Grandson Time!!

I'm leaving today to visit my daughter's family in Denver. And, of course, I couldn't go empty handed. I had cut out this romper a couple of weeks ago and finally sewed it up this morning. If I had time, I'd make another. So easy and fun!

Butterick 5439
(Out of print but still available at Butterick website)

Last night was a "Penelope" night. I just love the message of that movie. And the character James McAvoy plays is so darn sweet behind all that scruff! He sees Penelope for who she truly is before anyone else does, and I love him for that. Of course, I couldn't sit without knitting, so here is what I created - and, of course, named it Johnny. The hat is knit with self-striping Kureyon by Noro (100% wool) on #9 needles, sized 1-2yr.

Note: I didn't like the color sequence after the red stripe, so I broke the yarn and started with the color on the opposite end of the skein (yellow). Although it makes a hard line between the red and the yellow stripe, I think it looks better overall.
Even though it's slightly battered from living in my purse for the past 2 months, I wanted to introduce you to a great little knitting friend: The Altoids can. It perfectly holds placement rings, large eye needles, safety pins, needle tip covers, and anything else little that is knitting related which might otherwise get lost!

Happy Easter!

I made this simple basket last year as an Easter decoration using a Martha Stewart picture as inspiration. Martha's basket, of course, is much classier than mine. And my colored foil wrapped eggs cannot compare to her blown-out quail and turkey ones; but no animal product was harmed during the production of my craft!

Easy Embroidery

Although I don't embroider as much as I used to, I do enjoy a quick hand stitching project from time to time to switch things up a little. These are easy projects that anyone with the most basic of needlework ability can do. As an online resource, Needlecrafter.com has a wonderful library of free embroidery patterns. And if you don't embroider, the graphics can simply be adorable clip art!

(The frame is an inexpensive IKEA stock item.)


(These preprinted pillowcases were purchased from Michael's. But I have also bought different colors of pillowcases from stores like Home Goods and copied graphics onto them with washable tracing paper.)

Here is a link to a printable embroidery stitch guide.

Simple Sewing Machine Cover

Motivated by a sewing machine cover project in "I Love Patchwork", a couple of inexpensive IKEA placemats, and the fact that I didn't want to spend much time making one, I designed this cover. My machine does have a hard cover, which I love - especially since my machine has fallen out of the back of the car before(!), but for a day-to-day cover I wanted something prettier and not so functional looking. I'm actually happy that the fabric strips at the bottom didn't turn out perfectly straight. It's a reminder to me that what I do in life doesn't have to look perfect to work perfectly.

this evening's purchases:

I love the "Baby's Bubble" (p.28)
and "Silk, Chiffon & Lace Dress" (p.82).



I MUST make the "Mix-It-Up Wallet"
and "Log Cabin Slippers" (p.56) as
well as the "Rainy Day Slicker" (p42)!

Now to find just the right fabrics....

Blankets....All Sorts

Square crib blanket knit from Cotton Tots by Bernat. This yarn is 100% cotton and very soft to the touch (unlike the coarser Sugar 'n Cream by Lily used for dishcloths). The pattern is started at the center and worked outward. It is modified slightly from the Crochet Baby Granny Square Afghan pattern by Vanna White .



Play mat blanket knit on the diagonal with bulky yarn. This pattern is started in the corner (3-5 st) with a stitch added on each row until you get to the half-way mark. Then a stitch is decreased on each row until you get to the number of stitches you began with. Autopilot pattern!


Stroller Blankets knit with Cotton Ease. A great yarn weight and fiber (50% cotton, 50% acrylic) for baby blankets - dense but lightweight. Easy care, too! Both patterns are from Designer Sport Baby (booklet) by Candi Jensen.

Hats! Hats! Hats!

Once they arrive and are old enough, it will be fun for my granddaughters to come shopping for a new hat at Grandma's hat shop (name suggestions anyone?). I've gotten a good start already, and there will be even more to choose from as time goes on. I have another hat on needles right now!


(Red pom-pom fetish noted.)

Baby Dress Obsessed!

