MacGyver'd knitting needle

Didn't get home before crafting night to pick up supplies, but since I
had bought the yarn that day figured I'd be OK if I could borrow some
needles.

Texted Cheryl to see if she had size 11 I could borrow. She did.

Perhaps I didn't specify needleS. Turns out a pencil is a perfectly
serviceable US size 11 :)

Quilt Squares

I was worried about lining up the quilt squares. I've had some successes:



And some disappointments:



It turns out that a lot just depends on how carefully I cut the squares to begin with. I thought I was very careful when I cut, but apparently not careful enough. I've sewed fairly consistent 1/4" seams, so that hasn't been the issue. And, as I've read, the fabric can be stretched a little when necessary. Emma's patchworking mum told me to pin the meeting points, but I'm regrettably too lazy to do that, so I'll live with the disappointments. In general I'm pleased.

Impromptu Rocket Shirt

She was feeling left out with all the quilting, so she asked for a "rocket shirt." I found an old pink t-shirt, cut out some felt pieces from my stash, and sewed them on. (The rocket was inspired by an old Tinyprints birthday invitation.) I've washed it once, and the felt looks ok so far. She was happy enough to let me sew a few more rows.

javascript:void(0)

Next Quilt, Part I

B. decided he also wanted a quilt for his birthday. Knowing that I am usually late with handmade gifts, he wrote a note telling me to start the quilt on December 30. Needless to say, I did not. His birthday is on Valentine's Day, and unless the fairies give me a hand, it will be late.

But in early January, I did take him to the fabric store to let him choose the fabrics for his orange and blue quilt (his favorite colors). Instead he chose something very different. The fabrics are all his, except that I added the black and green print, and I convinced him to omit the red fabric he liked. The purple surprised me, but it works.



We are placing the squares fairly randomly. He draws from seven pieces of paper to determine the next fabric square, but we've agreed that we don't want two identical squares next to each other. I am sewing strips of 9 squares to allow us to rearrange as we want (each row will be 18 squares across). This is my (legitimate?) excuse for not chain piecing.

wallets

I decided to make a wallet with some great upholstery fabric remnants I had. I went searching around for ideas online and then remembered seeing one I loved while shopping patchwork last year. I found the woman's business card in my stash and looked at her shop on etsy - amdcustomdesign but she no longer is selling. I hope she'd be flattered by the copy...

I made two. The first is a billfold with room for a few credit cards. The second a coin purse to replace one Cheryl had stolen at the farmer's market. Moments after these photos were taken, the coin purse disappeared. I'm not kidding.

Patchwork Tooth Fairy Pillow

Our friend Christie made this great pillow--I hope to make one as well. I'd better get on it, as I hear that B's teeth are just the slightest bit wiggly.

She said she was hanging on to a stack of baby clothes, so she searched the Web for crafting ideas and found a photo of a beautiful little blanket made from squares of baby clothes sewn together.

Two years later, with news of her firstborn's wiggly tooth, she pulled out the nine finished squares of the baby "blanket" and decided on a tooth pillow instead.

To make the pillow, she sorted through the clothes and pulled out favorites, especially those with embellishments or pockets. She cut 3.5" squares of fabric to accommodate the largest pocket. She backed each square with plain white cotton and stitched just inside each patch. She says she sewed it all by hand so she could be in the same room as the kids. She then backed the nine patches with cotton and stuffed it with organic cotton balls.



I might have enough saved baby clothes to make a queen-sized quilt, but I love this idea. I just hope B's teeth stay put until after his 6th birthday, as I need to finish (and start) working on his birthday present first.

Albatross Scarf

The Albatross Scarf is done.



This was a Mother's Day gift to my mother...last Mother's Day. It became a combined Mother's Day / birthday gift (her birthday is in January). At least I didn't promise it for Christmas. I didn't think it would be so difficult, but I was unable to follow a simple set of directions for odd rows and then simply knit on even rows. I have, however, learned a great deal about frogging and getting everything back on the needles.

I found the pattern on Purlbee.