a knitting basket

Happy Friday! I am pretty excited about this long weekend and the visiting we get to do :) But before I get on the road, I thought I'd pop in and show you my sweet new knitting basket. I used a tutorial from 1/4" mark and I am pretty happy with the way it turned out.

Let's see, for the circle I used an embroidery hoop (10" I think) and I let my scraps lead me to the height (7"). I really should have sucked it up and put another row on to make it a little taller, but it still looks good. The instructions were clear and easy to follow. I did change the handle and put the two coming out of the top. Only I thought that the heavy canvas would be stiff enough to stand up on its own and clearly I was wrong. So I have droopy handles and learned my lesson; I should have added some interfacing. Oh well.

It fits my little socks perfectly. It's easy to tote around to work on them and unlike when I stick them in a bag, it doesn't get as tangled. They are going well by the way. The socks I mean. I am almost to the foot part where I just have to knit for 8 inches before doing the toe. So hopefully it won't be too long before I am done my first pair of socks. And if I'm lucky, they'll even fit. At the moment they seem a bit big, a little too wide I'd say, but I can't really tell yet.

Anyway, I'm off to sit in the car for too many hours with a toddler who doesn't sleep in cars. I sure hope traffic isn't too bad. Aside from all the car time, it promises to be a good weekend. I probably won't be back on here until Wednesday so I'll see you then!

WIP Wednesday {8.29.12}

Holy last Wednesday in August, Batman! Man, it's like I blink and it's Wednesday again. And then it happens over and over again until somehow, another month has gone by! We are entering fall mode over here. Despite the warm temperatures, school has started for the husband and we are slowly figuring out our fall schedule. This is generally pretty irrelevant for my sewing time since I just take what I can get during naptime, but it is still quite an adjustment. I have been pretty busy this week. A couple things done, a couple things almost done and even more waiting for me to have time to work on them.

Completed:

Pillow cover #1

I love this. There is not much else to say, it is just a happy pillow case :)

Tova (test version) 

This is my second try at the tova and I went down a size and made the 3/4 length sleeves. It definitely fits better although it is a bit tighter in the arms.  I like it a lot and can't wait for the weather to cool down so I can wear it.

Phone case(s) for my sista

I  made two versions and can't really reveal more about them until they are given. But I couldn't decide what she would like more, so she gets both. She picked the fabric out too, so at least I know she should like that part :)


New:

Fall Jacket for the wee one

It is mostly done actually. It is a simplicity pattern and it wasn't too hard...but then I got to the end and I can't quite figure out how I am supposed to finish it. I am thinking a generous dose of top-stitching should help and then I have to find buttons and put button holes in. So we are taking a break from each other. But once I get it done it will be really cute. It is a bit big though since the smallest size was still one bigger than she is in, but you can really only tell in the length of the sleeves.

Knitting basket

I started this yesterday and am pretty close to done. It needs some handles and the lining attached. I needed something for the car and my socks get too tangled in a bag so hopefully this will work out. 

Fall Clothes

This is a big category right now. I cut out my trial pieces this past week (flashback skinny tee by madebyrae and crossover tee and sleeping johns from the book growing up sew liberated) so I am going to make them up and make sure they fit her and then I have....fabric for 3 more t-shirts I think and a pair of sweatpants and I need to figure out what other pants/pjs she needs.

Training Pants
We bought some gerber training pants that I am going to jack up with some flannel and pul to make them a bit more waterproof so we can try using them for naps. I don't know when or how that will go, but I figure I should get them ready.....

Sheets
I am going to use some knit fabric I got to make a fitted sheet for the little one. I figure I might as well while she is still using a crib mattress. We'll see how the knit ends up working....

Pool robe
I bought the MADE pattern and want to make one before swimming lessons start up again.

Tova (the good version)
I bought some voile ages ago for this and I am super excited. It will be the "real" version since the other two were just tests for size and fit and everything.

Pillow covers 2 & 3
No hurry here, I'll make them whenever inspiration strikes/I am avoiding something else

Waiting:
*wedding quilt - this is not at all a priority right now, but I don't want to forget it
*baby quilt -inspiration has struck...once I have time to put it together
*baby echo quilt - I decided I want to use my scraps, but I'm not quite sure how yet...


