Prairie Girl

Today, during our Mommy and Me crafty time, Cupcake Katie continued to cut and paste little pieces of paper while I whipped up another little number for back to (pre)school. The fabric is Pure by Sweetwater for Moda and I used the free "recipe" from the Moda Bake Shop. I did modify the recipe just a little to make it fit Katie, since the finished size was listed as a girl's 6 and Katie is a 3T.

I love the bow in the back, but I think it would be cute either way.

It took a lot of sewing time, since I had to piece the squares together. But I am really happy with how cute it turned out to be. Kinda reminds me of "Little House on the Prairie."

Looking Rosy

This afternoon, while Caleb was napping I set Cupcake Katie up with her own little craft table so I could get a little sewing done.

Lately, my sewing has been very limited to weekends when hubby is home and can keep the kids from killing each other or destroying the house while I work. Cupcake has decided that naps are for babies, and has been resisting all attempts to lay down because she is a "big girl'! Soooo, what to do? Crafty time with Mommy, of course!
While she was busy cutting paper with her little scissors and glueing pom-poms with Elmer's glue sticks, I was finally able to put together a little dress that I have had cut out for a couple of weeks. After we were done with our crafts, we braved the 115 degree heat index to snap a few quick pics before coming inside and rehydrating.
The fabric, which I had to have the moment I saw it, is from the Love collection by Amy Butler. The pattern is the Knot Dress pattern by Whimsy Couture.

I had such a great time during Mommy and Katie craft time that we will probably be doing it again tomorrow. See y'all then :)

Bumblebee

This afternoon, I was wandering around my local Joanne, where I teach knitting classes, and found some super cute black and yellow fabric that I knew would go perfectly with some large scraps I had saved for Katie. So, I picked up the fabric, some black bias tape and a pack of black "jumbo" ric-rac, and rushed home to whip up this little dress for Katie to wear to church in the morning. I have enough fabric left to make some matching ruffle pants for the, can't come soon enough, fall layering. Yellow and black is one of my favorite color combinations. Kinda reminds me of cute little bumblebees.

The main fabric is Keepsake Calico prints from Joanne and the contrast fabric is by Timeless Treasures. The pattern is the Popover Sundress available for free from the Oliver and S blog. Overall, this dress cost me about six or seven dollars to make, including the free pattern. Who doesn't love a bargain?

Where have I been? Busy!

I have been super busy with my knitting and teaching and just overall kid craziness the last few months. My babies are now 21 months and 3 and I am working harder to take care of them at this point than I was this time last year when I had a toddler and a just beginning to crawl infant. I have been doing a LOT of knitting, including some small shawls to give away to our grandmothers as Christmas gifts, and some sewing. Here's a photo round-up of what I've been up to lately:

Pattern is "Ishbel" by Isolda Teague and yarn is Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight in "Goody Goody"



"Queen Anne's Lace" Pi shawl by MMario Yarn is Cascade Alpaca Lace  in "Posy"



Christmas Shawl #1 "Summer Mystery Shawl" by Wendy Knits Yarn is Kitchen Sink Dyeworks Merino Bamboo in "Robin"



Christmas shawl #2 "Traveling Woman" by Liz Abinante Yarn is Ella Rae Lace Merino in color  #121

Gift for my cousin's new baby. "Steps to Stranded Cardigan" by Looking Glass Knits Main yarn is Daily Fibers in pink, brown, and aqua. Contrast yarns are Lorna's Laces Shephard sock in "Aqua" and Knit Picks Stroll in "Carnation"



"One Day Beret" by Kirsten Kapur Yarn is Malabrigo Worsted in Mariposa

I have way more knitting that I could show you, but I don't want this post to be forever long. Here's some sewing:

Dress for my cousin's baby girl "Itty Bitty Baby Dress" from Made by Rae Fabric is from Hobby Lobby

Mommy and me skirts I made for Cupcake Katie and me. Pattern is by me, fabric is by Michael Miller Fabrics

Fourth of July pillowcase dress. Pattern by Whimsy Couture Fabric is leftovers from other projects.

