Update on Projects in Progress

Previously I posted about the projects that I'm working on and I have a super awesome update for that list.

• Baby Quilt - DONE!
  

• Crib Ruffle - DONE!
  

• Baby Room Wall Hangings - DONE!
  

• Frog Wrap Blanket - DONE!
  

• Grandma Evelyn's Blanket - No change.
  

• Christmas Presents - Partially done...
  

• Thank You Cards - DONE!
  

• Mending - Haven't touched it yet...
  

• Learn to Make Liquid Soap - DONE! No pictures or story yet, will post soon.

Hurray for completing projects. It really makes me feel good about getting stuff accomplished.

My First Attempt at Making Cards

I realized as I was writing thank you's for my baby shower that I didn't have enough store bought thank you cards. So I decided that since I've got a ton of scrapbooking stuff plus a Cricut machine and leftover envelops from my wedding announcements that I would attempt to make cards.

These are all the cards that I made. I think they turned out rather well.

I found a cute stamp that says " handmade with love" that I put on the back of each card (it's kind of hard to see it this size)

Former To Be Pillows are Now Wall Hangings

Ta Da! The wall hangings are complete and up on the walls in the Baby's room. What I did was I took some of the extra squares from the quilt and sewed them together. Then I edged them in the same bias tape that I used on the dust ruffle (pictures to come... eventually). I did the bottom 3 sides first and then used a separate piece of the bias tape on top to get the pocket for the dowel. The hangers are yarn, the same that I used to tie the quilt with and also to make the frog & duck blankets with. Hurray for projects getting completed!!!

The blue picture is directly above the head of the crib and the orange one is above the dresser.

The yellow and green pictures are both above the long end of the crib.

The Baby Quilt

Originally I was going to self-bind this quilt, but I did 2 sides and didn't like the way it was turning out. Specifically since the back is fleece and it was stretching in funny (bad) ways. So I undid the self-binding that I had done and cut off the excess and instead sewed on the the silky baby blanket binding. It looks kind of shiny and white in the picture but it is a pale green. I am really glad that I finally finished the blanket. Hurray!! Now I'm on to other projects on my list.

Here is the front of the quilt.

Here is the back of the quilt.

Frog Wrap Blanket

I just finished stitching on the frog's face and I think he's a cute little froggie. :) This blanket is a bit bigger than the duck blanket, because I followed the original hook size for the duck. I am a tight crocheter so I will typically go up a size or two to space out my stitches a little better, which is what I did in this case.

Crocheted Baby Blankets

My ultimate goal is to crochet a blanket for each of my nieces and nephews but right now I'm hovering at less than half. I still need to make a blanket for my two nieces, Makalya & Bailey and the rest of Andrew's nieces and nephews: Archie, JJ, Shaun David, and unborn baby girl (due in February).

Makayla, Bailey and Archie don't have blankets yet because they were born before my crocheting habit began and JJ and Shaun David don't have blankets either because they are 3 months apart and I was going through a non-crocheting time. And I haven't even thought about a blanket yet for the unborn niece due in February.

I actually started on a blue blanket after I finished Eva's blanket but got frusterated with the yarn and the pattern and never finished it. And thus started my non-crocheting period. Thankfully I got over it but still haven't completed any blankets for the kiddos.

Baby Eva's Blanket

I made this blanket for Eva, Andrew's niece, last year. She was born in October but I didn't finish it until Thanksgiving weekend. We were down in Arizona visiting for Thanksgiving and I really made a big effort to finish it before we left for home back in Washington.

The picture below is not the actual blanket I made, it is the picture from the pattern book. I have my pictures stored on 2 different hard drives and haven't had a chance to sync them up and the external hard drive is not here right now. So until I get the hard drive back this picture will have to do. The actual blanket is lavender and I think it turned out really nice.

Eliana's Blanket

I made this blanket for Andrew's niece for Christmas 2(?) years ago. I don't have a picture of this blanket because I forgot to take one before I gave it to Eliana and the blanket is MIA and I have as yet been unsuccessful in getting a picture. The picture below is actually from the pattern book. The actual blanket is a really pretty bright purple and it was almost my first "perfect" blanket. I was doing really well and then I ended up messing up in one of the points at the end. I think the imperfections of the blankets really make them special as well as unique. Hopefully one day I will get a picture of it to share.

