Happy Halloween!

It's Halloween, so here's my Sinister Swarm Washi.  I was just going to wear black, but then realized this was actually clean!  How could you pass up that?

Spooooooky black knitting on my needles.  Not really spooky, but black and gray, and I think that counts.  It's a Chunky Dean Street hat for my little dude out of some Wool-ease I found in my stash.  I love this fast knitting with chunky yarn and giant needles.  

And here's that Bimaa I miffed the cutting on earlier in the week.  All finished, with a little bit of breakfast already on the tummy.  That's how you can tell a good piece of clothing, when it gets dirty fast.  

Here's the back.  I'd cut two fronts and sewn it all up, only realizing the mistake when the collar didn't go on right.  Duh!  So I took the two pattern pieces, traced the difference, and added some seam allowance.  The result is that little semi-circle seam at the top of her back.  Easy, and I only had to pull a few stitches out of the shoulders to sew in my patch.

Here's her scary face.  It's actually really scary.  How does a two-year-old know the Children of the Corn look?

Happy Halloween!!!

Linking up with Live a Colorful Life for Really Random Thursday!

WIP Wednesday!

Lots still going on around here.  I'm pretty sure that'll be the way things go until after Christmas is done.  Who am I kidding?  I'll probably have at least five projects going no matter what time of year it is.  

Anyway, I finally dug through my chest of yarn and found a lot of beauties that I'd completely forgotten about.  Most of these are from the days after I had an income, but no real financial responsibilities (the good ole days), so I'd go to the fancy yarn shop and buy balls of yarn.  I found two balls of baby alpaca, some mohair, and I can't remember what that colorful one in the center is, but it came from the same place, so fancy!

I never actually knitted anything with them, and just hoarded until now.  Kids are in need of hats, so I'll be working through this pile and perfecting my hat knitting.

This stack of square is going to slowly become an amazing quilt.  It's for a certain someone who might read this, so this is all the peek you get!

One inch squares!  Eep!

And this is the most insane project.  I was so obsessed with the Hello Kitty pixel quilt and the Pinkie Pie pixel quilt, that a friend suggested we make one ourselves.  Luckily my little girl is in love with Pinkie Pie too, and will be needing a bed quilt soon.  We're hoping to get this finished by Christmas, but the best thing about 2-year-olds is that they rarely carry around calendars and don't hold grudges if gifts arrive late.  

Linking up with Lee for WIP Wednesday!

One of Those Days...

Did you ever have one of those days that just sucks?  Here's mine.

That there is a pair of Parsley Pants that I had mostly sewed over the weekend, and I just needed to sew in the elastic waistband.  So I sat down to my machine, very carefully measured and pressed, then sewed the elastic in the front instead of the back.  Yep, that happened.

After that, I decided to just sew up a Bimaa, because it's a pretty easy and quick pattern.  So I got out my fabric and pattern, and cut two fronts instead of a front and back.  Arg!  And what's worse, is that I didn't realize it until I'd already sewed everything together and was trying to attach the neckline.  And I sewed all those seams with extra reinforcing, because I did it on my straight stitch machine.  And I don't have enough fabric to cut a new back even if I could rip out all those stitches.

But you know what?  Tomorrow, when I get back to it, I'm just going to rip out some stitches and re-position that elastic.  And I'm going to try that Bimaa on my little girl, because I bet it can be salvaged.  I might even write up my "super new fancy way to customize your Bimaa" like I meant to do that all along.  ;)

Finish It Up Friday: Kids Clothes Week Edition

There's still two more days of Kids Clothes Week, but here's what I've gotten finished so far. 

There's two t-shirts, a Bimaa sweatshirt, two jumpers, and a pair of Parsley Pants. 

I have two more pairs of Parsley pants cut out and ready to sew later today. And I found a great sparkly knit that would be perfect for another Bimaa. I might try the cowl neckline if I have enough fabric. 

Linking up with Amanda Jean for Finish It Up Friday!
 

Kids Clothes Week: Crazy Stripey Jumper!!