Vintage pillowcase dress using the same pattern as the fourth of July dress. Vintage pillowcase was purchased on Etsy



Hopefully, it won't take me too long to post again :) 

Yes, I have been sewing

I feel like I have done so much knitting lately, that I have not taken the time to share the few sewing projects I've done. In the winter, I usually knit more than sew because knitting is so cozy and warm. Plus, I love making little sundresses and skirts for Miss Katie, so sewing usually goes on more for her spring and summer wardrobe. I have managed to grab a couple of pics of baby projects with many more little spring dresses that need to be photographed and shared. Many of Katie's dresses for this year, are from my own design. I'm hoping that, eventually, I can post a couple of tutorials.


This personalized minky blanket is my own design. The font was downloaded at Swak Embroidery and the fabric was purchased at Hobby Lobby and Hancocks .



This is Cupcake Katie wearing one of the many little sundresses I have made for her this year. I used a vintage pillowcase I paid about ninety-nine cents for at Goodwill, some pink double fold bias tape, and a basic a line jumper pattern to create this little number. I'm hoping to get a tutorial up for this soon ;)



This pic and the one before are custom order burp clothes and pacifier clip sets that went out last weekend. The pattern for the burp cloths are free from You Can Make This and the embroidery fonts and appliques were downloaded at Swak Embroidery .



Miracle Baby Hats

My sweet cousin, Ashley, and her husband, Patrick, have been going through the adoption process for the last few months. Two days ago, they got the call. There was a baby waiting for them downtown at one of our many local hospitals. I don't know the whole story, but baby Kate is a preemie who will be ready for discharge tomorrow. After having some experience with newborns in my former nursing career, I know how important it is to keep those sweet little heads warm. So, of course, I dug through my stash this morning and set to work on some sweet little hats. I apologize for the poor photo quality. I snapped these pics really quick with my iPhone before packing them up for drop-off.

This sweet fuzzy hat is knit with Yarn Bee Dilly Dally from Hobby Lobby and has been discontinued. The pattern is my own and should be up either on here or available for download on Ravelry soon.



I modified this pattern a little from the original, but it is from Susan B. Anderson's adorable book, Itty Bitty Baby Hats . I added a couple of rows of garter stitch at the bottom and around the top. The colorwork chart I used is from Nicky Epstein's Knitting Over the Edge . The yarn is a mix of leftover baby yarns in my stash.

This super plush little hat was knitted with Pitter Patter, also available from Hobby Lobby . The pattern is free from the Stich DC Blog







Easter Lily

My Easter Lily Scarf is done, blocked, and ready to wear. The pattern is "Lily of the Valley Scarf" from Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush. The yarn is Malabrigo Lace in the "Brisa" colorway. I found this yarn at my LYS a few weeks ago when I was shopping with my BFF, Anna, and I just had to have it. It was love at first sight! These colors just shouted "spring flowers!" to me and Malabrigo is one of my many weaknesses. So, of course I indulged.

Mommy's Been Busy

Okay, so has it really been a month since I've updated? Seriously? Probably because I've been spending all of my free time make loads of bows for the Etsy Shop, looking for knitting patterns on Ravelry, shopping for yarn everywhere, and actually knitting .... lots and lots of knitting.
Oh, and a little side note: I have lost 13 pounds on Weight Watchers. I started in January after Christmas. I battled post partum depression after both of my babies were born. However, with Caleb, it was waaaay worse. That first year, I felt that it was better for me, mentally, to concentrate on getting my sanity back before I even worried about loosing the 25 pounds of baby weight I still had lurking around. Now, thanks to some changes in my medication and the fact that I have two children that entertain each other even though they absolutely destroy the house, I am able to concentrate on my physical health as well as my mental well-being. I guess all of the knitting has helped me keep my hand out of the snack drawer, because my weight loss has been slow and steady, but satisfying. I have one more size to go and I'll be back to my pre-baby size, and I am planning to continue my weight loss with a healthy weight goal in mind.
 I do have 4 UFO's on the needles right now, that I'll show you first.


