A Pleasant Way to Spend the Afternoon

 

Stitch by Stitch: Reversible Totes

When I asked who wanted to make tote bags, every girl responded enthusiastically. What is it about girls and bags?

I made mine first and made it a little smaller than the one in the book (because I made a cutting mistake). I kept the proportions the same, though. My straps were supposed to be the same as the ones in the book. I measured and measured and measured again. They definitely look skinnier. Whatever the case, Sarah was very happy to have this bag as her own. I used Lipstick dots and Lipstick flowers by Darlene Zimmerman.

Katie made her bag from that ubiquitous quilt fabric that keeps and giving and giving and from some fabric Elizabeth DeHority sent her way in a stash box. I did the cutting for her, but she did the rest all on her own. She was tickled with the result and packed it full of clothes to take to Charlottesville with her last weekend.

Gracie's bag was made from some fabric her Nanny picked up and some different fabric from Katie's DeHority stash. Gracie and Mary Beth made this one together. I wasn't even around for the production at all. Gracie especially loves that magic moment when you turn a reversible object all to its right side and the straps are where they belong. Very cool:-)

 

Mary Beth chose the fabric for her bag. She's a devoted Amy Butler fan. No matter where she wanders on fabric sites, she ends up back at Amy. She's used Delhi Blooms in Rose and Peacock Feathers in Blush.  In case you're interested and you just can't wait, this Etsy shop was super quick--great service, great selection! (need a picture...hmmm.)

Skills we Learned

openings and reversibles

linings

handles and straps

flat bottom techniques

Our lessons so far:

See our knitting needle cases and Kindle case here

See our Fancy Napkins here.

Yarn Along: Slow Going

It's gray outside this morning as I write to you. I have half a dozen indoor things on my list, but I'm wrestling with the idea that the garden needs a good weeding and it's finally cool enough to do it. What to do?

My knitting has slowed to a snail's pace. I'm not sure why. I made a pretty major mistake and didn't discover it until 8 rows later. Knowing that with double strands and lots of increases and decreases between me and the error 8 rows back there was a good chance I'd irrevocably mess it all up, I called a knitting friend and we --ahem-- did the math. I've done more math in the last six months than in the last 26 years. The jury is still out on whether our rescue was successful, but I very much enjoyed the leisurely late evening conversation. I need to get past the sleeve divide and try it on Katie and see whether it's too bulky through the yoke. It's hard to tell on these cables.

It's been a lovely summer of slow stitching in both yarn and thread. I haven't minded the heat at all and rather embraced the opportunity it has granted to stay inside and feather my nest a bit. I have oh-so-many thoughts on hearth and home percolating around in my brain! I know that as the days cool the pace will quicken. There will be more knitting and less sewing because the knitting can go with me hither and yon to some of the most beautiful soccer parks in the country. It will be very pleasant company while I wait for games to begin and training sessions to finish. Right now, I'm happily humming at home, very much enjoying the slow.

In the comments section of this post, I mentioned one of my all-time favorite books, The Hurried Child. I read this book in college and, together with Miseducation, by the same author,  it probably had the greatest influence on my thoughts about childhood of any book at the time. And I read a whole lot of child development books! It was a new book then, in its first printing. The 25th Anniversary Edition brings it into a new century and really, when I stop to consider it, it is astonishing how much more the culture works to hurry children than it did just 25 years ago. (Incidentally, neither book is a homeschooling book.) Back then, I thought Dr. Elkind had a very solid argument and I set about to find educational philosophies that preserved the dew of childhood long enough to ensure that faithful souls and creative spirits were well watered. Now, the challenges are considerably more formidable. In a lovely twist of poetry, I re-read my cherished first edition paperback of  Miseducation last week, while I read the 25th Anniversary Edition of the Hurried Child on Kindle. The times are a-changing so very quickly. We simply must keep up--and slow down. Childhood itself is at stake.

Go visit Ginny for more knitting and reading yarns.

Stitch by Stitch: Pocket Mat with Bias-Bound Edges

I was definitely buoyed by the success of our first project, as I moved on to the second. I hadn't even planned to sew that afternoon--it just sort of happened. And my children absolutely were a cheering section.

The project in the book is a picnic placemat with bias bound edges. After making 12 napkins so that we'd have enough for our regular dinner table crew, I didn't much think I was going to make personal picnic placemats. Just not something we need around here. We did, however need a pocketed storage pouch for our knitting needles, a way to easily sort by size and keep them tidy. So, I set about making one of those, knowing that we actually need two and Mary Beth would be right behind me to make another.

The book calls for handmade bias binding. I picked up some packaged binding at the fabric store. I'm really glad I did. I look forward to making yards and yards of binding tape one day. Just not this day.

The book also calls for two fat quarters of the same print. I opted to use coordinating prints. This fabric just makes me happy:-). 
 
 

And the new pockets make my knitting needles happy. (So perhaps now they don't begrudge the sewing machine its share of my crafing time.) Fabric from the Heather Bailey Nicey Jane collection.

Mary Beth made a pocket mat for the double pointed needles. After mine was finished, we recognized the need for a pocket for the needle sizing gauge, so hers has that included. It also would  have been cute to embroider the needle size for each pouch right onto the fabric.

Mary Beth chose Summer Garden by Lily Ashbury for Moda.

Nick REALLY wanted to sew, but had no need for a needle case or a picnic placemat. We took the encouragement from Stitch by Stitch and varied the size to make a Kindle case. He chose the fabric himself and we sandwiched leftover batting from Katie's quilt between the layers.

He was pleased as Punch!

Skills we learned:

identifying right side and wrong side

applying bias tape

binding edges

inserting ribbon

stitching in the ditch

channel stitching

combining fabrics

Next up: Reversible Bags

See our Fancy Napkins here.

On the Feast of St. Martha

I clearly miscommunicated with the Quilt Camp lady when I went with Katie to purchase fabric. We had over five yards of "extra" sunny, yellow fabric. What better project on the Feast of St. Martha, patroness of homemakers, than new aprons for all the little girlies (and mama, too)?

I'm going to use an old apron as a pattern and make simple reversible aprons with ribbon ties. But I did do a little apron tutorial research this morning, so if you're interested in stitching in honor of St. Martha, here are some ideas:

Stumbles and Stitches child's apron tutorial 

Meg McElwee's Montessori Child's Apron is here as a PDF. 

Michael Miller's Classic Reversible Apron PDF.

For me, I'm going to re-visit a pattern I used four years ago. I've grown to love this apron and it's truly a wardrobe staple. So, I'm thinking I actually need two or three more.

Come back later. I'm sure my girlies will be eager to pose for pictures in their pretty new aprons, so I'll update this post with more color and lovely later.