by small means

i am so glad school is out. dave and i are both students right now and have started our winter break. as a homeschooling mom i made the decision to cancel school for the kiddies so we all could have a winter break together. we haven’t been able to go and do too much due to thisbe’s newly acquired ear pain but i do have high hopes for today and for the next two weeks.

here are a few finished projects.

the fraternal twin to the last striped blanket.

after seeing this post. i knew i needed to make some blank books for my budding authors. i didn’t sew these on a machine. i uses dmc floss and hand sewed them.

i also made a couple for me. i experimented with wonder under on paper/fabric. the results were great. if i get a moment i might make some more. these little books are a bit addicting to make.

more pics on flickr

my semester is finally coming to an end. i am so looking forward to a few weeks off.

i discovered a window of time that i can work on a few of the projects in my head. on wednesdays the kiddies spend much of the day with their homeschool group. after lunch while the thisbe and magnus are in art class and bron is down for a nap, i have an hour and a half of free time. i had been using that time to study but i found myself daydreaming about projects i want to make. so i have dedicated that hour and a half to quilting or whatever else i feel inclined to do. this really only amounts to a little over an hour of craft time due to the setting up and taking down part. but that is an hour i didn’t have before. it’s also a hassle to have to lug my sewing machine with me and supplies needed to their school, but it’s well worth it.

this is the first of two blankets i’ve been working on. the second one uses the same fabrics and will be very similar. i pieced the front and back, sandwiched in some cozy flannel, and quilted some stripes. this is such a nice swaddling weight. i love the drape and it folds up small enough to fit in the diaper bag. i plan on using this one as a gift and maybe the other one too. i know quite a few pregnant ladies who all are having boys this winter and spring.

i finished up my robot quilt today. i just love how he turned out.

the quilting made such a hugh difference and burying all those strings was not painful at all. it did take a couple of hours but i could do it while watching tv. thanks again kathy for the tip. if i ever make a robot like this again i will probably do a bit more quilting on the robot itself. but i do love him as he is.

here is close up of the head and some of the quilting.

here is the back. i love how you can see the robot in the quilting.

well, last night i sewed up the lining for my purse and started sewing it into the tube. i got about 75% done when i tried zipping it up. i seems i sewed the knit outside of the purse too close to the zipper. i couldn’t zip it up. i didn’t have the patience last night. so, i set that aside and got to work on the robot quilt. 

i decided to stitch in the ditch the robot and do some heavy quilting on the white. i figure this will help the robot to stand out from the background.

(sorry, i just realized the photo is half blurry and i don’t feel like taking it again)

in the past i have always been a backstitcher on my quilts that had quilting that didn’t flow from one end to another, but was never happy with the results. when i started this quilt i remembered this post over at pink chalk studio. my plan is to give it a try. in the comments of that post she gave instructions to bury the knots, which i plan on trying as well. i have only started the quilting and am a bit nervous about all the knots i’m going to have to bury, but maybe it wont be too bad.

wow! thanks for all the quilt love. did someone link to my blog? i have received so much traffic and so many e-mails the past few days. anyway, thank you.

so, my summer is coming to the end. i have one more week until we start homeschooling again, and than at the end of september i will start taking classes again. last year once school started for me i had very little time to do anything other than school related stuff for my kiddies or myself. it was kinda depressing not to be able to hang out with friends or go to church functions (other than sunday) or anything. if i had finished my homework and was willing to stay up late i could squeeze in a little crafting time but that didn’t happen very often at all. oh well. i figure that this year will be the same, so i dont have any grand plans in the works as far as projects go. i do however have a short list of things i want to finish before i start classes.

first let me show you the cute blankie i finished this last week. i followed the happy things tutorial again. it turned out way cute. i took my time and top-stitched each stripe since i wasn’t going to use batting and quilt it. when i finished the top i simply cut out some flannel the same size and bound it pillowcase style. i also added a few ties using embroidery floss, to keep the back from shifting away from the top. oh wait, before i sewed the flannel to the top i appliqued on an “e” with matching fabric. than i stitched around it with contrasting floss.  i love blankies like this. just perfect for wrapping a little one.

