taking a yarn break

I have been working off and on making this baby afghan for a friend.

 Honestly, more off than on because this afghan seriously eats yarn and feels like you are going nowhere with it.  Basically you are making two afghans at the same time so it is going to be really warm and soft, but making it seems endless.  It is about 1/2 done and has alread used 4 skeins of Simply Soft yarn!  (You can find the pattern here.)

I have also just begun knitting an afghan (if it is knit is it still an afghan?) for Princess A as well.  I picked up some peach acrylic yarn at AC Moore in the mill ends box.  With the 40% off coupon I paid about $4 for a pound of yarn.  I am converting this knit potholder pattern.  I am doing 5 repeats across and 7 repeats tall to create an afghan for her toddler bed that matches her sunflower room.  Hopefully I will finish it before she outgrows the bed!

Ocassionally though, my hand itch to pull out the sewing machine. With J and H heading to middle school in about 1 1/2 weeks (yippee!) I decided to work on something school related.  When I saw this notebook cover tutorial I just knew I had to make some for H.  She has her girly moments.  Besides, who wants to have a composition notebook that looks like everyone elses?  These look much better!

(Totally do NOT look at the awful finish of my dining room table!  It was a 10 year old hand-me-down when we got it 13 years ago.  It is so due for a refinish but I just can't work up the gumption to pull out the palm sander and do it!)

Then J informed me that most of the teachers want the subject and student's name on the front of the notebook.  May have to add a clear vinyl pocket to the front of these.  I told H that she would have to see what her teachers say before I make anymore.  Besides, I secretly hope they tell her that the covers are a no-no so that I can keep that frog one for myself!  That was the last of the material I had left from the purses I made almost a year ago, and even then it was several years old. 

Until next time,

2 summer sundress

Just wanted to share my latest project for Princess A.  I love those little dresses with crochet or knit tops and fabric bottoms.  I found this pattern on Ravelry and it is called the Two Summer Sundress because it is made in such a way that your child should be able to wear it for 2 summers (bet you couldn't guess that from the name could you!?)

 Doesn't she just look so sweet and angelic in this picture? 

And the back?  The pattern calls for ribbon on the inside of the straps and waistband to keep it from stretching out and I really think that the pattern could use some visuals for that.  Princess A seems to like it pretty well.  Now to find the perfect flower to go with it for her hair and for next months June Blooms series.

Until next time,

Sewing again!!!

I missed sewing.  It has been quite a while since I have pulled out my trusty friend and put it to good use.  But no more!  In the last 7 days I have made 2 projects that have birthed a dress and 2 purses!

The dress is my own design, inspired by the many handkerchief dresses I have spotted on the web.  One day I finally sat down and put one together.  Pic to come soon as they were new handkerchiefs and I have never been one to prewash my fabric so the dress is quite stiff on baby A.  I plan to post a tut on how to make it as well.

My second project was more than 2 years coming.  I bought the fabric about 2 1/2 years ago intending to make me a purse for spring modeled after the Longerberger purses that look like brown bags.  Never got to it.  When I came across the pattern for the Buttercup Bag from Made by Rae I just knew I had to make it.  However, I realized that the material was WAY to young for me (can you see a past 35 year old woman carrying the purse below?  Maybe, but could you see her without snickering under your breath?  I didn't think so!) and decided to make one for H and baby A.

Those are little frogs going up and down the purses.  (I bought it thinking "what a great reminder to carry around to always Fully Rely On God")  To make the smaller purse I shrunk the pattern by 60% and cut my strap to be 2" by 12" instead of the length and width called for in the original.  The best part, baby A let me get everything cut out before her nap and I was able to finish both purses while she slept and still had time to eat lunch!  Would love to find a simple wallet pattern to make for H with the scrap material.

Love,
 

He's Free at Last!! Amblyopia patch pattern

My son, J, is finally free! For those of you who saw his picture in my "frost" blog entry you have seen the eye patch he has worn for 6 hours a day for the last 6 years. He has a lazy eye. Not an eye that wanders, but one that didn't want to focus or work. In 2005 his eyesight WITH glasses was 20/100...borderline legally blind. Uncorrected he would not have been able to get a driver's license.
Patching has been a very long, unhappy road for J. He hated wearing the patch, hated the attention it brought him when we were out and about, and hated the question "What happened to your eye?" every time we went out. To begin with he had to wear an adhesive eye patch. Picture a giant eye bandaid and that is about what it looked like. After a few years we found a website that was selling eye patches that fit over his glasses and looked a little more fun. At the time you could only order the eye patch off the internet. So I ordered one with a soccer ball (his favorite sport) embroidered on it. He was less hesitant to put it on and he looked less like he had an injured eye. This made life easier.
However, the patch wears out over time. It didn't look to complicated to make so I took it apart and modified the pattern so it would fit better and started making my own patches for him. He seemed to like this better because he went with me to purchase supplies, he picked out different colors, different embroidered patches to put on them etc. He personalized them.
The good news, earlier this week we went to his opthamologist. His vision is now 20/40 and has been for about the last year. We have been attempting to wean him off the patch so that we can ensure that his lazy eye will continue to function properly. At the visit the dr. released him! He now only has to go for yearly eye exams and can throw away all of his patches. His face lit up and I don't think his smile could have gotten any bigger! It was a wonderful day for him.
So in honor of his gift of freedom from the patch, I am sharing my pattern for his patch. I apologize that I don't have pics of it being made but my oldest, K, accidentally broke my digital camera so now pics until I can afford to get a new one.

Children's Eye Patch for Amblyopia
You will need:
1 piece of felt
piece of fusible web same size as felt
pattern that can be found here
scissors
thread to match felt
small embroidered patch of choice
Directions:
following the manufacturer's directions, fuse the fusible web to one side of the felt. Print out the pattern and check to make sure it printed the correct size. Cut out pattern pieces from the felt. Pin the dart area on the large pattern piece and sew along dotted lines. Cut excess material off the main body of the patch. Cut eye slit. If desired, sew embroidered patch to the center of the second pattern piece. Now place this piece behind the lens of the childs glasses. Cut remaining pattern piece and place on front side of lens and pin to main body of patch. Sew along dotted lines of top piece. Cut excess material off. To place on glasses, slide arm of glasses between the main body and the lens cover piece. Place nose piece in the slit of the main body of the patch.




Eye Patch for Amblyopia by Ginny Blankenship is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.