Unless you know what you're looking at, this just looks like a big blob of knitting. However, this my friends is my current forever long heirloom lace shawl project. If you haven't read my post about my favorite heirloom quilt that my Grandmama made, you should. All of the hand-made quilts that have been passed down to me are absolute treasures. Anyway, this is the Queen Anne's Lace Shawl by MMario available for free on Ravelry. The yarn is Cascade Alpaca Lace in "Peony"

 The above pic is my Easter Lily scarf for Easter Sunday. The pattern is Lily of the Valley Scarf from Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush. The yarn is Malabrigo Lace in "Brisa"


This is an entrelac sock for my hubby. The pattern is Entrelac Socks by Eunny Jang available from the Interweave Online Store. The yarn is Knit Picks Stroll in Navy, which according to my husband is a very manly colorway.

 

Above is the beginning of a Wispy Cardi by Hannah Fettig. The yarn is Knit Picks Palette in Hyacinth. I am planning to do a mini one for Katie in this yarn:



I did knit and finish this Haruni Shawl (above) in less than two weeks. The yarn is Noro Kureyon Sock in colorway 40. Here is a detail pic of the edge:

Love this shawl! I have knitted this pattern before and it just always works up beautifully.

Next up? Something lovely out of these two skeins of Malabrigo Worsted yumminess I received in the mail last week from Eat Sleep Knit, my favorite place to buy Malabrigo.

The Crud Brings Productivity

The crud that has been going around has reached our house! First, it started with my 15 month old, then my three year old, then my adorable husband, and now me. Needless to say, our Valentines day was pretty low key. My husband took me out to a nice dinner on Sunday night before the blahness hit, but last night our romantic evening consisted of snotty kids, a chicken casserole, and an early bedtime. Darling hubby and kids seem to be feeling much better today, me, however... that's a different story.
 It's hard for me to sit still and rest normally, but when I'm sick, I have to make myself sit still. That's partly the reason I did take up knitting over six years ago. All of this resting and sitting still would not be happening without my knitting to keep my hands busy and generate the feeling of productivity.
Since I've been sofa bound for the last couple of days, I took the opportunity to finish up this little scarf. The pattern is Peacock Tail and Lace Scarf from Nancy Bush's incredible book Knitted Lace of Estonia. The yarn is Malabrigo Lace in the "Molly" colorway, and is available from Eat Sleep Knit. In the pics it looks more like a red, but in reality it is a rosy, bubble gum pink.


I apologize for the poor picture quality. I took these with my iPhone because it's easier to load them onto Facebook and then slurp from there for my blog. Blogger has issues with my computer for some reason.

I have also finished the first of these socks. The pattern is Eunice and is one of many totally cool patterns in Cookie A's Sock Innovation. The yarn is Cascade Heritage in "Green Opal"

Valentines Dress Top

I've had this cut out and machine appliqued forever! I finally sewed it together this morning while my kids were watching Nick Jr and eating PBJ and fruit snacks. It is extremely quick and easy to put together since there are only four pieces to the pattern and no buttonholes to do. The fabric is from Hobby Lobby and the pattern is called Whimsical A Line Tunic from Whimsy Couture. The machine embroidery applique is available at Swak Embroidery and the curlz font was purchased at Embroitique.

You've Got Wings, Baby

Last week I finally finished my first ever lace weight project. Let's just say I'm officially hooked! I think I've found my knitting niche. Of course, I also said that about socks, but after the intense sock knitting I did over the Christmas season I need a sock sabatical! I started this shawl a couple of days before Christmas right after I casted off the very last Christmas sock, and finished early last week. The pattern is called Winged Shawl and is printed in Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2010. The yarn is Knit Picks Shadow in Basalt Heather.




And, finally, a little recipe that I promised to post for some of my facebook friends:

Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake

2 cups of rigatoni noodles cooked as directed on package
4 oz of cream cheese cubed and softened
1/2 onion chopped
1 zucchini chopped
1 clove of garlic minced
1/2 red or yellow pepper chopped
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 cups chicken cooked and cut into large chunks or 1 large can of chunk chicken breast
2 heaping tbsp of pesto sauce
1/2 cup of mozarella cheese
Grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In microwave safe mixing bowl, place onion, zucchini, and pepper and microwave on high for 3 minutes to soften. After you remove from microwave, add garlic and mix with spoon. Stir in cream cheese until even distributed. Then stir in spaghetti sauce and pesto sauce. Add chicken. Place cooked pasta in greased casserole dish. Stir in chicken and veggie mixture. Top with mozarella and sprinkle with grated parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with your favorite garlic bread. Makes about 8 servings.