New Life to Timmy's blanket

We've loved this quilt for over three and a half years now.  It's Timmy's "blankie" and the backside really started falling apart.  This first picture shows the blanket in March 2005, beforeTimothy ever laid eyes on it.  It was an awesome baby shower gift made by my sister Jen. After many months and many blankets, he chose this as his favorite.  I'm not sure why the backing fabric fell apart, but it was in very poor condition. I tried fixing the tears earlier this year, but the holes just kept coming.  

So, we picked out new fabric together.  I wanted to stick with a batik to keep with the original quilt. Surprisingly, Tim took this all very well and didn't mind too much about the new fabric or not having his blankie for two weeks.  The new batik is very different, but it does have dots like he wanted.  I separated the quilt and sandwiched it together with new cotton batting and the new fabric.  Rather than tying it, I felt like hand quilting. It took a little while, but I think it was worth it.  I created a double-fold binding with pieces from the back and barely had enough.  I finished hand stitching the binding last night and Tim had his blankie once again.  I was prepared for him to shun this new rendition (he'd already commented on how it seemed really different).  I put the blanket on him while he slept and he trooped downstairs this morning enjoying it lots.  I'm really happy it turned out well.  

And here is the blanket November 2008:

On the back, if you look closely, you can see where I stitched up a long vertical tear near the top.

Here is the new quilt back, after quilting.  

The quilted top. If you look closely you can see the stitches.  My quilting is rather uneven, but I don't hold myself to a very high standard with this sort of thing.  To save time, I just quilted every other square.  I'm really not sure if that is acceptable, but it seems to work okay.

Joseph's quilt

I finished this quilt for little Joseph the Sunday before he was born. It went really quickly, but with the kids, I really could only work on it an hour or two a few days a week, so it took me about three weeks to complete. I used the pattern from Last-Minute Patchwork & Quilted Gifts and I was also inspired by versions seen here and here. There's also a flickr group for the book that has more. I'm really good at putting things together crooked and uneven, but the imperfections were intentional here (most of them anyway). I adjusted the pattern in the book for a smaller crib-size version and instead of machine quilting the top, I did a little bit of hand-quilting. I really love the quilt and it's been getting lots of use the last few days. It's too big for him to drag around when the time comes, but perfect for a lap quilt for me!

Carolina's pillowcase

Poor girl, not nearly neglected as this blog thankfully, but she was using an old full-size pillowcase wrapped around her half-size pillow. Last time I changed her sheets, I decided it was time she had a new pillowcase. She picked out the purple fabric herself from my stash. Purple is one word that she can say and recognize. She really loves the pillow!

Onesie fun

The first two onesies were for a custom order. The third is for some punk-rocking mama out there. I'm not too crazy about skulls, but it might be kind of fun for the right little tike.

Apron swap

I finished the apron for the sassy apron swap and sent it out a week ago this last Monday (a little late, I know). I seriously liked this one a lot, but alas, it has found a new home. I used the Amy Butler In Stitches apron pattern again. I think I'll have to make myself one soon.

Tote bags

I made four of these yesterday for the young women at church. We were making "babysitting kits" for them to take on babysitting jobs with coloring books, etc. I made them all exactly the same so that it would all be fair. I really was hoping that one of them would hate theirs so that I could take one back home. I really like the final product. I used this book for inspiration, but changed the dimensions and the handles. It is a ladybug fabric on the outside with purple gingham checked fabric as the lining. I'll be making myself one soon.

Hats

Hats are lots of fun to knit. Seamless and quick. The first will end up being a gift to a one-year old sometime in the future (it fits Carolina, but too boyish for my little girl). I originally knit it for my nephew Danny, just turned 2, but I thought it was a little small with not enough room to grow. (I used pattern "Kim's Hats" from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts and yarn Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted)


So here's the next hat, a size bigger. Too small for Tim (nearly 3), but fits Danny just fine. This is my first attempt at fair isle. Really pretty fun and not hard. (I used pattern Madison's Hats, but with a ribbed brim rather than rolled. I think the rolled brim looks kind of girly; made with the same yarn as above). There is one more hat on the needles, it will be the same fair isle (I think), but a little bigger for Timmy.

