Granny Squares

     Hello! I hope you are enjoying your Saturday! It is sunny and mild here in Maine today, and Mr Evans and I are enjoying a day of relaxation. I am working on piecing the afghan squares that I have been making all year. I am hoping to give the blanket as a gift this Christmas.

     I have been bundling the squares together in groups of 20 as I have made them, aiming at getting 20 bundles, I have 13 so far, but decided to start putting them together, to see how big it is so far.

 
     I started by sewing each bundle of squares into a strip,

     Then I sew the strips together. It is looking nice and colorful so far. It's my first traditional granny square blanket, I am copying the one that my husbands great grandmother made, as seen here,

     I quite like this project, it has been a stash buster, using up all sorts of odds and ends yarn. Even the colors I do not really like are going to add to the bright and cheerful blanket. This is another project that is extra thrifty, as I am using a lot of yarn that was given to me, and end pieces from other projects, making it virtually free!
     Also, in other news, Mr Evans started his new job this week! WOOOHOOO! We are quite happy with it, as it comes with a raise, something we haven't had in years. Don't get me wrong, we have been VERY grateful that he has had a job through this awful recession, we are just happy to have been blessed with a new job that will make it less of a struggle to buy the necessities. He will be working at a small company that makes dough for pizzas, partly as a dough maker and partly as a delivery man. Coming home after his first day he brought in no less than a dozen dough balls of assorted flavors! I see a lot of pizza in our future! Oh gosh, this is going to murder my diet! But hey, we are still in a position where free food is good food, so I have been using up some of the dough in creative ways. Today, its a batch of cinnamon buns, YUM!

    
     Well, better head into the kitchen to make a pot of tea to have with the buns, I hope you enjoy your weekend! God Bless!

Pillow Puff Quilt

     I have been trying to slip in some quilting on the days I am not watching The Nugget, who by the way has learned to sit up on his own! Albeit only for a few seconds:)

    
     This picture is blurry as he was swaying around a bit, but he is pretty excited about the accomplishment!
     I am working on a quilt I started a while back, before the move. It is made by cutting 4 and 1/2 inch by 8 and 1/2 inch rectangles of cloth. Fold the pieces in half so that good sides are facing in and sew up two and a half sides, leaving an opening. Turn right side out, lightly stuff with fiber fill and sew closed the opening. You end up with a little pillow!

     I am making as many as I can in red white and blue themed fabric from my stash and am using stuffing from my stash as well, all of which were given to me by various friends and family, so its a free project! To make the quilt you just sew the little pillows into strips,

 then sew the strips together, and the finished product will be a warm comforter type quilt that doesn't need to be backed or edged! Easy right?

     Here is what I have done so far. It is going to be a nice warm quilt, perfect for cold winter nights! I don't know if I will keep it or give it as a Christmas gift yet, I need to stop getting emotionally attached to my creations! I hope you Christmas crafters are getting stuck into your work load, time is ticking my friends!

Christmas Crafting!

     Even though I have been very busy taking care of the little Nug, I have still been trying to slip some Christmas crafting in. I get Wednesdays off, so I spent yesterday afternoon getting stuck in to some sewing!

    
     I have been making some rice "socks", as they are lovely to take to bed during the cold Maine winters, not to mention they are a natural way to soothe aches and pains! I almost never go to bed without one, which I put down by my feet:)

 
     I am also sewing up some fabric ornaments, things I have had in my stash for a few years and have always forgotten. While I was in my stash I dug out some other, coordinating fabric, so if I have time I can try and use them up too!

     The fabric with ornament prints are from 78'!  Not sure if I am going to use them on a vintage themed tree or if I will make them into a wreath, we will see, I think I am going to have a candy cane themes Christmas this year:)

     I have managed to knit up 3 pairs of slippers so far, with the 4th almost ready to come of the needles. I am going to try and make as many pairs as I can, and they make a good all 'round gift.
     Pinterest has given me SO many ideas of things to do and make, but I am pretty sure there isn't enough time in the year let alone day, to do as much as I would like! I am excited that Thanksgiving is a little early this year, because that means I can start celebrating Christmas that much sooner! Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Christmas!!!! Are you making any gifts this year? Let me know, I am always looking for new ideas!

I have been working up to this for more than a week!

     I have done it! My first ever Irish Rose granny square!!!! I am sooo excited. There were a couple of points in the pattern where I was confused, and momentarily stumped, but in the end I figured it out.

     I am going to make lots of them in different rosy colors, then sew them all together to make a bed sized blanket. I am thrilled to be learning how to do something that both of my Grandmothers could do! I hope to know enough soon to whip up a few snowflakes before Christmas, for gifts. I guess its that time of year, and I should start thinking about what to give and to who. For people who make gifts for people, Christmas starts in July!
     Anyway, I am going to go take a nice bath, I had the Goober bright and early this morning and "eu de similac" just doesnt suit me! Time to go sink into a some rose scented bubbles (oh how I love thee, Crabtree and Evelyn!) and read a good mystery,,,,,

Godnight all!

