Ellie's Denim Quilt

I DO NOT sew. In fact I am so clueless about sewing my husband had to set up the sewing machine for me. But I am bound and determined to learn how. Once an idea gets in my head there is no getting it out and I have been desiring to make a quilt since at least junior high. Of course, I have put it off due to the fact of my busy busy life (which in fact I must say was no so busy busy as I thought). I got married and had two kids and then I was going stir-crazy last winter. I LOVE my kids but sometimes I wonder if I was really cut-out for this "stay-at-home-mom" bit. Anyways, I was going crazy out of sheer boredom and I needed to find a hobby so I figured what a perfect time to bust out the brand-new-been sitting in the back of my closet for the last 3 years- sewing machine.



I pulled out the instruction manual that comes with such a machine and began to assemble it to the best of my knowledge. I was pretty darn proud of myself until Dusty came home and has to "re-assemble" it. (minor set-back.... clearly anyone could of set it up wrong... it's a compact complicated little machine!)



So I started browsing through the trusty Internet for a "beginner" quilting pattern and as I am browsing my determination and confidence in my ability to "do anything you set your mind to" is wavering until..... I have a brainwave. This is my first "quilt" so I don't really have to make it out of whatever quilts are usually made out of and I can just throw together a denim one! GENIUS!!! So I immediately run up stairs and start cutting up Dusty's jeans (he has a lot so i know he can spare some). I could keep on with the story but I'll spare you the anguishing details....



2 days later from the set up of the sewing machine came the first (not so beautiful but at least meaningful) quilt......




It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. There clearly are mistakes that I made but all in all I am completely happy with it and more importantly, Ellie LOVES it. It is the blanket she chooses to pack around with her on all the outings we go to. Plus it's super warm because I didn't listen to anyone who said not to put batting in it.



The lessons I learned on this quilt...

1) Hand stitching with yarn threw denim is painful. I had to use pliers on some of the patches that were newer
2) cut your squares bigger than you want (I was a little zealous in the cutting department and neglected to think about the sewing together part
3)It would of been particularly helpful when tying the quilt to have somewhere to put it....
4) my blanket didn't turn out so smooth and tight (i haven't figured out the lesson in that but I will eventually and it's ok that it isn't because it's really floppy and cozy)

I didn't use a particular pattern from somewhere I just went to town on it and i don't know if i did it the "right" way but all I did was cut the squares into 4 3/4" and then sewed them together in strips. I gave myself a 1/2" seam allowance (I actually don't know what I just said.... I pretty much just sewed it together and hoped it was straight). After the top was all together I had stitched hearts and stars and Ellie's name on it. Dusty (who watched his mom and grandmother and great grandmother all quilt) helped me built a frame and tack the top down and stretch it. I cut the batting to size and laid it down and tacked it down. I put the polar fleece on top of that and tacked it down. I tried to stretch the polar fleece but it kept getting distorted so I gave up on that ( I think perhaps this is why it's "floppy"). I tied it all together and then sewed the outer edge (and because I don't trust my sewing ability I then stitched yarn around the border of the blanket. TA DA done!


I like it. Ellie likes it. and best of all it hasn't fallen apart.
I have made one more for Lucy and it is different but not without it's mistakes. I liked doing this project and will continue at my attempts BUT I still don't LOVE sewing. Maybe that will change with a little time and practise because I do LOVE the outcome of it.


I got some helpful how-to's off the Internet and the most helpful was this site:
http://www.mormonchic.com/crafty/denim_quilt.asp

Hat's anyone?!?

Ah my HATS. I have never in my life found something that I love to do as much as I love to knit. I am a beginner knitter but I have aspirations to conquer the knitting world (not really) but I would love to be able to one day have enough experience and expertise to create something of my own design. But for now I use other people's genius and create cute and cozy creations. I have been knitting hats and specifically two needle hats because I am just starting out so I don't have double-pointed needles or circular needles. I also have two sizes of needles so everything has to be done on them. I have 6mm and 10mm. I have been fortunate enough to find some great free patterns online.


This is the first pattern I attempted and I am in LOVE with it. It was the easiest thing in the world to knit and so fast because of the super chunky yarn and the big needles. It is a hat pattern that was inspired from the movie, "the golden compass". Lyra wears this hat and I was drawn to it in the film and it looks absolutely adorable on my girls and it fits awesome!

I got the pattern from:http://froggiemeanie.blogspot.com/2007/12/golden-compass-hat-happy-holidays.html






It is the best hat pattern I found for kids, especially because neither of my children like hats, so I could tie it on them. The only thing I changed from her pattern was that I braided the ties because I'm not really a twister.

No Sew Tutu

I downloaded a pile of pictures and I took a ton of photo's of all the crafts I have been working on. The most recent craft I did was a "no sew" tutu. My friend go the instructions for it off of a "U-Tube" video and so I decided to make both Ellie and Lucy one. I was hoping that I would be able to use them as Christmas dresses BUT Lucy HATES hers and Ellie spends so much time twirling that I think she would be dizzy the whole time! So pretend dresses they will be BUT that's fine with me BECAUSE I generally spend about $20 per pretend dress and I think with all the materials and ribbons I was at $18 for the pair.

