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Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Working on a blouse

I wanted to test the fit of Butterick 5218 so I dug out some linen scrap fabric from two earlier projects. I was able to get the front, facing, and sleeves out of the toile.  I pieced the back by adding a CB seam and a seam crosswise about 5 inches above the hem. The collar & under collar were also cut from the black linen.

I'm using my vintage Singer 301A for the first time and it seems like a dream! I just love it.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Finished a lovely new shawl

I found Marly Bird's No Stopping Me Now shawl pattern and fell in love. Bought some Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable for the project. Colors I chose were Winery and Tidal. I think they are really pretty together!

The shawl was fun to crochet but the yarn makes it very difficult to rip out mistakes. But the finished product is lovely.

In progress
Finished except for running in the ends

This shawl is comfy to wrap around my neck for some color and a little warmth.

Friday, May 20, 2016

About to do some sewing

I was just hired as an office specialist (secretary) and need to beef up my professional wardrobe. I have a few patterns/fabrics ready and bought a few more at Joann's Fabrics yesterday.


100% Rayon, making the view on the bottom left. Pretty aqua and white fabric.

Making the view on the bottom left for this one, as well. 100% rayon, purple, pink, and aqua.

Knit for view on left, 94% poly, 6% spandex

Another Garter Stitch Shawl Completed!

Finished another MarlyBird Garter Stitch Shawl, this time for a belated birthday gift for my Grandma Hulda.

I chose colors that I hope she will love! All colors from Vanna's Choice yarn by Lion Brand.

The purple is a bit softer in person


Completed section two in this photo - on to seed stitch and i-cord bind off
All done except for running all the ends in!

Saturday, April 30, 2016

Yarn Day!

Today I went shopping for yarn and the types I wanted were on sale at Joann Fabrics. Found some great color combos for various gifts I need to make. I don't think the recipients read my blog so I feel pretty safe posting. If they do see they won't know what's for them anyway!

The shawls will be the Marly Bird Garter Stitch Shawl like the one I made myself already in the KAL. It's a fun pattern, a bit mindless, very relaxing, and turns out to be a nice shape with good drape. About to cast on one of the shawls this evening, as a matter of fact!

For a shawl

To make a cowl

Another shawl

Dishcloths / potholders / trivets

Cowl

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Pets & Messy living room

Joe & Emma snuggled in for a nap

Joe was so tired after going crazy in the dog park. I didn't know he could run so far and so fast!!!


Eeek! I have so much work to do to whip this mess into shape. We moved into a small space and I'm trying to fit in my sewing, journaling, and other hobbies into one spot.
The main point of this post is organization. I have a little tiny space (my living room) in which to fit all my sewing, knitting, crocheting, journaling, coloring, and computer, tv, playstations and wii. It's a lot! I'm going to take progress pictures as I go along.

First step is to find a desk that will fit through the door and put in in the place of my sewing table. I need a solid desktop to hold the sewing machine and serger both. Also, I need drawers or similar instead of just a table.

We are sharing my computer and stand up desk and it's helpful for saving floor space. I've got my most important books on the desk shelves and Tom's keeping his few books in the bedroom on the built-in dresser. Most of our books are in storage and will stay there.

I also need to think about where to store all my thesis stuff and get cracking on that. If I have any hope of finishing it I need to get busy. If I complete it over the summer, then I can get it to my committee this fall.

Well, that's where I'm at and feeling a bit stuck. Hopefully once I get the right furniture in place things will pick up again!

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Done with the shawl!!!


I finished the shawl and I just love how it turned out. I was dreading the i-cord bind off but it was actually fun. Maybe even my favorite part!

Check out Marly Bird's website and YouTube channel for great info, patterns, etc. for both knitting and crocheting.
 http://www.marlybird.com
 https://www.youtube.com/user/MarlyBird

Now I need to get my sewing space set up and get going on my projects. I need some blouses and to get energized for teaching since I'm going to be helping local 4-H members learn to sew in the next few months. So excited!

Friday, April 15, 2016

Shawl Progress

I've been knitting away on my shawl as time permits. It's a lot of fun and I like the colors together. I want to make another one in orange, yellow, and red if I can find some good colors. Moving interrupted my progress on the day before, the day of, and the day after. But I'm on the last mini section of week two now!

Progress as of April 9

My helpers!

Thursday, April 7, 2016

A knitted shawl

OK, so facing moving again is stressing me out. I wanted to de-stress and knitting's a great way to do that and then it's easy to move with a portable knitted project versus a whole sewing project.

Marly Bird posted about her garter stitch shawl KAL and I thought it looked fun and easy.

Walked on over to my local Hancock's fabrics, which is closing :-(, and purchased some Red Heart Soft and Vanna's Choice in colors I liked.

The shawl KAL is found here and here.  #MarlysShawlKAL

My color choices

First progress picture

Progress as of April 6, 2016

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Free class and giveaway

I signed up for a free class over at scrapbook.com and they are having a free giveaway:

https://wn.nr/zqPVPE

The free class is Inspired Faith and it's about Bible journaling. I'm excited to see more techniques. Right now my Bible journaling  is pretty simple.