Yay for Irish crochet!

  
     I have been working all day (in between loads of laundry) to learn how to make Irish roses. I have found several versions, with how-too videos on YouTube. I am super excited though because this version I am holding I actually made by reading the pattern!!! No, you really have no idea if you don't crochet or knit, but that first time you are able to read AND understand AND do what a pattern says, its an extremely thrilling feeling!
     So tomorrow, I am going to work on making an Irish rose granny square, that I can then duplicate and proceed too make a big afghan for my rose themed bedroom, YAY! You really just don't know, I have been wanting to learn to make these for ages and have just had no one to teach me,,,, thank you Interwebs for the creation of YouTube!!!!

Light and breezy simple summer shifts, for steamy summer days!

     Good afternoon friends! What a sunny and beautiful day! I am working on getting some routine housework done, and then working on some sewing. Here in New England it has been a HOT and humid summer so far, and being a cold blooded creature, I need to be creative when it comes to not over heating. I like to wear dresses, and in summer its more of a NEED, since even Capri's can feel too hot! The problem is, being a bit of an "armful" (as my lovely grandfather calls me) it is sometimes difficult to find sundresses that fit me the right way. I don't want anything to "hang out", yet I want to get as much air to my skin as possible. Solution? Make it myself!

    
     I found a plus size jumper pattern a few years ago in a goodwill, and it is perfect for this need. It is easy, quick, and lends itself easily to creativity. I made two of the shorter version in some vintage cotton "sack cloth" two summers ago, and they have been my go-to summer dresses for wearing around the house. I also wear them over my bathing suit when swimming, as like I said, I don't like anything to "hang out", and it is great for this. I decided its time to make up a few more, so that I'll always have one ready to grab on hot mornings. I am making three, and making them all different, taking my own artistic license to the design . I am done two, and working on the last, all done in different materials that were free or very cheep! I'll post a pic of the finished dresses when I have them all done. So ladies, if you, like me, have a hard time finding clothes that are "you" in the stores, don't settle, get a sewin'!

Ahhh, relaxing after a busy day,,,

     I had the goober over again this morning. She keeps me busy, and I think I am finally getting used to taking care of another person, and NOT losing my patience! I love that little squirt, and I feel privileged that she is now wanting to cuddle when she's sleepy, and that she gets clingy and needs to be hanging on me:)
     I will now be getting ready for bed, since my day started very early, but I just HAD to comemorate today,,,,,

Today is the day I FINALLY learned how to make granny squares!!!! I have been wanting to learn for YEARS, but couldnt find anyone who could teach me, and thanks to Vee, and the wonderful video tutorial she shared on her blog, I now am hip to be square!!! Ok, forgive me, I am just plum tuckered,,,,
     So as I head off to bed I wish you a good night:)

Quilting Away!

     I was a very busy girl last week! I got my quilt layers together, and pinned (with about 150 safety pins, and 10 now very sore fingers) and have finished about 3/4 of the quilting! A few more hours of sewing and I will have the quilting all done! WOOO HOOO, machine quilting, once I figured out how to do it, is BY FAR so much easier than doing it by hand! When quilting's done I will trim the edges and sew on the trim/binder. I think I want to add some eyelet lace around the edge too. That will need to wait though, our Walmart looks as if a bomb has gone off, and absolutely NOTHING is where it used to be before. They say they are redecorating and making it easier for the costumers, I THINK they just want to trap us for hours, wandering like lost treasure hunters through darkest jungles. I mean golly goodness, I tried finding a seam ripper there the other day, For those of you who dont sew, they are about two and a half inches long, about the size of you average crayon,,,,, did I say something about haystacks,,,, and NEEDLES?! Needless to say, by the time I found it (with near hysterical giggles of joy) I vowed never to set foot in a Walmart again! Well,,,,, being a crafter,,,,, and and seeing as THEY are the only dealer in that OH so addictive good knows as FABRIC,,,,, well, lets just say its a love hate relationship, and leave it at that:)
     So here are a few photo's from last week, see if you can spot my little "helper"

     She just can't wait till (her) its all finished! She wasn't even scared off by the noise of the sewing machine, which is VERY unusual, my cats are scared of EVERYTHING! Well, we take risks for love, and my Battie LOVES mommy-made blankets :)

