New dishcloths

 When I washed my dishcloths a couple days ago I noticed that they weren't looking that great anymore and would need to be replaced soon. I remember that I had save a dishcloth pattern that I knew I wanted to try out. So I pulled out the yarn, when online to the pattern and got busy. As a result I now have 7 new dishcloths ready to go. The seventh got made the opposite colour way as it's just the way it worked out with the yarn I had on hand.

Pattern--Rustic farmhouse dishcloth pattern October 23, 2018 (free pattern on her blog)

Colours used--salt and pepper and sky from Bernat handicotton yarn and a 5.5mm crochet hook.

They are on the larger size-about 11 inch square finished. I did want to try making and using a larger size cloth so I figure this pattern was perfect for it. It wouldn't take much to adjust the pattern to make them smaller if you wished.

rug making

 We had lived in a place that needed a odd size bathmat size rug so I pulled out some cotton yarn used for making dishcloths and wiped up a bathmat. We liked the feel of it under our feet so I have been knitting new ones when needed and it was time to replace it again.

So I got two large balls of bernat handicrafter cotton in their surf and sand colour using two strands of cotton together. I knitted every row for the first 6 and for the last 6 to add a little border to the ends of the rug.

Little bit more crafting 2020

Youngest DD is a December birthday girl and her birthday is a couple days after Christmas. She is also a book lover so when I saw this sticker I knew it would be perfect for her b-card. 

 

Although I was done with Christmas crafting awhile ago I had the idea lately that I needed to make something for my dear granddaughters other grandmother. You see in August her other set of grandparents/dad and their neighbour lost their homes to a fire caused by a electrical wire that ran between their homes.  They were not able to save anything. 

She posted pictures of their new tree and decorations and mention how she missed her special ornaments. Her and her husband both served in the army and collected ornaments from areas they served in. It than hit me that there was another ornament that will be missing from their tree. The ornaments we purchased to hang on our trees in memory of our other granddaughter that we lost at 4 months.

An ornament that I have made in the pass for others came to mind and so I made her one as well. It's a simple clear plastic with a simple white feather in it and a poem that starts with "A feather from heaven" On the back of the poem I wrote our granddaughters full name and birth and death info onto it.

In November I took part in a sew/quilt along from Border creek station called

Let's Get Frosty!

I used Dream floral cream and Mona cotton in Ocean to make it. 

Had to use the chair to take a picture as the dinning room table is cover with tins waiting to be filled for gifting.

Took a little longer than planned to get it quilted but it's done and am happy with the colours I choose. Think it goes well with my grandmother's china.

 

Christmas placemats

This year I have been trying to use up some of the fabrics laying around in my sewing room and figure it would be nice to have some Christmas placemats.

So I when looking for a pattern and found the centre block called Christmas star by Rose Johnston. It's a paper piece pattern and comes in four sizes. I choose to do the 10 inch block.

Had some cream and black Santa fabric made exclusive to Fabricland that I used for the backing. Since I simply did a quilt in the ditch I figured I could make them reversible. 

I only had enough fabric to make two placemats but than again its just me and DH for dinners. I had a little bit of fabric left over so I made a little square to stick under something like a vase or table lamp in the living room. I used three of the fabrics for the front and the fourth(dark grey/black) on the placemat as the backing for the square pad. 

Binding on the placemats is the cream/pale grey fabric used in the stars. 

 

Christmas socks

So I decided to make myself a pair of Christmas socks. 

The yarn is from West Yorkshire Spinners Signature Sparkle 4 ply

Yarn is called Fairy lights sparkle

The picture of the socks doesn't give the true colour of the yarn as the colours look lighter than they are.

So I took a picture of the yarn which shows the true colours a little better.

 

Woodland Echoes quilt

 

A couple years ago I purchased the Woodland Echoes quilt kit in the ice colour story. It was one of the two colour ways the quilt store was offering it in a kit. Pattern/kit is from the Robert Kaufman fabric company and the pattern is free on their website if interested.

Finally found the time to sit down and make the top. Thank goodness for taking pictures as it helps you to see your mistakes. I found once it was all together that I had the two bottom corner blocks in wrong. Still need to give that area another press but will most likely to wait to do it till I am ready to quilt it. 

The kit the quilt shop made up left no room for error I found so thankfully I didn't make any.

Have the backing and the binding but will need to wait till my shoulder is a little more healed before I can tackle any actual quilting (Dr orders) but that's ok. It will be a wedding gift for one of my grandchildren down the road. In the mean time I have other quilt tops that need to be put together for oldest DS and 3 other grandchildren.

