Charm School Homework

It is a new year with a new series of Charm School classes.

I am excited that we are starting with a bag. It is called Whatcha Got Bag and uses a piece of vinyl as the window section. Then you chop up a charm pack to make the little 2 1/2 squares to frame the window, with fun fabric inside to view through the window.

The bag sits up with a boxy bottom and a zippered top. I am making the large size first that looks like it will hold at least a single skein knitting project. What a fun way to combine two wonderful hobbies.

My homework is finished and I am ready for class. More to come.

And in Knitting: Skeppa Hat

This is the Skeppa Hat by Sarah Jo Burch, you can find it at Ravelry.

I am about a third of the way done. I am using a cotton blend yarn that I got last year at Serendipity for headbands and have now repurposed for this hat. I am calling it Melon because it reminds me of Cantaloupe and Honeydew colors.

Another fun knit with a useful purpose for spring wearing, at least we think spring is coming.

Happy knitting to all~!

Blame Knitty Kitty flannel

It is all the fault of the flannel, I could not help myself. When I saw this in the quilt shop I knew that I had to design a chair quilt to go with it.

The flannel is called Knitty Kitty by Kanvas. It had lots of complementary pieces to go with it but I have so many leftovers of red, black, white and grey these days that I knew there would be enough to create charm squares to do the quilt top.

I did need a border to make it large enough. Currently I am quilting it on my home machine and will show you the final project when I get it done. It is so much fun to create something from just that kind of inspiration.

Wishing all wonderful projects to keep t
hem busy through this long winter~!

Another Cell Bag

This one I made for me so I have a way to keep the phone close when I am at home.

It was a fast little project that used scraps of fabric and batting.

Cell phone pouch

There has been a lot going on, just not a lot of blogging.

Here is the test I did for a cellphone pouch. The eyes are part of the phone sleeve.

I hope everyone is having a great end of winter.

 

 

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Fabric Headbands

My first two test have been gifted with no pictures to share, go figure. Instead,I will share one of Pedro. Doesn't he look comfy?
So here is the beginnings of the next test that I plan will fit me.
This pattern, Reversible Headband, and tutorial is from Happy Together Creates. She does a great job of showing the step by step and the pattern is a free pdf download. The first test I did I used it exactly how it said, got a finished product of 19 1/2 inches. It now is being worn by a co-workers daughter how loves it.
The second one I tested was about an inch longer on both pieces, with elastic cut to 6 1/2 inches, it finished at 21-inches and is now being worn by the co-worker.
This next one I am going to cut at the pattern piece original size and cut the elastic at 8 inches, hopefully it will fit the way I want it to which is not too tight.

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Be Still My Heart

This heart project is the cutest thing and leads me to believe that love is in the air.

The pattern is from Pieces of My Heart, it is #471 called Lonely Hearts Club. And this one is done using a Midwinter Reds charm pack by Minick and Simpson for Moda. I love these colors together and think that it can be displayed year-round because it does not scream "seasonal".

It goes together easily, pattern instructions are excellent and well described. After consulting with the quilting gals I decided to do straight line quilting with the aid of a Frixion pen instead of chalk. (now I want another of these pens in white, it works great). And I used my quilting table extension that came with my machine for the first time.

This will be one of my go-to patterns for gifts from now on. I hope everyone has someone(thing) that they love this first week of February~!

In Knitting: Testing another Rikke Hat

While I was assessing my UFO list, for both knitting and sewing projects, I came up with an idea to knit another Rikke Hat.

Since I do not have all the yarn needed to do the version I really want, I figured that I should knit a test version with some leftover yarns I found in my basket that I cleaned out and rearranged as well.

So, I cast it on using the notes from the last one I knit (in 2012) and started working on it while I watched the Big Game yesterday afternoon.

As of this morning, I am two rows away from changing needle size (15 garter ridges of brim on smaller needle).

My ultimate goal is to knit one in dark (stormy) gray with six colors of bright stripes and it will be called Colorful Stripes for a Dark and Stormy Day. I have been wearing the first one I knit a lot over the last week with lots of compliments about how it fits.

This first one is slightly too big and takes a bit to keep it in place because of slippage. It is a good thing I had written up the mods I would do for the next one and put it in my project at Ravelry, that saves a lot of time when I am ready to do another one of a particular pattern.

This hat pattern is also great in plain yarn, tonal would be a great choice and I recommend Malabrigo Rios. And it is wonderful mindless knitting for travel or TV watching. Just don't forget to change to the larger needle size when the brim is done, ask me how I know.

I hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of the last six weeks of winter, according to Phil. Happy Post Groundhog Day~!

From Nearly to Finished - DONE!

 

Here we are at the end of my May Charm School project, the Scrap Basket Trellis by Kate Mitchell Quilts. Seen above, shown being put on the long arm with my fabulous instructor, Regina, making sure it is on straight and ready to quilt.

This one has taken a lot of conversation and planning to get it ready to quilt. I appreciate her patience with my trepidation to do this as it is my very first pieced and appliqued one.

 

It was completed with two corners using a computerized design and the rest done free motion with meander and a version of leaf (looks more like shark fins).

I am very pleased with this finished product. It is approximately 45-inch square makes it a great wall hanging or table topper. Will see what its final destination is later.