I love to sew dresses for little girls. Do I have a little girl? No. Do I possibly have a granddaughter? No. But I loved sewing dresses for my daughters when they were young and still want to sew dresses today ! Here is how I justify my hobby. If I were a snow skier, I would spend a lot of money flying to a mountain top, renting a hotel and car, eating out, and either buying or renting ski equipment. Well, I enjoy a hobby MUCH cheaper than that!




I have a white dress almost finished and a gray jumper that just needs the blouse finished. And then there are the four other dresses cut out and ready to sew. Shhhh.....

Current Charity Projects

I feel that it is important to use the abilities that God has given me to bless others. I only write this post to give those with the same opportunity an idea or two. There is great joy being in the service of your fellow men, just as the scriptures promise.

These are a sampling of some of my crocheted caps for preemies. It is a simple pattern and easy to work up anywhere! There is a free pattern at Lion Brand Yarn website linked here: preemie cap.

The design of these dolls came about by merging a couple of doll patterns that I had seen and are easily assembly-line produced. They are made from all or part flannel and are so soft and cuddly. Originally I was going to send them to to my church's humanitarian organization, but they weren't needed. Instead I will take them to a shop on my local military base who's proceeds benefit our dear Marine families.

This is a bundle of 4 flannel blankets to be sewn and donated to the hospital on Camp Pendleton. Although I do not belong to the Fallbrook Quilt Guild, they were kind enough to supply me with the materials and give me the opportunity to again help our Marine families. This is a project I must finish soon as there is a deadline!

50 yards of ribbon!

Thank you, Dollar Store, for supplying me with a
colorful collection of grosgrain ribbon!

Never Too Many Aprons

Aprons are fun and easy projects to sew. I love making them not only for myself, but for my daughters as well! Also they are a perfect starter project for those new to sewing or if you're teaching someone to sew.

My apron

Natalie's apron

Candice's Apron

Retro apron

Asian inspiration apron

Making Christmas cookies with Grandma apron

K1, P2

Knitting is my therapy.  I always have a couple of projects going with at least one of them being quick and easy.  The small projects can follow me anywhere: doctor's/dentist's appointments, piano lessons, road trips, airplanes, meetings, etc.  With any project, I don't try anything too complicated because I don't want to have to concentrate too hard.  I knit to relax, and following a detailed pattern is not relaxing!  My favorite people to knit for are babies and my children - they are very forgiving and easily pleased.

This pattern is called Little Daisy Swing Coat and found in the Sublime pattern book #612. I used Sublime Baby Silk and Bamboo DK yarn (probably my favorite baby yarn) and knit it in the smallest size (0-6mo).  It's pretty tiny, so I'd say it would be tight on an average 6 month old! 

It hasn't been blocked yet, so please ignore the wankiness of it.

If you're looking for straightforward, this is it!

This sweater is simply called Baby's Pullover and is from the Bernat Organic Cotton booklet 542032 titled Mommy and Me.  I used Bernat Organic Natural Cotton and knit it in size 6mo - but sadly it was too small for my chunky grandbaby at 6mo.  

I knit it as a sweater to wear at the beach, something easy to take on and off.   I didn't take the time to block it because it going to get quite abused by sand and surf!

Finally, this is a blanket I made with some yarn I had purchased on sale in Placerville, California at a darling little yarn shop in old town.

I didn't use a pattern, but as you can see, I only used seed, basket weave, stockinette, and garter stitches.

The Aran weight yarn is called Tara by GGH (German) and is 72% cotton and 28% Nylon.  It's so very soft and snuggly!

Why Suki (好き)?

Reason 1: Suki is a Japanese word which means liking, fondness or love. And because I "so love" to create, we have "so suki"!
Reason 2: Suki is just a fun word to say!
Reason 3: Suki flows nicely with the word "sailor".... but more on that later.

Because I said I would...

This all started when I told someone I would post pictures of the quiet book I had made for my grandson. So to fulfill that promise, here I am! But this blog will be about more than my love of a quiet book. It will feature all of the things I love to create using fabric - with a good helping of projects crafted from my other creative medium favorite, yarn!