Rachael Rabbit

WIP: Quilt update

2012-02-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

I've been making progress on my scrappy Valentine Quilt (Elizabeth Hartman.) I'm really pleased how it is looking. Here it is all laid out - ready to be sewn together. You make the blocks by sewing strips onto a piece of square paper - trim the block - remove the backing paper and then sew all the blocks together. Elizabeth H. warns you that as the edges of the blocks have been cut on the bias they will be prone to stretching when you sew them together - so I kept the paper backing on while sewing the blocks together. It has been working really well - no stretching - my blocks are still squares.

I found this wonderful pillow from Little Blue House on a Hill - which seems like a great idea for a smaller project using this technique/pattern.
This is a peek at the first half that has been sewn all together. I used up so many scraps - greatly pleased with finally using some up. But I'm just terrified of the prospect of quilting the beast ... I will let you know when it is finished.

Tutorial: Valentine Lollypop Flowers

2012-02-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

I have been dying to make these Heart and Lollypop Flowers every since I purchased Martha Stewarts Homemade Holiday Crafts. Well Valentine's Day is nearly here and I thought they would be very cute for Bunny #1 to give to her class mates. Of course - I can never tackle a project without making some 'improvements' of my own. Here is my version of this project. I didn't know whether this post should be a 'pillaged but much improved idea from Martha Stewart' post or an honest tutorial. I'll let you be the judge! But here is what you will need:
- lollypop
- 5 paper hearts (mine measure a little over 2")
- 16 tissue paper hearts
- 2 leaf shapes
- paper punch or scissors
- hole punch

After cutting out/punching out your paper and tissue paper hearts put a hole punch in the base of each shape. Scrunch up the tissue paper hearts to give the tissue paper more body and carefully thread each heart onto the lolly pop stick - rotating the position of the hearts as you go until you have threaded all 16 tissue paper hearts. Fold your paper hearts in half and then fold the sides down again - to make little arrow/airplane hearts.Thread these onto your lollypop stick - rotating their position as you go.Cut out your leaf shapes and score a line down the middle of each leaf. This line does not need to be straight. Put a hole punch in the end of each leaf and thread onto the lollypop stick. A field of valentine lollypop flowers.I learnt my lesson with little fingers tugging apart the Candy Cane Mice and this time I have wrapped each lollypop flower in some cellophane, with some pink ribbon and a little heart gift tag.

Cookie Press

2012-01-25T08:00:00.003-05:00

I've recently purchased a cookie press and I have to say it has been so much fun. Bunny #1 loves to pick out the cookie shapes before we start baking. We sprinkle the finished cookies with sugar or dip them in chocolate. I think it is going to transform our cookie making afternoons.

Matching Girl and Doll Nightdress

2012-01-18T14:11:00.008-05:00

A friend asked me to make a matching summer nightdress for her daughter and her favorite doll. The requirements was using a cotton fabric, simple to get on and off and that was about it.

This is what I came up with.
A simple neckline for easy on and off.Three growth tucks so the nightdress will last a long time. I'm pleased with the results - and I dearly hope they fit both girl and doll well.

As I've pursued all this crafting stuff I've become more and more fussy with my finished projects. Sometimes I'm probably too hard on myself - but there was a point in this project when I had finished - unhappy and unsure I had done my best - I took everything apart and adjusted just very slightly. I think it was worth it. But I took this photo in a moment of frustration!

For this project I butchered Kwik Sew pattern 3105 and McCall's Crafts M4338. The fabric is Moda Always & Forever Forget Me Not Bouquets White

Tutorial: Recycled Plastic Bag Holder

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to make 'fabric' out of plastic bags for a long time and I have read a lot of tutorials on the best way to fuse bags together. You can read about how to fuse bags together here, here and here . My advice would be to practice, practice and practice - experiment with the iron temperature and with a different number of layers etc. I still need some of that practice I'm recommending!

For my recycled bag holder I used Target brand bags. I cut the design off the front and just used the white portion of each bag. I layered the bags in the following pattern to make a larger piece of material. I repeated this layering process until I had used a total of 12 bags - 6 layers of plastic at each corner. I used one of the logo fronts on top of 4 other layers of plain white bag to make a type of binding tape for the project. Once all my bags were fused together I trimmed the edges and was left with an oblong shape.

I cut the binding tape 1/2 thick on the diagonal - sewing it together (and onto the bag holder) using a zig-zag stitch so it would be more decorative.
I folded binding tape over top and bottom of the oblong and secured it using a zig-zag stitch.
I placed a piece of binding tape at 2" down from the top and 3" up from the bottom. I threaded elastic through each of these - pulling the elastic tight and securing at each end. I placed a hoop of binding tape at the back for hanging the bag holder.

After sewing up the side edges - it looked like a large cracker!
Bags go in at the top and you pull them out one by one at the bottom.

Happy New Year & some crafty resolutions

2011-12-28T20:45:00.010-05:00

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and I wish you every happiness for 2012.

For next year I would like to finish recycling this jumper ...... using this book.
Finish this quilt ... ... design is from this book.

Finish this paper pieced quilt.
Turn this ...... into one of these (I can not see me having any time for such a project - but I really really want to do this.)
Put the finishing touches to my pattern for a children's art smock.

And stop eating cake ;-)
Rather a lot of finishing I have to get on with .... see you in 2012!

Recycle Old Holiday Cards into Quick Gift Tags

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Its not to late to add those cute finishing touches to the presents all wrapped up under the tree. I like to keep all bows and cards from any occasion and recycle them. This year I have recycled the ribbons and cards from holidays gone by. It really takes no time at all to make your own gift cards and it is great to recycle. Use normal scissors or pinking shears, a hole punch and a bit of ribbon. Some of them are so cute they could pass as brand new gift tags!

My Favorite Gingerbread Receipe

2011-12-12T08:00:00.002-05:00

Taken from the Good Housekeeping Cook Book (Reprint 1996). I think the UK version of gingerbread is a little more crisp than the US version - but we just love this recipe!

Gingerbread
Note: Double this recipe if you want enough for a gingerbread house.

12oz plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground ginger
4oz butter
6oz light brown sugar
4tsp golden syrup
1 egg, beaten

Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda and ginger into a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like find breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Beat the syrup into the egg and stir mixture into the bowl. Roll out onto a floured surface to about 1/4inch thick. Cut out cookie cutter or house shapes. (I like to then chill the shapes in the fridge for at least 30mins before baking - it helps keep the cookies from spreading into unrecognizable shapes!) Bake in oven at 375F for 12-15 mins, until golden. Cool on a wire rack and decorate.

We made this gingerbread house this year.Little hands could not stay off it for long!
And the winner of the Santa Sack Giveaway was Nancy! Congratulations Nancy and thank you to everyone who joined in.

Candy Cane Mice

2011-12-06T08:00:00.002-05:00

Ever since I got Martha Stewarts Handmade Holiday Crafts I've been dying to make these guys. I made a couple of adjustments. I used bobbly wobbly eyes and folded the ears ... ... while hooking the candy cane through the ear loop at the back - which made them perk up a little. The mice are in browns and greys, with little red rudolph noses and colored ear inserts which match the color of their tails.They are just as cute as I dreamed they would be.
UPDATE & TIP: If giving these guys as a gift to children - put them in a cellophane bag - little fingers rip these apart quicker than you can say quick. They also make cute Christmas tree decorations.

Grandma's Hat

2011-12-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine lost her Grandma recently - it was a great loss for their family. Grandma left behind a half finished hat for her daughter. I was very touched when I was asked to finish it. Grandma's eyesight wasn't so strong - so there were a couple of mistakes that I tried to cover up with some little flowers. I hope I did it justice.

Coloring Book Quilt

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

I found a coloring book for Bunny#1. (The Animals Super Doodle Activity Book - illustrated by Simon Abbott and David Crossley - I can not find a link for it.) We spend a lot of time drawing. When we use coloring books we spend even more time talking about the pictures and embellishing the pictures with stickers etc

I thought that these pictures would make really good baby quilts as the pictures are so bold and simple.

Giveaway & Tutorial: Santa Gift Sack

2011-11-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

Reading A Spoonful of Sugar's Christmas Fabric Gift Pouches made me remember I too had holiday gift bags to make. No precise sewing or much time is needed to make these cute Santa Sacks. Perfect to use as a gift bag, holiday decoration or substitute for a stocking (the girls will be getting these instead of stockings this year.)

Materials:
- a square of hemp, quilt batting and a holiday cotton print - all the same size (I have used 36" squares - but smaller or large squares would also work)
- elastic
- ribbon

Layer the three squares - batting, hessian and cotton print wrong side up.

Pin layers together and sew around the edge leaving enough of a gap on one side for turning. I used a 1/4" seam. (Tip: A walking foot makes it easy to sew multiple layers together.)
Trim seams and turn - sew remaining hole shut.

