Wonky stars, always

Wonky stars. They make me happy. They are simple and scrappy.

This week, I decided to pull out a WIP that started back in April 2013, at the first Stash Bash. The color palette is understated (which is different for me; I like bold). I've thought of this project often since I started it, and I included it in my 2014 goals.

Here's where the project stood at the beginning of the year, and although I didn't make a ton of progress this week, I enjoyed sewing little bits together. And that's really what matters. It's so easy to get caught up in goals and deadlines and expectations, whether they are your own, or from external sources.

So, I'll keep sewing bits together, adding elements as I please.

Here's to a bright 2015. I hope you shine.

For Jessica

Jessica commissioned me to make her some Christmas decorations this year. I was happy to oblige her, and had fun with these projects over the past few months.

There were napkins, each with a red side and a green side.

There's a tree skirt, modified from Modern Handcraft's fun tutorial.

And my favorite, a table runner and placemats. The table runner is made of scrappy strips (some from the napkins, some from stash), and the placemats are all different.

The table runner and placemats are also reversible, with a side that could be used after the holidays are over.

It makes me happy to think that Jessica and her family will be enjoying these decorations for years to come.

I hope you all have a peaceful end of 2014. I'll be back next week to share some goals and end-of-year thoughts!

Tutorials you might like!
Happy Trees Mini Quilt
Gift Tags
Hexagon Tree Skirt
Scrappy Stocking

FO: Citadel

I love this hat.

I love knitted hats in general, but this is one of my two favorite hat patterns that I've tried over the past seven years (the other is Facets). The texture is beautiful, and in this Colour Adventures Stunning DK, a semi-solid single-ply merino (very similar to Malabrigo, but less pilling so far), it's so happy. The pattern is Citadel, by Hedgehog Fibres (free!).

My awesome sister took some pictures over Thanksgiving. I love the touch of fall you can see in this one, and how it compliments the hat. I've been wearing this one constantly.

I also started a sweater back in September, which is getting most of my knitting attention these days. It's Backshore, by Alicia Plummer, but as you can see, I'm modifying the stripe width as I go. I thought some skinnier stripes would be more flattering, and I decided to add a second stripe color, because why not?
I hope to finish the body of this by the end of the year.

WIP: Strippy Strings

I finished this quilt top at a retreat last month. It's comprised of skinny strips from my scrap pile.

It was so much fun assembling this, and surprisingly (or maybe not), my scrap pile has not lost elevation.

FO: A tale of two fences

I find it strange that the second baby quilt I make for my first best friend (FBF) Jessica is this Chain + Link finish. You see, when Jessica had her first baby back in 2012, I made her a rail fence quilt.

It wasn't intentional, but it's fitting. As I was trying to decide what to make for Jessica this time, I remembered the test blocks I made for Elizabeth for the Chain + Link pattern, and knew they would be fun for this.

I used one of the Andover textured solids for the remainder of the quilt top. I love the looser weave and the color, especially.

It's backed with the new Figures big number print (love love!).

Jessica and I don't live in the same state anymore, but I hope her boys get lots of use out of these quilts.