The Materials are simple:

ribbon

tulle (4-6 yards depending on poofyness)

scissors

The instructions are just as easy:

fold and roll the tulle with the fold side in

cut into 4 inch strips

tie knots on ribbon (which is cut to fit the waist of the tutu wearer)

Simple. and easy and it's supposed to take a 1/2 an hour but somehow it took me longer than that (especially with the first one).

this is the link to the video which is helpful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7aSPMEn7S0

It was a simple easy craft. I had such a good time hanging out with my friend making them.

the old house

I have PICTURES. I downloaded approx. 800 a couple days ago so I'm going to post them and update all those of you actually read this thing......

MY HOUSE.

Ok I am renovating (well dusty and I) and so there has been some interest in the last place we fixed and sold and so I'm going to start with those pictures. (and just as a side note I am not at all bragging about how great of a decorator I am cause I am not and do not think that of myself BUT the place looked a bit better when we left)....

the top two are the basement which we carpeted and la la la and then there is one of the living room upstairs which we finished the floors and painted and electrical and light fixtures and well pretty much everything except we kept the original moldings. and the last is the outside of the house which we did nothing to except for the roof and fence and planted some shrubbery.

I don't have a picture of my fav. room which was the upstairs bath because I forgot to take one of it so alas....

I found looking through the pictures that I miss the old house. I miss the creaky floor while sneaking around trying not to wake kids up I miss the HUGE trees BUT the last house didn't have a view like this........

If you look closely the town we moved to is nestled in the bottom of this valley and you can see it in the center-left of the pictures. Dusty is absolutely in love with living here and I am surprised that I also love it. I was sure I'd miss the prairie. I know most of you complain about the brown but to me it was beautiful and I was worried that I'd feel claustrophobic and trapped but I'm enjoying it immensely. There is a giant picture window in the living room that I get to knit by in the quiet afternoons and I don't think I could ask for a better view.

Moved

I keep telling everyone that I'm going to post pictures but I never do but at least right now I have an excuse... my cable for my camera is in a box somewhere in our new house. So there are no new pictures but some news.

We moved and we got all our land titles and etc from the lawyer today so it's completely official. We've been busy renovating again. We're done putting in new hardwood floors, the upstairs level is completely painted, all the slate tile has been installed in the main bath, kitchen cabinets are installed and counter tops put in, walls knocked out and support posts are in, and some of the new light fixtures are in. It's starting to look good. Our deadline for the en suite and the entry is Christmas and the rest will just come.

Last year I went out and bought a fake tree so I could put it up early so I could do my Christmas baking in a decorated house and so our little family put up the tree on Thursday and now Christmas has really started. Our family is now busy baking Christmas goodies and crafting presents. The girls have been having a great time making ornaments and gifts for people.

We absolutely love our house and are completely happy and can't imagine living in a better place, especially this Christmas season.

busy busy busy

this summer has whipped right past. Our little family has been super busy. Dusty has spent the majority of the summer in Estevan, working, and I have spent alot of time with my folks in kocanusa. Dusty did manage to get 3 weeks of holidays and we spent it at the lake with my family and then our family headed back to Estevan for dusty's last 3 week stint. Now we are selling our house and moving to BC.... Crazy!!

I have a pile of pictures and I will post them soon....

The Easter Outfit

Is it possible to have Easter without an Easter dress??? Probably but it clearly wouldn't be as fun!! or cute?? We did a two fold Easter this year..... Dusty's aunt got married on good Friday so we were up there for that then we hit my folks place on the Easter Sunday (that dang Easter bunny has his work cut out for him chasin' us around the country)

YUMMO!!

This is Lucy's first home-made chocolate chip cookie. I make them quite a bit so dusty has some treats for his lunch but this day Lucy was "eye-balling" Ellie's and even tried to swipe it one or twice so I let'er have it and I think she thought it was DELICIOUS!

good times in alberta

OK well this is good ol' family day in sunny Alberta!!!! Dusty's folks all get together the long weekend for a little food (well a lot actually) and some sledding. Most years the snow is pretty good and this year was no exception!

the start of the pictorial updates

OK so I FINALLY downloaded my pictures from my camera and there was, too say the least, a few on it!

This picture is of our valentines day celebration. We don't really do holidays or birthdays or anniversary's (we're cheap and we pretty much get what we want whenever sooo really what's the point??? I figure he should and I should be making sure we're both feeling appreciated EVERY day not just when the calender says so (ok that's my edition of this holidays soapbox))

Well as we all can see I did however make a cake for this particular event BECAUSE dusty was complaining that I NEVER bake him cake anymore (I do quite often......more than I should (just check our waist-lines!!!))

this particular cake is kinda special cause I just "whipped" it up. I love to just bake so off I went. Its a standard white cake (really not that complicated) but the icing (my whole fam. hates traditional buttercreams or fondants etc soooo I just started piling all the things I love (minus chocolate) into the mixing bowl. Wahbam a nice coconut strawberry whipped cake!