MLE Knits

Quilt Alongs

2012-01-27T15:53:00.000-06:00

I'm officially a joiner now. I never have been really, I prefer to do my own thing at my own pace (wow, that sounds snooty but I promise I'm not!). This past month I've join TWO quilt alongs!

I don't know what brought it on but first I joined the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt Along that Angela and Amanda started last year. I asked for the book for Christmas and got it!
Here are the blocks I've done so far:
These blocks are a little tricky but a lot of fun! Go to my Flickr page to see the block names and numbers.

A few weeks ago I joined the Sparkle Quilt Along. These are the fabrics I chose to make the mini quilt size.

I've made quite a bit of progress on it this week! Fun, fun, fun!

I hope your weekend plans involve some fun too!

Echo pillows

2012-01-20T15:02:00.001-06:00

I've done a little sprucing up of the place lately, including making these new pillows for the living room.

I'm not in love with our couch at all but it was free and I'm actually glad because I don't worry so much when my 3 year old spills something on them. It is a grayish sage green color and I find it challenging to coordinate colors with it.

When I first saw the Echo fabric collection by Lotta Jansdotter I knew it would be great for home decor.

The little pillow goes on the chair (which is a really nice light chocolate brown scored on Craigs List). I made it entirely using the Standing Stones print in heather.

For the big pillow I knew I wanted to piece a design together and I eventually came up with alternating strips, left and right, on a Kona Coal background. You'll see Alexander Henry "Heath" in this one too.

I definitely wanted to be able to remove the covers from the pillow forms so I installed invisible zippers on each. Thankfully, with Rachel's wonderful tutorial, it was a breeze!

I LOOOOVE how these came out and they make me smile every time I walk into the living room!

a {very} belated happy new year!

2012-01-17T14:18:00.000-06:00

Hi! I had no intention of taking such a long blogging break and now I have a major backlog of things I want to share. We had a lovely Christmas spent with family. There was a small flurry of last minute knitting on my part to make my hubby a pair of Fuzzy Feet.
I love how quick these are. I knit the second one in a single day! However, now that we have a front loading washing machine, I've been unable to felt them to a perfect fit. I used Peace Fleece worsted in the Ancient Fern color. I don't felt things very often so if anyone has any tips to get them more felted I would appreciate it.

The next thing I finished was my Avery scarf. I have to admit I'm a tiny bit disappointed in this one. I should have known the yarn I used (Queensland Kathmandu Aran Tweed) would totally mask the stitch pattern. It's still a great scarf in a nice charcoal grey and I will wear it lots!

And just last week I cast on for a new project, Henslowe. I've been wanting to use this Lorna's Laces sock yarn that I won from Yarn Tootin' a while back. I just love the muted grays, browns and aquas together! I don't have a great history of finishing the shawls that I start but I have high hopes for this one, it starts off with some nice soothing garter stitch.

Can you believe it? A whole post on knitting! :)
I hope your year is off to a great start too!

this week

2011-11-22T15:13:00.001-06:00

I'm so excited that this is the week of Thanksgiving here in the States! It's definitely one of my favorite holidays. I've been doing some gift sewing and some pleasure sewing.

This is another little zipper pouch I've made for a friend's birthday (just like the others I made a while back).
Front:

Back:

And after having a stack of fabrics set aside to make a quilt for us for forever, I finally decided on a wonky crosses pattern.

I fell totally in love with the Circa 60 campers and trees fabrics and have been saving them for a while. The overall color scheme I'm going with is inspired by this quilt on Flickr. I've been having so much fun making these blocks (I used Oh Fransson's tutorial to get started).

One last thing I wanted to mention. Jacqueline asked what pattern I used for the plus quilt in the mosaic in my previous post. I actually used my own pattern and measurements but Jeni has written up an awesome tutorial on how to make your own plus quilt. It's really just simple squares laid out in a plus pattern, what I'd call a lot of bang for your buck!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week! There are so many things I am thankful for and you, dear readers, are definitely one of them! I truly appreciate every comment. Happy Thanksgiving!

hi

2011-11-16T13:11:00.001-06:00

Happy Wednesday to everyone! I'm feeling chatty today. :) I had a random thought pop into my head today when I was making lunch. I started thinking about all my favorite Hugh Grant movies. Him and his British accent are so cute! My absolute favorites are, in no particular order, About A Boy, Music and Lyrics, Bridget Jones' Diary, Two Weeks Notice and Love Actually. It must be because it's a cloudy, cool day and that makes me want to watch movies (even though I rarely do). Also, with the holidays coming I like to plan some serious downtime. What are your favorite cozy up-downtime-happy feeling romantic comedies?

Hey look! I've been knitting!
After seeing Sarah's Avery I knew this was the project to get my knitting mojo back on track. I'm thoroughly enjoying it. The Tweed Katmandu Aran isn't the best at showing off the stitches but whatevs, it was what I had in my stash that I knew wouldn't scratch my neck too bad and the color will go with everything (I'd say it's a very dark charcoal gray with flecks of blue).

Also, I thought I'd share a mosaic of all the different quilts I've made over the past 2 months to prepare for the Etsy craft show.

This isn't actually everything but most of it. You can see bigger pics of each on Flickr.

whew!

2011-11-06T16:20:00.000-06:00

I can breath again! Etsy Denton Handmade Harvest where I had my own booth selling my quilts was yesterday and now it's over! I'm really happy with how it went but for two months I sewed sewed like a crazy person to get ready for it and now I need a break.

I didn't sell a ton of stuff which I expected but I definitely did well enough and I'm pretty happy with how it went. Actually, I sold a little bit of everything: a couple of baby quilts, one lap quilt, several table runners and mini quilts and even a few patterns. The great thing about it is now I can list everything else in my Etsy shop where I know it will sell.
Of course, my hubby woke up that morning with a kidney stone so that added a bit of extra stress I hadn't counted on! Luckily it all worked out and there were plenty of family members to take care of him, help me set up and take care of Jack. My hubby has been doing fine but you know how those things go, not very fun!
I really hope to be back to weekly-ish blogging soon. Now that my shop is full (well, once I list it all) I feel like I can take a break and relax and focus on the upcoming holidays which I am so excited about!
In fact, after I post this I am going to go download Avery and start knitting it tonight!

MIA

2011-10-04T14:51:00.002-05:00

Okay, sorry for the absence! I have a good reason. I'm working my butt off to get ready for a local Etsy craft show:

I am soooo nervous about it! will I have enough quilts? will I even sell any? ahhh, why am I doing this to myself?!

I have managed to sneak in a tiny bit of gift sewing. One for a dear friend moving out of town and the other for the sister-in-law's birthday.

These are little pouches I made using the method I learned from Denyse Schmidt at last year's Blueberry Hill Sewing Weekend. These were super fun and easy to make and a great diversion from all the quilts!

Someday, when I'm not spending every evening sewing bindings on, I want to knit this, this and this.

now he's three!

2011-09-20T10:01:00.001-05:00

Oh my what a birthday celebration it was!

I'm thrilled with how my Hello Cupcake penguins turned out! The biggest hassle was trying to find all the components needed for these. I went to no less than 5 different stores looking for plain mini donuts and donut holes. The mini donuts I only found in a multi pack with powdered sugar and cinnamon donuts but I am absolutely convinced that plain (the cakey kind) donut holes do not exist. I ended up using glazed donut holes that were less than round but in the end all came out well.

The other big challenge that I did not know about was that after dipping the penguins into the black frosting they need a long time to set up. Like 6 to 8 hours. I only had 3 hours and the beaks and wings kept drooping and sliding down until I had them in the fridge for a while. Other than that these were actually very easy to make.

I made this penguin pinata based on this one I saw on Pinterest. I'm on Pinterest by the way! Best thing since sliced bread.

I did two layers of paper mache and it was just the perfect hardness for a small group of 3 to 6 year olds.

The birthday boy has been intently playing with his new toys ever since.

party prep

2011-09-16T16:20:00.003-05:00

I'm in complete party prep mode for a boy who is turning 3! We'll be celebrating with a penguin themed party (odd theme for September but the birthday boy chose these cupcakes from the Hello Cupcake! book and I went with it).

Inspiration for these party favor bags from here.

I'm already pooped from all the cleaning but I know it's going to be a fun time!

Sugar Plum Forest Pattern

2011-09-08T14:46:00.004-05:00

A couple of weeks ago when August was coming to an end I started to get that feeling that Christmas would be here before you know it. Hey, if you walk into Hobby Lobby you would think that Christmas is next week! Anyway, I know it's early to be thinking about Christmas but I don't want to be caught off guard this year. I am SO excited to share this pattern with you!

Sugar Plum Forest Mini Quilts

One pattern, two adorable mini quilts.

And for you, my special readers, I am giving you 15% off anything in my store! Use Coupon Code: QBE15 (expires Sept 20th). The cool thing about these quilts is they can be left out all winter.
Now, to get started on all the gift sewing I have planned! Good thing I still have over three and a half months left!

Jack's quilt

2011-09-06T13:42:00.000-05:00

My forth finished project for August is a twin sized quilt for Jack's new big boy bed. The colors in this quilt are totally different from what I normally work with. I am usually drawn to bright colors for quilts but I LOVE how this quilt came out because it reminds me of fall and I absolutely love fall colors. Most of the fabrics came from my mom's fabric stash which was nice.
When I was trying to decide on a design I was really inspired by this quilt I saw on Flickr. I loved the wonkyness and scrappyness of it. Now I admit, I don't do wonkyness and I was a bit stumped on how to go about creating the vision I had in my head. After searching and studying the different methods (thanks to this list of links from the knottygnome knits!) I came up with my plan. Of course, after I had finished the top I found this tutorial using the "stack and slash" method (what I also used) which would have saved me time spent thinking it all though. I was thinking I might also do a tutorial so that others can see the similar but slightly different way to make this kind of quilt. What do you think?

I'm really so happy with how it came out and how it looks on Jacks' bed. I'm almost done with his "big boy room" makeover and I can't wait to show it to you! The look I'm going after is sort of vintage boy scout/smokey the bear/outdoorsy and I think this quilt fits into that scheme perfectly.

I hope everyone had a lovely Labor Day here in the States yesterday! I spent the majority of the day relaxing, enjoying the incredible weather and working on a new pattern (more on that tomorrow!).

Innocent Crush Colorbrick Quilt

2011-09-04T14:47:00.002-05:00

At last, it's finally done! I used a fat quarter bundle of Anna Maria Horner's Innocent Crush fabric in the warm colors. The hand quilting took a bit longer than I thought it would but I absolutely LOVE how it came out! This one is mine, all mine.