Hearts for Home 4/5/11

     This week's Hearts for Home will be a little less ambitious. I have had a clingy cold for a little more than a week now. I really can't complain, as this is the only cold I have had this season, and it isn't even a very nasty one. But it is a tiring one, so I am going to keep taking things slow and getting lots of rest. Thank the Lord, Poot hasn't caught it, though if he did I wouldn't lie, I would love to have him home for me pamper and nurse:)
     So, the list.
     1. I picked up a few candles in lovely spring scents, I am going to make a point of  lighting candles in the evenings, to make a cozy atmosphere.This spring so far has consisted mostly of slushy snow and freezing rain, so warm, flowery scents go a long way to brightening dark nights.
     2. I really hope my cold improves in the next day or two, because I really need and  want to make some more bread. We have had to get a loaf or two from the store, and after having homemade bread for so long, store bought really does not seem worth eating at all. Plus, with homemade, you get the added benefit of that indescribably delicious aroma, the one people always get a smile on thier faces while remembering. Absolutely nothing beats the smell of baking bread for the "homeyness" award!
     3. I would also like to put my quilt layers together,

    The quilt top is finished, and now I am just debating on how I want to go about  finishing it, weather I want to have three layers, or just use a nice fleece blanket as a backing and tie it off. I'll keep thinking on it for another day or two, I don't want to have to take it apart again!
     4. I am also going to need to give the apartment a good scrubbing. I have been doing bare minimum cleaning for the past week or so, and we are in no means living in filth, but I know what needs to be done and what hasn't been done, and its bugging me:) Thankfully, this past weekend my sister came over and brought her very nice vacuum cleaner and carpet shampooer. She and Poot gave the floors a good cleaning, and I am confident NOW the pesky sinus problems I have been having all winter will finally end! What a blessing that will be!
     5. And, I think, since my Poot has been so good to me and he has been doing ALL the cooking (well, bringing home takeout:) I will make him something special. Maybe a batch of his favorite peanut butter balls, using his grandma's recipe. Every now and then you have to spoil you man, especially if he deserves it:)
     Well, thats it for tonight, God Bless, and have a wonderful week!

Well, I got some things finished anyway!

     This week I signed on to do 5 or 6 things too keep the spirit of homemaking in my heart (thanks to Hearts For Home) I got the Hubby's laundry all done for the week, though unfortunately I didn't get to washing too much else. And instead of working on my To-Finish knitting basket, I stated a new project. YES, I know! Haha, but I got a request,,, and how can I say no when someone REQUESTS something made by me:) One of our close friends, and fellow sister in Christ at our church has requested a warm pair of mittens to wear when she goes hiking. Her circulation is not so good, and gloves just don't do the trick. Here in Maine it has been barely in the teens (F) recently, BRRRR. So, I am knitting her up a pair of double strand mittens in two shades of green, her favorite color. I LOVE to give things I have made. I just love taking practically nothing, and making it into a THING, like string into mittens, and flour into cookies. That is truly one of the greatest joys in my life, giving of myself:)
      Another thing I have worked on (and FINALLY finished!) this week is the table with a shelf under it that has its home in my kitchen. We bought it at a junk shop. It was buried under trunks of old moth eaten linen and dust, we offered $10 and it was ours. It was beat up, and stained in a very dark color, with two unfinished panel's on top. I am assuming it once had glass panels, but they have long since been lost.  I had my Hubby spray paint it in a bright blue,

     I then found a coordinating fabric, it is a burlap type cloth with pretty tea roses and tiny blue flowers in the same shade as the paint, though I don't think you can see that in the pictures.

     I finished sewing the curtain for it this afternoon, and am VERY pleased with the results! I was aiming for French Country Cottage/ Shabby chic. I think it fits! You can see in the background the shelves where I keep my cookbooks and tea things. I figured while I the Hubs spray painting anyway, I might as well have him do that shelf for me, to match:) We also ended up doing the table legs in the same shade of blue, and the  the mismatched dining chairs in different shades of pastel. I don't have a picture of them right now, but someday I'll show you.
     So, the curtain makes my kitchen tidier, and I am feeling really good for doing so much with my hands this week! I can't wait till next week, I wonder what else I will get accomplished:)

Baby Stuff!

     I am sooooo excited that we are getting things done and ready to start the process of adoption/fostering. Its almost like we are expecting in a way:) I have dreamed of being a mummy for so long, its soooo scary to be getting this close! I have been making big plans. I have also been making lists. Have I mentioned I am a bit of a fanatic list maker? No? Well, I am. That doesn't make me a bad person, just an annoying one.
    So along with my to-do list to get done by June, I have also been compiling a list of things we will need for the baby/small child. We have started to collect a small amount of clothing. I don't want to get too much, as we don't know what age or sex the baby will be, but I just can't help getting lost in baby departments! For years I have been peeking with torturous want at all the sweet jammies and dresses and onesies, and now, FINALLY I have an excuse to buy them, and NOT for giving to someone else, but to keep! You have no idea how great that is!!!
     So here is a peek at the small hope hat box I have been stashing the goodies in:)

     I was very pleased to find glass baby bottles at the local walmart. I was sure they had probably stopped making such thing, I guess the "poison" plastic thing has scared back a demand for them which is great, I have always preferred them to plastic. I am knitting a pair of booties, they are pink, I hope to do up a few pairs in assorted colors and add them to the stash. I am also going to make a crib quilt out of vintage baby fabric. Here is what I have,

     They have such sweet little critters on them, and I love all things vintage. I have already made up a valance for the nursery window, it is made with some of the fabric you see on the top of the stack above. There is both pink and blue in it. If we do get a girl though, she is going to be utterly smothered in pink!
    So that's about it for now, I will probably be done the booties tonight, so I will try and get a picture up tomorrow. Sleep well blog world!

Knitting a bunny

     Ahhh, I think its time for a little break and a cuppa tea. I have been knitting all morning on a little brown bunny that I am making for a baby boy, soon to be born. I would show a picture, but my camera's batteries are dead, and I wont be able to get more till tomorrow, so hopefully then I can snap of one before bundling Mr Bunny and all the other baby boy items up for gifting at the shower Sunday.
     Baby showers used to be sooooooo hard for me. Infertility made me so bitter, so angry, and so jealous for so many years. It sneaks in and changes you, and I didnt even realize that until I started to not be able to go to showers. I'd cringe, and often cry, whenever another woman announced her happy news. A baby is a wonderful thing, and it took me a while to grasp that, even though I may never get to bring one into the world myself, EVERY baby is a gift from God, and I should never begrudge the joy they bring, but take part in it. It was a long road, but I got there:)
     Actually, speaking of roads, my hubby and I are shuffling ever more steady down the road to Fostering/ Adoption. The apartment is just about where I want it to be, organizational-wise. I am going to attempt at getting my drivers license, though my eyes might put a hurdle up there. We'll just have to wait and see. I know I should have gotten it years ago, but honestly, I HATE driving. Scares the ,,, well, never mind! ,,, outta me. But, the time has come for me to either get it, or be deemed too blind to get it. Either way, we can then move that much closer to parenthood. Our goal it to walk into the A Family For Me office's no later than June 1st, and hopefully be placed with a child before Christmas. We are praying about it, and if is Gods will, then it will be.
   Until then though, I have a lot to do!like get myself onto a regular sleeping schedule, my body just really wants to be nocturnal! We are also going to gather together some furniture and books for the (hopefully) child's bedroom. We have no idea what age or sex our child will be, so we wont be getting a crib/bed or clothing until last minute. We will be saving up some money for that though, and I am sure our family and friends will be throwing us and Adoption Shower:) They have all been so very, very supportive through everything, and I think they are looking forward to a new family member as much as we are! This child, wherever it may be now, is already loved, we just need to meet it:)

What I have been doing for the past week and a half,,,

    I have decided. Yup, I have! I made up my mind that I am FINALLY going to try and earn some money with my crafting abilities! I mean, I already spend a good deal of time knitting, and sewing, and making all manner of nifty little things, why not see if I can sell them, and make a little money for our family? Mr Evans approves, so there is nothing to hold me back,,, well, except maybe for my own tendency towards laziness and procrastination. Oh, and I have an annoying habit of starting projects, getting bored, and then starting something else, then something else, till finally I have six things going and I am wondering if it would just be easier to take them all apart and forget I ever mentioned them. (or what usually happens, stuff them into the back of the spare bedrooms closet and bury them under my yarn and cloth stashes)
    Please dont hold any of this against me! I made a point of finishing all my half finished projects before starting  to and build a stock of  things to sell. Well, all except one, a large quilt, that I am hand quilting, and its probably going to take months to finish. So you see, I do eventually get things done, it just happens to take me a tad bit longer than the average person. (insert sheepish smile here)
    So,,, back to my plan, so far I have three aprons, one teddy bear and 2 and a half knit dishcloths made. Here are what they look like,

Two half aprons, front and back view, made with vintage fabric, excuse the pinkish reflection, my camera has special needs, and I am unable to fulfill them. Oh, and the sideways picture, a recent thrift shop find that Mr Evans needs to repair before hanging.

Cute teddy, I am still deciding on whether to add an embroidered nose or not,,,

A full apron, made again with vintage fabric I'll take this moment to admit something to you. I love aprons, all aprons, the girlier, and rufflier the better!!!!

   I'll post more pictures as I make more things. I plan on making tea cozies, pot holders, oven mitts, place mats, and pincushions in the shape of assorted sweets. My creative bones are humming with all this crafty yuminess!
    I had better get back to work now. I have been feeling slow and sleepy today, the sky is grey with very much needed rain. I had better go put the kettle on and get stuck into knitting that dishcloth. After all, they are not known for knitting themselves!