WIP Wednesday - Pleated Crib Skirt

It's been a little nutty, store wise this past week. I had a couple rush orders that threw my schedule off, but I pulled it out. It's a little stressful working against a deadline, but it's so satisfying once the packages are on the way to their new homes.


A friend asked to have this for her son's birthday. We're crossing our fingers the post to Germany doesn't take too long. I don't usually do licensed character stuff, but this was special circumstances.

These tutu sets are one of my biggest sellers. They take a bit more work than most of my items, but it's always special to be a part of a deployment or homecoming for the families who order from me. I've never put one together as quickly as I had to do this one, but I know what it'll mean to the family.

 A girlfriend of mine is due soon with her first girl. Having a gaggle of boys myself I understand her excitement and I was happy to help when she asked me to help with her bedding by making a crib skirt. I started with this tutorial here, by request. I usually try to wing it, but I liked having the measurements already there. I cut a 5" strip to make the pleat in a coordinating fabric. This means that I also had to split my side panels in two and add extra for seams, so I had 4 pieces that were 26" long and 4 that were 17". I had a 14.25" length because that's all the fabric we had to work with.

Cut pieces

I then pieced them together. I also had to piece together one of my longer striped panels due to a fabric shortage, but it all worked out.

One pieced panel


Once pieced together I just finished the instructions as written. I got lucky and had an old crib shirt that I cut up to use for the center base piece.

All done! I'm only slightly jealous I don't have a reason to keep this for myself. :p It turned out super cute. The turkey's toddler bed is lower to the ground and wider than a crib, but it works for picture purposes. Man I married is pretty handy and whipped that up one afternoon. It's super sturdy. One of these days I plan to paint it. You can see where the turkey has already started for me with a little nail polish and pen.

I enjoy sharing these little updates of what I've been working on, so I hope you like reading them.

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WIP Wednesday - My First Rag Doll

What have we been up to this week? We're still surviving the different type of quiet that comes when half your children (the two with the best communication skills) are visiting grandma, but I think that affords me the ability to pay more attention to the littles. The turkey has started his new therapy sessions and I'm confident it's what he needs to keep heading in the right direction and everyday I see positive change in him. Dealing with his delays has made me hyperaware of the bean's growing vocabulary and it makes me smile when he squeals "kitty" or tells his brother "no!" I find myself keep track and counting, things I never thought of before, but since toddler child I've learned so much.

I was contacted by a girlfriend who needed a baby for her little girl's first birthday and I was excited that my services were requested. I always love to craft for friends. I'd never actually done a rag doll, but it seemed simple enough and was very satisfying. When you make a doll there's just a process and and as you work through it their little personalities develop. I think she's sweet and cute.

Don't you love the piggy tails?

I also recieved a package of fabric this week and I get to make a crib skirt for another friend. At least the people in my life have little girls that I can craft for.

Keep a Toddler Busy - WIP Wednesday

I generally prefer to be ahead of trends rather than follow them, but there is a quilt pattern (The Beekeeper's Quilt) making the rounds on Ravelry. It's adorable and it's like the knitted counterpart to the pinwheel quilt my grandmother used to have. After much resistance I've finally started knitting these addictive little puffs. Once knitted and stuffed you sew them all together.

Aren't they cute and squishy looking?

I've got a pile of diapers that need finishing and 4 other knitting projects on the needles. It's always something in progress, but with toddlers underfoot it's not always easy to get time to work on things unless they're sleeping. So if I can't include them in a project it sometimes takes creative distractions.

Luckily toddlers are pretty happy with the simple things. A package of pipe cleaners and a couple colanders make for cheap entertainment.

It develops fine motor skills and makes a cool hat.

Plus, it's much quieter than the pan drum activity.

WIP Wednesday - My First Socks

There were two things I wanted to be able to make when I taught myself to knit. The first was longies for the little to wear over their cloth diapers and the second was socks. I just love fun socks and other than to work out I rarely wear plain white socks. I've collected sock yarn in every color of the rainbow and queued up dozens of patterns I'll make some day. In the short time I've been knitting I've mastered a lot of things, but I had yet to cast on a pair of socks. From what I heard it seemed so daunting and I just wasn't sure I had what it takes.

This past week has been a rough one for a myriad of reasons and my oldest son often leaves me bible verses. I'm quite sure God speaks directly to him because he always knows just what to post on the bulletin board for me. This weekend it was:

 "Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them and accept the insults of their enemies." Lamentations 3:30 NLV

Seeing it there in his boyish scribble reminded me of another of my favorite verses.

"If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee." Proverbs 25:21-22 KJV

These verses speak volumes of how I try to live my life. It's not always easy, but it makes us feel better when we treat people with love, even those who don't deserve it and I hope I have been able to teach my children that as well.

Father of the man I married was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and is undergoing chemo therapy. This makes me very sad as I think he's a good man. Despite their opinions towards us I still consider them family and I want the kids to send him drawings and well wishes. In times of crisis I craft. So I pulled out my needles and began to pray as I knit; for healing and peace and love. And my first pair of socks is going to him. I hope they keep him warm when he gets the chills, wick away the sweats, and more importantly make him feel loved.

I learned some new techniques and I'm excited to make socks for everyone now.

I have a shawl in progress. I had been saving this yarn for my someday daughter, but since I've only been blessed with boys I decided to use it for myself. I love Carina Spencer's patterns and Faraway so Close is no exception. Isn't it nummy?

This week has been a pretty productive one though. I finished a baby dress I had left sitting for far too long and now it will be going to it's new home. I also finished some custom blanket orders. I even made a potty mat for the turkey. Protecting the floors from him is tricky business sometimes.

  
                               Happy Crafting-

Work in Progress not Wednesday

I had intended to post yesterday, but it's been a crazy week. Really no more chaotic than usual, but it felt like the chaos was a steady stream rather than small bursts.

The bean is now a walker! It's been very exciting, but of course adds a new level of crazy to the mix. It's also an end to babyhood in our house which I find a bit sad.

I talked to my mother this week. We have a very strained relationship and this was our first chat in nearly a year. It wasn't quite bad, but I'm not rushing to make this a regular thing either.

As the school year heads into the final stretch the boys have various activities we end up shuttling between and then I have the regular, cooking, cleaning, and running of my business.

This morning was filled with excitement as I woke up at 2am and found something flying around my room. I originally thought it was a moth and that the quiet, dark, and my hardly conscience state made the whooshing sound louder than it was, then it came careening towards my head. A BAT! Yes, a bat, had somehow infiltrated my home and was whirring around my room. I pulled the blanket over my head and crawled out of the room with the baby hidden under my protective quilt. After settling the baby in the living room I decided that surely the many episodes of Billy the Exterminator had made me qualified to rid myself of my new house guest. I donned my blanket again, feeling a bit like Harry Potter under a cloak of invisibility. I debated getting a bat or other object, but since my plan was meerly to slink in and open a window, so he could find his way out I wagered I didn't need it. I couldn't see or hear him. He must have settled somewhere, I pulled back the curtain and out he springs. Ack! I screamed like a little girl and dropped to the ground he was a slight ways away from me on the ground and I should have pulled it together enough to throw a box over him or something instead I sat with the blanket tented around me praying it would fly the other way so I could sneak through the adjoining closet and out via the boys' room, which I did. Checked on the bean who was happily playing with a puzzle; apparently this is fun time for the 1 year old. Cracked open the bedroom door to spy on the bat who had hung himself from the shelf and seemed to be getting cozy. I had already talked myself out of calling my uncle to come rescue me and decided that it might be time to declare a temporary draw while the troops (meaning I) get some rest and regroup. I cautiously reached through and pulled the pack n play out of my room, so the bean could go back to sleep and shut the little flying bugger in. Come morning he had found a new place to hide and it rook some hunting to capture him. This I left to my uncle as he has animal experience. And apparently the light of day makes me less brave. I am willing to co-exist with creatures of the night, but I refuse to be roommates, unless he's willing to cover his share or the rent, well maybe... I will cautiously be sleeping in my own bed tonight. And instead of working on my many projects I will be taking a nap this afternoon.  

You may be wondering what I'm working on.

3 baby blankets that are cut and need sewing.

This cardi that just needs the edging finished (okay, yes, it's for me):

This head that will become a super cute waldorf doll(not for me):

I also have a couple shirt designs to finish tweaking, and several more important blogs to write. One on the importance of handmade and a couple tutorials involving quinoa and pail liners, though not at the same time. The days are hardly long enough.  

WIP Wednesday

It's been a busy week. The kids are taking their turns being sick and I'm grateful I don't have to plan Thanksgiving dinner around that. Though that is a bitter sweet feeling as we used to love having our own tradition and celebrating our way as a family and now I'm back to being a load on someone else's holiday. I enjoy being with our extended family, but the holidays still make me want to hide my head in the sand and pretend it's just another day. But time for an update on the projects sitting around me in various states of complete.

There are of course the Lark Hoodie and (Endless) Effortless Cardigan that have been on my needles for months. I have a goal to finish them next month due to a Nerd Wars challenge.

I picked up zippers to repair midkid's coat and a couple pairs of PJs for the bean.

I have finished one of my Reading Mitts and the second is about 15% done:

And I'm making great progress of these cute longies that are a custom. I have no idea who dyed the yarn she sent, but it makes me think of chocolate chip sorbet.

As we type there are pumpkin rolls rising in the kitchen, but I imagine they won't survive long.