And that's all I can think of right now. There is more though, lots more. My list is huge! And most of it involves fabric that I have had sitting around for ages to make specific things. We will be traveling for the weekend, so I am planning to finish up my knitting basket and doctor up some training pants before we go and then work on a bunch of small t-shirts and such next week. I just need to slowly chip away at this stuff. Man, I totally went from an entirely reasonable wip list to insanity. Ah well, it will all get done in the end. As long as the little girl stuff is made in time for her to wear it before she outgrows it, I will consider it a success.

this weekend

Do you ever have one of those slumps where you feel like you are doing nothing but work on things, and yet nothing seems to be getting done? I am so there right now, and I really shouldn't be. There is plenty of evidence that progress is being made, but things just feel like they are going to slowly! Needless to say, I did not get as much done as I had wanted to this weekend. It ended up being a lot of prep work, getting all the patterns cut and cutting fabric out for a whole bunch of things, but not much is sewn yet. I am almost done a fall jacket for the little one, but we are currently taking a break from each other for a few days because I was having some trouble with the final steps.

I did finish my couch pillow cover though! And I love it. It just makes me happy every time I go into the living room. As soon as the little one got up from her nap the other day and saw it was out there, she ran to it and started hugging it. My heart melted a little. And this is why I will make her anything she wants haha.

Anyway, I went for some nice flying geese to make a 16" pillow cover. My pillow form just keeps shrinking, but that's alright. I just pulled colors from my cabinet that I liked together and got to work. I like using the magic method and making 4 at once, so that is why there are 4 of each color, otherwise it would be scrappier I'm sure. But I love it this way. All made from what I had on hand. I actually ended up just fusing some fleece to the back of the pillow top and quilting it to that so we'll see how it holds up. Quilting on the new machine was awesome and I can't wait until I make my first actual quilt on it!

I still have two more pillows to cover, another smaller one like this and a big one, but I'm not in much of a hurry. It will be a good project to have on hand when inspiration strikes :) And now, I am going to go work on another practice tova tunic for me to see if this size fits! I have a list of things I want to finish before we go visit family this weekend, so I have to get a move on! And next week might be sewing with knits week for me so I can get a fall wardrobe started for my little love before it gets cold. I am tying to be prepared this year!

Meet my new love...

Anyone remember a week or two ago when I mentioned I did something crazy? Yeah, well it was crazy, but I ordered a new sewing machine!! And it finally got here this week and I got to start playing with it.

Friends, I am in love. I didn't even realize how bad my old brother machine was, but boy is this an upgrade. I have been thinking about a new one for a while now and once again while quilting my skill builder I was frustrated and wishing I had a better machine (one with more throat space, better tension....you get the idea) and I was wistfully looking online when I found a sweet deal on a much nicer machine. It had everything I was looking for and then some. In some ways it is quite excessive (um, hello 225 stitches) but so far it is wonderful. It is so quiet and runs so smoothly, I am in happy shock every time I sit down to sew. 

She doesn't yet have a name, but we are bff already :)  And yesterday we worked on our first project together. Seriously, good times. I can't wait to see what else she can do. So far it has just been piecing, but I am looking forward to trying out some quilting today and sewing with some knits sometime soon. And I really can't wait to make an entire quilt with her, but I am not quite ready to start one yet. For now I am settling with these geese which make me happy every time I look at them. Good thing it will be a pillow cover for the couch!

So that's all, I just needed to share my excitement. I believe this weekend I can be found getting to know her more and ignoring just about everything else. Maybe. At least in my head. Have a good weekend everyone!

WIP Wednesday {8.22.12}

Happy Wednesday! How is everyone's week going? We are just trying to soak up a bit more summer around here before the husband starts school next week. The weather has been just lovely and we are sure enjoying it. There has also been quite a bit of sewing which feels pretty good. I love weeks were I get to just knock out a bunch of smaller projects! And I am now almost done everything I need to make before labor day weekend when we see the families. Of course I also have my big finish....

Completed:

skill builder sampler

I can't believe this is finally finished! Such a long time went into this quilt and I really love it. It is hanging out on my bed already and I love snuggling under it :)

zip clutch

This was pretty quick and easy. I love the blue/green thing going on, which is good since those are the requested colors.

duffle bag

This one's for me and I can't wait to use it. I used simplicity 2274 for the second time and I just love the way it comes out.

nikki tote

This is for my mom's birthday so only a little sneak peek allowed. I kind of want to keep it.

