The Stitch Up

2020 End of Year Wrap Up

I didn't get as many Christmas crafts done as I had hoped this year however, my friend Teresa and I did do another Christmas themed craft exchange since last years Elf exchange went so well.  This year we decided on Christmas nesting dolls and we got crafty with it.

 

I decided to try making a set of dolls based on the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer cartoon.  I made Hervey the elf, Rudolph,  Yukon Cornelius, Sam the Snowman and the Abominable Snowman.  I'm not a skilled or practiced painter so I sketched things out a bit before I picked up the paint brush which helped.  Overall this was a really fun project and I'm happy with how everything came out.

 

My friend made a more traditional matroyshka style set of nesting dolls with a Christmas spin and they are so cute!

 

Teresa is pretty amazing with a paint brush.  I don't think the photo captures how perfect the tiniest nesting doll is, but it's amazing.

 

As always I had a lot more crafting planned for the Christmas season.  I wanted to make more progress on the table runner I started last year, plus FINALLY complete the tablecloth I've been planning for years.  But despite the fact that COVID has made this a much quieter Christmas season without as many social obligations, work and trying to get gifts out to everyone in time for the holidays put me off my game a bit. 

 

In general, this year was a learning one for me.  I had what I thought was a great plan to pick out 3 or 4 WIPS to do each season so I could really move through my backlog of projects.  And initially I had some good momentum and thought I'd really cracked the code on working through my stash. That lasted about one season. 

 

The WIPs I chose for the Spring season took much longer than I'd thought they would and it threw off my plan for the rest of the year.  The needlepoint bag and the knitted shawl are both still in progress - although the shawl is much closer to completion then the bag .

 

While I didn't get all the projects done that I'd hoped this year, I did learn quite a bit about pacing myself, setting realistic expectations and accepting that sometimes life will throw the occasional twists and turns that might change my plans.

 

I'm hoping to use all of those lessons in the New Year with my NEW PLANS to work through some WIPs. (Yes I am undaunted by last year!) I'm still focused on using the materials and projects that I currently have rather than buying new items - just another resolution to add to my list for 2021!

 

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year that brings health and happiness to all!  See you next year!  (Sorry I can't help myself)

It's a Wrap on Winter WIPs

I finally finished up my final two projects from my list of Winter WIPs - the patchwork bag and the lacy crochet scarf.  The bag was ultimately a really quick project once I got started.  I used a charm pack tutorial from the Missouri Star Quilt Company - the tutorial is quick and the instructor is great.

The embroidered squares are from vintage textiles that I cut up and the other squares are from scrap Amy Butler and other fabric.

For the lacy crochet scarf I wanted to use the Mrs. Moon pattern but I had a little trouble following the directions.  I think for new techniques I learn a lot easier by watching so I found a good youtube tutorial for a similar scarf by Wooly Wonders Crochet.

I need to block the scarf so that the shell pattern is a bit more distinct but I'm happy with the way that it turned out.

Now it's time to move on to Spring crafts but I think first I'm going to try and make some face masks.  It's another great stash busting project and I also just want to feel like there's something useful I can do right now.  

I hope that crafting is keeping everyone sane and focused right now and that the Spring weather will let us all get out and enjoy some sunshine!

 

 

 

New Year New Plan

Like so many other crafters I have a ton of WIPs - both projects that I've started and stalled on and projects where I've bought all the supplies but haven't found time to get the project underway.

My first effort to get make some headway on my WIPs was adding the progress bars to the side of the blog to publicly shame myself into getting to work on specific projects so the progress bars don't stay at 0% all month.  

My new plan is to basically work seasonally.  I'm going to pick 3 or 4 projects that inspire me that season and work to finish them before moving on to the next season and next group of WIPs.  Anything to get inspired and get moving!

The first season is of course - Winter.  It's kind of the perfect season to start this effort since the colder weather means a bit more time spent indoors cuddling next to the fire with some needlework.  I also just love this time of year.  I enjoy the quiet after the busy Christmas season, I LOVE setting goals and resolutions for the New Year and I have been inspired by the whole hygge movement to really indulge in creating a cozy experience during the winter months.

So my theme for the winter WIPS is "Cozy":

Yes, that is a vision board for my projects - I am SERIOUS about getting motivated!

The projects I've picked for this season are:

1. 2020 Tea Towel Calendar.  I've started on this tea towel calendar kit from SeptemberHouse.  I love her calendar kits - this has become something of a tradition for me and is usually the first project I'm working on each year.
2. The Long and Lacy Scarf by Mrs. Moon.  I picked a very pretty green yarn from my stash to use for this scarf and I'm excited to see how it comes out.  
3. Marimekko Tablecloth.  This isn't on the vision board as it's an older pattern so not on the Marimekko website and I didn't want to cut in to my fabric as I think it's currently the perfect length for a tablecloth.  But here is the fabric:

    I've gone back and forth on whether to add trim but I think I'm going to just stick with hemming the fabric.  It is perfect for a winter white theme so I want to get it on the table before we move into Spring.

