louise cardigan

This cardigan is from Vintage Baby Knits and I was really drawn to the pattern. I also like the one on the cover a lot. It is currently in a drawer since I didn't really have any reason to knit it but, I am sure I will find someone to give it to one day. I knit size 0-3 months.
The yoke is very pretty and I love the details on the cuffs. I used Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino.

christmas

Christmas came and went and now here we are at New Year's Eve.
This week was busy with the business of the holidays, of the kids being off from school.
We attended a party, hosted Christmas, enjoyed biking on the paths in the woods, went to the movies and took a trip to the city to visit the MOMA where we saw the de Koonig exhibit and ate in the cafe. M sketched as he went along without anyone suggesting it to him which was super cute. I also did a fair share of knitting in the evenings which has been great and relaxing.

We bought ourselves new dining room curtains for Christmas. They were on the wish list for so long.

This is the image we used for our Christmas card this year.

horses

A horse shaped cookie cutter was purchased over the summer at an antique store in Cape Cod so horse shaped gingerbread cookies, clouds, trees, tiny men and christmas trees -recipe from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. Shortbread: recipe here. Winter cookies: recipe here.
I have been thinking of chocolate mousse. I had no idea you could make it with good quality chocolate and a little water so maybe I will try it soon. Find out how here.



A hanging horse and bird mobile inspired by this one. I love that shop and indulged in the leggings which are amazing.



My flowering quince branch brings me a lot of joy as we enter the winter season. I also found pink peonies from Chile at Whole Foods today which I am over the moon about.

the nutcracker doll

A Christmas present for Ms. S.

The pattern is from the lovely Alicia Paulson from her book Stitched in Time.

I spent awhile deliberating the outfit before I settled on a matching bodice and skirt with Nani Iro double cotton gauze in pale green dot. The red velvet ribbon choice came easily since it is a Christmas doll. I used alpaca for the hair and it is so nice and soft to touch. I decided to add a scarf made from white angora.

cathedral window quilt

I finally finished my cathedral window quilt minus a bazillion threads that still need to be cut.

This quilt was a lot of work and really nice to work on. It is made with Kona Cotton in bone as the base and the patterns are all Liberty of London Tana Lawn fabrics.

I started it in 2009 talked about it again here in 2010

This is the tutorial I used for those of you who may want to try it out though you might want to stop at a pillow.

The size is 48" x 65" making it about the size of a throw quilt.

I believe there are 304 windows.

Merry Christmas to me.

three- layer peppermint bark

I made up a batch of peppermint bark over the weekend. It came out pretty delicious and I've been good and only indulged myself with a few small pieces so I can give some out for gifts. More holiday baking will be happening next week. There will be shortbread of course even though I curse myself when I am trying to knead it all together and I am thinking of making these cookies.

The recipe for the bark is here.

rhinestone barrettes

Something sparkly for Scarlet's stocking- rhinestone barrettes. These were simple and fun to make. I've already started another project from the 24 days of glam over on flax and twine.

I loved the red thread but I think it would also look fantastic with black in between the rhinestones or cobalt blue. Good think I have more materials to play with.

christmas decorating and some knitting projects

I haven't been here very much lately because I have been so busy but, I thought I'd pop in to say hello and show you some of our Christmas decor and a few knitting projects I have on on the go.



The purple one is a shawl and I'm about to start the lace section. It's Flukra and I'm knitting it with Sanguine Gryphon yarn. Flukra means "snow falling gently in large flakes." So beautiful.

The brown is another Peaks Island Hood in Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair. It was so fun to knit the first one and I had yarn for another.

-I learned about the Japanese art of Ikebana this week at my garden club meeting. It was a very interesting look at flower arrangement.

Enjoy your weekend.

xx

spool of thread necklace

While browsing around pinterest one night I spotted this sweet necklace and decided to try it out myself. I used some wire and buttons on either end of the spool. Beads could also be used in place of buttons. Since I didn't have a chain long enough I used embroidery floss for stringing it. I have a few more spools picked out to use- a silvery purple and a vibrant green. These spools came from my Mother's sewing basket which I raided a few years ago.If you want to try this out a pair of jewelry pliers are helpful for bending the wire.

Unrelated:
My daughter fell in love with a giant unicorn the other day. Dare I a purchase something so crazy as a giant stuffed animal because um... I am not making one.

tweed toast

I finished up a pair of toast for a Christmas gift. I knit them on smaller needles then the pattern called for- using a size 5 and Rowan Tweed . I want to make the kids some mittens but am knitting them fox scarves first.

I am devoting some time each day to work on my quilt which is coming together little by little. I can almost see an end. A bit of embroidery on two samplers takes place now and then and reading too.

December is upon us and we just brought in the Christmas tree. I am looking forward to decorating it tomorrow.

Have a lovely weekend friends..

The Liberty Book of Home Sewing

I purchased The Liberty Book of Home Sewing recently and am pretty in love with many designs in the book.



