bunnies, babies and hats

A little something for the new baby

AND

big brother and sister.

;)

These little golden books are GOLDEN OLDIES!

I have "Home for a Bunny"

IMPRINTED on my brain

from the many readings I've done over the years!!

"Where can a bunny find a HOME??"

Amazon has quite of few

classic golden books to choose from.

I bought a few to add to upcoming baby gifts.

I LOVE children's books!

This little hat began with some

WONDERFUL yarn (cotton and wool? no tags) 

I picked up at a thrift store.

It was a partial skein...

so I added the Pink/peachy yarn

 to STRETCH it a bit.

********

If you're wondering HOW the story ends...

Bunny DOES find a home.

Thank GOODNESS!

Project Bag

Every project deserves a bag.

An easy thing to GRAB as I run out the door.

 

The more Unfinished projects there are....

the more bags I NEED!

I love making bags out of leftover

upholstery samples

and other HEAVY weight fabrics

collected from here and there.

 

The main LEAF piece in this one

I found in the back of a shop

last year when visiting Greenwich village.

 

Just using the bag reminds me of my trip!

 

 

My little added pocket came from an old pair of pants.

Worn out pants contain a LOT of great fabric

to REPURPOSE!

 

Little pieces from here and there

came together for one of my favorite project bags!

 

I have QUITE a few projects bags now

hanging around here.

some empty....some full.....

How about you?

 

 

Quilting lines

The baseball and soccer games were cancelled today.

The PERFECT opportunity to stay home this morning

IN MY PAJAMAS and quilt!

I LOVE to quilt before getting dressed for my day  :)

I love the backing

AND

 the fact that I was able to squeeze in leftovers from the quilt in the middle.

Ties it ALL together!

A polka dot binding is the icing on the cake!

My quilting method is worth mentioning...

because it saves me some time.

 

First I lay the quilt on my kitchen table (after sandwiching)

and tape off TWO diagonal lines through the middle of the quilt.

 

I quilt those two LONG lines.

Then move out from there marking 3" from each seam with tape

as I go.

The tape hangs next to me and I add as I go.

One line at a time.

I use the tape pieces over and over again.

When I'm done they are ALL out of  "sticky".

Before you know it

the quilt it DONE!

Pretty in Pink

One of the VERY simplest quilts to put together

is a quilt with strips.

 

These strips are cut 3" wide.

Sewn together in pairs and triplets...

and cut 10" wide.

 

Three rows of strips.

Two borders. (one 2 1/2" and one 6")

 

Put it ALL TOGETHER..

and folks...

You have a quilt!!!

(singing the hokey pokey as I write that!) 

LOL!

Believe it or NOT...

I was able to sew this up in ONE afternoon.

 

I DID have most of the fabric PULLED.

THAT is what sometimes takes ALL the time!!

:)

If I hand quilt with some black thread....

like I'd LIKE...

The HOURS will add up!!!

Just HOW much to hand quilt is the question...

and WHERE???

I don't have the time to hand quilt it all.

Wish I did.

 

This "black and white with pink ALL OVER" quilt

is ALL stash.

 

I'm hoping that 2014 will be another

PURCHASE FREE year for me!

That's the goal.

 

 

 

 

 

One thing leads to another

I've been away from a home a LOT lately!

It's hard to quilt and sew when traveling!

:)

It's not as hard to knit!

 

These little coasters are a special request.

 

The yarn was admired.

The idea to make coasters was put out there

after the young couple saw me working on dishcloths....

and...

I got to WORK!!!

 

These little coasters are a variation on

that OLD knitting pattern for dishcloths

 that's been around FORever!

The wedding is in August

and my daughter and soninlaw-to-be

LOVE these oceany...blue...green colors.

They also like homemade.

Makes this mama a HAPPY mama!

 

This photo needs some COFFEE!

;)

so do i.

 

 

 

 

Soft and Warm and Done

Admire...please.

That's ALL we can do right now.

There are no grandbabies the right size for this....

My VERY first REAL knitting project.

 

Help me admire.

Then...

I'll put it in a SAFE place and WAIT.

 

There will be a baby someday.

A baby that fits this sweater perfectly.

It doesn't have to be today.

 

NO...

I really don't mind  holding on to this one just a BIT longer.

;)

 

*************

Note:

This sweater would not be complete if I didn't have knitting friends.

EXPERT knitters.

Thankfully they came on a retreat with me last weekend.

