knotty bits

for now

2012-01-19T11:09:00.002-05:00

Peeking in to say "hello!" Thank you all for your well-wishes re: the wee. We're all settling in pretty smoothly, and I'm feeling great. My days are spent nursing and reading. Finn now refers to his favorite books by title (or most of the title - for example, Eric Carle's The Very Quiet Cricket is simply The Cricket), and he brings me books to read to him while I feed the wee. (Myself? I'm reading The Night Circus and enjoying it immensely.) Our sofa has turned into a nest full of baby toys, blankies, board books and sippy cups, a couple of wee sweaters I'm knitting and my Kindle floating around in there also.

So folks have been asking for a pattern for the Modern Drunkard's Path quilt. I wrote up a pattern for a smaller version (crib sized) for the class I taught at gather here. I just need to tidy up a few things on there before I release it for sale. Or maybe it'll be a free pattern. I haven't decided yet. I went balls out on it with very detailed diagrams and such. BUT.... If you absolutely, positively *must* make one for yourself right this very moment, it's pretty easy. Just draw a quarter circle template, cut, and sew. Alternatively, there are a ton of quilting sites that offer templates for a drunkard's path block and tutorials on how to sew them. As for the palette, I used 24 colors sorted in groups of 4 in the 6 following families: reds, oranges, blues, greens, warm purples, cool violets. I think gather here still has a couple of the bundles that I put together for them available for sale - one in a rainbow of prints, another exclusively solids. You can also play around with color and make a monochromatic one like this beauty that Abby made or make a totally scrappy version. It's up to you. I plan to have more info soon. Right now, though, I'm just kinda taking this all in:

the latest addition

2012-01-07T20:48:00.000-05:00

Meet Dahlia Grace, born January 5th at 12:48 AM. We're all pretty crazy about her.

the Finbear's lair

2012-01-03T20:41:00.000-05:00

One big thing I needed to cross off of my to-do list was to finish the kiddo's room. You would have thought we would have done that when he was born, but no. We figured he would sleep in the same room as us for the first year, and so we weren't rushed to do it. Over the last year, we have been chipping away at the contents of our walk-in closet in order to turn it into his room - stuff we dumped in there when we moved in almost six years ago and totally forgot about because we never ever use any of it - giving away what's in great shape and throwing away the rest. We finally cleared the last of it away just a few months ago. Even then, other projects came up that took priority over making the room all pretty. As long as the kiddo was able to sleep in it, that was all that mattered. After all, we had to get him acclimated to sleeping by himself in his "big boy bed" before the really wee one gets here. We painted the walls, ceiling, and trim, built his bed, and then took our time with the rest.

In the meanwhile, I had been amassing ideas for how to decorate it on pinterest. From palette choices to cool artwork to using Ikea spice racks for bookshelves to painting a dresser ombre, there was a crazy abundance of ideas to explore. So far, the room has really come together, and I'm extremely happy with the results. All we have yet to do is hang the artwork, which we'll do as soon as the pieces are matted. What's more important is that the kiddo loves it and seems to enjoy having his own little space.

easy transformations

2012-01-02T21:40:00.000-05:00

In my current whirlwind of last-minute nesting, I am going through my list of little projects to make for the new wee (due a little sooner than expected) and happily crossing items off of that list at a rapid rate. I'm pretty sure that's because most of these projects entail little more than sewing a straight line here and there, which is fortunate because I really waited until the last possible minute to get this done (remember - cholestasis, induction, yadda yadda, so time is not on my side any more). Though it's not a high priority project, I decided I wanted to make some baby leg warmers because a) they're damn cute, b) if you're into baby-wearing, they come in quite handy, and c) it's always a good idea to carry an extra pair or two. Trust me on that last one. Being as I already had these $1.99 knee-highs from Target that I have never used, I thought I may as well take a swing at this tutorial here.

Oh my god, easiest project EVER. They took me maybe 15-20 minutes to make, and that's only because I tried to zig-zag the seams closed after I sewed the straight seam. I didn't like the way the zig-zag stretched the knit and made the seam bulkier. Hence, I ripped it out in the end. The tutorial itself only calls for a straight stitch, and that's good enough for me for now. Also, can I just say that the tutorial is so clear, concise, and beautifully photographed, it is one of my favorite tutorials ever. Thanks to the awesome blogger at Sew Much Ado for putting together such an excellent tutorial!

happy new year (from the surliest little ewok)

2012-01-01T12:37:00.001-05:00

Let's be honest here. We all knew the minute I made this:

that someday I would make this:

If not for my own kid, then for someone else's, but clearly at some point or another it was bound to happen.

Hey, did you know it's hard to photograph a toddler when they're watching "Yo Gabba Gabba?" There's some unspoken rule where one must not interfere with their DJ Lance Rock time. The whole time I was trying to photograph him, he kept looking over me or around me instead of at me. I might have had an easier time when photographing the dog. He did give me a different pose at one point though:

I should note that this is not my own design or invention. I saw this woman's awesome baby cowls on pinterest and had to have one right then and there, so I made one. I do not have a pattern for this; I just winged it. I do not plan on making a pattern for this because that would be seriously undermining the original designer who makes these custom order on her lovely etsy shop. Besides, hers are a million times better than mine as she has perfected the process by now. Mine took a bit of trial and error and still fits the kid a little snugger than I would prefer. Also, please note that she does not have this available as a pattern, and I don't know if she has any plans to release one. I just feel the need to put that out there. Sometimes people ask about patterns. Sometimes I have answers, and sometimes I don't. This is a case of the latter.

Anyway, back to the cowl itself.... It's a little snug. I kept going back and forth, crocheting a few rows then ripping them back until I found the right width more or less. I used Quince & Co. Osprey in Twig with the accents in some leftover scraps of Chanterelle, I really really REALLY love this yarn. It is so squishy and dreamy and knits/crochets into such a soft, dense fabric. And the colors are just so beautifully nuanced. Not that he necessarily appreciates the same things I do about it, but the kiddo seems to enjoy wearing it:

that is until he decides it's time to get back to Gabba Gabba. Then I just get his best "Bitch, PLEASE!" face as he tries to wedge himself between the TV and me:

Happy New Year, people!

the year end review (or something like it)

2011-12-29T19:51:00.002-05:00

Apparently, this was the year of the quilt for me. In addition to the ones in the mosaic above, there are two more tops that didn't get quilted, one in the process of being quilted, and two more tops in progress. (And a partridge in a pear tree!) I only knit three things, two of which were worsted-weight socks and one just a wee baby sweater. I think I crocheted a couple of things, but other than the hand-warmers, I can't remember what I hooked. I started teaching at gather here, which has been a wonderful experience, and I hope to continue in the new year. I've got a ton of new quilts planned for classes! As for my other crafty endeavors, I released one softie pattern, but I have a few more that I only need to polish up & release. Maybe I'll finally get to that in the coming weeks since I don't foresee too much sewing getting done. Right now, I'm in a frenzy of nesting. Matt & I are putting the finishing touches on the kiddo's room. He is successfully sleeping by himself there through the night. We're tying up all our loose ends and getting ready for the New Tenant to join us. Fortunately, there isn't much that's left to do, just little last minute things like washing all the crib bedding. I have no idea if this will be my last post for the year or not. In case it is, I want to wish all of you a very happy new year full of love & laughter & all that good stuff. Happy New Year to you all!

über-last-minute holiday gift

2011-12-26T14:44:00.000-05:00

Hope you all had an awesome holiday! Yesterday was so full of everything, and I am content and exhausted now. Before we went in for the family festivities, I decided to bang out a quick gift for my brother-in-law just because.

There are two things my brother-in-law is completely in love with - trains and maps. Any combination of the two brings him immense joy. Usually I just get him books or posters related to maps, subway maps, trains, or subway art. This year I was inspired to do something different. It all started with the fabric. I had bought this fabric months and months ago with the intention of making something for him this Xmas. I debated whether to make him a shirt but figured he would never wear it because that would be too flashy. He's not into ties, and I really couldn't think of any other form of apparel to make for a dude.

Thanks to over-thinking this and then becoming hugely distracted with other projects and life and stuff, I found myself wondering what to make for him just a couple of night ago and on a whim decided to go with pillows. There really isn't anything exciting to say about these pillows. They're just super easy envelope pillows I was able to whip up in about 15 minutes. Really, the appeal is in the fabric, so hooray for Timeless Treasures for printing this!

Funny thing, it took me longer to find a solution for wrapping them than it did to actually make them. In the end I just used some leftover binding as a ribbon. Didn't make for much of a surprise when presenting it as a gift, but meh, it's pretty.

happy holidays!

2011-12-24T20:16:00.001-05:00

Why look at that! This year we hid our tree's shame with a stripey tree skirt I whipped up for a class at gather here. I'm rather fond of it, though I will say I should have made the center hole much narrower. That would have provided us with a tidier skirt with a smaller circumference. It would have also involved a lot less panels of fabric and made for an even quicker, easier project. Now I know for next year. I'll just tweak it to reflect these bits of trial and error and come up with a better, more badass skirt (to hide the tree's shame, of course!).

I know it makes me such a mega-nerd, but really, nice corners please me to no end.

Once again, I machine-bound something, and I did not want to stab said project after I was done. Hooray! I'm getting better at this thing. I like that the print I chose for the binding is kinda subtle and doesn't overpower or compete with the pretty saturated prints I used to the skirt itself. Funny thing about this binding, too. Originally, while sewing at Stacie's, she made 5 yards of binding for me while I worked on something else so that we would have time to play Settlers of Catan because Stacie is awesome like that. The thing is that I needed bias tape but did not communicate that. I just said binding. Derf! It's gorgeous, though, and I know I will definitely use it (for my current project, actually). Thanks again, Stacie! During class I made bias tape for my students hoping I could make mine work for the demo, but of course it didn't really work with the curves because, well... it wouldn't. Way to go, me! So Virginia made the bias tape for me seeing as I had just made yards and yards of it and must have looked like some defeated schlump when I realized I had to make more. Thank you, Virginia! Seriously, I am so grateful for these ladies. Also, talk about a close call - I had this much tape left:

I *just* made it.

The basic stripes in this design work well with our tree's decorations which consist mostly of little old painted wooden ornaments, a couple of my softie ornaments, wee fabric stockings, and these glass ornaments I took with me when my sister decided to throw them out. She thought they were old and tacky. Maybe they are, but they're shiny and remind me of some of the happiest time in my childhood. Therefore I love 'em.

Happy holidays, folks. Hope you have a wonderful time filled with laughter, surrounded by the people you love.

last-minute non-holiday projects

2011-12-23T20:51:00.001-05:00

Forgive me. I've been a little distracted these days. I finally got around to making those Anna Maria Horner voile blankies I had been meaning to make since the fall. It turns out the baby might come a little sooner than expected. Blah blah cholestasis. Blah blah induction. I don't want to think about it much less talk about it. I'm hoping everything will be ok.

