Adventures in quilting

I was excited to be invited back to the Thimble Pleasures quilt guild's annual getaway. It was fun but I fear I exposed my quilting incompetence. More on that later but let's start with the pretty pictures, shall we?

I finally quilted the lovely vintage quilt top I got at Brimfield last year and it looks like it's a hit with the both cats.

There are so many pretty and colorful fabrics in this quilt it was a challenge to find just the right fabrics for the back and binding.

I finally opted for blue birds for the back and a pretty red and white polka dot with tiny blue flowers for the binding. Against the advice of the expert quilters in the room, I used simple straight lines and red thread for the quilting. It's not perfect, I'm really happy with the look.

Finally, I suppose I must share this picture as well.

Yes that's me with my quilt sewn to the tablecloth. Not my finest crafting moment but I'm thankful that at least it wasn't my shirt.

If you are in the area this weekend and want to check out some truly beautiful quilts be sure to check out Thimble Pleasures quilt show. Details can be found here.

Sweater for Dad

Okay, so it's not for me but Dad really needed a new sweater. I used a Columbia-Minerva pattern from 1969 contributed by Mom. Some people might consider it a vintage pattern--Mom is not one of those people. The wool was inherited from my Aunt Anne and while it is good quality and made a VERY warm sweater, I can't say I enjoyed working with this particular fiber. It was a bit scratchy and rough on the fingers.


Next up, more sewing. I'm happy to report that I've been invited back to the Thimble Pleasures quilting getaway this weekend. Looking forward to a wild weekend adventure and hopefully returning with a few finished projects.

New wardrobe for 2010

One of my new year's resolutions is to learn more about apparel sewing and knitting. First up a new sweater:

This is my first project using a higher quality yarn. I chose Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light and the difference was noticeable both in price and quality. Fortunately, Windsor Button had a good sale. The alpaca was soft and easy to work with and the sweater is very warm. On the downside, it's a little shorter than I'd like and the sleeves are a bit too full. It's not an everyday sweater but I have worn it with a high waisted denim skirt and with black dress pants. The pattern is called Millet and can be found in the Tapestry Collection book by Rowan.

Next up patternmaking. Stay tuned.

As Seen on TV

I was catching up with Ugly Betty on my DVR this weekend and I did a doubletake when I spotted Betty Suarez's fabulous bag.

Do you see the resemblance?

Looks a lot like my knitting bag don't you think?

I'm sure it's just a coincidence (a tote made with IKEA fabric is hardly an original idea) but it was still exciting to see my bag on national TV! Although, upon further reflection given Betty's past fashion choices I'm not so sure I should consider it a compliment.

Christmas Wrap-Up

I was spoiled with quite a few wonderful gifts this year: books on sewing and knitting, fabric, yarn, a stylish McAuley almnae t-shirt and a vintage Vera tablecloth just to name a few. I love all my gifts but I wanted to share a few special handmade gifts from the crafty women in my life:

A ribbon yarn necklace from Mom



Earrings from Aunt Sue



A Girls' Week '09 memory book from Krista & Lydia



A wreath from my cousin Lisa

Yummy homemade relish and strawberry jam from my colleague Mary

I have to admit I dropped the ball a bit on making gifts this year but with all this inspiration to draw from I'm thinking one of my new year's resolutions will be to start working on my Christmas gifts in July.

Sock it to me

Finally, the set is complete. The socks reached their destination and I've been told they are hanging on the mantle with the rest of the set.

Since I didn't put names on the stockings I personalized them in other ways. Mom's stocking features gingerbread and her famous Italian cookies. Dad's stocking has a nod to his favorite baseball team -- the Red Sox, of course.

Now all that's left is to wait for Santa. I certainly hope everyone made the nice list this year.

Sneak Preview

You might remember these stockings I made for my favorite kids last year. There were supposed to be stockings for Mom & Dad too but they never quite got finished. I'm happy to report the set is finally complete and they are on the way to join the kids' stockings on the mantle just in time for Santa. I don't want to spoil the surprise but I can't resist sharing a sneak peak of my favorite details: