A fun day and a little sewing!

We had the honor of watching our 10-year-old grandson play his guitar and sing for the Pink Tour Benefit today. He is a fantastic guitarist and the place he recently bought a guitar asked him to be a part of the benefit. We are so proud that he was willing to perform. It was a fun day!

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I finally did a little sewing! I made a knitting project bag. I used a free pattern from AllPeopleQuilt.com and the bag is about 13" by 18". I bought the fabric at Missouri Star last month. I did a little quilting on the outside of the bag - I just HAD too!

The inside has pockets. The color of the inside is lime green.

The long handle slips through the short handle. I've heard these bags called a few different names so I'm really not sure what is correct.

I like this - I wasn't sure if I would since it doesn't securely close but I think it will be great.

Swaddle time

Daughter-in-law Emily had posted this swaddle blanket photo on Pinterest. I thought it was darling so ...

I found some patterns online and then found the actual pattern with this photograph in the book, Fabric-by-Fabric One Yard Wonders by Yaker and Hoskins.

I looked and looked but could not find a printed flannel like the one in the photo. Ray and I did find a couple flannels that would work and Emily picked out three pieces the day we went shopping.

And now the swaddle blankets are done! 

I made bias binding due to the many curves and corners in the pattern. I always finish the binding on my quilts by hand so I find finishing with a machine a little awkward. 

Sorry I don't have a darling little person to model these! Won't be much longer though!

I think they are cute - wish I'd had something like this when our kids were born. 

My list is shrinking - next up is a nursing cover. And I really need to get the quilts started for this little guy...

Burp!

The baby is due in March, our 8th grandchild. And, of course, it is a boy! Number 3 son for this family. Mom-to-be Emily wanted burp cloths and asked if I could make them. Of course!

Last Monday, we went fabric shopping. Emily doesn't sew but I think she enjoys looking at fabrics - all of the colors, textures, and patterns. We had fun picking out flannels.

I found patterns for burp cloths online but tweaked and tweaked. Emily wanted the cloth 'cut out' at the neckline but she didn't want a tiny cloth. 

burp cloth pattern - to be placed on a fold

I wanted the cloth to have flannel on both sides. And I thought we needed a middle layer for absorption. The middle layer is a bar towel or bar mop. I had to undo the hem at each end of the towel for length before I cut it. The towel is stitched into the seam and there are two rows of topstitching so it shouldn't unravel.

Each cloth finished at 8 inches by 17 inches. 

Emily thought 8 - 10 cloths would be fine. I added a little fabric from my stash and I think I got a little carried away... they were fun and easy to make. Here are all of them - no two are identical. I twisted each one so you could also see the other side.

Now it's time to make swaddle blankets… and a nursing cover… and his quilts. I'd better get busy!

Santa aprons - done!

I wanted to finish something this weekend and I did! 

I started a couple of Santa aprons a while back. 

I was a little surprised this morning to see 

how much was left to do. 

Lots of busy work!

Now it's all done 

and these are ready 

for baking Christmas cookies!

Cute Easter Carrots

Have you seen the Missouri Star Quilt Company tutorial for Cute Easter Carrots? I decided that I had to try to make a couple.

Aren't they cute with my Easter Chick? The carrots were super easy and fast to make!

After I made the carrots, I really didn't know what to do with them so I decided to make a treasure hunt for the two grandchildren that will be here on Easter. I used to do treasure hunts for my nieces and nephews at our Easter gatherings and everyone enjoyed them. 

I wrote a little story about the carrots and the bunny that lost them.

At the end of the story, our two grandsons can go on a hunt to find the lost carrots. I'm sure they'll enjoy the hunt more than the carrots! 

After the treasure hunt, exactly what should I do with my two stuffed carrots?

I'm a quilter but...

I'm a quilter but sometimes I knit! 

My newly retired friend, Nancy, knits and we have decided to try to get together every so often and knit at a 'local' yarn shop. The yarn shop is local for Nancy - there is none where I live. I decided that I should knit something before we meet later this week - and it's a good thing I did! It took me 20 minutes to remember how to cast on!

From then on, all went well. I made myself a hat from worsted Merino wool. 

The hat is on an acorn squash - I don't have a head stand.

 The pattern is from Ravelry and is a butterfly design.

Butterfly Hat, pattern by Sofiya Cremin

Here is a close up of the design.

We stopped at the yarn shop on our way to State Volleyball and I picked up some more yarn (worsted Merino wool) for a hat for Ray. The pattern I had wasn't going to work (I didn't have the right size needles with me.) so I  found a pattern on the Internet. Ray wanted the hat to have a cuff/rollup. It would have been really neat if I had some colored yarn to put in stripes.

Turn A Square pattern by Jared Flood

Here is the top of the hat. I'd like to make it again with stripes. The stripes would form a square on the top of the hat. Oops, you can see that acorn squash in the background.

I'm a quilter but sometimes I sew! 

I decided that I needed a neat bag to carry my knitting so I made one. I found the pattern online.

Diana Hobo pattern by elizabeth carroll designs

I made a few changes and I'll make a couple more if I make this bag again but this will be fine for now.

It has a magnet closure and I added pockets for knitting needles and supplies.

I'm a quilter but sometimes I do other things! Not very often though!