It was my first time using a serger so my edges are far from perfect, but they'll work. I have to say it was actually a lot of fun to get behind one of those machines. I'd love to get more practice in. ZOMG! It might just open up the doors to garment sewing for me. It's totally a gateway tool.

simple holiday stocking

2011-12-12T13:59:00.003-05:00

For tomorrow night's class at gather here. If you're in the Boston area and looking for something fun to do, this quick and easy holiday project might be right up your alley. So come join us! There are plenty of spaces available.

friday - quilting in progress

2011-12-09T15:18:00.001-05:00

I was hoping to be done with this today, but I'm also working on a couple of other projects that are a little more pressing. I'm almost done with the quilting though. I am planning on doing the binding by hand, so this may not get finished until after the holidays. We'll see....

thursday - a day late (but not a buck short)

2011-12-09T14:51:00.001-05:00

This rainbow-y chevron quilt was my demo for the class at gather here. I whipped up the top itself in a couple of hours because really this entails SUCH an easy method of construction. It took me forever to get around to quilting & binding it, however. The quilting itself is very simple, even less complicated than the prototype since I only quilted each row once (on one side of the seam) as opposed to two times as I did with the prototype.

To further expedite the process, I machine-bound this one as well, again using 3-inch strips instead of my normal 2 1/2. I am super-pleased with the corners:

Being as this quilt might end up going to a baby, I backed it with a sweet, cozy flannel. Again, I made pockets for hanging it with a dowel, using the same flannel:

I'm not sure this is a palette I would normally use, but it's kinda refreshing to slowly branch out a bit. It's rainbow-y without strictly adhering to ROYGBIV.

wednesday - postponed due to rain

2011-12-07T11:06:00.001-05:00

I can't get a decent shot of the quilt I wanted to share today because it's dark in here and wet out there. And I don't think a crappily lit photo will do the colors in this piece justice. So instead I'm going to blather on about something that's been on my mind about quiltmaking (or just sewing in general). It always baffles me a bit when I hear people say, "Oh, I can never do that," or when they request a pattern for something that is essentially just a bunch of squares. My belief is that YES, you CAN do that. All you have to do is think about it for a minute, deconstruct it, and make the time to do it. The making of the time is the hardest part of this process as far as I'm concerned. Everything else is just math and numbers. Look at what you want to make - does it entail a technique you're not familiar with yet? Well, there are tons of excellent, clear, concise, well-written tutorials on the internet that will teach you these techniques and guide you through the process. If you already know how to make, say half-square triangles, for example, you can make a top that uses half-square triangle easy as pie. You're not sure of the dimensions? Here's the wonderfully liberating thing - you can make them any size you want in order to determine the ultimate size of your own top. Don't be afraid to wing it. Don't get too caught up in creating something precious. Don't overthink it - just get to it.

I'm hoping to follow my own advice here. Lately, I've been thinking about my own sewing because a) I get a lot of joy from it and b) I want to take it to the next level. I feel like so far I've only been scratching at the surface, and I am starting to dig deeper. I want to play with curves & color. I want to experiment with recycled fabrics and simplicity, to try out different forms of type and text, to play around with shapes and techniques I haven't tried before, to develop a better sense for free-form and improv design. That's basically my list of goals for the new year, once I wrap up all the projects that I'm currently working on. The good thing is that I am checking things off of my to-do list at such a rate that come the new year, I may actually start off with a clean slate which opens me up to so many possibilities for my next endeavor. I'm already looking forward to it.

tuesday - matchy-matchy bunting quilts

2011-12-06T21:07:00.001-05:00

Inspired by my bunting baby quilt, these two were for a class I taught at gather here. Well, actually, while they were both made for the class, one is ultimately going to go to our friends Jason & Holly and their adorable baby boy. As a matter of fact, I'm shipping it out to them tomorrow. This is the one that's going to them, the one that's backed in a soft organic flannel:

It took me forever to get around to blogging about these because it took me forever to finish binding the second one. It just sat there with the binding attached waiting for it to be tacked down. It only took me an evening in front of the TV watching old SVU episodes (mmmmm, Elliot) to get it done, so it was silly of me to let it go for so long. Besides, I feel bad about letting quilts languish. Socks go without partners for years. Shawls hang out in a box waiting to be bound off. I feel no guilt about that. I'll get to those projects when I get to them if I ever feel like getting to them. Quilts I feel the need to see through to completion.

I had a little help with this top. Since we had no power at the time due a fallen tree that thankfully only took down a power line and didn't hurt anyone, I went over to Stacie's to work on these. I like to have two quilts ready for class - one to show as my finished prototype and another to use as the demo for whatever techniques we'll be covering in class that day. While I quilted and attached the binding on the first one, Stacie assembled the second top for me. I had already pieced the strips of triangles (the bunting); she put together the strips for me. Thanks, again, lady!

While they may seem identical, I quilted one using a warm cream thread and the other using white. This resulted in one seeming slightly warmer and the other a slightly cooler shade of aqua. Funny how that can be achieved just through the quilting, but I guess with a certain amount of echo lines, the color you choose for the quilting is going to have a greater impact on the finished piece.

One of these quilts has a corner that's opened a bit. I'll take care of that in the morning when I have good light here. For now, that's the story on these two.... I may be teaching the class again in March or so. We'll figure that out in the new year.

monday - the path of the modern drunkard

2011-12-05T11:41:00.001-05:00

This quilt has been finished for a couple of weeks now; I've just been a slacker about writing a final post about it. So let's see.... It started with this graphic that I fell in love with. I became a little obsessed actually. Eventually, I made the top because I just *had* to explore this. Then came the class, where I put together a tutorial for folks to make a smaller version that would work as a crib quilt. At approximately 48 x 72 inches this one is too big to be a crib quilt but maybe too small to be a throw. It is, however, ideal for a certain toddler's bed especially being as he seems especially fond of it. I can't unfurl this quilt with him in the room as he immediately runs over to grab it and hug it, which is kinda the most awesome reaction I could hope for.

I have to admit, this is my favorite quilt that I have made so far. And? It was really easy to make. In fact, I encourage anyone who likes this to make themselves a quarter circle template and get sewing. Quarter circles are super-easy to sew. I don't bother with all the pinning when running them through the machine. I just ease the fabrics together gently at the curve (without any pulling or stretching) with a slight overhang at the beginning and the end of the seam and zip along. The most time-consuming part of the process is probably trimming all my squares down to size before I start piecing the quarter circle squares (drunken steps?) together. As far as quilting it, the design lends itself to a plethora of quilting options. I chose a pretty obvious one - circles within the circles and implicit circles - but it works well.

I went with a white binding because it just worked best with the clean, modern aesthetic of the quilt. It's almost like an invisible binding since it blends in with the background fabric. I like that - it's understated and quiet yet ties everything together. And of course (OF COURSE!) I have to include the detail shot of my corners. Really, neat corners are so very satisfying.

So this one is going to be on display at gather here for a couple of months, and then it will go to my little dude for being so awesome about adjusting to his new bed and making this period of transition so smooth and stress-free. I have a feeling he will be extremely happy to see it again.

sunday - rainbow chevron goodness

2011-12-04T22:25:00.001-05:00

And so I begin the parade of finished quilts on the blog. There have been a bunch of them waiting patiently in the wings - a few for classes at gather here, a few for the fun of it, and a couple that I need to send off to friends. I'm not sure what more to say about this one here other than it was a prototype for a class on how to make easy zig-zags and that the color scheme and design were inspired by a fabric by Ann Kelle - the very same fabric that I used for the backing, in fact. I like to drive my point home.

Two things that worked out neatly and have pleased me oh-so-very-much about this quilt are my successful attempts at making corner pockets for a dowel, a la Oh, Fransson! in her book, The Practical Guide to Patchwork, and my victory at machine-binding. Past attempts at machine-binding have been... less than stellar. Or we can be blunt and say they have sucked ass and been fug as hell (because it's the truth). Heh. This time, however, I put to practice what I have learned from past mistakes and used a wider binding, resulting in this:

See? Sweet! I am TRIUMPHANT! And I am also way too excited about this teeny success.

I wish I had noted the measurements before I parted with it. I think it measures approximately 38 x 44 inches. All I know is it's a great size for a baby quilt and expect it will be used as such.

I may be biased, but....

2011-12-02T23:50:00.001-05:00

...this bias tape totally reminds me of fruit-striped gum. Gad, I used to love that stuff as a kid. Sometimes my dad would buy me a megapack as a treat, and I would save and savor every stick, stashing it somewhere that my anti-chewing gum mom wouldn't find it. Anyhow, this tape? It's going to make an awesome binding or edging for some fun project. If you're at Bazaar Bizarre Boston this Sunday, you should swing by gather here's table to check out this and a ton of other tapes, kits, and DIY goodies to get for your favorite crafters for the holidays.

coasters are a plus

2011-11-28T09:29:00.000-05:00

While coming up with ideas for pretty, useful, and easy gift projects for gather here, I whipped up these plus-sign coasters which make for a super-quick project. Not too much to say about them other than the hand-quilting took longer than the actual construction of each coaster - they were that speedy and easy to make. You can bang out a batch of these for the kids' teachers or for some of your favorite co-workers.

colors that would make missoni reach for a pair of sunglasses

2011-11-27T22:19:00.001-05:00

I put together a top to use as my demo for class today and ended up not even touching it (people were at different stages of completion, I just wanted to get everyone caught up, used the students' WIPs for demos, yadda yadda). It's a little... chaotic? Busy? Something? It's pretty different from my prototype quilt for the class, that's for sure. I like the colors, though, and plan to go ahead and quilt it.

dropping f-blocks

2011-11-26T17:17:00.001-05:00

Was that too subtle? Let me say it a little more clearly:

Still too quiet? I'll say it loudly and proudly:

I have never understood what all the fuss is about over a four-letter word that doesn't carry any sort of racist, sexist, or classist stigma. It's just a word. I use it as filler. I use it casually. While I sometimes use it to express contempt or frustration, I don't necessarily always associate it with vitriol or hatred. It's just a colorful adjective I use to pepper my speech. I use it when I'm psyched, happy, or enthusiastic about something. "Fuck yeah!" is a rowdy cry of joy. I use it jokingly when chatting with friends. Context shapes usage.

These blocks are for Chawne whose quilts are always an inspiration. Hope she likes them and is able to incorporate them into what promises to be an awesome project.

ornamental purposes

2011-11-25T17:17:00.001-05:00

This December I'll be teaching a couple of ornament-making classes at gather here.

I can tell you, they have been kid-tested and approved:

thankful

2011-11-24T12:43:00.001-05:00

Today I am thankful for this kid who lights up my life with his joy and enthusiasm. I never thought I would be able to be a mom, and yet here we are. It is wonderful and challenging; makes my heart burst with love and wracks my nerves with worry all at once. I am thankful for this opportunity and thankful for my doodlebug. It hasn't always been easy with the postpartum depression, but I'm doing what I can to recover and make my kid and myself happy. I'm thankful I have a supportive and loving partner in all this. He has been the best, and I appreciate every little thing he has done to make our lives better.

By the way, happy Movember! I cannot believe it took me this long to get around to our annual Movember photo. I love how excited the kiddo gets over it, too. I'm looking forward to many years of this:

And what's Thanksgiving without a little pie?

Hope you and your loved ones are having a fabulous Thanksgiving.

two down!