Pin layers together and sew a circle (approx 2.5" from edges) and then another circle 1/2 “ inside first circle.

On the cotton print side make small incision between the two sewn circles. Thread elastic through. Pull the elastic as tight as possible. Secure elastic and close incision.

Tie bow on front. Add gift tag and any other decorative items as desired.

AND because I have made too many for my needs this year - I am giving away one of these Santa sacks. I'll pick a number at random on 6th of December. Just leave a comment telling me what was the best holiday present you ever received as a child!

Pompom Christmas Tree Tutorial

2011-11-19T09:00:00.001-05:00

I have very early memories of making pompoms. We would cut out wonky circles of cardboard - make wonky holes in them and then awkwardly ... for what seemed like the longest time ... thread yarn through the hole around the wonky cardboard until we could thread no longer. I had this idea for a Pompom Christmas Tree and I thought that there should be some gadget out there that would make pompoms easier to make. The Clover pompom makers gets good reviews - and I liked them a lot too.

Materials
- green yarn
- wooden skewer
- hemp or Christmas wrapping paper
- pot of old Playdoh
- glue
- cling film/saran wrap
- decorative buttons
- ribbon

Equipment
- pompom makers or previously mentioned wonky circles of cardboard in ascending size
- scissors

Make your pompoms in ascending size. For my trees I used anywhere between 2-5 pompoms.
Put pompoms in ascending size onto a skewer - squish them tightly together and trim. Remember to leave some skewer empty on the base and on the top of the tree.

Put glue on to the top of the skewer and shape pom pom at the top.

Add any tree topping decoration - I used plastic star shaped buttons.

Wrap a lump of old Playdoh in cling film/saran wrap (you can use anything that has weight to it and can be speared with a skewer), then again in hemp or wrapping paper. Secure with a bow.

Trim skewer to desired size and put the remaining skewer into the Playdoh. Trim hemp/wrapping paper.

Homemade Christmas Cards

2011-11-17T08:30:00.000-05:00

Draw some shapes on some heavyweight paper.Carefully paint the shapes.
Carefully cut out the shapes and add some glitter in a delicate fashion.
Stick the shapes onto a folded piece of card.
Grandma will love these!

A Restoration of Love

2011-11-12T21:00:00.000-05:00

I was asked to restore a quilt - which I happily agreed to do. But when I saw it - I literally thought it would be impossible to do anything with it. The blanket had been well well loved by its owner. All the material and lace was paper thin. There was no batting left. And what was this guy all about?After quizzing the owner I discovered the little animal above is a turtle - who was holding three balloons. The last of the balloons had her name embroidered on it. I really feared there was no hope ... this is what I managed to pull off. I feel touched that I was asked to help restore her beloved quilt and hope it will bring many more happy memories for years to come.

Socktopus Tutorial

2011-10-31T07:00:00.001-04:00

What seems like a lifetime time ago I made a Socktopus. I was lucky enough to have the tutorial published in CraftStylish magazine. CraftStylish (like so many magazines out there) has since ceased being published - but they continue to publish a whole host of projects and information online.
Here is a tutorial for the Socktopus. This cuddly, leggy and delightful Socktopus is easy to make and safe for all age groups.

Materials
- 4 socks (all same size)
- Polyester fiberfill or cotton alternative
- Piece of ribbon
- Cotton for sewing
- Circle of felt for face (optional)
- Thread for embroidering face

Equipment
- Scissors
- Sewing needle
Note: You can hand stitch or use a machine for this project.

Prep Your Fabric
1. Turn all your socks inside out.
2. Choose which sock will be the head of your Socktopus. Cut the sock down the middle leaving 1/3 intact. This sock will make the head and 2 legs.

Sew and Stuff the Socktopus
3. Sew up each leg leaving a gap at the bottom of the head.
4. Turn the sock right side out and stuff the head and two legs and sew up the gap.
Note: Make sure the head has a nice round shape and the legs have enough stuffing in them and that they are stuffed evenly. Stuffing all your legs evenly will allow your Socktopus to stand up once you have finished!
5. Cut 1/4 off the bottom of each remaining sock and then cut down the middle. You now have an additional 6 legs.
6. Sew down the long side of each leg. Turn right side out and stuff. Sew shut the opening at the top of each leg.
Note: if you have been using a sewing machine – you will probably want to hand stitch part 6.

Assemble the Socktopus
7. Arrange your legs around the head and sew each leg to the base of the head. When you have finished sewing there should be no gap left at the base of the head.

Adorn the Octopus
8. Embroider the face.
Note: If your socks have a very busy pattern you might want to sew a circle of felt to the head before embroidering the face.
9. To finish off tie a bow around the neck of your Socktopus.

You can also access the tutorial that Craftsylish published here.

Halloween Pumpkin Decorations

2011-10-24T07:00:00.003-04:00

This weekend we went to the New York Botanical Gardens to see the giant pumpkins. Pretty big eh? It weighs over 1000lbs!!I have also been decorating our front porch for Halloween. Last year I went to Michaels (after Halloween) and stocked up on craft pumpkins that were on sale. This year I discovered that Target sells craft pumpkins too at an even better price point. All the pumpkins have been sitting in our basement waiting to be carved and recently I managed to carve a few for our porch. I have used a mixture of craft pumpkins and real pumpkins for our Halloween display this year and orange fairy lights rather than real candles. I hope our craft pumpkins will be used year after year after year. I like the way it looks - but I feel I need lots more pumpkins ... here is a closer look.
Above is a spiders nest - I used a pack of 100 plastic spiders on the inside of the pumpkin and a little bit of the fake spider web. The faces below are an idea from Martha Stewart Pumpkin and Carving Decorating ideas. Each pumpkin has a hole drilled in the back of it and I put about six fairy lights from the string into each pumpkin.
This chap my lovely sister carved for us when she was recently here on a visit - it is supposed to be a portrait of her boyfriend. I stuck a carrot in the pumpkins nose hole - but this is no comment on what I think of my sister's boyfriend - he is very nice! And below is another idea adapted from Martha Stewart. I added black paint to my pumpkin houses and I love them - I shall be making some more for next year - perhaps we will have a whole pumpkin village!
Above is another take on a Martha Stewart idea - but I used a black pumpkin and a bat rather than a vulture. I was a bit disappointed with the mouse house pumpkins below. Maybe too many mice?
I love Halloween. Thanksgiving is my husband's favorite and luckily for him that is right around the corner too!

Art Smock

2011-10-17T07:00:00.001-04:00

A friend asked for some art smocks for her children made from laminated cotton. I haven't used laminated cotton before - but in our short acquaintance I have grown to love it - much less rigid than oil cloth and it can be washed and pressed easily. For this project I used Sugar & Spice Laminated Cotton (Riley Blake Designs) in Aqua and Red and the bias tape is made out of a plain red broadcloth. Little Bunny #1 was not at all compliant about wearing or being photographed for this post - I had hoped for adorable photos of her painting - her clothes being projected by my wonderful new garment ... unfortunately my little willful lady had other ideas.

Here are two I have made so far ...
... lets take a closer look ...
... the rear view ...
... cute rounded edges at the seams ...
... and a heart shaped pocket for little paintbrushes or other arty goodies.

Here are some sewing tips for laminated cotton from Pink Chalk Studios. And there are some great art smock tutorials out there to note from Don't look now! and Sew Mama Sew. I hope I will be able to post my own pattern with a tutorial soon - I feel there could be many variations on the art smock theme too ... just need to find that elusive free time free from children and not horizontal from exhaustion!

Crowns and Princesses

2011-10-09T21:00:00.000-04:00

Someone has suddenly discovered princesses and a lot of time is spent dressing up, making crowns and asking 'who wants to be a princess?' ... which made me think of this idea.
I used my Simple Baby Bath Towel pattern to make this cute little gift for a little baby who will be arriving very soon. I added a purple princess crown to the hood and padded it softly. It is embellished with a bead or two and a small piece of ribbon. I used recycled silk ties for the crown and the bias tape. I think it is rather cute. I can see a 'prince' version being rather sweet too.

Dolly

2011-09-30T12:30:00.001-04:00

Meet Dolly - she is quite an important little character in our lives.Before I had children I had lots of - some might say 'daft' and 'bold' ideas about how I would raise my children - such as we would never have a DVD player in the car (utter godsend and sanity saver on long trips with grumpy and mildly unreasonable toddler) ... and I would think things like - play would only be with wholesome wooden or fabric toys - no plastic dolls would be allowed. Needless to say since having the girls I fully appreciate you should never say 'never' before actually experiencing the challenges of child rearing first hand!

When Charlotte started nursery school my heart melted to see her play so tenderly with dolls - coupled with trying to find a way to get her to tolerate bathtime - we got Dolly. Dolly came with a pink plastic fantastic bath set and since Dolly's arrival bathtimes have been fun. Dolly has helped Charlotte with bathtime, with the birth of Catherine (everything Catherine needed Dolly needed it too), doctor visits, meal times etc. Dolly comes for walks with us, to the store, on vacation ... you name it Dolly has been a part of it.

