It's Been Awhile

So it's been awhile since I put anything on here. Life's been a bit busy as I started homeschooling my big girl for kindergarten, along with everything else we do. But not so busy that I haven't been doing any crafting. So I will attempt to post some of what I've enjoyed doing in the last 4 or 5 months.

First up is a throw-sized quilt I made for a quilting workshop that I led. I made the quilt simple for beginner quilters using just an ordinary sewing machine. The fall inspired fabrics were all from my stash except for the quilt back, which I purchased (it is the brown and green bird print). I had fun designing and writing my own pattern and got great responses from all the ladies who did the workshop. I'm only sorry the picture sucks.


This next pic is the quilt top for the one I made along with the ladies during the workshop. It is not quilted yet in this picture and I gave it away without getting a final photo (argh!). I was a little more creative with the quilting of this one and did a hexagonal pattern. I will get a picture one of these days as it was for my sister.



Speaking of my sister, I did a few other crafts for her wedding that took place in November. Next up is one of the two ringbearer pillows and her crocheted garter.
She picked the fabric for the pillows and we did some embroidery to embellish them. All the supplies for this project were from the Purl Soho warehouse in Tustin, which is awesome and I loved checking out with her. The garter was made using the pattern I found on Ravelry called Something Blue by Emma Wiley. After several failed attempts at knitting a lace garter I found this pattern which was perfectly simple and quick to make. I used an undyed wool/silk blend yarn in lace weight, and the ribbon color is from her wedding palette.


Also for my lovely sister I made the following apron for her bridal shower.
I used the Halter apron pattern from the 10th Muse Studios blog. She requested a "sexy apron" which upon further inquiry I concluded to mean fitted and with some style, so this is what I came up with. It is reversible, too. Again, not a good photo of the item, but I guess I was just going for documentation, not winning any photography awards.


Oh, and I made the dress I wore in her wedding. Which was a bit of a challenge to sew. It is silk dupioni. The pattern I do not have any longer at my disposal, but it was from a major pattern company ? McCalls, Vogue, Simplicity, one of those... (how's that for details)

We are hiding out in the shed before we "go on" for her outdoor wedding at home.

I think that's all the blogging I can handle for one night. I have decided that my New Year's resolution should be to take better pictures! Although there's only so much I can do with our little cheap camera. When I get around to it I'll post up the Christmas gift creations I made, hopefully before another 4 months goes by!

Sewing for Boutique

I've been busily making some little outfits to sell at a Holiday Boutique this Saturday the 5th from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. Some pictures follow. If you're interested in checking it out and know where I live - it is at the house across the street from mine. If you don't know were I live send me a message and I can give you all the information. Also being sold at the boutique will be my reusable gift bags, purses and ornaments made by my neighbor, jewelry, cards, etc... Great chance to get some handmade gifts! Whatever doesn't sell I'll put in my Etsy shop.

size 12 months

size 6-12 months

size 0-3 months

Size 3T

Next is the bobble dress I crocheted for my daughter - I used a fingering weight Merino/Silk yarn from KnitPicks, called Gloss. The color is Kenai. The pictures aren't very good, maybe I'll get a better one, one of these days. Lastly, a Tshirt I made for a 3yr old's birthday (he sings a song about being a robot). The words are stenciled using fabric paint and freezer paper as a stencil. The robot is appliqued then stitched down with the machine for the bigger sections, and hand done with blanket stitch on the smaller pieces.

Now back to work for me!

More Summer Fun

The last couple weeks have been filled with more fun. Swimming in the rivers, bike rides around town, a visit from my sister & b.i.l., a week up at Lake Almanor boating, off-roading, hiking, and just hangin out. Lots of good food as well including spanakopita (a great one to make ahead and freeze!), gyros in town, cucumber salad made with amazing chinese cucumbers from farmers market (i'll never be able to eat a store cuke again! I'm going to have to grow them.), wild blackberry sorbet, peaches and gorgeous heirloom tomatoes from the neighbor, I could go on and on....

Pictured below is the family in Upper Bidwell Park at a waterfall hiking down to a swimming hole, our little rock climber, and my 3 latest finished projects detailed below:

Appliqued owl inspired by Amazing Mae. The pants are the Huck Finn pants I made before here from Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. This outfit is for a special little boy (I am starting on Christmas already, I am so impressed with myself). I couldn't pass up the argyle print when I saw it at Honey Run Quilters - but it may be a little over-the-top. Good thing the pants are so easy to sew up- I won't be crushed if they don't get worn.

My first real Stash Basket from The Purl Bee. I love the colors - though they don't come across great in the photo. As I was crocheting in the car on the way up to Lake Almanor my husband noticed that it was all the colors of the forest surrounding us. Love it! Now all I need is an actual stash of yarn to fill up my stash basket. My measly two full skeins and about 3 partial ones required the bear to help fill it up. I'm contemplating the adorable bobble dress as a future project, but I better catch up with my other list a little first.

Finally my pretty sad little second attempt at the butterfly hat is probably not worth picturing but I hope to fix it so maybe my end product will be a little more impressive ?? I still don't have the hang of adapting crochet patterns. This hat fits my husband as well as my three year old so I'll have to take out about 6-8 rows and try again.