Another finish for Kids Clothes Week.  I struggled with what to do with this fabric.  It's a random remnant that I found at Joann's that happened to find it's way into my cart.  I loved the pattern but it was kind of busy, so I thought I'd make a small library bag for her, but when I washed it, it turned into the softest corduroy I've ever felt.  So clothes it was.

I was thinking at first to make a simple skirt, but that would leave me with more scrap than I'd like, but not enough to do anything with.  So I found this top from Prudent Baby and thought it would be a good challenge to upsize it.  

I didn't print it out (because that seemed like more work), instead I pulled up the pattern pages full screen and sketched out a copy freehand. I double checked my pattern against her measurements, then had her try it on again before cutting out the neck pieces.  

It went pretty well.  I only altered the armpits, because they ended up being more of a "V" instead of a "U".

I may have bribed her with promises of cookies and fake mustaches.  Whatever works!

Linking up with My Quilt Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday!

WIP Wednesday: KCW Edition!

Kids Clothes week is in full swing!  I set myself up for a couple quick finishes on Monday, which just got me all excited to make more.  Apparently, accomplishing stuff is addictive.

This is the stack that I'm planning on cutting into next.  The top two are flannels that will either become more tunics from a self-drafted pattern or button up flannels a la the Ethan Shirt that was in the SewFab bundle.  (They seriously planned that well!)

The middle two are quilters't cotton for dresses or skirts, and the bottom is a corduroy that I'll either make into Parsley pants, a dress, or both.

These jumpers are just waiting on hems and buttons.  Both are drawn myself, but the purple is based on the Olivia top from Craftiness is Not Optional.  And the stripes is based on the Snappy Toddler top from Prudent Baby, but I had to upsize it a lot, so I basically just winged it.

I feel bad about leaving the little dude out of most of my sewing, but he has so many hand-me-downs still to go through, that it's just silly to make him clothes.  I did find this t-shirt at the thrift store and had to re-cut it for him.  I love how it fits (tees are so hard to get right when you don't have a huge size to start with), and he won't stop wearing it.  I haven't been able to hem it because he wants to wear it all the time, so it might just go unhemmed.  

Linking up with Lee for WIP Wednesday!

Kids Clothes Week: Bimaa Sweatshirt

Starting off Kids Clothes Week with a Bimaa sweater and some Parsley Pants!  Okay, so it's Tuesday, and technically the second day of KWC, but just ignore that.

I'm totally in love with the Bimaa pattern.  I was really excited that it was included in the SewFab bundle (which isn't available anymore, but the link has all the patterns), but it looked more complicated than my usual kids' patterns.  But I had this cute pink sweatshirt material (bought at Joann's from the remnant bin - Jackpot!) so I figured it was worth a try.  I cut all the pieces the night before sewing, and the actual sewing only took about an hour.  Amazing!

I actually measured the little girl before cutting.  She has a 21 inch chest, so the pattern recommends cutting the 2T size, but she usually wears a 4T because of her height, so I went with that size instead.  The worst that happens is that she'd wear it next year if it was too big.  But it turned out perfect for right now.  I might make the next size up the next time so there's more growing room.

 I went with the shawl collar, because I didn't have enough fabric to cut the cowl or hood.  I actually had to cut one of the shawl pieces in two parts and stitch them together.  It was just under a yard of fabric, so a yard would probably be just right to make this again.

And of course, the Parsley Pants.  They're just the perfect fit.  And I love the piped pockets.  I may try the other styles eventually, but I'm obsessed with piping.  

Penny Patch Quilt-A-Long (because I need just one more project)

I do a lot of just sew and sew and maybe finish by this date.  Or sew and sew and eventually get it done, but there's no deadline.

And I like that there are few stakes in my sewing.  No one is going cold, hungry, or naked because I'm not sewing fast enough, but it would be nice to have someone else dictate my to do list for a bit.

So I'm joining the Penny Patch Quilt-a-Long over at Stitched in Color.  Her schedule looks pretty easy, and it will get me a whole quilt done by Christmas, just in case I need another present. (I always seem to leave someone off my Christmas shopping list and then have to scramble to find a present the day before.)

I think this palette will be pretty fun if I end up keeping it for myself, but would probably work for anyone that might need a last minute gift.  And I think I have all those colors in my stash except for that brown.

