Fun with Knitting (and Quilting)

Boxing day

So summer has arrived here in Ohio! It is finally into the upper 80s to near 90! so now the AC is on and I can't knit outside. This afternoon I was bored and I'm still waiting on a box bag I ordered forever ago (it has supposedly been shipped)to arrive and wanted one..so I perused the internet and found this fabulous & easy tutorial at Drago(Knit)fly for making a box bag..and I had all the supplies so off I went to make one! It took me less than an hour to whip it up. It was really easy and fun and it's super cute. I wasn't real careful with my sewing and it came out really nice. Perfect size for a pair of socks I'd say. So I had to run to JoAnn's right then and there and get more fabric, zippers, interfacing.. and well now I have enough stuff to make at least 5 more! Hmm obsess much? I looked around a bit more and found this site with some clarificationon how to make the bag. I think I'll pull my serger out for the next batch! So I'll follow that when I make some more tonight or tomorrow! I may play with the size a bit too. Then I went from there to the llink for this cute little pencil bag. Might have to make some of those too! They'd be great for notions!

Here we go again (aka not another hobby)

So I think that Robin and Adrienne have been a bad influence on me! OK just kidding!  Look what came from the UPS man today!!

And what came in the mail!!!

And what I bought at JoAnn Fabric over the weekend!

I even have a list of more patterns that I want to get!

I need to get some more thread for the cover-stitch- I only bought 3 in black. I need to get at least beige too. I will have to watch for a sale on other colors!

Yep more sewing stuff!!! So I'd better get busy! bummer hubby's on vacation next week and I just got a big delivery of Uni Lock pavers for our project next week, so sadly I may not get to play much until he goes back to work on the 22nd! (Hopefully he'll go golfing without me a time or two so I can slide in some play time with my new toy!!)

FO Kimberly Bag

So Yay she's finished! this was much easier than the Sophia bag I tell you! I cut the fabric out one day last week and did all the interfacing, then worked on it a bit one day and finished it up the next. Maybe 2-3 hours total sewing time, plus the cutting. I'm VERY happy with how it came out! (Which is good because I have the fabric to make another!) I can't decide if I want to use it as a purse or a knitting bag, though I suppose I could switch back and forth too!

Anyway the specs, there really aren't many!  It's the Kimberly Bag from Amy Butler and I also used her fabrics (I just love them!) I got the pattern and fabric from QuiltHome. (I love their service-very fast and they have lots in stock!  Not just Amy Butler either-there's this Joel Dewberry fabric and much more!) And yes I used the same fabric as is on the pattern again! My 2nd one will be different though! <grin>

So the weather here today is cold and rainy-like 68 degrees or something! So I think I'm going to go sew a skirt! I'm using a new look pattern recommended by Robin, but Amy Butler Fabric!

FO Sophia bag!

Well OK it's not quite finished! I still need to finish sewing in the lining! If you look close enough you will see the pins in there!

The pattern is the Sophia Bag by Amy Butler. The fabric in and out are also Amy Butler fabric as well.

Anyway I started this during spring break, and I got really frustrated with sewing in the bottom so I set it aside, for a long time, then when I was cleaning out my sewing room last week, it was bothering me so yesterday I was determined to finish it!

The bottom was tough to get in, with all the piping and stuff!  But the lining was much easier and went very quickly.

Other than getting that ^%*#@ bottom in, the pattern was pretty easy! I think her patterns are really well written and easy to follow and over all I enjoyed sewing it. So much so that I cut out fabric and am ready to go on the Kimberly Bag. I actually have fabric to make 2 of these!

I  really like this bag! I did use the same fabric as the pattern picture on the outside but I LOVED it and well I'd of bought the bag if I could have bought it finished!

2 new projects

So since I finished knitting the front of my Tina Tank and it was blocking (I'm planning on seaming it up tonight or tomorrow.) and my mom was supposed to have knee surgery today (long story-we were all there and they had to cancel it for today because of a UTI that the doctors office or someone there apparently forgot to call her and call in a RX for her)..I decided to start a new project, then another one.

The first is some nice easy brainless knitting...it is the Pretty in Pink tank from Delicious Stitches. ( I also want to make the Lillian tank of hers too) Super cute and super easy. I'm using some stash yarn..tangerine TLC cotton plus, it was cheap and it's cotton, and I've been watching it my stash for a couple of years and it hasn't knit itself into anything so I thought, hey why not!

The second project requires MUCH more thought! It's the Lotus Blossom tank from Interweave. I believe it's still a free download on Knitting Daily.  I have the SWTC Bamboo (first generation-not as soft as the current version I hear) I intend to make it longer by 1 or 2 lace repeats. I'll decide when I get there-as I'm only on round 12 Right now!

It's still in the 90s here in my part of Ohio which is crazy because last week it was like 60! OK so I'm trying not to complain too much, the 90s are just to hot for outside knitting which is one of my favorite things to do in the summer.  So  I started the cleaning  out of my sewing room. I am trying to do a major overhaul and get rid of a bunch of stuff that has been laying around for quite some time. So far I have one garbage bag of small scraps, and 1 30 gallon bag of fabrics to try to sell at our garage sale in a few weeks or give away. I also have 2 quilts in progress that I have decided to part with. They will never be finished!  I have some embroidery blanks and stuff still to go through. I don't use the embroidery unit for my sewing machine very much anymore...I'd rather be knitting. I still have a ton to do, and will work on it some more tomorrow. Then onto the yarn! Scary...

