A bunch of baby gifts

Love these Mary Jane booties (from a pattern I bought on Etsy)

Sheldon the Turtle

Drool Bib (from a pattern I bought on Etsy)

Baby Wall Hangings

Styrofoam Wall Hanging

I am so excited about this project. I found a brochure at Michael's this week and couldn't resist. The wall in our family room has been desperately needing some color since the couches were re-done. I bought 3 styrofoam panels, and cut them into 12 inch squares. I covered the edges with ribbon, and then attached scrapbook paper. Modge Podge and spray adhesive both seemed to cause bubbles, so I ended up just pinning the paper on the same way I pinned the ribbon. From a distance, you can't tell at all, and the surfaces are perfectly smooth, which was important to me. Then all I had to do was insert the picture hangers in the back, and hang them. I think they look really good, and they are just what I was looking for on that wall, plus they were CHEAP. I'm going to do something similar in the downstairs bath, but I'm waiting for some paper I ordered this week.

Thomas' Chalkboard

My nephew turned 3 last week, and I made him this chalkboard. I bought a plain piece of wood at Michael's so it would have nice finished edges. I painted the front with chalkboard paint, and then modge podged the stickers in place. I covered all the painted surfaces (not the chalkboard) with a coat of polyeurethane... at first the stickers were peeling up, but once it was 100% dry, it was just fine.

Amy Butler Nappy Bag

My Sister in Law is pregnant, and is expecting her first baby in December. It hasn't been a very easy pregnancy, so I wanted to make her something special. I made her an Amy Butler "Nappy Bag". I have to say, it really was pretty easy, and I was very very happy with the results. I also made the coordinating changing pad and carrying case, and a little diaper / wipes holder. I love the fabric, although I bought the fabric for the changing pad later, and then I wished I had used it for the whole thing. The only trouble I had with any of it was sewing the batting to the changing pad, and after I adjusted my presser foot tension, it was fine. I'm planning to make another one, and I'm going to be brave and attempt an Amy Butler Weekender bag for myself sometime soon.

Presents for Enzo and the twins

A good friend recently had a baby boy... they were planning a Mickey Mouse themed nursery.. so I painted a letter V for him, and made him a bib and some shoes. I did the bib pretty much freehand, and I think it turned out pretty well. The shoes are based on this pattern
http://stardustshoes.blogspot.com/2006/10/cloth-shoe-pattern.html

which was super easy to follow. Another good friend was having twins, and I made her these bibs and shoes, which I think are adorable

Fabric Bookmarks

Lately I'm really doing a lot of stuff with fabric, and I'm loving fabric covered buttons... I can't get over how simple they are and how adorable the results are... I made a bunch of these bookmarks using 4 inch paper clips I got at Staples

"Mosaic Tile"

I made this for Jack's teacher at the end of the school year. I took each of the kids' school pictures, made little resin tiles, with a set of resin tiles that I made using some "school" themed stickers I had... then I put them all together. I think it turned out cute, I know she liked it.

Reasons I haven't been knitting

We've been in full blown home improvement mode around here lately. It all started when Mike gave me new slip covers for our family room couches for Mother's day. They are great, and I'm super happy with them. The new slipcovers meant we needed new pillows for the couches, though

I also re-did the kitchen valance in the polka dots, but seem to have deleted that picture off the camera. :(

Just last night I finished the living room curtains. They had been a green and blue plaid, which actually went with the couches we had 7 years ago when we moved in, but didn't after the face lift :) I can't get a great picture of them, but they are a pretty tan linen... I ripped the linings out of the old ones and used them to line the curtains because the room gets so much sun. They still need to be distributed better across the curtain rod, but here's the general idea.

At that point, I had really caught the sewing bug... and Mike was cleaning out the basement. I had bought two chairs a couple of years ago, with the intention that the kids could use them as extra seating in the living room. Mike hated them from day 1, one ended up banished to the basement and the other never even got assembled. Since they are basically just pillows on frames, I re-covered them and put one in each boys' room. Jack's is pirates (natch) and Ben's is Buzz Lightyear (double natch).. My friend Tracy had given me some other fun pirate fabric a while ago, so I recovered all the little pillows in Jack's room with it. He then spent two days telling everyone he saw how he "re-designed" his room. Cute!

Next on the list was the bathrooms. I painted our master bathroom, and it looks great. No pictures yet, I'm still working on some finishing touches. Our main floor powder room had been covered in a hideous red wallpaper... cabbages roses in abundance. I stripped the wallpaper, scrubbed the walls with steel wool to get the glue off the wall, and painted it a really pretty yellow. It's not quite as dark as the pictures make it look. Then I added some wall decals I bought on Etsy

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12715464

I put a couple of the decals on some inexpensive vases I bought at Michael's, and made these cute candle holders. Last, I painted these little canvases that I just hung up today. I'm really happy with the room so far. It needs a new mirror and light fixture, and I'm toying with the idea of priming and painting the vanity. We've been saying since we moved in that we were going to put a pedestal sink in this room, but it hasn't happened yet, so we'll see.

Next up is Christies' room. She has already painted the room a lovely blue, and she is painting polka dots on the walls in a pretty chocolate brown and white. She has two walls done (two more to go!) Mike has bought all the stuff he needs to put wainscot and crown molding in there, and I ordered fabric this week to re-do her curtains and window seat cover, and to make her a new duvet. Pictures to come soon !

How I spent Mother's Day Weekend

After a couple of attempts at resin tiles, I was ready to take the plunge this weekend... on Saturday I went to Archivers and stocked up on a bunch of great paper, and then last night after the kids went to bed I made like a zillion of these... so easy and so much fun...

