Got a Squishie!

Squishie (n. SKWI-shee): a soft package sent or received through any of various federal or commercial agencies, usually known to cause a squeal of delight on the part of the crafter involved. May contain fabric, yarn, quilt squares, beads, or fiber of plant, animal, mineral, or chemical origin. On rare occasions, squishies have also been known to contain completed items, promised up to twelve years ago.

Progress on knitted objects: The Red Herring Purse

Sleeves Without a Sweater

And a completion: Home Sweet Home scrap quilt

"There is no wrong way to knit. The debate between throwing the yarn and picking it, using circulars or straight, choosing Fair Isle or intarsia... it's all a moot point. If you get something knitted at the end of it, you are doing it right. We should all agree to stop correcting each other and deal with the more important issue. How wrong crochet is."

--Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, At Knit's End

Disclaimer: I have actually been known to crochet. Not much and not often. And not well. But for those of you out of the yarn loop: there is a fundamental difference of opinions between those who use two sticks and those who use one. Go figure.

Rabbithole Thoughts

Today I HAD to get out of the house. You know how it is: three people, summer heat, not enough sleep between them... So I was sitting in Daily's, a little "healthy" fast food restaurant in La Jolla, with my Big Bag of Activities*. I chose the Girl Scout vest and got to work. That made what could have been a difficult morning into a pleasantly amusing one. (I got to people-watch at the same time!)
This is my take-along sewing kit. I made it from a Ver-Mints box (ginger variety) and some scraps from current projects. I just glued the docorations on and a magnet to the inside lid. The scrap of fabric inside is stored on top of the scissors to keep it away from the magnet.
I've been quilting like a fiend (note to self: find out if fiends really quilt) and finding out that it's really a good bicep workout. All three quilts now have the binding attached and ready to be sewn down.
Here's a close-up of my deliberate meander quilting style.
And I've taken to making Continuous Bias Binding, following the instructions from buzzville. I've heard that bias binding is preferable to non-bias because it wears better. Whatever. Once I have it ironed in half, I don't want to have to iron it again later or get it tangled, so I roll it up on a TP tube. Works great. I still have one roll left to go.
Then it stays neat as I sew it down. See how it works as I'm attaching the binding to "Home Sweet Home".
*Current inventory of the Big Bag of Activities: one quilt that needs binding sewn down, multicolored sock project, the Red Thread sampler, snacks, hand wipes, one copy of Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine, and one pink Bible. It's kinda like a toddler's busy bag.