Late Bloomer Crafts

Modern Reusable Christmas Tree DIY

2011-11-27T11:28:00.001-08:00

This year we decided to make our own tree. Last year we had a real tree, it was lovely, and messy, and we didn't like the waste of cutting a tree to spend one month inside our house but we also weren't excited about the fake tree options. If it looked good we couldn't afford it, if we could afford it it didn't look good. So in searching the web for another option I found the Possibilitree. Simple, modern, used real wood, $350 for a 6' tree; perfect except for the price. So we decided to make our own. The materials for ours cost less than $50 and it can be completed in a weekend. It isn't quite as nice as a Possibilitree, but I like it. It is at least a little more special because the family worked together to make it.

If you are curious how we made it, check out my plan here. Here are a couple versions others have built: Lowe's, Tara and Thyme.

Ghost, Mummy, Yukata, Advent and Upholstery.

2011-11-22T19:10:00.001-08:00

What I have been up to but haven't time to blog about:

Halloween costumes:

A mummy and a ghost. The ghost is wearing a basic white long sleeve tunic dress with a square of gauze draped over her. The mummy has a basic muslin tunic, muslin pants and wrapped with strips of muslin which were hot glued in place (probably should have used more glue or tacked it on with thread...).

Advent Calendar:

First fold 24 origami boxes and lids. I used 9" squares for the lids and 8.5" squares for the bottoms and the boxes ended up just over 3" wide and about 1.5" tall. Then number them as you will. I printed the numbers on a sheet of paper then cut them out with a decorative punch. Cover some sort of board (this one is about 17" x 24") with fabric of your choice (I used foam core board) . Then hot glue the box bottoms to the board. Fill with treats or activities (1, 2, 3, 4) and hang on the wall.

Other fun advent calendars: 34 ideas

Reupholstered Chair:

The first of two is finally finished and when I have a spare minute with nothing better to do (or nothing better that I feel like doing) I will finish the second. This started out with ratty old yellowing velvet. So while this isn't perfect it is an improvement. I used invisible thread to do the tufting and I used a hot glue gun to make and attach the piping. I am thinking I need to find a marker or some such to touch up the finish.

Kimono:

I made kimono (Yakuta) style robes for myself (this fabric) and my daughter. Unfortunately she insisted she was a crocodile so this is not the best picture. They were quite simple to sew once I had the dimensions figured out, made entirely out of rectangles. I can draw up a diagram with dimensions if anyone is interested. I used these tutorials as a guide (1, 2) but did not use their dimensions. It makes a very comfortable bathrobe.

Robot baby quilt: top done

2011-01-15T11:43:00.000-08:00

I finished this quilt top today. It is based on a quilt from Dare to be Square Quilting by Boo Davis. However I did not have enough time to do a full scale version, 5' x 6' and 523 pieces, so I halved the dimensions and made a 1/4 sized quilt, 36" x 36". Below you can see the full size quilt my mom made for my son. I think if I were to make a bigger version I might make 4 smaller robots in different colors with different backgrounds. Now this will be sent to my mom to quilt because she is much better at it than I. I am very proud of this one, the corners match so nicely and it lays quite flat so I will keep it looking good and let some one else quilt it. I am also pretty slow at quilting and this way it might get done before the baby I made it for graduates.

Quick and Easy Lined Tote Bag Tutorial

2010-12-19T14:53:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick tutorial for making a lined tote bag. I have found that I can get nice results with a minimal amount of fuss using this method, it avoids all hand stitching and gives a nice finished look. I used quilting cotton for lining and outer fabric and fused iron on interfacing (medium or heavy weight) to all pieces which gives you a very structured tote that will stand up on its own. If you want something less stiff you could use interfacing on the outside only or not at all. Of course you could also use a heavier weight fabric in lieu of interfacing.

This bag was for my daughter and ended up about 8" wide by 10" tall and 3.5" deep.

