One of the things about not keeping up with this blog is that I have a whole stack of projects I've finished but never photographed. I am going to try and make a permanent record of all this hard work in the coming weeks. Unfortunately R is not the easy model she used to be, and most photographs have to be backed with bribes of tattoos and play dough. Totally worth it.

Ok. So maybe it's a year later than I wanted it to be, but my gosh, I finished that needlepoint. I can't really believe I managed it, and find it even more unbelievable that I am feeling anxious to start another one.
The illustration is based off one I found on the website of Chris Silas Neal, but of course can't find again. I am not an illustrator, so I knew I was going to have to steal from someone else for this, but wasn't sure where to look. I browsed around a while, not really drawn to anything until I saw this, and I knew immediately it was the one. I really hope he doesn't mind.

I was bouncing off the walls when I pulled the final stitches through, but when I stepped back to have a look at my work, my heart sank. The whole thing had gotten itself all stretched out of shape and I thought for sure itwas ruined. Do you see that slope in the photo above - devastating, right? Well, fortunately, wrong. This being my first needlepoint project, I had no idea that this is totally normal and all it needed was some good old fashioned blocking. Lucky for me, I am collector (hoarder) of craft books of all kinds and found a great tutorial in my Complete Guide to Needlework. A few simple steps, some major pulling and about 50 thumbtacks later, the piece was straight. Now all I have to do it get it framed. . . I'll see you back here with that in another year.

I can't believe how long it's been since I took a minute to sit down and let you all know that I am still alive. I can blame the crafting funk a little, but mostly I'd say it's laziness. BUT - I am excited to share that I have been kicked with a new bolt of motivation. I pulled out the advent calendar on Sunday to start our countdown to Christmas, and I was reminded of what got me into crafting high-gear in the first place.
Growing up, we used the same advent calendar every year. It was hand-made by my grandmother (I think from a kit) in the early 1970's. I loved that thing and always looked forward to hanging it up - not just because it meant Christmas was near (though, I'll admit, that was part of it) but because I just loved the thing itself. Each pocket had a special ornament to hang on the tree and my sister and I would switch off days. You never knew what you would get, but you always hoped for something good (and if you were feeling especially naughty, you'd look ahead, count it out, and swap a dud for a gem in your next pocket). I was a particular fan of the mitten and the snowman.
I knew I wanted to continue the advent calendar tradition when I started my own family, and one of the first projects I started when I found out I was pregnant with little R was my own replica of this family heirloom. It was a BIG project and took me a full year to finish, but I finally got it done just in time for Christmas last year. After finishing such a large project I knew I could motivate to tackle other unfinished crafts, and perhaps even follow through on new ones. . . The fact that I made it through to November before a major funk set in is actually pretty miraculous. As the new year approaches, I am ready to start again.

I think I was reeling from some serious crafting adrenaline after finishing all those blankets and I might have bit off a bit more than I can chew. Mostly, I think I was just so excited to finally have an excuse to go out and buy some new supplies for some new projects, but now I'm afraid that what I really bought were just some more things to throw in the to-do pile. I am (or was) super excited about each and every one of the 7 projects I stocked up for, but as I prepare to jump in and actually make something I'm having a bit of a crisis of confidence and don't know where to start. Hopefully I'll have something to show for all this soon.

We all of a sudden have an explosion of baby blankets here in the house. Most are from my pile of half finished projects and I am so happy to finally have them done! Who cares that they are all fairly impractical, and will probably be most useful making a colorful stack in R's closet. 

You've seen the granny square before and an almost-done postage stamp quilt, but here they are all together, all finished. The only new project of the bunch is the large grey comforter and that we will use. As the temperatures drop here I knew I needed to get something warm in R's crib. I used a beautiful double gauze Nani Iro print that I bought a while ago and a pink linen with wool batting. It's my first time making anything like this and though I am really happy with it at the moment, I am anxious to see how it looks after its first washing.  So far R is not quite sure what to do with it and I mostly find it crumpled in a little ball in the morning and her sleeping right on top. Hopefully it's still doing some of its job. 

 

I don't know where I found the time, but I somehow managed to finish another project in the pile. Now, granted, that little quilt still doesn't have it's bias edging, but this one didn't require that I pull out the sewing machine, so it took precedence. It's basically just an oversized granny square. It was my first real crochet project and both R and I are really happy with it. She likes sticking her toes through the holes and hiding underneath it. I mostly just like that it's finished.

