Sleep sack

As an old school mother, I didn't get the whole sleep sack thing. It wasn't until I became a grandmother for the third and fourth times (twins) that I found out what I didn't know. Cribs are no longer supposed to have bumper pads. Little ones are no longer supposed to have stuffed toys or blankets in their cribs when they sleep. How does one keep a little one warm when they are sleeping? Well, of course, it's the sleep sack. The ones you can purchase and even the ones that you can buy patterns for and make yourself are great but only for a certain time frame. Little ones grow - and grow quickly. The twins needed new, longer sleep sacks and I made them each one after altering the pattern and making it a bit longer (about 7 inches.)

In order to fit the lengthened pattern onto the fabric that I wanted to use, one side of the cat fabric sleep sack had to be cut upside down.

 It took some thought but I finally figured out that if it's on the wearer and she looks down at what she's wearing, the cats will be the right way for her.

When I made Teemu's sleep sack I had to use the fabric crosswise. I am trying to use up fabric from my stash and I did manage to find enough flannel for the lining. 

Hooded

For years I wanted to make a hooded towel. My eldest grandson, Luc, had one that was made by one of his mother's friends. It was a great size with one side being towelling fabric and the other side was flannel. I took measurements but never ended up making it. I wanted to make one for each of the three little people. I purchased actual towels because they were cheaper than buying towelling fabric. I have loads of flannel to use up. Well, last weekend our family held our 'second Christmas' again when our youngest daughter, Ayla, came home. I wanted to make something quick and new for little Teemu so I thought about the hooded towel. I even had a pattern this time. It was one of the older patterns in my stash (yes, I have a stash of patterns, not just fabric.)

This is it. Fun flannel purchased on sale a while ago.

The towelling fabric is soft and much better than those stretchy hooded baby towels.

 I really like the size and hope that Teemu can use it for years to come.

There wasn't enough of the white to cut the hood part too so I used another towel I purchased that was a tad too small (not wide enough for this pattern.)

Teemu's daddy trying it on.

I will be making a couple more. 

Knitting update

Way back when (sometime in December), I showed this group of knitting projects.

I don't often work on this many knitting projects at once but Christmas was coming. Two of these projects are now complete and delivered to the recipient. This photo is fairly close to the true colour of the yarns.

These legwarmers (same as the ones on the left in the previous photo), made with Shetland chunky yarn, are now keeping my eldest daughter Laila's legs warm. She was wearing them just a couple of days ago when I was talking to her on the phone and she mentioned how warm they were. The yarn came from my stash. I have lots more chunky yarn to use up.

Variegated yarn, Patons Decor, was the beginning of another pair of legwarmers.

The finished pair. Completed just in time for our 'second Christmas' this past weekend when our youngest daughter, Ayla, came over from England.

I asked her to model them for me before she left to go back home.

I'm still knitting when the mood hits me. I have that one sweater to sew up still. I will finish it this week - I hope. Sewing for little people will be keeping me busy for a while.

The final step

In February we will be given instructions on how to put all the blocks together. This is the mystery quilt that I've been working on called Meadow Mystery.

I completed eight of these block #5.

All sewn up and ironed.

Earlier this month I finished four of these #2 blocks.

Between now and February I shouldn't lose any of the parts since they are all in this bin safe and sound.

Brown and orange

Marg and I started our second lap quilt last week.

This is how far we got.

A few more blocks got added. I brought a couple fabrics from home that I thought would blend well. Those are Marg's feet. As I sewed, Marg ironed and then laid out the blocks. After cutting, sewing, ironing and trimming, we needed five more blocks.

Then we needed just two more. More shifting of the blocks.

It's a never ending process. Moving blocks so that the overall quilt top is pleasing to the eye.

I think we're done and this is the end result. It will be sewn together the next time we get together.

Grandsons

I had a request to make a vest for Luc, my eldest grandson, with the back longer than the front.

Here it is all complete.

I didn't have to purchase anything except the separating zipper. The lining is a gray/black flannel.

I even managed to add a pocket.

Here's a close-up of the fleece I used. The colour is not true. It's more navy than this photo. It was fun to figure out how to insert the zipper in between the outer fabric and the lining. I learned how to do it when I made the sleep sacks. The vest pattern that I altered helped me when I sewed it together with the lining and turned it all inside out. I thought that having the back longer would be an issue but it wasn't.

We just came home from the airport. My youngest grandson, Teemu, his mom Maili and Casey, his daddy, came home from a two week trip to California to visit the other set of grandparents and friends.

Here he is running down a gentle slope to the parking area.

The luggage fell off the cart and Teemu thought it was funny. He went over to help daddy right away.

Job all finished and now back to more running.

Once he got home the first toy he picked up was his guitar.  No surprise there.

Just a little fix

On Mondays I look after my little 2 year old twin granddaughters. Nothing much gets done except some knitting at times. Yesterday I did manage to get one thing completed even though I had big plans to finish more. 

Remember this little owl? I was told by Severn, my granddaughter that I had to fix him.

I found some fabric glue and little owl now has two good eyes. He went home with the girls where he belongs.

Old not vintage baby quilts

I have no idea what people these days are calling vintage. How old is vintage?

This quilt was made about 1984 or so for Eric, my second son.

The fabrics were mainly 100% cotton and haven't fared too well.

This is the back.

A little donkey close-up.

I made this for Ayla- obviously, a little girly quilt.

A simple easy design and most of the fabrics in the top are cotton polyester.

The details are all in the quilting - like this happy bunny.

Another bunny.

A little kitty.

Lots and lots of hearts.

The backing, 100% cotton, has worn away.

Even the fabric around the label is gone. The poly-cotton has remained fairly intact.

I need to make two baby quilts by May. I shall be a grandmother again. No twins this time around but there are two arrivals expected. One in the beginning of the month and one at the end.

Whew!

I found it. I found my missing block of the month. After searching all of my bins several times I finally found it - or I thought I had found it.

What I found was a bin with the fabrics that I had been using for it. I thought that the blocks were with the fabrics - it would make sense, n'est-ce pas? So, more mystery. I was going to give up, thinking that if I wasn't looking for it, it would eventually show up.

I had even taken out a bin that held another quilt that I could finish.

I love all the greens and it won't take too long to put the whole top together. 

This morning though, I started looking again because I realized that there was at least one other BOM that was missing. Soooo, they should be together then.

In one of my spare rooms I have a tall, skinny IKEA dresser that holds doll making fabrics, cotton broadcloth fat quarters and some baby quilt fabrics. I had searched it before but it was mainly doll making stuff. Except for one shelf. I thought I'd take a good look at everything this time and lo and behold, there it was. The BOMs were folded with the wrong sides facing and when I took them out,

I found not one, (this is the one I was looking for)

not two, (absolutely and totally forgot about this one)

but three unfinished blocks of the month (this one is fairly close to being finished.) I was a happy camper once again and could now carry on with my life and sew something else. Now that I knew where everything was, I could finish a few other things - like a little vest for my grandson.

I headed on down to Queen street this morning to locate a 10" or 11" separating zipper. Fabricland only carried 9" (too small) and 12" (too long) zippers. I checked two Fabriclands and that's how I know. I bought two zippers when I found the 11" ones - so I could make Luc's brother Patric a vest too.

Life is back to normal. I could say "what a complete waste of a couple of days that was, trying to find a missing BOM" but  I won't. I found some fabrics I can give away, others that can be used in different projects and still others that need to be washed and ironed.

I also now have a whole laundry basket of fabrics that I have designated for little girls' dresses. I'm planning on using the various patterns that I have and sewing something small throughout the coming months. This way I can stay on top of things (hopefully.)

Oh yes, there's another repair job to get done too.

Little owl needs a new eye.

Luckily, I found some brown felt that is a close match. Now, to get something done.