Resin Pendant and Hair Baubles

Catching up some fo's :)

I have a bunch of things I need to take pictures of... but here are a few things I knitted as gifts

a pair of bronco's booties :) and some bronco colored canvases with his name on them.

Currently on my needles

OK, I am definitely back in ADD mode, but I'm trying to pull out of it. I currently have 3 big projects on my needles... Pictures to follow soon, as I'm at a good place to photograph all 3.

1. Rowan Pattern cardigan for Mom's b-day (7/22, but we're not celebrating until 7/31)
I am doing this in a beautiful blue mercerized cotton (Patons Grace) ... it's a cardigan with a seed stictch border at the bottom (4+ inches) and I love it. Finished the back, one side, and have started the other side, but then shelved it to work on #2

2. Zoe Mellor baby snuggle thing... I have been working on this for a while, in the hopes of giving it to my new nephew (who I will meet for the first time next week)... but I'm having issues... the first is, it's not a fitted garment at all, and although I'm trying hard to have faith and trust the pattern, I'm worried it will end up looking like an amoeba. Also, my nephew is apparently growing like a weed, and I'm worried by the time the weather calls for it, it will be too small... so I have now set that aside to work on #3... once #3 and #1 are done, I will finish this for a friend who is having a baby in October

3. LOVE this, just started it today. Rowan pattern baby hoodie. I actually combined twopatterns, I am following one but using the striping from another. It's adorable. I finished 6 + inches of the back just this evening... It's in Lion Brand Cotton Ease, which so far I really like, and it will be predominantly light blue, with lime green stripes. Absolutely adorable... hoping to finish before 7/22, and then knit a little pair of booties to match> I think I will do the booties in the lime with the blue as the accent. Pictures soon I promise!

One more FO

No pictures of this one though... two weekends ago I whipped up a little pair of stripy mittens from one of my Zoe Mellor books. Totally adorable, and a really fast project. They have a cord to keep them in the baby's sleeves, I wanted to experiment with an i-cord, but ended up just braiding it. Sometime in the next couple of weeks I'm going to knit a little pair, with no thumbs, in the same anchor pattern as the booties, to send for my friends baby shower, since she already has the booties (and loves them, btw)

Another Pair of Booties

I finished this pair quite a while ago, but put them in the mail without getting a picture. Luckily, my friend Tracy Joy got a picture for me before sending them on to our friend Jennifer. I think they turned out cute, although I'm not sure I love the ribbon, I think I might like it better if it were more opaque and less stiff. Also, I think I missed some decreases on the toe, and I think it shows... but I am hopelessly behind on baby gifts and there are several more pairs of these in my future :) The gingham shows up much better on the pair I'm working on now, which are a darker pink.

Booties

I made great progress on baby gifts this week. I finished knitting the gingham booties, I just need to sew the seams on that pair. I finished the little anchor booties. I LOVE them!

I finished one of the duck booties yesterday, I still need to add the blanket stitching on the front, but I adore them. I think I am going to whip up another quick pair for my nephew, who is due on Wednesday.

FOs with pictures

Here are some of my favorite FOs...I'm hoping this blog will help me get better about taking pictures both in progress and when finished

Crocheted sweaters for my sisters (this was a kit from Rosie Little Things) http://www.rosylittlethings.com/crocecily.html

The boys birthday sweaters

Optimistic?

Well, that's a nice way of putting it, anyways :) I am finding these days that my eyes are bigger than my needles, and I have a growing stash of yarns and patterns, an immense list of things I want to knit, and I'm suffering from some sort of knitting ADD that means I never finish anything.

Here's the list of what's on my needles right now

Zoe Mellor baby one piece for my nephew (still working on the left front and the baby is due in 10 days)

Zoe Mellor gingham booties. Adorable, pink and white, working on the second one now, haven't yet decided which pg friend is going to get them.

Vogue Knitting sock for DH. The first one turned out great, the second one hasn't had it's heel turned yet. Must finish!

Pick Up sticks adorable bag (I admit it, I'm a little scared of felting)http://www.pickupsticksonline.com/products/bags/verticalstripe.php

Socks for my mom. Adorable pattern, halfway done with sock 2 and I stopped. Need to finish!! Should have been Mother's Day gift!!

Recently finished

Zoe Mellor ballerina wrap sweater for my niece. Still need to block it and sew on the ribbon, but other than that it is done.

Cute fingerless mittens for me (OK, these were not that recent)

Booties for my friends baby boy

Scarf for Community Knitting... adorable pattern that made it vertical stripes on one side and horizontal on the other.

Here's the list of things I want to knit

More booties. Right now I still need two more pairs for girls (i'm probably going to do the Zoe Mellor gingham again, because I love them, and just do different colors)
Then I have a friend whose DH is in the Coast Guard, and they are expecting a boy. They will be getting the little Zoe Mellor booties with the anchors on them. CUTE! And one other friend who does not know babies gender yet is getting the little ones that look like ducks feet, because she has a great sense of humor and I know she will love them

2 months of Community Knitting that I am behind on (mittens and booties)

Hmmm, wanted to knit something to give my baby sisters when they are here next month. Apparently not going to happen.

Wanted to knit my mom an amazing sweater from the Rowan book I bought myself for Christmas. This is where the optimism kicks in. Maybe I can still get it done!

Jack wants a pirate sweater. I want to knit Ben a little Rowan hoodie. Wanted to make one for Thomas' birthday as well. Hmmm. Christmas?

I have some amazing sock yarn downstairs that I just had to have and haven't touched.

Surely there is more, I have bags and bags of yarn downstairs.

Will start posting pictures soon, I will post some FO pictures now :)