Want to join?  Looks like fun!  All the cool kids are doing it!

EZ Mitts!

 

I have a bit of a mitten problem.  These are so easy to make that I keep making them, though my wrist would prefer I take a short break.

The pattern is from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac, which a friend conveniently had and was willing to dig out for me.  Elizabeth had a serious thing for easy, quick knits that don't look like you just whipped them up, and these are the perfect example of that.  

They're just a tube, but the pattern of increases and decreases angles the tube, so you get a fun shape at the bottom and the stitches are on a diagonal.  And the increases and decreases are the simplest ones I've ever seen.  And, because you just repeat a row of decreases and a row of straight knit until it reaches your pinkie, then eliminate the increases, I don't have to look at the pattern at all to remember where I am.  I've just been shoving the knitting in my bag, instead of the whole knitting pouch with tools and patterns and counters.  Freedom!!

I dreaded the thumb, though.  You add it after by just snipping a stitch where you want the thumb to be, unraveling 15 stitches, and then picking them up to knit.   I had to have a friend do it for me.  It's just wrong to cut into the middle of your knitting!  Of course, it worked out, though I think the thumb on these purple ones is a row too short.  (Here's a great explanation of how to do it at the Purl Bee.  Also, I need to figure out how to finish the thumb like they do.)

Currently on my second of the seafoam mitts.  That makes four mittens in less than a week (not to mention the scarf I finished before starting the purples), no wonder my whole arm is sore!  I'm going to finish these and then get back to sewing.

Linking up with The Train to Crazy for Make It Wear It Thursday and Live a Colorful Life for Really Random Thursday!

WIP Wednesday

Last week I realized that it was getting really close to Thanksgiving.  Not a big deal, but we do Christmas at Thanksgiving!  Panic!  

So I started busting out Christmas presents like whoa!  I knitted up the blue (or indigo, or purple, depending on your light) mittens over the weekend using a pattern from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac.  It was pretty nice sitting around the house, watching football, drinking beer, and knitting.  I don't know why I don't do it more often. 

The first pair came out so nicely and quickly that I decided to make a second pair out of the seafoam green.  It's so satisfying to start crossing projects off the list.

And this beauty just needs a border or two, and then I can quilt and bind it.  I thought that it would be more difficult to piece all those triangles and have the points match, but it was no harder than squares.  Might be my go to patchwork shape from now on.

And I have a couple Quilts For Boston to quilt up.  I'm hoping to get this one done by the weekend and my second one done by the end of the month.  That's the goal, but who knows if I'll suddenly realize that I have four more projects to finish for Christmas.  

My favorite little piece on the Boston quilt.  I'm going to like quilting this one.

Linking up with Lee for WIP Wednesday!

Scrap Happy Purse Pattern!

So remember way back when I cut into some pieces of my Flea Market Fancy?  It was to make this!!  It's the Scrap Happy Purse from Amanda Jean over at Crazy Mom Quilts.  The second she posted a picture of her version on Instagram asking for pattern testers, I was in.  It's such a cute bag, why wouldn't I want to make my own!

The pattern was really easy to follow, it's mostly a basic tote, with a great outer layer.  I was able to use a bunch of scraps I'd gotten in a scrap pack from the Anna Maria Horner store clean out a couple months back.  I'd been saving them for just the right project, and this was perfect.  Then, I added a couple charms I'd gotten; two were the FMF, but there was also an AMH velour, a couple Tula Pink prints, and some dots.

All that quilting is really awesome too.  Because it's quilted so densely onto batting, it pretty much has all the stability I'd want.  And then, when you add the home dec weight lining, you have a bag that will really take a beating.  I've been toting it around for a while, and it's been great. 

I love the size of this tote.  I can carry around a book or a small knitting project, or I can just tuck in a diaper and wipes if I'm doing a quick trip with the toddler.  I'll probably make another of these because I have plenty of scraps, but I might have to add a couple more pockets because I can never have too many pockets.

The pattern is available here. 

Thanks Amanda Jean for letting me test for you!

Linking up with Quilt Story for Fabric Tuesday and Funky Polka Dot Giraffe for Too Cute Tuesday and My Quilt Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday!