Fun at work

In the midst of making the 16 quilt squares, there has also been alot of Secret Santa-ing happening in the ISI building. People get a little insane and have a fabulous time doing it.

Apparentley, my Secret Santa has been reading my blog (Hello!) and discovered that I might like this:




IS THAT NOT AMAZING!!!!!!!???????????

I am going to assume she made it (and i will assume it is a she since there are only 3 men in the company who are playing). And if she did, I would like to know who has been hiding their very mad embroidery skills from the Costume Shop Manager (me)

The patch on the left is Max, from Where the Wild Things Are. And the one on the right is the most glorious Fliegenpilz patch i have ever seen. Actually it was a little folder that had a mini packet of tissues tucked into it (for my runny nose suffering from the plague an all).

I might put the Max patch on something I make for the baby or just frame it. And the Fliegenpilz might go on a purse or as a patch on a pair of jeans .....for now i will just admire it and love it.
I received 3 other very cool items - but the Fliegenpilz is tops!

the last 10 days

Happy Hannukah!



Oh! Wait that ended yesterday...
So I'm a little behind. What else is new? :) We lit the candles and ate the latkes. No dreidel spinning here but we sang the South Park Version of the song...we are soooooo not PC in this house, I tell ya!

Other than the eight days of chanukah...there has been the 10 days of QUILTERS. This is the latest musical for our Musical Conservatory program. I admit, I haven't watched a single rehearsal this weel. Poor Yvette has had to watch it every night this week...Max is such a great excuse. That and I have been sick too - i have caught the plague :)

So what does a musical about Quilters involve? Quilts! Lots of friggin' quilts! I have never quilted. I mean that I have NEVER done the type of quilts that require tiny triangles and squares and circles and all sorts of piecing.
Kristin sent me a link to this amazing webpage! Crazy helpful it was. That and the Singer sewing book on quilts and some other book the set designer brought in were the best thing in the world!

Our quilt blocks are (approx.) 22" square. Some patterns were enlarged and some were shrunk. The final product is 16 seperate squares mounted onto an 8'x8' canvas backdrop:

In order of left to right, top to bottom, we have -
1. Butterfly (a crazy quilt with applique) 2. Logcabin 3. Spools or Secret Drawer 4. "rebel patch" (a crazy quilt used for a fictitious block for the show)

5. School Houses 6. Rocky Road to Kansas (have also seen it called Rock Star) 7. Country Crossroads 8. Baby Blocks (aka Tumbling Blocks)

9. Lonestar 10. Four Doves in a Window 11. tree of Life 12. Kansas Dugout

13. Double Wedding Rings 14. Double Windmill 15. Crosses and Losses 16. Robbing Peter to Pay Paul


By the way, we cheated. Alot!!! - there was heat-n-bond and non piecing....but could you tell? Okay maybe you professional quilters could...irk!

Here are a few close-ups:


We ended up appliqueing this one with heat-n-bond after we had made it WAY to big. There wasn't enough time to piece it properly.



Made by one of our apprentices.


Katherine throwing down the scraps in order to make the Crazy quilt block. She ironed them all down and then zig-zaged by machine.


Our final block - The background blocks were pieced and then the rest was laid on top, then appliqued.

Each block gets snapped on as the play goes on and the song is sung to explain the story behind each pioneer woman's quilt. So we need to readjust the snaps a bit and maybe adjust a block or two....then it is all done!!!!!!!!!!!!

Once that is done, we can get on with the more important things at hand. The making of the holiday gifts and secret santa-ing in the work place. I am sure my person knows who I am...but that is okay...she is loving it!

Purses, Schmurses!

So a few days ago i gave you a little peek into my Holiday Madness.

Well here is more!





The Fliegenpilz bag is made of fabric I purchased last summer in NYC at Purl Soho. The buttons are from a new store near me that has just opened. (they come in green, blue, red, white and burgundy).

Their online page is lousy - does not do the store justice one tiny bit! And so much of their stock is not online. Here is a hint of what I bought on my first purchase. (yes, I said first. There has been a 2nd)

The green cordoroy bag is for a co-worker who has been one of my "new-mommy gurus."
I added appliques and a pocket on the outside and buttons from my new dealer.

The trial run began with the wool tweed fabric from my stash. The lining is also from Purl Soho. It is a Heather Ross fabric.


Really - check out the Handmade Holiday month at Sew Mama Sew! And while you are at it, don't forget to check out Whip Up for their latest roundup of crafting (featuring the lovely Alice).

And in the middle of the madness I have been crafting a few other things - and have been creating a mini-tutorial of my own. We shall see if I can get it all done and posted it by the end of the weekend.

oh goodness it is well after midnight - so need to get to bed!

ps: the purse pattern is here (the schematic should be a trapezoid, not a rectangle)

holiday creating has begun!

Have you all accepted that this is not a pure knitting blog?
Good.
I only remind you all of this since the holiday crafting will be heavy on the sewing and light on the knitting or crochet. I blame Sew Mama, Sew.
The month of November is Handmade Holidays Month. And I am going crazy with the craftiness of them all...not enough time in the world (and there needs to be more manly ideas)

I have printed out so many tutorials it is R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S!!!

And I am having a fabulous time.

Here is a little hint of the beginning of my holiday crafting madness:



the details:




(did you see the buttons!?!?!?!)

And there have been cookies. I saw Madhatter's yummy cookies and i figured it was time to dig through the magazine recipes i have been saving over the years and make these Iced Gingerbread cookies.



(next week, I will attempt a chocolate shortbread recipe)

Gobble...gobble!

Let's just assume i am greatful...and thankful and all that. I know. It is Thanksgiving here in the USA and everyone is writing something beautiful and poetic about how they are greatful for all they have in their lives......Like! Gag me with with a spoon!

No. Really. I AM thankful for many things.

• The cuteness that is Max.
• The latest show is open (and no actors were harmed in the process, or babies - Max is so lucky that Nana came down to babysitt, and sew costumes)
• I am not at work.
• I will bake a pie that will not taste terrible.
• I am not spending this day with anyone other than my new immediate family...oh? Did I type that? :)
• This.

And now i can return to the knitting! There are always 80 million projects in the works. But the one that seems to be getting the most time and energy from me is a Log Cabin Blanket. Which i completley blame on Ravelry for the inspiration. This started as a crocheted afghan for Fritz awhile back and it was not a success. AT ALL! To be honest with myself, it was U-G-L-Y! BUt the knitted version is looking sooo much prettier.

Here is just the beginning.

I hope to get it done by the end of the decade....hmmmm...don't hold your breath Fritz! He is lucky that i don't have to mail it to him...that's all i 'm saying.

Gratuitous nekked baby post!

PIF:
Thank you Amelie and K(n)ittything - you are on the list - now i must figure it all out - thank goodness i have a year! There is a 3rd slot if anyone is interested :)

Max as Knitwear model

This is a gratuitous baby in knitwear post - you have seen the some of these and some not. But how could I not post this adorable face?





The blueberry hat is by my friend Beth, the Little Man sweater is designed by me, the red sweater was made by Nana and the blanket was made by Lew at Woolwinders.

Pay it Forward

So I am joining the party. I was reading Tini's blog and then checked out the Madhatter and saw this PAY IT FORWARD blogger idea.

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

This is a great idea - it is a casual crafting swap - and it will motivate me to try something new...i hope!

And since I seem to be a joiner these days (read: Ravelry and Facebook) I figured I would do this one too.

And though this is a knitting blog, I am thinking that it will be a sewn item...knitting needle case....linen napkins with embroidery...mini art quilt (okay i have never made one, but why not try one now?)......it means i can try out lots of things and see what happens....

hopefully not this! :)

ps- thanks for all the nice comments about my sweet pea! It is so easy to make him cute when he is so damn cute to begin with! (no i am not biased AT ALL)