Cut two pieces 12.5" x 12.5" of both outer and lining and two pieces 2" x 15" of each fabric for the straps. Cut the same size for interfacing for all pieces if you like. (1/2 yard is plenty for each fabric and you need 50" of interfacing that is 20" wide)

Fold the long edges of the strap pieces towards the middle. Put one outer fabric piece with one lining fabric piece and topstitch along the edges. Put the two lining pieces right sides together and sew up the sides, do the same for the outer fabric.

Turn outer fabric tube right side out, center and pin down the straps on either side.

Put the outer fabric tube with straps inside the lining tube so that right sides are together.

Sew around the top, turn and topstitch.

Make sure the bag is inside out and sew all layers together at the bottom. I like to use a 1/2" seam then trim to 1/4" and zigzag over the edge. If you have a serger I am sure it would be much easier to just sew up the bottom with that.

In the corners on both sides of the bottom mark out a 1.75" square from the folded edge and the seam. Pinch the corners so the lines line up and sew along the line.

Turn it right side out and you are done!

Pouches and a tote

2010-12-11T21:46:00.000-08:00

Today I decided to squeeze in a little crafting and made a couple pouches for Layden's teacher and a tote bag for our babysitter. Layden picked out the fabric for his teacher and the tote is lined with black fabric with eggs (they have chickens). Not sure why I picked the outer fabric for the tote, I just liked it. Hopefully they will like them. I am please with how both turned out and the tote went the smoothest of any tote so far. The outer and inner fabrics have fusible interfacing and I sewed up the bottom similar to the pouch sides. This method leaves you with a serged edge at the bottom but, for me, it makes it so much easier and quicker to get the rest of the bag looking nice.

Dare to Be Square

2010-12-11T17:23:00.000-08:00

There has not been much time around here for much other than school and sleep but over Thanksgiving my husband and I did take a little vacation and one of those days was spent at Powell's. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of visiting Powell's, it is a book store (new and used) that covers a full city block in Portland, OR. While I was there I picked up Dare to be Square Quilting by, Boo Davis. This may be the first quilting book I have found where I would like to make every quilt. My mom is well on her way with three quilt tops finished so far, Guys, Robot and a third that must remain a surprise. The quilts are all amazingly cute and more importantly, easy. They are made up of rectangles and squares, perfect!

Modern Doll House

2010-09-19T17:21:00.000-07:00

Ever since I first saw this doll house on Made by Joel I loved it. I also appreciated that it would be an incredibly simple sort of doll house to make. Unfortunately I just have the time for even such a simple doll house so I had to fake it. I put together this house for the kids this morning from two old CD/DVD storage boxes. I just glue, clamped and 20 minutes later voila! Hopefully they will continue to enjoy it and it can be supplemented with less hastily improvised furniture.

Very Busy

2010-09-06T21:05:00.000-07:00

Grad school is keeping me so very busy but I did grab time to make these pajama pants for the kids. They picked out their own fabrics. I just folded a pair of pants in half, laid them on top of the fabric (outer pants edge along a fold) and cut around leaving 1/2" for seams and an extra few inches at the top and bottom for hemming and elastic. About a half hour total for the two pairs.

Reversible Pinafore

2010-07-11T12:36:00.000-07:00

With the warm weather finally here, last night I decided to whip up another pinafore for Clara. It is based on the pattern by Heidi and Finn. Very similar patterns can be bought from a number of vendors and I think I have even seen directions for drafting your own pattern for free. I did make some modifications to the pattern and construction method for this version. First I made the pinafore a bit longer and adjusted for a little more coverage in back. Then I attached the front and back pattern pieces together at the side and cut the pinafore as all one piece. Then I sewed the two sides together and turned through the top straps. I finished it off by folding in one side of the shoulder strap and placing the other side inside an topstitching. I found this method to be much quicker and simpler. You could still cut the front and back pieces separately to use a little less fabric if you needed to.

