Polka dots and paper

I realized, since I actually work on so much I ought to actually take photos of what I'm doing, not just wait for something to be worthy to show.  These things I'd consider "ordinary" and not really worth showing normally, but maybe they're fun to see.

First, some origami.  I've been making modular sculptures for several years now, folding a few pieces here and there.  They help pass the time when I'm thinking a lot or sick.  This one is following a tutorial for a large starburst.

Second, another little girl's dress.  Lucy picked out the blue fabric, and I added the grey.  It needs a band of blue on the bottom and it's done.   From an Oliver and S (time consuming!) pattern.  Nothing is absolutely perfect, but I don't really ever mind.

Front, there are v's in the neckline and pockets

Back

No photos of random paper cutouts and lots of watercolor doodles.  Maybe I'll remember to take some pictures.

A Technicolor Quilt

Or maybe a pixelated quilt.  Anyway, it's done!  

The slightly wonky perspective is deceiving.  It did end up a rectangle with straight sides, which was reassuring since I didn't trim the batik strips I started with, and they were slightly different widths...woops.  Anyway, all's well that ends well.

Some failure

First there were the skipped stitches on the middle few rows.  

Tension problem?  Going too fast with a walking foot?  I don't have enough experience to know.  I sewed the rows down, going very very very slowly.  Didn't have the patience to unpick and re-sew.  (Sigh.)  But it doesn't look too bad, for a first try at all this.  Ahem.  And the  butterflies are doing their job of distracting.

I felt better, so I got out the binding I had cut out and sewn together over the weekend.  I sewed it together just like binding for clothing (I thought) except I managed to somehow sew one strip to the front of one, then that strip to the back of the next, alternating back-front-back-front, the entire way.

(This is with it folded to show the alternating seam problems.)

So......I must cut it all apart and re-sew.  What's that line about falling off a horse?

Before and almost after

It's so close to being done.  This was at 3:30pm, right before I started quilting.

A couple hours of stitch-in/around/near-the-ditch, then dinner and cleanup, and then I did the last bits.  This was later tonight after trimming away the extra batting.

Next up, cut binding.  Phew.  

Bright and colorful quilt top

I finished it!  And it only took four months, ha.  The patchwork matching is a bit sad, but I don't mind that much.  At least it can only get better.  Here's a photo with Lucy this afternoon.

The colors are a little off, so the hot pinks aren't as bright, and the dark greens aren't nearly as dark.  We're off to the fabric store tomorrow to look for batting and backing.  Woohoo!

Some crafts

Yesterday afternoon, I sat down with a cup of tea and some knitting and asked Lucy what she'd like to do.  First choice: play dough.  She flattened it out and poked holes, looked for doodle bugs, chased them around the house, and finally put them back in the play dough.  Then, she put the play dough away and got out the pipe cleaners we had picked up on a whim.  I was just knitting, and Lucy sat next to me with the pipe cleaners.  We talked, sang a whole bunch of songs, and I told "baby Lucy stories" (her favorite, besides baby Daddy, baby Zoey, and baby Mommy stories).  A little while later she announced, "Mommy, I made you a spider!"

Then she made a second spider, for herself.

Next to them is my knitting, which looks fairly controlled and joy-less, especially when compared to those technicolor spiders.  But, that will turn into a nice scarf of lace-weight merino wool done in a slip-stitch to show off the color changes, which are unfortunately hard to see in the photo - greens, browns, and turquoise.

As we were working on our things, she announced that some day she would knit, too, but today she wanted to just make stuff.  Oh, to be two again.

An orange hat

Still working on the quilt layout, which is happening on an old bed sheet that I can roll up to store.  In the meantime, Lucy needed a new hat, since hers is getting too small.  (sigh)

I took her to the yarn shop and led her to the easy-care yarns, and she picked some orange yarn with tweedy flecks.  Pattern was this bonnet.  It turned out well, but just in time for more spring-like weather.

Bonus: with my small head, I can wear it too.