FREEDOM....

Ahh the George Michael(I so still love this man!)Freedom 90 - George Michaelsong is running through my head..

Today was my last day with students. I'm thrilled to be done, but really overall I liked the kids in my class this year! (Sure some drove me crazy on a daily basis-but they all have good qualities). I started out thinking that this year was going to be so awful, after getting laid off last year on the last day of school. Then being called back to teach 5th grade instead of 1st which is what I'd taught for for 9 years. Then it turned out that hey I like this age. I don't think I'd go back to first grade again (unless I had too). So this year turned out so much better than I thought, and now I can actually kind of look forward to fall. But I'm also really looking forward to this summer. Last year was soo bad not knowing if I was going to be called back to my job or where I would be. I'm very thankful that it all worked out so well. It went so much better than I ever expected. (so if any of my students find this blog-thanks to you guys too!)

Anyway, I have big plans in mind for this summer! I have lots of knitting and sewing plans! First on my list though is to "air out the stash"! Yarn and Fabric. I seriously need to look at some of my older projects and decide what to do with them. I want to go through everything in those 2 (yes 2) rooms. I plan on getting both of those things done next week!  I also need to get my sewing machine tuned up, should have done that before school got out.

I'm pretty much in summer mode with my knitting at this point I'm almost done with my Tina Tank from Berocco I'm using stash yarn that I bought on a cruise in Key West back in 2006! It's cotton twist from Berocco in a color that looks like the inside of a conch shell(Morandi mix I think). It reminds me of Key West. I hope to finish up the front this week.The back is done and blocking. The Lotus Blossom tank is up next in my que!

A new project was also calling me...it's called the Bailey Felted Purse (I can't find any references to it on Ravelry or the web!) Anyway it's a cute bag made out of 3 skeins of Cascade 128. I'm using a fuchsia tweed. Thought it'd be fun.

Also my poor baby Abby had to have surgery a little over a week ago. She had a fatty tumor removed from her side, so she had a pretty big incision. she's had to wear t-shirts since her surgery to keep her from messing with the stitches. Well turns out she loves her shirts. Since she's so big- 87 pounds, she's been wearing ladies shirts. She has some fun colors now...I can't find doggie ones in her size. She just looks so darn cute in them! She is finally getting back to her normal ornery self. She gets  her stitches out on Thursday. We'll probably keep her in her shirts for another week or so, so the wound heals up good.

OK Enough rambling for today!

Fixing the Buttonhole!

So I had to sure up my buttonhole on Mr. Purpletweed. So this is what I did...

First I went to Joann's and bought some matching thread and a bit of grosgrain ribbon in a matching shade. This was as close as I could get to the sweater color. I made a test button hole on my ribbon. I steamed the buttonhole back as close to closed as I could. Then I used spray adhesive and sprayed on the back of my ribbon and stuck it to the sweater over the knit button hole. Then I very carefully stitched around the existing buttonhole.

After that I used a seam ripper to VERY carefully cut open the grosgrain ribbon. Then I put a little fray-check around the seams to make sure it all stays in place

And Voila  It seems so much sturdier now!

I did buy some clear plastic snaps just in case, but don't think I'll need them!

FO Velma Bag

Well here she is Velma...so cute! I think she'll be great for spring! I did use all Amy Butler fabric which I got from Stitch Cleveland back before Christmas. The pattern was really very easy to follow. The only thing that was a pain in the butt was strap. You have to thread cording through the strap piece and then through casings on the  purse itself. If I make this again I won't use cording but do something different for the  strap.

Then I started to cut out Sophia I got the lining and the exterior cut out. But then I ran out of steam and wanted to make cookies and knit, so I'm off to do that now!

The reason I got this bag done today is because of this:  There was no snow yesterday at all! We got about 6 inches overnight with more coming down today and tonight! So I got a snow day today! Yay!

What...sewing?

Why yes!

OK so I've made 3 of the Amy Butler swing bags and 2 of her skirts.

So I started the Velma bag this weekend. I just have to finish the strap. I poked myself big time with a pin when pulling the cording through the strap so I stopped for tonight.

I love her patterns and how the directions are written out. I feel they are well written and easy to follow. Though sometimes I'm a skimmer and don't read as carefully as I should-but that is my problem (with knitting too). I also ordered some more of her fabric and 2 more patterns! For the Sophia Bag. And for 2 Kimberly bags. I just love the funky retro chic of them! I also bought the pattern for the weekender  bag. I also have cut out the pattern for the Madison bag, with some leftovers I had! So lately I've been into sewing bags it seems!

Another swing bag

OK so I finished another Amy Butler swing bag.

I got a little fancier this time, adding pockets and a magnetic snap...

The yarn is from JoAnn fabrics.  I may actually use this as a purse instead of just a project bag.

I have another one started with left over Amy Butler fabric from my tiered skirt.  But I didn't like the lining fabric I picked up, It doesn't match well enough.  So I have to get something different for that.