Up in my disorganized craft room (I'm still looking for insight if you have any more input to add) I have a very large bin full of scraps of material (I crazily keep almost every scrap thinking there might be a use for it one day.)I decided to make Dolly a little scrappy quilt and matching pillow.Any straight thinking person might have decided on the doll's bed before spending those valuable nap times slaving away over a tiny quilt ... I thought a shoe box or something would do - however on a craft room inspiration/reconnaissance mission to Ikea I stumbled upon this doll's bed. With a lick of white paint - I feel like this was money well spent. I recovered the supplied mattress pad with a bright pink cotton print and added a couple extra layers of batting - after all - Dolly needs to be as comfortable as possible! After all my efforts I really felt Dolly's new quilt was just a bit too small for the bed.A little devastated and guilt ridden for our loyal friend - I set about making some (3) more little quilts (please note #2 quilt will not be shown for pride reasons!) ...
... #3 quilt was out right rejected - although the pink pillow was well received ...
... and I was barely allowed to put #4 quilt on the bed. (I really rather like this little number - perhaps Teddy will be allowed to use it - instead of tying the quilt layers together by hand I used Bernie - it was so quick and neat I shall be using the technique again.)So in the end Charlotte loved the first quilt I made - what was I so worried about? My sweet little girl is currently taking a nap in her bed - and beside her is her beloved Dolly in her bed with her new quilt.

Sewing Room Organization & Design

2011-08-31T07:21:00.003-04:00

I'm trying to organize my craft room and I'm at a loss as to where to start .... What works for you? What can't you live without?

I intend to keep/post a list of all your suggestions.

Check out here for the 'before' picture ... I very much hope there will be an 'after' picture soon!

A Fabulous Tea Party and a retrospective of sorts ...

2011-08-06T19:30:00.002-04:00

I'm elated. I'm crafting again. It feels SO good - I really had forgotten how much happiness having a creative outlet brings me.

But I really have been a bit busy - the kind of busy where you collapse into bed each night wondering where the day has gone. Repeat this endlessly - and occasionally cry about it ;-) So to recap this is what I have been up to:

Packed and moved - twice - or was it three times? - I lost count - it feels like six.
Lived (pregnant) in a 300 sq ft studio apartment above a garage with husband, small toddler and a dog while we renovated the house (noise and dust like you would not believe).
Moved into not yet completed renovated house (heavily heavily pregnant).
Attempted to unpack and arrange furniture before baby arrived while drilling, painting etc still went on around us.
Had baby#2 (after 2 months of 'false' labor - Note: there is nothing 'false' about false labor).
Continued renovation and continued to unpack while looking after two adorable and much loved small children.
Eventually (very recently) managed to unpack Bernie and felt a renewed level of happiness - even though I was only mending husbands shorts and g-diaper covers.
Begged, pleaded and cajoled baby to nap at the same time as small toddler so I could have a small amount of time to myself each day.
Won the nap battle with baby - hurrah!!
Took a deep breath.
Decided to make this tea party set.

I wanted to make a fun coordinating tea party set that would help any little girl throw a most excellent and very proper tea party. The fabrics I used for this project were all left overs from previous projects (A Lucky Baby Bunny (Nov '09), How do you work? (Aug '08) and Swap Shots (July '08) - seriously? have I really had everything packed up and stored away for that long?)

The set consists of a picnic mat, an apron, a tea towel, a tea cosy, 6 napkins and 6 party hats.I embellished with pink ribbon and lace.
Party hats ready?
Hostess ready?
Tea brewed?
What a fine tea party! The cupcakes are from my Cupcake Tutorial made back in May 2008 - I must make more of those.

Anyone remember the knitted Bunny Picnic? ... I can't believe that was back in May 2008 ... time just rushes by.

Baby Bunny #2

2011-01-22T13:52:00.005-05:00

Catherine Audrey arrived on January 19th at 5.46am. 7lbs 8oz ...
... quite a bit bigger than Baby Bunny #1!

We are all back at home settling in - Charlotte is so far very taken with her baby sister ... I really hope that her affections last!

A Drumroll Please (for lots of reasons ....)

2010-08-15T20:00:00.000-04:00

From my human random number selector (my husband) Anna's wonderful book will be flying its way through snail mail to comment #12 very soon - that would be the lovely girls at A Spoonful of Sugar.

I also have to give a very big shout out to Sue at The Portuguese Water Blog - she wrote the nicest things about my knitting - hugely touched. If you haven't visited Sue before - you should - not only are her pooches overly cute - but her posts are adorable and witty.

So here is the news from the Rachael Rabbit Workshop (although there is very much a lack of any sort of work going on at the moment.)

We moved!! We finally moved!! We have a house!! I'm so thrilled. I know that NYC is an amazing city filled to the brim with amazing places, people and things - but I'm just not a city girl - I'm a 'small patch of grass under my feet' kind of girl. So after a 2 1/2 years of searching we finally found a house we both love and we are now in the process of decorating. Here is a picture of what will be my workroom ...... it looks hopeful (or hopeless) no? Currently filled with furniture that is trying to escape the decorating dust - I wonder if it will ever be organized ... let alone used.

And the lack of crafting? I do have a valid excuse - in addition to the move - I'm pregnant again! It only seems like yesterday when I posted news of little baby bunnies arrival. I'm thrilled we will be having another little baby bunny. But that first 13 weeks of pregnancy just WIPED me out. I just couldn't function at all. I don't remember being that tired and grumpy with our first. Maybe it is because I am now chasing around a toddler all day (a toddler who seems to have a never ending battery pack) ... or maybe it was the combination of the move and energetic toddler ... or maybe it was just because every pregnancy is different. Anyway - I was truly pooped - everyday napping when bunny napped and then collapsing in a snoring heap once she was in bed. I feel much better now and I'm even feeling the urge to find a project I can get my teeth into. Perhaps something again with patchwork hexagons? ... knitting in this heat has not been appealing.

Baby Bunny has grown up so very much in the past month - the way she plays has totally changed, the books she likes has totally changed. She is such a little person ...... and I'm a very very proud mother. I recently brought her this book (I'm a Big Sister by Joanna Cole) - she loves it - we read it at least 3 times a day. It has a picture in the book that I feel I have to share with you ... ... I fear this is an all too realistic image. Mummy is still in her PJ's doing heaps of baby laundry, Daddy is nowhere in sight and baby is being 'babysat' by the toddler who we just pray is really going to be 'gentle with the baby'.

Our new baby bunny is due early in 2011.

MIA - Can you forgive me?

2010-07-20T12:29:00.004-04:00

I've been totally missing in action in the crafting world for the past couple of months. So many things are happening here at home - exciting things that I shall tell you about shortly. But first - to make it up to you. Here is a splendiferous giveaway.

I met Anna Hrachovec at the Martha Stewart Knitting Show it was clear that Anna was a very talented lady who was going to go to high places with her knitting. Well Anna has published a book and she has offered me one free copy to give away on my blog. How kind is that? The book is more than utterly adorable, the pages filled with witty and cute designs. I shall have trouble parting with it.

All you have to do is visit Anna's website Mochimochi Land and leave a comment here telling me which of her wonderful creations is your favorite design. I'll draw a number at random on the 14th August and post this lovely book to the lucky winner.

Hopefully by then I will have taken a breath, sat down and knitted something to share with you all.

Spring has Sprung

2010-04-11T21:30:00.001-04:00

(Note: This post was supposed to be more elaborate but dragging a large knitted dinosaur around Central Park for a photo shoot with stroller, small child and small dog turned out to be more challenging than I had given the task credit for.)

It is spring, the birds are tweeting the sun is shining and love is in the air. Mr. Dinosaurus is looking for lurrve. To hunt down his ideal mate he has put on his best red bow tie ...... he has picked the finest brightest flower he could find (in order to charm an unsuspecting and demure lady dino) ...
... Mr. Dinosaurus is feeling very handsome indeed today ...... time to hail a cab and go to Central Park - some attractive young dino ladies might be out for an afternoon stroll ...
... perhaps some lady dinos will walk past while Mr. Dinosaurus relaxes by the boat pond. He is trying to seem like he is just enjoying the view - but really - he just wants to find a nice lady dino to chat to ...... can you spot Mr. Dinosaurus hanging out on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art? Maybe some lovely lady will stop to chat about some dino art?Poor Mr. Dinosaurus didn't find love on this sunny spring day. But soon he will meet his new loving family ... and perhaps his dino lady love too?