This was my second Colorbrick quilt and it's just perfect for showing off those gorgeous fabrics.

I used pearl cotton no. 8 for the quilting, ecru for inside the blocks and alternating light pink, dark pink and orange for outside the blocks. I didn't use a hoop or frame or anything for quilting, I just basted the quilt really well and tried to keep it smoothed it out in my lap as I went along.

The stitches are not perfect but I like it that way.

So, this was my third finished project for August and I'm feeling good about the progress I made to meet my cleaning/finishing goals.

~the fair~

2011-09-01T16:45:00.002-05:00

The other fun event I look forward to in summer is the North Texas State Fair. It has a much more small town fair feel than the State Fair of Texas (in Dallas) does and I really like it. It has a number of free things for the little kids to do and it's small enough that you only have to spend an evening there, which is all Jack can handle anyway. The important thing is that I got to eat my annual cheese nachos and funnel cake.

The petting zoo is fun.

This is what Jack did when we asked him to go pet the baby goat so we could take a picture.

And, on total impulse and after reading this post from Amanda, I entered a few of my quilts.

It was hard to tell how many entries were in the categories I entered (seemed like there wer hardly any) so for all I know, this second could be out of 2. But it was fun to see them hanging there anyway!

I cannot believe it is September already!!! I have 2 big finished quilts to show you I just don't have pictures of them yet.

Looks like we'll finally dip below 100 degrees this weekend and I am so, SO excited about it!

Warm Cool Quilt

2011-08-25T12:44:00.002-05:00

Here is my finished Warm Cool Quilt! I was a little late to the party for the quilt along but it was fun to make anyway.

I continued the warm cool theme on the back as well.

Very happy with how this turned out!

summer fun

2011-08-23T09:56:00.003-05:00

Last weekend we went to our local Hot Air Balloon Festival. I really look forward to this all summer because it is so beautiful to watch all the colorful balloons! It was a bit windy but a few balloons were able to inflate for the evening "glow".

The Forest Service had a trailer set up and a Smokey the Bear for the kids to say hi to. Jack was actually too scared to go up to Smokey when he waved to him but as soon as he turned his back, Jack followed him everywhere. It was pretty funny!

I have my finished Warm/Cool quilt to show you tomorrow!

quick post

2011-08-15T15:36:00.002-05:00

Last week I was sort of sidelined by some mysterious joint pain/swelling. I'm feeling back to normal now but there were several days that left me unable to do much which really bummed me out since I have so much I want to work on right now. Luckily as I started getting better I was able to sit and sew at my machine...which means I have 3 finished quilt tops ready to be layered and quilted!

One of them is my Warm Cool Quilt Along quilt.

Hopefully this little guy will get finished up this week!

But right now, I am totally motivated to clean so I must take full advantage of it since it probably won't last long!

project #1 completed for August goal

2011-08-04T16:12:00.004-05:00

On Monday I finished up this custom quilt order. I was given free reign on choosing the color scheme so I hope the recipient likes it! The color scheme was totally inspired by this quilt.

Some lovely Joel Dewberry on the back (sorry for the poor picture quality).

And even though I was making my own pattern I still managed to mess something up. Do you see it????

I'm hoping you don't.

In that case, let me point it out:

I discovered this little slip up while basting the layers together just before quilting. I'm just going to call it the charm of a handmade quilt! :)

P.S. if you missed my last post, my goal for August is to FINISH projects (hence the title of this post).

no picture perfect life here

2011-07-31T17:19:00.003-05:00

You know you need to clean your sewing area when it takes you 10 minutes to find your pincushion and rulers.

Yikes! (click the picture to see a bigger/scarier version)

It embarrasses me to show this but hey, it's my real life. I get so caught up in sewing, sewing, sewing that I don't take the time to tidy up. Plus, I just have SO. MANY. projects going right now I'm about to explode! It's not that I don't finish what I start, it's just that things come up (like custom orders & gifts) that are time sensitive and I have to drop what I'm working on to do those.

My goal for August is to really focus on finishing all the projects I have going right now and do some tidying up!

my boy is not a baby anymore

2011-07-20T15:01:00.005-05:00

Let's face it. Choosing the decor for a baby or toddler's room is really all about indulging my own style in a place where I wouldn't otherwise be able to show it.

1. Camper Wall Flag, 2. Woodlawn Campfire, 3. Retro Camper at night, 4. Birch Trees pillow, 5. big boy bed, 6. Circa60 Happy Summer, 7. Circa60 Happy Camping, 8. Poppin' Up!, 9. Retro Campfire Owl & Friends

We're about to move Jack into a big boy bed (he'll be 3 in September!) so I want to totally transform his room. Now that I have my ideas I can't wait to get started! The hardest part will be deciding on the paint color. Since we're on a shoestring budget I'm going to try to only spend money on paint and maybe a shelf or bookcase. I'd like to make a twin-sized quilt for the bed and I'm pretty sure between myself and my mom I'll have all the fabrics I want.

currently

2011-07-12T14:19:00.004-05:00

Well, the bags are almost all unpacked, the laundry is almost all done and the house is almost back to normal. That's good enough for me. :)

I've been at the cutting mat non-stop since I've been back.

I fell in love with the Metro Link Quilt (by Michelle from i like orange, too!) the minute I first saw it and decided to start it. This quilt has tiny pieces, which is good for scrap busting!

Next, an impulse project. I'm a little late but I really wanted to join in the Warm Cool Quilt Along. Who knows what I was thinking...it's not like I needed a new project or anything!

Finally, I just got a custom quilt order that is due by early August so I need to really get cracking! I decided to go with an aqua/orange/brown color palate.

And for a last-minute baby shower present I made these two little onsies using this rocket template. The guitar I traced off a picture I found on the web. I love what a personal and easy gift these make!

wow.

2011-07-07T16:19:00.005-05:00

We're back!!! How can I even begin to sum up what an amazing trip we had to Zambia, Africa? Absolutely impossible! but I will do my best to give you the highlights.

I've mentioned it before but my husband and I went with an organization called Family Legacy and participated as camp councilors for 12 orphaned/vulnerable kids for 1 week at their CampLIFE program. I had an awesome group of girls between the ages of 10 and 15 years old and throughout the week we really got attached to each other. Most of their stories are so sad. Most live with a grandma or aunt, which at first glance doesn't sound so bad but in their culture everyone is in survival mode and they don't have those close family bonds that we do. They are often treated as an unwanted burden. With the unemployment rate near 80% in Zambia, it's hard for these kind of families to afford to send their kids to school. Four out of my 12 girls are not currently in school. One of those girls has never, ever been to school and she is 15 years old! It is absolutely heartbreaking. These kids desperately need hope! A big reason we go is to share with them the Gospel and the true hope that Jesus offers. However it is also an opportunity for us to find sponsors for each of them because that is what will help them get a good education. That's what I love about Family Legacy, they really want to help these kids to help themselves when they grow up by focusing on education.

These are my group of girls that I had the whole week:

Two of them said they were 9 and 10 years old but I think they were more like 7 and 9.

One day we spent out in the communities (the compounds) where our group of kids were from sharing the Gospel and serving others by cleaning their houses.

We did laundry at one house.

Here is one of the schools that Family Legacy operates. It is lightyears better than the community or government schools (you can see more here). That's hubby ready to learn his lessons. :)

This is a super cool little 2 minute video that shows the importance of education in Africa. It was actually a commercial (not associated with Family Legacy) that was made to be aired during the world cup last year.

This is one of the most awesome mission trips I have ever been on. We actually forged personal relationships with these kids and it was amazing getting to know their stories. I believe God put us on this earth to help each other whether they live across the street or across the world. If a difference was made in only one of my kids life on this trip then that is awesome. It starts with one kid at a time.

Zambia was an absolutely beautiful country and the people were even more so. I would love to go back and do it again next summer.

Thanks for reading and thank you to those who supported me to go in the first place!

packing

2011-06-18T15:09:00.006-05:00

We've had to get serious about packing this weekend. We leave for Zambia, Africa next week (read about our trip here)! There are so many details to take care of still but we are making good progress.

Because our flight tickets are special "missionary" tickets, we are allowed to check three 50 lb bags per person at no charge. That's 300 lbs for us together! We've gotten lots of donations of kids clothing, school uniforms, school supplies and Bibles so they are mostly filled up. Just about everything we are taking we are leaving there as donations.

I am SOOOO excited about this trip! I can't wait to get going!

These are all the bags.

They look smaller in the photo than in real life.

And see, I sewed something practical too.

A pouch that you can tuck into your pants with the loops secured to your belt (we're to have our passport on us at all times).

One thing I am definitely looking forward to: daytime temps of 75 degrees in Zambia (vs. 102 that it is here right now).

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Hopefully, I'll get to post once more before we leave.

exciting day!

2011-06-16T14:25:00.002-05:00

Wow, yesterday was awesome!

First, I will start with the most exciting part. My quilt patterns are now for sale at the Fat Quarter Shop!

Next, I am totally on a winning streak (two wins is a streak for me LOL!)! I won this book that Stitched In Color was giving away (THANK YOU Rachel!). The quilts in this book are so gorgeous and modern. I'm ready to be a part of a quilting bee!

And finally, this beautiful fat quart bundle of 1001 Peeps came in the mail yesterday. It's the dusk palate. So pretty!

Yup, it was a good day. :)

this weekend

2011-06-12T18:36:00.003-05:00

Something that has been tempting me away from my knitting:

About a month ago I whipped up a Colorbrick Quilt using a fat quarter bundle of Anna Maria Horner's Innocent Crush fabric (in the Swept Away palate I think). I loved it but it was rather plain. Being eager to try out hand quilting with perle cotton no. 8, I jumped right into it. This quilt is for ME after all so I'm not concerned with absolute perfection. It's actually not difficult at all. There are so many gorgeous hand quilting projects out there that I could not resist any longer.

I hope everyone has been having a lovely weekend!

elementary

2011-06-09T14:16:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one who has had trouble figuring out how to use the key to tighten the Knit Picks options needles. I originally posted about my problem with keeping the needles tightened onto the cable here. Long story short, I was totally clueless there was a key you were supposed to use to tighten it and then, once I knew that, I couldn't figure out how use it!

Once Devon (and others) left me a comment explaining it (THANK YOU!) I couldn't believe how simple it was. I think the word "key" confused me and made me try to make it more complicated than it was. When I think of a key, I think of something twisting to tighten, which I guess it does that but, I was imagining like a key to a door. It's an elementary concept but that doesn't mean it comes naturally to my brain!

