Camilla and Jason's Baby Sweaters

I know so many people that are pregnant right now. It's great that I love to make baby sweaters in my spare time. This first one was for a new friend Camilla. They are expecting a baby boy. This actually turned out cuter than I expected. I will make it again.

This next one was for a young man a work, Jason. He and his wife are expecting their first. I really like the pullover. Button bands are not my favorite thing to do, but hard to avoid when making sweaters.

Ann's Quilt Fabrics

I'M SAVED! I picked out 5 fabrics for a quilt for my daughter a couple of weeks ago. I started with the hunter green fabric that I fell in love with.  The splashes are a light green/cream.  I bought it because I loved it, but couldn't find anything to match it at that store with what I wanted to do. 

The next week I went to another store and found the other four fabrics.  I am doing a quilt like my first one for my daughter in her colors.  She wanted green, blue and purple.  The fabric below is what I wanted.  I didn't have the money and so I didn't buy them then. Went back to get them and one of them had sold out. It was the transition between the green above and this purple right below.  (Note to self : If you like it, buy it then, or don't count on seeing it again).

I couldn't find any thing else that day that that would work. I went all over town. I even tried to find it on the Internet to no avail.

Went back today. They had another shipment of fabric. I found one that worked that I think I like even better. Life is good.

Keeley's Shower

At work our Payroll department is right next to the benefits department. We talk a lot over the cubicle walls every day. One of the girls, Keeley had her baby shower today. This is her first child.


Try as I might I couldn't get her gift done in time. I felt horrible, but I just couldn't do it. I didn't want to go empty handed. I packed the remaining skein in a box and the dress on the cable needles and wrapped it.


I have to admit that is was rather comical when she pulled it out. It was about 3/4's of the way done. She looked a little panicked. She thought I meant for her to finish it since she has been learning to knit. I explained I ran out of time and just couldn't get it done. I promised to bring it to work on Monday. She was much happier about that.


Here is the finished dress with matching Mary Janes to go with it.

Finished Quilt

I decided today that I was going to finish my first quilt today come heck or high water.


I got my binding on this afternoon. I tried the technique from my "Quilt Academy" book on how to hide the join. It was easy, but not sure if it was worth it. It went on seamlessly. I started to see it down. I only got about 1/4 of the way done before having to go to work at Cracker Barrell.

Back and binding

Came home from work and sat down to finish sewing on the binding. It took me another hour. I finished at 12:30, but it is done.

I love it. It turned out beautiful. I'm really glad I followed the directions for the invisible join. Now to the next one!

Corner detail

Christmas Afghans

My youngest son, who is 14, started asking me to make him an afghan several months ago when I was working on the one for the guest room. I really kind of thought he would forget about it since he is a teen. He was pretty persistent. When I was in AZ for Thanksgiving I decided it would be a good time to start. I knew I would have some down time and they wouldn't be around.


I had asked him in the beginning what colors he wanted. He said blue, white, and black and silver. Grey was the closest I could get. While I was at it I asked my 16 year old if he wanted one and he said sure. Asked what colors he wanted he replied grey, black, white, and purple. I thought that it was hilarious that they were only one color different without consulting each other.


I wanted them to withstand a bit of abuse and so I did them double stranded. Stripes seemed the obvious choice to make them look masculine. I did the same pattern for both. I crocheted them for speed. I knew I couldn't knit them fast enough. I found very large boxes to put them in for under the tree. They both seemed to be surprised. (Must be those teen boy brain cells). They loved them and put them right on their beds.

CJ's 

Nathan's

Halloween Placemats

Okay, one thing that I find very easy to do is go overboard on a new project. It's like the over achiever in me waiting to get out.

I mentioned several weeks ago that I had seen a really cute Halloween wall hanging in the quilt shop a couple of weeks ago. I let it sit in the back of my mind for a while and then had this brainstorm. I decided to make placemats for the nieces and nephews for Christmas this year. I found all of the fabric on holiday clearance. I'm going to do a set of six. One each year. This year is Halloween. I'm excited about it. Although the kids might think it a bit strange when they open it on Christmas morning.

I got all of the nieces and nephews done and mailed today. I cut the back bigger and folded over to make the bias. I now know I hate that method. From now on I will put on a separate one. Much easier!

I still have the four for our family, the two for Ann and the two for my in-laws. They will have to wait until after Christmas. Too much to do.

Kasandra's Stockings

I spent the Thanksgiving holiday with my daughter down in Arizona. She was having emergency surgery. She came out fine. I was able to spend Thanksgiving day with my family down there.

After dinner we gathered at my sisters house and we were all visiting. The subject of Christmas came up and my niece mentioned that she had to go find some stockings. She got married this year. I offered to knit her some. I mailed them off today. I have to admit that I think they came out really cute.

I did Christmas vintage colors. Her's is a wine red, her husband; hunter green and her little girl; green and wine stripes. On the girls I did a picot edge at the top to make it a little more feminine.

I love this pattern. I have used it for year's. I made all of my family cross stitch stockings years ago when my kids were little. They were tons of work and totally covered with stitching. We put them up until Christmas Eve night. On Christmas Eve we take out the knitted ones that I did and put them up. They stretch really well and can go in the wash if something gets spilled on them. It's a win, win in my book.