Poncho

My last finished project of the year, the poncho. I needed a crafty something to take along in the plane, for my trip to Nairobi, Kenya and to Jakarta, Indonesia. Still not done, I took it with me to the Netherlands early December, the flight was very bumpy and it kept my hands busy. Rather knitting than showing my kids I was not at ease. It worked, they did not notice a thing and while knitting I could tell them that we were doing fine.

I was almost done after my family trip, just needed some 20 rows of knitting. They were done rather fast. Last night I sewed all parts together and am ready to wear it to the office after the holidays.

The yarn I bought on-line when I had to buy two balls of yarn to finish my cognac colored cardigan, after all, only ordering two balls and paying postage was not really cost effective. The pattern and yarn were sold as a package, and it went straight in to my shopping cart.

The yarn is from Filato, Lana Grossa, Allegro made in Italy. I knitted with two strands at the same time and used a circular needle size 8 mm, 80 cm. The pattern was pretty simple, knit two rectangular pieces and sew these together.

The end result is a very colorful poncho that will look nice on a pair of black pants or jeans.

Linking up with FAL 2018, project 6 of my list, 7 out of 10 done.

Legwarmers for my daughter

Alesya wanted socks, just not ordinary socks, no she wanted hand-made socks by me. And although I was happy to make her socks, the thought that they might be too small in a short time and therefore only used a few months seemed to be a pity. Legwarmers were the perfect answer. I used WYS yarn, Pink Flamingo cocktail sock yarn.

They became my on-the-go project, while stuck in traffic jams, or at the GP. Before Christmas one was done and during the holidays made the second one. Every time I had some 10 minutes, I took out the second legwarmer. I used dpn's 3mm for the rib part and a small circular needle 2.75mm for the knit part. I set up 54 stitches and knitted a total of 35 cm. The second one was done in no-time. Holidays are great for finishing projects.

Linking up with FAL 2018, project 7 of my list, 6 out of 10 done.

Cognac coloured cardigan

In December 2017 I bought lovely recycled yarn in a shop in the Netherlands. Already that summer I had eyed the yarn (Lana Grossa, Solo Lino), however was not sure if it would go well with the silk fabric I had waiting to be made in to a skirt. So when I went to the Netherlands again ended up buying the necessary yarn (well, I was one ball short). I started knitting, shortening the front and back panel to compensate that I was 50 gr short. Then knitted one sleeve and realized I was not going to make it, not enough. While in the Netherlands over summer (2018) went back to the shop, and none available. Went to the site of the manufacturer and out of stock. In October the yarn was available again and I ordered two balls. Meanwhile I had knitted the two sleeves top down, at least if there was a colour difference, it would be the same for both sleeves.

The aim was to finish the sleeves and assemble all before Christmas, which was the case. Am quite happy with the cardigan and the yarn used. I will definitely be making a cardigan with this yarn.

Linking up with FAL 2018, quarter 4. Project 5 of my list is done. Five out of ten, not bad am halfway and still have 10 days left to see what I can finalize.

Bella Skill Builder - A big finish!!!!

I did it ..... I dove in and managed and finished.



In March 2017, I started the Bella Skill Builder quilt designed by Sherri McConnell and hosted by the @Fat Quarter shop on their blog (insert link). The explanations were very well done and I enjoyed the journey, learning new blogs, designs that I would not have dared to try so quickly after discovering quilting if on my own.

To ensure that I would progress, each month became part of Elm Street Quilt's OMG, the final sewing of the top was my November 2017 OMG.

And then no more progress, no idea how to tackle the next steps. I looked up quite a bunch of videos on youtube ..... still no progress. Sending the quilt to a long-arm quilter is not really an option, did not know where to find one, and wanted absolutely go through all steps, especially as this quilt is all about building skills. Throughout 2018 I made a few baby quilts to practice and some decorative small quilts. Confidence grew and in November I decided that I had to finish before the end of the year. No more postponing, no more being scared, time to dive in. If I was to finish one WIP, the BSB it had to be, also because my daughter had stopped asking when I would finalize her quilt. The only option to ensure that I would actually finish BSB was to make it my December OMG.

