I thought I'd be back here on Tuesday, but, you know, life.  I really appreciate all your comments about chores/cleaning from earlier this week.  If you find yourself in the same situation as me, there are some good ideas in the comments.  I'm trying FlyLady for now.  I'll let you know how that works out.

In other, much more exciting news - well, exciting for me - one of my projects is in the Fall/Winter issue of Stitch.

I made this cozy wool muff back in July and am anxious to give it a whirl as the temperature starts to drop.  Did you have one of these as a young girl?  It's a fun project that shouldn't take too long to make - an afternoon or maybe a bit more.  It does require a little patience to sew through all the layers, but the construction is simple.  I made mine out of wool and velveteen, but I think it would be equally as cute out of corduroy and flannel with a folksy ribbon.  Let me know if you make one - I'd love to see photos!

I really like this issue of Stitch.  It's full of great projects and many of them are well-suited for holiday gift giving.  I just started to make a list of the items I am anxious to make and it's long.  Too long to share.  You'll recognize many of the contributing designers if you read blogs, which I assume you do because you are reading this.  Really, it's all so good.  And I'd still say that if my project hadn't been included.  But it was, so yay!

I have mentioned this before - I know it.  But someone emailed me this week asking about the labels and said they couldn't find the info on the blog so here it is:

I buy my labels from Namemaker.

Namemaker has a blog filled with great ideas for their products.  Not only do they have labels, they also have personalized ribbon, wrapping paper and more.  Check it out - you can even read a little bit about me.

My nephew Declan turned two years old last Friday.  My sister-in-law Georgia told me that he'd be really happy to have a backpack of his own.  I planned to order him one from L.L. Bean until I saw this pattern from Made by Rae.  It looked a little difficult with piping and zipper and straps, etc.  I wasn't sure that I was up for the kind of concentration I thought making this project would need in the limited crafting time I had this last month.  So I hesitated buying the pattern for a few days, but then I figured, what the hell and clicked the purchase button.

And guess what?  It was not swear inducing.  It actually went together easily with little issues.  The pattern is very well written with lots of photos - super easy to follow.  I had everything on hand with the exception of the piping and the webbing for the straps.  The canvas is Japanese and it may have come from Superbuzzy - I am not sure.  The pattern is sized for toddlers  - the finished backpack will not fit a letter sized folder - but there are guidelines included for upsizing the pattern.  If you go that route, buy two packages of the pre-made piping.  I followed directions for the smaller size and had about 1" left.

Here's a photo for scale.  Like I said, it's small.  For a toddler, though, it's perfect.  Apparently, Declan likes it.  He told me so on the phone.

I hope you all have a great weekend.  Ours began a couple days ago.  More on our most recent adventure next week.  Take care.

My local craft swap was last night.  I made my little scrappy blocks into potholders.  They were all sashed in muslin with muslin on the back as well.  Inside is one layer of cotton batting and one layer of insul-bright.  The fabric for the loops also came out of the scrap bags.  This batch was crosshatch quilted with a zig zag using a walking foot.  I made six other ones last week that I quilted with a straight stitch and concentric squares.  Those turned out great, too.  I wish I could show you a photo - I gave them away to a wonderful group of ladies I met last Friday while stopping over in Minneapolis/St. Paul on my way to a family wedding.  Yes, another wedding.

A couple things I am excited about:

- Betz White's Felt and Stitch online workshop.  I've already signed up.

- Denyse Schmidt is offering a free downloadable tote pattern and a great deal on the patchwork promenade to make them.  Easy and cute holiday gift idea right there.

- STC Craft posted some free downloadable patterns from their books.  All are great for holiday gift giving.  Sorry I didn't post this before the giveaway....I meant to, but time got away from me.  Still, check out the patterns.  There are some good ones there.

Off to do laundry.  Back soon.

Six more little patchwork blocks.  That brings the total to 16 for the week.  All are made from scraps which I find very satisfying.  I do like some of the squares better than others.  The first few I made are my favorites - I think it is because I didn't really think about what I was sewing together, I just sewed.  As time went on, I found myself looking at colors and trying to balance the squares more - that whole over-thinking thing I tend to do.  I think you can see that in these.  I guess old habits die hard.

I started making these just because.  I had no plans for them when I started.  But I now know what I am going to do with them - I'll fill you in on that next week after my local craft swap.  Can't ruin the surprise, you know.

Off I go.  Have a fantastic weekend.

The girls and I found ourselves at home with some extra free time last night after Jane's volleyball practice was canceled at the last minute.  Dinner had been eaten and homework had been completed so they played and I sewed.  There was no agenda - just a pile of scraps and some found time.  Before I knew it, 2 hours had gone by and I had finished 10 small log cabin squares.

There was no measuring or planning.  I put a small cutting mat on mysewing table and moved the ironing board over so I could reach it frommy chair - lazy, but efficient.  Cut, sew, iron, trim, repeat.  Over and over.

My free time at home is extremely limited in the next few weeks.  I'm not complaining, rather just commenting on the true state of my schedule.  I don't anticipate having much time to start new projects or even finish the ones I have begun any time soon.  So when two hours of uninterrupted craft time appear out of nowhere, I'm going to leave the dishes sitting in the sink a little longer and make something.

It felt good.

I wore my skirt from the moment I finished it on Thursday until I went to bed that night.

I got up on Friday morning and put it back on.  Don't worry - Saturday it went in the laundry.

I've had the Alabama Stitch Book since it came out - I think that was a year and half ago.  And from the moment it came in the mail, I have loved looking at it.  It oozes inspiration.  I was pretty sure it would join the collection of craft books that I love love love to own because they are so beautiful and inspiring, not because I want to make any of the projects.  Truth be told, I didn't want to attempt anything in the book.  Stenciling, hand sewing and knits?  Um, not for me, thank you.

But the more I looked at it, the more it grew on me.  I began seeing projects that other people had made.  Then I was truly inspired.  Maybe I could do this too.

 

I started gathering the supplies.  The fabric came from Mood in NYC - I bought that last November while shopping with Kristin.  The paint I picked up sometime in January or February.  I cut the skirt out in March, thinking I would get it finished for summer.  It didn't happen.  While in San Francisco this July, I found FOE in brown at Britex.  It was like a sign.  I came home, I stenciled and I started stitching.

Six weeks later, I have my skirt.  And if fits.  This is a big, huge deal, you all.  I know that the sizing on this pattern is different - it's based on waist size, not hip size so it was a guessing game as to what size to actually cut.  Both Blair and Melissa told me to go a size bigger than I thought.  I did.  I think that made all the difference.  I left the knots on the wrong side of the fabric because, as cool as they look on the outside, I'm just too tailored for that.  I also stitched the seams by machine instead of by hand mostly because I was impatient.  I made huge mistakes on the stenciling that almost made me drop the project.  But now that the stitching is finished, I'd have a hard time pointing them out.  Talk about forgiving.  It is also incredibly comfortable - hello knit!

I love it so much that I am already plotting another skirt.  With beads (oh my!).  I'm also trying not to get too excited about Alabama Studio Style.  Six months and counting....

Quilt squares sewn: 0

Cookies eaten: 0 (Give me some credit.  There were only two - I gave them to the girls).

Projects finished: 1

 

More photos and all the details next week - I promise.  In the meantime, if you hear lots of screaming, it's just me.  I'm over the moon because this skirt FITS!  AND I LIKE IT! A! LOT!

 

See?

I told you so.

Have a great weekend.