Crafty Weekend...

First up: A contribution from Kevin. (He also did all the photos...)
We picked up the blank for this pen while we were in Fort Worth during Christmas. It is Dymondwood in Bubble Gum. What's interesting is I have Bubble Gum Dymondwood knitting needles too! Those are darker than this is, but really, I cannot think of a wood that is a better fit for me. I love the cheerful colors of this pen!

I'm still having some issues with my wrist. I mentioned before I can't open and close scissors. I did get spring loaded scissors, but it is still too difficult. The opening action is too wide for my hand to handle, so while they are better, there is still some pain. But I found out I can use small scissors. Small scissors mean one thing: applique!

This bib is for my new niece. I also made a secret project but can't post a picture until I hear that the recipient has it.


On Saturday I made this mug rug for a ravelry swap.
Can you see the bump on the top where I joined the binding? I can't remember how to do it on a diagonal, so I get a ton of fabric :( I also managed to do a fairly good job of mitering 3 of 4 corners.

I also added another row of border to the quilt I'm working on for my Mom. Kevin had to cut the strips - it hurts too much to put the pressure on the rotary cutter. I managed to cut the rug above to square it up, but it is very tiny- a quarter of a placemat...

SPOILER ALERT

If you are my partner from the Mug Rug Swap on Ravelry, do not read any further! (I doubt this person reads my blog, but who knows. Maybe I am further reaching than I thought...)

To make sure that person has backed away from the blog, let me tell you about shopping today.
We went to Target and rebought the rug that goes in the living room. Elsa has torn up so much of it, and we needed something to go under the dining room chairs, so we moved the old rug over to the dining room and have a pretty new one for the living room.

I also got a new laundry basket. I can carry 2 bushels of laundry now. It really cracks me up that laundry baskets are measured in bushels. I don't know how many bushels my old basket held, but it was less than 2. My old basket has been duct taped together since 2000, when I dropped it my freshman year in college. And yet, that was my favorite one. The other one we had was this awful wicker basket that Kevin got when he moved to his first apartment. Wicker is horrible for laundry- it catches on the clothes, and the curved sides make it difficult to stack things.

Okay, swap partner gone? Whew! Not much else to say about laundry baskets!

Here is my Mug Rug (smaller than a placemat, larger than a coaster). This is my first time doing satin stitch applique, and it isn't perfect...but I think it is cute.
The back is very simple:
And not to brag, but look at how nice the BACK side of my quilting looks on this super close up.


Loving my new sewing machine. Just wish I had more time to use it! Only 4 more weeks in this session, then back to taking just one class at a time...