2011-11-20T23:11:00.001-05:00

It feels great when in the midst of a crazy case of crafty A.D.D. or some serious startitis you can actually finish a project or two. That's two more quilts to cross off of my whackadoodle-long list. Wooo! Satisfaction! More on these quilts later this week.

on my daily travels....

2011-11-19T18:17:00.001-05:00

I was lucky enough to come across this piece by swoon today. If you don't know who she is, you should. She blows Shepard Fairey and most of the other "street art" boys out of the water. She's been doing her thing for a long time, and she is amazing. Her exhibit at the ICA is soon drawing to a close, and I need to go see it asap.

mugshot

2011-11-18T23:10:00.001-05:00

Ah, the ever-popular mugshot.... It comes in so handy when you want to make a pretty picture and highlight the lovely aspects of a handwarmer/wristwarmer, like the color and texture. It makes the world's easiest project seem interesting and attractive. I love these handwarmers because for some reason this shade of rose strangely appeals to me and because they were a quick and easy, mindless project that I was able to zone out with while watching old episodes of 30 Rock, as comforting and cozy in its concept as its ultimate utilitarian purpose. I want to emphasize the loveliness of the single crochet and the warmth of that rose and hide the fact that I accidentally increased and decreased every other round which made for Frankenseams that zig-zag along my the inside of my wrists. I want to highlight the sheen of the silk/wool blend and not kvetch about the fact that it is super-sticky yarn that did not like being ripped out. In fact, I had to throw my starting chain and the next row away because I had too many stitches and wasn't able to pull them out in order to start over again. We won't speak any more of that. Just imagine yourself sipping on something warm and tasty while wearing these warm and toasty mitts. Mmmmm, yes.... There. Much better, right? Now go make yourself a pair, because everyone needs some squishy crocheted wristwarmers. (Basic recipe: Chain stitch 29, SC into 28 and join to form a cylinder, SC for 16 rows, SC back and forth for 8 rows, join again and decrease to 24 stitches in the join row and the next, SC for 4 rows. Alter to your taste and measurements.)

next!

2011-11-17T20:20:00.001-05:00

One quilt bound and finished; three more to go. Proper photos and whatnot after I wash this sucker.

post-game

2011-11-15T22:17:00.001-05:00

Class was great tonight! I love that feeling - when everyone is enthusiastic and open and they get it. It reinvigorates my enthusiasm about making stuff. It becomes an unspoken mutual exchange, and it's kinda awesome as hell.

Too tired to quilt more tonight, but I'm hoping to get this pretty little sucker done tomorrow. I might also have something more interesting to say about improv sewing (and I might even have the ability to better articulate it).

tea towels for two

2011-11-14T22:45:00.001-05:00

So speaking of simple, satisfying projects, here's one I whipped up recently that only took about half an hour to complete. I was inspired to make patchwork tea towels the moment I saw toweling at gather here. Funny coincidence that - Matt and I had been talking about no longer using paper towels in our home, and lo! I walk into gather here, and see they now carry toweling. Perfect! (So really, these are intended to be used as hand towels. Whatever.) I bought a few yards and set to work. I had all these leftover scraps of Outfoxed from another project and wanted to use every last bit of it. I combined those with some Castle Peeps I had cut a while ago for a demo and some other matchy-matchy scraps. They work so well together:

So here's how you do it. First, if you want to add a strip of patchwork as your design element, piece that together now. I used 2 strips composed of 9 2 1/2 inch squares pieced together. Next, score each strip on the wrong side (using a hera marker) 1/4 inch from the top. Now cut your tea towels to size. As these were already 17 inches wide and hemmed, I only had to concern myself with the length. I cut them to 24 inches using a rotary cutter. Also, you should cut 2 strips of fabric 2 inches wide. Cut from selvage to selvage (the width of your fabric) that way you get 2 pieces at about 20 inches or so from each strip.

Iron your toweling and set aside. Take your 2 inch strips and make tape out of them - iron them with both sides folded toward the middle:

Let's sew these onto the ends of the toweling. First, align the center of the tape with the edge of the toweling. You want to see only one half of the tape. Make sure you have overhang on each side. Cut away most of the overhang so you have about 1/2 an inch peeking out on each side, like so:

Fold that overhang twice and press the hell out of it. Now fold the other half of the tape over the edge of the toweling and press the hell out of that:

Now stitch that sucker up about a scant 1/8 inch away from the top edge of the tape:

Use your hand to guide you because it's easier and less fussy than using a million pins to hold the tape in place:

Repeat for the other end of the toweling. Look at that edge. Aw yeah!

Now position your patchwork strip. In this case, I wanted it to be 3 inches from the bottom, so I marked the toweling at 3 1/4 inches to indicate where the patchwork should line up (remember, we're using a 1/4 inch allowance when sewing, so that 1/4 inch I added there disappears). Pin it right side down pointing toward the bottom of the toweling and sew up that bottom edge:

Once it's sewn down, flip that sucker right side up and press the bejesus out of it. You remember how we scored it earlier? That makes it easy to fold that top edge down 1/4 inch and press it nice and flat:

Now topstitch about a scant 1/8 inch away from the bottom edge of the patchwork:

Do the same for the top edge:

Take your overhang, fold it in twice, press it, and sew:

When sewing that, lock your stitches a little before and slightly after the width of the strip to really secure it:

Hooray! You have tea towels! Go forth and prettify your kitchen. Or just wipe stuff up with 'em. Because they're useful like that.

simple projects/simple pleasures

2011-11-13T22:42:00.001-05:00

Ah, placemats - such a quick, easy yet satisfying project. And? They pretty up the place. This one's the prototype for the class I'll be teaching at gather here this Tuesday. Of course, I forget how teeny our humble little kitchen is and use the 50 mm lens when I can't get more than a couple of feet away from the pretty. Derf. But hey, enjoy this detail shot:

one more top down

2011-11-12T14:53:00.001-05:00

Yesterday while the kiddo napped, I got busy and finished this triangle top. All I had left to do was join the strips, so I was able to whip it together pretty quickly. Now to quilt and bind. The quilting itself is going to be easy as I already know what I'm going to do. The binding? Well, considering I have three quilts sitting here awaiting their bindings right now, I'm half-tempted to just birth this quilt because that will be easier and might work well for what I have in mind for this project. I'll get to that later this week.

Meanwhile, I've got some bindings to work on! Hope you're having a lovely crafternoon.

sooooooo....

2011-11-11T22:34:00.001-05:00

Some days are not all that interesting to write about, though they are lovely and full of laughter and hugs and other smile-making stuff. I'll spare you what's most on my mind because the subject of parenting is the most exhausted and exhausting topic on the internet (and IRL). The park? Super-fun but in a "you had to be there" kind of way. Play sessions? Storytime? Yeah. Probably not as exciting to hear about it as it is for the kiddo and me to enjoy it first-hand. Scratch that - definitely not as exciting. I will say that I am incredibly happy that we've reached what feels like an important milestone, and that's getting the kiddo to sleep by himself in his own bed. While in the grand scheme of things I realize it's nothing, right now it just feels like a huge deal, a major accomplishment on both our parts, and it is making me sing "Fuck yeah!" and do a little victory dance as soon as he's away in dreamland.

Oh yeah, and uh, this happened:

Yes, it is what it looks like. I know. I know. Oh look! A squirrel!

it will all come together

2011-11-10T16:02:00.001-05:00

This has become my mantra these days. It will all come together - one way or another.

bah.

2011-11-09T17:32:00.000-05:00

I hate machine-binding - partly because I suck big hairy badger ass at it. and partly because it just doesn't look as lovely as hand-binding. I'm gonna suck it up and try to salvage this mess later. For now, I clearly see what I did wrong. I gave my initial seam a 3/8 allowance, which was really just too much and compromised the amount of binding I would have on the other side. If I ever try this again, I will use a 2 3/4 inch binding, give it a strict 1/4 inch allowance, be more meticulous about the join (I would have never been so sloppy with one of my quilts - why allow myself that on a smaller object?), and make sure I have at least 1/2 inch of binding on the back (or between 1/8 - 1/4 of an inch difference between the front and the back, with the greater amount on the back). Ugh. Until the day comes that I try this again, I am going to stick to hand-binding even if it is so much more time-consuming.

In the meanwhile, oh hai! Look at the kiddo's pretty lashes!

He is so happy-making. I am thoroughly enjoying his toddlerhood. He is starting to speak more clearly and cracks me up by saying "Bye-bye, booger!" when I clean his nose.

my big ol' meaty mitts

2011-11-08T11:55:00.000-05:00

I've been a little stressed out about the fact that I keep getting kick-ass, breath-taking Braxton-Hicks contractions. I know sometimes some women get them early, but it's still a little worrisome. So I need a mindless project to keep me busy and calm. Never underestimate the soothing properties of crochet, which combined with the super-simple, super-easy construction of wristwarmers make for the perfect project for this time. These wristwarmers are chunky and meaty but so squishy and warm. I love this silky wool, though it's a bitcharooni to rip. I'll probably have the second one finished tonight.

snapshots of color

2011-11-07T15:34:00.000-05:00

Oh, color! So juicy! So happy-making! I love playing with it. I love to surround myself with it. It just makes everything better.

At the moment I'm also enjoying the immediacy of using my phone's camera to take snapshots as I go about my day, then taking those snapshots and processing them with Instragram or other apps with fun filters. I'm growing more comfortable with the idea of using these snapshots on the blog. Sometimes a blog post is just that, isn't it? Just a quick snapshot of life. I don't have the energy to write lengthy detailed blog posts about whatever I'm working on or to bang out project upon project and give myself tons of material. So little pops of color, snippets of current inspiration, and WIPs will have to do, and I am actually pretty happy that.

ziggin' and a'zaggin' (ziggasayah?)

2011-11-06T13:44:00.000-05:00

Today is the first installment of my two-part chevron baby quilt class at gather here. I'm so looking forward to it! It's awesome how much I'm enjoying drawing out diagrams and plotting quilts out on paper. Usually, I just get and idea and run with it. My approach is very hands-on and leaning toward improv. I rarely ever sketch things out when working on my own quilts, so it's nice to dissect how a quilt is made and think about the process more. It's also making me want to go further with the process, take it places I haven't been to yet. In short, it's exciting and inspiring me like crazy.

warm hands

2011-11-05T13:54:00.000-04:00

pattern: my own basic recipe - chain stitch 40 stitches w/ an F hook (3.75 mm), join, then using a D hook (3 mm) half-double crochet a tube for 12 rows, hdc back & forth for another 10 rows for the thumb opening, then join and hdc for another 6 rows.
yarn: 1 skein of Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk
hook: Clover F for the starting chain and D for the rest of the wristwarmer (note: a Clover hook in D is 3 mm, not 3.25 mm)

Every autumn, I tell myself I am going to make myself a pair of fingerless mitts. And every autumn, I don't for whatever reason or another (usually out of sheer laziness). This time, inspired by Katherine from gather here and a whole slew of awesome crochet wristwarmers out there, I started one before I even knew what I was doing. That might explain why I had to rip my first one, which was too big and floppy. These are *just* a little snug, and if I had to do them over, I might give myself a couple of extra stitches and definitely use a much bigger hook when crocheting the starting chain. As they are they fit fine, but they're a little hard to get on quickly. They might stretch a little with time and use, but we'll see.... They're the perfect thing for this in-between weather, and they keep my hands cozy while I work.

balls in the air

2011-11-04T22:32:00.001-04:00

Right now, I've got a ton of balls in the air (heh). Trying to focus on one thing at a time is futile though it's what I would prefer to do. I am trying to learn the art of successfully multitasking, or more specifically, successfully multitasking without feeling like my head's been run through a wringer at the end of the day. Tomorrow, I'll be 29 weeks pregnant. I'm trying to shake off the exhaustion that comes with that because holy cow there is so much to do and so much to finish. So I'm marking it - from this point on, I am only going to finish whatever's in the works. No new projects until I can cross a few things off my list. Or so I'm telling myself....