Cable Cardigan (with a hood no less)

2010-03-30T18:00:00.001-04:00

My very lovely friend gave me this knitting book for my birthday.
Her mother-in-law has knitted so many gorgeous cardigan's for her little girl (which I'm always rather envious of) so I was very excited to get 'the' knitting book shipped all the way from my homeland (England.) For anyone that knows the short history of my knitting skills - clothing has not been something I have explored very much. I made a little rose cardigan for baby bunny before she was born and I recently gave up on a potentially gorgeous cable cardigan (for the more grown up size of person.) So this would be only the second piece of clothing I have ever managed to complete.

I asked baby bunny to model for me. The modeling shoot went something like this ....
... rather a lot of blurry photos because (drum roll please) ... on Saturday baby bunny decided she could walk. She has been walking from piece of furniture to furniture for a while now - but now she has really taken off. ALL she wants to do is walk - until she is so tired she sits down with a whimper. It is a whole different ball game with her on her feet. This morning I have already found one plastic cup, a toothbrush and a bar of soap in the toilet. She is so quick ... I didn't even know she had been in the bathroom!

The cardigan was very easy to knit - but like any good amateur knitter I decided I knew best and amended the pattern slightly. I joined the seams of the hood as I knitted instead of sewing them together later ... ... and I knitted the ribbed trim all in one piece - rather than in three ... ... of course I feel like my amendments were a success! Baby bunny certainly looked mighty cute modeling the cardigan. I think I'm going to have to start knitting her some jumpers for this winter.
And my favorite bit? the homemade label! I really hope baby Nicholas enjoys his new cardigan.

Blissful Knitted Squares

2010-03-25T08:54:00.008-04:00

My step brother's baby is due today. So far there is no sign of the little one making a prompt exit! I knitted this very quick blanket for the little one (my own pattern - which I will try and write down soon.) I like the simple patchwork effect.I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK Yarn which is so soft and lovely to knit with.

When I first started knitting rabbits (which seems like the longest time ago ...) I was using Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Super Chunky. The yarn was just as lovely, soft and easy to knit with - it seemed utterly perfect for cuddly toys ... but proved too expensive for the multitude of bunnies that then followed.

I'm currently knitting a little cable hooded cardigan for my friend's newborn - in the same DK yarn but in navy blue. Quite shocking of me to actually use a color as I seem to have become a bit obsessed with working in these off-white/cream yarns ... and I could bang on about my minimalist obsession with people like Robert Ryman or Agnes Martin ... but then you might all truly go to sleep!

Baby Bunny's Birthday

2010-03-11T18:00:00.000-05:00

Someone just turned one!
Happy Birthday my beautiful girl.

Stash Scraps

2010-02-24T21:30:00.005-05:00

Remember this stash? Well it is now substantially reduced due to my desire to bring dinosaurs back into common existence ...
... and now I have very limited stash ... mostly blues ... I found this free pattern from Lion Brand which I have now begun to knit and adapt in earnest. The squares are really quick and easy. The pattern really satisfies my need to use up every last scrap of valuable yarn. My poor sewing machine has seen little to no action (apart from the odd little job such as securing a hem on her weeny tiny person sized jeans.) Baby bunny turns 1 soon - can you believe it? She recently took her first steps alone - although she prefers to walk while grasping your finger tightly and noisily insisting you go where ever she wants to go ...

Crochet your cares away

2010-02-02T15:00:00.001-05:00

I've been struggling to motivate myself with my continuous cable border exploration. I find that that long stretch of time needed to really concentrate and make notes is just not available to me! Baby bunny (who is now nearly 11 months old - can you believe it?) is into everything - cupboards, toilets, bags, kitchen trashcan, drawers - anything and everything is of great interest and needs to be explored and explored now!

So I've put down my concentration-needy knitting and picked up my crochet hook. I found this idea on Ravelry and decided to take it on a bit further for the border of a blanket.
The petals are scattered at random on one corner. This method allows you to crochet the flowers as you go - so no messy strands or sewing flowers onto the blanket.

The trickiest bit of the border was working out how many crochet stitches were needed for the sides of the blanket.I used the same sized crochet hook as my knitting needles. For the starter row used 1 crochet stitch for every knitted stitch at the ends of the blanket ("sc into knitted st, skip next knitted st and ch1" repeat to end) ...
... and 7 crochet stitches for every 9 knitted stitches for the sides of the blanket: ("sc into knitted st, skip next knitted st and ch1, sc into next knitted st, skip next two knitted sts and ch1, sc into next knitted st, skip next two knitted st" repeat to end). The corners are made by sc 3 times into same stitch. I hope my scrappy diagram above explains it a little clearer. Once the starter row is complete just keep sc into every st - 3 sc at the corners - adding the flowers as and when you please. I crocheted 4 complete rounds of the blanket - adding flowers on rounds 2 and 4.

January

2010-01-20T08:27:00.005-05:00

Our trip to the UK over Christmas was a bit of a disaster. Our flight out was delayed on the runway due to snow some 5 hours. Keeping a small tired little one happy in a stationery plane would be something close to hell. Once we got to England Baby Bunny got really ill (we were about to leave for the emergency room when the doctor said he would see her immediately), then I got sick, then my mother got sick, then my husband got sick ... do you see the pattern? Seeing my 9 month old being sick, being so listless - all she wanted to do was sleep ... well it was utterly heart breaking and rather took the shimmer out of Christmas.

We got home - all utterly jet lagged. It took Baby Bunny about a week to recover - and by this point (after 17 days of bad sleep) it took me another week to recover. Finally I feel about normal! So I have had little motivation to get off my bunny bottom and do anything but slouch in a heap during the quieter moments.

But I am working on another continuous cable blanket - here is a sneak peak at the pattern I am trying to work out ...... working out a 6 strand lattice cable pattern that goes seamlessly around corners is confusing me. And if that last sentence made no sense to you - then you see my point!

And I'm midway through a scrappy quilt ...... must use up every last piece of fabric! I really hope to have something of more substance to share with you soon. Hope you are all surviving the winter weather.

A look back on 2009

2009-12-10T15:56:00.003-05:00

Where has 2009 gone?

Here are a few little highlights of my year.
I haven't achieved as much as I would like crafting wise - but the year been SO fulfilling in many other ways. I was so scared of becoming a mother - but now I can't imagine life without (what I consider to be - although I might be biased) the most lovely, peachy cheeked little girl ever (no no - I'm not biased at all!)

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and best wishes for what I hope will be an exciting 2010 for all of us.

Continuous Cable Border

2009-11-17T20:00:00.001-05:00

I'm really trying to write down my knitting patterns as I go but I find it really hard to be totally happy with them. I so want to be able to communicate clearly with someone how to make the pattern - but we all think/work so differently - I worry that my directions will frustrate or confuse.

Baby bunny has lots of new mobility skills (she has taken to rolling around everywhere and recently learnt to pull up.) I find my eyes have to be glued to her at all times so she doesn't find her way into the dogs toys (yum) or pulls anything off a table that land on her head (ouch). I have been finding that knitting is an easy thing for me to pick up and put down quickly. (Every peaceful moment is now a crafting moment.) Here she is inspecting my stitches.The border on this blanket is made using a a simple cable pattern. I joined the border to the blanket by knitting into stitches along the sides of the blanket and I joined the two ends of the border together using the three needle bind off technique.The same principle can be used with any pattern you care to use for a border. And the bonus is - no sewing is required! Do you like my fancy corners?

A Lucky Baby Bunny

2009-11-08T20:10:00.001-05:00

Our dear friends had been trying for a baby and when they came to visit the baby bunny at only 10 days old - my friend held her and said 'perhaps you will be my good luck charm'. And her baby magic dust must have been powerful ... this weekend was their baby shower.

Baby Ella is due in December and I'm so thrilled for them and utterly thrilled that my baby bunny was their lucky charm. I inquired about a little pressie and a Rachael Rabbit play mat/picnic mat was requested.

I don't often say this (so it must be true) but my photos do not really do this justice. I haven't really done any sewing pieces since the baby bunny arrived. And this is almost flawless - I was quite pleased with it. I used House Collection fabric ...... I hand tied the quilt with tiny little crosses, it has a double layer of batting - so it is extra soft for Baby Ella's tummy time ...... I used beautiful velvet ric-rac given to me by Anne of Bunny Hill Designs, ...... the gift bag has felt letters ironed to it using that super sticky stuff.I think (hope) the mummy-to-be was pleased with it too.

Knitting Again

2009-09-26T15:19:00.007-04:00

I had forgotten how calm and serene the world becomes when I knit.

I have been designing cable hats and I've been rather obsessed with making pretty patterns on the crown of the hats.
I just love knitting cables.I hope to post the patterns on my Ravelry page soon.

A little bunny update. She is now starting solids ... she loves peas, pears, prunes but she doesn't like peaches ... she grabs the spoon and swallows with great gusto ... it is awfully cute and terribly terribly messy ;-)

You Are Never to Young to Paint

2009-09-14T17:30:00.009-04:00

Learning to paint ...What master pieces the baby bunny has made ...Once trimmed and signed they make the most adorable cards. We are SO proud of her first crafting project I'm not sure if we will ever be able to use the cards!!