Boxy Pouches: Tutorials, Sizes, Tips

2010-04-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

This post is meant to serve as an easy one stop reference for making the ever popular boxy pouch. I am including links to a number of tutorials and if you think I should include others please let me know. I am also including a explanation for making a custom pouch size and some examples of sizes I have made and the size fabric I used to make them.

Tutorials
Vera Jean - one piece, fully lined
Pretty Modern - fully lined

Drago[knit]fly - partially lined, with handle
Indie House - partially lined
Projects by Jane - Fully lined
Projects by Jane - Pleats
Annie - Fully lined
Lizze Tish - French seams

Custom size - To make any size pouch just follow these easy steps.

Choose your size length (zipper) x width x depth. [For example 4"x3"x.5" for a change purse.]

cut fabric:
length + depth + seam allowance x 2 [4+.5+(2x.25) = 5"]
by
width + depth + seam allowance x 2 [3+.5+(2x.25) = 4"]

buy zipper the length of your fabric, or preferably a couple inches longer.

For for this example cut your fabric 5" x 4" and use a zipper at least 7" long.

Some examples

Pencil Case - two rectangles 5 x 11" to 6 x 12"

Toiletry bag - two rectangles 8.5 x 13" to 10.5 x 16"

Medium pouch - two rectangles 7 x 10" to 10 x 12"

Small pouch - two rectangles 5 x 7" to 6 x 8"

Small Duffle - two rectangles 16 x 22"

Tips

I like using a fairly heavy interfacing for both my outer fabric and lining because it gives it nice shape and makes it easier to work with. It also helps to prevent raveling if you leave any raw edges showing and seems to help prevent fabric from getting jammed in the zipper. My current favorite is a heavy weight interfacing meant for tailoring from Pellon.

A wide twill tape is handy for adding a quick tab at either end of the zipper, which makes zipping and unzipping much easier.

Zipper foots are very nice for getting the fabric sewn close to the zipper, many swear by them, I don't use one myself.

Laptop Sleeve

2010-04-03T11:34:00.000-07:00

This may be one of the more frustrating projects I have ever undertaken, a padded laptop sleeve. It looks easy enough but don't be fooled, it is tricky. This is my second attempt, the first was scrapped and recycled into a number of other small pouches. This one is mainly based on this tutorial from SewMamaSew!. I second the idea of making a mockup with scrap fabric because, for me at least, the padding makes estimating dimensions tricky. Using the measurements from the tutorial I ended up with a sleeve that was way too big. Then I sized the padded lining so it fit just right but when I sized the outer fabric the same as the lining the sleeve was too small so I had to make it all a tiny bit bigger. But I am glad I persevered because now I have a sleeve that is nice and snug for my netbook.

I have also been making more boxy pouches because they are ridiculously addictive, cute, quick, easy and useful for organizing the odds and ends lying about my house.

Boxy Pouch and Sweater

2010-03-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to finishing my second Owlet sweater for Clara. Like the first time the pattern called for much more yarn than I ended up using. I think I have enough left over to make a second sweater. This time I decided to make it short sleeved because spring is upon us (and I got tired of doing sleeves). I also decided to cast on extra stitches at the yoke and pick up those stitches to make the sleeves rather than make the sleeves first. This work much better for me and I did not get the big holes at the armpit that I did last time.

Today I felt like I needed a nice quick sewing project so I could feel like I accomplished something, so I decided to make another try at the boxy pouch. This time I used interfacing and I like the product SO much better. I used heavy interfacing with the outer fabric and lightweight with the inner. Using the interfacing also seemed to make construction go much more smoothly in addition to giving the product a lot more shape. I used a combination of tutorials. I used the dimensions from Indie House's tutorial, I attached the zipper in a similar manner to Jane's, I sewed the bottom seam of the lining and outer fabric separately and then turned the pouch inside out and sewed the rest of the seams with the lining and outer fabric together. I made the corners similar to this tutorial.

