a wee darling

I have been wanting to make this post for a very long time but I don't like to tell people early on as I don't like to jinx things and am also advancing in maternal age according to the medical world.
I am almost 20 weeks pregnant and expecting a wee darling this February. We are all very excited.
This pregnancy was planned and happened quickly. I had a much rougher time with this one but, am now starting to feel better... finally. I forget how exhausting it is to grow a baby. I am convinced this baby is a hyper one as I felt movement at 11 weeks and was able to see my belly bouncing up and down.
So far, we have held off on finding out the gender but, I may cave this Wednesday. We will see if my curiosity gets the better of me.
Now, in addition to this we have also been house hunting as we need to make room for the new addition to our family and we have recently listed our condo on the market which we are attempting to sell ourselves. House hunting has been exhausting and a bit depressing. It feels strange to be leaving the city I have lived in for 12 years and moving out to the suburbs but, I don't see any affordable alternative for us and we will still stay close to NYC. To leave has been a very tough decision for us and one that is filled with emotion. I must say though that the prospect of having my very own craft room is terribly exciting for me. I think if we had 100K more we would have had our house by now or even able able to stay here possibly. Isn't it always that way? I wouldn't be opposed to moving further away if it were not for the terrible commute. We are crossing our fingers that we will find something soon as we would like to be settled in a new home by November or December the latest.
The past few months have been a whirlwind and so I have sadly been out of touch with many of my friends. I hope to remedy this soon.
Hi friends....I miss you dearly...

a few small things

A few things finished up this week. A handknit acorn hat. I made this up as I went along and it is sized for a small baby made with Rowan Tweed. I love the way this came out and I think I'll make more.
Some hand felted wool balls crafted with roving made into earrings.
All will be included in the update.

Shop Update Thursday, September 27

I will be updating my Etsy Shop on September 27 around 2 PM.
Handknits, Jewelry, Appliqued Onesies and more

autumn

Autumn is here finally....my favorite season. The beautiful blue sky, amazing light, leaves changing and rustling underneath my feet, apple and pumpkin picking, cooler days, fall clothes, Halloween around the corner. Oh, I can't wait to decorate for Halloween but, I will hold off until October 1st. For now, some autumn decorations. (I also need to find my wool felt leaves I made last year).




A bowl of pom poms and spools of thread from sewing kits become garlands.
I alluded to these a while ago. I love the combination of knitting and sewing combined.



Acorn caps and wool roving made last year

scrap swap

I participated in a Scrap Swap this month and was partnered with Elizabeth.
Here are some views of the fabric scraps I sent along.





I also sent along a few homemade goodies. Some vintage fabric covered button bobbies and a felt flower button brooch.

And, here is what I received from her. I feel so giddy. She really spoiled me rotten. All the fabrics are amazing.





Thanks so much Elizabeth. I can't wait to try out some projects I have in mind for these.

polka dot jumper

I had this jumper cut out for about 2 weeks before I got around to sewing it. It was quite easy but I misread the directions when it came to the interfacing/facing part but it worked out ok in the end except for the seam around the neckline which wants to pop out. I think I may put some stitch witchery underneath that to help keep it down. It is sized for a one year old. The best thing about jumpers is that they grow with a child in the sense that it can be worn as a tunic as a child grows taller. Also, it can be worn through many seasons because it looks great with a long sleeved tee underneath and/or a cardigan. The purpose of sewing this garment was because I'd like to try and add some to the shops to sell next year. The pattern I used was Simplicity 6360. The fabric is Robert Kaufman.

8 Random Facts & some highlights from this weekend.

Dacia tagged me to do a meme and write 8 Random Facts about myself. So, here they are.

1) I love getting dressed up and almost always wear a skirt or dress. I also love tights, socks, shoes and jewelry.
2) I love miniatures and tiny things: dollhouse furniture, trinkets, cherry blossoms in my pocket, spools of thread...
3) Between the years of 1981- 1987 I had many pen-pals all over the US, several in Europe, one in Africa and one in Australia. I like to imagine that one day perhaps in my old age I try to find them all again and reconnect. I've saved many of their letters.
4) I am not a morning person. In fact, my husband, Mick, brings me breakfast in bed every day. Isn't he amazing?
5) I hardly ever watch television anymore. I have no patience for it and there is so many other things I'd rather be doing.
6) I always refer to my son on my blog as Little M. His name is Matthew Gray. We also call him Matty and Momo. He pronounces his name Matthieu (the French way) and always kisses both cheeks.
7) I am the oldest child of three and the only girl. I am named after my grandmother's nicknames. Their real names were Agnes and Jaleelie. My name is Nancy Jill
8) Someday I'd like to live in the country in a big old victorian house with lots of land and lie in the grass star-gazing at night.

