Fabric Basket

I made these fabric baskets for our upcoming trip to New Jersey to visit Freddy's family.  I made them from an Ink and Spindle pattern with Ink and Spindle fabric.  I had some heavy weight hemp which I used for the bottoms.

After I wrote this post, I thought I might try my hand at the Heather Ross, Far Far Away 2, for some fabric baskets.  Voila.  Here they are.  One is perfect for my friend, Beth to hold her mitten knitting supplies!

Aretha's Socks

 Aretha spied these socks on the Purlbee Blog, Whit's Knits, Mens Socks for Giving.  She loved them and said, "Mom, I love these socks.  If you make them for me, please don't get creative on me.  I like them just the way they are.  Well, I did have to change the striping a bit, but she approved at the Christmas unwrapping.  Isn't it great when someone asks you to make what they want and it actually turns out right!

Hand Made Christmas

 When my friend, Tom turned 60, I made him a pair of socks.  In the past decade, every evening, he dons a pair of my handmade socks.  When he had his ankle fused two years ago, they were the only socks that would fit over his cast.  He flaunts them and when people ask where they can get a pair, he tells them they can't.  He insists on a pair every year and I oblige him!  Merry Christmas, Tom!

Fred has been making pillow cases like crazy.  He watched a UTube video on the hot dog method of pillow case construction.  He has made 36 pillow cases this season.  Here are Tom and Connie's Laurel Burch print pillow cases.  Sweet dreams!

And Connie loves birds.  I made her this basket from an Ink and Spindle kit I picked up from Nido's in Burlington.  We filled it full of goodies to keep up her youthful appearance!

Connie made me this incredible frame out of all found materials.  The little figure on the left hand side is my daughter, complete with two different color eyes!  Can't wait to put a picture of my girl in it!

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!  Doesn't look like it will be a white Christmas in Northern Vermont this year!  Lots of snowmen on this quilt, though!

I wish all my friends and family a healthy, happy and inspiring new year with lots of time to pursue your passions!

Isholde

Isholde

 

 

My good friend, Bill Morin send me an email saying that he was having a third baby with his wife Jen and couldn't imagine her coming into the world without a Cindy blanket.  Here she is, Isholde Morin in Sarah Jane's Children at Play wrapped in a baby Turning Twenty pattern!  She looks good in pink, doesn't she?

Pips for Deidre and Tristan

Sherbert Pips

On a recent measure of Stick-to-it-iveness, Deidre scored in the Superior range for her perseverance and hope and well, just not giving up on those two babies she is hiding behind her Pips quilts.  She is holding the boy baby quilt fashioned in mainly reds, blues and greys, with a few pinks so that he can be in touch with the all important feminine side and the one I am holding is for the baby girl which is Aneela Hoey's Comic Strip Quilt pattern.  Very easy to piece together when you purchase the charm pack and jelly roll from Stitched!  I am so excited about these babies!

Oatmeal Pullover

Phiona has some great fibers at Nido's.  She had this great hand spun, hand dyed, organic wool from Tidal Yarns.  I made the Oatmeal Pullover by Jane Richmond.  Great pattern, fashioed from the neck down and great hand on the wool! 

Baby Quilts

Ashton's Quilt

 We finished two quilts this week!  Janna made a quilt for her new grandson under Fred's guidance with Children at Play.  I finished up a quilt with lots of space characters from David Walker's Robots.  This quilt is going to  Trish and David!  The stork finally got to their house, waiting for the best baby of all for them! 

Peter's Quilt

Back of Peter's Quilt

Distractions from Cloth and Yarn!

Bartending with Mike

 A couple of things have been distracting me from my projects!  And the list is growing! 

• A baby quilt for the baby the stork just brought to Trish and David Healy
• A back to school bag for my friend, Ginger
• A birthday sweater for Phiona
• And a couple of other things I can't mention because they are gifts and I don't want to give them away!

Bartending at Gilly and Travis's Wedding

Moxie

Getting the Wood in for Winter

Williston Central School

St. Michael's College

The Pips go to School

Aretha moved into school today and look who moved in with...the Pips!

Ruby Star Rising Spring Bumblebees!

Here is another "back to school" wardrobe addition-the Ruby Star Rising Bee Skirt made from the Sew U book by Wendy Mullin and Eviana Hartman.  Melody Miller rocks!

Loulouthi

Loulouthi in Turning Thirty!

I love the huge vibrant prints of Anna Maria Horner's Loulouthi collection.  They seem like they don't all go together, but there is some magic which occurs after you put them together that I can't even begin to describe.  See for yourself...I used 30 fat quarters and the Turning Twenty pattern.  Voila.  I am going to get some of the large Totem print to make a duvet cover to go with...these summery prints will help me keep the chilly, grey autumn at bay!