Using this combination I can make a lined boxy pouch from start to finish, with minimal exposed seams in less than a half hour and still be happy with how it looks. I prefer no exposed seams but when I have used that method it has doubled the amount of time it takes me and doesn't really look much better. In fact I think the pouch has a little better structure this way and the one seam is only visible if you go looking for it.

Another table

2010-03-07T18:01:00.000-08:00

Here is another wood working project, this one a bit less nice. I took a solid wood door which had been turned into a desk and turned it into a modern style play table. Basically cut the door into 3 pieces stuck them together and threw in some screws. I didn't even counter sink. At some point I might go back an countersink sand and pain but considering how hard my kids are on furniture for now I will leave in a state where I don't care what they do to it. Using a 1.75" thick solid core door means that this is an extremely heavy, extremely sturdy play table. Good thing because my kids had broken off 2 of the previous, less sturdy, table's legs. Once again sorry for the poor quality camera phone photos.

blinds and matching pants

2010-03-06T15:10:00.000-08:00

When I found this fabric at JoAnn Fabrics I knew it would be perfect for roman blinds in our bedroom. So I bought all that was left and luckily it was just barely enough. I used this tutorial, which was great. My one hold up was that I didn't tack the rings through both layers and I had to go back and fix it, otherwise it was easy. I think you might be able to get away with just a few weights in the bottom rather than the full bar across the bottom. The metal ended up costing as much as the fabric for me. I have this window done and I should soon have the other two done. By then, hopefully, I will have found my camera battery charger and I will be able to post better pictures.

Clara is getting bigger, or at least taller and is need of some new pants so I picked up this pattern for some cute pleated pants and whipped up a pair with leftover curtain fabric. That pattern was clear and easy to follow and seems to run the tiniest bit small. They also don't really work for cloth diapers, don't quite come up high enough.

The stripes were a bit of a pain to deal with when making the pleats so I think the next pair will be a more solid fabric. I think I will whip up a few more pairs, probably in the next size up.

New dining table

2010-02-27T20:27:00.000-08:00

Recently I discovered the amazing and inspiring blog, Knock-off Wood. I have always felt that every one can (and perhaps should) attempt wood working at some point in their life and this blog proves me right. Ana, a stay at home mom, takes her inspiration from expensive retailers like Pottery Barn and West Elm and then proceeds to create plans and instructions for inexpensive, sturdy and easy to build "knock-offs". For example her latest plan is for the Addison bunkbed from Land of Nod. This bed retails for $1,300 but with Ana's plans you should be able to build it for (her estimate) $50, I think lumber costs a tad more where I am but one could still build it for a fraction of the cost.

Long story short, I am now mildly obsessed with building furniture and this table is the result. Sad thing is we don't particularly need any furniture, but I didn't let a little thing like that stop me. We have a perfectly good dining room table, sturdy, not unattractive and maybe only a tiny bit larger than strictly necessary but when I saw this plan I decided I had to make us a new table anyway, if for no other reason than to prove to myself I could make it all by myself, I also really like this table. However, I did decide to make some modifications because I just can't help myself. First I toyed with the idea of making it an extending table but then I got lazy and changed my mind. Then I decided to make a small square table because our table is used by only 4 people 90% of the time. I also decided to make the table top a bit differently, I am not sure why.

As you can see Ana has her table top recessed into the apron. I decided to place mine on top of the apron, once again I am not sure why. However, this change did allow me to ditch the 2x2 supports Ana used. This is a good thing, not because she was necessarily wrong in using them but around here 2x2's are incredibly soft and worthless at providing any measure of rigidity or stability. Because my table is smaller (33"x33") and the table top is on top of the apron I was able to support the top with the apron alone. In the picture below you can see that I replaced a 2x2 with a 3" wide scrap of 3/4" plywood to provide the bracing of the end of the apron interrupted by the legs. This worked out very well and I am quite happy with it, the table is solid as a rock and weighs almost as much as one. In the picture you can also see that I attached the side aprons to the legs with pocket hole screws. I mostly did this because I hadn't gotten to try out our pocket hole jig yet, but you could easily screw the legs to the side apron from the outside. All together I think this table took me less than 4 hrs to cut the wood and assemble it.