Okay, I'm also supposed to tag some people...sorry if you have already been tagged

Needlebook RedHeaded Snipit
Wren Handmade my house is cuter than yours
disdressed
Wisecraft
Amelia's Plum
Carrie Girl

Good luck, ladies!
- Players write a post describing eight random facts about themselves.
- They then “tag” eight bloggers to write similar posts, including the rules.
- The players then leave a comment on blogs they’ve tagged to tell them

Also, I have lots of crafty stuff to show you. I just need to photograph it all and make some time to write about it. Also, up for me this week will be making apple desserts. We picked McIntosh, Jonamac and Jonagold so if you have good recipes for those let me know.
Plus, I have some Big News to tell you soon.

thrifting weekend - part 3

Buttons....
Beautiful glass buttons and a big bag of red buttons perfect for making a button wreath for the holiday season.
I also found a Raggedy Ann, some great children's books and a child's kilt from Ireland. I couldn't resist the plaid kilt. It is the Scottish in me. I can't wait to put Little M in it.

thrifting weekend - part 2

My favorite book from the book sale on Sunday was this vintage knitting and crocheting book. When I have some time and the list of projects goes down a bit I'm definitely trying some of these out. The book is full of wonderful patterns, great photos and clear directions for various techniques. It cost me a $1.

Here are some highlights


Striped Slipover



Cable and Plaid Knee-Length Socks and Anklets



Baby Vest and Hood for Winter



Smocking on Knitwear

thrifting weekend - part 1

This weekend I did a bit of thrifting which I love.
Saturday, was a block long gate sale. Here we have gate sales rather than garage sales since hardly anyone has a garage. I didn't find anything I really wanted at these although I did find a wooden train puzzle for Little M so it wasn't a complete loss.
Sunday, I went to a book sale at a church and next to it was a big flea market and auction. I didn't bid on anything but I did find a few really great items.




Here is a photo of the dolls I found. I paid $6 total for all of them. They all look handmade to me and quite old. The double headed one I believe is called an awake-asleep doll but, I could just be making that up. They need to be cleaned and a little bit of sewing repair but, I think they are pretty interesting. Anyone have any tips for cleaning old cloth dolls? Or any knowledge of the history on the dolls shown here? I hope to get around to doing some research on these soon.

I'll save some of my other finds for posts throughout the week.

a business card

I've been meaning to put together a business card for a long time. I realize this is not a big deal for most people but, for me it was something I procrastinated on for a long time.
After deliberating on design for way too long, I finally decided enough was enough and got a stamp made about a month ago. I liked everything about it except for the flower botanical that was on the left. It looked messy and you couldn't make out what it was. I suppose I needed something more simple in the way of line art so that part of the stamp got cut out. What is left is just the simple basic information and I can stamp them myself whenever I need more. I got red, black and sepia toned ink pads and I used a typewriter font for the text.
Actually, my cell phone number is listed on it as well but, I don't feel comfortable posting that so I removed that from this photo.

small steps

A lot going on, small steps, all will get done in due time. I am working on many exciting things for Fall/Winter and all at once am trying to make them happen simultaneously. It's not 'me' to work on one project at a time. Perhaps I like the chaos, the feeling of spinning in circles, the wind blowing on my back urging me to go on.
But, sometimes I feel dizzy, need to sit down, relax (something I am not accustomed to) and sip tea, curl up and try to stop the noise in my head. I need to remind myself that this is okay too, breathe in and let it go.

mary mary, quite contrary

Mary Mary, Quite Contrary
How does your garden grow?
With vintage buttons and embroidery floss
All lined up in a row

Some history on the nursery rhyme here. A interesting read.

stitchette and garland

stitchette and garland
Originally uploaded by nancy cook

I'm still healing from the sickness and have been taking it easy or trying to. Most of my crafting has been of the kind that can be done in your lap....knitting, embroidery, hand-sewing. One of the items I completed this weekend was this stitchette from Wee Wonderfuls for my niece Lillian. I also made a tea garland for her room.