Woah!

Woah there hold the horses!

Has it really been over a month since I've posted last! YIKES!!!
Seems as though the emerging nice weather as made me neglect my internet friends!

So let me see, what have we been up to around here!

Well I finally got around to starting my Christmas knitting and I fully intend on making lovely, functional and useful gifts for my family this year. That will be a huge bonus because I have a massive stash of yarn and fabric that MUST be used up before I cave and buy some more.

I am pretty proud of myself though, I have managed to use almost 1/3 of it this year and only bought 3 skeins of a beautiful deep purple and 1 light purple Cascade 220 to make a striped Cardi for Railyn. 

But that doesn't count!

I also have scaled back my prop making to zero so I can focus more time on my family and personal knitting. It was taking up so much of time and getting very little back in return. I don't think I'll ever make my money back but at least I have cute patterns from all the experimenting!

I am currently working on the Antler Cardigan in chocolate brown. Still haven't settled on buttons yet!  

The debate is pewter, wood or something plain and plastic.

Obviously the cheapest option would be the plastic easy to find ones from Fabricland but how fun are those? I want something that will last! Something that will not take away from this pattern but add to the beauty to it!

But I seem to be unable to find the perfect button yet! Since I am only 4 inches into the body of the sweater (sleeves are done AND they match!) I figure I have time to get myself some options to try.

This is what it looks like so far. I am pretty excited that the sleeves match!

So here are some pewter options:
Fillagree Buttons

Daisy Buttons

Wood/Natural options:

Tree

Coconut (I love that these are made from coconuts!)

Oak

I won't post any plastic ones, because they would be just the plain jane ones. But I feel like this deserves better than that!

What do you think?
Let me know below!!

Keep Stitching!
Rachel

The Tutorial!

I had originally thought I would write and create a jelly roll quilt on my own but with a toddler running around and fabric selection at the store not up to my standards.

I decided to post my favorite video on how to make a 'Quilt as you Go" quilt. Now, using a jelly roll, batting and a nice backing you can create a pretty awesome baby quilt, super fast!

Just don't forget to buy binding to sew around the edging! That landed me an extra trip to the store last time!

Keep stitching everyone and enjoy!

Rachel

Tutorial Time!

I thought maybe since it had been awhile, I would do a tutorial for you all!  I've been attached to my sewing machine for a few weeks now so I have a few fun projects under my belt that I'd love to re-create for you and do a step by step tutorial!
Problem is, I am not sure WHAT to do!
So, come over to the Facebook group and partake in our multiple choice questions and the one with the most points will win and get its own tutorial!

Keep Stitching!

Rachel

Is it Spring Yet?

No?

Soon?

Please?

I am so sick of sitting inside the house waiting for the weather to calm down. Currently it is snowing, blowing and bitter cold out.

*sigh*

The kiddo has had the run of the house, and me today. She just won't stop!

I went through all her 0-6 month clothing and have decided to sell and decrease the amount that we are keeping.

What baby need a bazillion pairs of pants anyways?

Things have been a bit slow and grumpy around here. I am getting the 'its too cluttered' feeling all the time so I guess I will be doing some spring cleaning this weekend.

Good thing tomorrow is the first day of Spring!  Yippie!

I am really looking forward to getting everything ready for our garden! It will be an exciting one this year, mostly because last year I didn't know what was going to grow well. I am prepared this year!

We are doing square foot gardening. Check out this cool website about it here.

What we have planned this year:
- Carrots
- Pole Beans
- Sugar Snap Peas
- Strawberries (these take up 4 square feet  now!
- Lettuce
- Green Peppers (this is our 2nd attempt as last year was unsuccessful!

These will all go in our 2x8 foot garden bed and then we are doing Burlap sack potatoes, upside down hanging cherry and heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers and blueberries in containers.

It will be an interesting summer growing all of this! I am most excited for the potatoes and cucumbers! I will be trying my hand at canning pickles this year!

In our front yard I already have Iris bulbs planted, so I am just waiting now for the right time to start my seedlings for our flowers. I am going to attempt growing them from scratch this year!

I have also been planning some nice quilting and sewing projects for Railyns big girl room. It will be interesting to see how it turns out!

What are your plans for the Spring? Are you going to do some gardening? Or do you hire someone to do that?

Tell me! I want to know! :D

Rachel

Out with the old in with the new!

With all the sickness going on around here today has been a nice break. My ear started to pop, which is a great sign that the eustachian tube in my ear is clearing up and am on the fast track to not being deaf anymore!

Life lately has been kicking me around a bit, but for some strange reason, I am not letting it bother me as much a I normally do. I am not sure if it is because with a toddler around I don't have as much time for self pitty, or maybe I am just growing a thicker skin.

Regardless, its been nice to be able to handing lifes ups and downs without falling completely apart!

One of the biggest and most positive changes for me was shutting down the etsy shop. Not because I didn't enjoy it anymore, but it was because it was not profitable. I noticed very shortly after I opened the shop that the market became so saturated that every person with a crochet hook or knitting needles were doing exactly what I was doing.

A bit discouraging to say the least but the positive part I got out of it was that it was not what I really wanted to do.  It was like I woke up one morning and said, knitting for other people is not what I really want to do with my life.

And that was that.

I still knit, not as much as I use to with a toddler constantly in my face, but I am enjoying it more. When I make something for someone as a gift I am not fighting to fit it in to my schedule.

No pressure.

No expectations.

That is what I like right now.

What I have been doing a lot of surprisingly enough is sewing, baking and regular crafting.

I always forget about how much I love doing other things when I have been focusing so much on one!

In the last month I've made two baby quilts (well one is finished the other just needs some binding)

This one is done and ready to be delivered to a lucky baby. Can't say who yet only because I don't want them to accidentally see it!

The other one I haven't taken pictures off but its a bright one that I think is adorable!

I've been baking too, which has become a reminder of how much I miss home. My mother use to make home made bread all the time. I have started to sell what I make because I'd like to share with the world what real unprocessed unpreservative filled baking tastes like.

Plus it makes my house smell really good.

If I could bottle the smell and sell it I would. It smells like home when I am baking.

For now that is all I've been working on other than my knitting. I have a pair of mittens for myself on the needles, as well as a new cowl for myself. The yarn was gifted to me from a lovely knitting swap that I did in February.

I will post photos as soon as I finish them. :)

Keep Stitching!

Rachel

Guess who, will be two?!?!

My kiddo that is who!

As if in 4 short months my little monkey is going to be celebrating turning 2 years old!

Give me a moment while I cry a bit!

SOB!

I'm okay, really I am! She is just growing so fast every day that I cannot believe it!

Yesterday we went to the store and were browsing the toy section when she spotting the section filled with balls.

Now my girl, is girly girly, she doesn't have many balls to play with at home, so she I think has heard the word 'ball' only a handful of times.

She excitedly yelled "Ball!", my husband and I kind of froze, we've never heard her say it before. Without skipping a beat she said it again "Ball, Peese?"

Lets just say, we brought a new ball home for her. I am just amazed every day how much she understands and learns. It also means we have to be much more careful and aware of our words and actions as she's absorbing it all!

So, in light of all this growing, I am starting the planing for her 2nd birthday.

I look forward to sharing this journey with you all, as I plan to do as much of it myself as I possibly can!

We have a theme, I think, and a board started on Pinterest but no concrete plans. My goal is to have the invitations out by the end of the month.

Will I do it? I hope so!!

What theme did you do for your kids birthdays? Did you bother with a theme?

Keep Stitching!

Rachel