Happy New Year!!

Wow, 2013 is certainly flying by!!  So sorry to wish all of you well in the coming year so late in the month, but I hope all of you enjoy good health and happiness!!

I've been very busy with my chemo, going once a week until the end of March.  To keep myself occupied during my sessions, I've been trying my hand at a few new things.....

First of all, I tried my hand at knitting.  Never really been very good at knitting, much better at crochet (since I was four years old), so thought I would try a fancy scarf.

Of course, I had to rip it out at least six times, but I finished it!!  It looks wonderful with my coat and is light and lacy.  The yarn does all the work and the knitting was minimal, which is a perfect combination for my skill level.

Then, I tried my hand a knitting with regular yarn....

It's a bit curly, which makes it looks much skinnier than it really is.

Again, after many rip outs, I managed to make a long skinny scarf with the help of a good friend teaching me a new technique.  My brain appreciated this different way of knitting, called German or Swedish knitting, and I was able to feel confident in my new found ability.  I can now look at knitting patterns with greater appreciation and hopes of finishing.

While we were on our trip to the United Kingdom, I picked up a package of wool charms that came with a pattern from Magees to make this handbag.  

Pretty wild color combinations for wool--I just love it!!

Thought the sheep lining was a nice touch!

Making this bag was exciting--there was a substantial part of directions missing and I figured it out anyway (yippee!!),  learned how to attach (and find on the internet--not as easy as it sounds!!) leather handles and install magnetic closures. 

So, you can see how I've spent my month so far!  What have you been doing??  Would love to see a post from you letting me know what you're working on. 

There will be another posting in January for my BOM "Curly Top" coming soon--hope you'll be able to participate!!

Welcome, Charles Peter!

 Drum roll, please!!  I am pleased to announce our newest nephew, Charles Peter has made his appearance!!  He came into this world at 2:42 pm on December 20th and weighed in at 11 pounds 2 ounces and 22 inches long!  Both momma and baby are doing very well!!  He has a sweet disposition and even opened his beautiful eyes while I held him.

And, if you were wondering, the burp clothes work very well!!

Burp Cloth Tutorial

 While waiting for our new nephew to be born, I had some nervous energy, so decided to make some custom burp cloths.  There are other ways of making these, you can find free patterns in a Google search, but my way allowed me to make seven in an hour and a half.

 What you'll need:

• Package of 10 cloth diapers (the kind with the extra layers in the middle)
• Fabric 7 inches by roughly 18 1/2 inches  (Pick busy patterns to camouflage any future stains)
• Sewing machine and basic sewing supplies

Wash and dry all the diapers and fabric, using hot water and mild detergent.  I ironed the diapers (there's a phrase I never thought I'd write!) and fabric since they are easier to sew while wrinkle-free.

Cloth diapers vary a bit, so you may want to measure--mine were 18 inches long, so I cut my fabric 18 1/2 inches.  You can decide what width you'd like, I liked 7 inches, but when the fabric had a nice motif, I let the fabric dictate the width.

A 1/2 inch hem is a nice width (1/4 inch is doable, but a little more work).  I marked an inch and brought the edge up to the line for a quick press.

I love my ironing board cover!!  Every project  I press (clothing is never on the list) is nice and crisp!

*Find the middle of the diaper and the middle of the fabric....

and line up the centers. I found it necessary to pin, but if you're feeling sporty, you can sew without any.  (This is the only time pins will be used!)  Sew 1/4 inch across the end. 
Repeat from the * on the other end.

Your burp cloth will look like this....

Turn so the wrong sides are together.....

If you measured right and sewed 1/4 inch seam, it should lay perfectly flat.

Topstitch around the fabric as close to the edge as you can.

Voila!!  You're done!!  

Thought this fabric was the perfect Christmas fabric--you know, Merry Christ-moose!  Ha ha ha ha!!

Here's one I made with narrower hems but included the entire motif....

Am still waiting for our little nephew to arrive, but will post a picture when he comes into the world!!

Wooly Wishes Finale

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

The final installment of 2012's Free Block of the Month "Wooly Wishes to Ewe" is up!!  Go to Ewes Quilting and scroll down to "Do Ewe See What I See?"" for the December templates.  Scroll down a bit further and get the finishing instructions.....

Thank you for following my BOM for the year--I enjoyed creating these little sheep and hope they warm your heart!  If you have any pictures of the blocks you created, please send them to Carole@EwesQuilting.com so I can post them for everyone to enjoy!!