Anyway, in case anyone else's brain out there works like mine, here is a photo showing it.

I haven't had them come loose since the first time I used the key to tighten them!

simply beautiful!

2011-06-07T15:13:00.004-05:00

Whew! Sorry I've been away so long! As you will see I've been working hard to finish this Little Folks Log Cabin quilt, which ended up being a queen size!

I am SO, so, so thrilled with how this came out!

Made using an entire fat quarter bundle of Anna Maria Horner's Little Folks voile collection.

The back is a simply pieced combination of Kona Ash, Kona Snow, Moda Bella aqua and a strip of leftover Little Folks.

I made the blocks 15" square (14.5" square finished) and used a total of 36 blocks for a quilt that measures 87" by 87". The design was inspired by SouleMama's Little Folks pillows in this post.

I decided to quilt it with simple straight lines in a grid pattern. This is absolutely the softest quilt EVER!

I must admit that piecing was a little more challenging with the voile because it is so slippery! I tried using Best Press as I pieced but it didn't seem to make any difference in stabilizing it.

A few other things I did was I took Anna Maria's advise to use a smaller machine needle since it is a more fine fabric. Some people have also had fraying problems so I shortened my stitch length a bit to mitigate anything of that sort.

I also read that it was somewhat of a nightmare to sandwich and baste a voile quilt but I had no problems at all with shifting. I just used a ton of pins and thankfully all went well!

The vibe this quilts gives off is cheerful, summery, luxurious happiness! I would love for it to stay with me but this is a custom order for a friend...I know she will be ecstatic when she sees it!

A First

2011-05-25T10:55:00.003-05:00

After living in this area all our lives, my husband and I saw our first tornado in real life yesterday.

It was awesome and disturbing at the same time.

Thankfully this weak funnel was actually 6 to 8 miles away (from our house) in a more sparsely populated area and from what I saw on the news it only touched down for a few seconds doing little damage. For two minutes or so we watched it until it shriveled up and dissolved back into the sky. My husband was entirely excited about seeing it but it was way too close for comfort for me after seeing the unbelievable devastation in Alabama, Missouri, Oklahoma and other areas lately.

new little camera

2011-05-19T14:39:00.002-05:00

A week and a half ago we went on a short notice "vacation" to Washington DC. My husband had to go up there for business for two weeks and they offered to fly me and Jack up for a long weekend to be with him. We had a fantastic time even though Jack came down with a mild fever/cold the day we left. We got to see some sights although only briefly since anyone who has a toddler knows you can't stop to smell the roses for even a minute. hahah!

In preparation for our trip I wanted to get a small point-and-shoot digital camera since I knew it would be too much to carry our bulky SLR while trying to wrangle a toddler.

Of course I had to make a cozy for it! I used the Camera Cozy tutorial on SewMamaSew. Since this camera is pretty small I shortened the length by a couple of inches for a snug fit.

For the outer fabric, I used Roses in Gold from Heather Ross' Far, Far Away 2 collection. The lining is some Hope Valley by Denyse Schmidt. I also used a double layer of batting for extra cushioning.

The camera is a Sony which shoots pretty good pictures and makes HD videos. Now, if only I could figure out how to get them onto the computer!

The trip definitely had some great down time for knitting. This is still my Effortless Cardigan. I'm using Knit Picks interchangeable needles and I'm having the worst time trying to keep them screwed in tight at the joints! Does anyone else have this problem and is it normal? This is my first pair of interchangeable needles so I don't know. It's pretty annoying.

Winner

2011-05-05T14:18:00.008-05:00

The lucky winner is comment #5 - Susan of Knitter's Delight! She chose the knitter's prize. Susan, just email me at quiltsbyemily(at)yahoo(dot)com and I'll get you all set up. Awesome!

Thanks so much everyone for reading! I know I don't always have time to reply to comments but I appreciate each and every one!

Here's a little progress photo of my big custom order made entirely from Little Folks voile. Those blocks are time consuming!

Free Pattern for You!

2011-05-02T15:41:00.005-05:00

Thank you for waiting so patiently! Here is the pattern for my Royal Squares Quilt.

What I love about this pattern is that it's perfect for using up a single precut jellyroll! Of course, you can also cut your strips from yardage (like I did).

If anyone makes this quilt I would love to see pictures!

Click the photo to download the pdf.

Enjoy!

P.S. Please be respectful. This is for personal use only. Thank you!

5 year blogiversary = {big} giveaway

2011-04-28T16:00:00.000-05:00

Wow, 5 years?! I can't believe it. What started as a little knitting blog just for fun has stood the test of time. Sometimes posting is light and I don't have much to say but I certainly enjoy sharing and having this record of my creating to look back on.

Of course, your comments are a big part of what encourages and keeps me going. And I want to say THANK YOU to all of you! Five years of blogging deserves a big giveaway for sure!

First, a trip down memory lane.

My very first "sweater", the Minisweater.

A favorite knit, Dinosaurs.

My most worn knit, Berry and Bramble Cardigan.

An long unfinished knit that I would most like to see done, Somewhat Cowl (started in 2007! yikes!).

My first fabric crush, Belle by Amy Butler.

One of my favorite quilts (that is difficult to say since most of them are my favorite!).

And now, I would like to give away something really good! Since I know that both knitters and sewers read this blog, I am offering you a choice:

A $20 gift certificate to The Loopy Ewe AND a pattern of your choice from Ravelry (it must be gift-able; limit $8).

A $20 gift certificate to Fresh Squeezed Fabrics AND one of my quilt patterns.

All you need to do is leave a comment telling me your preference: the knitters prize or the sewers prize! For an extra entry, post about this giveaway on your blog.

I look forward to hearing from readers new and old alike! The DEADLINE TO ENTER is noon (CST) Thursday, May 5th.

I'm a winner!

2011-04-28T11:14:00.004-05:00

You can be too....check back later today!

This week, I finally took the time to clean up and play with my blog layout. There are so many more options than there used to be! I had no idea. It was fun playing around with it. Let me know what you think (is the wood background weird?).

Anyway, I actually won a giveaway! Krista over at Spotted Stone gave away the magazine 101 Patchwork Projects & Quilts that she has 2 designs in! I love her style and all the gorgeous things she makes...she's super talented!

This magazine is loaded with so many great projects, I was very impressed!

Here are some of my favorites.

These 2 are Krista's beautiful quilts:

These composition covers look so fun.

Here is Ashley's beautiful Rubik's Crush quilt.

I am so drawn to this fun quilt! I really want to make this one for Jack some day!

I desperately need new pillows for our couch and these caught my eye.

And I also wanted to show you the progress on my Effortless Cardigan. It looks hideous right now because I decided to knit straight from the ripped out crinkly yarn but I have high hopes for it after a good blocking! So far it fits great.

Lastly, I'm still working on that free pattern for the Royal Squares Quilt...sorry it's taking me so long. :)

another Play It Up quilt

2011-04-19T09:34:00.004-05:00

Phew! I told you a lot of quilts were getting finished around here. This is the last one for a while. I'm about to start a large custom quilt for a friend from my Blueberry Hill Sewing Weekend...it's going to be made entirely of Little Folks in buttery voile!

Remember this stack of fabrics? It became this quilt (made from my Play It Up pattern)!

Heather Ross' Far, Far Away fabrics were my inspiration for the color palate. I don't have a huge collection of them (just the Rapunzel, purple & blue Owl & Pussy Cats, and several of the flowers prints) I added in so many other of my favorite prints. I LOVE the effect!

Love Rapunzel in her tower!

You can't see it very well in these pictures but the Eggplant binding really pulls it all together.

I am absolutely in love with this quilt! I am so tempted to keep it but since I already have several stacks of fabric set aside for quilts for myself I am going ahead and putting it in the shop.

Optimism Quilt

2011-04-13T14:34:00.003-05:00

Thanks for all the sweet comments on my Royal Squares quilt! I'm so glad y'all are interested in a tutorial! I will start working on a that soon.

Just wanted to show this quilt I've had finished for a little while now. I also finished writing up the pattern for it as well. This is the same pattern I used for the raffle quilt for our trip to Zambia.

I LOVE how the backing came out! I wanted to use up fabric that I already had lying around. It's listed in the shop if anyone is interested.

Royal Squares Quilt

2011-04-09T14:47:00.003-05:00

Awe, thank you so much guys for your condolences for my failed New York Cardigan! And I appreciate your input on which project to start next. I'm so torn between the Effortless Cardi and the Atelier cardi, I think I'm going to go with Effortless because after looking at all the gorgeous Atelier cardis I think it deserves something hand-dyed like MadelineTosh or Plucky Yarns. I will save up and splurge on that next!

Anyway. Check out my newly finished quilt! I'm calling it Royal Squares Quilt because it uses so many fabrics from the Castle Peeps collection from Lizzy House. (Listed in The Shop)

Would anyone be interested in a free pattern/tutorial for this quilt?

It seems like I started this forever ago but then the holidays hit and I got caught up finishing up other projects and doing lots of custom orders that it got put on the back burner for a while. I LOVE how it came out and am glad I finally got it finished!

ideas

2011-04-08T14:31:00.002-05:00

How about the Effortless Cardigan? I like the sound of that!

Or the Daytrip Cardigan looks cute. Oh but there is seaming. You know how I dislike seaming.

I like Atelier too.

I've had Habanero in my queue for a long time now because I think it's so pretty! But would I actually wear it?

So, now to rip. Anybody have any tips? Has anybody knit a sweater from yarn that has been knit up and wet blocked before? I guess it doesn't mean that the actual yarn is stretched out...just the knitting, right?

It's worse than I thought...

2011-04-08T11:25:00.004-05:00

Yup, I think I have a major loser here. Oh it wasn't the pattern itself, which was very well written! No. It was the yarn. And my gauge. Darn that little gauge swatch. It totally lied to me.

Pattern: New York Cardigan

Yarn: KnitPicks Swish dk - 11 skeins

Needles: US # 7 & 9 circulars

Notes: Yeah, what a disappointment! I just love the sweater design but I think the yarn I used grew way too much and is too heavy for this large of a sweater. I wanted it to hit at the top of the thigh or so but it goes almost to my knees! Oh well, I guess it happens. The yarn is incredibly soft next to the skin so I'll probably just rip it and use it for something else. You would've thought I would've noticed it before getting to the end but adding the collar and then blocking it really did it in. I'm actually not too sad about it...I'm ready to move onto something new!

apprehensive

2011-04-04T09:41:00.004-05:00

Firstly, my New York Cardigan is DONE! I am blocking it today. Unfortunately, after just trying it on I do not have high hopes for it...I don't want to rush to judgement but I have a bad feeling about it. We'll see.