I brought my (new) sewing machine to the kitchen and for a few weekends FMQ-ing was all I did. The kids knew not to disturb me if it wasn't important. For lunch and diner all was put aside, only to go back on the table to continue. I was on a roll. For the quilting itself I used the circular pattern, following Patty's instructions on her website.

It wasn't easy, the quilt is huge, however I was determined to finish before Christmas. The first circulars were difficult, and the thread would break and the quilt would fly in all directions. So I changed to my walking foot and this was better. Also imperfection is ok, if looking at the quilt from a distance the imperfections do no really show up. And the circulars go perfect with the graphic design of the quilt.

Proudly presenting my December OMG.

Linking up with FAL 2018 project 2, four out of 10 done.

OMG December - Diving in

For a few months now, easily, have I been postponing and putting off the basting and quilting of my Bella Skill Builder quilt. I finished the top ages ago ..... it was my OMG of last year November ..... so now no more delaying.

I wasn't sure how to tackle it to be honest. The top is pretty large and I have never FMQ-ed such a large beauty. I practiced on several small quilts to get familiar with my new machine and with FMQ in general. Still I wasn't sure how to go about, what patterns to choose or if I should use rulers. Well, as I don't have any rulers that part was quickly solved.

Patty from Elm Street Quilts sends out news letters, in one she had a link to a tutorial on how to make a spiral design. The moment I had read the post, I knew this is what I should do. The spiral would look good with the graphic design of the different blocks.

My One Monthly Goal for December is to spiral quilt my BSB quilt and make the binding. I can then gift the quilt to my daughter (finally).

Christmas placemats waiting for Christmas

and so are my kids.

I got hugs from my kids when they discovered the placemats I was making for Christmas. We haven't had a tree in a number of years now, we have one in the garden, growing tall. I do try to have a little Christmassy decoration though.

This year it will be the placemats and advent candles. Next year hopefully I will have made a matching table runner ....

All five are done now, I had forgotten that two were completely the same, there must have been a reason last year, forgotten, so I tried to make a difference using different decorative stitches.

My projects on my list of projects-that-need-finishing is moving in the right direction, slowly slowly I am finishing fun projects ... and feel a sense of accomplishments.

I am linking up with Patty at Elm Street Quilts for my November One Monthly Goal.

Linking up with FAL 2018, project 8 of my list, 3 out of 10 done.

We are ready for Christmas.

Christmas placemats peeking out of their hiding

Last year I started making placemats with Christmas fabric from Higgs & Higgs. I kept on seeing messages popping up on my FB page and one day decided to just give it a go and order. I cut the fabric and assembled the top, started quilting one of the placemats and my machine gave up. On my regular sewing machine, that I received as a gift in 1983 (0r 1984) I can sew but as the machine is too old to get accesories for, I cannot use it for FMQ. For my US bought machine (110V) I have a few feet I can use, and it is this machine that started acting up. The pedal became hot, not just warm, no pretty warm. I opened it, cleaned it with rubbing alcohol (MDH advised me) and it still got warm, slightly warm only. But electrical issues scare me. On top of this, the tension was off. So instead of pushing on with the placemats and do a crappy job, I packed them away.

Christmas is coming up in less than two months, so maybe give the placemats another go? First where are they???? It took me some time to think and go through my fabric stash .....

Next step .... how to quilt them ...... ???? As I was reading one of the magazines of Quiltfolk, I got inspired and decided to use decorative stitching on the sewing line to quilt the three layers together. By using a different stitch for each place mat, not only will the fabric be different for each, the stitches as well.

My One Monthly Goal organized by Patty at Elm Street Quilts for November is to finish the placemats. Well, yes, am putting off finishing my Bella Skill Builder quilt again. As am traveling for work I will work on it in December.