New:

pillow covers
I decided I need new pillow covers for the couch. I just decided that like two days ago and haven't even gotten very far into a plan, but I think that is next. Just because. 


Still Going:

phone case
Well I made one and it didn't work out. That's what happens when I kind of make things up as I go. So today I am going to try again and hopefully get one that fits the phone and protects it. We'll see. I was close last time so hopefully a few small adjustments and we'll be in business.


Waiting:
*wedding quilt - this is not at all a priority right now, but I don't want to forget it
*baby quilt -inspiration has struck...once I have time to put it together

Not too bad. I am still undecided as to what to tackle next. I really need to make some fall clothes for my wee one but I'm avoiding....I just need to make myself do it. *sigh* I guess I just need to get myself into clothing mode, and while I am there maybe I'll finally make my other tova tops!  I guess we'll see. For now, the mission is to enjoy the end of summer and finish up these things.

bag binge

Guys, I've been on a bag sewing binge. I can't even help myself, I just keep sewing more. So far I have two finished and one that just needs the straps. So I thought I would go ahead and share the two that are finished. Ya know, cause they are super awesome. I must say they are both patterns I have used before so that is less exciting. But I also have my ipad case to share more about. So here we go!

item 1: ipad case

As you may well know, I avoided this project for the past....um, really long time. Partly because I don't know when I am actually going to see the recipient next, but that is neither here nor there. Finally inspiration hit and I got it done. It was really quite quick once I got going. I was originally going to do a simple zip pouch, but after much debate, I decided I didn't like the possibility of the zipper scratching it up so I nixed that and opted for the same tutorial I have used for our e-readers from fresh lemons quilts. I also used a mini dresden pattern I got from craftsy and put that on the front. I had a great time raiding the scrap bin for this. I kinda wish it had been bigger so I could have used more :) Inside is a pretty and super soft flannel. The only hitch was that I used a special foam inside. It is an industrial shock proof foam and while it is really cool, it is a beast to work with. In the end it worked out though, it is just a little wonky, but I think it will be fine once the ipad is in it.


item 2: yet another zip clutch

Recently my sister asked me if I would be willing to make a zip bag for her friend. Being the obliging person that I am, I couldn't refuse...I never turn down an excuse to make something pretty :) Once again I used the zip clutch pattern by keykalou (now Michelle patterns), which I love. I did try something different and fuse fusible fleece to the lining for stability and it worked pretty well. I think I like a layer of batting more though. 


item 3: duffle bag

I made one of these last year for my sister and finally got around to making one for me. Both the outer and the lining are home decor fabrics and I used a pretty dense batting inside (I don't even know what it was actually) so it has pretty good stiffness on its own. These pictures are without anything inside filling it out. I got lazy with the final zig zagging of the seams inside, but I can always go back and do it later if it bothers me. I will hopefully get to try it out soon. I have had this fabric sitting around intended for this for ages....I used the sling I made for my little one when she was, well, little, and it was just the right amount of fabric. I love it, and I'm pretty excited about how well it came out.


So that's what I've finished. And like I said, I got another bag almost done, I am going to put the straps on today I hope. I only have a couple of things left before I need to figure out my next round of projects, and I haven't decided yet what I will do next. I have been avoiding a lot of knit things recently so eventually I will have to suck it up and make those things, but probably not quite yet...anyway, hope everyone had a lovely weekend :)

Skill Builder Sampler: the finale

Over a year ago, Leila announced she would be leading a skill builder sampler so we could all learn and grow our quilting skills, starting with the easy stuff and moving on from there to the more difficult challenges. I jumped on the chance and I am so glad I did. It was such a great opportunity to try a bunch of blocks that I never would have tried, and to tackle some skills that had previously seemed way too scary. Now I have a much better idea of what techniques I enjoy and can handle, and which I will likely never do again *cough*needleturnapplique*cough*.  It was a lot of fun and now, 36 blocks later (+1 challenge block), I have a completed quilt to show for it!