Quilts are getting finished though!

Can I tell you how much I hate ironing seams open? But sometimes it is totally necessary, as in this case.

Winner of raffle quilt for Zambia!

2011-04-01T15:10:00.001-05:00

My sister-in-law, Kat, is the winner of the quilt! It's funny because one of our other friends who is going to Zambia raffled off an iPad and she won that one too! She is so lucky she needs to play the lottery!

I'm so appreciative of everyone's generosity!

quick projects

2011-03-31T13:53:00.003-05:00

Hi there! The weather has been so wonderful here lately it's been hard to be inside for very long.

Yesterday I finished up a few quick projects.

This is Kidlet (PDF), a gift for a cousin's new baby boy. I had all the materials on hand except the webbing for the handle. I just reinforced some fabric with interfacing and quadruple folded it. Love how it came out!

This is a "Charm Quilt" that was a custom order. You tie charms onto each white square - the child gets a new charm each year for their birthday through the age of 18. I had never heard of this before but it's a neat idea.

It's been such a great week here! We got a very large donation for our trip and it just about covers what we needed! The drawing for the quilt is tomorrow and we've raised almost $800 for it alone! So exciting!

Raffle for Zambian Orphans

2011-03-22T14:58:00.008-05:00

Today I would like to go somewhere I don't often go on this blog: personal! It's something I'd thought you'd like to know about though because it has and will be affecting my life in a big way.

Last fall my husband and I decided to sign up for a mission trip to Zambia, Africa this summer. A lot of people from our church went last year and the stories they came back with were so amazing we decided we wanted to be a part of it.

So, in June we will be heading out with a highly experienced missions organization called Family Legacy to serve as camp counselors. This Camp Life program for the orphans of Zambia is one of many programs Family Legacy started doing 10 years ago. They also are building schools and safe havens (for orphans that are in life-threatening situations) and running sponsorship programs. It's really amazing all that they do and how effective they are!

Our involvement will allow 25 orphaned kids to spend a week at Camp Life. Each day at Camp Life we will be working directly with the same group of orphans: playing games, teaching Bible lessons, singing songs, and simply hugging and loving these kids in a way most have never experienced. This week of camp will be the highlight of their year!

Zambia is a peaceful country located just north of the country of South Africa and as you've probably guessed, is extremely poor. Because of HIV/AIDS, it has the highest per capita orphan rate in the world. And what's really sad is that there really are no state-run orphanages where these kids can go so they are left with relative who don't want them or they fend for themselves.

As you can imagine, we have quite a bit of money to raise, mainly because of the cost of airfare. We are getting close to our goal though! We still need about $2,500 out of the $7,500 required for the both of us to go.

One of the things I am doing to help is I am raffling off one of my handmade quilts! I thought I would give all of my blogland friends an opportunity to join in! (please do not feel obligated in any way!)

TO ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN:

give $5 for 1 chance
give $10 for 3 chances
give $20 for 6 chances, etc.
link to this post on your blog for an extra chance!

Click HERE to give (this is our fundraising page and the money goes directly to Family Legacy for our trip) OR if you'd rather send a check email me at quiltsbyemily(at)yahoo(dot)com.
Just leave me a comment or send me an email at quiltsbyemily(at)yahoo(dot)com to let me know you've entered and if you've linked to this post
I will be drawing a winner on April 1st!

Quilt Details: This throw quilt is my own pattern, Optimism, which will be available soon. It is 43" by 57" and is made with fabric from the Cotton Blossoms collection by Moda.

Thank you! I cannot tell you how excited we are to have the opportunity to do this!!!

Museum Tunic

2011-03-21T14:24:00.005-05:00

Here is a little something I finished last fall but only got to wear once before it got too chilly.

I followed Anna Maria Horner's tutorial but then had to make several adjustments to make it perfect for me.

Here are the mods I made:

I used elastic thread for the waist instead of sewing in elastic (only because it was all I had)
had to take in a ton on the sides under the arms to make it a bit more fitted - don't ask me how I did it, I just winged it
Shortened the length by cutting off one row of squares

It's a bit fiddly to wear because I have to keep adjusting the sides of the waist because they start drooping down after a while. Also, I have to safety pin the shoulders to my camisole and bra to keep them up. Despite this I love how it came out!

Road Block

2011-03-18T13:57:00.002-05:00

Ugh! Sometimes knitting "builds character" as my dad would say.

The thought of having a finished knit was so exciting I jumped right into seaming the collar onto my New York Cardigan. Then it became more and more apparent that the collar would not be long enough. I pressed on to the bitter end hoping it would stretch and magically fit. It was only a delusion though. And to make it worse, I have very little yarn left and I don't know if I'll have enough. Wow, do I sound whiny or what? It's been sitting in this state for weeks now and it's time to do something about it. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, I have tons of quilts in progress that I can't wait to show you. However, one particular custom order ate up a lot of my time last week!

A lady asked me to make a keepsake quilt for a fundraising auction for a 1st grade class. She sent me the "word patches" on which the kids had written all kinds of inspirational words on. I sewed them all on in the style of a ticker tape quilt, which was quite a feat considering how large this quilt ended up.

It took almost as long to trim off all the loose threads after washing as it did to sew all the patches on!

back to health

2011-02-25T10:57:00.003-06:00

Oh thank goodness we're all starting to get back to normal around here. The virus really took it's toll on all of us and I am so sick of being sick and being around sick people!

Anyway, I was able to get some knitting done!

All that's left is to seam that long shawl collar onto the main body of the sweater! I can't wait to get this baby done!

In the meantime, I've been playing with stacks of fabric.

I'm looking forward to getting some new quilts started soon!

some bright spots in my life

2011-02-15T09:49:00.003-06:00

Well, despite my two-year-old succumbing to the sickness (the whole works, fever, aches & pains, cough, snotty nose, etc), I still managed to make a totally yummy dinner.

This is basically The Pioneer Woman's Caramelized Onion & Prosciutto Pizza (can you tell I'm obsessed with her food right now?). I didn't have any prosciutto so I cooked some bacon in a skillet and then crumbled it on top before popping it into the oven. OH. MY. Absolutely to die for!!! I used her pizza crust recipe too (cut in half for this largish pizza). Next time I will pre-bake the crust for a few minutes before adding the toppings. I like a crisp crust. Oh and don't skimp on the onions. If your onion is on the smallish side, use two. Better to have too much than not enough. I will have a hard time making any other type of pizza ever again!

So, the other thing that made my Valentine's day happy was getting this package in the mail.

Last week I happened to chance upon these popular Metro Living Circles ON SALE! major score! I also added a few of my favorite Sugar Pop fabrics. And then from an Etsy shop, I HAD to get some of that cute camper fabric!

All in all, a great mail day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T14:38:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!
Originally uploaded by QuiltsByEmily

Hope yours is full of love! My Valentine came down with a bugger of a cold yesterday so we won't get to celebrate until next weekend probably.

FYI...I'm trying out posting pictures thru Flicker. I still need to figure some things out that's for sure.

on a roll

2011-02-08T14:34:00.006-06:00

I'm definitely on a finishing roll! Don't be fooled though, this quilt has been half finished for months now. I wouldn't want anyone to think I've been sewing in my sleep! LOL!

I'm calling this the Museum Quilt because the framed chair fabrics remind me of an art exhibit!

Listed in the shop!

I coveted Laurie Wisbrun's Tufted Tweets line of fabric from the moment I saw it. I just love the little chairs and birds! The solids are all Kona Cotton (Violet, Dusty Blue, Coal, Ash, Eggplant, Cactus and Stone). The backing is a really pretty fabric I found at Hancocks that matches the orchid colors perfectly. It's going to be hard to let this one go!

Coming soon: knitting progress!

ice day

2011-02-02T15:10:00.003-06:00

Last week a customer asked me if I was going to make any Valentine's mini quilts for the shop. I hadn't really even considered it but once she asked about it I had a vision of a heart quilt immediately pop into my head. I love it when that happens. Here it is!
Also, we've been dealing with very cold temps and the remnants of the rain/ice/snow we got Tuesday morning so I've had some extra time on my hands.

I've always wondered how some people keep their fabrics neat and organized. My stash has been growing slowly but steadily and I've been struggling to find a way to be able to see what fabrics I have while being able to easily get to them. Then I saw this great tutorial on how to fold your fabrics. It never even occurred to me that there was a better way to fold fabrics besides haphazardly!!! Ding! As you can see it is a work in progress but I will get there!

Sugar Pop Quilt

2011-01-31T15:16:00.004-06:00

I finished up this simple little quilt last week.

This quilt turned out even better than I imagined it would! I absolutely LOVE the colors in this fabric collection Sugar Pop (from Moda). I really wish my photos did it justice! It's in the shop!

I can't wait to show you the Valentine's mini quilts I'm working on right now!

Also, on an unrelated note. My hubby and I got to go on a wonderful date night Saturday when my dad gave us tickets to the Cirque du Soleil show Ovo. A big date night for us is usually just dinner and a movie and we honestly like it that way. We're pretty big homebodies. When my dad offered them to us I was skeptical and afraid it was just going to be a lot of weird dancing and contortionists but boy was I wrong! It was completely amazing! beyond amazing! I would highly recommend it!

2011-01-20T10:00:00.003-06:00

This has been one of my favorite Christmas presents I received this year! The day after Christmas I sat down on the couch to flip through it and ended up reading it cover to cover!

I'm probably one of the last people in blogland to have heard about The Pioneer Woman but better late than never! She's so funny and I just love her story. And the food! So tasty! But don't get this book if you are serious about watching your waistline. This is good southern food and I love how she includes detailed step by step instructions for each recipe just like she does on her website.

So far, I've made the Creamy Mashed Potatoes (Hubby said they were the best mashed potatoes he's ever had! and he's not one to compliment food like that), Olive Cheese Bread, Twice Baked Potatoes, Onion Strings and the Chocolate Sheet Cake (seriously YUM!). Now, I will admit that sometimes the butter and cream and fat can be a little over the top but they can be easily reduced without detriment (well, except for the cake, I don't mess with baked goods).

Yes, I certainly have been enjoying this Christmas gift.

And to counteract all this "hearty" food (and for general health purposes) I made a New Year's "goal" to take up jogging this year. I really wanted to be able to stick with it and not just flake out after 2 weeks so I did some reading and found the Couch-to-5k plan. I'm so glad I did because this plan really eases you into it all. I just finished week 1 of the plan and so far so good! It's been very painless and a great feeling of accomplishment!