I did also pick up another centre panel in the winter colour stay thinking I would maybe do a pillow front from it. However I try to make a pillowcase from the left over fabric for the quilts I make and give. Since I am unable to I might just use the panel to make it.

Me and birthday knitting

 The bandana cowl is a gift I made for my youngest DD December birthday. Pattern is from Purl Bee/Purl Soho. I used Alpaca Drift yarn in frost. Using one ball and the yarn matched the gauge on same size needle as pattern called for. However although the yardage of the yarn was more than the pattern called for I didn't have enough to finish the pattern as directed. I ended up about an inch shorter in height around the back of the neck but that area is still long enough thankfully. Must remember if I make it again to make sure I have a second ball of yarn.

A couple years ago I made a hat and had picked up some extra yarn to make a pair of mittens to go with it. I had enough of the yarn left over to do a head turban. The turban is a you-tube pattern by The snugglery.

These socks are made from a basic sock pattern using yarn by The Blue Brick dyeworks. Yarn is eggshell-Killarney socks twin.

Christmas knitting

 For one of my Christmas gift giving gifts I decided to make a knitted hat and scarf. While making them DH asked if I could make him one too in a dark blue.

 I showed him the choices of blue in the yarn I was using and he choose Dark country blue. It's actually darker than it shows in the picture. It's actually closer to a navy blue colour.

For the hat and scarf I used black. The yarn is Caron simply soft yarn and the pattern is Caron Men's basic hat and scarf knit set. Pattern can be found on the yarnsspirations.com site or for now on the yarn wrapper.

Although DH asked and he knows I will make it for him it also will be going under the tree come Christmas. He's a little hard to buy for.

2020 PJ's and nightgowns

2020's Christmas pj's and nightgowns.

The first picture is yDGS pj's

McCalls M6227

                                        The next two pictures is of the dolly nightgown and DGD night gown.

                                        Dolly pattern McCalls M6137  Nightgown McCalls M6831

                          DGD other grandmother asked me if I would make a nightgown/dolly nightgown for her other granddaughter. Same dolly pattern. Nightgown pattern Simplicity 3987

 

More paper crafting

 Did a little more paper crafting. This time for Christmas giving. 

The first is of some cards I made for friends and family. The bottom right are the ones I made for some ladies from the church that I have be sending cards to during this rough time. They are seniors. 

It was made with a die using simmer and silver card stock. Image stamped with black ink that turned a slight grey/silver colour on the simmer card stock. The other cards are a card making kit I got a couple years ago. The kit made a dozen cards. I also made some cards for a card exchange on a site that I am on along with extra's for family. Will post those once the exchange takes place.

I give the grandchildren hot choc, marshmallows and a candy cane every Christmas. This year as a container for those items I made some french fry holders in two designs. Found the template on pinterest. The template is from @thesweet molcajete.

I made a apron gift box for a gift of sea salt, pepper and a pepper grinder. I found the idea and template on pinterest. I did enlarge it to be sure it was big enough for the items that I wanted to put in it. Since it's for a man I decided to keep it simple. I used pristol board to make the box so no seam needed. I than used scrapbook paper to cover the box. I had some spice 3D stickers that was just waiting to be used so this box was just the right place. 

Zig Zag cowl

 A couple years ago at the KW knitting fair I purchased some Westlake Natural dye grove bamboo yarn. 

The yarn was dyed a butter colour using marigolds.  Its a nice soft yellow colour.

The pattern is by Plymouth yarn.

New fall wreath

 My fall wreath was really starting to look sad. Thought I would try and make it happy again but it wasn't to be. So I got busy and started from scratch. Using a leave garland, flower stems, and a few pumpkins.

Am pleased with the way it turned out.

Christmas wall quilt

 I made a quilt years ago to hang on my wall at Christmas when I was first learning to quilt. However as time when by I decided that I really didn't like the fabric used around the blocks. Same fabric was used for the backing. To me it was starting to look on the tired side. 

So a couple years ago when I came across some Christmas fabric that I liked I knew it would be perfect to remake the quilt. A couple weeks ago I carefully took the old quilt apart so I could reuse the blocks I had made. Took a little time to get all the hand quilt stitches out but so worth it. 

The paper piece tree came from McCalls quilting magazine as did the bird house and snow family. The snow family was a family of 4 but as I had 4 children I added another girl and boy to the family. 

The angle came from the internet as did the paper piece northern star. The star was by Carol Doak. The  ginger bread block came from a woodworking magazine I came across in a store and was easy to convert to an appliqué block.

The middle picture is the backing and the last picture is of the quilt remade and ready to be hung this Christmas. I machine quilted between the blocks and around the blocks. I than hand quilted in the blocks.