I left the stain/paint color choice up to Oli because he was headed to the hardware store anyway and he came home with a can of ebony stain. We ended up cutting the stain about 1:1 with paint thinner and this is the result. I think the table maybe looks a tiny bit less yellow in person but this is a fairly accurate representation.

I am now in the process of applying the last few coats of pure tung oil as a finish. I love tung oil as a finish for a number of reasons. First we have tons left over from finishing our floor so it is free. Second it is non toxic and low VOC so I can apply it in the house with rug rats running about and not worry (except about them spreading the oil where I don't want it) which is great because it is too cold to apply a finish outside. Third tung oil soaks into the wood unlike surface finishes (ie polyurethane) this means it doesn't chip, or dent, or flake. Fourth it is very tough when applied correctly and it is practically idiot proof to apply, no worries about brush strokes or overlapping layers. It also gives a matte, natural looking finish with very low sheen. It is important to distinguish between 100% pure tung oil (non toxic) and the tung oil finishes most commonly found at hardware stores which have additives (check the ingredients). These "unpure" versions might be as awesome as the pure but I have not used them and I can't vouch for them. I bought mine here and I recommend the store I bough mine at, which has excellent customer service and a good price.

Soon it shall be done and we will see if it is as fun to use as it was to make. I am in the process of making some matching stools, the extras of which will double as side/coffee tables. However, I hit a bit of a snag today when I remembered that the chop saw won't cut the 2x8's I chose to use for the seats. So they will have to wait until I can use the skill saw without worrying about munchkins running about.

Supplies:

3 - 2x6 - 10' or 2 - 14' boards (I have found that the 10/12/14' boards are much nicer than the 8' boards)

2 - 2x4 - 10' (there will be lots extra but if you are thing of making a bench or stool or anything else extra 2x4 can be handy)

scrap ply wood

1 1/2" wood screws (to attach braces)

2 1/2" wood screws

square/torque/star head screws are much nicer to work with than phillips (less likely to strip)

a counter sinking bit is a good idea to pre drill holes and prevent splitting

wood filler

stain (we used the 1/2 pint size cut 1:1 with mineral spirits LOTS left over)

Nice but not strictly necessary - clamps

I highly recommend using clamps, especially when attaching the top. They just make things work nicer. For this table 2 - 36" would do the trick, three should cover any situation.

Cut list:

legs 4 - 2x6 - 28.5"

table top 6 - 2x6 - 33"

side apron 2 - 2x4 - 30"

end apron 2 - 2x4 - 22"

end braces 2 - 3/4" ply - 3" x 30"

Brown Owlet sweater

2010-02-14T15:11:00.000-08:00

Finally here is a picture of Layden's Owlet Sweater which has been done about a month now. The sleeves seem a bit tight and the neck a bit loose but maybe some blocking would help? I haven't decided yet whether I will add the button eyes.

Raveled.

Shameless Plug

2010-02-13T12:39:00.000-08:00

My sister, Becky, has started up a shop on etsy to sell her amazing ceramic sculpture and masks. She is far more talented than I and I urge you to check out her shop and tell all your friends. Here are a few of her pieces. Some are just masks, some double as vases, some are more human, others more animal like. As I write this she doesn't quite have everything online yet but she will soon.

This elephant is my favorite.

I can picture this one with a plant growing in it to give him some hair.

