Another Wedding Gift and Some Big News!

I have been terrible about updating! I have lots of projects to share, but I simply haven't had time...because my girls are here!

Fiona and Riley were born September 8th at 33 weeks 4 days. Because they were so early, they are still in the hospital, but doing great - they are breathing on their own, regulating their own temperature, and working on getting enough food to grow big and strong so we can bring them home. Keith and I are spending lots of time at the hospital. I might be biased, but I am pretty sure these are the most beautiful babies in the entire world :)

So, that's my excuse for not updating. I think it's a pretty good one. However, I will share a little project I worked on over the summer for some wonderful friends who got married at the beginning of September.

I found this embroidery pattern here, and there are lots more to choose from - I thought this one was perfect for a wedding!

Congratulations, Andrew and Mairead!

Kitties...

Since I've been spending more time sitting still than usual thanks to my expanding belly, I've also been doing some embroidery. I have a few wedding presents in the works, which I won't share quite yet, but I've also done a few smaller bits just for fun. Someday, I'm sure they'll work their way into a larger project, but for now, it's just entertainment.

These kitties come from here and here. Cute, huh?

More baby...

But this time, not for mine. This is a terrible photo, but the blanket is so soft and snuggly :)

The pattern is a free one from Red Heart - simple and quick.

So many babies, so little time! It seems like everyone is having babies these days!

Baby stuff!

I have always liked making things for babies, probably at least in part because of how quickly they work up. Instant gratification! So of course it's even more fun to make things for my own babies.

So first, a hat and mittens:

 The hat is this pattern here, and the pattern for the mittens is here. I especially love baby mittens - no thumbs! They can be made really quickly. I will definitely do that again as a baby gift!

The second hat is a little simpler, but I was afraid after I knit the first one that it might not stay on a baby's head very well - no ribbing at the bottom! Of course, I haven't actually put it on a baby yet, so who knows :)  The pattern for this hat is here.

And, in the process, stash busting! So, a sweater to match.

I keep coming back to this pattern by Jennifer Hoel because it is SO SIMPLE and there is basically no finishing - my favorite kind of sweater!

I think now I need to choose another color for the rest of my baby knits, though. Getting a little sick of that yarn. 28 weeks now - getting closer and closer!

Kindle Cover

I recently got a Kindle Fire. To be honest, I'm sort of on the fence about it...it doesn't seem to work perfectly as either a tablet or an e-reader (because of the backlighting). But, it was free, and it's a handy, fun little toy. I kept my regular kindle for reading, and mostly use this one for accessing the internet.

To keep it from getting scratched, I decided it needed a cover. I used this tutorial, which was clear and easy to follow. And I ended up with this:

A quick, easy project. So quick and easy, in fact, that I repeated it to make a matching cover for my camera :)

(Interesting how these photos look like completely different colors, but it is in fact the same fabric...hmmm....)

And, because I can scarcely believe how big I am getting...unattractive self-photo! Six months down, three to go. (I actually took this photo almost two weeks ago...and the belly has continued to grow since then!)

A Baby Quilt

I started this quilt ages ago. I think I finished the top last fall. However, it is now bound off and ready for a happy home :)

The quilt is mostly based off of this tutorial from Oh, Fransson! I just adjusted the size based on how much fabric I had.

I also had the opportunity to try a new binding method on this one, which saved a lot of time. I used this tutorial. And, the back looks something like this...

Perfect for a little boy, I think :)

A special wedding gift

Some dear friends of mine got married in June...so I wanted to make them something really special. Here's what I came up with.

I had a special scrimshaw design made for the center, with their names and wedding date. The orchids are the type of flower they had at the ceremony.

I tried to take an up-close shot of the scrimshaw, but in my hurry to get it wrapped up I didn't do a very good job. It's still sort of fuzzy, but you'll get the idea.

I had the scrimshaw made at DELS Nantucket Baskets. They do an absolutely fantastic job - anything you want, they can make for you! (Literally, anything. Check out the samples!)

Happy wedding, Karen and Greg!