TANGLED THREADS & TECHNIQUES - 2015 Mitten Tree

For the past three years, I've been donating to the Mitten Tree at our local bank. Between mid-November and mid-December, a Christmas tree sits in the bank lobby awaiting to be decorated with hats, scarves, mittens, gloves, even socks. A couple of days before school lets out for the Christmas holiday, the employees take the donated items to the grade school where they are handed out to students.

I came from poverty and I remember wanting clothes like the other kids wore - but more importantly I craved for my clothes to match. So I make a point of creating 'sets' for the kids. I package them up with a tag that says 'Warm Winter Wishes' and cute snowmen.

I start the process in February when hats and gloves/ mittens go on clearance for .50 each. Then I purchase yarn in colors to match. The next eight or nine months are spent crocheting scarves to complete sets. This is my tv time in the evening, when the cats allow.

This year I delivered 26 sets to the Mitten Tree. My goal had been 50. While I fell short of my goal, there were still some very warm youngsters as a result. I also have the beginnings of 26 sets here for 2016. So far I've crocheted 6 sets.

My Thursday posts will be sporadic for awhile as I strive to put the final items away in the studio. I swear that room is like a clown car. Just when I think I've found the end... something else appears to be put away. But I'm getting there :-)

And Enjoying the Journey .... most days hehe
Creative Blessings!

TANGLED THREADS & TECHNIQUES - Row By Row 1

I love this sentiment. Now if I just had the time. Hopefully, that will open up with the new studio organization. I'm preparing for the event, in any case.

This was the quilt plate from Quilts and Quilts in Branson MO. There are two stores in Branson on the Row By Row Experience. While Bob and I were on vacation a couple of weeks ago, I made this one of my 'must stop' places. I loved the selection and could have wandered longer than I did had it not been we wanted out of town ahead of a nasty thunder storm.

The first thing I ask about was the guitar fabric like I'd found a small quantity of in Llano Texas. She had some as well as a couple other fabrics that coordinated well.

the one on the left is hard to see but is a sheet music print then the other is just an all over design that matches.

Then I found Tim Holtz fabric! I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. I bought a quarter yard of every print she had... well except for one. the bluish colored 'Correspondence' fabric will fit in my studio perfectly so I bought three yards plus this quarter.

I bough t (from left to right: Cigar Box, Documentation, Mercantile, Rulers, Travel Labels and Correspondence.

Notice tht postage print has a bit of blue and brown and I think I can even make an undertone appear peach. Wish I could have afforded to buy enough for the Valances in here but I'll turn it into something :-)

I also fell in love with this floral that almost has a postage stamp look with the way the lace border around each blog is presented. I'm thinking this will be lovely cut apart and applied to a fabric journal I want to do.

Lastly, I found a couple of things I can use as I begin organizing the office. I'll show them to you know then as I put the studio together, I'll show you how I use them.

That fabric organizer is perfect size for quarter yard pieces. And those tags... they are a swatch ring! 

TANGLED THREADS & TECHNIQUES - Row By Row Experience

I make frequent visits to my local quilt shop, The Hideaway Quilt Shop, in Birch Tree MO. The owners and I have become good friends over the years. When I stopped by yesterday Jean told me about a new Shop Hop to take place from June 21 - September 8. What a Shop Hop this is going to be!

If you are not familiar with a Shop Hop, here's the quick scoop. A group of quilt shop owners plan an event to take place over a set time period. Each shop offers individual specials, and spotlights new fabrics and products. Often times there is a prize if you have your 'passport' validated at every shop involved.  I traveled through a Shop Hop back in 2011. You can see my post HERE. 

But this Shop Hop is going to be different from any I've ever been on. Row by Row Experience began in 2011 with 20 shops participating and has grown to include over 2500 shops covering all 50 states and some in Canada!

Each shop will have a FREE pattern for a 'row block' they've designed. Many will have kits for their unique block available. 

The Hideaway Quilt Shop will be participating for the first time. Jean designed this cute little parade of ducks for her row. She wanted something that would be perfect for even the most novice of quilters. Aside from having the FREE pattern and kits to sell she says shoppers can also select fabrics to make the row their own. 