I chose the Rose Corsage first because I had all the materials on hand and thought it was pretty. Though I have made quite a few fabric flowers over the years what I liked about this one was that it involved fusing two Liberty prints together so that although it is not reversible there is another print on the backside. This provided it with a sculptural quality which allows for moving the petals a bit and giving them more shape and structure.

Hand sewing this was fun though a bit difficult because although I did use a strong needle getting it to push through all of the fabrics required some leverage a few times. Still, I want to make more. I think I might try the book covers next.

Here a few of my favorites in the book:






Another review here.

felt bead necklaces

I love the simplicity and the dash of color that these wool felt bead necklaces bring to any outfit.
More color choices are available if you have one in mind let me know.
These two shown are in my Big Cartel shop.

Happy Thanksgiving

chocolate bar coasters

The cold weather is arriving and drinking warm beverages is one of the best things about this time of year. I recently remembered seeing a tutorial on the Purl Bee last year for chocolate bar coasters and decided to knit some up. The pattern drew me in because it is a nice textured pattern, one that is easy to wind down with at the end of the night and it included the magic word - chocolate - in the title.

Hot Chocolate is a treat I indulge in a few times a week and believe it or not I don't take mine with marshmallows. I like it most rich like drinking chocolate or chocolate soup but sometimes a good old fashioned milk chocolate cocoa or one with spices or mint is what I crave. I really like the Jacques Torres and MarieBelle blends. Do you have any favorites? I'd love to hear about them.

I think these coasters would make an excellent resting spot and they are made from machine washable wool so no worries and since I made more then my fair share I think it would be safe to say someone will be seeing these under their tree this year.

Odds and Ends:

*We had a birthday last week- Matthew is SIX.
*I opened up a Big Cartel store and the link is on the right. I will be adding more items (only two right now) soon so please check back.
*My childhood desk made it's way to my home over the weekend. This desk was also my Mom's as a child so it's pretty special and I really needed extra storage for all my crafty odds and ends. It makes me happy to have this piece in my home. I remember all my Little Women dolls lined up on one shelf and a little Native American doll on the other but, I can't remember who was next to her. I remember writing in my diary and doing my homework here.
*I am working away on my quilt.

black halter top

I realize it is November but, I made up this top in the summer. It actually started off as a romper but then something went wrong and I turned it into a top. She didn't actually wind up wearing it but it is roomy and long enough that it will be worn next year and it is super soft and comfortable. The pattern is a vintage one but I needed to adjust it because it was too small. So, a lot of alterations on this one and a completely different beginning from ending but, as it winds up I think it is just perfect and super cute which is why I mention it at all here in the first place because when this happens it really is exciting and like a little sewing miracle. I can not recommend the organic cotton jersey from Alabama Chanin enough. She loves to 'play sew' on this great wooden one I bought a few years back.

meow mitts

This pattern is one I wanted to knit for at least a year and I decided to give it a shot. They were pretty simple to make. I didn't budge from the wool choices or pattern instructions because I think they are pretty perfect. I liked knitting these and making the kitty come to life by adding the eyes was the most fun.

The design is by Tiny Owl Knits. And, she has a pretty sweet video of the last step with the features. Her patterns are really creative and magical. The beekeepers quilt is pretty amazing.

christopher and kelly's wedding

My youngest brother, Chris and his girl, Kelly got married on Saturday in Mountain Lakes, NJ. The ceremony was very sweet and was followed by a really fun reception. The kids attended the ceremony but stayed home for the evening reception. I didn't have the opportunity to take photos of the couple together outside but, I think this photo above is pretty sweet.

I like this one of M, S and I. And, the flowers from the wedding were gorgeous and are still looking beautiful on my dining room table.

Hooray for the happy couple!

windows and triangles

I'm working on quilts again. Here are a few I have been inspired to work on lately and hopefully finish especially the cathedral windows which has been lingering a few years now. The other one is one I have wanted to start for a while and is made with embroidered handkerchiefs from my collection and will be a small quilt. The light in the attic is pretty bad which is it's biggest downfall but I am so thankful to have such a big room to spread out in and trust me I do.

rippled

I felt compelled to make another of these necklaces. I was looking for a project I could start and finish quickly since I have been consciously trying to work on some of the bigger projects that I have going on but needed something done. I like that feeling but, I also like seeing something I've worked on for weeks or even years get done as well. This necklace in particular is so nice because of the feeling of the yarn and the pretty beads that you get to add.

What have you been working on lately?

dress with quilted bodice

A dream dress from Carefree Clothes for Girls.
The details in this dress and fabrics play off the design so nicely and are so well designed.
It came together over a few evenings being finished off yesterday.
The bodice is made with three layers like a quilt - nani iro double gauze in ivory dot, batting and muslin. After the bodice is pieced it is then hand quilted and the little ruffle sleeves are added. The skirt is two layers - the nano iro gauze and muslin underneath with a ruffle being added to the muslin. Gold thread around the neckline and buttons up the back of the bodice are extra special touches.
Of all the princess dresses in the world this is the one that steals my heart. Also, good for playing 'married.'