rock and roll needle roll

Remember me?

I’ve been completed and mailed on time!

This one is a little different to the Hawaiian Honeymoon Souvenir Needle Roll. First of all, look at this amazing stitchery of the turn it right side out hole. It’s so good I might have to redo the hole on mine. Avoid looking at the chalk marks. I’m confident they will rub off eventually.

Thanks to this tutorial over at Quilt Taffy, closing the hole with the ladder stitch is one more type of hand sewing I can no longer hate. It has lovely large pictures and simple instructions, which is just what I needed.

First we have the rock and roll.

I had trouble deciding how to design the quilt top. Swirly? Outline some ladies, or what? I’m pleased with what I came up with: a series of squares based on the red square in the upper left. I won’t be winning any Golden Needle Awards for the stitching.

Open it up to find a little Zen garden in which to relax and create.

Ahh. Feeling soothed? I know I am.

There are only three tiers in this one and I made the bottom pockets large to accommodate circulars. The middle tier should work nicely for crochet hooks and DPNs. But Madam M can put whatever she wants in. Her roll, her rules.

And a nice little needle roll cuddle. XXX

crusty bread

I was probably a teenager the last time I made my own bread. Today, I made this crusty loaf to go with hubbo’s borscht. Looks nice, doesn’t it?Little Miss thought it was great. At least, she thought it was much better than the harira I tried to feed her. I thought it tasted like what it is: flour and water. It needed something more. Sugar, rising time, baking time. We ate it, but it wasn’t quite right. The quest for a good one loaf bread continues.

almost better than a jelly roll

Every time I want to knit something, I go up to the Loftorium and get the required needles and yarn to match the pattern. Then I make a stupid gauge, which I hate doing. Then I find out that the needles I brought down two flights of stairs are too big or too small. Then I have to creep back up, because the Loftorium is above Beastie’s room. This is when I discover that I don’t even have the size of needle I need. I’ve been waiting for a Michael’s coupon for quite some time and a few weeks ago I went crazy. Now I have a near complete set of DPNs. These will take their rightful place in a jumbled pile of straight needles, crochet hooks and my lovely interchangeable circulars (with ultra long extend-o connector) given to me by my Baby Daddy.

But maybe there is an easy solution for a fabric hoarder such as myself?

I was originally inspired by lupinbunny, but as a mathematically challenged human, I just couldn’t figure out the sewing down of the columns. It’s not even mathy, but it felt that way. I’m sure it’s easy enough and I love the different sized pockets it makes. I get it better now that I’ve made one and held it in my hand.

I finally went for nestingsticks’s tutorial-but what shall I use? [legs waggling out of the fabric bins]

In 2010, we took our honeymoon on Kauai and hit several quilting shops. There’s not a lot to do in Kauai. I bought a bunch of fat quarters that I never could find the right project for. Also, I had tons of leftover from the dress I made to wear on the island.

Now, the original only had three pockets, as did mine, but I decided to add another to hold the teeny needles from my interchangeables thus losing my fussy cut blue hula girls. Whatever. I know they’re in there.

There’s going to be a lot of needles rolling around in this thing, so I figured a bit of batting wouldn’t be the worst idea. La la la, I pieced some chunks together, found some ratty old broadcloth for a inside backing thingummy (I’m sure there’s a name for it) and then I done lost my mind.

What if I were to HAND QUILT THE FLOWERS!?

Things I have learned:

• I just can’t follow directions. I always have to make some change.

• Get some good quality curvy quilty safety pins. Again, I’m sure they have a proper name. The ones I bought from a fabric chain store were like trying to shove a chopstick through a steak. And they snagged my fabric. You can use dress pins. Count them occasionally.

• Start in the centre, which I did, but also re-smoothenate your piece now and then. I have some puffy bits between the flowers.

• Just creep up the two flights of stairs and dig out the embroidery hoop. Your nice flat quilting will thank you.

Now, I am just about ready to put it all together and, showing great restraint, I did not go into town to search out the perfect ribbon to tie it all together. Instead, I opened up this bag of worms and found something that would work. However, after I cut the red ribbon I finally chose (an inch short while nicking my new table for the second time) it seemed like it wouldn’t be long enough to go around all the batting and needles and tie into a classy bow. Plain old white it is. The ties are each 18 inches long (72” total), basically the width of the roll. Easier to shorten than lengthen, as you know.

Instead of sewing the top and the side first to put the piece together, I pinned my ribbon in at 5 and 10 inches and then pinned the whole piece, leaving it open 6 inches at the top. Since there are 5 layers on one side and a quilted piece on the other, I thought it might be difficult to turn and hand stitch the seam if I made the opening at the bottom.

After sewing around from the edges of the opening (remember to backstitch, kiddies) I clipped the corners and zigzagged the edges. I fear ravelling. Always have.

Press, press, press and then stitch ‘er up! Although I do love a nice bit of topstitching, I’ve skipped it, mainly because I know how bad it will look once I do it. Also, you lose a 1/4 inch of pocket on either side. I fought for those pockets and I’m not about to lose them now!

I am some kind of pleased with myself. It’s been a while since I actually finished finished something. Now let us bask in the beauty that is The Hawaiian Honeymoon Souvenir Needle Roll!

Here’s a preview of somebody’s (this is not a) birthday present. You will notice the colour schemery is much more delicious. Man is so much better at coloury matchery than I.

Stay tuned. I’ve just figured out how I should quilt the top…