Elena's Quilt

I made a quilt for Elena for Christmas.

 Even though it's a simple patchwork square quilt, I decided to use a pattern to make sure that it would be the right size and so I wouldn't have to figure out how many squares to cut out, etc. I used this pattern by my fave crafter in the world Alicia Paulson.  Plus, you get to see pics of her adorable corgi!!!

Here are all my squares.  I cut up stacks and stacks of fabric from my stash and chain pieced them together.

I used free motion quilting in a stippling pattern for the quilting - it was my first time!  It took a lot of thread and a lot of patience.  But I am so glad I did it, because now I know how to do it!  I followed the instructions in this book.

And there you have it!!  Merry Christmas everyone.

Birthday Girls

Springtime crafting for the girl. She turned 5 this month so I've been pushing out the projects like mad (and failing to blog about it).

Here's a factoid that is pretty cray.  I have a 27 year-old step daughter (not the factoid but also kinda cray) who is born on the EXACT SAME DAY as my 5 year-old daughter. 

Here they are, sisters, 22 years apart to the day!

So there I am pushing at 11 pm on the day before my daughter was born and my husband said to me, "Don't even bother, she's not coming till tomorrow."  You don't even want to know the string of foul language that came pouring out of my mouth at that time.  But he was right, he knows that his daughters are always born on the same day!!! 

 

 

Here's Elena in the peasant dress I made for her.  Fabric is Joann's remnant seersucker, 50% off.  I think I got about a yard for $3.50.  The contrasting fabric is a Mona Luna fox hollow that I bought on Etsy.  Super cute alphabet fabric with all kinds of woodland creatures on it.  Dress pattern is here.  I found the pattern to be slightly confusing, but I think it's just because I'm so new to sewing.  I love the result!  Pattern comes with tons of sizes so it'll be useful for a long time.  And there's a doll size too, which I need to make soon!

 

So I intended her to wear this on her birthday, but sure enough, my good friend Laurie got her the most spectacular off the shoulder princess gown that her daughter wore in a performance of the Nutcracker. . . . so of course what 5 year old would choose peasant over princess!!!  Not mine. 

 

 

 

Here's Lena just after blowing out the candles on her cake in her princess gown.  Gotta admit, that gown is spectacular!!  My favorite thing about that picture is how excited her brother George is.  He's even more excited than Lena about blowing out the candles, what a great brother.

 

Now meet Maggie May the bun bun.  I made this sweet bunny for Elena for her birthday. 

 

 

As you can see from my sidebar and from frequent mentions on this blog, I am just a little bit obsessed with everything Alicia Paulson.  She's a very special blogger, and I'm so glad she shares her little corner of the world with us.  The back story here is that ever since Alicia mentioned the bunny kit I wanted it!  But literally like 2 seconds after she put the bunny kits up for sale, they sold out.  I was so sad!  Little did I know, my equally obssessed aunt Maggie got one in the knick of time and she sent it to me!!! THANKS MAGS!!! (By the way, the kits are now back up!  Hurry and get one while they last!)  The only slight issue I had is that the capelet was knit and lord knows me and the two needles do not get along. So I crocheted the capelet and it came out way cute.  Here's the pattern I used in case you, like me, love the hook:

 

Row 1:  With D hook, ch 16, 1 hdc in 2nd ch from hook and in each of the next 9 ch, 1 sc in next 5 ch. (15)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn, 1 sc in next 5 st, hdc in next 10 st. (15)

Row 3: Ch 1, turn, 1 hdc in next 10 st, 1 sc in next 5 st. (15)

 

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until capelet reaches around Maggie's shoulders (about 34 rows).  Fasten off and weave in your ends.  With about 10 inches of yarn, weave in and out of the rows on the top of the capelet (the sc ends) and tie the yarn in a bow to under Maggie's chin.  Done and with plenty of yarn left over.

 

Elena loves her Maggie bunny so much.  Yay!

 

 

Happy birthday baby girl!

 

Fun with Counted Cross Stitch

If anyone had ever told me even just 5 years ago that I would fall in love with counted cross stitch I would have laughed hysterically.  I think I have to give most of the credit to Alicia Paulson's beautiful blog Posie Gets Cozy.   The stars lined up when I found a box of embroidery thread at Goodwill for $3.

Yesterday I went to the library and picked up Alicia's lovely book Embroidery Companion and got to work.  I started on a piece of linen with the school house alphabet sampler project and quickly got frustrated.  Reminder to self: Don't start with the most difficult project in the book first!  I had to get creative quickly so I could satisfy my urge to cross-stitch.  So I found one of my husband's checked shirts that he has already graciously donated to the craft bin.  With the generous, perfectly spaced squares I was able to see what I was doing and make it look straight.  Here's what I've got so far of the Karin Curtains.  So excited!

Because the checks are way huger than the squares in Aida cloth, I'm going to have to cut out some of the design or at least reposition it.  The plan is to make this to top a curtain panel for the bathroom.  There are just tons of projects in the book that I want to make so I am thinking this is going to go on the Amazon wish list for the holidays. 

And there you have it, my first counted cross stitch project.