This blog is aptly named: Life in the Making. There's been a lot of that going on 'round here in the past month, as I've been getting gifts ready for Christmas.
There's been some studio work -- I'm ready to quilt a fourth piece for the Art in the Park Series -- but photos on that process will have to wait while I finish, finish, finish gifts!
And yes, there have been many finishes, to whit:
Knit socks and fingerless gloves for a friend in Montreal:
Pattern: Simple Fingerless Mitts Designer: Tinksdarkerside Yarn: ONline Supersocke Worker Color 6-ply in "Blue Jeans" |
Pattern: A Nice Ribbed Sock Designer: Glenna C. Yarn: ONline Supersocke Worker Color 6-ply in "Blue Jeans" |
Fingerless mitts (by request) have been delivered to a friend in Calgary:
Pattern: Cielo Handwarmers Desigern: Eweknits Toronto Yarns: Filatura Di Crosa Fancy Line Gioiello* and JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk 2/18 *glitz! |
In my last post I showed you the simple cowl I'd made for my nephew. Since then, I saw a photo of him on FB with a full beard on his chin -- and nary a hair on his head! Now, he lives in Victoria, B.C., which has a mild climate, but seriously! They do get snow there (even though they still have little idea what to do with it when it arrives), so it does get cold!
Thus, I promised him a hat. I had enough yarn left from the cowl to start one -- and by a small miracle (and a deep stash dive!) I found a ball of similar yarn -- same composition, different producer -- in a dark grey, so here's his two-toned hat:
Pattern: Bankhead Hat Designer: Susie Gourlay Yarns: Queensland Collection Kathmandu Aran 100 and Jo Sharp Silk Road Aran Tweed |
Earlier in November I showed a glimpse of the cowl I made for my nephew's partner. Here it is, fully finished, buttons and all. So pretty!
Pattern: Gothic Lace Cowl Designer: Tin Can Knits Yarn: Black Cat Custom Yarn Everyday Sock Colour: 'Widowmaker' Buttons: handcrafted - wood - bought at the Prairie Fibre Festival in Lacombe, Alberta, September 2022 |
This year there's been far more stitching than knitting -- and things are getting finished there too.
The largest project was the Growth Chart, to which I've referred in several posts since I began to stitch the pattern in July. Last week I finished it -- fully finished it, including a hanging sleeve and label -- and mailed it off to the recipient in Calgary:
Top end, trimmed and faced |
Bottom end, trimmed and faced |
Front and back |
This week I fully finished the pieces for my son and his partner, too. (I can share these here because to my knowledge they don't read my blog!) I decided to try to find a frame for my son's "Quaker du Japon" from Jardin Prive -- and lucked out at the same local vintage shop from which I got one before. I needed one that was 10" square -- not an easy find -- but there it was! It was a slender frame with a gold 'metallic' finish, and included glass. In it was a very pretty little piece of unsigned, undated, unlabelled cross stitch. I've managed to rescue that, wash and press it, and will show you a photo once I figure out what I want to do with it!
Anyway, here's my son's gift:
Pattern: Quaker du Japon Designer: Jardin Prive Fabric: 36-count Antique White Edinburgh Linen from Zweigart Threads: #321 and #310 from DMC, stitched 1 strand over 2 |
I had to take the photo at a slight angle to avoid glare from my living room windows...and I wanted my initials to show above the frame so the piece sits right up at the top of the frame, but there you have it!
As for his partner's piece, "Lick the Bowl" -- I turned it into a journal cover. I'm told she likes to bake, so I thought she might use this for favourite recipes...
Pattern: Lick the Bowl from the Kitchen Counter Series Designer: Hands On Designs Fabric: 30-count mystery even-weave Thread: my own selection of DMC floss |
I lined it with batting and quilted the back (not shown) to give it more 'body'. The cover was a tight fit, but it works!
I've finished another tiny stitchy gift for a friend, but she reads this, so no photo at present!
Last but not least in the gift-of-stitching department: two small pillows yet to be made. They're gifts for my 'grandcats' -- of which I have five: three with my daughter and 2 with my son. No, there will NOT be catnip in these cushions! They're merely for decorative snoozing! Both are identical, and one is finished but not yet "fully":
Pattern: There's Probably Cat Hair Designer: The Scarlett House Fabric 1 - 28-count mystery linen Thread: Classic Colorworks 'Manor Red', Gentle Arts 'Carriage Black |
Fabric 2 - 28-count natural linen Thread - Classic Colorworks 'Manor Red' Gentle Arts 'Carriage Black' Weeks Dye Works 'Onyx' |
On the quilting front, the "Wabi Sabi" version of Magic Tiles that I've made for a certain young man is now quilted and has binding on 2 of it's four sides. You can probably figure out what I'm going to work on this week! 😉
Meanwhile, Bonnie Hunter's started her latest Mystery -- I'm saving the patterns. And...I've started a new litte throw quilt, a gift for an ailing neighbour. This one is a collection of 9 traditional blocks, kitted up as a Block of the Month from the Thimbleberries Club back in...2005!!! Yes, I bought it back then. There were actually two quilts in the program: "Sunrise" and "Sunset". I made the "Sunrise" quilt several years ago and gave it to my neighbours here for Xmas (2014!) It was done in typical Thimbleberries colours, but in lighter tones to reflect the theme.
It's time for "Sunset". This neighbour is a fellow, so the darker prints provided for this one suit a more masculine aesthetic. I've finished four blocks, each of which will measure about 10" in the quilt:
Blocks on the design wall with the pattern. |
And I've cut the pieces to start the fifth:
Step 1 layout on my pressing mat |
2 comments:
You have a lot of finishes. All will be enjoyed by the recipients, I am sure.
Have a safe trip ND enjoy your family time.
I am impressed with how much you've gotten done. And they all look lovely.
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