Thankfully they let me PESTER them all weekend

as I finished up this sweater.

Yes....I pestered them 24/7.

;/

Thankfully....they haven't told me to STOP asking questions!!!

 

When they do..
I might have to use Youtube for instructions!!!

I will if I HAVE TO.

 

Thankful for my friends today.

A Parade

Since I'm on a retreat committee...

there are jobs to be done!

 

Registering ladies..... making schedule booklets...

nametags...contacting the venue.....

getting there early to welcome everyone...

etc.

I didn't do those jobs.

;)

 

I said I'd make table mats for the centerpieces.

 

Some were modern.

Some were warm.

I had fun machine quilting...

Using UP my UFOs...

as well as some orphan blocks that were given to me!

I hand quilted some of them.

The hand quilting really added something to this one!

I figured if I used lots of DIFFERENT colors and styles...

there'd be something for everyone!

 

These table mats were bid on

and thankfully they all have NEW HOMES!

They are made with quilt blocks that no LONGER

have to sit in boxes and bags

WAITING to be quilts!!!

 

These quilt blocks

 have a JOB to do.

They are

Making someone's kitchen table

a WARM and happy place to be.

They are doing what BIG quilts do!

Spreading warmth and happiness ALL AROUND!

 

**************

 

Some of these orphan blocks were gifts from YOU!

I want to thank all my blog friends who FILLED my orphan drawer last year.

It was so wonderful to dig through and find little GEMS

to use as I made these table mats.

They all have GOOD homes now...

I double checked!!

And they have a life of USEFUL service ahead of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More

When it comes to SCRAPS and QUILTS.....

The MORE the MERRIER!!!

The more scraps the BETTER.

 

And I DO BELIEVE

I'm the merriest...

Because I have MORE!!

 

Maybe not more than YOU....

but DEFINITELY more than I NEED!

Hah!

 

How many scraps does it take to make a quilt??

Simple answer.

it's

MORE.

 

Oh....I'm so happy I had all these scraps!

I am IN LOVE with this quilt.

 

When it's given away...

I'll have to make some visits.

 Some welfare visits.

some....

How is my quilt doing? visits.

I'll call them

"want to get coffee?" visits.

:)

 

 

If you comment and I don't reply...

it means your comment didn't come to my email like it normally does.

Anyone else having this issue with BLOGGER???

I'm curious to know WHAT's going on.

 

 

 

Yarn again

I have been getting little gifts of yarn.

Hand-me-down gifts.

Yes.

THAT kind.

;)

 

I like little gifts....

but they're not always the right COLOR.

I had something in the kitchen that solved THAT one!

I'm calling this yarn color

OATMEAL.

 

I've been wanting to weave a summer shawl.

Yeah!

Necessity...the mother of invention...strikes again!!!!

 

Well....not QUITE necessity.

More like InSANITY.

Hah!

Insanity...necessity....

 

You know what I MEAN!

 

Dyeing this yarn was so simple.

I spread it out in my 9x13.

Added boiling water and tea bags.

Let it set maybe an hour???

Hung it outside to dry

and rolled it up!!!

 

I'm sure there's a secret to keeping it from tangling up.

I don't know it.

THAT was the only trouble I had.

:)

Christmas quilt along

On the first Monday of every month

I've been adding a piece to my Christmas quilt.

 

This month, my addition is SO simple.

Simple things add a LOT to quilts!

 

I'm adding the small checkerboard blocks under the house.

 

After seeing the picture here on my blog...

I'm thinking SMALLER blocks would look even BETTER!

Oh well..

It's done.

And that's always a GOOD thing.

:)

I made these blocks using 2" strips.

 

I cut ONE strip of white....

Cut THAT strip in half.

I added TWO greens to each half strip.

(2" wide)

Cut my "blocks" into 2" segments

and turned them into a "checkerboard" style strip.

 

First I added a 2 1/2" wide strip under the house...

then my checkerboard.

 

It just so happens they fit PERFECTLY together.

If they didn't....

I would have trimmed the house block a little bit.

I have a few blocks left over.

That's o.k.

I may use them later!

;)

 

Instructions for previous blocks are on the

CHRISTMAS quilt along page.

 

If you ARE joining in...

we'd ALL love to see your progress on the flickr page!

This is a FREE and easy quilt along.

Not many EXACT instructions.

Lots of leeway!!!

Lots of FUN!

Lots of CREATIVE elbow room!

 

Happy SEWING!