A Christmas present for my dear friend.  Machine-pieced and quilted using Kona cotton.  Envelope closure on back with one vintage button.

I happily started making improvisational blocks for a table runner for my friend's new custom-made modern table. I quickly realized that making the blocks was the easy part; I found it a little tricky to keep something that long and skinny straight and true. After experimenting with different "fillers," all of which looked too puffy and ruined the drape, I decided to back the pieced top with another piece of solid white cotton.

I quilted it lightly "in the ditch" to keep it pretty clean and did a simple turned-under hem around.

Although it looks a little askew in this picture, it actually is quite even:



Here it is after basting:

Whole-cloth baby boy stroller-sized quilt handmade with Japanese Cosmo-Tex fabric.  Reversible quilt features vehicles on one side and graphic squares on the other.  Randomly free-motion, machine-quilted in orange thread and bound with solid baby-blue Kona cotton.  Quilt measures just over 26" square--the perfect size to tuck in neatly around baby in his car seat or stroller.

Whole-cloth baby quilt measures about 35" x 38".  Free-motion quilted.  Features vintage-looking angel fabric on one side, a green-on-green, mod polka-dot print on the other.  Thanks for looking!

Whole-cloth stroller quilt featuring Cosmo Tex vehicle print on one side and striped fabric on the other.  Free-motion quilted with yellow thread and bound with solid red double-bias binding.  Measures about 26" square so that it tucks in neatly around baby and doesn't drag the ground or get caught in stroller wheels.

Sew I made this for my daughter after swearing (last year) that I wouldn't make any more halloween costumes.  Ya, right!  I actually enjoyed the challenge of constructing a jacket, as I am a quilter who is learning how to sew garments.  The hat was actually more difficult for me than the jacket, and I think it's because the instructions for it were a little spare. 

Inspired by the pattern in Last Minute Knitted Gifts for the 1x1 leg warmers, I knitted these for my 20-month old daughter in Merino 5 (washable) on size 5 double-pointed needles.  I really love the "sponginess" of this knitted yarn...the warmers are really stretchy and feel yummy.

Very fortunate to have purchased a new Bernina serger today on sale at the dealer.  Although I began looking at entry-level machines available at chain stores, I decided to learn from my past mistake of cheaping out, and went with a dealer brand and model. 

I bought the Bernina 1150 MDA on sale for less than $1K. 

Because I've read many reviews about sergers, and I saw that the difficulty of manual threading is a common complaint, I decided to try to thread it by glancing at the manual and the diagram on the fold-down door on the front of the machine.  I truly wanted to test how intuitive the threading was. 

I unpacked the machine, set it up, threaded it and SERGED in about 30 minutes.  I am thrilled!  I can't wait to learn how to fully use my new machine!   

So I updated my candy corn hat pattern a little to suit my four year old son.  It has a rolled brim and a longer taper.  Basic pattern:

Using Cascade 220 in yellow, CO 80 stitches onto 16" circ or DPNs (I used size 6 needles, but I knit loosely [continental] so you might use size 7).  Rough gauge is 5 stitches per inch.

Join and knit in the round.  Knit five rows in stockinette (knit every round).

Row 6, purl.

Row 7, increase one stitch every 16 stitches for a total of five increases.  85 stitches on your needle.

Knit for 15 more rounds.  Switch to orange.  Knit 6 rounds.

On the 7th orange round begin decrease pattern:

*Knit 15 stitches, knit 2 tog* five times.  80 stitches.

Knit next row.

Continue decreasing five stitches every other round.  When you have completed 19 rounds of orange, switch to white yarn, and continue decrease pattern until five stitches remain.  Pull tail through five remaining stitches and weave in ends.

Happy Halloween!

I knitted this in Cascade 220 for my daughter (who is 19 months old).  Didn't use a pattern, kind of improvised as I went.  If you are interested in doing:

For this size (about a 2T), using yellow, cast on 90 stitches onto a Size 7, 16" circular needle.

Work in 1x1 rib for about an inch.

Switch to stockinette stitch for about 15 rows.  Switch to orange yarn and knit three more rows in straight stockinette.

Begin decrease round on 4th row of orange *k 13, k2tog* for a total of six decreases.  Total stitches:  84.

Knit next round.

Continue alternating decrease rounds with a knit round.  Switch to white after 15 rows of orange have been completed, continuing your pattern of decrease rows alternating with knit rows until six stitches remain.  I went ahead and decreased those six to three by k2tog all the way around.  Pull yarn through remaining three stitches and tuck in ends.

Happy Halloween Knitting!