Needle and ThREAD

The Sewing Machine is actually getting lots of use this week! I've set a goal to finish the five quilts that I have in process before I leave for Summer vacation in July. I intend to drop all five quilts with my quilter and head to the Outer Banks with my family. So, here is another Just 'Tween Us Girls quilt. I managed to sew half of it yesterday, but I'm totally frustrated that I can't get some of the seams to line up properly. This is the second quilt I've made using this pattern and I'm having the same problem again despite being even more accurate during the cutting process.

 This fabric is Nantucket Summer (Don't you just love the name of this fabric?) and I purchased it a couple of years ago most likely at the Fat Quarter Shop. This fabric has become difficult to find. When I purchased this collection of fat quarters, I intended to use them to make the quilt above. I didn't however, buy the fabric for either the binding or backing. I've learned my lesson to buy all the fabric at once for a project. I easily matched the fabric to some quilting fabric found at Jo-Ann. I used to buy fat quarters, Layer Cakes, and jelly rolls without any project in mind. I figured I'd design something on my own, but I've learned to design first and then buy! It's a way better strategy. It definitely ensures that I won't come up short on any given quilting project!

I cut and sewed the backings for all five quilts. I still need to cut the binding for all these quilts as well. Sewing large pieces of fabric together for backing is not what I would call exciting sewing, but at least it's easy.

As for reading, I read You Are What You Wear. Now, I didn't learn much that I haven't already learned from watching countless episodes of What Not To Wear. (I did review this book on Goodreads as well.) I was motivated from reading this book to purge my closet. Last Saturday, I took everything out. That didn't take long because I have a very minimal wardrobe at best, but I thought I'd re-assess everything. Even though I have a small wardrobe, there were still pieces I'd been hanging on to despite the fact that I never wore them. I took the no-mercy approach and let them go.After taking everything out, it's clear that I have a very monochromatic wardrobe. I shy away from bright colors and I think I look hideous in prints. I've known for a long time that my clothes are what I would describe as a total Snooze-Fest. In other words, they're boring. Functional, but boring. As I put what survived the cut back into my closet, I wondered when my clothing had gotten so ho-hum. I'm sure that most of my energy going to raising little people is at the heart of it. I've neglected myself and I realized that I am ready for some small changes. It's time to add those small details that give my outfits a little zing. If I am what I wear, I don't want my clothing saying that I'm boring.

It's an interesting read and not all of the chapters applied to me in the least, but this psychological approach to clothing choices is eye-opening.

Don't forget to head on over to Elizabeth's for more of Needle and Thread

Outside with the twins

 Yesterday, while I was tending to the garden,
I let the boys play on the deck. They are really starting to enjoy being outside. I attempted to
photograph the twins, but they are never still. I captured them the best I could given that they were truly preoccupied with that little red rocket. It's clear
that these two are best friends already.

Yarn Along

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? ~

I finished knitting this dress last week, but I had a few ends to weave in . I really wanted to get this picture up for this week's Yarn Along. So, I took a few minutes to weave in those pesky ends because I couldn't wait to take a picture of Tess wearing this year's hand knit summer dress. I used my phone camera to take this photo and as you can see, I am playing around with the features on Instagram! This dress is featured in the Spring/Summer 2012 issue of Knit Simple and really this dress is so simple!  As for reading, I'm in the perusing mode this week. I haven't really committed to any book, but here's this week's library stack:

I'm not sure I like this Instagram effect. This picture looks so washed out! Anyway, this week's reading is all about color knitting, quilting, and gardening!

Please do click on over to Ginny's for more knitting adventures!

Needle and thREAD

I pieced my Bargello quilt. I now need to cut the vertical strips and reassemble the
strips. This quilt is supposed to show the deep sea moving up to the surface
and sky. I ordered new sail boat fabric because my original fabric didn't work well.  I'll use
 the original sailboat fabric for the backing instead. It's an intensely blue quilt and the abstract
water is both soothing and dramatic. I'm really hoping that the image I have in my head will match the reality.
Tess is holding Charlotte Au Chocolat which happens to be this week's reading.
Yesterday, I went to the garden store and bought some strawberry plants. It's been my dream to grow abundant

strawberries so that I can make my own jam with my own strawberries. I noticed that I have a few strawberry plants that have volunteered from last year. I saw a strawberry blossom today! This inspired me to download to my Kindle: Grow The Best Strawberries.

I started this dress last year in April. I had great plans to knit a matching sweater. It didn't happen. I'm sure
 I got distracted and moved on to some other project. Anyway, it's  now way too small for Tess. Since I've made several Lazy Days Skirts recently, I decided to drop the
regular hem for this dress and substitute the ribbon hem. After all that practice edge-stitching
the ribbon,  I thought this ribbon hem would be a snap.  It should have been easy, but I botched it pretty badly. I can't un-do it. I shall just be glad that this dress is finally finished and move on. So, here is my first dress ever! Those darling little apples are so sweet and I know a new baby girl who will get this dress and hopefully overlook the amateur sewing job.

More reading and sewing here!

The Twirly Skirt

I didn't make this skirt. My friend Elizabeth did. She made these fun quilt-like skirts for her girls and I asked if she could make one for Little T and somewhere in her busy life, she found the time to sew up this darling skirt. I love
how this skirt captures patchwork quilting so well.

It's difficult to get Tess to sit still for photos. I really wanted to showcase the fabric.
This is Cape Ann by Moda and it's made using charms. You can find the pattern for this
skirt in Stitch by Stitch.

Thank You Elizabeth for sewing such a beautiful skirt. It's going to be the outfit of the summer!


Doesn't she look less like a toddler and more like a young girl here? My only girl
looks so grown up!

Peach Dress

Yarn Along

The other night I was at Barnes & Noble. I was sitting in the Starbucks section . I took the time to organize my knitting bag. After a while, I went to peruse the magazine section and of course, I glanced through the knitting magazines. Normally, I don't really care for Knit Simple Magazine. It's usually full of things I'd never knit , but this issue (Spring/Summer 2012) had a handful of cute little girls' dresses. So, I picked it up and cast on for the Textured Dress immediately. It's top-down knit in one piece and that pleases me immensely. I'm  just getting started on the skirt, but even though it's seems like endless stockinette, it will go quickly.
As for reading, I just started Charlotte Au Chocolat, a memoir about the author's adventures growing up in her mother's restaurant. It sounds slightly enchanting. I'm looking forward to reading this, but I haven't had the stamina to stay up late and read lately.
That's it for today. Don't forget to check out more yarn and book adventures at Ginny's!