    4.    Vintage Textile Bag.  My goal is to have one "upcycling" project each season.  For this season I want to use some of the vintage embroidered textiles I've bought over the years and make a bag similar to this or this.  Many of the textiles I've picked up are stained or ripped and can't be used for their original purpose as a pillow case or tablecloth for instance.  But I want to save the beautiful stitching so I think a project like this will work great!

So that's what I'll be working on - stay tuned for exciting updates to the progress bars and follow up posts on my (hopefully) finished projects.

I hope everyone's New Year is starting out great and that you are enjoying a productive start to your crafting year!

 

 

Late Summer WIP Update

Hi All!  Just thought I'd give an update on my previous WIPS and the new stuff I'm working on now.  First, a little embroidery:

I managed to finish this tea towel in time to check a few months off the calendar!  I love this pattern and I like the way the colors came together on it.  It's going to get framed, along with some other tea towels, in my craft room.

This next project, I did not blog about at all while I was making it because it was a gift and you just never know!  I made a baby quilt for some friends.  I had bought this fabric a while back, just because I thought it was adorable and knew that I would find something to make with it.  I actually used a bit when I made this project bag for myself.  It worked perfectly for a baby quilt.  I found a couple of organic cottons to mix with it at Joanns and a nice soft baby flannel for the back side so that the new little bundle would have a soft side to just cuddle.  I liked how bright and happy these colors are:

The new baby's name is Adelaide, hence the "A" I embroidered to personalize it a bit.  I love making baby quilts.  You get to use the cutest fabrics and the project always comes together pretty quickly.  I almost always use a play on this basic pattern.  It works great for a baby shower gift if you want to have everyone fill out a fabric square with best wishes for the new mom and baby and then sew them up together.  

Another project I started and finished before it hit the blog was this sampler:

 

This is a pattern that I designed and I plan to share in my next post.  I'm thinking to do a bit more detail in the orange flowers but haven't really decided yet.

The projects that are now "Works In Progress" are this cowboy boot embroidery pattern that I am planning to use for a bigger "Cowgirl Quilt" down the road:

I also have a fairly worn out sweater that I thought would be good to try a little crewel embroidery.  I've wanted to work on embellishing a sweater for a while and what better time than as we head into Fall?  I have a bunch of inspirational ideas saved on my Pinterest page here.  My favorites are this, this and this.  These are the colors I have to make a plan with - we'll see how inspiration strikes:

My last planned project is a snuggly cowl that will hopefully be done in time for the first Fall chill:

This is from the Crochet Boutique book which has a ton of great projects and I think that hot pink yarn is going to be really cute as a cowl.

I guess I have plenty to do!  It's always a little hard to change gears each season but we are soaking up the last of the Summer weather before we get ready to move into Fall.  

I hope everyone has a lovely Labor Day weekend!

Finished WIPS and the Holidays!

I managed to finish most of my works in progress before the Thanksgiving and Christmas craziness really got under way.  

I knocked out the two big applique squares for my planned "Best of the West" quilt.  They were really fun to do and I loved the way they came out.  They were a pretty good stash buster too!

I"m excited to put this together with some other squares and see how it all comes out.

I also made the grocery bag holder.  Let me just say that I had more problems with the elastic than I think I should have, but I managed to figure it out and it's working like a charm to cut down on the plastic bag clutter.

I also found a little time to put crochet trim on my cherry border tea towel.  

I still have not been brave enough to try the sock knitting pattern but I'm hoping to give it a shot after Christmas when everything calms down.  

We had a great Thanksgiving with lots of family and great food.  My plan now is to get into the full Christmas swing and knock out some holiday crafts.  Hopefully I'll have lots of fun stuff to post!

Lazy Virginia Afternoons

We took a drive through Virginia horse country a few weeks ago.  It's always beautiful and green and a lot quieter than the DC suburbs.

We started our drive the best way possible - with a stop for breakfast at The Apple House.  Their apple butter donuts are amazing and the sugar jolt gave us plenty of energy for the rest of the day.

 

What always amazes me about this area of Virginia is that you can be driving along through some little town in the middle of farm lands and come across some beautiful surprise.  

Driving through some back highways we came across the Waddell Memorial Presbyterian Church.  It looks like an old church from some English village, although as it was built in 1874 - it is an old church, just one nestled in the Virginia countryside.

We headed for downtown Culpepper for some lunch.  The area is picturesque with cute shops and as with many areas of Virginia - lots of Civil War history.

We had a couple of great burgers at The Stable and then took a stroll through downtown where we found My Secret Stash - cute store with vintage and antique goods as well as an old school candy bar.  The husband left with some lovely old maps and I left with a mix of pumpkin, gingerbread and chocolate mint malt balls.  

Our last stop on our country drive was Charlottesville.  A bigger town than the little spots where we'd spent most of the day, but we were in the neighborhood, they have a great downtown, and - I wanted to check out a yarn shop.  (of course.)