Scarfs

I learned to crochet years and years ago, when I was 12 or so, but never really got into it. I later, when I was in college, decided that it was something that I really wanted to do. I think that was partially because my roommate Abby used super huge knitting needles and made super cute scarves to sell. So I went out and got one of those crocheting kits and got my first finished crocheted item, the breast cancer awareness scarf.



The next scarf I crocheted was this awesome orange one. My cousin Adina knitted the awesome hat in the picture and I really wanted a scarf to match. And lo and behold one day while wandering the yarn isle at JoAnn's I found the same yarn she had used. Naturally I got enough to make a scarf and now have a super long scarf that matches the hat.



This last scarf I think was originally meant to be a Christmas gift for someone, at least that's what I told myself while buying the yarn. I made it and didn't know who to give it to so now it's hanging out with my other scarves in my closet. It's super soft and frilly.



The really funny thing is I have a ton of cute scarves and no need to wear them anymore. It just doesn't quite get that cold when I'm out and about. I'm sure if I were to do something in the middle of the night when it gets cold I'd use one but luckily I don't have to go out in that type of cold.

Grocery Bag Holder

In our last apartment I was really tired of all the plastic grocery bags and wanted to put them somewhere but didn't know where. So I searched online and found a tutorial (I'm not sure if this is the same tutorial but it's very similar) that showed me how to make a grocery bag holder from a kitchen towel . The main difference from what the tutorial shows and what I did is: I sewed wide elastic directly to the top and bottom of the towel and didn't make a pocket for it. The only thing that I don't particularly like about my holder is I don't have a way to hang it up, it just hangs out on the floor under my extension pantry.

This was so easy to make and I had all of the things that I needed on hand, so I was able to complete this project the same night I decided to make it. It's nice to have that instant gratification with a project every once in a while.

Pantry Shelf

In our 2nd apartment we had a pantry closet that was trying to be a coat closet instead; it had no shelves except for the one above the hanging bar. Since we lived in an apartment and needed that storage space Andrew decided to design a shelf that would fit in that closet. That is the tall, narrow 3 shelf piece you see in the picture. This was awesome and I really enjoyed helping putting it all together. Then in the 3rd apartment we lived in we had a similar problem with the pantry area except it was a long closet more like a bedroom closet. So we added the longer shorter piece to our custom shelf. In that particular place we had our extra tupperware type dishes in a green & pink trunk that served as a shelf underneath the taller shelf.

The shelf is 2x4's and the wire shelving that you can get at any hardware store. We just screwed it all together. It's pretty easy to assemble and disassemble.

Currently it is as pictured and being used as an external extension of our pantry. We are contemplating bringing back the green & pink trunk and putting our bulk flour, sugar & etc. in it and using it as a shelf again.

Super Awesome Spice Rack

A couple of years ago I decided that I wanted a spice rack so I drew up a design and showed it to Andrew. He liked what I had but decided that it needed tweaking. So he tweaked the design and then we built this together. This was when we still lived close to his parents so he had all the woodworking tools he needed. The bulk of this rack was made from the wood from a homemade bed frame that my brother Wyatt had given us. Andrew used the planer and joiner to make our wood smooth and square. I really like our spice rack especially where it is now, I can reach even the highest shelf with limited effort. :)

My Jean & T-Shirt Quilt

This quilt was also a Personal Progress project. Basically I took all my t-shirts from my various activities such as Girls Camp, Cheerleading, EFY, etc. and cut out the front and back images and pieced them together to make a quilt. Some of the corners are unorthodox but it worked out pretty well. The back is a solid piece of denim; my Mom used to work a jean factory in Spokane, WA and bought a large bolt of demin before she left. This is a nice and heavy blanket that I love to curl up in.

Projects in Progress

I really like to be able to be a mulitasker but it doesn't always end up the way I want it to. For instance I have quite a few projects that I have started and haven't completed yet. I usually end up working on one project for a while and then need a break from that project and then I start a new project and the same thing happens so I will go back to a different project and that's how I end up with a list like this of partially completed projects.

Partially Completed Projects:

• Baby Quilt - I am using scraps from the baby bedding and some solid colors to make a nice quilt for the baby. It is sewn together and tied to the batting and the backing all I have to do is self-bind it and I will be done.