Teddy bear

It's been too long since the last post...I've been in kind of a funk the last little while. Not exactly a creative funk because the ideas are still swimming around my head, but the follow-through just isn't there. Anyway, here is a loveable bear that I made after I made the booties with the same yarn. I can't even tell you for sure what pattern I used and the yarn is Norwegian. I know that he was not knitted flat. That would require way too much "finishing" for me and I really like my items to be more complete when I'm done my knitting. I'm happiest with no seams at all. So he was knit on double pointed needles (not sure why he is a "he" when he's purple with a fuschia sweater). The sweater was knit with manos del uruguay yarn and the pattern came from my head. It was also knit completely in the round, from the neck down, I believe. More knitting to come...I've been on a hat kick and have my first fair isle project to show for it.

Tim's bedskirt

One more thing for Tim's room. A bedskirt. I reused his old valance from out last home and added more pieces to it for a bedskirt. It only goes around two sides because his bed is in the corner. I figure his bed will always be in the corner because the room is so small.

Additions to Tim's room

I made easy-as-anything memo board to hold his favorite pictures, etc. He enjoys looking at Mee-Mee and Pop-Pop and their new dog Chester.


Here's a fabric panel that I machine quilted for the wall. Definitely very homemade, but he can point to Maryland--that counts for something, right? I bought this panel at Wal-Mart a couple years ago and it's sat on my "to-do" list all that time.

Here's a little pillow and a mini-quilt that I made for Tim awhile back. It was during the first stages of his love for quilts and I made it in the hopes that it would work as a substitute for the larger quilts he insisted on dragging around him, even outside. It didn't work as planned, but it is now serves as blanket and pillow for "Wuh-Wuh," his beloved dog.

Doll, bed and start to quilt

Here is the new cradle mattress and pillow. It's definitely poofier than I expected, but I think it may collapse some over time. My grandma looked at the crib and original mattress and thinks it may be from the thirties. I'm not sure how to clean the original mattress -- it really smells like my grandpa's house (tobacco stink). Not good for a little girl's room.


Here is the start to the doll quilt. Just part of the top done. It didn't take anytime at all, but I need to keep working on it. I think I started it Christmas Eve afternoon and haven't gotten any farther. I love all the purple!


Here is the doll. Carolina's not too enamored by her, but I think she might grow to like her a little more. I think she spends too much time playing with her older brother and almost prefers cars and trains over dolls. She does like to snuggle her blankets and little fuzzy stuffed animals. But I don't think that is a gender thing at all, is it? Tim definitely has his favorite lovies.

Tie One On

The current theme for Tie One On is polka-dots -- here's my submission. An apron just for me. It's definitely a little "froo-frooey"--not a real word, but that's how I describe it. I certainly keep things a lot more plain most of the time. But it hides spaghetti sauce splatters very nicely and I'm keeping it!

Cherry apron

I bought this cherry apron just especially for my sister-in-law's apron. Her birthday is the day before mine and we had a little family get-together this last Sunday. For this apron, I consulted this book for the dimensions. I actually got three of those books for Christmas! Pretty crazy. I kept the one from Ben, gave the one from my mom to my sister Jen, and exchanged the one from my sister-in-law Jen for this book.

Anyway, I think I'll do pleats next time instead of the gathers. I like it though.

Baby boy quilt

I had a hard time finally using up this baby toy flannel. I got it for a $1/yard and I just like its nostalgic feel. This is just one of those easy-as-pie flannel blankets. Not a very complicated homemade gift, but it's simple. And I love all the blankets that I have like this.

Carolina's bib and headband

I don't have better pictures, but here is her birthday bib. I whipped it out really quick that afternoon. I was frantic to do it and I knew I was crazy. Who really cares about the bib? I did and that's all that mattered. I really liked how it turned out. I made her headband months and months ago. It's hard to get her to wear it for very long.

Carolina's baby booties

I made these last spring for Carolina and you can tell they have been well-loved. They fit her for awhile and actually stayed on her feet, usually. I used a pattern found in a BH&G baby knitting booklet. The pattern was wonderful and super-quick. I didn't even check my gauge and it ended up being too small the first time. I just made another real quick, no big deal.

I made them with some yarn that my friend Kat gave me for my birthday several years ago. She bought it in Norway on her LDS mission. I've also made a bear with this same yarn and need to post that too. I love these booties and am sad that her feet no longer fit them. She just turned 1 recently and has yet to walk on her own. These are the only shoes she's worn and only sometimes to church. I tell her that when she learns to walk we can buy her some shoes. She's pretty stubborn sometimes, but super sweet.

Here she is at Easter wearing her newly made booties. She sure has grown since then!