the e stands for elliot. a little boy who just arrived last week.

ok, now for my plans. i want to finish up these projects before school starts at the end of september.

the robot quilt: the top is done now i just need to quilt and bind it. the only problem is that i am not sure how i want to quilt it.

the self striping yarn project: i knit up a tube when i was on vacation in idaho but decided it was way to big to make as a purse so i frogged it, reset the yarn and started over with a smaller purse. the tube is completed as well as the strap. now i need to sew up one end of the tube add lining and a zipper and sew on the straps. i am much happier with the size. the biggest dilemma with this project is that i can’t decide if like the side showing or the inside better. i turned the tube inside out a realized that i like that side as well.

and than i have this fabric that i am dying to make into another quilt.

oh and one last thing. i have a friend who is need a pair of booties. i think the booties will come first since this week i will be traveling and they can come with me. i could also sew up the lining on the purse and bring it since it needs to be sew in by hand. yes, i think i will do that.

so anyway that is the plan. who knows how much of it i’ll get done. i’ll see you again if i make any progress.

this gate seems to be the place to photograph my baby quilts. i finished this one last night.

 

here is the close up.

 

it is very similar to this quilt.

 

this one is for my mother to give as a gift to a new mom she knows. i also made a diaper pouch to go with it.

i left town last week and took my spinning wheel with me. i almost didn’t bring it but was so glad that i did. the yarn turned out to be very beautiful on my self striping attempt. here’s the wip. the stripes are subtle but they’re there. hurray!

it’s going to be another lined bag.

here is another finished quilt. why am i making baby quilts? who knows, but there are two more tops waiting for me to finish.

well my summer started late june and i’ve been working on a few things after the kiddies get to bed. i got four quilt tops made including this one, and completed one of the quilts.

 

i have quite a few wip.

three more quilts to quilt and bind, a purse that i started at the black sheep gathering. i had purchased some beautiful hand dyed roving. i spun it, plied it, and started knitting it up while there. after finishing the purse and strap i now have to line it and add a zipper. i started knitting a hat for magnus, and yesterday thisbe picked out some fabric and i plan on attempting to make a skirt for her.

last night at about 10:30 i started working on a quilt using up some scraps. hubby was gone and i didn’t want to go to bed so i thought i would try the tutorial at happy things. here is the finished project.

i bound it pillow case style and than did a few stich in the ditch quilting lines and than top stiched around. it turned out a bit sloppy (i shouldn’t work so late at night) but i really like it. i may try this again. 

last night after the kiddies went to bed i got going on the baby quilt. ( it was about 8:oo when i got started) as i looked up at the clock when i was finishing up the binding it was almost 10:30. i couldn’t believe the quilting and binding only took two and half hours.

 

with hubby not expected back for a few hours, i decided to get started on a journal. when that was done, i started on the diaper pouches i wanted to make for my etsy shop.

 

when all was done and cleaned up it was still before midnight. i cant believe how smoothly things went.

with a couple of midterms coming up, homework has slowed up. so i have had a bit of time to start this quilt. the babe isn’t due until july but we are having a party for his mommy this weekend. i wonder if i will get it finished on time. hubby will be out of the house on friday night so maybe i’ll try to do it than or maybe it’ll have to wait until schools out.

here is the completed top

now, this next picture may not be too exciting to you but i have sure loved the one i made for myself. it’s a pouch to put diapers/wipes in. i hate diaper bags and so i fill my zipper pouch with the necesities needed and drop it in my purse and out I go. it’s great with stroller rides and what not when i dont want my purse with me but need to bring the diapers just in case. this one is made to match the quilt and is fully lined. if i have time i want to make some to sell on etsy, but i dont see that happening.