Oh No She Didn't!

Why yes indeed, its true! You may want to make sure you're sitting down for this one just in case you faint from shear disbelief.

It's been over a year in the making, you've seen some progress here and there.

And now for the 1st time anywhere, Loki's On A Whim Quilt!!!!

Pattern: Easy Lap Quilt from Bend the Rules Sewing by Amy Karol

Fabric: On a Whim (Robert Kaufman),  a wee bit of Amy Butler Lotus full moon polka dot, Ohio Sky happy dots,  and AB45 blue solid (also some brown and green swirly fabric that I have no idea what it is).

Modifications: I changed the overall size to be just big enough to cover the top of a twin bed with no overhang.  

It ended up being 45 x 63 1/2.

I even managed to do mitered corners. 

For the binding I cut the quilt backing to be 2 inches wider than the overall quilt and then folded it over about a 1/2 inch then folded it again and sewed it down. I think for my next quilt (for Astas) I will make binding, ugh. I think it will just make a nicer looking reverse side.

Why now? What kicked me into high gear and got my lazy bones motivated? Well, two things: My lovely friend Rae and the fact that she linked to me and my unfinished quilt (hangs head). Thank you, thank you Rae (see hers here) And I finally found fabric to make Astas a quilt. I could in no way persuade myself to buy fabric for another quilt when I hadn't finished the first one. I guess it's a good thing I had another baby or Loki may never have seen a finished product.

It's a Futte Futte Christmas!

Since the tree toppling incident I decided I needed more unbreakable ornaments. 

Enter the Futte Futte! 

It was a total spur of the moment "Hey, Loki lets make some felt balls" kind of event. I think I spent more time trying to locate everything I needed then actually making the felt balls, well almost.

It was a bit wet and messy using the Futte Futte indoors but I think I learned a few thing on how to use it better, so it was actually faster than I thought it was going to be.

The other thing that prompted me to wanna make ornaments is that Loki has his own tree that he can decorate (or un-decorate) as he sees fit with no help from Mama.

 Felt "bulb" 

Fluffy snowman!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Tis the Season: Stocking Disaster?

I'm being partly probably overly dramatic but you may know how it is when a project just dosen't turn out the way one has planned. Such is my plight. I'm going to carry on with this post as intended and then get to the "disaster" part.

It all started with the stocking my mom made me.

"Awwww"

I made my husband (at the time my boyfriend) a stocking  out of some prefab wool felt (it's the one on the left with the white top).  I made Loki's stocking out of a wool sweater I felted ( I was just getting into the whole recycled wool felt thing)

I did a bit of embrodery (badly, so no photo)

I even added a tiny snowman to my husband's 

(cute so there is a photo)

Stockings hung with care!

But wait, we need one more. I ran out to the thrift store to get a red wool sweater to felt. This is where the "disaster" begins. They didn't have any. They only acrylic blends, which will not felt. Ugh, I settled on a nice one with a cable. I traced my pattern and sewed it up. 

Looking good?

Then I went to hang it and it faces the opposite way. DISASTER! I know it's really not and in fact have found a solution. I was going to just use the plain non-cabled side, but then discovered that Loki's could face any direction (his just has a few Christmas pins in it that are easy to move).

All is well

Well? Kinda, I just don't have the energy to make another so I will just have to get used to it. I think it's going to drive me crazy but I really think it's more important that the stocking is nice looking rather than face a certain direction.

Tis the Season: Part 1

Ohhh its holiday time again and as usual  I have more ideas than time, energy or motivation. At least the tree is up. Which is actually saying a lot after a near tree disaster last Wednesday when the whole thing toppled over and crash landed on the ground. Needless to say I was reduced to a crying mess at the sight of my , just finished being decorated, tree on the ground with a pool of water around it. Luckily nothing major was broken.

I had no forethought to snap a photo of the fallen tree, just a small part of the carnage.

Moving on...

I wanted to post about my handmade holiday items. 

Frist up is my string of  felt "popcorn and cranberries" 

I made about a 3 foot string by hand pre-futte futte. This is actually what prompted my search for such a tool. After spending days, yes DAYS, making these tiny white and burgundy balls my hands were raw and sore. Worth it not to have to string the real thing every year (which I used to do).

I need to make more because I don't have enough to cover the whole tree. As it is I kinda snake it back and forth across the front of the tree to cover more "prime" viewing space.

Next Up: Stocking!