• Crib Ruffle - I have the ruffle panels cut out and the edging/bias tape is on. I don't have a serger so I have to do it by hand and I haven't decided if I want a gather or a pleat. Either way it will be a bit time intensive so I have put it off. Once I decide which style I want it all I have to do is pin it to the base and sew it all together.
  

• Baby Room Wall Hangings - I originally decided that I was going to make pillows with scraps from the quilt but then realized that I would have to buy pillows and that was just one more, potentially expensive, thing to buy so I decided that I would do wall hangings instead. I have the doweling and I am going to edge the squares with bias tape that matches the tape used on the bumper and the ruffle and then they will be done.
  

• Frog Wrap Blanket - I bought the stuff for this at the same time I got the stuff for the Duck Wrap Blanket. Once I "finished" the duck I started in on the frog but then we were able to move into our house and it has sat dormant for the past couple of months. I am nearly done with it as well. All that needs to be done is for me to sew the eyes on and embroyder the mouth on and it will be done.
  

• Grandma Evelyn's Blanket - My Aunt gave my Mom a bunch of my Grandma's old t-shirts and since I have done a quilt out of t-shirts before my Mom gave me the shirts and asked if I would make a quilt for my Grandma. I, of course, said yes and started on it right away, about a year ago. I have most of the t-shirts cut out and I really just need to piece them together, decide what kind of batting and backing I'm going to use and tie it all together.
  

• Christmas Presents - I have 3 different projects that I'm working on for Christmas Presents this year. I haven't started any of them except to buy the materials. I'm really excited about what I'm making and will definitely post them all after Christmas time.
  

• Thank You Cards - I have a ton of scrapbooking stuff that I haven't really put to use recently. I had my baby shower a month ago and afterwards I realized that I didn't have enought thank you cards to send out, so I decided to make my own; which is actually really fun. I've made most of the cards I really just need to finish writing in them and get them in the mail.
  

• Mending - I have a small pile of clothes, etc. that need to be fixed. I think a lot of what I have is resewing buttons, but there are a couple of bigger things to do. I really just need to sit down and get it taken care of.
  

• Learn to Make Liquid Soap - A couple of weeks ago, I went to an Enrichment Activity and learned how to make bar soap (I have some curing on top of my fridge right now). I really enjoyed it, but personally I prefer to use liquid soap instead. So I'm going to get together with Lauren (she taught the class) and we're going to make liquid soap. I'm really stinking excited and will be sure to share our experiment with all.
  

I think that's everything but with my forgetful pregnant brain I very well could be missing something. Either way I have a ton of projects and very little time in which to complete them. Obviously some can wait until after the baby or after Christmas, but then the question is how much longer will they wait? I'm going to be super diligent in trying to complete all of my projects in the next couple of weeks. Some will be easy and others just a bit harder. I'll be sure to keep you updated.

Baby Bumpers

Along with the 2 fitted crib sheets I have also completed the bumper for the crib as well. They were super easy especially since they make padding specifically in the shape for bumpers. I had instructions that I was following but I basically winged it since the crib is wider than a standard crib. I ran into a snag or two but it all worked out in the end. I sealed the pads in using bias tape on the top and the ties all around the edges are the same bias tape.

The main issue that I have with the bumpers is really not with them at all but with the crib. Since the head and foot are solid pieces we still haven't devised a way to be able to tie the bumper to them yet. I've got a couple of ideas but haven't done anything about it yet. Perhaps that will be Andrew's task this weekend. :)

The crib with the fitted sheet and bumpers on looks like a pond.

What it looks like on the outside.

Duckie Wrap Blanket

This blanket I started this summer to have a project to do since I wasn't working and didn't have access to any of my craft stuff since it was all in storage. It's been in a near complete stage for months now. I didn't have anything to stuff the bill with, until last weekend when I got a bag of the polyfiberfil at JoAnn's; it was a steal of a deal. So I finally stuffed the beak and attached it to the blanket a couple of days ago and Andrew decided that he needed to try it on. I told him that his head was too big and he proved me wrong. :)

I think he looks a little like a childish middle eastern man with it on his head like this.

My squares are getting better at being square.

