A friend asked me to make her a bag for her scissors and pinking shears she uses for leather work. Years ago she gave me this flannel cupcake shirt to make her something (I’m talking about ten years ago!) finally the day came to use it! She also lives lime green so I found this stuff digging through my scrap bag, and I purchased the pink sprinkles which I thought was too good of a match to pass up (the sprinkled fabric even SMELLS like cupcakes!).

Considering I didn’t have a pattern - I am pretty pleased with how this turned out! There are definitely a few things I would change/much add before Christmas (like tabs at either end of the zipper to hold onto while zipping/unzipping) as well as handles and perhaps a pincushion on the inside.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have eight hands? Think of all things one could make... I spent the week revisiting a pattern I designed in 2010 for my when my niece was born (she had a sea creature themed nursery). I will have to see if I can dig up the original photos. But here is the latest full sized octopus I made this week.

I also had two requests for pincushion octopi.

So, here are some of the little projects I’ve been up to this month. I didn’t take photos of everything, I made a bunch of little ornaments for the sale today and there were quite a few monkeys, seems redundant post them all the time. Now that the sale is over, I can focus on doing gifts for Christmas.

Thanks to everyone who came out to the VRCC today. There was a small business/crafters expo. Great turnout and a lot of very talented individuals in our community!

So here’s a sweater I made for our beagle Sam... she turns 4 today. For not using a pattern I am pretty happy with the way it turned out. Could have made the leg openings a little bigger and with the intarsia at the back... it’s not as stretchy as I was hoping it to be so fits a little snug. Anyways, will keep Sam warm this winter.

here are my pattern notes if anyone is interested or can make sense of them, you’re welcome to them: (note I added ribbing around arm holes by picking up stitches as well as around bottom edge.)

Since the first of the season's, Mystery Lake Quilters meet, I've had the quilting bug. I feel like I've mentioned this about 100 times so far on my "blog", But in keeping with my bow to use things that I already have instead of buying new craft supplies, I am working towards completing my third Christmas scrap project. I started with potholders : "Log Cabin Hexi Potholder" by Caroline Fairbanks-Critchfield. These were fun to make and worked up quick. Please excuse the photos I will try to take some better ones soon, let's just say the sun has not been cooperating this fall.

with the scraps from this project, and scraps from the original projects that these fabrics for bought for (that is, stockings, and a tree skirt a few years back that still needs to be quoted so that may pop up in the future ha ha) I made some Christmas tree tree ornaments. I plan on doing a tutorial for these as they were very fun to make, and there are so many options to decorate, I kept mine quite simple.

this evening, I cut out and started piecing the table runner "Little Morsels" by Tony Jacobson featured in a Fons & Porters Tabletop Quilts mini book from a magazine purchased a few years back. (Feels good to finally getting around to some of these projects you buy these magazines for.)

Another quilted pillow, to be paired with the one I made last year. I don't think my mother reads my blog... lol hopefully not. One Christmas present down. Also, was a UFO... So, feeling accomplished! :)

this years version above
last years version below

Finished size is 19" square. I used quilt block patterns from Primitive Quilts magazine, Fall 2015 - "Simply Charming" quilt designed by Pam Buda.

I am given a lot of magazines and quilting books from fellow quilters. I know there are so many great, easy to find patterns online, but I always turn to my bookshelf first for inspiration. I have a bit of a "waste not, want not" mentality, from using my scraps to just generally making use of my possessions to the best of my ability. I hate the idea of throwing things away that could still have use. One day I will share my craft room... borderline hoarder room 😉. My fellow craft friends understand, everyone else just thinks it's a junk room. 😅

Did I mention I love making doll clothes? Clothes for my baby dolls were some of the earliest sewing projects I can remember making as a child. They were handsewn, crude but functional, I remember a pair of pants I made out of socks or a little romper out of turquoise and white striped fabric with red anchor buttons that were part of my first sewing kit and scrap fabrics given to me by my grandma one Christmas. Anywho, I've always wanted a daughter to spoil with these things. Who knows maybe February will bless us with a baby girl! But... my luck she won't like dolls! 😉

So, yesterday was the first day of this season's Mystery Lake Quilters get togethers. It was great to see everyone after the summer months and what they were working on.

I haven't don't much of any kind of sewing or quilting this summer at all, or really since before Christmas.

Returning to my basket of UFOs I started work on the second pillow I was planning to make mom as a Christmas gift to match the first one I made for her last year. So, I got 3 of four blocks cut and sewn together yesterday.

Patrons Grace Blush yarn... bought YEARS ago... to make a dress for myself. Not sure why as this is definitely not a flattering colour for myself. So, a friend suggested a baby blanket. The yarn is like silk. Drapes beautifully.

Pattern is nothing exciting, my pregnant brain needed an easy peasy, mindless project. Do not take this as a gender reveal... although I am very tempted to keep this as a lap 'ghan in the very least. Well, off to the finished project box this goes for now. And on to the next UFO!