny bit of shopping while I was getting lunch

I love Red shoes.

We are home and she (we) is adjusting to the collar.  It's really hard on a dog with a pushed in face.  The collar is really long so she can't reach her eyes with her paws but that means she can't reach her food and water. We are learning so many ways to work around the thing that will be part of our lives for the next 2 plus weeks.

She has figured out how to get on and off the couch and spent the day comfy cozy watching TV with Michael.

Simple RWB quilt and B'day Pouches

I have a very sadistic girl friend who finds great joy in sending me quilt patterns with taunts about getting it made in a weekend.  She knows I can't pass up on a good challenge combined with a super simple and speedy pattern.

This pattern is from the Moda Bake Shop . It is designed by Julie Hirt and called Color Weave.  I didn't actually time it but I believe I got the entire quilt done from start to finish in about 15 hours.

The blocks are huge, 9.5 x 17

The pattern gives info to make the quilt in various sizes.  I used 20 blocks and ended up with a 47 x 68  quilt.

It is a Layer Cake friendly pattern.  I used yardage from my stash instead for both the front and back.

I also had a birthday gift to make for one of my NJ friends whose big day is next week. 

I just love the turtles.

I used the Lola Pouch, pattern by Svetlana of s.o.t.a.k handmade and made one of each size. 

The red lining is the same pattern as the blue outside bottom panels and the trim around the zipper.

For shipping the small one fit in the larger one nicely.

In fact I snuck her Birthday card inside the little one. Kinda like nesting dolls.

I love them hope she will to.