How cute is this?!

I love it! It's called the Camera Case Wristlet, pattern by Keyka Lou. The pattern is available for purchase and immediate download here: keykaloupatterns.com.

It took me a few hours from start to finish, but some of that time was spent studying the instructions and following them exactly (which is somewhat unusual for me). The pattern itself is very well drafted and instructions well-written. The bag measures 4.75 inches wide, by 4 inches tall and 1/5 inches deep. My favorite part is the very clever wristlet string.

The only modification for me was that I quilted the lining fabric in a diamond grid; I thought it would provide a little more support, but I'm thinking it was entirely unnecessary. However, it does add some interest to the lining, which I like very much. The best part is that the pattern calls for 1/4 yard (9 inches) of fabric each for the main fabric and lining, but can get away with a piece of scrap fabric measuring at minimum 12 inches wide by 8 inches tall. Of course, if you want to fussy cut any of the pieces, you will need more than the 12x8 piece.

The fabric is some left over scraps, which I used to make an apron way back when. The outer fabric is Anna Griffin for Windham fabrics called Maime. I tried to fussy cut the fabric so the motif was centered -- I think I mostly succeeded. You might not be able to tell from the picture, but there is a little pocket in the back, which is a neat little detail.

The brown polka dot lining is a Japanese fabric called Sevenberries. The lining fabric is especially scrumptious. It's smoother and lighter than the average quilting fabric. You can't see from the picture, but the polka dots are so rich in hue that they bleed completely through the back.

Dear Jane mug rug

Many months back, this was my first attempt at a Dear Jane block. At the time, I hadn't set an accurate 1/4-inch seam yet, so the block turned out much smaller than called for. You can see with 29 pieces in this block alone, even 1/16th of an inch inaccuracy makes a big difference.

This weekend, I turned it into a little coaster, just for fun, and because the block itself is so cute.

Winter hats

I haven't been doing too much knitting lately. I seemingly lost my zest for knitting last spring and summer. I don't know if it was the change to warmer weather, but I still haven't regained the enthusiasm I once had for knitting. I once jokingly commented to my husband that I had more yarn than I could knit in a lifetime, and I think that it hit me this past year: yes, I do have more yarn than I will ever knit up, at least in MY lifetime. Sort of a bittersweet acknowledgment of mortality, I guess.

Even so, I am not one who can sit with my hands idle, so I did manage to complete two hats. The one below is from the latest Knitty.com (Fall 2010, Issue 33) and is called "Brambles." It was super easy and quick -- took me a few evenings of knitting. I used a worsted weight alpaca/wool blend yarn by Berrocco.


This next one took a bit longer. I actually started it last spring in an attempt to motivate myself but it just never happened. Anyhow, this fall I forced myself to complete it. The pattern itself was easy -- from Vogue Knitting Magazine (Fall 2009) but because the pattern called for fingering weight yarn, it took much longer to complete. The yarn is Colinette's jitterbug.



Both hats are destined to be gifts, most likely. I always plan on knitting one for myself, but the reality is that I'm not a hat person. Plus, for some reason, my almost-4-year-old always demands I remove hats and scarves when I put them on. Funny.

What I've been doing

I took a break from quilting to make winter flannel pajamas for the boys. So I've completed three pairs and have one more to go. Here is the best of the lot so far:




The pattern is Indygo Junction's Jack & Jill Jammies (IJ842). I modified the pattern by adding a 1/4" flat piping to the collar, pocket, and cuffs. I love how it turned out, and the jammies look super cute on #2. The one thing I might change on the next pair is to round out the collar to make inserting the piping a little easier. We'll see You can also tell I'm still on my aqua/blue and red kick. I love this color combination.

BTW, the fabric is Hooty Hooty by Doohikey for Riley Blake Designs. It's a nice scrumptious flannel that will wear very well.

Bridal Sampler, Blocks 3 - 5

Progress on the Bridal Sampler has been stalled by work on the Blissful Sampler, so these blocks have been finished for quite a while now. The top row is my scrap box pieces, and the second row is my Breakfast at Tiffany's bundle.

By far, the funnest block was the "posies" block in the middle. The flowers at each corner are machine appliqued using fusible web with the edges raw. I'm sure this might make some quilters gasp, but applique is definitely not my favorite. The third block, the star one, had alternate construction methods. The first one was paper piecing. I liked the preciseness of paper piecing, but I wasn't too fond of the center seams. The second method was method was just piecing. Although the streams do not have that nice crisp look, I do like how the center block is uninterrupted.

Scrappy Hunter's Star -- almost finished!

I thought I would go ahead and post the almost-finished quilt top, as I think I am running out of steam on this one. I might have to put it away for a while before taking it up again. It lacks a final border, which is in a dark green floral. I say that I might put it away for a while because I am not liking how the two inner borders came together. Plus, I really stretched out one of the sides while piecing it and am thinking of ripping both borders out to start again.


The details: the fabric is Origins by Basic Gray for Moda. The pattern is from "A Baker's Dozen," from the staff of That Patchwork Place. The pattern is kinda neat in that the entire quilt is made from a combined layer cake and jelly roll and measures about 85" x 85" when finished. Almost all the fabric with a few odds and ends are used. I'll post the directions for the blocks at a later date. As you can see, most but not all my points and corners matched up. But, the various prints are interesting enough that I think I can get away with it. One of these days I will have a precisely pieced top. :)

Sneak Peak

This is what I am currently working on. The fabric is Bonnie and Camille's Bliss for Moda. Can you tell by now that I love Moda? I especially love this line of prints and colorways. The big dilemma is which ones to buy, lots of turquoise, red, pink, brown, and green in this collection.