Some of my Projects in 2011

Not only have I been behind in my blogging, but I haven't blogged about any of my sewing, quilting or knitting projects yet this year, and the year is just about half over already!! So I decided to share some of the projects I've been working on and have finished.

I've made more than a dozen of this tote (using Bunny Hill's Jelly Bags Pattern) for friends, as well as my daughter and daughter-in-law.

Each one was made with different Batik or cotton fabrics. I love coordinating the fabrics and finding just the right order in which to sew them together, so that each bag is unique. Everyone who has received one has loved theirs too!!

I made this Red and Light Blue Nine Patch baby quilt for one of my daughter's closest friends. She picked the colors, but I picked the fabrics and the pattern. I used soft, red minkie for the back for this special little girl! I finished it just before little Eliza turned "1."

I didn't want to weigh down this baby quilt so I just stitched in the ditch around the squares.

I then finished Brody's Hawaiian Quilt, the piecing and machine quilting, a week before his first birthday! I had the top done for months, but since I knew he wasn't going to be using or needing it, (I made it large enough to fit on a twin bunk bed), I waited to finish it!

I learned a lesson too! If soft minkie is used for the backing, as for this quilt, it's better to do large stippling or straight stitching through the blocks. It's pretty hard to do "curly q's" or "loops" on a domestic sewing machine. My "curly q's" came out pretty tiny!!

Last year I started knitting again, after more than a twenty year hiatus. Now I'm knitting most nights while watching TV. I can also knit while we are on the road in our RV.
I've knit many toddler beanies, for our grandkids, as well as friends' kids, including this one for our grandson Micah. I made this one in SD Padres' colors!!

This is a "Thank You" quilt for my new BFF and hubby for their wonderful hospitality!! The pattern is called "Gadabout Quilt" from Eleanor Burns' book , Still Stripping After 25 Years. This quilt was really fun to make and I love how the pattern shows in these fabrics. I quilted it by stitching in the ditch and using a laurel border stencil for the large border.
Thanks again Donna and Rod!!

I made matching Hawaiian shirts for Brody and Micah for their 1st birthdays. I haven't seen them wear them yet. I'll add a picture of them when they do!

I knit this dress for Gigi. I had the worst pattern instructions to follow, so once I basically rewrote the pattern, and started over several times. I actually had it almost complete twice and I reknit the ruffle on the bottom 4X before I finally got the look I wanted. She and I love the lacy ruffle on the bottom!!

Lastly, and certainly not least,
here's our newest granddaughter, Hallee Hope, 2 days old, modeling the new Baby Car Seat cover I made for her!! She looks so tiny in that big seat (she was just under 6 lbs), but she'll grow into it with time!!