Alesya's scarf

Alesya wanted to learn how to knit, she asked a few times for some needles and yarn. So we went to the store and bought her some Katia paint self grading yarn. I started the shawl, 40 stitches would be good and off she went, she would do one row and I would do 2 rows, knitting only, no purling. And then I realized that the scarf would take her too long to finish. So we unraveled and I made her the scarf on the Bond. I had not used my Bond for at least a year. But she worked and loved the yarn. In no-time the scarf was done.

I had set up 80 stitches, knitted until the end of the yarn cake, transferred the scarf to needles and bind off by hand. The shawl was folded lengthwise in two, sewn together and closed off at both ends. The end result is a nice thick warm scarf that will keep her warm this winter. She will still need to learn how to knit, a smaller project though. Maybe a hat, either by hand or on the Bond.

Silk red jacket

There are projects full of frustration and we are only too happy when they are really done. Today I told a friend of mine at work that I managed to finish this jacket after three years of struggling, that most likely I would never wear it, that I undid the jacket many times, that every time everything went wrong and that yesterday I declared the jacket ready. I can wear it so it is ready. Will I ever wear it? No idea, maybe never, ever ever. My friend congratulated me. She understands!

And as I had not finished this jacket I could not move on, it was hanging in my crafts room, reminding me to be finished, daring me to finish it. So each time I worked a bit on it and now hurray hurray I can take it off the my to-do list. I don't know how many times I wrote down on a list "red silk jacket". The relief is real.

My father's wife offered to finish it for me, and I refused. I had to be the one to finish it.

I made a list on my blog off a few projects that needed finishing as part of the Finish-A-Long – FAL 2018. The finishing of this jacket is number 1 on my list and the second project that I finish as part of my list.

Linking up with FAL 2018, project 1 of my list, 2 out of 10 done.

Acorns table runner

Autumn is here, it has arrived in all its glory with lovely colours and since a few days with rain and grey skies. So creative time it was this weekend. A few weeks ago I bought this cute little box adorned with acorns that held a kit for an acorn table runner, designed by Lori Holt. The pictures looked great so I went ahead and purchased the kit from The Fat Quarter shop. Of course there were some other items in my basket, shipping to Europe is quite expensive so better make the most of a shipment. When the box arrived I was excited. It all looked so cute. I immediately set out making the top, i.e. cutting the fabric according to the instructions ...... And then disappointment set in. The fat quarter of cute fabric was either not selected well or a mistake was made, or someone somewhere did not do a good job in ensuring all the right fabric should be in the kit. Out of the 42 squares, two could not be used as they were the same as the background fabric, and two were too light and therefore not providing enough contrast. I placed a review on the FQS website, as it said that someone would contact me to solve any issue. Well my review got placed and no one contacted me to offer sending some new squares in an envelop. And of course as shipping is expensive, I was not going to order 50 cm of yarn, where I would only need two fat squares. I assume, as this was not one of #FQS products, they did not feel responsible. A good thing I had ordered another fat square of Riley Black Designs fabric and used some of that to make up for the squares I could not use.

The pattern is cute, and I enjoyed making the quilt. The designer did a great job. I had to get used to working all these little pieces, it was good practice in precision cutting and sewing. Once the top was done, October had arrived and my aim was to finalize the quilt as my One Monthly Goal for October organized by Patty at Elm Street Quilts. By making small quilts I was hoping to get over my "fear" of free motion quilting. It is working, as I progressed I became more fluent in drawing with my sewing machine. One corner is different as I was doing diagonal lines and then did not like these. As it is only a small part I left these and became more adventurous.

The end result is a colourful table runner, 4 blocks smaller as our coffee table is not that long. Not sure yet what to do with the other 4 blocks, most likely make a square table runner and place it on the kitchen table.

Linking up with FAL 2018, project 4 of my list, 1 out of 10 done.