The fabric around the blocks is swirl with tiny little red hearts.

Tree skirt

I decided to make myself a new tree skirt. The last one we have been using since the children were little and had a child type theme to it. Now that the children are having children of their own and even they are getting older I figure it was time.

The skirt is made of two panels of Sleigh Ride 58 by John Sloane for Wilmington Prints, 2015. It is made with two panels both exactly the same.

 

 

Little more paper crafting

The above paper flowers came from a Daphne's Diary magazine along with the cute little tea pot in the picture below. I have some little daisy's that I think will look cute in them.

 The little mouse gingerbread house is from Little beehive.com.au. Thought it was the perfect little container for DGD lip balm gift.  We give her  mother  every year the holiday gift set either for her Dec birthday or for Christmas--2 days apart. So we give DGD one as well so she doesn't run off with her mom's.

Paper crafting

I made some little stockings to hold some little treats for the grandchildren. The pattern is from Skip to my Lou. I enlarged the pattern. Using glitter card stock and stickers from Dollarama. There was three designs in the pkg. of stickers but by turning the silver one I was able to get four different looks. 

Decided to do a little decoration to hang above my sewing table. Idea along with the spool/thread holder pattern came from a card making magazine. While I was at it I decided to make one to hang in there in Sept. to remind me that Christmas is on it's way. I when on line and found the spools/thimble clip art online. 

For the Christmas thread I used some metal cording and for the other one I used embroidery floss. 

 I decided to made some according cards to send off to a couple ladies who I knew could use a little uplift. 

The stickers were a dollar tree fine and the saying inside the card came from I should be mopping the floor blog/website.

New jewelry

                                                I decided to make me some jewelry. 

The blue bead/white wire one I have had the supplies for a while and finally decided it was time to get it done. The kit is from knitca.com and is called the Zenobia Bracelet. The kit didn't come with a clasp as you are to sew the two ends together when done but to make it easier to get on and off I added one. 

The bracelet on the right I just made because I found the beads while picking up some batting and thought they were cute/summer colours. The large bead and the three beads on each side of the large one came from a travel/shopping time in the USA. The other beads were left over from other projects.

Christmas countdown

 

Below is the number of days till Christmas from time of posting. It will be here before I know it.

For the grandchildren ornaments this year I decided to make them a Christmas countdown calendar.

I purchased the wooden calendar block sets.  I painted the blocks light buttermilk. For 5 of the six sets I used the red Christmas print paper and as I ran out of it the sixth set got the blue star paper, along with white paint. Picked up the paper on my last visit to the states at Hobby Lobby-last fall

The black numbers are made from vinyl sticker paper I picked up at Michaels and some dies I had.

I used my label maker to do the wording.

Instead of gift wrapping the blocks I decided to make little gift bags for them.  A couple years ago a quilt shop--Sew sisters quilt- did a 12 days of Christmas where she held specials each day that you could order. When I got my order she included a little extra gift. A panel with 4 different sayings. I took two sayings per bag-different saying on each side along with the green fabric under the blocks and made the bags. I also used the same green for the lining. I used green ribbon for the handles and ties to tie the bags shut.

I

Birthday card and some more mask

Had some fabric left over from the quilt top I completed is I thought I would make a couple more mask to have on had. First picture is one side of them and the second is the other side.

 Here is the front of the b-day card I made for my DD who's birthday was towards the beginning of July. I used stamping ink for the stencil design along with a gel sparkle pen for the dots around the other edge of the stencil. A punch and markers were used to make the flower in the centre.

Medallion Mystery quilt

I have been wanting to make a pink quilt for some time. I found the perfect pink and soft grey fabrics for one. Pattern is by Toby Lischko. Fabric is from the Grace Collection by Laura Ashley.

Cocktail hour sweater

I saw a copy of the vogue late winter 2020 knitting magazine online and as I was looking at the sweaters in it I came across this one and knew I needed to make it. I did make it a little shorter.
I used Cascade eco and hemp yarn in jasper. Saw a couple other patterns that I am thinking of making down the road.

Bento box quilt block quilt top

                Made a queen size top using the bento box quilt block pattern. Used three different blue fabrics along with white fabric. The lighter blue is a leaf print. Med blue is solid and the dark blue is another print.

I had actually purchased this fabric for a different quilt pattern a few years ago. After trying to find the pattern for a couple months I gave up and decided to use the bento box block. I must of recycle the magazine the pattern was in without realizing I had done so when I downsized my quilt magazine collection.

Will wait for it to cool down to quilt it. Not sure if I will hand or machine quilt it.