Another part of this unusual shop hop is the opportunity to collect fabric license plates. Each shop has created their own Vanity Plate that makes theirs unique. Although for example a shop in Maine might have Quilty Pleasure for their vanity plate, the Missouri version belongs to The Hideaway Quilt Shop.

Shops will offer a variety of specials throughout the event. Jean will be rotating 20% off various items and doing demonstrations of techniques.

So what happens when you have all these lovely fabrics, patterns and completed rows? 

Each shop will be giving away 25 fat quarters to the FIRST PERSON to bring in a completed quilt made from a minimum of  8 different rows by October 31st. The quilt must be quilted, bound and labeled. 

While I won't be visiting all of the shops on the hop, I am going to look over the list and see how many I can cover near to me. I've already spied one on the list for Collinsville IL - yet another incentive to attend the stamp show there in July. Maybe next year I can wait til fall for my Texas trip and visit a few of those on my travels. 

If you take part in any of this shop hop, I'd love to hear from you and see pictures of the quilts you make.

Creative Blessings!

TANGLED THREADS & TECHNIQUES - Mitten Tree Project continues

The mitten tree project is an on-going project. While I was in Springfield last week I had to stop in at Walmart and they had hats/ gloves marked down to $1 each. I picked up 4 sets of each of these three colors then took them back to crafting to pick out yarn tht would match. I'm not thrilled with the true red but red is one of those colors that is just hard to match perfectly. I couldn't match the teal blue at all - EXCEPT in this varigated. The varigated is working up nicely. I've done one scarf (minus fringe) and started a second.

Since winter stuff is beginning to clearance, I have pulled out one of each of the sets of gloves below (purchased last year) to see if I can match them to hats. Otherwise I'll be crocheting a lot of hats. Buying the hats is a lot cheaper than buying the yarn... and faster.

There are 26 pairs in all:
Gray - 7 pr
Hot pink - 3 pr
Teal - 1 pr. (think this and the burgundy will be the easiest to match hats too)
Chartreuse (top right) - 4 pr
Cream - 3 pr
Burgundy - 1 pr
Black - 4 pr
Purple - 2 pr
Pink stripe - 1 pr.

These, combined with what I have done already only gives me 41 sets for The Mitten Tree project so I'll need to pick up 11 more pair of hat/ gloves if I want to do 52 for the year.

TANGLED THREADS

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Not a stitch crocheted this week. I've been dealing with arthritis in the wrist bone on my right hand. Having to work with the mouse all day probably isn't helping. By evening, there is nothing left for crochet. So I've been giving the wrist a rest in the evenings. I hope to have something for you next week. In the mean time, maybe something on my Crochet Pinterest Board will inspire you. 

TANGLED THREADS - Mitten Tree Project

Here is a shot of the hat/ glove/ scarf sets I donated to the Mitten Tree at our local bank. If you've missed previous posts, this is a project our bank does every year. We decorate the tree with hats/ scarves/ mittens/ gloves/ socks. A few days before Christmas vacation, the items are taken to the local grade school and the office distributes them to students they see the need.  Several communities in our area do this for their local schools.

Here's a close up of one of the sets:

I buy the hats/ gloves usually on clearance at the end of the season then pair them with a yarn color and crochet the scarves. Each set is tagged with this gift card:

I haven't changed my GOALS on the side bar from 2014 yet. You'll see my target was for 52. I wound up with 25. And for some reason, when I got to the deadline I couldn't imagine what I'd been thinking. I didn't have 52 pairs of gloves... or so I thought.

In searching for my crochet hook keeper the other night I found 2 gal zip loc bags full of pairs of gloves. So I have a stash to start on for this year. So far this year I've completed 3 full sets. I have a glove/ scarf set but need a white hat and they seem to be sold out everywhere I look. While at the library the other day I picked up a pattern book with several different hat varities.. thus the purpose in searching out my crochet hook stash.

Over the weekend I'll change my GOAL bar to reflect my targets for 2015.
Creative Blessings!