Accidental Art

Snot

Yes, snot.  Mirriam-Webster says: Etymology: Middle English, from Old English gesnot; akin to Old High German snuzza nasal mucus.  And this house has seen lots of it in the past month.  Hence, the erratic postings. 
Yes, we still live in a house of viruses.  Dan's on his fifth, yes, fifth, week.  I'm on the fourth.  And yes, the culprit is snot.  I'm tired of the dogs getting old kleenex and ripping them all over the house.  I'm tired of not being able to finish sentences because of a sneezing, dripping or coughing fit.  I'm tired.
I'm not tasting much of anything, so am just packing on the pounds eating lots of weird stuff, just so I can taste SOMETHING.  Oj's pretty good.  Cuts right to the taste buds.  Hot, spicy stuff that's supposed to clear your head, just seems to increase the never ending supply. 
I'm still doing bunnies.  Will hopefully get some photos up next post.  Went back to working on a Classic Elite vest (Mahatma Ghandi)that's a replacement.  Interesting story,that...
  I made this vest for myself about 7 years ago.  My darling, wonderful sister-in-law, Claire, saw it on me and loved it.  It was waaay too big for her.  Classic Elite, as is their habit, no longer made the lovely silky-tweedy-nubby natural colored yarn that was used.  So. I frogged the vest, and gave her the pattern and yarn to make her own.  (I really like Claire.)  I hate remaking things.  I've lived without.  I came to the realization that I really like that vest, and I miss it.  I'm now remaking that vest.  I'm using Tahki's Donegal Tweed.  Not quite the same look, but real close.  Bunnies and a vest. 
Along with bunny photos, I will try to get a pix of the vest, too.  Know you're all dying to see it and figure out what's so great about it.  I'll show ya next time.

Which cold?

Which cold is worse, the one outside or the one in my head?  Give ya one guess.  Yup.  Dan didn't say it would be different with me (read: worse) when he gave it to me.  He just let it happen.  Fine.  See what he gets for Valentine's Day.  Well, actually I am gonna bake a wacky cake later this afternoon, but that's cause I want some. 

Anyway, the only thing I've been able to accomplish between the tissues are these blocks:  Aren't they cute as all get out?  Maybe it's the button hole stitch, maybe it's the fabrics,  maybe it's just the bunnies, but I've got 3 more ready to get embroidered and another one or two ready to bet appliqued.  And, yes, I forgot to get pictures Sunday of Jen's new "apron!!!"  that I finished and pictures of the "fichu" from Victorian Lace Today. (Look under books. I'll get better at this linking pretty soon. )  Hopefully, Jen will get a picture of her apron and email it to me. (hint hint)  Other than these few things, all I do is eat, watch some TV, read and blow my nose.  Oh, did I say, Nap.  I even missed my Saturday knitting get together. 

Back to the good stuff.  I've been looking through some of my old books looking for some setting ideas for this quilt, but haven't been too inspired, so I guess I'll have to hit the old magazines down in the basement.  And I've got a goodly bunch of those, so it may take a while. 

Winter finally hit central Ohio and it's all white out there, lots of stuff has been canceled and between the cold and the weather I've got a bit of cabin fever, so I guess I'll go stir up some sh-- with the dogs and cats.  Do I know how to have fun, or what?

here we go again....

I spent some time last week finishing the other project I made for Jen's birthday, this Wednesday.  I'll post a picture after she gets it.  Then, I started another machine knitted scarf.  Not quite half way there.  All this time I was working on getting Dan's lovely little 10 day cold.  Sure enough, I was successful!  It came as advertised with a scratchy sore throat on Saturday.  Sunday, the scratchy part of the sore throat turned to pain and I went into vegetative state.  Sort of.  When not sitting on the couch in a catatonic state, I wanted to do something.  I'd been bitten by the applique bug.  I had finished the "ugly mini heart quilt top"  applique part (yes, it still needs to be assembled with the other layers and quilted and bound, but the really mindless fun part is done, see: 

And, yes, I told you it was really ugly.  But there's gonna be a kicker to save it from itself, so there ya go. More on this later, when I get it done.)  And this is where I get in trouble.  I want something to do. I'm in the mood to applique, not knit. I'd been looking at a book in my stash , Grandma's Bunnies by Darcy Ashton (dashton4@hotmail.com), and not only would I get to applique the bunnies, I'd get to sit there and buttonhole stitch all around them!! I'll probably change the setting cause that's more complicated than I want to get, and I may flip some of the images and make more blocks, so I can get it up to king bed size.  But I had this stack of 30's and 40's type fabrics sitting around and so .........   I'm doing it in increments of 4, so that if the mood passes, I'll have finished blocks that I can put into a baby quilt or wall hanging or something, rather than 40+ pieces of fabric cut and marked and only 2 blocks done. 

Yes, it's this focusing thing.  You'd think that my started Baltimore Album blocks would be enough applique to keep me busy and focused, but alas, the block I'm working on now is too fussy for my congested head and blurred vision. 

I'll keep you posted, and if you want to applique along, I'll be your little cheerleader!