2011-11-03T09:43:00.000-04:00

Working on a block every month for gather here is awesome for many reasons, one of which is that essentially I'm making a sampler. And so is anyone who's sewing along! This month's block is a simple half-square triangle Criss Cross block - easy and fun.

here a QIP, there a QIP

2011-11-02T12:03:00.001-04:00

With one finished quilt I have yet to properly photograph and ship off to its recipients, two awaiting binding, and one on the machine right now about to be quilted, it makes sense that I start one more, right? Of course!

more spontaneous projects

2011-11-01T10:52:00.000-04:00

For some reason, I felt compelled to crochet some wristwarmers recently. This yarn called to me. It's some Blue Sky silk/alpaca blend, and it's been hanging out in my stash for ages. I would keep coming back to it, squishing it fondly until I finally knew what it must become. I actually finished the first warmer last week, but it was too big and floppy so I ripped the whole thing out and whipped up a new one using less stitches. So it's one down, one to go. Hoping to knock that out in the next day or two.

the tradition of last-minute costumes begins

2011-10-30T22:17:00.001-04:00

Last year I put off making the kiddo's costume for his first Halloween party until the last minute. This year was no different. Do we see a pattern emerging? Shall we just call it a tradition? There are a million online tutorials for making a dragon/dinosaur costume out of a sweatshirt, but I didn't refer to any of them because it's such a simple, straightforward project. I used an old green sweatshirt that used to be my favorite until the zipper stopped working, nipped in the sleeves, tucked a little here and there, attached a row of white wool felt teeth and a couple of eyes, and added a tail made of two pieces of green Kona and lightly stuffed with Polyfil. No big whoop. It was the easiest costume ever. It's a little rough around the edges, but he wore it well and seemed to enjoy chasing his tail around like a cat (yet ANOTHER way in which kids are like cats).

Today was the party, and he was a shy, quiet little toddlersaur only roaring when he wanted a donut. Tomorrow afternoon we go trick or treating, and I expect that will be a ton of fun. We've been practicing our roaring and tail-swishing.

bloomin'

2011-10-12T20:00:00.003-04:00

I have neglected the dahlias this year. I picked up tubers at the last possible moment, at which point all they had left were this pink variety and some red ones. I think I grabbed all they had left because I wanted a very full garden. I also had a few tubers that survived the winter in the basement, but I didn't label them like I usually do so we had no idea what was what. Matt planted them while I directed, taller varieties in the back, smaller in the front. The unlabeled ones went in the back just in case they were the huge purple ones that grow so well here. I staked them once, only reinforcing before the mega-storm. Thankfully, all the rain we had this summer has made for a happy, healthy crop of dahlias because really I have made no effort to ensure that on my own. We have dozens and dozens in the garden now. They are making their way into our home - and into our friends' and families' homes, too. And really, I love them so.

happy-making

2011-10-11T15:23:00.002-04:00

The quilt top has grown since the last time we talked about it. I added another row consisting of two huge blocks each made up of four smaller blocks. Although it's taken me forever to post about it, this was all accomplished within a couple of hours of sewing and pressing. Seriously, easiest quilt ever. I'm hoping the people taking my class tonight feel that way about it, too. I've scaled it down a bit for them because this size (50 x 75 inches) might be a tad too big to be a crib quilt. It might also prove to be a bit easier to quilt at a smaller size for someone doing their first quilt.

We've also put together some bundles of fabrics to make this quilt outside of the class available at gather here. The pattern will be ready by the end of the month, so I think the bundles and the pattern will be available as a package then. I'll have more info on that soon, though.

holy knit what the hell is this?!

2011-10-10T21:52:00.002-04:00

It's the first knitting project I have picked up in months - seven months to be precise. My knitting mojo up and left me, and I haven't thought about (or cared about) knitting in all this time. Of course, the project that broke the camel's back might have had something to do with said mojo's sudden disappearance. All the Rhinebeck talk spurred a spontaneous decision to go and join in the Fall festivities with friends. And all the talk of Rhinebeck sweaters led me to cast on for a Wallaby for the kiddo yesterday. I just finished the first sleeve and hope to have the second finished and joined later tonight at some point during my Parks & Rec marathon. We'll see how it goes....

time for tricks or treats

2011-10-09T23:21:00.003-04:00

I am sitting here over-thinking this post, partly because I'm so tired that I can only think in terms of slap-happy profanity. Also, I am trying way too hard to think of something even remotely profound to say about Halloween. Oh, Halloween.... It thrills me every year and takes me back to the awesome parts of childhood. When designing a trick or treat tote for a class at gather here, I kept thinking back to those plastic orange jack o' lanterns my mom would get us from Woolworth's. We would take them along with us as we hit every store on the way home from school and every apartment in the building later that evening. The goal was always to fill it to the rim and then some. Later that night we would sort through our treasure like satisfied little pirates, separating our plunder into three basic categories - "Yum!" "For Trade" or "What the fuck were these people thinking and how old is this gumdrop?" I would try to convince my sister that she wouldn't like my favorite candies so she should trade them with me for something "better." What can I say? I was a fiend for Almond Joy.

So this tote... easy to make, a fun project for the kids, and all you need is a couple of sheets of felt. If you're in the Cambridge area, come on by and join us next Tuesday. I also have a batty version of this which will be included in the class pattern. I'm hoping to have some photos of that before the end of the week.

batty for my barra

2011-10-02T12:09:00.001-04:00

While making bats for the bat mobile class, I just had to make one for my wee. It's so cute when he runs across the living room making it "fly." I almost want to deck out the apartment in a mass of these for Halloween, but that might be a tad, you know, insane. Or it might be brilliant. Only one way to know....

I may be a little smitten

2011-10-01T14:55:00.000-04:00

This might be my favorite project right now. I know this is the size I need for the class, but I am contemplating making it bigger for myself. I love this so much I want it in my everyday life.

sew very right

2011-09-30T11:42:00.000-04:00

I've been kinda swept up and busy juggling several projects at once over here. This change of season always does that to me - kicks me into high gear and causes me to want to make all of the things. One project that I have been enjoying immensely is this quilt top I just finished for a modern baby quilt class I'll be teaching at Gather Here starting Tuesday, October 11th. It's a 2-part class. The first session, we work on the top - how to make a Drunkard's Path block, how to layout your top. The second session, we work on quilting and binding. I'm really looking forward to this class. This quilt has been on the top of my must-make list for a while, ever since I saw this piece of graphic design on pinterest.

Drunkard's Path blocks are super-easy to make, and I was able to blast through these pretty quickly. It's also the type of block that easily lends itself to a plethora of design options, which is great because hey, options are a good thing, right? Once you know how to make one of these blocks, you have the ability to make any of dozens and dozens different designs or just invent your own. I think that will be my next exercise/project for myself. I want to experiment with these quarter circles and see what I end up with. That is, if I can tear myself away from triangles for long enough, but that's another story for another day....

jammin'

2011-09-19T00:38:00.000-04:00

I had to do it. Thanks to Adrian and Sarah and their many delicious-sounding jams and jellies, I bought a humongous pot that's almost too big for our wee stove and some jars and got to it. I couldn't resist! The inspiration these two ladies have been steadily providing has been tremendous what with their prolific canning of the most mouth-watering recipes. My first couple of attempts were tasty but not quite the consistency I was aiming for, like the raspberry jelly that was somewhere between a syrup and a jelly. Next, there was the blueberry chile jam. That came out wonderfully, but that was more of a fluke than my actually knowing what I was doing. Then, there was a massive fail - the lavender blueberry butter that I burnt so badly it tasted like death in a jar. I gag just thinking about it. Anyway, there was some redemption in the form of a blackberry jam that was a little runny, but at least it wasn't death in a jar. All of my batches have been small, producing only 2 or 3 of the larger 8 ounce jelly jars at most in one go, but I've been enjoying the process and the more successful results.

When Adrian and Sarah posted/tweeted about tomato jam, I had to make some because it sounded amazing and you know, why not? So far, this sweet and spicy tomato jam has been my most successful attempt at canning. Granted, I went a little heavy with the cinnamon. I always forget that the particular container I used lacks the wee holes and when I went to shake some out, I accidentally poured it instead. I tried to temper it with some extra lemon and some crushed up sage that I had dried from our garden, and that seemed to do the trick. The texture and consistency are more or less what I wanted them to be. And good god, it is scrumptious! Adrian was right. My grilled cheese sandwich this afternoon thanked me tons for it. I think I may need to make more of this soon before the tomatoes are totally done for the season.

what I did on my summer vacation - pt. 2

2011-09-14T23:57:00.000-04:00

I joined the Boston Modern Quilt Guild. I had been to a couple of meetings before, but this summer I officially joined. Granted I haven't been able to make it to all the meetings and sew-ins, partly because I don't drive and partly because I sometimes get overwhelmed by big groups. However, I have enjoyed the few I've been to - these are some talented, funny, and wicked smart women.

When Laurie announced the Modern Quilt Guild Challenge using prints from Jay McCarroll's Habitat line, I just had to participate. I had been meaning to get my hands on some of these prints for a while, and this was such a perfect opportunity to play with them. I decided to do a pretty traditional design playing with the colors in the prints. I was super-grateful that we were able to use as many solids as we wanted for this challenge because that allowed me some more options in playing with the design and layout of the pieces.

I toyed with the idea of making a crib quilt, but I wasn't happy with how it looked sashed. I like the triangles butting up right next to the binding. It doesn't freeze the movement the way that a wider border would. And can I tell you how happy I am with this binding? I love a skinny ass binding. I almost want to make all my future bindings this thin.

So measuring 24 x 33 inches, I'm calling it a miniquilt and have titled it "flying to modern habitats." I unfortunately will not be able to make it to the next meeting where everyone will share their challenge projects, but I have been thoroughly enjoying people's entries on the flickr group.

If you're interested in trying your hand at some flying geese, the purl bee has an excellent tutorial on how to make 'em.

what I did on my summer vacation - pt.1

2011-09-13T23:00:00.002-04:00

I rarely spent any time indoors this summer. Save for some some ridiculously hot days where I couldn't stand the thought of leaving the air-conditioning, most of my time was spent either at various playgrounds or in the backyard, with a few out of town trips thrown in here and there. Suffice it to say, I appreciate a good picnic blanket. When Virginia at gather here asked me to put together a nine-patch picnic quilt, I was delighted. She picked out the fabrics, and I got to work.

