The Tribble with Foo-Whee Fun!

Honestly ... thrummed knitting is infectious ... and it always leaves me with a serious case of silliness!

They remind me of Tribbles ... those of us who are Star Trek fans remember that episode!  Too fun!

Over the past three weeks I have been teaching a Foo-Whee Mitten class at The Net Loft!  It is the first time I have taught this class locally ... teaching friends heightens the hilarity!  Gauge swatches done and nearly tamed!

Even when making a gauge swatch ... they take on a life of their own!  See ... they do resemble Tribbles!

Participants came with their cuff knit to the second session ...

... and we attempted to get on with the science of thrummed mittens.

Spock and Bones also attempted to take the Tribble phenomenon seriously ...

... as did we! ;-)  We worked on the process of creating gussets ...

... gussets with Foo-Whees make for tons of nonfunsense!

Between all the giggles ...

... we remained resolute!

Just like the Tribbles ... our Foo-Whees multiplied while we made progress on our mittens.

The final class was all about finishing the mittens ...

crowning the top and thumb ...

... continuing to add Tribbles Foo-Whees through the entire process!

Can it get any more ridiculous?  Love it!

Just try to tame these silly beasts!

I love Foo-Whee knitting!

Yep ... we were all channeling our own version of Captain Kirk!

Even with all the shenanigans ... and a bit of effort amongst all the giggles ...

... we did accomplish our goal.  Each participant "boldly went where no (sensible) knitter had gone before" and created for themselves beautiful mittens that will keep their hands warm and dry.

Star Date 2.23.2015:  Foo-Whee Mission Accomplished 

Do what you love.  Be silly.  Do dillydally!

Captain DillyDally

Friday:  So sorry to hear of his passing today ... he enriched the lives of many.  Live long and prosper.

Sew Much to Celebrate!

Happy Birthday Girlfriend DillyDally!  We are celebrating here in DillyDallydom!

A year ago this Saturday, Brother and Girlfriend moved to Cordova!  I know ... where did the year go?  And Sunday was the second birthday we celebrated with Girlfriend DD!  Such fun!

This girl has used a sewing machine less than 10 times ...

... and look at her go!

Saturday, our guild had their February "Time to Sew" event ... everyone else had packed up and gone home.  Yep ... she was the last one sewing ... just makes my heart sing!

Her favorite color is purple ... you may remember that I made this pincushion for her on Valentines ...

... she immediately started using it ... it is now filled with pins!

While in Oregon, I had picked up this pattern book and three coordinating prints.

Their apartment is super tiny ... she has no room to set up a sewing station, so does it all over here using my equipment and spare machine.  I love spending time with her and watching her sewing skills evolve.

She was hooked the moment she started going through my patterns ... so I knew that getting her a few of her own sewing tools would make a great birthday gift!

She just had to have a cute and compact way to store her new tools!  I knew you would agree!

It had been such a crazy week ... I was a bit worried about getting it done ...

In true dillydally fashion ... I finished it Sunday morning ... just hours before she came over. ;-)  We had invited them over for a birthday dinner Sunday evening ... on Saturday, she asked if they could come earlier in the day, so she could sew!  Of course the answer was ... "YES!"

I had wrapped every piece of equipment separately and had her open them in order of the smallest to largest ...

... her tool caddy being the largest ... so it was opened last.

She came over at 2:00 pm and started sewing a garment ... something different from strip piecing ... we took a break for dinner.  I decided not to clear and set the table for her birthday dinner ... as that would require her putting everything away ... so we ate in the living room!  She stopped long enough to open her gifts and take the few pictures posted here ... and even ate her birthday cheesecake while sewing.  Too fun!  She sewed until 9:45 ... a total of 7 3/4 hours.  

Here in DillyDallydom there is sew much for the DillyDally family to celebrate:

• Girlfriend DD has become a sewing obsessed woman.
• Brother DD has great coping skills having grown up with sewing obsessed women.
• Mr.  DD knows how to say the appropriate things to encourage sewing obsessed women.
• Sister DD has recently rejoined the world of sewing obsessed women.
• Flicka DD has another sewing obsessed woman to supervise. 

How I love this dillydally life and all who share it with me!

Do what you love.  Celebrate!  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

QBees!

We finally received some snow last week ...

... it didn't stay long.  Mother Nature brought in a few huge coastal storms ... and rain washes the snow away.  That is the normal weather cycle here in our temperate rainforest.

High winds and sideways rain doesn't dampen a QBee's spirit!  We are weather resistant and know how to entertain ourselves!  I made Valentine themed cupcakes to celebrate QBee Val's birthday!

We celebrated by enjoying appetizers and cocktails with our cupcakes.  I look forward to our birthday gatherings ... a chance for us to relax and catch up with one another!

On Sunday, the guild sponsored a monthly Quilter's Anonymous meeting ... we celebrated Val's birthday there too!  QBee Diane made this beautiful cake.  I just love this picture of them ... I've spent 30 years quilting with these two women ... friendships I treasure.

Girlfriend DillyDally has taken to quilting like a fish takes to water ... love adding her to the rank of QBee ... makes my heart swell with happiness!

I have also been busy ... preparing to bind five quilts!  Uffda ... there is a lot of binding in my near future!  Two lap, two queen, and one king sized ... double uffda!  Wish me luck!  The QBees will be cheering me on while I tackle this daunting task!  QBees make the best personal cheerleaders!

Do what you love.  Be a cheerleader!  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

On Tuesday evening, we were gifted a brief break in the rain ... I just had to share this gorgeous sunset!  

Time in the Sewing Room!

I love my crazy, busy, hectic, and insane dillydally life!

I returned home from California ... celebrated our community Iceworm Festival ... taught a mitten class ... took a scrapbooking class ... and ... worked all week substituting at the high school!

After traveling through Oregon, I was looking forward to spending some time with "Her Majesty" and my sewing supervisor!  We made a huge mess ... such fun!  Notions were flying in every direction!  Flicka stopped momentarily to focus on the new pattern we were using.  How I love my silly quilt kitty!

However ... she is lacking when it comes to safety practices and hazardous circumstances!

Yep ... she needs to reread the section on fabric cutting safely in the "Quilt Kitty Manual"!

I made gifts ... pin cushions shaped like mini handbags!  We had a QBee birthday this week ... sew ...

... I just had to use quilting themed fabric and decided to fussy cut the handle ... too much fun!

I used novelty fabrics for the second one as well!  This fabric makes me giggle ... yep, I love being silly in the sewing room.

Seriously ... this just makes me chuckle!  I hope the recipient smiles each time she uses it!

The third one on the left was made for Girlfriend  DD ... I gave it to her for Valentine's Day ... her first pincushion!  It turned out almost as sweet as she is!

There is a pocket in the back ... honestly ... such fun to make!  I am looking forward to making them for each QBee's birthday!

It felt so good to be back in the sewing room ... our happy place ... where all sorts of shenanigans take place!  It doesn't matter how crazy life gets ... here is where sanity is restored.  Besides ... super crazy busy is the way Flicka and I roll!  ;-)

Do what you love.  Do dillydally

Mrs. DillyDally