AND I've found time to start knitting again ... I've forgotten just how much I love to knit.

Sewing Calendar

2009-08-18T10:16:00.010-04:00

I was so pleased to receive my copy of the 2010 Sewing Calendar edited by Megan Smith and published by Accord. I was even more excited to see the Rachael Rabbit Simple Hot Water Bottle Cover featured on the inside cover ...... and our 3 little sewing projects in February, July & October.There are many wonderful crafters in the calendar - I was really honored to be asked to be a part of it.

Tutorial: Simple Baby Beach/Bath Towel

2009-07-14T19:42:00.020-04:00

Here is a super easy tutorial for recycling that old 'odd-one-out' towel that you may have hanging around in the airing cupboard. This took me one baby nap to make ... so it is a really quick and easy project.

Simple Baby Beach/Bath Towel Set
You will need:
- 1 clean old towel
- bias tape
- cotton for sewing

1) Take your old towel and using this diagram as a guide cut a square and a small triangle (hood)
2) Sew your bias tape to the outer edge of the hood
3) Pin the hood to one corner of your square and sew in place
4) Sew your bias tape around the entire square

NOTE: You can use the remaining toweling material to make a matching flannel ... ...or a friendly bath buddy ...
UPDATE
Another idea for this project is available here: http://rachaelrabbit.blogspot.com/2011/10/crowns-and-princesses.html

Aaahhh some sewing

2009-06-14T13:21:00.006-04:00

Finally I managed to find a couple of moments to sit in front of Bernie!!

It seems to be baby making time in our peer group. Most of our friends have either just had one (or some), are pregnant or are planning to get pregnant soon. Our dear friends who left New York for opportunities in Hong Kong are just about to have twins! I find one exhausting enough ... two ... at once - well I hang my hat up to anyone who copes with that!

I wanted to send them a little something 'hand made with love'. So in between the baby squeaking I sewed some old scraps together and made two little mini quilts in a carefree Denyse Schmidt esq process.We have used our little super simple baby blanket so much. We use it to put down on the floor for some wriggle or tummy time, out in the car or stroller, wrap her up for a cosy cuddle ... the uses seem to be endless and the ease of washing and tumble drying essential. I hope these two little scrappy quilts are useful too!I obviously wanted to document the little quilts ... but my little model was a little shy and uncooperative. How can something so small wiggle quite so much!!

Look what Nana made

2009-04-19T10:30:00.013-04:00

I have not found a moment to do any crafting yet (those moments I do have I focus on mundane things like fitting in a shower!) ... but just look what Nana made us. Isn't it just wonderful?
It is the most beautiful blue and white quilt. Each picture is hand embroidered. It is impossible to pick a favorite picture - they are all so utterly cute.
The detail is just amazing - I can't imagine the hours and hours and hours it took. I secretly suspect Nana must love her great grandchild a great deal already to have poured such effort affection into such a piece!
The quilt has two matching cushions as well! Perfect accessories for that toddler bed in a couple of years time.
And the dearest blue bird backing material with my favorite kind of label - hand stitched and made with love.
Charlotte is so very lucky to have such a talented Nana.

Wow .... and where did March go?

2009-04-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

I'm blown away by all your well wishes and compliments on our new little bunny. Thank you - and I'm sorry I haven't yet had a chance to respond to your e-mails. Days seem to be pretty packed with looking after the little one these days.

So far I have been utterly blessed from the whole birth experience to the good humor of the little one (although she has had a couple of screaming fits just to prove to us her impressive lung capacity!) I have a new found respect for mother nature and how complex the human body is - I'm just in awe of how she grew to be and then came into this world - it is way beyond my comprehension at least.

I have found that being a human milk machine is way more tiring than I expected - napping when she sleeps and ramming food in my mouth (say bye bye to relaxed evening meals!) when every possible seems to be key to my sanity. I used to question people who had children that said 'I haven't found time to eat anything today' ... how I understand that comment now!

3 weeks old today - and it might sound strange but it is like we have always had her ...

Someone came a bit early ....

2009-03-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is my official due date but our little bunny came a bit early ...

Charlotte Emily
arrived 1.11am March 11th 2009
6lbs 14 oz

A Little Baby Bunny Break

2009-03-12T06:00:00.001-04:00

NOTE: This post was typed up earlier in the week and scheduled to post automatically on the 12th March. So yes - I spent my anniversary and birthday in the hospital - but with perhaps the best birthday present ever!

Today I have been blogging for two years. It is also my birthday. It is also my 4th wedding anniversary! Lots to celebrate! I can't believe how quickly time flies by.

I'm going to take a little break from blogging for the next few weeks to prepare for (and recover from) our new arrival - but I promise to let you know once the little bunny has arrived. Thank you all so much for your best wishes - I'm scared - but curious to meet the little lady.

In the meantime here is a really cute picture of what I looked like as a little girl. Do you think she will look like this?

Nesting with my Needles

2009-03-07T09:00:00.001-05:00

The count down is officially on for the arrival of the new baby bunny - and it seems I am refusing to slow down. I had planned that I would spend these last few weeks as a 'resting' period. Where I could curl up on the sofa, watch movies, generally pamper myself and the large bump I'm hauling around - most of all stacking up on some extra sleep that I won't be getting for the next 3 months. However it seems that I am still running around doing things at full tilt, brisk doggie walks in the park - like the most energized pregnant person you have seen - occasionally I might pass out for a quick 'nap' (of a couple of hours or so .... hum.)

This week, ignoring all the baby orientated things I should be doing, I spent a day pulling together my first knitting needle organizer. Before I could begin on my pattern I had to first sort through the pile of knitting needles I kept loose in this bag. The bag had done a sterling job for a while - but as my knitting needle collection has grown it has become harder to find needles quickly - or even know what needles I have. For example I had completely given up on trying to find my beloved chunky cable needle and my naff blue plastic needle I love to use to sew knitted pieces together. But once the bag was emptied properly I discovered that they had been hiding in there all along! Some time ago my mother had also given me a large collection of old knitting needles. I did discard the bent ones but I was still left with a whole array of different lengths and sizes. How would I measure all these strange unmarked sizes? Luckily I had an antique bell gauge in amongst the collection as well ... ... which I soon learned was not that helpful as many of the old UK sizes do not really exist anymore. So I have learnt quite a lot about old knitting UK needle sizes and in the process I discovered the crazy (yet impressive) art of miniature knitting.

I decided to make my needle organizer from some left over pieces of Amy Butler's Lotus fabric, some left over cotton batting and some left over bias tape (I tend never to throw any fabric bits away - believing it will come in useful at some point!) It was a super easy and fast project.
Unrolled it measures 21"h x 23"w. Rolled up it measures 15"h x 4.5"w (depending on how many needles you have stuffed in there of course!) It has 4 layers of pockets for different length needles. The bottom pockets are extra wide to hold your circular needles. In total there are 50 different pockets.There is also a crafty 6" flap at the top of the organizer that folds over and secures with cute side ties to stop the needles falling out once it is all rolled up.
This all means that now I have a full inventory of my needles and I can waste yet more hours, put aside for baby stuff, on the Ravelry needle page! Being able to deny that your life is about to change in a momentous way can be a fabulous thing!

Crafting for the Kitchen

2009-03-02T09:00:00.004-05:00

When I'm not finishing up the odd commissioned piece or knitting away I spend my free time making little gifts for friends and family. I really love giving handmade presents - always hoping that the recipients like the handmade aspect too! This year I seem to have a kitchen theme going on ....

While I was searching for something suitably cute, frilly and silly for Auntie Anita's birthday present I came across this wonderful apron pattern.
Would you believe me if I told you that I had selected some jolly fabrics to use for this gift before I found the pattern? And to my surprise it was the same line of fabric as in the picture - but in different colors. The whole project - fabric and all - must have been calling out to me. (Thank you to my lovely friend Christina who agreed to model the apron as long as I cut her head off!)
I also made some matching oven gloves (my own pattern) so Auntie Anita would have a fantastically stylish and overly frilly baking set!
I really enjoyed making this apron - it was so fast - and the frills were so much fun!
I then turned my attention to another birthday girl in our family - my sister-in-law Daphne. After asking Daphne what she would like for her birthday - she announced she would like some pot holders.
"Pot holders?" I questioned. "Are you sure? You can have anything you want."
"Pot holders." I was told.

These pot holders were super easy to make (9"x9"). They have a pocket on the side so that you can have a secure grip on those hot pots and bakeware.
I used one layer of cotton batting and one layer of heat resistant batting inside. And on the reverse I used hemp - which I thinks works quite well - at least I think it looks pretty and extra grippy at least! And then I made a series of five quilted pot holders (no glove pockets in these) ... ... that can be used for either gripping bakeware or as a pretty heat pad/mat for the table. I had fun quilting these out of scraps and I got to practice some more free motion quilting. I hope these will all satisfy Daphne's desire for new pot holders!