Nine-patch quilts are so basic but beautiful. I whipped up the top over a weekend, taught the class, hand-tied the quilt, attached the binding as part of the class demo, then just kind of forgot about it. Two weeks later I was hanging out in the backyard and decided to start stitching a little section of the binding down every day. So there it is. Easy-going, easy as pie. The perfect project for lazy summer days.

bits and bobs of bats

2011-09-12T16:08:00.000-04:00

I've been meaning to blog, but you know how that goes sometimes. There is so much awesome stuff going on right now, and I've been enthusiastically making stuff again (I'm happy to report). I am finally getting around to executing some ideas I have had for far too long, and it feels great. I've been meaning to make a bat mobile since shortly before the kid was born. That's what? Well over 16 months at least. While coming up with a project for a Halloween-themed class at gather here, I already had what I thought was a great idea to begin with, so I ran with it. Now to figure out where I can get a spinny little music box type attachment that plays Ozzy's Mr Crowley....

hello, stranger

2011-06-26T23:06:00.000-04:00

So a few things have happened since we last spoke. Let's see.... I've got a project tutorial in the latest issue of Petite Purls for some playful rattles. Brandy and Allegra put together such an adorable and totally fabulous Summer edition of Petite Purls, and I am honored to be included in the special all-toy edition of this great online publication.

I am also scheduled to teach a 2-session 9-patch picnic blanket class at gather here, which is super-exciting. I am thrilled to join Virginia and the rest of the awesome crafty folks at gather here on July 5th and 19th for what will be a super-fun class.

I am working on other projects, too, including bee blocks that I am embarrassingly late with, blocks for a throw for our sofa, some gifts for friends, and new softie designs (which I hope to unveil VERY soon). And oh yeah, there's been a lot of this, too:

Seriously, so much sand! And I am not a fan of the sand. Oh, the sacrifices we make! Heh! Hope you are all having a wonderful summer so far!

gathering for a good cause

2011-05-30T23:22:00.002-04:00

(This post is going to be quick & to the point. I am painfully sunburned and last week's stomach bug is back kicking my ass sideways. For once, I'll try make to friends with brevity.)

So there's this great crafty shop that opened up in Cambridge that is my dream come true of a place that carries fabric AND yarn and all sorts of supplies that is airy and colorful and friendly and a million sorts of awesome. Perhaps you've already heard of it. Well, the good folks at gather here are really cultivating a crafty community, and it is reinvigorating my interest in making stuff and being a part of that community. But more importantly though, as with most people who understand and value the importance of community, they are interested in helping out and making a difference on a grander scale. When they heard about the tornado that devastated Joplin, Missouri, they decided to start a fundraiser. I thought the least I could do was donate something. So I donated this wee lion quilt:

The quilt measures 36 x 44 inches and was inspired by this needlepoint pillow by Jonathan Adler. That pillow reminded me of some lion in an old board book I had as as wee way back in the 70's. It was an image that I needed to explore. When I made the blocks for the pseudo-Single Girl baby quilt, it all came together for me. I figured out how I would construct this quilt and was dying to do it. Essentially, the whole quilt is one big block comprised of 4 pieces. And it has floppy ears and appliquéd felt eyes, mouth, and cheeks for wee ones to play with, making it interactive as well as visually stimulating for them. Since I wanted to get it done and present it to the folks at gather here this weekend, I decided to try a machine-stitched binding for the first time. It was easy as pie and only took a matter of minutes to complete. It's just not as lovely as a hand-stitched binding, though. I am not 100% in love with how the back of the binding looks with the machine-stitching. Eh. My corners came out well, though. (So there's that.) And I am happy with the quilting. Echo lines are fun, yo! Overall, I am pretty pleased with how it came out and am thrilled to be able to donate this piece to such a worthwhile cause. If you're interested, please do check out the raffle.

bunting on the brain

2011-05-27T00:31:00.000-04:00

I cut and pieced the triangles for this quilt about a year ago when I had bunting on the brain and bad. I finally got around to finishing it last week. And just in time for my wee's transition into toddlerhood! At 43 1/2 x 53 1/2 inches, this quilt is the perfect size for what will soon become his little toddler bed. I always have to laugh at myself when a project languishes in WIP mode forever and then I'm able to finish it in one go. Why didn't I get around to it sooner? It feels like a bit of a relief to be able to cross that off the list of stuff to do. AND not only do I get the satisfaction of that, but lo! We have a finished quilt! And I rather like it:

For the back, I kept it simple with a super-soft flannel from Cloud 9. I'm not normally one to tout the wonders of organic whathaveyou, but seriously, this organic cotton is lovely stuff. Once washed, it softened up into the most buttery and delightful fabric without any fuzzing as sometimes happens with other flannels. And the print! How cute is this?

You also get a peek at the pieced binding in that shot. It was super-easy to chain-piece the 8-inch lengths together in alternating prints, though I did run out at the end and had to use a long length of the teal TaDot. Eep!

I debated whether or not to piece the strips of triangles together at odd angles to make it look like bunting draped here and there, but in the end went with parallel strips with descending distances between them. That structure was more in line with the crisp, ordered, modern look I wanted to achieve. Besides, when it's in use it kinda does that haphazard waving and draping, like flags flapping in the wind, on its own:

The kiddo certainly took to snuggling and snoozing in this right away. I think he likes it.

i love it when a plan comes together!

2011-05-16T12:18:00.000-04:00

I truly love it when this:

becomes this:

Have you ever improvised letters before? Try it. You will love it! It is such a fun project! Once again with this quilt as with my last, I enjoyed the process of creating it every step of the way, from picking out the fabrics and planning to constructing each letter to quilting the circles, as much as I am pleased with the finished object. Every night, I would work on a few letters. It was such a great way to end each day with an hour or so of sewing on a project that really engaged me.

This quilt was extra special for me because it was intended for a very good friend and her baby boy. This friend is a gem. She has always been kind and extremely generous to me (and to my kiddo). I wanted to make something unique and fun, something kinda playful but structured and modern. I think this fits that bill. I hope she loves it. I can't wait to meet her little one!

So the details: measuring 40 1/2 x 50 1/2 inches, my own design (improv letters), using a bunch of Kona cottons (Kona Coal for the background) and Michael Miller Ta-Dot! prints (with some scraps of Kei Honeycomb and Denyse Schmidt FMF here and there), backed with a Cloud 9 organic flannel bunny print (which I forgot to photograph - DOH!). It's a good size for a snuggly crib quilt that a little one will love come winter. And for now, it can be used as a visually-stimulating tummy-time playmat.

skittles ain't got nothing on this!

2011-05-02T23:31:00.000-04:00

Last weekend was amazing if exhausting. We celebrated the kiddo's birthday with family and a few friends in the backyard. I'm not one for birthday parties, but really this was just a great excuse to get together with some of our favorite people and hang. A few of our dear friends from NY were up here with us, and my sister and nephew stayed with us as well. Since I hadn't really planned on making a big production out of the gathering, I just needed a few ideas for simple but pretty and delicious foodstuffs. Pinterest to the rescue! So many great ideas abound there, like these rainbow fruit-kebobs. I also made these cupcakes, but I couldn't get the eyes to stick, which made them less adorable than the ones in the photo (but delicious nonetheless). Next year, I'm doing a little bit of prep and going balls out doing it up big time for the kiddo. I'm already planning....

nine

2011-05-02T00:14:00.000-04:00

Nine years ago, this little fella followed me home. He's been a huge and awesome part of our lives ever since. This weekend included lots of fetch in the backyard, being pet and played with by kids, and everyone feeding him melon and berries (his favorite). I've got one exhausted but happy dogger snoring away in the other room hopefully dreaming of all the fun he had and feeling very much loved.

one

2011-04-27T16:37:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's been a year. Feels like it was just yesterday that I held this wee person in my arms for the first time and told him that I love him. Happy birthday to my feisty little doodlebug! I love you lots, kiddo.

quick getaway

2011-04-24T09:17:00.000-04:00

We took a spontaneous little trip to Cape Cod for a couple of days. I had never been there before, and Matt thought it would be great to go in the off-season. It was so wonderful. We strolled on a few beaches and hiked along a trail. We ran into a fox that darted out in front of us and sat perfectly posed about 10 feet away from us watching as I pulled the camera out of my bag only to scamper away as soon as I took the lens cap off. We came across a gorgeous marsh with a chorus of hundreds of wee frogs at sunset. We waited for the wild turkey to cross the road. We let the kiddo walk along the shore, saw a whale in the distance doing its whale thang (which was kinda amazing), played with shells and pebbles, and ate the most fabulous crab cakes. If this is a taste of what this summer might hold, I am so looking forward to it.

and so baby quilt season begins

2011-04-17T16:29:00.000-04:00

Some projects are just happy-making every step of the way. This baby quilt is one of those joyous projects. After seeing so many Single Girl quilts on Flickr and Pinterest, I had to make my own, and I had to make it that very moment. I didn't use the actual pattern by Denyse Schmidt. I couldn't wait for it to be mailed. I just winged it and made my own template. Sewing curves is super-easy, so the rest was really a breeze to figure out and execute. My construction was a little different; I paper-pieced all the scrappy bits because it just made more sense and seemed easier to do so. I referred to the Single Girl Support Group on Flickr for tips and ideas on how to quilt it. I decided to follow Denyse Schmidt's plan for the quilting, but I didn't trace a ton of lines onto my top. I only traced the large rounded squares using my template as a guide, then used the quilting stick on my walking foot as a guide when making the echo lines.

Everything about this project (except for sewing curves) was new to me, and I really enjoyed the whole process. This is the first time I have ever gotten so fussy with the quilting itself, and I loved it. I am amazed that I have never used the quilting stick before for straight lines. I always mark them or sew 1/4 inch from the seams when quilting. Now I want to quilt everything like this! I figure since it only took me two sessions to quilt this in this fashion (an hour or so of quilting each night), maybe I can actually do a huge one for my own bed within a reasonable time frame so that I don't lose interest or momentum. Hmmm.... As soon as I finish up a few projects and bee blocks, I know what I'll be doing.

Overall, my proportions for the quilt are just slightly off from the original design/pattern. I think my scale is smaller by a couple of inches. Each block came out to 15 inches finished. The quilt measures 35 x 50 inches, which I think is a good size for a versatile quilt that can be easily rolled up for travel or used as a stroller quilt, etc. Since the recipient is a New Englander, I thought they would appreciate something that would keep their wee one warm everywhere, not just in the crib, which is also why the backing is one of my favorite flannel prints by Ann Kelle.

