My Entry in the County Fair

This year, I entered something in the county fair.
Not the Puyallup Fair - if you are from around here, but the Monroe Fair.

I entered the shawl I knit for that sweet bride back in May.
I borrowed the shawl from her to enter it.

and I won!  Not one - but 3 ribbons!
I was thrilled to death - first place, crafter's choice and Grand Champion! 
(the ribbons have been crammed in a bag - really, what am I going to do with them?)

Grand Champion!  It doesn't get any better than this.
I don't need to ever enter another item in the Fair.
Did as good as I could on my first try.

Final Baby Shawl

 

Meet Ayla

Born:  July 7, 2013

Being held by her momma.

Who is wrapped in the Moonlight Sonata Shawl

 

 

Knit using Cascade Heritage Superwash Sock Yarn.

2 full hanks and 4 grams of the 3rd.

US 8 needles.

Started May 5, finished May 26.

 

 

This is the new momma.

2 weeks after she had that little darling.

She loved the shawl and the color.

She nursed under it while we were visiting.

She was not prepared to have her photo taken - but she went with it.

Shawls for Momma

My new favorite gift for new mommas is something for the momma.

I've been knitting shawls for friends who are expecting.

 

 

This was a beautiful lime green yarn is Anzula's Haiku.

It's a lovely wool and bamboo blend which I bought on sale.

One 500 yard hank was just enough to knit the Holden Shawlette pattern which is free.

 

This particular shawl was a gift for my hairdresser.

Who also happens to be our neighbor's daughter.

 

No pictures of the baby wrapped in this shawl.

So how about Beau - checking it out?

Baby Bobble

I've been busy knitting up this lovely red shawl for one of the gals that my girls went through school with.  She recently (February 24, 2013) had her first baby.  Jakob Travis.  That's him, wrapped up in the red shawl that I made for his momma.  He's a darling baby, didn't fuss, slept like a charm, and even put up with being put in the back of a giant tonka dump truck for some pictures.  Sweet, sweet baby. 

I Could Kick Myself

I have these lovely French Chefs for my embroidery machine.  I have made them a time or two before and they are really detailed and easy to do - even with changing the bobbin color.

The problem comes in when you are embroidering on thin cotton dishtowels.  Target sells really nice quality of towels - in a set of six!  Can anyone explain that to me?

Anyway - I wind a matching bobbin because they back shows.  I prefer to stiffen the towels rather than use stabilizer - just because it's too hard to wash out completely.  Now back to the title.  I could kick myself because I was out of spray starch.  So I used some canned 'fabric stabilizer' that I had.  Fortunately, you can't really tell from this photo, but the fabric stabilizer scorched when I pressed to dry it - even using a press cloth.  Even after washing with bleach - some of the towels are discolored behind the design.

The worst part - I need to get this out, so I'm actually going to mail them this way.  I'm going to make another set for the recipient, with a different design.  She can use either tea or coffee to dye this set so they all match and don't just look dirty.  And yes - I'm mailing them without ironing them again - I mean who irons dish towels? 

Baby Sarah

I have a friend I've known since 5th grade! We aren't going to discuss how long I've been out of high school.  Just know that we've know each other for a very long time.  We were at each other's weddings and we've watched the kids grow up.  Remember this bride?  That's my friend's daughter.  This is her newest daughter.  She's 2 months old and the sweetest little baby.

I very quickly made her baby blanket.

It's fleece, with embroidery.

Welcome Sarah Elizabeth.

This is how Knitters do it

The Musical One bought a condo. This is her first house. The knitting ladies all got together to make a throw for her living room.  It still needs a good steam - but I ran out of time.  Each stripe in the throw was knit by someone different.  Just about everyone was from Washington but there were a few participants from the East Coast - you know because her sister lives over there and another friend who loves her and wanted to help.

It looks good with her furniture and paint and should keep her warm this winter when she turns the heat down. 

The Favorite Gift I Made

I did not make a lot of gifts this past year. But my favorite one has  been floating in my head for a long time.  See The Musical One made a piece of a tumbling blocks quilt way back when she was in middle school.  It was an extra credit project for geometry. 

Ever since then I've saved the top that she made and the remaining fabric with the intention of making placemats - someday.

Well - since she's buying her first house, someday is now.  

I pulled the top out of the plastic bin and took it to the fabric store.  I had to find coordinating fabric for the back and fabrics to make reversible napkins. 


I spent two days making more blocks (she had only made enough for two placemats).  I picked a dark navy with lime green and then bought 4 different fabrics to make 2 sets of 6 reversible napkins.


After I finished the piecing, cut out placemats and batting, sewed them rights sides together and then turned them right sides out. 

Then I quilted around the tumbling blocks.  Using purple thread on the pieced blocks and lime green on the solid fabric. I made 2 sets of 6 napkins. One set matches with the solid side and the other with the pieced. They are reversible. While there are only 4 placemats (that's all her table will seat), I made 6 napkins because I believe you should always have spares to rotate in - just in case something happens - like a horrible stain or a tear.

Anyway - I'm tickled pink with this gift.

My Favorite Gift

shhhh - don't tell JB (he doesn't read the blog)

my friend made - yes Made - me a rain chain.

I adore it.  it's made from heavy dog chain, and cute little buckets.

It makes me smile every single time I see it.

Go To Gift

We have been invited to 4 different weddings this Summer!  In the spirit of 'going green' and giving something just slightly more personalized - my go to gift has been monogramed napkins.  I generally head to the store where the couple is registered, find their dishes and then go find napkins that match.

last Friday I was busy putting an very tailored W on a plaid napkin.  This particular couple's dishes are cobalt blue with a medium brown stripe in the pattern.  The brown was hardly noticable until you put a brown napkin next to it. (the card was because the groom proposed on the beach when we were in Mexico).

I love how JB laid them out on the table in the B&B to take their glamour shot.  I did iron them before giving them to JB to wrap - not that you can tell now. 

So what do you think?  Is this a good gift or should i just buy off the registry?