After quilting, washing and shrinking and all that, my quilt ended up about 84.5" square, so it shrunk quite a bit from the original 91" top. The back is made up of two flat sheets from target (only $11 each for twin flat sheets by the way) that I made into strips and then stuck my challenge block in. I love it a lot actually. Since I was using the sheets which are a higher thread count, I used a denim needle to quilt it and it worked really well. I had no problems with thread breakage or anything and it went through the thicker parts without issue.

I debated quilting for quite a while but decided since it was for our bed and would be used a lot, a pretty dense allover design would be best to make sure everything was secure. I am a bit worried about things like that; I especially don't trust my applique. So I went with a loopy meander, one of my favorites! And believe it or not, I am slowly getting better at it, more of my loops are loopy :)

For binding I used some quilters linen I had on hand and added in some of my few leftovers to make it bigger. I absolutely LOVE it. It's not really very scrappy, but just has some nice little surprises. It turned out to only take me 3 nights to bind it. I used thread heaven for the first time, and I think it really helped and made it easier and faster. Which is good because using a sheet on the back tends to slow me down since the needle doesn't go in quite as easily.

 I am happy to say that it is already at home on my bed keeping me warm at night. I love it and am proud of so many of these blocks. I am already trying to figure out how I can keep using it once we put the comforter back on, but I am not sure I can just lay it on top, it might be a bit weird and lumpy...maybe I can just keep it folded on the end....  Anyway, here it is at home in our little tiny bedroom.

And so ends my skill building journey. I am pretty sure I can tackle anything at this point, and that feels pretty good. With that, I am off to enjoy a {hopefully} beautiful weekend. After a week of potty training (which went incredibly well) we are going to try an brave a trip out of the house and hope for no messy accidents. And if I am lucky, much bag sewing will happen. Happy Weekend!

WIP Wednesday {8.15.12}

So it's Wednesday again. Amazing how that just keeps happening. And we are already halfway through August and that is just blowing my mind. I am kind of excited for fall, I must admit, although I'm sure I'll regret it once it's here and I remember how much I hate being cold. But anyway, crafty things. I am moving right along down my list and it feels good. I never get quite as much done as I want to, but I'm doing alright. If only my little love bug would go back to actually sleeping during naptime instead of talking to herself and distracting me....

Completed:

ipad case

I finally finished this! I used the tutorial over at Fresh Lemons Quilts, which I have used before and love. It is a bit wonky because of the foam I used inside, but it turned out really nice and I hope she likes it. I'll post more about this later.

New:

duffle bag

Everything except the batting is cut and ready to go. This is my project for today. And it is for me so I am pretty excited.

phone case
I didn't take a picture, but I have the fabric and measurements all figured out. I just have to do it.

zippy clutch

Pieces all cut and ready to go.

nikki tote bag
I pulled a stack of fabric for this. It will be a gift for my moms birthday in less than 3 weeks, so I have to make it soon.

Still Going:

skill builder

This pictures is from the other day before I started sewing down the binding, but I actually finished the binding last night (thank you netflix free trial).  I just need to wash it and hope it doesn't fall apart and then figure out how to take pictures of something so large. 

Waiting:
*wedding quilt - this is not at all a priority right now, but I don't want to forget it
*baby quilt -inspiration has struck...once I have time to put it together

The next week will be finishing all that up and figure out my next round of things to make. I can't wait to show off the skill builder finish, I am so in love with it and anticipate it will be on my bed by the end of the week.  I haven't even though far enough to figure out exactly what is next, but I guess I have enough to keep me busy for right now. Hope everyone is having a lovely week!

a little bit of this, a little bit of that

Happy Monday everyone! At least I think it's happy, I haven't quite decided yet haha. Anyway, it was a good weekend, but I am so ready to tackle my list this week. And a long list it is too! I have piles and piles of stuff waiting to be turned into pretty things. So my job for today is to start cutting I think, with maybe a touch of sewing thrown in.

This weekend my big project was getting my skill builder all quilted and bound and ready for me to hand sew the binding. It was such a beast to quilt on my tiny machine and it took a good chunk of the day Saturday, but I made it work. And I even used what I had on hand to make the binding and got that attached yesterday and even started sewing it down. I don't know how long it will take me to get it all finished and washed, but the end is in sight. I am estimating a 3-4 movie job, so we'll see. I think it's something like 89" square, so it could take a while. I am totally motivated by wanting it on my bed though, at least for the last little bit of summer before it starts cooling down again.