Happy New Year...

2011-01-18T14:02:00.003-06:00

Better late than never, right?

I was going to write a post about my knits from 2010 but after looking at the three sweaters and three scarves (one of which was knit and gifted so quickly I never got a picture it) that I made I decided that I could latch them onto a different post. So, there you go.

After a 3 or 4 week break due to the holidays I am back plugging away at my New York Cardigan. The good news is that I'm done with the body of the cardigan but the bad news is that the shawl collar (that you knit in two pieces separately and then attach) is taking FOREVER! F.O.R.E.V.E.R. I'm knitting both pieces together so they will be identical and I feel like I've been working on them for weeks now. Look at how much I still have left to go! They've got to be the length of the hem to the back of the neck each and this sweater is long, it goes well past my behind.

Okay, enough moaning. Maybe I'll have a bit more time to invest in it this week.

I have been busy finishing up this quilt for my cousin to give as a wedding present to one of her friends. She told me their style was sort of shabby chic but also modern. Hopefully this will suite them.

I love how it came out! I used a fat quarter bundle of the MeadowSweet 2 collection (from Hawthorne Threads, of course). I'm in the midst of writing up a pattern for this design as well so keep a lookout for that!

Goodbye 2010, part 1

2010-12-30T11:28:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone had as wonderful a Christmas as we did! We kept it simple and really enjoyed the time spent with family.

Obviously, 2010 was all about the quilts! 1. Summer Lemonade Quilt, 2. Bird in the Woods Mini Quilt, 3. Rapunzel Mini Quilt, 4. Front Porch Quilt, 5. IMG_5460s, 6. IMG_5366s, 7. IMG_5373s, 8. IMG_5336s, 9. IMG_4427s, 10. Owl & Pussycat Baby Quilt, 11. Weekends Baby Girl Quilt, 12. Play It Up - modern baby quilt, 13. Play It Up - modern throw quilt, 14. It's A Hoot Patchwork Quilt, 15. Christmas Star Mini Quilt, 16. Winter Forest Mini Quilt, 17. Amy Butler Disappearing Nine Patch, 18. Colorbricks quilt front

This is just a sampling since I don't have time to track all the pictures down and put them into a mosaic. In total, I made 23 large quilts (mostly throw size and baby size but a twin and a queen as well), 7 table runners and at least 30 mini quilts! whew!

I'm hoping 2011 will be even better! There are two patterns I'm working on at the moment. Now that I think I've finally recovered from the craziness of the holidays I'm looking forward to getting back in the groove of things.

Next, part 2: knitting. Much less impressive, but still a source of great enjoyment!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T15:41:00.005-06:00

On the agenda for tomorrow (Christmas Eve):

reading
playing games
watching movies
napping
oh, and making a pot of soup for dinner

It'll be a busy day!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

'tis the season

2010-12-18T17:11:00.007-06:00

You could say that my house has been a bit of an gift factory lately.

My Aunt commissioned this quilt from me for a gift for her husband's niece. I fell in love with this Colorbrick quilt and found it to be the perfect last-minute quilt pattern. The colors feel like a day at the spa! LOVE IT!

This, of course, is a Toddler Backpack from Made by Rae. My sister-in-law requested one for her 1-year-old daughter and I had her pick out the fabric. Even though it is a home dec weight fabric I still added some cotton twill canvas on the inside for extra support.

This technically isn't a gift. I've been wanting a nativity set but don't really have the money for a nice set (especially with Jack being in the destructive toddler stage) so I bought this pattern to make one. It was very labor intensive but I'm so happy with how it came out! I added a small handful of beans to the bottoms after stuffing for extra weight.

My sister-in-law also strongly "hinted" that she would like an infinity scarf like the one I made for myself a while back. I didn't feel like I had enough time to knit one but I immediately thought on the Figure 8 scarf tutorial Anna Maria Horner recently posted using her velveteen and voile fabrics. I have to say I'm not totally loving it but each time I try it on it grows on me. The fabrics themselves are fabulous! but it's the fact that this scarf feels GINORMOUS on. When I look down I can't see the ground! It's a very dramatic scarf. There's more story on this scarf but I'll save it for another post.And lastly, still in progress, are place mats to match the commissioned table runner I made last year.

Whew!

Things are really coming together here and I'm going to start making Christmas cookies next week. I really love the week before Christmas, our shopping is done (well, mostly) and it's time to slow down and enjoy!

new family member

2010-12-17T15:02:00.002-06:00

Meet Dozer, short for Bulldozer.

He's an 11 month old French Bulldog and we love him sooo much! I've always wanted a nice family dog but it was never the "right" time (worked too much and then we had Jack and I'm sure the work of a puppy and a newborn at the same time would have made me go insane).

My husband's aunt breeds and shows French Bulldogs and they were set to be in town 2 weeks ago so we asked if she had any she was willing to part with. In case you didn't know, these dogs are usually mega expensive and there was no way we could afford one but we worked out a trade. Three of my quilts for this sweet little guy. And she's already done most of the hard work of training too!

He's so playful and is a fantastic addition to the family!

I'm a busy little elf

2010-12-02T15:18:00.005-06:00

No time for knitting. I've been slaving away on Christmas crafts, custom quilts, gifts and Christmas cards! I'm on the verge of finishing up a bunch of stuff and I can't wait to show you.

This is a stack of Tufted Tweets fabric I cut up yesterday. This project is totally unrelated to my list above, I've just been wanting to cut into it for a while now.

what season is it anyway?

2010-11-23T13:55:00.003-06:00

All of these pictures were taken this week. There are literally hundreds of little green cherry tomatoes on this plant. I was having fun in Picnik today.

A little holiday crafting:

Felt holly garland from Inspired Ideas.

Christmas quilts

2010-11-20T11:40:00.006-06:00

Wow, how does time go by so quickly? One minute I think I'm ahead of the game and the next minute I realize that Thanksgiving is less than a week away! YIKES!

I've been working like a mad woman the past three days to get these mini quilts done and in the shop! 1. Christmas Tree Mini Quilt, 2. Winter Forest Mini Quilt, 3. Winter Tree Mini Quilt, 4. Christmas Star Mini Quilt

My quilt names are really original, huh?

one thing always leads to another

2010-11-12T14:43:00.003-06:00

In other words, how to justify buying yarn.

It started innocently enough. I've been trying to use up my stash yarn and I have about 650 yards of some really pretty dark grey tweed Queensland Kathmandu worsted. It really wasn't enough to make a sweater so, after I saw Peaknit's gorgeous version, I decided to make Hawthorne. Fast forward to the part where I am trying to cast-on 311 stitches!!! The pattern calls for a 32" circular but I thought I could maybe get away with a 29". Nope. No way.

Of course, that lead me to Knit Picks for a 32" circular needle. I couldn't just order that one thing. I didn't seem very efficient.

Into my cart jumped 11 balls of Swish dk in squirrel heather to make a New York Cardigan.

It has been ages since I have bought yarn for a new sweater! I was so excited when I got it that I immediately cast on and am now almost halfway through the body of the sweater. :)

time to think about Christmas

2010-11-06T13:49:00.004-05:00

Or maybe it's past time. My hubby and I were talking about Christmas gift giving yesterday and we are thinking that we would really like to pare it down this year. Not only are we on a very tight budget ourselves but we'd also like to be able to give more money to those in need.

So, today, I saw Lizzy House's post on A Most Sincere Christmas. Coincidence? I think not.
Anybody else want to join in? Realisticly, I'm not going to be able to make ALL the gifts but I am definitely going to attempt to make as many as I can.

Here is some major crafty holiday inspiration! The pages loaded very slowly for me but it could just be my computer, it's been having issues lately. Totally worth the slowness though! I have quite a list going already!

{new} knitting!

2010-11-02T15:02:00.011-05:00

Wow, thank you so much for all the sweet comments on my quilt!

This fall weather has really gotten me back into the knitting mood. I have several projects all queued up with yarn, needles and pattern ready to go. More about those next time.

The first project I've started is the Snazzy Argyle Stocking that I mentioned a while back.I decided to go with something cheap and sturdy Wool-Ease Worsted in Grey Heather and Ranch Red. Oh no! I just noticed a mistake. Do you see it? it's a missed red stitch. Oh well, I might be able to live with it. Who has time to rip back? it's just a stocking.

---------

Isn't this a lovely rainbow of fabrics? These are for a new quilt and pattern. And I couldn't deprive you of a picture of my adorable puppy! I actually let him hold our TV remote in order to bribe him (yeah I admit it!) into standing still for the picture.

Blogger's Quilt Festival

2010-11-01T15:15:00.005-05:00

If you are looking for some eye candy you can certainly find it at the Blogger's Quilt Festival! So many talented people out there!

My entry is my Folk Dance Quilt (see pdf link on her side bar). When I first saw Anna's blog and this quilt I fell head over heels and had to make one EXACTLY like hers! This quilt is mine, all mine, and I've been meaning to show it here for a while (it's been done, oh, about 10 months or something like that). I love this quilt sooo much!

Piecing all those triangles was a challenge but I learned so much and the end result was certainly worth it!

Shalom Cardigan

2010-10-30T15:38:00.004-05:00

This cardigan is flawed (my sweater...NOT the pattern) but I think I still like it.

Pattern: Shalom Cardigan

Yarn: Peace Fleece Worsted in Ancient Fern; about 3 skeins?

Needles: US #10.5

Notes: This yarn has been in my stash FOREVER it seems like. I've attempted several patterns with it but none worked out. You see, this yarns is extremely rustic and scratchy and pretty thick to boot. The color is absolutely gorgeous though! It is an overall brown color but with strands of green and flecks of dark red and purple.

I made so many minor little modifications to this pattern but did not make detailed notes. Obviously I added two more button holes. And I increased after the yoke in attempt to give it an "A" sillouette but halfway through the body I because nervous that I would look like a box so I added waist shaping to compensate. I think these mods were fairly successful. However, when I attempted to do something (honestly I don't remember exactly what I did) about the large armholes it did not work.

All in all, I think wearing it over a darker undershirt hides some of the flaws (the large armholes!) and I think I like how it came out enough to actually wear it occationally.

keeping busy...

2010-10-26T14:49:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure if it was a publishing problem or a Google Reader problem but for some reason I couldn't get my last post to show up in Google Reader. Well, in case anyone missed it, I was just showing off my new quilt pattern.

Anyway, I was busy this weekend with some custom little mini quilts.

Also, has it dawned on anyone else that Christmas is only two months away!?!!

I've been thinking about knitting some new Christmas stockings. I know I've already made stockings for the three of us but they are kind of plain (which is a GOOD thing sometimes) and I am in the mood for something a little more interesting and fun!

I was thinking of making a different style for each of us. I like the argyle for myself (not sure what colors yet) and the Mix-and-Match for Hubby and there is one other design that might be good for Jack. I don't know....it was just implusive thought when I saw the stockings book on my shelf. I'm going to block my cardi first and then see what I feel like working on.

Introducing....

2010-10-22T13:40:00.006-05:00

My new quilt pattern Play It Up! I am so proud of how these quilts turned out! The blue/green quilt is a large lap size quilt and the pink/brown one is a baby sized quilt. I really wanted to show the variations in color schemes that are possible just by using a darker or lighter solid between the colors.

I'm always looking for patterns that show off the gorgeous designer fabrics that are out there and I really think this one accomplishes that. I mean, that is one of the big reasons that I got into quilting....the fabrics are so amazing and I just want to display them all over the house! This is pattern is definitely doable for a beginner as well.

The pattern is a PDF file listed in my shop.

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend! I am just about to bind off my Shalom Cardi so I will update on that soon!

plowing ahead

2010-10-19T15:10:00.005-05:00

After letting it sit for a week, I decided to go ahead and continue on with my Shalom Cardi. I'm still not sure that I am going to like it but I don't have much more to go to find out. This Peace Fleece is definitely NOT my favorite yarn to work with. I have attempted several different patterns with it and I find it very rough, itchy and stiff. The color is GORGEOUS (sorry, it doesn't show up in the picture at all!) but it's really a very "woolly" yarn and not one that I would use for garments. But, it is what I have in my stash and I am really trying to use it up on something! I find it interesting how many beautiful garments I've seen it used in on Ravelry....maybe it's just me?

Anyway, here are more Big Butt Baby Pants! These are a gift for a friend with a new baby (well, new as in 2 months ago LOL!). Again, I used flannel because they live way up north and it is soooo soft and snuggly feeling. Very fun project that took practically no time at all!

my weekend

2010-10-10T15:09:00.004-05:00

My creative juices have really been flowing lately! Must be this fall weather we're having. Unfortunately, I'm not happy with my current knitting project. It started out okay, but now I'm not so sure. Sorry, no picture of it at the moment.

There is one thing I'm super excited about right now though. I'm working on writing up my first quilt pattern to sell! Look at these pinks on the chocolate brown background!Another thing that makes me happy right now are these pants:They are the Big Butt Baby Pants pattern from Made by Rae. Although my baby certainly does not have a big butt (he's a lean little thing!), they fit wonderfully if you just go down a size. They are sooooo easy to make and the directions are extremely well written. I've made two pairs for Jack, a pair for my neice, and two pair for a new baby gift. I'm making them all out of flannel since the weather is cooling down. They are great "lounge" pants!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

better late than never

2010-09-30T13:21:00.005-05:00

I meant to post this last week after we had Jack's 2nd (!) birthday party! Oh it was so fun!

I made a simple scrappy bunting.

And puppy cupcakes from Hello Cupcake! (thanks Holli for turning me onto this book!)Unfortunately, the first thing he ate off his cupcake was the licorice jellybean nose...which he promptly spit out.Mama-made gift: On-The-Go Car Playmat. This was so fun to make and personalize!My favorite is the park.

Knitting content soon!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Contest Winner!

2010-09-15T13:24:00.005-05:00

And the winner of my birthday contest is Jen! Jen, I've sent you an email.

Thanks everyone for voting for their favorite banner! I was actually surprised by the results.

7 votes for my current banner

12 votes for possible banner #1

5 votes for possible banner #3

The winner is definitely banner #1: I really loved all the banners I made. However, I was surprised at how many still loved my current banner the most. My shop has been open almost exactly 1 year! And now I feel like I have a much clearer vision for the style of quilts that I make. It's a tough decision and I'm not even 100% certain I even should change my shop banner. The one thing that is making me want to change my banner is that I want my shop to be clearly different from all the other quilt shops on Etsy. So I think I'll go ahead and change it and see how I feel about after a month or two.

I really, really appreciate your input!

Have a happy Wednesday!

the spoils of my birthday weekend

2010-09-13T21:32:00.004-05:00

I love it when Mom takes me fabric shopping for my birthday! This year we went somewhere new and boy, we were not disappointed!

Some Amy Butler, Moda Fandango, Alexander Henry and the tree one I don't know, I just saw it and grabbed it!Lizzy House's Castle Peeps!Cute embroidery patterns!

It was a GREAT weekend for other reasons too! Hubby made breakfast for me, I got to sew uninterrupted, and got to have dinner with the whole family at one of my favorite restaurants!

Birthday Contest

2010-09-11T07:07:00.002-05:00

I would say a 30th birthday calls for some celebration and a contest, don't you? I certainly don't feel thirty. There are so many things in my life I am grateful for right now, I feel really blessed!

THE PRIZE

I've been hoarding these gorgeous skeins of Louet Gems Pearl in Crabapple. It's a really happy pink but not too bright. These will make a gorgeous scarf, shawlette or pair of socks!

HOW TO WIN

Okay, it's simple. I need your opinions! I'm thinking about changing my banner for my Etsy shop and I want to know which one you like best.

Current banner:Possible banner #1

Possible banner #2

Possible banner #3

Just leave a comment and let me know what you think. I will draw a winner on Wednesday, Sept 15th at noon CDT.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Take a moment and remember the 3,000 lives that were lost 9 years ago.

fall may begin now....

2010-09-08T09:55:00.003-05:00

I wasted no time in getting my new skein of Madelinetosh DK onto the needles. I went for a simple infinity scarf to show off the gorgeous colors.

Pattern: my own; I think I cast-on 170 stitches, joined to knit in the round, knit 5 rows of seed stitch, about 4 or 5 inches of stockinette stitch, then 5 more rows of seed stitch.

Yarn: MadelineTosh DK in Oxblood; about 2/3 of a skein.

Needles: US 8s I think. I wanted a loose gauge and a drapey fabric.

Notes: I thought with knitting at such a loose gauge and a good blocking that I wouldn't have to worry about rolling but apparently I was wrong. The edges still want to roll! Maybe I'll try a light iron or just not worry about it.

I love this scarf so much! It is so soft and the colors are amazing!

incredibly adorable {and modern}

2010-08-27T14:27:00.006-05:00

Thanks for all the nice comments on my Something Finished Cardigan! y'all are so sweet!

I have to show you this little baby boy quilt I just finished. The Owl and Pussycat fabric from Heather Ross' Far, Far Away 2 collection is so stinkin' cute! I snagged some in the blue color at a fabric store when I was up in Burlington, VT.....it was irresistible seeing it in person.I love the numbers and alphabet print on the back too!I've posted it in the shop, although it's hard to part with something so cute!

P.S. believe it or not, I actually have another finished knit to show you! I know! just needs to be blocked and photographed.

Something Finished

2010-08-24T14:49:00.001-05:00

At long last, here is my finished cardigan I've been working on for what seems like ages!

Pattern: I started with the Something Red pattern and heavily modified it using the Hey Teach! pattern for inspiration. I added 1x1 ribbing just under the bust to give some shape and then just continued on with plain stockingette for the lower half.

Yarn: Knit Picks Main Line in Dusty Lavender

Needles: US 7 & US 5 (for the waist ribbing)

Notes: I'm fairly pleased with how this turned out! I wish the bottom part flared out just the tiniest bit more but other than that it came out just how I envisioned it. I think it will be a great sweater for this fall. I'm so happy to have a sweater actually finished!

For some reason, the bottom edges of the cardigan look uneven in the pictures but I swear it is an optical illusion. There was no way I was going to put that thing back on in the 105 degree heat to get better pictures!

you've got to check this out!

2010-08-20T17:13:00.003-05:00

Hey all, Lucy & Norman is having a SUPER AWESOME giveaway that you don't want to miss! Go check it out!

Also, here's a little peak of what I'm working on with some new fabrics I got on my trip. I am totally in love with it!

Bluberry Hill Sewing Weekend...

2010-08-18T10:42:00.008-05:00

...with HEATHER ROSS!!! and if that wasn't exciting enough, Liesl Gibson of Oliver an S and the great Denyse Schmidt were also there! Needless to say it was beautiful in Vermont! and I can't describe to you how thrilled I was to get away from our streak of 100+ degree days (going on day 19 currently)!Cocktail hour with Liesl, Heather and Denyse.We were frequently joined by the lovable inn dog, Griffin.I was actually able to finish something! Amy Butler's Birdie Sling made with Echino Camera in Citron and Kona Cotton in Medium Gray.Denyse did a little workshop for us to make quilted pouches. Me and Heather. Heather was so fun and generous with her wealth of knowledge!I had some time before my plane left and I stopped by a sweet little yarn shop near Burlington, Kaliedoscope Yarns.

Of course I had to purchase something from their amazing selection of yarns. This is one skein of Madelinetosh dk.

All in all it was the most fun weekend I've had in a long time! All the other ladies in the group were so nice and generous! I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know everyone!

a special birthday gift

2010-07-30T11:11:00.004-05:00

My little niece just turned 1 year old last week and I wanted to make something special for her. Her mom has a few owl accessories in her room and I thought this would be a nice addition.I got the idea from Homemade by Jill when she copied it out of the Pottery Barn catalog. I'm not very good a drawing up shapes and designs freehand so I'm not totally happy with the proportions but hey, I doubt it will bother anyone else. Sorry for the bad picture, I finished stuffing it about an hour before the party so I was in a real rush!

You know what I'm dreaming of knitting right now? This shrug. I just love it and it looks perfect for fall!

What are you guys dreaming of knitting right now?

heaven on a plate

2010-07-08T14:27:00.003-05:00

In the mood for something summery yesterday, I went to Smitten Kitchen and found this: zucchini and ricotta galette.

This was the most flaky and delicious crust I have ever made or eaten! It takes a bit of planning ahead but ooh is it worth it!

Happy Summer

2010-06-23T09:00:00.006-05:00

The official start of summer may have been a few days ago but with temps at or near triple digits for the last month, summer's been here in Texas for a while! Not conducive to knitting I must say. However, I'm still slowly plugging away at my cardigan.

In the meantime, I've been very busy quilting! I just listed these little beauties in the shop. Despite the heat, we've still been enjoying the back patio in the evening. Especially when there is a cold treat involved. Jack loved his smoothie.

where does the time go?

2010-06-01T14:16:00.005-05:00

Well, hello there! How in the world does a month and a half slip by????

I've been knitting!

This is a combination of two patterns....I have high hopes that it will come out how I envision it to. The body has been done for ages but I stalled out when I wasn't sure of what length I wanted the sleeves to be. I've decided to make them elbow length so hopefully I can finish those up this week and then all I'll have left is the collar/button band.

I've been dying over the cuteness of this felt food! Jack is still not totally interested in playing with it yet but that just gives me more time to make more!

It was so cool of Jill (at Homemade by Jill) to post up the links to tons of different tutorials!

settlement of MLE Town

2010-04-16T09:36:00.005-05:00

Who wouldn't want to live here? I predict a booming town within the next few months. LOL!Totally inspired by the "tiny town" craze HERE and HERE. These little blocks are trickier than they look! I was surprised how long each one took. I'm trying to keep the houses between 3 and 4 inches tall. It's a great way to use scraps!

And here is a new quilt I just listed in the shop yesterday. I LOVE this one so much!!!This is the back:

Ingenue

2010-04-11T14:56:00.004-05:00

It's finally finished!

Pattern: Ingenue by Wendy Bernard (from Custom Knits)

Yarn: Cascade 220 in color 8401; about 3.5 skeins

Needles: US #9 for body and US # 10.5 for bottom hem and sleeves

Notes: This is one sweater that definitely benefited from a good wet blocking! I feel like there isn't much else to say about it other than I am finally happy with the bottom hem. Besides doing short sleeves instead of long, I also added about 3 or so inches to the length. I think I may have bound off too loosely because the bottom edge of the hem is not very smooth at all. At this point, I just say Whatever. It's a sort of rustic sweater anyway and I doubt anyone else will notice. It fits great and I'm just glad to have it done!

Happy Wednesday!

2010-04-07T14:45:00.002-05:00

Hello!

Have you seen the new Twist Collective? I am totally in love with Abrazo! I just wish that I enjoyed knitting with lace weight yarn. I've started several lace projects in the past....alas, none have gotten very far. Maybe I don't have the right needles? I must give it another try.

Also, if you are in the mood for a fantastic cookie, Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies, from the current issue of Everyday Food magazine, are amazing! Sorry, I don't have any pictures but others do and have written out the recipe. They are like chocolate snickerdoodles (if you leave out the cayenne like I did), yum!

Here is the quilt I showed you a snippet of recently: And these are a few others I have listed recently as well. (see more pictures in my shop)Lastly, here is The-Sweater-That-Has-Taken-Way-Too-Long. It is blocking right now, which means I should have some FO pictures here in a few days!

diversions

2010-04-03T13:30:00.003-05:00

Happy Easter and Passover! I've already eaten too many Peeps!

This is really turning out to be a wonderful weekend! The weather could not be better and we've been enjoying it out on our back porch as much as possible. Jack LOVES going outside!

Oh look! could it be? yes, it's a real FO!

Pattern: Milkweed Shawl

Yarn: Sweet Georgia Merino superwash fingerling in Blue Fig; 1 and a half skeins

Needles: US #4

Notes: I didn't mean for this to turn into a sneaky project but a couple of weeks ago I decided to cast-on and did not put it down until it was finished! I'm so proud of myself for finishing it so quickly!

This yarn is "My Precious". Does anyone else have a special yarn that they've been hoarding since buying it years ago? I scored this Sweet Georgia yarn over at The Loopy Ewe when it was still a relatively new online yarn shop. At the time Sweet Georgia yarn was pretty tough to come by. I'm very happy with how I was able to finally use "my precious".

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

slowly making up my mind

2010-03-15T15:05:00.007-05:00

***Just a note. I have gone back to Blogger's default comment system because Haloscan was taken over by Echo and it was weird. The problem is that all the previous comments were erased BUT I still have them in my email so THANK YOU to those left comments! I enjoy reading them so much!***

Okay. I think I have decided what to do with my Ingenue.

Remember the side pooching? I've been really procrastinating on doing anything about it but I finally gave it a good blocking and it may have helped only slightly.

See, not so bad from the front:Side view, not good:Back - TERRIBLE!

I almost thought I could live with the slight pooching but when I saw the back....no way!

SO, I think I'm going to try going up a needle size and redo the bottom stitch pattern. I did decide that I'm happy with the length though. Overall I think I'm going to like this sweater once I get it finished. I'm extremely temped to give it short sleeves instead of 3/4 length sleeves. I love wearing long sleeves under short sleeves and it suites our climate so much better. I think I will try it and see how it looks. My other motivation is that I wouldn't have to rip out this to have enough yarn for the sleeves!

Here's a little sneak peek at a finished quilt top waiting to be quilted (for the shop):

P.S. Thanks for the advise to switch to Google Reader....LOVE IT!!!

problem

2010-02-22T15:42:00.005-06:00

Actually, two problems.

First of all....is anyone else having problems with Bloglines? It's not picking up new posts. I'm not sure what to do about it. All I know is that it's driving me nuts!

Second. Side Pooching:

A closer look:

This is my Ingenue. Remember how I said that all I had left was to knit the sleeves? Well, that wasn't the whole truth. You see, I have a somewhat long torso and this sweater (as written in the book) is very short. I didn't want to end up with a crop top so I lengthened the body. The problem seems to be with the stitch pattern at the hem. It really pulls in, causing a pooch on the sides just below the waist shaping. Now, the pattern has you start the bottom stitch pattern immediately after the waist shaping. I was totally in love with how this was fitting until I started to go past the waist shaping. It has just the amount of positive ease I am wanting and the hem just ruins the whole look. I guess I want the bottom to flare out a bit more.

I've been sitting on this problem for a looooong time now and I really want to do something about it because it is bothering me so much that I cannot move on to the sleeves or anything else until I get it figured out. I keep seeing every one's beautiful Olympics projects and it's making me want to finish something!

Anybody have any ideas? Should I reknit the bottom stitch pattern in bigger needles? I think I'll definitely go an inch or two shorter than the length it is now (it looks funny to me for some reason).

I'm really late to the game but a couple of weeks ago we had the most amazing record-breaking snow ever! I know people up north are probably so sick of seeing snow but it was a real treat for us.
Jack was not impressed at all!!! He's just too little to appreciate it just yet.

these should last a while

2010-02-05T16:42:00.003-06:00

100 (!) Organ sewing needles for my machine. The shipping was free and fast; only $12 for 100 needles.

Sorry, I've been a bad blogger lately! It's part laziness and part life getting in the way. Here's a very abreiviated rundown of what we've been up to lately:

finished knitting body of Ingenue weeks ago, still needs sleeves
Jack had his cleft palate surgery; went very well, he's totally recovered
I got strep throat plus a hacking cough and sinus infection
sold two quilts this week!!!
working to finish up a couple of new quilts to list in the shop
cooking (I'll share more soon)

Yup, that's January in a nutshell. Things should be getting back to "normal" around here soon!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Berry and Bramble Cardigan: Finished!

2009-12-30T13:56:00.005-06:00

I'm crowning this my BEST KNIT EVER!

Pattern: Berry and Bramble Cardigan by Mary Gehling; Fall 2009 Interweave Knits

Yarn: Elann Peruvian Highland Wool in Oatmeal Heather; 10 and a half skeins

Needles: US #7

Notes: This came out better than I ever could have imagined. The pattern actually calls for a dk weight yarn but I had this worsted weight in the stash for a long time and I got gauge with it just fine. I was afraid that the bubbly pattern was going to add a lot of "padding" and look bulky on me but I'm pleasantly surprised that it adds no bulk!

It's always good to learn something new and I learned how to do a three needle bind off in this pattern. If I had known how easy it was I would have learned a long time ago! I pretty much followed the pattern as written. There was some confusion with decreasing and the stitch pattern when doing the front neckline but other than that everything was very straightforward. I have to say I am VERY impressed with the Elann wool. I expected it to be scratchy but it's actually fairly soft where the collar touches my neck. Although I can't yet testify to it's durability, I will definitely use it again.

It feels great to finish something up before the new year. I'm going to wear this one so much!

I hope everyone has a wonderful new year! see you in 2010!

Over too quickly

2009-12-28T15:42:00.005-06:00

All that preparation and before you know it it's over. I took all our decorations down today. I like to have everything cleaned up by New Year's Day because for me it starts off the new year fresh with no mess to clean up and nothing to pack away.

I hope every one's Christmas was wonderful! Ours was. It was our first white Christmas EVER! So much fun!

The table runner was finished in time. The recipient loved it. Thank goodness!

A sweet Itty Bitty Baby Dress from Made By Rae was made for my favorite niece. Fabric is from my all time favorite online shop, Hawthorne Threads.

One of Jack's presents seemed to have the wrong contents:

And, what I'm most excited about.....my Berry and Bramble Cardigan is DONE. D.O.N.E. Done! It is almost dry from the blocking I gave it and I'm hoping to get some good pictures tonight. So, look for an FO post in the next few days.

going just a little insane

2009-12-22T15:44:00.004-06:00

Well, despite my best efforts, I'm scrambling to get all the last minute stuff done. It didn't help that we spent part of last week in Vail, CO to visit a cousin. We drove. That was a BIG mistake. Jack was ready to get out of his car seat after the first hour. Not good. He wasn't really impressed with the snow either although he looks like he's having fun in the picture. I think 15 months old is too young for such a long trip. Oh well, it sure was beautiful there!Unfortunately, this is all the knitting that got done on the whole 18 hour drive!!! (that's just one way)

Pretty pathetic. But, Jack is not a car sleeper and had to be entertained the whole time. You can tell it wasn't much of a "vacation" for me. My Berry and Bramble cardigan is "this" close to being finished. I really, really wanted to have it done for Christmas but it's just not going to happen.

I've also been busy with this last minute Christmas commission for a custom table runner:

Despite all of this I am really looking forward to Christmas! I love watching people open up gifts that have been thoughtfully chosen or made just for them.

sometimes "making do" turns into something spectacular!

2009-12-07T15:35:00.010-06:00

So, last night, it was 5pm and I had no clue what we were going to have for dinner (anybody with me here?). It was a chilly, damp, dreary kind of day and I wanted something to warm our bones but didn't have any of the ingredients I needed for the soups I normally make. While I was looking for inspiration I stumbled upon a tomato soup with grilled cheese sammies in an older issue of Everyday Food. I didn't have the exact ingredients called for so I made some substitutions. OH. MY. YUMMMMM!

