Remember I told you I'd finished my May 2016 UFO Challenge? That I didn't have pictures because I had injured my finger and sliced open my thumb? But I also told you I'd share a picture? Ta! Da! Here it is! 

The pattern is Dresden Stars by Laundry Basket. I actually finished it a few days ago. I redid the 2 corner triangles and 2 setting triangles. Then I added the skinny navy border and the wide outer border. It's actually even more beautiful in real life -- the colors are way more vibrant than in the photo.

Wednesday will be the announcement for the June UFO Challenge. I wonder which one it will be. Looking forward to it. I'm also already thinking about the 2017 Challenge. I might just make it a Quilting Challenge. I've got so many completed tops that now need to be quilted! Won't that make for an excitingly different year???!!!??

In the meantime, I also finished my final project for Loopy Academy. This completes the 2nd semester of my sophomore year. We had to make a pair of socks. Not too much other criteria. I'd had the Inlay Socks pattern stashed for quite a while. I think I may have actually started them once then ripped it all out. I love the blue in this yarn and know that they will go perfectly with jeans next Fall and into Winter! I will say that the stitch pattern was busy enough to hold my interest without being so tedious that I quit. This is a free pattern by Hunter Hammersen and you can find it on ravelry.com.

In other news, I managed to get my mother's lawn mowed and her shrubs trimmed in between rain storms. We're going to have a major bonfire soon!

That's about it for me this Memorial Weekend. I hope you also had a relaxing one!

Owie Weekend

I almost forgot to give you the update on FNSI. I did manage to get all my setting triangles attached and the 1st border starched up. Put the top on my design wall for a picture and uh! oh! I thought I was being so smart by trimming in places I clearly should not have. Holes and no way for a 1/4" seam ... unless I trimmed and made the outside cornerstones triangles. After much consideration, I took out the 2 faulty setting triangles and the 2 faulty corner triangles. The pattern had me cut the setting triangles with 2 leftover = PERFECT! Just what I needed. I managed to get them replaced yesterday morning and one corner removed. I'll have to get on the "repair" wagon soon. Pictures to follow.

In the meantime, I cleaned and de-stemmed 4# of strawberries and got them all sliced up. So many beautiful strawberries! Need to make a pie. Would you believe I sliced open my thumb cutting up the very, cold butter for the crust????

Today was spent helping the hubby chop up downed trees from an earlier storm Managed that unscathed ... until I started peeling potatoes to go on the grill with our pork steaks. Hit my ring finger fingernail and it's bleeding & cut at an angle about 1/4" into the quick.

I don't trust myself to do much else so please be patient with me. I'll get the May UFO Challenge quilt posted up for you AND the Loopy Academy sock posted. I'm just about finished it. Teaser: The socks are beautiful!!!!

Friday Night Sew-In!!!

Guess what Friday is???? Friday Night Sew In!!!!

If you have never heard of this event, you should visit Sugarlane Quilts for all the information. It's the perfect excuse to put yourself #1 for the evening!

So what will I be working on? This little gem by Edyta Sitar. It's called Dresden Stars and is my May 2016 UFO Challenge Project. I've already starched and cut my set-in triangles so I'm ready to stitch my middle together. Who knows? Maybe I'll get the borders starched up too. I always seem to set larger-than-life expectations!!

If you don't know about the challenge by All People Quilt, you can click here to start following along. It pairs up perfectly with the FNSI!

Have a GREAT weekend!

UFO Challenge and Loopy Academy Updates

OK, I'm really feeling sick. Apparently I deleted my post instead of posting it. Blah! Let's do it all over again! Yeah, sure. I guess the good news is I already have a plan for what I want to tell you! Let's think positive ... my motto today!

This is a picture of my "Life of Plenty". If you'll remember, it was my APQ UFO Challenge for April. I love how it turned out. The pattern was presented as a Mystery QAL by Jeni Gaston of Woolen Willow Designs. I kept up pretty good with the blocks, I just never trimmed the blocks and assembled at the end. Well, there were a few blocks that needed completion but I was in pretty good shape. The only thing is is that because it was a mystery, I didn't know the final layout as I made blocks. Didn't know what was going to be next to what. On top of that, I did this very scrappy ... fabrics and wool ... even the background fabrics. I did purchase the outer border. When I got the border fabric home I was afraid that it was going to be too bold but I think it frames and unifies the blocks just right. Happy dance!!!

Since it is May, here is a picture of this month's APQ UFO Challenge in its current state. The pattern is called "Dresden Star" by Edyta Sitar from Laundry Basket. The fabrics were received in a fabric exchange from a couple of years ago. As you can see the blocks and sashing strips are completed. It needs assembly, setting triangles, and two borders. I can do this! I have a day retreat this week and of course there is Friday Night Sew-In. I repeat: I can do this! (Fingers crossed!)

I had been doing really well keeping up with my Loopy Academy projects. I hope to complete my "Sophomore Year" this May. I posted earlier the first project, a cowl. Here is a picture of my 2nd project, Houdini Socks, pattern by Cat Bordhi. The requirements for this project was to use a solid-colored yarn and a multi-colored yarn in the same project. The stripes in my socks were as the pattern called for but I added the multi-colored yarn at the top of the cuff for a little extra pizzazz! What do you think? Loved working these socks!

The requirements for the 3rd and final project this semester is to knit a pair of socks using either toe-up or cuff-down construction, whichever is newer to you. I've been knitting socks FOREVER both ways so, since the Houdini Socks were toe-up, my current socks are cuff-down. One sock is complete and the 2nd is in progress. I'll show a picture when I'm done!

I had more stuff to share before I accidentally "trashed" my earlier post but I'm done now. Will catch you up later. I hope everyone had a grand Mother's Day whether you were treated royally or you treated YOUR mother royally or BOTH!