So one baby quilt down, three more to go!

a spring in my step

2011-03-30T21:32:00.002-04:00

Spring has sprung! Well, mostly kinda sorta.... I'm trying to finish up a couple of projects and catch up on bee blocks and get some new projects (both personal and professional) going. I'll spare you the laundry list of stuff to do and stuff in the works and just say that I'm savoring the sunny days and (slightly) warmer weather. Along with all the dreaming and planning and mapping out of gardens and quilts there is also a lot of singalong at the children's library and swinging in the playground and happy shrieks and laughter. I am savoring now. Hope you are, too.

i put a bird on it

2011-03-08T17:18:00.000-05:00

...and a mushroom and a (totally messed up) little owl, too. So you know how sometimes you'll see something at one of those evil big stores, and it's cute and snuggly and ON SALE. And you know how it goes with baby clothes. It's only going to fit for a couple of months, so if you're going to spend money on them, you want to spend as little as possible. Suddenly, your beliefs fly out the window as you're pulling out your wallet clutching a handful of cheap, wee pants that are all fleecey and warm and ZOMG! just the thing your kiddo needs. Then you get home, throw them in the wash, and find yourself getting hung up on the stupid logo that's stamped on it because for the love of crunchy how you hate logos. There's an easy solution, however - grab some felt and scissors and sew on some critters to cover up the crap. Each one only took a few minutes to cut and sew. My only issue was sewing them onto the the pants themselves. That was a little tricky what with getting the leg onto the arm of the machine and under needle and positioning everything just right so that I wouldn't sew any part of the pants onto themselves. Next time I might just hand stitch 'em on. It'll take a more time, but it will just look better. Not that it matters, really, as the kiddo doesn't demand perfection. He's an easy-going little fella:

Anne totally planted the seed for this idea in my head. When I saw her a couple of weekends ago, she suggested I sew some adorable little mushrooms as pockets onto the Snug I had just finished. I loved the idea but wasn't keen on sewing onto squishy garter stitch. I filed the suggestion away because I knew it had to work for something. Not that I made these into pockets, but they are patches where normally pockets would go:

a meaty feast for the feet

2011-03-06T10:10:00.000-05:00

pattern: toe-up socks w/ short row heels (see below for details)
designer: whoever invented knitting socks from the toe-up?
yarn: pigeonroof studios handspun in Ricochet (Corriedale) and Carnival (Shetland)
needles: Addi Turbo 32 inch circs in US size 3

Adrian made me do it. Or more specifically, she knit a ton of ridiculously beautiful socks using handspun that sparked an intense yearning in me for a pair of my own. Not being a spinner myself, I grabbed some pigeonroof I'd been saving for a rainy day and went to town. The thing was that I only had 127 yards of one and 136 of another, so if I wanted a complete pair of socks I would have to find a way to combine them. Not being all that savvy about the many different fibers, I thought the safest way to mix Corriedale and Shetland would be to use the Corriedale for the feet and Shetland for the cuffs. The colorways fortuitously had enough warm tones in common that they would work well together.

While looking up a tutorial for a refresher on a figure-8 cast-on, I came across the Easy Toe, by Wendy Johnson. How have I not been using this method for all of my socks? How?! I find the figure-8 a little fussy sometimes, but this? So easy! It truly is the easiest toe-up cast-on ever. I cast on 4 stitches when starting the toe, increasing 4 stitches every row until I had 20 stitches total. Then I increased 4 stitches every other row until I had a total of 40 stitches on the needles. I knit for about 5 inches, then worked a short row heel. Can I tell you how happy I am that I am no longer mystified by short row heels? I do wish that I had maybe made them just a stitch deeper and not so narrow at the point, but that's not such a big deal. I'll keep that in mind when knitting my next pair. I then went on to knit for 5 rows and work the cuff in a 1x1 rib, binding off with Elizabeth Zimmermann's sewn bind off, which works beautifully.

The resulting socks are dense and cozy and just delightful to wear around the house on cold, rainy mornings. Granted, they are meaty. We were joking at SPA about how you could knock someone out with one of them without even having to stuff the requisite rolls of quarters in them. They are way heavy. Wearing them, I can't even squeeze my feet into my loosest fitting clogs. Hence, they will be kick-around-at-home socks, which is kinda decadent and lovely. Once again, hooray for handspun socks!

the knit parade - snuggly snug

2011-03-02T23:22:00.002-05:00

pattern: Snug
designer: hinke
yarn: Quince & Co. Osprey in Chanterelle
needles: Addi Turbo 32 inch circs in US size 10.5
modifications: knit at a larger gauge and some quick, basic math (see last paragraph for the whole shebang)

This is truly the quickest, easiest, yet one of the most clever patterns I have knit to date. I love the design - there's some neat construction in there. And the instructions are so clear and concise! Love it! Because the kiddo was almost nine months when I finally got around to casting on for this, I had to make a few mods since the pattern is sized for a newborn - 6 month old. I went up a few needle sizes, used a heavier yarn, and tweaked the numbers ever so slightly (more on the numbers further below). The resulting sweater is a little big on him right now, but it will probably last him through next winter. The funny thing is that when I finished knitting the sweater about a week after I cast on, it fit him just right. The sleeves were a little long, but they were meant to be worn rolled up anyway. When I blocked it about a month later, the sweater really grew a few sizes. All the glorious garter stitch stretched like crazy adding a couple of inches here and a couple of inches there. Not a bad thing considering that I was worried that it might just fit him as I had let it languish for a month (maybe just a little more). The kiddo is swimming in it, but the effect is kind of adorable.

Lazy-ass knitter that I am, I let it hang around for yet another couple of weeks awaiting buttons. I even went and found the perfect buttons for it. See?

I am so not a fan of these little finishing details. Projects amass in a huge pile o' knit stuff before I suck it up and get on with the weaving in of ends and button-attaching and seam-sewing and crap like that. I try to be good about it, but really, I am just the worst. I even outsourced some seam-sewing to Stacie once while hanging out with her because I flaked on myself. That's right. I flaked on myself. I had been meaning to seam those dang arms for over a month, but by that point I knew it just wasn't going to happen because I couldn't seem to get it done.

So yeah, it's a good thing that this little sweater grew. Good on that garter stitch, and good on that wonderful yarn. Quince & Co.'s Osprey is just the squishiest, loveliest stuff to knit with. It's so perfect for snuggly baby sweaters. I love squeezing the dense fabric the Osprey + garter combo created. Even better when it's on the kiddo. So much squishy goodness going on there!

As for those mods, I just increased stitches accordingly in increments of four. For example, I cast on 40 instead of 32 (8 stitches increased). Where it says knit 20, I knit 24. I put 16 stitches on scrap yarn instead of 12. When picking up for the front flaps & hood, I picked up 40 from each side and 60 from the back for a total of 140 working stitches. I kinda winged the measurements. Instead of knitting 2 inches in garter at the beginning there, I knit 3 inches. I made the sleeves 8 inches long instead of 6 inches. It was all pretty basic and intuitive stuff. It worked! Hooray! One more sweater for the kiddo!

simple pleasures

2011-02-22T22:30:00.000-05:00

I never imagined that I would ever feel this way, much less announce it in a public forum, but I love making baby food. There is something so satisfying about pureeing the hell out of steamed veggies and fruits that have have been cooked into mushy bits.

spontaneous color

2011-02-20T12:43:00.000-05:00

It feels like forever since I've sewn anything. I've been itching for the stitching so badly. I have a bunch of bee blocks to finish, but feeling slightly rusty as I do, I decided to hone my skills and simultaneously exorcise myself of this insane and pressing need to make a quilt inspired by these Ellsworth Kelly paintings. Thanks to a conversation with Matt and the delightful evils of pinterest, I hatched up this crazy plan to make a bunch of quilts inspired by modern & contemporary art. Everyone has their project for the year, be it a year in photos or some group thing or whatnot. This is going to be my project. Originally, I wanted to do a quilt a month, but realistically speaking my time is way more limited these days so that plan might not work. I'll play it by ear and see what I can do.

Funny thing about the process - sewing this made me appreciate all the things I love about sewing. It reignited my passion. It reinforced the sweet satisfaction of perfect corners and reminded me of the simple loveliness of a fresh needle running through fabric. It's so wonderful to just get lost in the process of making something for a moment. And it's so rewarding to look at what you're making and enjoy how it's turning out. I love everything about this. (Well, maybe I need a better iron, but that's another story....)

This top, which has survived iron vomit (which made me flip my shit like a crazy person - I mean, really, tears were shed, panic ensued, it was nuts), coffee (I was apparently on a roll), and baby drool (the least offensive of all three substances), is this close to being done - I just need to add a white border. I'm debating whether to make it 2 inches or 4. As it is, the top is 64 x 64 inches, which I think is the biggest size I have worked with yet. I'm excited to finally make a big quilt. I'm hoping to finish it some time in the next few weeks. I'm not fond of sewing at night because the light here is not ideal and my eyes get tired, but I am looking forward to finishing this piece because I can tell I am going to love the hell out of it.

the knit parade - the silver lining in the ice cold douche

2011-02-19T12:07:00.000-05:00

pattern: none, just my own improvised recipe for a knee-high (see below)
designer: anyone who has ever knit a sock
yarn: Socks That Rock heavyweight in a colorway I forget (Lover's Lane, maybe?)

needles: Addi Turbo 32 inch circs in US size 3

The upside to having to go through wet bags and boxes of yarn and fabric and crap when the melting roof starts peeing on them is that you come across almost-finished projects from the long-long-ago - projects that you totally forgot about that are so close to being done that you are able to finish them in one night. These knee-highs were one down, one at the heel. Super easy, right? What took me so long? Maybe it was my fear of short row heels? It was a fear I easily conquered in one evening. Whatever mental block I had about doing them before melted away as I banged one out while knitting with a friend. Maybe I was over-thinking them?

I didn't use any pattern for this. I can't even remember what exactly I did, but it looks like I cast on 60 stitches, k1p1 for 2 inches, then decreased 2 stitches at the back every 10 rows until I was down to 50 stitches on the needles. I worked a short row heel, knit for another 5 inches, then worked a round toe. Simple. Fast. Efficient. They're cozy as all get-out, and I think they're the perfect socks to wear under Wellies. Hooray for lost projects found!

color week - thursday greens

2011-01-20T21:01:00.000-05:00

I saw the perfect shot today as I was walking to the subway - it was a bike with a bright green basket against a pile of snow. It stood out brilliantly against the soft piles of white. I framed it in my mind's eye and kept on walking because I had stupidly left my camera at home. This is my cop-out shot. It's not the shot I wanted, not the shot that made my heart suddenly flutter with joy, but it will do for now. And hey! I do so love my new glasses. Next time, though, I'm going to make sure to pack my camera.

color week - wednesday blues

2011-01-19T23:41:00.000-05:00

color week - tuesday white

2011-01-19T23:39:00.002-05:00

color week - monday reds

2011-01-18T10:33:00.000-05:00

Got a case of the winter blahs? It's color week over at poppytalk. Grab your camera and join in the color-y fun!

blue budgie

2011-01-04T20:50:00.000-05:00

pattern: Budgie

designer: grumperina

yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh Merino and some handspun by Krista of pigeonroof studios

needles: Addi Turbo 24 inch circs in US size 6 and Addi Turbo 40 inch circs in US size 5

modifications: Not so much a mod as a mistake that I'm, uh, calling a mod, yeah, that's it! I omitted the contrasting edge for the hem, the cuffs, and the neck. I am also flying in the face of conformity and eschewing the zipper (more on that below)

Originally, when I finished knitting this sweater three months ago, I had intended for it to be the wee one's Rhinebeck sweater. I had woven in the ends and blocked it just a couple of days ahead of schedule. I was so psyched! All I had to do was sew in the zipper. The problem was that I wasn't able to make it to the fabric shop before the weekend to pick one up. (The kid wore another sweater that I whipped up for him to the festival.) So it languished another week, and another week turned into another month when the zipper I finally managed to get was the wrong kind of zipper, i.e. not a separating zipper. When I finally got my act together and went to the fabric shop with the sole purpose of getting the right zipper (there were a few visits in between in which I frigging forgot to look for the damn zipper - derf), I couldn't find the right color. In the interest of having the kiddo wear this sweater before he outgrows it, I'm calling it done and saying, "Zipper? What zipper? We don't need no stinking zipper!"