Random Green Blanket

I made this blanket when we were living in Kent, WA, about 2ish years ago. I don't really remember the original reason I decided to make this blanket. I think I liked the yarn and had a need to crochet something. Like I mentioned in an earlier post sometimes I have issues crocheting square blankets. I don't know what it is, I follow the pattern and end up with crazy shapes like this. It's a nice warm cozy blanket nice to have on the couch on a cool evening at home.

Baby Wiatt's Blanket

I made this blanket for my cousin Kelly's baby Wiatt, who is named after my brother Wyatt. Wiatt just turned 2 the day after Thanksgiving. The yarn was variegated and I really like the pattern that it made.

This is Kelly holding up the baby blanket at the baby shower.

Baby Kaela's Blanket

I crocheted this blanket for Andrew's niece, Kaela. She will be 4 this February. This was the first thing that I crocheted that was bigger than a scarf. I definitely learn a lot while making this blanket, as you can probably tell from the bottom of the blanket. Although she was born at the beginning of February, I didn't finish the blanket until at least 6 months later if not longer I don't remember for sure.

Baby Daniel's Blanket

I crocheted this blanket for Andrew's nephew, Daniel. He will be 3 this May and I actually finished this blanket before he was born.

I sometimes have issues with making square blankets.

Royce's Quilt

I made this quilt about 6 or 7 years ago for my brother Royce. It was one of my Personal Progress projects for church. My mom received a bunch of fabric from a friend whose friend had died and in that fabric was a bunch of polyester fabric of varying colors and textures and I decided that I wanted to make a quilt with it all and this is the final result. The back is purple fleece and I edged it with a yellow bias tape. It's a nice light weight blanket but it's a warm blanket.

Boppy Nursing Pillow Covers

I got a Boppy Nursing Pillow & cover as a gift at my baby shower and was really excited. I was originally thinking of making some extra covers just for me and then I got an invitation to a friend's baby shower 2 weeks ago and I thought that it would be a great opportunity for me to give it a try. The first one turned out pretty good and I learned a couple of things so the next time I tried it turned out even better. I'm not done making extra covers; I'm thinking that it would be fun to have matching nursing covers to go with the Boppy covers. Like I said in an earlier post I like having multiples of things that baby can and will get dirty.

The fabric is the same for both of the covers that I made. I saw the fabric and really liked and it was a good price so I got some for me and decided that I would make my friend's out of the same fabric. :)

This is the back of my cover.

This is the front of my cover.

Nursing Cover AKA Hooter Hider

I saw my sister-in-law Megan nursing her son with one of these and thought that they were a great idea. So about 3 weeks ago I went online and searched for a tutorial to make one and I found a really awesome and easy to follow tutorial here.

Mine turned out great and I'm planning on making a couple more. I think it's a good idea to have multiples of things that baby can get dirty.

These are the fabrics that were in my stash that I chose to choose from. I am probably not going to use the top right corner or the bottom left corner fabrics.

Here I am modeling my finished product. You can't really tell that the top is staying open so I can peek in on the little one while it's eating.

Since you couldn't see the opening when I was wearing it, I hung it up on the wall to better illustrate how the top stays open.

Crib Fitted Sheets x 2

I found this fabric online while Andrew and I were waiting for our house to be finished. I fell in love with it and decided that I wanted to make all the crib bedding with it. About a month after we moved in to our house I finally started & finished the first fitted crib sheet. Once I saw how good the first one turned out I started in on the second one.

I am using Andrew's laser level to cut a straight line since my quilting ruler had gone MIA during the move.

The underside of the completed crib sheet.

The crib sheet on the actual crib mattress.

The finished sheet on the mattress in the crib.

Grandma Lula's Blanket

I made this blanket 2 years ago. I really wanted to make a round blanket and this is the pattern that I found. I was working on it during the 2006 T. Family Reunion and decided that I wanted to give it to my Grandma. She loved it!!




I thought that I had a picture of my Grandma with the blanket but I couldn't find it. So instead I found a couple of pictures of me working on it at the family reunion.

Me working on the blanket my Uncle Ed & cousin Johnny doing their own thing

My Mom and niece Bailey being crafty my sister McKenzie doing nothing and Me working on the blanket

Stuff That I Have Made

For fun I thought that I would create a blog specifically about things that I have made. Most of the stuff that I have made has some sort of a story behind it and I thought that this would be a good place to share not just the stuff but the stories of my craftiness.