Aw jeez. Remember this old thing that I've been trying to finish since March?! Well, we just hit another snag. I decided, about 5 inches from finishing the second sleeve, that I really didn't like the way the seed stitch was looking and thought it a much better plan to just rip the thing out and start again in stockinette. It's the right thing to do. I swear.

I don't know where the motivation came from, but I woke up yesterday morning ready to tackle some projects. I think mainly I've been itching to start some new things and I know that I am not allowed to add to the stash until I've taken some things away. I decided to go ahead and get quilting.
The very first craft project I worked on back when I was still temping at Martha Stewart was about quilt repair and care. For the story, we re-edged a quilt that had been hand-pieced by an editor's grandmother. It was a postage stamp quilt, originally pieced in the 1930's, and I fell in love. I decided that even though I had never done any patchwork, I would try to make my own. I collected dozens of fabric swatches & cut hundreds of squares, but when it came to actual sewing, I didn't get very far. The finished piece is about 30 inches square. This was 7 years ago. Three years later I took another go at it, accepted its small proportions and started quilting. I figured since I hand-pieced the squares I really should hand quilt too. I didn't get very far with that either. Today I gave up all ghosts, revved up the machine and went for it. I cannot believe that I can actually say the quilting is done. It is still waiting for its edging, which I'll hopefully get to some time in the next 7 years.

I made a stop at Purl this weekend to pick up some supplies. I am about 5 Miss Marple episodes away from finishing the needlepoint - but don't worry - I already have a second one lined up.

As a child (and to this day), I was obsessed with my Grandma's old photo album. It was always the first thing I wanted to pull out when we would visit her and I have so many memories of just pouring over the pictures, trying to imagine what it was like to have been those people on the other side of the lens. I practically have every picture in the album memorized. 

A couple of years ago I borrowed the album with the big dream of scanning all the photos and making a digital collection of them for myself, and the bigger dream still of making a book out of it. The years have past and a wedding and a baby and a move happened, and the album has remained untouched, save for the first few pages. 

In a couple of weeks I am going back home and we are taking a trip out to South Dakota to visit my Grandma (who is turning 93 this year!) and I know I have to bring the album back. It's just been too long.  So, the fire has been lit. I am using all free time to get this project done.  Onward. 

What are you doing this weekend?

My sister asked for it, so here it is: the completed shower curtain. The bathroom gets no natural light, so getting a good photo in there is next to impossible, but I give you the best I could do. It's just a plain white linen, but as you can see from the tile and the tub (yes, that's a blue tub), our bathroom doesn't need any more color.

A practical edition of the project report: I finally finished our shower curtain! I know it's a pretty boring thing to read about on a blog, but I have to admit I am pretty proud. First, I really never thought I would get around to it because, well, it's so boring. But seriously, if I can finish this one, the rest of that pile will be a cinch. Second, it was my first attempt at French seams and (if you can believe it) button holes. This is huge for me. I actually have a stack of things I've been wanting to make but I keep putting off because the button holes were too intimidating. My machine has an automatic setting for them and a special foot attachment, so really, they couldn't have been easier. So, whew. No more staring at the plastic Ikea eyesore we've had hanging there, and another project checked off the list.

Finally finished the body of the little spring sweater. Now on to the double pointeds for the sleeves. It still seems really big, but then again, so does little r.

All progress on the sweater (that postponed the needlepoint) was postponed this weekend in honor of little r's first birthday. We had a small party with a handful of friends. We had a great time, but only realized after that we hardly took any pictures at all. I guess that's the problem with hosting a party - you end up being very busy, hosting: pouring drinks, chatting, chasing after the babies. 

The sweater for r is coming along. I had a minor set-back this weekend when I realized I had flubbed my seed stitch pattern about 6 rows too late, but still making good progress. I'm worried it might be a little big for her to wear this spring, but she'll grow into it eventually. Does that give me permission to further procrastinate my needlepoint with another sweater project for this year?

The pattern is modified from this one in Lovable Hand Knits, another used bookstore find. I love that big yellow duck. The styling in this book is really great. It's worthy of a post all it's own.