A red scarf and bathroom remodel

2010-02-03T18:19:00.000-08:00

I haven't been doing too much crafting lately because we are hoping to sell our house and have a good bit to do to get it ready for the market. Currently we are working on remodeling our downstairs bathroom. The wiring is done and now we need to get the drywall up, put the floor down, paint and put the toilet/sink in. I have been sneaking a bit of work in on this scarf. It is basically just a couple repeats of the "Old Shale" lace pattern.

I think scarves may be one of my least favorite things to knit, they always seem to go so slow. I am thinking this might end up a neck warmer with buttons rather than a full scarf. The pattern is nice because it has only a 4 row repeat so it is easy to memorize but has enough variation that you don't fall asleep knitting.

I have also gotten myself into another 5" charm square swap (through thebabywearer.com), not sure why since I don't have much time for quilting. I just couldn't help myself, I guess. I think they might still have room for a few more people the yahoo group is here.

Craft Hope for Haiti

2010-01-19T12:19:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to let you all know about yet another great way to donate to Haiti and other charitable programs, Craft Hope. Right now the wonderful people at Craft Hope are accepting donations for a Craft Hope Etsy store, all the proceeds from which go to Doctors without Borders. They also organize donations for a variety of causes and you can see current and past projects in their sidebar. I am donating a few little quilts I have made.

More knitting

2010-01-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

I have been on a knitting kick and I have gotten a few more small projects done. First I knit up this shawlette for my friend Lisa. She bought the yarn close to a year ago on a trip to the yarn store together, it is Jojoland Melody superwash (fingering weight). Sadly since then something has gotten into my stash and a good bit of my yarn seems chewed up. This shawlette would have been a bit bigger but the last quarter, at least, of the yarn was unusable. I used the same pattern as in this shawl but I think I much prefer it with the lighter weight yarn. I also made a few changes, half-way through I got tired of dropped YO's so I knit the rest using a size 11 needle for the YO rows. You can't tell the difference. Pattern. Raveled.

I also made this mini danish tie shawl for Clara. She seems to like it fairly well. I used a superwash worsted weight yarn for this shawl and size 9 needles.

Raveled.

Right now I am working on my first lace project, a Dandy Neckerchief. It has a leafy look to it and I am using some worsted weight Ultra Alpaca that is a bit more foresty green looking than this photo shows. I have also done a few more repeats of the pattern since the photo was taken. The start was a bit rough and the first night my cat got into it and I had to unravel 10 rows to get it fixed but otherwise it is going well. I think I have finally figured out how to ssk and I think I will have to try another lace project soon. Raveled.

Shawl and hat pattern.

2010-01-03T10:52:00.001-08:00

I finally finished off my danish work shawl and sadly I am not really happy with it. I think I knit it a bit tight so it doesn't really have any drape and it doesn't really lie flat. But I really like the concept and I will have to make another sometime. Raveled

I am very happy with this hat I made for my mother in law. She has a fairly small head so I am hoping that it will fit her. Here it is modeled by my son and it is a little big on him. It was inspired by Thorpe by Kristen Kapur but hers is knit top down and that was just not working for me so I made something up. It ended up with about a 21" brim and 7" tall sort of a small adult medium. But it could easily be made bigger just by going up a needle size and knitting the hat a little taller before decreasing.

Yarn:
Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool - held double

Needles:
Size 7 16-24” circular

Gauge 4”x4” =
Garter: 16 st and 32 rows
Stockinette: 16 st and 24 rows

Earflaps:
Cast on 5 (I used double tailed)
1: k1 kfb k1 kfb k1 (7st)
2: and all even rows knit across
3: k1 kfb [k3] kfb k1 (9st)
5: k1 kfb [k5] kfb k1 (11st)
7: k1 kfb [k7] kfb k1 (13st)
9: k1 kfb [k9] kfb k1 (15st)
11: k1 kfb [k11] kfb k1 (17st)
continue in garter stitch until flap measures 5” from cast on edge
leave flap on circular with 6” tail
repeat for second flap but do not trim off

Body:
turn and knit the 17 st on second flap,
then cast on 17,
knit 17 st on first flap,
cast on 25
1: join for circular knitting and purl one row
2: k all
3: p all
knit in stockinette until piece measures 4” from brim

Crown decreases:
[k8 k2tog] x4 [k7 k2tog] x4
k 1 row
[k7 k2tog]x4 [k6 k2tog] x4
k 1 row
follow this pattern until you k2tog each stitch

half double crochet around edge with contrast color.

