Baby Gift

 

A quick quilt project for a baby shower gift.  I used a pretty print for the front and a plain pink for the back side using a contrasting color thread to do the quilting.  I simply drew an arc at each corner and than followed the arc until they met in the center.  I did not worry about making them equal so they do not meet directly in the center making the design a bit more abstract.  I used my walking foot which works great for keeping the layers even and has a guide to keep the lines parallel.  I wish I had thought to take a photo of the entire back side so show off the finished quilting but it has already been gifted.   I will remember to take more photos in the future.  I had enough fabric left to include a matching bib for the new baby girl. 

Retro Romper

I did it! I have published my first "self published" knitting pattern for sale on Ravelry!  You can find it here... Retro Romper.  For you non-knitters, Ravelry is a online source for knitting and crochet patterns and provides a place to record and share your creations with the world.  I have a number of patterns that I designed for Blue Sky Alpacas on Ravelry which are available at local yarn stores that carry Blue Sky Alpacas patterns.  I will always be grateful to them for having faith in me and my ability to bring their vision for a new pattern to completion.  One of the most challenging of those designs was the Audrey Coat.  I had the privilege of attending TNNA (the yarn industry's trade show) that year and seeing my design on the runway.  I will always remember the great people I met there who were so encouraging to me. 

I love to look at vintage knitting pattern books and especially love some of the baby clothes.  This design is an updated romper using Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton.  This cotton worsted yarn works up  into a beautiful fabric that any baby will love to wear.  It is so soft.  This baby is one of my grandsons, Henry.  He has grown a bit since this photo was taken, they grow up way to fast. 

I hope you enjoy this new pattern.  This would be a quick knit for a baby boy shower gift that is a bit unique.  If you are looking for a baby sweater and quilt pattern consider the Cotton Baby Set I designed for Blue Sky Alpacas out of this same yarn.  One of my granddaughters is the model for that one!  I have another childrens pattern nearly finished and hope to get that one up soon so stay tuned. 

Dancing Princess Dress

Eliza has been asking for a "dancing princess" dress. I did some hunting and was underwhelmed with what I saw in the toy section. I grabbed some clearance satin and some tulle and dug out a pattern and got to work. She was delighted with the result!







Mods: doubled strap length and inserted elastic, tulle ruffle added to strap, attached gathered tulle to lining, replaced zipper with Velcro, gathered up hem in 2 places, no sash

In other news... my salsa turned out great. I've been enjoying it on my eggs each morning. Yum!

Fermented Salsa

Today I chopped my veggies for a new food I've been wanting to try. I've been reading about fermented foods and their numerous health benefits. This seemed like a good place to start. Next up: water kefir. I found the salsa recipe here. I left out the whey this time. I will report back after I sample the salsa.

Brown Sugar

I ran to the store the other day and realized I had forgotten the brown sugar. Ack! Packing up 2 toddlers a second time was not an option. A quick Internet search and some serious stirring yielded this:

Delightfully fresh brown sugar. You can get the recipe here.

Baby Socks

These cute baby socks are a quick project to use up some of the stash of short pieces of yarn.  They are made using Sweater from Spud and Chloe.  I love this yarn!  It is so soft and warm.  I have a cuddly sweater I made for myself out of this precious yarn and am in the process of making another sweater with a cable pattern that will be a challenge for me.  It will be worth the effort and with all the work that goes into hand knits using the best yarn that you can afford is important.  The pattern for these cute baby socks is a free one from the Spud and Chloe blog.  Jelly Bean Socks knit up fast and you can practice your sock knitting using a worsted weight yarn!   

 

One More Time!

 

I know I haven't posted for a while but not much has changed around here. Who would have thought we would be having a SNOW DAY this late in April?  This may have been the biggest snow event of the year and this late in the season it was not welcome.  We woke up to 13 inches of the white stuff this morning.  I had planned to take the day off when I heard the forecast and I think I made the right decision. 

 

 

I haven't made it up to the sewing room yet but I have another jumper project that turned out pretty cute.  I was able to find a small piece of denim in the stash so I put together a jumper for grand daughter Faith who just turned 2.  The ABC buttons have been in the button bin for years, probably since her mom was little, and I thought they looked great.  The most trouble I had with this little dress was finding yellow buttons for the shoulder tabs.  I really didn't think it would be that hard to find plain yellow buttons but I think these are perfect to complete the primary color theme for this little number. It has already been gifted to Faith and she has worn it so I know it fits.  I was worried about including the long sleeve top for underneath but this year I am not sure we will ever get out the short sleeves!