The other thing I've been working on is my socks! I started them and so far I love them, especially making two at once. I just started the heel flap, but now I am taking a break to work on the binding. I decided to try ankle socks since a.) I will be more likely to wear them and b.) I didn't want to waste time/yarn before knowing if it is even something I will like to make. I am just hoping for something wearable here.

That was my weekend, how was yours? I also did something a little crazy, but we'll talk about that later. Right now I need to go figure out what I am missing and where to put my pile of projects. At the moment they are all stacked on my sewing table and there are 5-6 project piles....it's a little nuts. I hope I can get a lot of it done this week! I guess I just need to dive right in...

WIP Wednesday {8.8.12]

Would you believe that even with posting yesterday and mentioning it, I almost forgot today was Wednesday! Ridiculous! I am clearly in my own world over here. But here it is and things have been done! And many more have been added to the list even though I haven't started them yet.

Completed:

vintage circus

For sure, one of my favorite quilts :)


skill builder sampler top

A finished top is a beautiful thing! It is hard to see the polka dot sashing, but it is wonderful.  And actually the back is pieced and I am ready to baste....as soon as I have enough time and a big enough space for this beast. I love it though and I can't wait!


Still Going:

ipad case
I may not have started it yet, but I did pull out a lining fabric and the foam for the center, that's something!


Waiting: this is my list of things I need to do but haven't started yet
*phone case - for my sisters birthday
*clutch - for a friend
*duffle bag -I have had the fabric for ages...
*wedding quilt - this is not at all a priority right now, but I don't want to forget it
*baby quilt -inspiration has struck...once I have time to put it together


There are a bunch of other things that haven't made the list yet, largely clothes and such for the little one, but I need to knock out some of these things first. I am really hoping to baste and quilt the skill builder by the end of the weekend though, and then I will start moving down the list. Anyway, today and tomorrow will hold little sewing and hopefully some relaxing times, so I am looking forward to that :) Also, I totally started knitting socks, and one row in, so far so good! I hope it keeps going so well haha. So that's the wrap up for the week! Happy Wednesday!

Skill Builder Sampler: the top

After over a year of work, my skill builder sampler top is complete! Admittedly it is just the top, but I am going to celebrate it anyway :) It took me a bit longer then I had wanted it to, but yesterday I managed to finish up the borders on this bad boy. I really really didn't want to do cornerstones, but in the end I couldn't see a way around it if I wanted the blocks to line up. I know that they are not all exactly 12.5" and this was the only way I could think of to keep it stright. Luckily, I really like it. I used 2" sashing and a 4.5" border I think, so it ended up about 91" square.  I really enjoy the more muted colors which are not something I work with all that often.

Unfortunately, this is the only decent picture I could get and it was from my phone, and you can't even really see the polka dots in the sashing. First the camera battery died and then when I went back later to try again, the lighting was just terrible and the shadows are so bad you can't see the block designs. Hopefully it won't take me too long to get the quilt finished though since I have the fabric for the back and I even think I know how I am going to quilt it (spoiler: it is not very exciting haha).  So if I can get the time to clear out the living room to lay out and baste this beast, I should be on my way quite quickly. I am hoping to have it quilted by next week, but I don't know yet. Of course I haven't picked out binding yet so that could potentially slow things down.....I can't believe this quilt is almost finished! I might even have it on my bed by the end of summer!

In other news, I totally made the mistake of trying to clean out my fabric cabinet the other day. Notice I said trying ha. So now I am a bit overwhelmed as it reminded me how many things I have to do that I have had fabric for forever. *sigh* More on that later. Once I wrap my head around the fact that my to-do list just quadrupled. I am going to try to get it together for tomorrows wip post so I have some idea what I am doing once this skill builder thing is taken care of :) For now, I believe I hear a certain 2-year-old calling me to come play!

Vintage Circus

Happy Friday! In case you are wondering, I am doing much better by now and hopefully the dr. will tell me I am good to go today *crosses fingers*. I have still been trying to take it easy so things are still going a bit slower then I'd like, but that's okay. In fact, I wasn't sure I could get this quilt done to post today, but somehow I managed it!

