Windmill Mousepad

The windmill mousepad now lives at Mr. Elvy's office. I had proposed he use it as a giant mug rug, but he declined. This is actually an extra block from a baby quilt in progress.

New Knitting and Some Shopping

I've been trying to motivate myself to knit again, but it's been difficult. The gratification is so long delayed and the end result somewhat hit-or-miss.  So I've casted on a few projects only to rip them out again.

Anyhow, I started casting on yesterday to make Hannah Fetig's (AKA Knitbot) Spring Ribbed Cardigan. This pattern really appeals to me because they're knit top-down in one piece.

OK, so I haven't gotten very far yet. But we just got the new Harry Potter movie on Blu-Ray, so that's going to be my sit-down project for tonight.

The yarn is called Alpaca Kid Lustre. I bought it three years ago from the Yarn Garden to make a cardigan from one of the Jo Sharp "Knit" books. I finished knitting all but the sleeves before abandoning it, something about all the curled up pieces didn't appeal to me at that point. I've since left it too long to figure out where I left off so I'll have to rip out what I've already used up on the now defunct cardi. 

Look what else I got my hands on! I was pretty excited to see the new Moda pre-cuts at my LQS. I won't show you everything else I bought (Sherbet Pips FQ pack, Strawberry Fields F8ths), cause I'm kinda embarrassed by my gluttony.

I wanted to try Little Miss Shabby's Peppermint Snowballs Quilt featured in Moda Bake Shop, but my LQS doesn't have the Sherbet Pips yardage in yet, so I'll have to wait.

OK, No More Card Cases After This!

I think I've exhausted my capacity for making these little cases. I had to post this last one, because it's a little different than the previous ones.  This case was intended for No. 2; he summarily rejected it, as it was different than the two I had made for Mr. Elvy and No. 1. So Mr. Elvy traded his for this one, which was nice of him, but I think I'll have to make him a different one, because this one is a little non-functional for him -- the big button doesn't lend itself to being in a back pocket.

This one is truly upcycled. The gingham is just tiny scraps from previous projects. The button is from a broken branch we found at the park. Mr. Elvy was kind enough to cut 1/4-inch slices off the branch, sand them down, and drill holes in them.  The boys are using the other ones in their various role-playing games right now, but I'm sure I'll incorporate them into future projects.

More Card Cases

These are slightly bigger than the one from the previous post.  When I stuffed it full of cards, it proved to be just a little too snug so I added 1/4 of an inch to the width and length.  I also rounded the corners on the tab a little more.

The denim one is upcycled from a really nice pair of jeans that Mr. Elvy wore and tore while building the chicken coop last year. I tried to patch it up a few times, but the patch just wouldn't hold and the hole kept getting bigger. He started looking like a raggamuffin in patched-up, holey jeans so they have now been fully retired.

The brown one with pink flowers is from a Michael Miller print I used to make an apron a long time ago.  I've found that I do need to interface the quilting-weight fabrics, but the denim needed no additional interfacing, even on the gingham that I used for the lining.

I have a couple more denim ones cut for Nos. 1 and 2. They're saving up their allowance money for something special and need little wallets to put all their earnings.

Sneak Peak - Itty Bitty Card Case Tutorial

I drafted the pattern pieces and am writing the instructions now, so stay tuned...

Sweet Pea Totes

I'm absolutely delighted with this bag.  I love how nice and clean the lines are, and the size is perfect -- not too big, not too little.  It ends up being a medium-sized purse, measuring 12 inches wide at the bottom, 10 inches tall, and three inches deep. 

The pattern is by Sweet Pea Totes.  Although you can buy it on Etsy, there is actually a Simplicity pattern, too.  I'm not sure if there's a difference, but I used the Simplicity pattern.  The only mods I made was to insert a bias trim along the front flap and top panels.  Otherwise, I followed the directions as written, including two patch pockets on the inside. 

There are two strap options, one with a simple short strap. Option B has the adjustable strap, which is the one I picked (from 18 to 33 inches). The strap ends up being just long enough to wear cross-body.  Wearing the strap short (as with Option A) probably looks a lot more stylish -- sorta Audrey Hepburn-esque -- but wearing it longer is probably more practical (in my case).

Woodland Delight Pocket Clutch

I made this a while back but haven't had time to blog about it until now.  The orange fabric is by Paula Prass as part of the Woodland Delight collection for Michael Miller Fabrics.  The polka dot lining is Moda Essential Dots.  The button is one I've had for a while.  I've blogged about the pattern before but just in case, here's the link.

The major achievement with this one is that I was able to get the repeating patterns to line up. It's hard to explain, but maybe the pictures will be self-explanatory -- especially this picture below. Subtle, but I thought it was an achievement nonetheless.