Totally Unravelled

2009-02-23T09:00:00.011-05:00

I have signed up for Ravelry (I know I'm behind the times) ... but it seems to be a bit dangerous. On my first little Ravelry outing ... before I knew it ... half a day had passed by ... and that is dangerous!

I have added a couple of my knitting projects to my profile and I hope to make my Hugs, Kisses and Cables pattern available soon. It seems to be a wonderful forum to find out tricks and hints from other knitters - over come those parts of a pattern that you might be struggling with ... alternative ways to use patterns ... I fear there will be many many more hours (erm days) spent perusing the information available ...

I'm really struggling with the Sylvi pattern from the Twist Collective. My gauge was perfect with size 10 needles ... but then when I began knitting the pattern the sizing was totally off and the size small was turning out to be smaller than an extra small. After 60 rows or so I decided to unravel my knitting and start again with a bigger needle size (US 10.5) and try the size medium pattern. But it is still knitting up too small. It is really hard to know whether to keep going and see what happens or start over yet again ...
... and if I start over again - how do I start? Bigger needles? Bigger size?Maybe using my own choice of yarn was a mistake ...
Maybe I knit super tight (I think I do) ...Maybe I should just stay clear of trying to make clothes (maybe I'm wimping out too soon) ...
Or maybe it is the reason why hand knitted things are so special and unique - they all turn out a little different?
Do you just learn how your knitting style will change a pattern? Or will I have these endless debates with myself for ever more ...

Tutorial: Machine Chain Piecing Techniques

2009-02-17T09:00:00.005-05:00

Here a tutorial on two machine piecing techniques. Simple Machine Piecing shows you how to make a simple single strip for quilt borders etc. Chain Assembly assembly allows you to make larger quilted pieces very quickly.

NOTES:
1) Cutting your pieces accurately is a really important part of making your quilt. If your pieces are not cut to the correct size to begin with - your quilt/pattern will not fit together as you have planned.
2) I prefer to press the chains as I go. Iron the back of the chain first, ensuring all the seams are ironed in the same direction. Then iron from the front to make sure there are no puckers or pleats along seams.

SIMPLE MACHINE PIECING (for a single quilted strip)
You can make a quilted strip for quilt borders etc very quickly using this technique.

Step 1: Design, cut and lay out your quilt border/strip.Step 2: Starting at the top of the border/strip stack your pieces into a pile. Be careful to stack them in order!Step 3: Take the first two squares from the stack. Place them right sides together and sew a seam on the right hand edge. DO NOT REMOVE THE SEWN SQUARES FROM THE MACHINE. Then take the next two squares from the stack, place them right sides together and feed them into the machine following your first two squares. Continue this process until you have reached the end of your stack.

Sew squares together in a chain

Step 4: Cut the threads between the sewn pairs.

Cut threads between the pairs of squares

Step 5: Stack your pairs - ensuring to keep them in order ... ... and take the first two pairs right sides together and sew a seam on the right hand edge. DO NOT REMOVE THE SEWN SQUARES FROM THE MACHINE. Then take the next two pairs from the stack, place them right sides together and feed them into the machine following your first two squares. Continue this process until you have reached the end of your stack.

Sew pairs together in a chain

Step 6: Snip the threads between the squares and continue as above until you have reached the desired length for your border.

Continue to sew chains of squares together

Remember to press your squares ensuring the seams are lying in the same direction.

CHAIN ASSEMBLY (for larger areas)
Using this method you will be able to assemble your quilt in a very neat and speedy manner.

Step 1: Design, cut and lay out your quilt.Step 2: Starting at the top of each row stack your pieces into piles. Be careful to stack them in order. Step 3: Take the first two squares from the top of stacks Row1 and Row2. Place them right sides together and sew a seam on the right hand edge. DO NOT REMOVE THE SEWN SQUARES FROM THE MACHINE. Then take the next two squares from Row1 and Row2. Place them right sides together and feed them into the machine following your first two squares.
Continue this process until you have reached the end of Row1 & Row2. Remove the chain from the machine but DO NOT CUT ANY CONNECTING THREADS between the pairs of squares.

Sew rows 1&2 together in a chain

Step 4: Go back to the top of your chain and begin to add the pieces from Row3 in the same manner. Remove from the machine but DO NOT CUT ANY CONNECTING THREADS.

Add Row 3 to the chain

Continue until you have all the squares for Rows 3 & 4 in place. Remove from the machine but DO NOT CUT ANY CONNECTING THREADS.

Step 5: Sew your vertical chains together.

Sew your vertical strips together

Once all your chains are sewn together press - ensuring your seams are lying in the same direction.

Craft Stylish Magazine Article

2009-02-12T14:20:00.000-05:00

I'm very excited to have my second magazine article coming out next week (17th Feb) with the folks at CraftStylish. My article tells you how to turn your old cotton shirts into a simple but snuggly quilt ... mentioned on the front cover no less! I love the cover of the magazine - crafty yet stylish don't you think? Here is a sneak peak at the article ... I hope I don't get in trouble for sharing a couple of days early ...
... I am just THRILLED at how yummy and cosy my quilt looks in this photo!

Puff, Puff, Chug, Chug ....

2009-02-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

I did it ... and just like the like the Little Engine "I though I could. I thought I could".
Lots of detail in this one ... A big thank you to my step mom Jennie who told me how to improve my satin stitch ... I hope I am getting better (although I'm still regularly embarrassed by how much I have to learn!)Measures 35.5" x 35.5". Puff, Puff, Chug, Chug on to the next project ... (erm when can I put my feet up?)

Little Rose Cardigan

2009-02-02T10:20:00.000-05:00

It never ceases to amaze me how much I learn from each new project I tackle. And I might sound a bit simple - but I was really beginning to think I might know how to knit. So I felt probably over confident when I decided to knit my first piece of clothing (admittedly - a very miniature clothing for the little bunny.)
It didn't take very long to make all the pieces ... learning to make cute edging was fun ... ... but learning how to sew together the shoulder seams using a grafting technique - that was a serious mental effort (especially when your pregnant brain is functioning like a peanut) ...

Diagram from Patonsyarns.com

... and realizing that in order to make my seams beautiful and neat on the inside of the garment I really need to adjust the way I "dec2" ... lets not share photos of the dodgy bits!

I only made one little rose for the front of the cardigan. I followed the instructions making the rose with the specified US6 needles - but it was really too big - so I unravelled and remade the rose using US3 needles. Putting 3 additional roses down one side still seemed too much - do you think I was wrong to leave it at one rose?
I found the perfect colored pink button from my recycled button stash ...... although I wonder if pink was the wrong color? (Cascade Yarn - Cash Vero DK 036) Pretty predictable for a girl bunny ... but I felt knitting in white cashmere for a little one was just asking for trouble!

The Little Engine that Could

2009-01-26T10:54:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with my work load but also at how much life is going to change in about 8 weeks or so. I'm so grateful for the projects I have been asked to make this year - but at the same time I kind of just want to sit on the sofa - watch soppy movies and prepare myself for what is to come. Actually - it is probably best to keep myself busy and occupied!

So I've been very busy working on lots of projects which I will share with you soon. I am a list maker and I tend to plan my days, down to the last hour, around particular projects and when they are needed by - so when I was asked to make a little baby quilt/wall hanging of 'The Little Engine that Could' ... I was slightly concerned about whether I had time to fit it into the schedule or if I should just give myself some breathing room and turn the work down.
After re-reading the book for ideas - I felt I just couldn't turn down the project. In fact - it inspired me ... and I think at the moment I feel like that Little Engine.
Of course - life would be simpler if I read the fusible instructions before I spent a whole day constructing a beautiful little blue engine out of fiddly little pieces of fabric ... ... and now I have to start again ...
'Puff, puff, chug, chug, went the Little Blue Engine. "I think I can - I think I can - I think I can" ... it might be my new mantra in life.

Sewing Scraps into something Soft and Simple

2009-01-21T14:28:00.000-05:00

I'm trying - really trying - to use up my fabric stash while everything is still in storage (when will I see it all again is a question I am beginning to ask myself ...) A couple of years ago - when I first discovered the City Quilter - but before I began Rachael Rabbit - I brought a pre-cut stack of pretty cotton quarters. I'm embarrassed to say I can't remember the make/designer of the cotton - but I remember seeing it and my greedy eyes grew wide - and that was that. I never had a particular project in mind when I grabbed the stack ... and over time I have used the quarters to make cute gift bags for knitted softies ...
... and some adorable summer picnic napkins ...
... but there were still some bits left over ... and the question has lingered what to do with them?