Friday, April 1, 2016

Packing up & moving again

If you were to look back over my life and notice just how very many times I've moved, you might get the idea that I like moving.
However, I'm like most people and I dislike moving intensely.
Just as I was making headway on our apartment setup I find we are moving again. This time to Twin Falls! Thankfully movers are coming to pack us up, but I have 10 days to sort all my stuff into "taking to the trailer" and "moving into storage."
And I have to pack a few things myself - like Duffy's ashes, mementos, and his framed pictures.
Twin Falls is gorgeous if you like high desert and I really do. It's windier than Boise and right now is running about ten degrees cooler everyday.

Snake River

Perrine Bridge

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Cowls!

Finished a few Christmas at Sea neck cowls:

Used Wool-Ease (Lion Brand) on the left and Encore Plymouth on the right




Another Lion Brand Wool-Ease, different colorway

A friend saw the earlier cowls and asked if I could make her one in Seattle Seahawks colors. I found a bulky yarn at Hancock's Fabrics that had three colors that looked close.


Sunday, March 6, 2016

Making things for Christmas at Sea

I don't remember how I heard about Christmas at Sea, but as soon as I did I knew I wanted to knit and crochet some things for this great organization. I already have some Plymouth Encore and Kraemer Perfection on hand, both washable wool blends. There was a sale at the Hancock's by my house and so I picked up a few skeins of Wool-Ease.

Not shown is the grey Encore
I worked on their cowl pattern and finished two, one in a navy & blue twist and the other in grey.




The cowl is an easy and quick pattern to knit up. You can find more information about the group here, as well as their free patterns:
http://seamenschurch.org/christmas-at-sea

Friday, January 29, 2016

Planning my vintage projects


Bought a few vintage reproduction patterns during the last pattern sale and I'll be sewing them up for the #VintagePledge 2016.


Simplicity 1692, 1278, and 1012

I'll be sewing in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s with these three. I have some others that I intend to pull out of the stash if I'm able to get these three completed.

I love the neckline & arm details on 1692 and the neckline and hem details of 1278. I'm going to color block 1012 with some linen look I have on hand.

Excited to get started!


Sunday, January 24, 2016

Going to use flannel for my placemats

I was thinking about the almost finished placemats I bought at the Goodwill Outlet and what to use for batting. I don't really like fluffy placemats because then things are prone to tipping.

Searched on google and found a good post on Missouri Star Quilting Co.'s forum and some folks suggested flannel - eureka! I have two cotton flannel receiving blankets that I used with Duffy when he was sick and dying. So I can keep him close by re-using them in the placemats as batting.

Anyway, now I'm excited to get sewing and finish this project!

Well-washed so no further shrinkage!

Saturday, January 23, 2016

More from the fabric store

I found this knitting bag & accessories 
Dog costumes!

To develop for swim suits

No judgement if you love to dress up your canine friends. I don't - it's just not my thing. But then I was looking in the costume section of the McCall's book and saw an Olaf costume! I was squealing right there in the pattern department.

Joe's going to be dressed as Olaf for Halloween! And the costume shouldn't bother him much since he wears his sweater without complaining in cool weather. 

I'm going to make swimsuits for myself since they don't really fit and cost $$$. I like to wear shorts & a top since I love to do water aerobics and walking in the pool. I'll adapt the shorts to add a liner panty and use the top pattern on the right. I'll just order a good swim bra and not worry about support in the top. Of course, I'll line the swim top for modesty - some swim fabrics can get really see-through!

New projects

Since patterns were on sale at Hancock's, we went there (twice!) and picked out some winners.

My choices



One of the patterns, Simplicity 2289, was purchased so I could make some warm & snuggly tunics to throw on over my house clothes when walking Joe.

I bought the pattern on our first visit to Hancock's and then thought I ought to go get the fabric. Found a lot of nice fleece at $2.97 per yard or less!

Animal print with grey, brown, and black

Pretty blue, almost aqua.

A Minky-type fabric and so cute & colorful

More thrift store goodies

More from the Goodwill Outlet in Salem OR - pieced placemats. Only found 3 tops and 4 cut backs in the bins. Cute!  I don't need more than 2 placemats at a time anyway.

Backing pieces

One of the pieced tops


Friday, January 22, 2016

Such a long break!

Well, I'm sad to say that creating things took a back seat to work on my health. Glad to be feeling better but sorry I haven't made anything lately!

I visited my parents this last week and found a few things at the local Goodwill Outlet.

Singer 237
Missing a few things but I wanted to find a machine to try working on it.  My super nice 301 A has been refurbished and I won't be doing anything to it but oiling / cleaning, so I wanted a project machine. Hence the 237.

Back of 237

Case
The case smells of mold even though it's plastic so first I'll be cleaning and trying some odor removal products.

It has the plate, one foot, lots of bobbins, the spool pin, and the cord & presser foot

It's pretty clean

And the wheel turns freely
Here's a pic of my 301

Front