Here is my highly modified version:

1 tbs olive oil
1/2 a yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
salt & pepper
1 can (14.5 oz) Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, undrained (I used Hunt's brand)
1 can (14.5 oz) Whole Tomatoes, drained (yes, you read right, drain this can but not the other)
1/2 a can low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp of dried basil leaves
1/2 cup heavy cream (or more to taste, I just eyeballed it)

In a large pot, heat oil over medium and add onion and garlic. Season LIGHTLY with salt and pepper (do not over salt. the canned tomatoes have a bit of salt in them and you can always add more later). Cook until onions are soft, about 5 or 6 minutes.

Add cans of tomatoes and basil and increase heat to medium high. Cook, stirring, for about 5 to 7 minutes or until tomatoes begin to break down a bit (use a wooden spoon to break up the whole tomatoes as you stir it).

Add broth and 1/2 cup of water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Puree in 2 batches in the blender (BE CAREFUL and don't create pressure in the blender by completely sealing with the lid...unless you want hot soup all over your kitchen (a lesson I learned several years ago) Leave the small hole on your blender lid open and lightly cover with a towel when you start to blend).

Return soup to pot and stir in cream. Turn heat back up to medium high and season to taste. When soup in warmed to desired temperature, take off heat and serve. Makes about 4 servings.

Now, let me just say, my husband does NOT like tomatoes. He will eat spaghetti sauce and salsa but plain tomatoes NO. Well, he really liked this soup and that is saying a lot!
I think his favorite part was the mini grilled cheeses we had with it (sorry, didn't get pics of these):

Loaf of Rosemary Potato Bread (from the store bakery) or any crusty bread you like
Butter
1 slice of non-smoked provolone cheese for each sandwich

I sliced the bread into 1/2 inch slices and buttered one side of each slice with a doubled over slice of cheese in between. Cook in a skillet over medium heat until each side is golden. These were soooo good with the rosemary bread!

As I was eating my soup I was thinking how good it would be to add a few slices of roasted red pepper into the soup with the tomatoes. I'm definitely going to try it! You know, if you don't have heavy cream on hand you could probably use canned Evaporated Milk.

Jack sure did enjoy "helping" set up the Christmas tree:
I was worried he would try to topple it over and pull the lights off and generally destroy it but he's actually done really well with it. Still, we put most of the ornaments on the top half of the tree.

Ah, and here is my sadly unfinished Berry and Bramble Cardigan: I really, really want to get it done soon! It's been hard to find knitting time lately because I cannot knit when Jack is around. He constantly tries to pull on the yarn or the needles and it makes it pretty much impossible. All I really have left is the shawl collar. It's going to be a booger though. I've picked up about half the stitches and already my circular needle is full. I really don't want to buy a longer circular but I may have to.
I would love to have this finished for Christmas. We'll see. It comes so fast!

it doesn't get much cuter

2009-11-16T10:39:00.005-06:00

So, this weekend I was able to whip up this adorable Toddler Backpack.

First, we have the happy picture:

Then, a meltdown begins:

Finally, it's just a puddle of melting boy on the floor:

Anyway, I absolutely LOVE how this came out! The pattern was very straightforward and easy to read. The pattern calls for a medium to heavy weight fabric but I made things a bit harder on myself by choosing a light weight cotton fabric. I wanted the backpack to really hold its shape so I lined it with heavy weight interfacing. Then, to hide the interfacing on the inside, I had to use another piece of light weight fabric. This made for some thick sewing but my machine handled it just fine.

a little of this, a little of that

2009-11-07T15:33:00.003-06:00

I was doing so good on my Berry and Bramble Cardigan but.....I've been stuck for the past week.

Now, that I look at this picture, I really don't have too much left on it (it is a short-sleeved cardigan after all) but I've been having problems with the decreases in the Berry-in-box stitch pattern. It's very tricky! I've just been really busy this week and haven't had time to sit down and concentrate! Maybe I'll get to it tonight.

Anyway, I've been having some fun with the sewing machine.

Are these not totally cute?! They are Rag Quilt Letters from Happy Together. When I first saw these I thought they would be so cute for when Jack gets a little older and starts learning his letters but she mentions making them into a "Merry Christmas" banner and I have the perfect place to hang it here in the new house! (after all, Christmas is just around the corner! ack!) I decided to go with non-traditional multi-colored letters (as opposed to red and green) and I haven't decided if I'm going to make them "raggedy" or just leave them as they are.

There is actually another really cool magnetized plush alphabet tutorial from Chez Beeper Bebe that I am totally going to make! It might be a good Christmas present for Jack.

Is anyone else having a crafty Saturday?

last weekend

2009-10-21T14:07:00.004-05:00

Okay, I meant to post this on Monday but didn't get around to loading pictures until today. I had such a lovely weekend I just wanted to share.

I am so excited to be knitting the Berry and Bramble Cardigan. I'm rolling right along, although 10 inches of twisted stitch ribbing takes a while!

Pumpkin Cupcakes from Real Simple magazine (October). They were really good! like pumpkin pie in a cupcake.We picked out a pumpkin. Jack tried to pick this one up. It was too funny!And we got a roof built over our back patio! I absolutely love it!I hope everyone else had a beautiful weekend! I guess it's already time to look forward to the next one.

My New Endeavor

2009-10-10T14:24:00.005-05:00

Here is what has been consuming my time for the past month or two!

I am proud to present my Etsy quilt shop!

I was talking with a cousin of mine about how much I've been enjoying making quilts recently and she suggested I start an Etsy store. After much thought and planning I decided to give it a go.

I think I may have mentioned this to you before but I really owe it all to my mom. She was really into quilting when I was young (still is today) and not only did she teach me the "proper" way to do things but she also let me have free reign in her sewing room to experiment with my own way of doing things. Up until the last few years I didn't have the capacity to do much sewing (you know, college, travel, making a home with the hubby) nor did I have any clue about the amazing fabric designers that were out there making modern, stylish material. It's really been fun rediscovering my love of quilting!

I promise you that this is still my knitting blog and it will remain so with the small addition of my Etsy store in the side bar (I hope y'all don't mind).

So, that's it! Thank you so much for reading this blog (I don't say that nearly enough)! I hope everyone is having a lovely fall weekend!

My Little Man

2009-10-05T20:05:00.003-05:00

It just doesn't get any cuter that this.He's still pretty unsteady on his feet but he can move surprisingly fast, which makes for difficult photography!

Pattern: Pebble

Yarn: less than one skein of Peace Fleece Worsted wool in the Ancient Fern color

Needles: US #9

Notes: This came out exactly how I wanted it to. I used thicker yarn and larger needles to get a larger vest. It fits fairly snuggly but I haven't blocked it yet so I think it should grow just a bit. I have to admit, Jack wasn't completely thrilled with wearing it but I think he's just been used to the light summer clothes he's worn for the past 5 months. Hopefully, he'll appreciate it more when it gets really cold here ( ;-). The buttons I used are definitely too big but they'll work. I'm just happy that I finished something! and now my boy has something hand knit for winter.

Lots and lots of sewing going on around here. Stay tuned for some exciting news (no, I'm not pregnant). Hint, hint, it has to do with said sewing.

lots going on around here

2009-09-26T08:50:00.004-05:00

We now have a 1-year-old! Here he is trying to figure out how the heck to do you eat a cupcake.
You eat the part with the frosting first, of course.

Hey look! knitting!Pattern: Wisp

Yarn: Fleece Artist Merino in the Hercules colorway. I think I only used a bit more than half the skein.

Needles: US #7

Notes: I love how this came out with the colors in the yarn.

And here's a sneak peak and something that has been keeping me very busy.

Happy Saturday! I hope the weather is as gorgeous where you are as it is here!

the five minute solution

2009-09-07T21:21:00.004-05:00

Well, if you're like me you're always looking for cheap ways of keeping your clutter out of sight.

This weekend as I was unpacking another box of "random stuff", I found I needed a box or basket to fit in our TV stand to hold said "stuff". Not wanting to spend any money, I came up with this storage solution.

First, I cut the flaps and top off of a box to fit the cabinet. Then, I cut a piece of fabric so that it would just cover the front of the box that would be showing.

I hot-glued the fabric down along the edges and viola!

You would never know it was just a regular old box unless you pulled it out of its space. Of course, if more of your box was going to be visible you could always glue fabric inside and all around. This project probably cost me less than $1 and I'm very happy with the results!

I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing Labor Day holiday!

starting fresh!

2009-08-26T11:23:00.004-05:00

Awwwwe, thanks for the warm welcome back!

Now, to make good on my promise:

Everybody, meet Wisp. I must give all the credit to Bea's gorgeous Falling Leaves version. I had tried and failed with this pattern before but was totally inspired to give it another go after seeing Bea's. This time, I went with a thicker fingerling weight yarn, Fleece Artist Merino in the Hercules colorway. I absolutely LOVE how this is coming out. And talk about a fast easy pattern. I just can't wait until it is done and the weather cools off to wear it!

Next, I have two new little friends that will keep me company in my studio. That's right, I have what I am calling a studio, somewhere where I can lay out my projects and leave my sewing machine up permanently. It is a miniscule place but it is SO EXCITING! (more pictures to come of course)

Oh, and also thanks to Bea for turning me on to an awesome contest! You could win some gorgeous fabric from the Far Far Away collection by Heather Ross!

well hello out there!

2009-08-24T15:14:00.005-05:00

HI! I know it's been forever but I'm back! This summber has turned out to be quite eventful. We sold our house, bought a new house, moved, went on vacation, had a two-month long Crohn's disease flare up, watched a friend's eleven year old daughter over the summer, combine that with having a crawler and all the other usual family busyness and there you have it! Even though I have not been posting I have been reading all of your blogs and keeping up with the beautiful projects that you all have going on.

I have to admit that there really hasn't been any knitting going on around here. I've really just been waiting for signs of fall and for us to get settled into the new house and you know, I think I just needed a good long break. While it is still in the upper 90s around here, I am starting to feel the knitting itch...and the quilting itch.

First I want to show you a quilt I finished back in early June I believe. At first I was unsure about it. It seems sooo busy and somewhat loud. But after the quilting (which, BTW, was my first time quilting in a free-motion meandering pattern) and the binding came together I absolutely fell in love with it!

The pattern is something I came up with in order to use every bit of the single charm pack and jelly roll that I had of this fabric which is the Pumpkins Gone Wild collection from Moda. I used a solid brown for the backing to try to offset some of the crazy colors from the front. The colors were actually a bit difficult to capture accurately but seeing this quilt just puts me in the mood for October!

Coming soon, real live KNITTING! and new house pictures.