The most delicious thing about this fabric is how soft it is. I wish you could touch it through the screen and feel it for yourself. And with the new little bunny on the way (I've heard having the odd blanket/soft mat lying around can be useful) I decided to sew the remaining bits into a soft and super simple baby blanket. You really can't get more simple than this blanket. It is made from 9 squares of cotton sewn together - I didn't quilt it at all - I just tied the layers together with little knots. The whole project took a couple of hours tops.
When my husband came home I said 'look what I have made' ... he looked unimpressed by the lack of complexity ... but then when I said 'ahhh but feel how soft it is - don't you just want to live under it?' ... he felt the blanket and his eyes lit up 'can't you make it bigger so we can use it? It is SO soft.' Have I mentioned yet how soft and cushy this little blanket is?

Big bunny asked me to practice my swaddling skills so he could feel the soft warmth and cosyness too ...
... 'oooh it is so soft' Big Bunny said ...
And I have to mention how easy quilt bindings have become since I learnt what I really should be doing from the amazingly talented Kellie at Don't Look Now!

Knitting Clothes

2009-01-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

I really started knitting to knit bunnies and other knitted softies. I don't know why I have never knitted any clothes before (apart from the odd hat, one scarf and a pair of dodgy mittens) ... probably because I haven't had faith that I would make anything worth while or even wearable. Now I have the cardigan/coat pattern to take on ... but I little thought popped into my head the other day - soon I will have the perfect model to experiment with - an innocent child who will (for the initial part of her life at least) wear what ever I put her in!

And this is what I have found for her first little knitted outfit ...... I plan not to torture her too much with anything too experimental. But I really think this is about the cutest little baby cardigan I have ever seen - lets hope I do it justice!

Meet Cabbage

2009-01-10T09:00:00.007-05:00

I'm trying to give myself a break on the sewn softie making front. My mantra (perhaps too much prenatal yoga?) is just to keep trying and not to give up. So while I spend my evenings concentrating on knitting projects - I'm trying to improve my sewn creative skills during the day.

The minute I managed to pop out a decent bit of stippling I have been thinking about making a little softie tortoise with a quilted shell.

So meet Cabbage. Cabbage is a delicate girl who likes to watch her weight by nibbling on salad. Lettuce is her favorite!
Her shell is quilted with gold thread because every girl should be able to sparkle just a little.
I rather like her eye lashes (I'm not often happy with faces) ... ... and her little perky tail.With the pattern adapted a little - I think she would make a rather fine pajama case too! (That list of 'what I want to make' never gets shorter ... only longer!)

Four

2009-01-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

Back in December the lovely Kathy from Lizzie Jane (check out her adorable spring bunnies) tagged me to:
1. Open the 4th picture folder on your computer.
2. Choose the 4th picture and post it on your blog.
3. Explain the picture.
4. Tag 4 people to do the same.

Here is my photo (step 1 & 2 completed!):
(Step 3:) This is a padded baby book that I made back in March 2008. The book is made from material scraps (surprise) and was lovingly sewed together to help a little one count from 1 to 5. How? By counting the bunnies of course! Initially I thought it was a rather sweet project but then I realized I had probably totally lost the plot - because any small child who is still in the padded book stage is not going to be advanced enough to recognize a bunny - let alone count bunnies from one to five. So this is a project that just went into the 'needs more thought' box. I had always meant to make another padded baby book with big colorful shapes (no advanced number or alphabet skills needed) ... but that is a project that is still on the 'to do' list. Here is a better picture of the book ...
My husband is ever hopeful that a certain little man in our family will learn to count soon ... he certainly looks like he is concentrating hard!!(Step 4:) I'm terrible at being tagged - I'm sorry ... but please consider yourself tagged and play along - take a look at your fourth picture in your fourth picture folder - what will you find?

I Have Giraffe Envy - Meet Gerald

2009-01-02T09:00:00.002-05:00

I really really want to be good at making cotton sewn softies - but it seems to be a skill that eludes me. I'm always a bit upset with the fabrics that I end up choosing - that amazing skill some people have of throwing different fabrics together to make things look utterly beautiful is totally absent in me. Is there a book I can read? A course I can take? I'm always way too practical and perhaps I need to be more daring?

Recently I've been having giraffe envy (check out delightful softie giraffes at Hop Skip Jump) . Don't ask me why it has been giraffe envy ... because I actually have craft envy with most things I see. (That list of 'want to make' only gets longer these days.)

So off I set to make a giraffe. I tried to pick good colors - but then I've never been known for my wild and crazy choices - so safely I opted for orange and brown - at least if it is orange and has a long neck someone might recognize it as a giraffe?
Meet Gerald. Gerald is a lonely giraffe so we decided to take him to the Central Park Zoo to see if we could find him any friends.
We searched the map of the Zoo - but unfortunately there are no giraffes ...
... but don't tell Gerald ... because we told him that the Llama's were a type of giraffe too ... and he seemed happy enough with that.

Happy New Year

2008-12-29T12:35:00.006-05:00

It has been a lovely to have my sister with us for Christmas - and now 2008 seems to be rushing to a close - where did it go? I would like to claim that this has been the fastest (but a very happy) year of my life!

Thank you to everyone for your support and encouragement during my crafting exploits in 2008 - I want to wish you all a very Happy New Year. Here is a little mosaic to reflect on what has been a busy and I hope a productive 12 months. And I am now looking forward to see what 2009 has in store for the bunnies in the Rachael Rabbit Workshop!

1. Custom Christmas Tree Skirt, 2. Nativity Felt Advent Calendar, 3. Patchwork Pumpkin Tutorial, 4. Princess and Castle Wall Hanging/Play Mat, 5. The Princess and the Pea Quilt, 6. Matthew Bunny, 7. Hand Knitted Cable Blanket, 8. Hand Printed Baby Onesie, 9. Princess Wall Hanging, 10. Simple Knitted Ball, 11. Duckie Knitted Baby Blanket, 12. Piggie Playmat & Wall Hanging, 13. Cupcake Apron, 14. Mrs. Dino Knitting, 15. Bunnies Dancing around the Maypole, 16. Cupcake Tutorial, 17. Tooth Fairy Pillowcase, 18. Mamma Rabbit Cooks a Cupcake, 19. A very fluffy lion finds courage, 20. Needle Felted Bunny, 21. 2 in1: Patchwork Play Mat & Wall Hanging, 22. Girls at the picnic, 23. Bunny Picnic, 24. Family Tree Quilt, 25. Baby Quilt from Denyse Schmidt Quilting Workshop, 26. Knitted Rabbit - Girl, 27. Knitted Rabbit - Girl, 28. Knitted Rabbit - Boy with Carrot, 29. Snuggly Socktopus, 30. Patchwork Baby Quilt, 31. Cable Knit Bag, 32. Patchwork Baby Quilt, 33. Knitted Rabbit - Boy, 34. Embroidered Bunny Tote - Scene Detail, 35. Whole Baby Carrots, 36. Green Bunny Bag

Stippling Success

2008-12-18T20:10:00.000-05:00

Back in September I made two pledges - to improve my knitting skills and to conquer free motion quilting. Well say hello to some free motion quilting ... ... I don't know what came over me ... I sat down, took a deep breath and voila. Some successful stippling! Free motion quilting has totally alluded me since I got Bernie - in fact it sent waves of fear down my spine and while I know I have a long way to go before I perfect this technique ... hopefully I'm on the right track now.

If the idea of donning your darning foot, dropping your feed dogs and wiggling your fabric about to make pretty squiggles fills your tummy with dread - my two biggest tips would be
1) keep your speed down - I found a medium speed on my machine much easier to cope with and
2) what ever you do don't panic! (I think all that deep breathing I've been doing in prenatal yoga is beginning to have a positive affect me!)

I had a pretty tough day yesterday (translate to: I was an inconsolable hormonal grump) but as it turned out - I just really needed a long nap. By evening I was frustrated at having had such an unproductive day so I decided to do something thoroughly untaxing - but useful - I organized my material scrap box. When we moved I tried to be sensible about what crafting supplies to bring into the city. In particular I wanted to try and use up those little fabric remnants we crafters all end up with. I organized the scraps into colors and textures ... and found that I had a delightful little pile of pretty silk scraps left over from a very special Christmas Tree Skirt I had conjured up last year.

So I am happy to report that today has been more productive. I sewed all the silk scraps together ... ... layered the scraps with some batting and cotton ... and proceeded to attack the layers with my new found stippling skills.I have had my beady bunnie eyes on just about every project in Sew Pretty Homestyle - but the project I have most wanted to make is the makeup case. I've never made a little pouch with a zip before - and I can think of hundreds of uses, gift ideas, occasions when knowing how to make something like this would be perfect. I'm about as scared of zips as I am of free motion quilting but I rose to the challenge (I think) using my new calm yoga affected persona (ha! as if!)

Over 100,000 Knitted Stitches of Love

2008-12-15T17:45:00.000-05:00

... 277 stitches per line ... 16 lines per cable pat ... 23 cable pats ...... 4,140 extra stitches for the bobbles ...... and it all adds up to ... 106,076 knitted stitches ...