Tomato Vine Dress

Ok, here is my first day of school dress.  This is the Linnet One Piece with Roll Collar without the collar!  And the fabric is from Melody Miller's Spring Line called Ruby Star Rising.  I love Melody Miller's designs and I love reading her blog:   http://melodymiller.typepad.com/
I just wish my arms didn't look so big!  I better go and do some exercise now!  Sewing alone will not tone those upper arms!

Aretha's Sherbert Pips!

Sherbert Pips

My girl is now an official adult!  21!  So I am not so sure why I made her a quilt from Aneela Hooey's Pips, except that Aretha loves the Pips.  And when she was a toddler, she loved to swing.  I hope she likes it!

Aretha Turns 21!

21 Candles

English Table Setting Complete with Reversible Napkins

Scavenger Hunt

Pinata

Ben's post party nap

Aretha turned 21 on July 21st and today, Ben and I celebrated with her.  She requested an English table setting for her birthday luncheon of veggie burgers, sweet potato fries and homemade lemonade.  We had a scavenger hunt at the end of which was a pinata.  Ben complained that the clues were spread so far apart on his property that he was getting winded!  Aretha is wearing her Honey Girl Dress made out of a little Kaffe Fassett- looking very English garden partyish indeed!

Hello New Shirt...Good-bye Old Truck

Today I said "Good-Bye" to my trusty old Jeep Cherokee.  Last year I found someone who would give me an inspection sticker after he repaired the hole in the floor and cut the rust off the bottom.  This year, I was told that it was "time."  The frame was broken.  I have had this truck since 1993.  Every single childcare provider had a fender bender in it!  I have pulled my friends, neighbors and myself out of numerous snow banks with it!  Always started, even at below zero temps.  I am hoping that it will be reincarnated into a beautiful metal sculpture or part of a giant sky scraper! 

This is me crying as I say "Good-bye" to my trusty truck

Anyway, for the occasion, I wore my new Echino purple gingham shirt made from a pattern in Wendy's U Sew book.  I used my fancy stitches and made a decorative statement on the top of the pocket!  I went to work wearing it and Pauline in tech said that it inspired her to have a picnic lunch!  Great to have clothing that inspires fun! 

New Dress

Ink and Spindle Bag

One Piece Dress with Collar

School is just around the corner and instead of preparing for the day long inservice I am giving with my colleagues, I prepared my outfit!  Priorities, right?  This is my second dress using the Linnet Patterns.  It is called the One Piece Dress.  So simple and classy  I just hope my audience can focus on the training and not the dress!

Also whipped up this Ink and Spindle bag which I purchased as a kit from Phiona at Nido.  The fabric is silk screened onto hemp.  Love the size of the bag...it is my new knitting bag!
School is just around the corner and instead of preparing for the day long inservice I am giving with my colleagues, I prepared my outfit!  Priorities, right?  This is my second dress using the Linnet Patterns.  It is called the One Piece Dress.  So simple and classy  I just hope my audience can focus on the training and not the dress!

Also whipped up this Ink and Spindle bag which I purchased as a kit from Phiona at Nido.  The fabric is silk screened onto hemp.  Love the size of the bag...it is my new knitting bag!

Fred's Chickens

Fred was inspired by some chicken fabric he saw in Maine.  After three trips, he had finally gathered enough fabric to make our friends, Lynn and Mark some chicken quilts.  Fred says that their chicken house is so nice, he could live in it.  I think the next time we visit, they may put him up in the coop with the quilts!

Jared's T-Shirt Quilt

Jared is my next door neighbor at school.  He lends me his keys at least once a week when I forget mine.  He had a pile of t-shirts he wanted fashioned into a quilt.  Here is the result!

Annual Parent Group Party

Bill, Cal, Will, Me, Rick and Joey

Last night was our annual Parent Support Group Party.  The people in this group are each amazingly resourceful, brilliant, generous and loving folks and as a group...watch out!  No challenge is too overwhelming or off putting!  In short, they are incredible.  Thank you for nominating me for my coveted award!!!

Rick about to Flip

Rick got everyone in the water with his amazing Flips!

Flipped

Kate jumps in with Style

Bia takes a Plunge

Ella does a Cannonball

Great Dinner, complete with Bill's Pie

Mary and her Amazing Art in the Shack/Studio

Will and Cal

Lori

Myra in the Berry Patch

Bev and Doug-Sweethearts after 30 years!