The Needle Lady has a great collection of yarns and some very nice and helpful staff.  I bought this yarn:

It is really soft and I thought it was going to be a bulky yarn. I planned to use it to crochet a cowl with this pattern from Handmade by Anne Potter.  However it turns out this yarn is a thick/thin yarn and trying to crochet with it was really a mess.  I made the cowl anyway using some basic Red Heart yarn I had around.  It came out cute, and I'm sure I'll get some use out of it this winter, but it doesn't have that snuggly bulky quality:

For the thick/thin yarn I did a little research on patterns.  Most suggested using really large knitting needles and a basic pattern - either straight knit or stockinette.  I started a scarf using size 15 needles and just knit stitches.  I've had to rip it out and restart a couple of times, as its a little tough to get used to the yarn and I want it to look symmetrical, but I think it's looking good now and I know it's going to be soft:

This is pretty amazing for me - to have two scarfs finished or almost finished before the cold weather really hits.  I'm trying to get organized now to start on some Christmas crafts.  It is early but it's the only way I'll get anything done in time.  

Hope everyone is enjoying the start of Fall and all the warm knits we can start wearing now!

February Projects

I've made my list of projects for the month along with my goal date to complete them and I've entered it all into my trusty Weave App.  I thought I'd list them out here so I can track my progress over the next few weeks and I can also use the motivation to get these projects done!

First up, Quilted Canister Sleeves.  This project by Handmade Mommy is so great if you've got jars or canisters on display in your kitchen.  My kitchen seems big to me compared to the kitchens in the condo and town houses we've lived in over the past few years.  But there is no dedicated pantry and I'm having to improvise space for things like flours and sugars.  Right now I have a collection of glass jars ready to be filled, sitting on top of my cabinets.

Since they are going to be out for everyone to see I've been looking for cute labels or something but these quilted labels are going to be perfect.  I sorted through my fabric and found these three fabrics that I think will look good and match my kitchen:

I haven't decided if I'll just use the fabric labels as the pattern suggests or embroider the labels, but I'm anxious to see this complete.

Second up is a variety of projects for my sewing room.  I need a sewing machine cover and I also want to make up a few matching storage and organizing items.  Stitch Magazine has a great idea for a sewing machine cover - it combines a cover with an organizer:

It is really cute!  After I choose fabrics for this project I'm going to decide on fabrics for some embroidery hoop wall organizers that are also from Stitch magazine:

and also patterns for a pencil holder and some baskets from 1 2 3 Sew, a great book with some easy home decorating patterns.

The last project I'd like to get done this month is a set of throw pillows for our basement.  We have a sort of outdoors theme downstairs and my plan is to make denim pillows and embroider a few wildlife patterns onto them.  A couple of the patterns I"m thinking of useing are:

and

We'll see how these turn out.  I don't really have a pattern for the pillows, I'll just be winging it more or less.

In addition to my February projects I have some ongoing items that don't have a deadline. I like to have something to work on in front of the tv at night after work so I'm going to still be poking along on my tea towel,

And I barely started this Soft As Lamb scarf, but even though it's supposed to be easy, I'm thinking to switch to a cowl I saw on Lion Brand which looks like it might be a little simpler.  Either way I haven't made much progress as SOMEONE thinks any yarn movement is an invitation for attack:

The last thing I'll be working on is another Spanish Quilt Square.  This one will be the Infanta by Velazquez:

I'm hoping to have that started by the end of the month.

I've got a lot to keep me busy this month and I"m hoping it will all get done before my Weave app starts sending me notifications that I'm behind!

Hooked it UP!!

Another project done.  I shock myself.  This time it's a crochet project, but just like my last project the timing is a little off.  I probably won't be wearing a snow hat anytime soon, but I like to think that I'm really ahead of schedule rather than woefully behind. 

This was my first time crocheting in the round or making a hat so I used this book for reference:

  

I really liked this book.  It had specific instructions, but also provided different ways to individualize your hat - you could make it a bit long to roll it up, make it a straight pull on with a finished edge and make some different flowers or leafs to pretty up the hat if you felt the urge.  I made a roll up version with a flower and leaf on a pin to make it a little bit "special".

   

That's the finished product and here's my attempt to capture the hat in action with my iPhone:

 

Normally I don't wear a hat and jacket in the bathroom but it seemed the best mirror for a self portrait.

I'm pretty pleased to have finished another project and now I'm on to finishing up the sampler I started a year ago in my class at the Royal School of Needlework in England.  I'm really looking forward to finishing this sampler and getting it framed and on the wall!  

I've seen on some of the craft blogs that I read, bloggers keeping a list of the projects they are working on and plan to start posted on their blog.  I'm torn on whether this would be motivational or just stress me out and make me realize that I dawdle forever on some pretty simple projects.  I keep a written list of things I am working on and want to work on but it's pretty easy to just avoid looking at that list and no one else sees it and realizes that I haven't done anything for weeks (and sometimes months) at a time.  I'll have to give this some more thought.

In the mean time I need a project to work on after the sampler that might be seasonly appropriate.  Something related to Spring or Summer?  Feel free to offer any suggestions!