Raveled

Slippers and a Tribble

2009-12-24T18:53:00.000-08:00

Raveled

For Christmas I knitted up some slippers for both of the children using this pattern by DROPS. The pattern was very quick and easy because the slippers are knit flat then seamed rather than knit in the round. I used Knit Picks Wool of the Andes for both pairs. Both of them bled a little when felting but shrank up nicely and don't seem too scratchy. Clara's are the 12/18 month size and Layden's are the 4/5 size. I tried Clara's on her already and they seem to fit well but I haven't tried Layden's yet. He has to wait until tomorrow.

Raveled

Today I whipped up one of these little Tribbles, which I have been eyeing for a while now. This one is in some yellow scrap acrylic and I am hoping it will make a nice washable, reusable dish scrubber. Others on Ravelry commented that they had trouble with theirs getting smelly so I will have to see how it works out.

Raveled

Birthday Crafting

2009-12-22T13:33:00.000-08:00

Layden turned 4 today and for the first time we threw him a party and he was exceedingly excited. It was a rather small affair, just a few neighborhood friends, but I wanted to make it exciting for him. So for decorations I made a party garland from this tutorial at The Purl Bee. I used mostly random scraps and cut a lot of 5" squares in half. I also didn't do any of the irregular shapes. As you can see mine is a lot more colorful and busy than theirs, at first I wasn't sure if I liked it but I think it looks good up.

We are trying reduce the clutter and waste in our lives and so for his main gift from us he got "tickets" to go see a movie with a friend and little spending money for popcorn and the like. I think this sort of gift will be quite common at our house so I used this tutorial to make an envelope we can use and reuse for gift certificates. The finished dimensions of my envelope are 3" x 6.5"

Red Mittens

2009-11-28T23:10:00.000-08:00

We drove over to the in-laws for Thanksgiving this year and I decided to take advantage of the long car ride to finish knitting up these mittens for Clara. I knitted them up with a worsted weight red wool that I had laying about so I am not sure exactly what it was. I used this pattern from Drops and it turned out quite well. Tonight I finished getting them felted down to size, unfortunately her hands are so small and she is uncooperative so she just sticks her whole hand in and doesn't use the thumb part. I may have to knit up a set without the thumb so she doesn't go around looking as if she has severely double jointed thumbs. She was very happy with them at least and insisted on wearing them for a bit even though they were rather damp.

Pinafore and Sweater Blanket for Clara

2009-11-14T20:21:00.000-08:00

I finally managed to squeeze in some time for a little sewing today. Looking at my last post it would seem it has been over a month since I did much of anything crafty, so sad. This is my tester version and I still have to finish of a couple of seams in the lining but first I need to find some matching thread. I used this pattern from heidiandfinn on etsy, and it went together smoothly and quickly. My mom says that she has seen the same little top many times over the years and I think it might be in a pattern book she has as well. It is technically reversible but I just made the lining from a plain thrifted sheet so I don't think I will be reversing this one. I made the 2T size and it seems to fit pretty well and should continue to fit through next summer I would think.

We are currently in the process of downsizing our belongings and that includes my crafty stuff. At first I had packed up some felted sweaters that I figured I wouldn't have time to do anything will but then I changed my mind and I have cut out enough 9.5" and such to make a little blanket to go in Clara's crib to keep her warm. I haven't figured out exactly how I will sew them together however. I think they may need to be stabilized but I don't know that I feel like messing around quilting each to a square of fabric so we shall see what happens. Maybe I will try hand sewing them together.