Thursday, January 31, 2008

Block of the Month Quilt - January

EdgyK signed me up for a quilt block of the month at the local quilt shop. She paid the initial $10 and said she will do April's block (you know, when I'm having a baby). She is making a quilt too. When we got to the quilt shop for the orientation, we discovered it's actually two blocks a month. So now I guess she is stuck doing two blocks for me in April. Ha ha

The gist of it is, if you get your blocks done each month, you don't have to pay any more. Theoretically you can do all 12 blocks for $10. There is a fee for the finishing kit - it's like $25 or $30. Not bad, huh? I am very new to quilting, so this seems an ideal way to get my feet wet - slooooowly.


Here is the first block. Turned out quite well.


Here is EdgyK bossing me around. She says I need to press the square better.



On my second square I messed up. But I bet you can't figure out how. No one will ever know except when they compare it to everyone else's square. On my quilt, I'm sure it will look fine. The red triangles are supposed to be against the inner square, not facing outwards. Oops. I sewed the middle row and fortunately realized I had flipped the flying geese rectangles, and so decided to flip the outer flying geese too, rather than rip out the seams in the middle row and thus cause my head to explode.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Crocheted Cloche


Here is a cloche I whipped up in early December. Knit Simple magazine pattern, Holiday issue. I used a wool/acrylic blend my mom gave me. It's impossible to tell, but there actually is some texturing, in the form of bobbles and special stitches. Minimal though, the way I like it.

The funny thing about this hat is it's only about 2/3 of the actual pattern. I had reached about row 42 of 47, and I tried it on. Super long. I couldn't see out from under the hat! And no, there is not supposed to be a brim. I just frogged it back to a length that looked good on my head, and called it good. I have no idea why that cloche pattern is designed for a conehead.

Baby E's Christmas Stocking

Well here it is, finally finished! It turned out so beautiful, which I can say because my m-i-l is the one who actually turned it into a stocking. I used red velvet for the toe, border, and back. Random Christmas-y ribbons my m-i-l had laying around.

Notes to self:
  • Pick an easier pattern so it doesn't take you two years to finish again
  • Don't use velvet. Yes, it's pretty. But m-i-l hates sewing with it, and why lie, she's going to be the one sewing up the next one.
  • For the love of all that's holy, do not wait until Christmas Eve at 10 pm to turn your needlepoint into a stocking. (We were up until 2 am working on it. Blaaaah.)