A Finished Project

I started this quilt in July of 2008.
I am a little shocked that it took me this long to finish, but there it is.
Treadle Yard Goods, where I work, carries supplies for fabric books from time to time and I am a total sucker for preprinted panels, so when we got a best of Beatrix Potter panel I had to get it.
Instead of a book, I decided to make a quilt.
So, 14 months later, here it is finished.
I might have to sew down the inner border, it flips up and looks kind of funny.
When I started it I thought it would be for the family, but the Elder Hug-a-Bug saw it and said "Ooh! A Peter Rabbit quilt for me?!?" so it'll be for her.
Only 3 more days until she starts full-day kindergarten.
I am excited for her, and worried, and happy, and full of anxiety.
This week might be a tough one.

too busy to blog?

I have been so busy, I have not even had time to report on what is going on craft-wise 'round here.

I am, surprise surprise, in the midst of many projects.

I have been working day and night.

Well, not that hard.

I do have multiple sewing and knitting projects that I can place in the active column.


First, I am working on Eastlake from the new Norah Gaughan book Woodland Gothic.

This is a picture of the back.

In a reaction against the licensed character and princess backpacks that abound at the Target, I have decided to make the Elder Hug-a-Bug a school bag, she won't let me say backpack for some reason.

Here is a picture of the front and back.

The main fabric is corduroy, and the lining is a fantastic Kokka print with pigs, apples and birds that I scored in the remnant bin at Treadle.

This disaster area is my sewing table, I know, you can hardly see it beneath all of the, let's just say it, Crap.

There are at least 3 pieces of clothing needing mending, the Beatrix Potter quilt that has yet to be quilted because I used too lofty a batting and I need to take it apart, again, the yarn for many small projects, and the backpack stuff.

I am also working on a secret project that is delicate enough that I can't work on it while the Hug-a-Bugs are awake, for fear of their globby hands and feet.

With all of that on the docket, what else could I do tonight, but bake chocolate chip cookies.

I even had plenty of dough to freeze for future cookie jonesing.

Don't get too bogged down out there,

Jess

Busy

I have finished the knitting on Babies and Bears. I have to sew on a clasp, but that shouldn't take too long.

I have also finished the border on the Beatrix Potter Quilt, but I haven't found an appropriate backing fabric yet.

I can't decided whether I should use one of the fabrics from the front, or something different.

I have a comforter with a world map print that I bought at a thrift store to use as a quilt backing but the colors are not at all compatible.

Brief and to the point today,

I'm off to see an old friend,

Jess.

Hoppy Birthday

I found out this evening that today is Beatrix Potter's birthday.

This was a little surprising to me, since this afternoon I had an uncontrollable urge to make a quilt using a panel meant to become a fabric book of Beatrix Potter artwork.

The urge was so strong that even though I am in the middle of a new sweater project,and have no need for a quilt, I had to finish putting the top together before I left for work at Treadle so I could pick out trim tonight.

I did find trim, and obviously the spirit of Beatrix was watching over me because the trim matches perfectly.

The sweater is Cottage Creations Babies and Bears for a friend who is expecting a new family member any day.

The yarn is Smart, and I don't know if I have quite enough, but, as the sweater is made from the cuffs inward, I have the option of making a contrasting stripe down the back.

I also have some garden news; The Elder Hug-a-Bug found a large piece of bark that had fallen off of our backyard Silver Maple, and we built a fairy house from it. She really wants to find something for a cradle, as we just read Thumbelina and she likes the idea of a tiny cradle with a rose-petal coverlet. As it is, we have stone beds with leaves for blankets.

So far, the squirrels have left the house alone, and so now we are just waiting to see some pixie dust.

Have a magical evening,

Jess