Allow me to gush for a moment, because there's a lot to gush about. First of all, the pattern. Love it! I love everything about it. I love how well it was written. Let's hear it for clearly written, easy-to-follow instructions! I love its shape. I love its fit. I love its construction. I love the striping. I love how quickly it knit up. Love it, love it, LOVE IT! The only thing I plan to do differently when I knit this again (because I will knit this again - kids grow and stuff) is to knit the sleeves in the round only because I do not love seaming and don't mind a jog that wouldn't be all that visible anyway due to its position.

Now, onto the yarn.... Dude. Dude, really. Madelinetosh Tosh Merino is the squishiest most delightful stuff to knit with and so perfect for baby knits. When I saw this yarn in this colorway, I had to have it because it just begged to made into a baby sweater. Like the original Budgie, which we were fortunate enough to have received as a present from grumperina, who by the way has some super-awesome news, I opted to match it with a handspun, and lo! I had the perfect handspun for it. Granted, at the time, it was "in use" as a fugtastc hat that I never wore because it was ZOMGginormous. I performed a mercy frogging and put that yarn to much better use. I think it works well as a part of this combo. And can I say? I am shocked by the dearth of purple clothes for boys. There is so much dookie brown and boring navy and vomit olive, yet no purple. I could go on at length about how it bugs me that camo is so popular in boys' clothes yet there is not a drop of purple, but eh.... For now, I'll just say that this color combo pleases me immensely. And the kid? So cozy and happy in his sweater.

sparkle & shine - happy new year

2010-12-31T22:57:00.000-05:00

My only resolution this year is to embrace the awesome. That's all. Happy new year!

don't the holidays make you batty?

2010-12-28T22:52:00.000-05:00

Heh. So much hustle and bustle over here but also so much fun. We are happy, busy, and full of good stuff. This warm fuzzy feeling inside my chest - I want it with me always. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday and all the best in the new year. xoxox

gnome for the holidays

2010-12-24T19:11:00.001-05:00

pattern: Garden Gnome Hat
designer: Betsy Farquhar
yarn: Knit Picks Palette in Red & White
needles: Addi Turbo 16 inch circs in US sizes 0 and 2

modifications: I used size 0 needles for the ribbing and only knit 3 gnomes instead of 4, making it a much narrower hat, also making it a much longer hat

The wee was invited to a tea party today, and since the invitation called for fancy hats, I decided to kill not two but three, yes, three birds with one stone and knit him this gnome hat. First, I fell in love with this pattern the minute I saw it on ravelry. Second, not only would I fulfill my desire to knit this hat simply because I am so in love the design, but I was planning to knit the kiddo a holiday hat anyway. Third, well, fancy hat! Seriously, this hat is positively papal in length. Check out this action shot:

The kid is hanging out there in the carrier, and the hat is about halfway down his back. I kind of love it like that. Matt jokes that it's perfect because the kid now has a place to tuck away his dreadlocks. Heh. That and the first thing he said when he saw the kid wearing it was, "Oh, look at little Gnome Chomsky!" Double heh.

I have to say, for a moment there I wasn't sure I would have it finished and blocked in time for the party this morning, but fortunately I had a ton of time to finish knitting at the doctor's office yesterday. The sprinkles of happy on this whole project? Apparently, Knit Picks Palette is kind of awesome for knitting colorwork. It's nice and sticky, and it blocks beautifully. Did I mention that when placed over a hot air vent, it seemed to block in about an hour? No? Well, it did! This, of course, pleased me so very much. As for the kid, I'm not so sure how pleased he is with it since it is a little big:

Happy holidays, folks!

sanity prevails

2010-12-23T00:01:00.000-05:00

My goal was to finish this top tonight, but here it is nearly midnight, I am nowhere near done. You see, I decided to make it bigger. Hahahahahaha!

So the person I am making it for? Her birthday is in January. And we'll be all set for it then! Meanwhile, I think I'll stop by her favorite shop tomorrow....

night time is the right time...

2010-12-21T20:36:00.000-05:00

...for a little stealth crafting. Every night when the kiddo goes to sleep, I get to knit, and let me tell you, I am relishing every stitch. I'm hoping in the next hour to get him in bed and to put on Law & Order and finish this hat because I would love for him to wear it to the kiddies' tea party we're going to in a couple of days. For the record, this is no relation to that tea party - this is the kind where pretend tea is served to the wee ones and adults get to have actual tea or perhaps other beverages. Just wanted to be clear about that. Ahem.

Also on deck is this:

It goes without saying that I'm nuts, but this begs the question just how nuts. Why? Because I plan to have it done in the next 2 days. Or something like that. Heh. I'll settle for just finishing the top. It's going to be small. It's just a lap quilt. I think I can manage it. Only one way to find out. Let me get at it!

jingly balls

2010-12-20T00:23:00.000-05:00

So, what do you think of my balls? Heheh, I said "balls." When I saw these lovely fabric balls over at Urban Patchwork, I thought they would make a great gift for a baby.

Not only are they a fun tactile object that you can also make visually interesting using playful fabrics, but if you throw in a little jingly bell or two, as Jess suggested, they double as a rattle/sound ball. I didn't use a teeny plastic bag and instead bought a bunch of jingly cat toys so that the bells wouldn't be muffled:

Because I have decided that this will be the most fabulously laid-back, low-key holiday season ever at our place, I am all about the quick and easy projects. This is seriously one of the quickest, easiest projects ever. You can find the tutorial over here. Hope you're all having a wonderful and stress-free holiday season!

shhhh, don't tell the kiddo, but...

2010-12-14T23:18:00.000-05:00

I got him this awesome wooden stacker by Finns & Flowers at Picnic in Portland last weekend. I love the beautiful tonalities and the subtle variations in the texture of the wood. It's as much a piece of art as it is a toy.

overshot

2010-12-09T01:50:00.000-05:00

pattern: Thorpe
designer: Kirsten Kapur at Through the Loops
yarn: Madeline Tosh worsted merino and handspun by Krista of pigeonroof studios
needles: Crystal Palace 16 inch circs, US size 7

Here's one of those projects that I finished in October and am only getting around to photographing now. Funny thing about it, though, is that I overestimated the size by such a long shot that it still doesn't fit the wee. Eh. I know that within a month or two it will fit him perfectly. Let's take a moment to revel in its garter-y goodness:

I love this pattern so stinking much. That garter edge makes me all sorts of happy. Apparently, I'm not the only one who enjoys it:

minor adjustments

2010-12-08T01:25:00.000-05:00

Remember this hat? Well, just a week or so after Rhinebeck, tired of it falling off the kiddo's noggin, I quickly added earflaps and some i-cord ties to keep it in place. Now just a month and a half later, the hat is too small for him. Just as well, as it gives me an excuse to knit him another hat (or two - or more!).

I gotta warn you folks, while I have no intention of pontificating about motherhood here or sharing the details of my wee's every bodily function, I am going to be sharing a ton of baby knits and baby sewing projects and maybe the occasional story or tender tidbit because this little person is a huge part of my life. Not mentioning him at all for the sake of not boring or disappointing people would be strange. I only say this because in real life it feels like I've been written off by people since the kid came along. As much as I try not to take it personally since I understand that not everyone wants to hang out with someone who is tired yet over-enthusiastic and sadly under-socialized, much less hear about what the wee and I got up to (ooh, the library singalong - exciting!), it still stings. Also, I recently became aware that there are actually people who believe that once someone pops out a crotchfruit, their creative life dies, rendering them boring, milky pulp incapable of producing an iota of awesomeness. Funny that, considering I have a million and one ideas bouncing around right now. My struggle is with finding the time to execute them all, but I am making time here and there. While a lot of those ideas for projects are baby-related, the majority are not. Which is to say stick around, and I just may surprise you.

what I've been up to these days

2010-12-07T01:26:00.001-05:00

A little bit of this....

A little bit of that....

And a whole lot of the other. I have to admit, I'm enjoying this mom gig so much more than I ever thought I could. Oh, and there's a bunch of stuff I've knit that I keep meaning to share with you! Where do I begin?

slapdash and happy

2010-11-02T00:08:00.001-04:00

My favorite thing about the kiddo's costume yesterday? The fact that it took me about 15 minutes to put together. Sure, it wasn't the most creative, inventive, or intricate costume at the party yesterday, but it was a great improvisational piece. And boy, did my little dude make an adorable pirate! I might be biased, though. Ahem. Anyhoo, I actually surprised myself with my ability to whip up the hook and wee parrot without drawing a template for myself first or anything, just cutting shapes out of felt and banging them out after months away from making softies. It felt good - so very good. It felt like home. I'm totally looking forward to next Halloween now.

happy halloween!

2010-10-31T15:48:00.000-04:00

Watch out for wee pirates out looking for booty!

duck duck goose

2010-10-20T10:37:00.001-04:00

Well, would you look at that! It's that duck that every craft blogger was making like 4 or 5 years ago! We're calling it a gosling after coming across this book at the bookstore yesterday, which naturally, I had to get for the wee one. But still, this is the duck... you know the one... from that awesome nuigurumi book now out of print (but I think you can find the pattern in this book, too, if I recall correctly). It was the first gusseted toy I made, I believe, years ago when I first started sewing. For a while, it was my go-to toy to make for people's babies. In this instance, it is the first toy that I have made for my wee one. Shocking that it's taken me this long to get around to that. Even then, I sewed up the parts in a matter of minutes and left them waiting on my work table for over a week to be stuffed and pieced together. Gah.

I had all these grand plans for making the wee one a bunch of toys. Originally, I had hoped to crochet an amigurumi rattle for him during the ravelympics. (Yes, that's how long ago I've been meaning to get around to this.) I signed on for the Knit Toys team and picked out my pattern. I was psyched and set to go. Then, like those unfortunate skiers that fall about ten feet after the starting line and slide the whole way down on their butts, the sting of defeat punctuated by an icy cold douche, I stumbled as soon as I started and knew I wouldn't be able to finish in time. Other projects quickly piled up like a mini-avalanche, and before I knew it, I was out for sure. Besides, crocheting worsted weight yarn on a small hook to create a dense fabric always gives me claw-hand, and I am not so keen on that.

I decided it would be easier to sew a toy instead. I had a few ideas - a baby-friendly bat, a bunny rattle, a mini-critter to match one of the quilts I made for him. Meh. I wasn't able to get around to any of it. I am hoping to make up for that now, though, with whatever bits of time I can eke out here and there. Based on his response to this toy, I think it will be well worth it.

baby's first sheep & wool festival (a.k.a. - woo! RHINEBECK!!!!! yeah!)