This quilt is one of those things that I have been thinking about for quite a while. Months ago now, I got a big pile of fabric that had belonged to the great great grandmother of a friend of a friend. I think I mentioned it before, as a bunch of it got used in my scrappy triangle quilt. In any case, one of the random things in there was some vintage circus fabric. It is something that everyone else would have thrown away but I was convinced I could make a nice baby blanket out of it so I grabbed it up. I knew I wanted to highlight the cute animals and clowns and rocking horses so I was just going to do a simple patchwork blanket. Then I got the brilliant idea of throwing in some diamond-in-square blocks. And then it sat for what feels like forever before I got around to making it.

It was really my first stash quilt and it was so much fun! I pulled a few fabrics that went with the clowns and then rounded it out with some yellow and green from there. It was nice to actually have a fabric selection to be able to do that instead of my usual method of just buying what I need. I really think I am going to work on some stash building so I can keep that up. I loved it and it was nice to mix collections more, something that is hard to do which ordering online (at least for me it is, they are never quite the color I think they are). 

I started with the diamond blocks. I actually used farmers wife templates that I enlarged because it seemed easier that way. And it was, but if I were to do it again, I think I would paper piece those blocks because I had a lot of trouble with stretching and pulling, especially on the older fabric which is a polyester blend that got wonky pretty easy anyway. But anyway, I got those done and they came out to 7" so I cut the rest of my squares and got to work. It came together so quickly and came out to a nice 39" square, which seems perfect for a little baby blanket. The back is a big chunk of the vintage fabric. I added borders because it was a bit small, but it got all wonky and stretched and just generally didn't work out all that great. Then I quilted it, which didn't help since I ended up with quite a few {obvious} puckers at the points where the lines cross. Which is why I tend to avoid quilting like this. *sigh* oh well. I still haven't had the chance to wash it so I am still hoping that will make it better....and that it won't fall apart haha. Still, I really like it!

So there you go. I am glad that is off my list even though I don't think I have a particular plan for it at the moment. I'll probably hang on to it for a while since I am totally in love with it. This weekend I am hoping to put the top of my skill builder together and if I am lucky, I will stumble upon a back for it as well. It has been in progress for so long that I am just itching to see it come together. And if I can get the top done, I will be at least close to my goal of having it done by the end of July. Hope you have a lovely weekend!

WIP Wednesday {8.1.12}

Woah it's August! As much as I can hardly believe we are 8 months into this year, man am I glad July is over. It was a rough one, and I am hopeful about beginning a new month. I am still mending and thus can't do quite as much as I'd like, but I'm getting there and have been doing little bits here and there. I did finally finish one of my knitting projects since I was supposed to be resting, so that's a good thing. And once my needles get here I am so going to try some sock making!

Anyway, the point is, I thought putting up my wip list would help get me back on track. I am hopeful for more time behind the machine this week, but if life won't allow it, I'll just have to sew some hexies or something :)

Completed:

toddler swoon quilt

I never got to put this one up on my completed list so here it is. I love it so, so much; now I just have to not-so patiently wait for the little one to decide that the potty is a good thing so we can covert her bed.

gap-tastic cowl 

this is my knitting finish. I pushed through and finished it up while watching some bad cooking shows on create tv this week :) I am happy with how it turned out and I hope she loves it. I used this pattern.

New:

vintage circus quilt

I actually sewed this one up really quickly last week and it is one of my favorite quilts ever. Or at least it was before I quilted it and ended up with some puckers. I am hoping that once it is all washed and lovely it will be less noticeable and will return to the favorite spot.  In any case, it is ready for binding, I just need to make it and slap it on there so I can curl up with a movie and get down to business.


Still Going:

skill builder sampler

The sashing is half cut and ready for phase one. I need to figure out a layout first though which is why I have been stalling. It is tough to layout all those squares in so little space. It is next on the list though once I get the binding on the vintage circus quilt. Of course I still don't have a back or any idea how to quilt it.....

ipad case
I have at least started thinking about this one again. That means there is hope!


I also keep getting the itch to organize my fabric cabinet. The sad fact is that I am just out of space so it doesn't stay nice for very long, but I think I am going to need to fix it up again soon. I also need to get everything together and make some fall clothes for my little love. At least some t-shirts and leggings or something, and I have some fabric to make her some knit sheets. And my sisters birthday is coming.... *sigh* Once I have the energy I suppose I'll make a proper list to work from. So happy Wednesday! I hope to be back with something pretty to share soon!