New Year Tidings and Quiltings

Let's not look at these...

Yes, look away from the red and white. Yes, they're lovely, but so. Darn. Frustrating! For some reason I can't get the spiky one in the back to come out right, so I'm just messing around with other things at the moment.

Like cases for my video games!

I received a PS Vita for Christmas (YAY!!!!), and before I felt comfortable enough to actually, you know, play with the foolish thing I had to sit down and make a case for it. It came out a lot better than the PSP one did, and I'm going to have to make a matching game case for it before all is said and done. I might even make up a pattern!

On top of that exciting news, I was asked to review a book for Fons and Porter! I'm working my way through one of the patterns (the chevron one on the right on the cover picture) now, so here's some pictures of that process.

The modern quilter's workstation: pattern on an eBook on the
iPad, Featherweight oiled and ready to go, and gaming system
buried under fabric. Aww yeah.

Part of a block. Yay macro!

It's funny--with my Janome, I can use bad needles for ever without any consequences. If I go one stitch further than the needle can handle, Faith-Ann will start freaking out and dropping her top tension like crazy. Wish I knew the mechanics of how/why that was the case, but the minute I change out the needle she's happy as a lark.

And then, tragedy struck.

Yup. Managed to bugger it up. I also buggered up the other version of the block. HOORAY! Going to have to rip out 40 lines of stitches to fix this up. Ah well. I also discovered an error in the pattern, so I think I'm going to call this one a draw. I mess up, the pattern messes up, it's all good. :)

My stash. :D

Ann and Beppie kidnapped me today for a trip to Burkholder's in the snow and sleet and salt for the Customer Appreciation sale. While there I picked up some random fabrics to stash build, some fabric (guess which ones!) for an apron, some ADORABLE kitty fabric for a new case set for my PSP and Vita, and The Farmer's Wife Pony Club quilt book.

I've wanted it for some time, and it's been lurking in my Amazon wishlist forever. The story behind the quilt is that it's a sampler quilt based on letters written by children who won Shetland ponies through a magazine subscription drive. Being as I am completely horse mad (seriously, ask anyone), it seemed like a perfect fit. You can look forward to seeing blocks from it in the coming months!

Hope everyone is safe, warm, happy and healthy in the New Year!