Here's my first week's homework made from my original stash of yarn.

Nine more colors arrived on Saturday and I quickly got working on this week's assignment. I'll probably keep going until I get to 14 three-round squares. I'm up to 20 colors, but I feel like the palette is cohesive if a bit crazy. And purple? Loving it these days, especially next to green.

I am really enjoying this project, especially since someone else is telling me what to do - thank you, Blair! If it were left up to me, I'd probably keep crocheting until I was burned out and then it would sit for a few months until I got the urge to work on it again. The one week at a time approach is great for me right now. It's a good lesson in patience (waiting for the next assignment) and follow through (getting a week's worth done on time). All good things.

It's not too late to join in, you know.

Claudia Miller recently asked me if I would take a look at her Craftsy class on sewing machines, Sewing Machine 911. I said yes and I'm so glad I did!

Claudia does a fantastic job showing and teaching what is what with sewing machines. From how to wind a bobbin and thread the machine to troubleshooting issues that come up while sewing and how to clean your machine, this class is a great for both new sewers and experienced ones alike. She covers drop-in bobbin machines and front loading ones as well so you know what to do no matter which kind of machine you have. The class is packed with useful information including a downloadable chart that helps with troubleshooting problems. My favorite part was machine hygene. Cleaning your sewing machine is a must and Claudia shows you just how easy it is. Another great thing about this class? It's FREE. What an incredible resource for no cost! I highly recommend that you check it out.

I am also a big fan of the Craftsy.com video classes. This is the second one I've taken and there are so many other great ones available - sewing, knitting, gardening, jewelry making and more! Their platform is easy to use - you can skip around to different lessons and you don't need to sit down and watch the entire class in one sitting. There is also an area for you to jot video notes - great for looking back on! And finally, you have the opportunity to ask questions which can be answered by the instructor and other Craftsy users.

Have any of you taken Claudia's class? Or other Craftsy classes? I'd love to know what you'd recommend too.

Just some shots from Sunday.

I'm here. More soon.

I'm anticipating the end of the school year by lining up portable projects for summer crafting. The girls finish 4th and 6th grades next Thursday (I know - time flies!) and are gearing up for a busy summer. I'll be driving to and fro, as well as waiting during practices (field hockey and swimming) and taking some road trips so handwork is definitely in order. I also like to have something to work on in the evenings, in front of the TV - if I don't, my hands are busy feeding my mouth food I do not need. So really, it's a diet necessity.

First up, I am super excited about Blair's granny square sampler along. I took her advice and saw what yarn I had on hand. I have a good variety of Cascade 220 in my yarn bin. I pulled out all the cool colors - blues, greens and purples along with the dark gray and cream. After a trip to the yarn store, I was able to add the aqua, lightest purple and light gray to the mix getting what you see above. The two greens on the right? Only one will make the final cut - I'm waiting to see what other greens I can get my hands on before I make a final decision. The light blue may also be on the chopping block. I'd rather find a lighter aqua. Fingers crossed that the second yarn shop will have what I am looking for and if not, I'll be turning to the internet.

Second, I've enrolled in Rachel's Handstitched Summer camp/class. I'm looking forward to working on some portable sewing projects. The previews on her blog are getting me itchy to start. I can just see myself stitching poolside. Really. I'm especially anxious to begin work on the Modern Medallion quilt. For this one, I see more warm colors - oranges, pinks, berries. I've started auditioning fabrics and I'm desperately trying to stick to the stash for this one, although I may need to add some solids and maybe a couple more colors. This is a good start, though - I'm happy where it's going.

What about you? Do you have big, or small, summer crafting plans? I'd love to hear about them. Do tell.

People, I have been holding out on you.

I finished the Liberty quilt awhile back, three weeks ago give or take a couple of days. It has been happily residing on our king sized bed since and we have been slumbering quite happily below it. I love this quilt just like I knew I would.

It is backed in an aqua free spirit voile (water). I bought 7 yards and railroaded it with all the little Liberty scraps in a patchwork strip down the middle. The combination of the Tana Lawn on the front and the voile on the back is dreamy. DREAMY. It is super soft and a bit silky, with not much weight at all. To make sure that I didn't lose the airy, summer weight quilt I was going for, I used the lightest weight cotton batting I could find - Quilters Dream Cotton Request. It was a good choice - light and drapey, perfect for this quilt. I quilted it on my machine using the basic guidelines for an orange peel design as shown by Elizabeth Hartman of Oh, Frannson!, except that I found it easier to quilt side to side instead of up and down. The squares made for an easy quilting guide - bonus! I wanted something more than straight lines and I didn't want loops. I think this was a wonderful choice - it's not too busy, but still interesting and geometric. On the front, it's not very noticeable, but on the back - boy, oh boy! It looks like an entirely different quilt.

I machine sewed the binding to the front and hand stitched it to the back. I had a hard time choosing what to bind this with as I wanted it to compliment the quilt, but not compete with it. I ended up using this Liberty print that doesn't appear in the patchwork, but that is still floral and has some pink. I think the dark brown grounds the whole quilt well.

And because I know someone will ask, here it is on the bed, just as it is, no styling. I think some new pillow shams are in order. And maybe a switchplate? That's only been missing for 6 years. Ahem. But, best not to rush these things, quilts included. This one was certainly worth the 1.5 year wait.

(Other quilt details such as fabric, square size, etc. can be found in these posts: For the love of Liberty, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5)