2010-10-19T17:19:00.002-04:00

Where to start with the post-Rhinebeck post? It's like asking where to start with Rhinebeck itself? You want to be everywhere and see everyone and everything all at once. Let's find a thread and go with it, though, for the sake of some sort of flow. Let's start with the fact that I didn't take any photos. No sheep shots here, folks. Not for lack of wanting to, since I do so love gorgeous photos of our fuzzy wool-bearing friends. I did, however, meet a ton of people who I have been wanting to meet for so long and to reconnect with friends who I haven't seen in ages. It was delightful finally getting to meet so many people who I only know through this amazing internet thingamajig. Sadly, there were a few people who I didn't get a chance to meet or who I didn't even know were there. And I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked to with some folks. I was all buzzing and distracted, happily so though. Much fun was had, and I finally made it to the ravelry party, which was wonderful. Jess, Casey, Mary-Heather, Sarah, Kyle, Erica, Nancy, and Ysolda really busted their butts to put together a fabulous event for everyone.

In addition to the social aspect of it, this year Rhinebeck was all about it being someone's first sheep & wool event. So much so that I actually knit the first Rhinebeck sweater I have ever knit - for him. Thank crunchy it was a small one because I only decided to go for it at the very last possible minute. Or maybe it wasn't quite so last-minute, but knowing how bad I am about the finishing details I knew I would wait until the last possible second to sew the ribbons with snaps on them onto the placket. Speaking of the details....

pattern: February Baby Pullover in stockinette
designer: based on the pattern by Elizabeth Zimmermann (from Knitter's Almanac)
yarn: hello yarn in Thrive, spun by the übertalented and multicraftual Stacie
needles: Addi Turbo 16 inch circs US size 4

When Elizabeth Zimmermann calls her patterns "recipes," she is so spot-on. Well, but of course! She's Elizabeth Zimmermann, after all. What I did for this wee sweater was take the basic structure and number of stitches used for the February Baby Sweater and knit it in the round for a pullover with a placket (because babies have ginormous heads and need a little bit of room to pull that sweater on properly). Easy-peasy! I was done in just a couple of sessions. The yarn I used is some squishy and fabulous Thrive by hello yarn, as spun by Stacie, who rocks big time. It's such an autumnal colorway. The wee one was all matchy-matchy with the trees.

Because I was rushing, my stitching was a little sloppy on the ribbons of snaps:

I might rip 'em out and redo them at some point. Right now, they're doing their job brilliantly, and it's also the back of the sweater so I am not so invested in having it be perfect. Funny thing about the ribbon - that ribbon has been sitting around in my stash for years. It was a length of ribbon that was tied to some thing or another I bought at Barney's NY, and I kept it around because I figured that some day I would reuse it for something. Ten years later, it was the perfect match for this sweater. Being a hoarder has finally paid off! Woo! The snaps were so easy to attach to the ribbon, and now that I know how to do it, I am tempted to start making more baby items with snaps on them, like a romper... either striped or with colorwork... possibly with squirrels on it... using Quince & Co. Chickadee.... Hmmm....

To the drawing board with that idea! In the meanwhile, here's a shot of the sweater in action:

hatta boy!

2010-10-15T11:35:00.002-04:00

pattern: Giacomo's Baby Hat
designer: Whitney at the Purl Bee
yarn: Madeline Tosh worsted merino for the main color, scraps of handspun Pigeonroof Fiber & Hello Yarn for the colorwork
needles: Addi Turbo 16 inch circs, US size 2 for ribbing, US size 4 for the rest

This wee hat has been on my to-knit list for too long. All it took was a bunch of scraps of handspun and some MadTosh I had lying around. Two hours later, I was done. I can't believe it took me so long to get around to it! It was such a quick and satisfying knit. Granted, I wish I had chosen colors that had greater contrast, but overall I'm pleased with it. As is Finn.

See you guys at Rhinebeck!

you turn me inside out

2010-10-14T20:35:00.000-04:00

I love the way stranded knitting looks from the inside. Oh yeah, apparently in my zombified-by-insomnia state last night, I knit this wee hat.

i love our dahlias

2010-09-23T17:52:00.000-04:00

I am so grateful that when I was all super-bloated and about-to-pop pregnant and couldn't stand the thought of spending an afternoon on my knees in the garden planting the dahlia tubers that Matt was awesome enough to volunteer to plant them for me - and that he was cool enough to let me direct the process and tell him where to plant each one (because I like to arrange them by color - of course!). While the veggie patch is Matt's pride & joy, the dahlia patch is mine. There's something wonderful about being able to cut flowers from your own garden to brighten up the ol' kitchen table.

oh look! it's another baby quilt

2010-09-09T23:27:00.002-04:00

Only this one's not for my wee one. This one's for my friends Nico & Sara and their adorable 3 month old daughter who I met for the first time just last weekend when they were in town. I started this quilt just a couple of months after Finn was born, banging out a bunch of half-square triangles in an hour or so. I totally thought I would have the top finished in a day. Hah! Yeah, that didn't happen that way. I was lucky that I had the top pieced when they called week before last to let us know they would be around Labor Day weekend. I was able to whip up a backing and quilt it in a day. Measuring 32 x 40 inches, it's a pretty modest size for a baby quilt, but it works. I'm pretty pleased with it (as seen here being kindly held up by my mother-in-law):

So after I quilted this, bound it, and threw it in the wash, I came upon about 1/2 an inch of open binding in the front as I was folding it up to wrap it. DOH!!! Apparently, I missed a spot when I initially machine-stitched the binding in place. I thought I was pretty thorough, but I know something funny happened with the walking foot at one point. What could I do to salvage the quilt? I didn't want to have to completely rip out the binding and start anew. Besides, it was already all shrinkly and wonderful after doing its thing in the dryer. There was just this one mess-up. What to do? It was pretty clear and easy - use a piece of selvage as a sort of fabric band-aid to cover up the spot and reinforce the stitches beneath. And hey, it works as a design element, too! Erin suggested making this my finishing touch on all my quilts, and I gotta say I *LOVE* that idea.

I'd been meaning to make a quilt like this ever since I saw Hillary's doll quilt years ago. And I'm happy to say that my friends loved it. Now to finish the other two baby quilts I have in progress and get them out to my other friends before their babies are in college.

it's dahlia time!

2010-09-07T23:31:00.003-04:00

...and that means that Fall is right around the corner. I know as soon as these guys start blooming in force that Summer is just about over and we're only a sneeze away from decorative gourd season.

I've got a backlog of projects to talk about here that I hope to get around to soon. In the meanwhile, have you seen the trailer for the American remake of "Let the Right One In" yet? It's called "Let Me In," and it looks fantastically creepy. I can't wait to see this.

vintage inspiration

2010-08-18T00:34:00.001-04:00

We were in the Berkshires last weekend, and the house where we stayed has the most awesome little quilt hanging on the bedroom wall. Actually, I don't know if it's a mini quilt per se. It looks like it may just be a piece of a larger quilt that someone salvaged and framed. It's hand-quilted, and it looks like the diamonds may have been paper-pieced. Suffice it to say, if this was much larger, it must have entailed a ton of work. I love the design and am now daydreaming about making a quilt like this in modern fabrics.

zomg! bunneh!

2010-08-17T00:17:00.001-04:00

'Nuff said.

what happens when I stay up late

2010-08-11T07:43:00.000-04:00

How do you deal with a terrible case of insomnia? If you're me, you put that time to use by sewing sort of wonky log cabin squares to complete your KbeeC quilt. They're wonky(ish) blocks, so it doesn't matter that I'm all bleary-eyed and can't see straight. They're supposed to be weird and wonky! They're easy as pie, and I can churn them out super-fast and fuss-free. Once the kid is in bed - and thank crunchy he's a sound sleeper who gets in about a solid 6-8 hours at night - I stay up and sew for a couple of hours. That is if I'm not reading, drawing (I started that again), catching up on the internet, or, ahem, shopping for fabric online (but shhhhhh - let's not speak of that).

So back to the blocks.... You might recall that a few months ago, I signed up for a block swap/virtual quilting bee with some friends. For my month, I decided I wanted a bunch of wonky log cabin blocks a la Denyse Schmidt's Drunk Love in a Log Cabin. My bee buddies did an awesome job with their blocks. I had 28 wonderful blocks in the end. My original plan was to bang out a couple more to make it 30 and have the quilt be 5 x 6 blocks (approximately 60 x 72 inches). When my mother was visiting, I showed her the blocks, and she suggested I make it a little wider by adding another column. I figured I might as well. I had enough fabric to do so. Also, in this case a bigger quilt makes for a better quilt; the more blocks I have, the more delightful the mishmash of wonktastic squares. I can't wait to piece this all together! But first, I have to finish a few things for other people, including more bee blocks, a couple of baby quilts, and some toys for my own kiddo.... Seriously, how have I not made this kid a softie yet?

the joy of bouncy balls & other haikus

2010-08-10T07:05:00.000-04:00

So many fun bees going on these days! Recently, I joined One Scrappy Bee on flickr, and the first person I was to sew for was the immensely talented and prolific Chawne. She, being awesome as she is, chose a type of block that was fun, inventive, challenging, and inspiring - the word block! And shit-howdy did I enjoy sewing these word blocks! They were pretty easy to construct, only requiring a little bit of foresight. And there was a ton of freedom in choosing whatever words you wanted, as long as they weren't from recent popular culture. Lucky for me, too, that Chawne likes cheeky terms because I am all over that. It satisfies the poo-joke loving 5 year-old in me. I hope she likes the blocks I made as much as I liked making them. I only wish that I had given my "bounce" block a bit more bounce by not arranging the letters in such a static straight line. I'd love to play around more with letters some day. It would be exciting to experiment with thick and thin pieces and to play with negative space. There's a world of possibilities with this type of block. Speaking of possibilities, I leave you with this haiku I was inspired to write using the words I chose for the blocks:

when balls bounce with joy
they put a smile on your face
a psychic sacking

Wanna try your hand at a haiku? Feel free to leave one (or two - for balance, symmetry, and whatnot) in the comments!

summertime rolls

2010-08-09T07:55:00.000-04:00

Summer has been wonderful so far. Be back very soon, maybe this week. I've got a bunch of projects to share. In the meanwhile, hope you're having a great one.

beuys-y bees a'buzzing*

2010-06-29T08:23:00.001-04:00

Summer has rolled right on in, and the days have become a blur of outdoor stuff and baby-related activity. I finally managed to get some sewing time and finished my blocks for Jennie. While I was photographing them, Matt came home for lunch and stopped to admire them. "They remind me of Joseph Beuys." I can't believe I hadn't realized that myself earlier considering my fondness for modern cross quilts. Jennie was inspired by the graphic quality of the red cross and the interplay between negative & positive space. I hope she likes them as much as I enjoyed making them.

*I'm really going for the worst pun ever in my post titles, in case you haven't noticed.

fabric love

2010-06-28T01:52:00.003-04:00

I may have splurged and bought myself a whole lot of fabric for my birthday, as if I had the time to make anything with it all just yet. Anyhootle, I am completely smitten with Castle Peeps. I want to gaze at it all day - it gives me such crazy joy. I already have a couple of ideas as to what I want to make with this. Oh, I am dreaming and scheming, and this collection is all sorts of awesome.