If you’ve ever met me in person, there’s a 99.5% chance that either I’ve a knitting project in my bag — or — I’m knitting AND talking at the same time.

My hands are nonstop (my husband says better my hands than my jabber mouth) – either knitting, crocheting, hand-embroidery, typing, photographing, cooking or eating. But mostly knitting – because I can knit and create fun things like hand-made socks, sweaters and scarves.

Recently, I’ve begun quilting. I’m blaming my latest obsession on my mother-in-law, who is an avid, award-winning quilter. She lives in Buffalo, and for Christmas, we bought her a used Bernina (like the Rolls Royce of sewing machines) to keep down here and use on her visits.

I had NO interest in quilting whatsoever until I test-drove the Bernina after Christmas.

WOW. No wonder brand-new machines cost as much as a used car. I had no idea that sewing on a machine didn’t involve cursing, ripping out every 13 stitches and frustration. I had been sewing on my ratty old cheapy machine and hated sewing. No wonder.

Anyways, I’ve signed up for just about every single Craftsy quilting course and have made friends with my local quilting shops. The guest cottage is now MY sewing cottage. (No more guests! Unless you’re my MIL or here to sew with me!)

I’ve even gotten the boys to sew – Nathan is in the middle of making a quilt on his vintage 1951 Singer Featherweight sewing machine on a custom table:

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Andrew quilted a cover for my his Kindle. He stayed up until almost midnight sewing on my F!(%!)(#$! Juki sewing machine (more on that another post)

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As for my progress – not bad. Sometimes the crafting goes really well:

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That’s a Quilt-As-You-Go bag from Craftsy, taught by Tara Rebman. I highly, highly recommend this class! Love her as a teacher and the project is fun.

Sometimes the sewing goes really wrong.

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I think I sewed the teddy bear’s head on BACKWARDS.

This isn’t the first animal mis-hap I’ve had. Here’s a little monkey that I was crocheting.

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No matter how many times I tried, the poor little monkey was all crooked and wonky. And phallic.

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And every time I’d start over, the tail would look more and more phallic.

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Despite my non-talent in sculpting animals, I’m forging ahead. I’ve made 4 quilts in the past 2 months and can’t wait to share more.