... which just sounds like a really disappointing number. Why didn't it add up to over a million? As that is what the last few cable pats felt like!

And I have to thank Sol of Lappesola for introducing me to this pattern from The Twist Collective (if you are into knitting check them out) ...
... is it not beautiful? I have purchased the pattern (and boy it looks complicated!!) It will make a perfect project to have on hand for when the bump has arrived and is asleep for 20 minutes here or there. They do sleep sometimes right?

Sometimes Friends Ask You to Make Silly Things!

2008-12-11T09:30:00.000-05:00

I was asked to make this ...
... described to me as a 'Man Bib' ... which led to some giggles in the workshop and a husband who was reluctant to take part in the following advertising campaign.

Does your man like to chow chow mein for lunch?

Is his tie covered in Thai?

Tired of washing out those stains and sticky sloppy spatters?

Is his promotion getting a chill from that ugly spill?

Introducing the new
'Man Bib'
A bib for all formal occasions
Protects against embarrassing spills and dribbles
Looks just like a work shirt and tie

Padded for extra absorbency
100% cotton - machine washable
Easy on/off VELCRO® fastening

DISCLAIMER: Use of 'Man Bib' could result in sloppier eating habits.

Bunnies and Bears

2008-12-09T09:42:00.009-05:00

The post arrived yesterday and it was quite the most exciting delivery I have had in a while.

My Christmas cards arrived from Catherine at Bumpkin Bears. Catherine's handmade bears are so gorgeous and perfect and I have totally fallen for all the beautiful drawings she is now sharing with us.
AND a huge parcel of trim (seriously there is so many lovely pieces - all as beautiful as the other ... ... although the pink bunny trim did catch my eye!) came from Anne at Bunny Hill Designs - as well as a lovely card congratulating me on the bump and a dear little bunny named Flora ...... who will be a perfect addition to that very meager bunny collection I have ;-)

The knitting goes on ...

What is at the top of your tree?

2008-12-02T16:23:00.015-05:00

I am feeling guilty about my blog. I worry I am lacking in crafting news these days as I am currently buried in my Hugs Kisses and Cables blanket - which will soon be finished - if I can just keep going. At times it feels a little bit like a knitting marathon ... only the serious athletes will survive! Here is a little sneaky peak at my progress.
I'm already pleased with this blanket as it is my very own pattern. I've actually written the pattern down - which I am trying to diligently check (and check again) for any mistakes. I also really love the yarn I am using - it is so soft, easy to work with and the hanks (478yds each!) are just enormous - so it goes a long long way.

With Thanksgiving behind us for another year - I can now fully concentrate on the glitter and excitement of Christmas ... and this Christmas is going to be extra special as my sister is coming to stay with us! (My lovely sister wins the prize for being the most excited about the impending bump!) And Christmas has really begun early for me as I won (yes I actually won something - woo hoo!) a beautiful package of trim from Anne at Bunny Hill Designs. Anne (a faithful bunny lover too) is a very lovely and very very talented lady - do not fail to check out her blog.

In the meantime - with my lack of crafting news - lets talk about decorating Christmas trees!! I faithfully put up our tree on December 1st ... (it is a fake tree - because in a small apartment - coping with constantly dropping needles and then the final fight to get the dead tree back out the door and down in the elevator without covering every inch of floor and stairs with needles ... well I just would prefer not be be cleaning up needles until spring arrives ... my husband would prefer the 'natural smell of pine' ... but he is not the one who cleans ... and it is a rather good fake tree ... Can I stop justifying the fake tree now?) ...

So as I began to say ... I faithfully put up our tree on December 1st and the poor thing looks a little bare in the decoration department - so I'm probably a bit too thrilled about being able to take my sister down to the Union Square Holiday Market (has to be done at night for the extra sparkle effect) ... and pick out some additional decorations. I might have to concentrate on more bunny decorations as we seem a bit short of those ...
... cute bunny, bucket and birdies ...
... slightly scary fir cone bunny (actually I think it might have been bred with a squirrel!) And what would you put on the top of the tree? An angel? A star? What about a beautiful Ballerina Bunny?

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T09:00:00.002-05:00

This year I would like to give thanks for ...
... a new little bunny will be joining the Rachael Rabbit workshop in March next year! ;-)

Tutorial: Simple Hot Water Bottle Cover #1

2008-11-23T21:21:00.000-05:00

Last year, towards the end of winter, my trusty hot water bottle gave in and developed something of a fatal leak. I'm rather partial to a nice hot water bottle - especially for thawing icy toes or to soothe that tummy ache that won't go away.

Imagine my horror when I tried to shop for a new hot water bottle in NY and was met with many confused looks. To begin with asking for 'a hot water bottle' in my quiet English accent only confirmed (apparently) that I speak a foreign language - once I had entered into a detailed description of what a hot water bottle was - the shop assistants just led me to those air activated heat patches!

So during my recent trip back home to the UK my mother was very kind and gave me her spare hot water bottle. It turns out I'm quite fussy about hot water bottles (sorry Mummy!) I only like the traditional rubber sort. On an afternoon wander we popped into Superdrug ... where I found some small (1L) rubber hot water bottles ... I couldn't resist and purchased three thinking about the perfect stocking stuffers I would now be able to create.

So here is my first tutorial/idea of how to make a simple hot water bottle cover from a old felted sweater. The following instructions will work for either a full sized (2L) or small sized (1L) hot water bottle.

Simple Hot Water Bottle Cover #1
You will need:
- hot water bottle
- paper for pattern & pen for scribbles
- old felted sweater
- contrasting yarn
- needle, ruler, scissors etc
- button for decoration

1) Make your pattern first. Draw a line around your hot water bottle ...
... then mark another line 3/8" outside the original line. This will be your cutting line.
Measure the hot water bottle shape from the base of the bottle to the bottom the bottle neck. Then mark a line 1/4 down the bottle shape (line A) and another line 3/8 down the bottle shape (line B).
There are 3 pieces to this pattern - your bottle shape (piece C), the top of the bottle shape (piece A) and the bottom of the bottle shape (piece B).2. Cut these three pattern pieces out of your old sweater. If your sweater is patterned - consider this when cutting - especially if you want the pattern to line up.
3) Sew across the bottom of piece A and the top of piece B using a contrasting yarn in blanket stitch.
4) Begin to pin your pieces together. First pin piece B to piece C.
Then pin piece A to piece C.
Piece A should overlap piece B a little and this overlap will make a pillow case opening for your hot water bottle.
5. Sew around the entire bottle shape with the contrasting yarn in blanket stitch. If your sweater is patterned you might want to check that the pattern lines up before you begin to sew.Weave in any loose yarn ends.
6. Embelish your hot water bottle cover. I attached a bright red button and a loop of braided yarn - but you could use ribbon, pom poms, perhaps even applique a design at step 3. The options are endless.

Finally you will need to find a willing participant to test out your new hot water bottle cover - luckily Big Bunny was looking a little chilly and seemed quite happy to be today's model.

The Secret Lives of Snowmen

2008-11-10T07:14:00.008-05:00

I'm not a big cartoon fan - but I am quite a fan of Calvin and Hobbes. Perhaps it is the fact that I can quite happily talk for endless hours to my beloved pet - so I am more than able to understand the close and secret bond between Calvin and his dear Hobbes. Although - in my humble opinion - the funniest Calvin and Hobbes cartoons are those of the snowmen that Calvin builds.

Snowmen are so fun. One year at primary school I remember clearly the overwhelming excitement when it actually snowed properly - each class went out onto the playing field were we all competed in a snowman building competition. It hardly ever snows properly in the UK - so this happened all of once! But I remember it quite clearly. Now living here in the US - every year my husband is still surprised at my endless delight when it snows.

My latest Christmas tree skirt has been dedicated to my dear snowmen friends. Giving us all a little insight into the lives of snowmen!!
Did you know that snowmen like to give each other presents?? ...
... that families of snowmen like to gather around and decorate Christmas trees?? ...
... that snowmen like to sneak the odd kiss under the mistletoe too?? ...
... but most of all Snowmen love to sing carols!!!
What carol do you think would be a snowman's favorite? 'See Amid the Winters Snow' or perhaps just 'Let it Snow'?

Christmas is coming ...

2008-10-23T09:24:00.011-04:00

Whether you want to admit it or not you can't ignore that Christmas is coming. The stores already have their Christmas decorations out - ready for you to browse and rummage through all the glitter and tinsel.

And here in our little work corner it is no different. Summer seems like an age away. Halloween was barely here (apart from the pumpkin tutorial) and there has been no sign of any Fall or Thanksgiving crafts. The bunnies and I have jumped straight into Santa's sack and I fear here we will stay until the end of the year.

We have been making reversible Christmas tree skirts ...... working on nativity advent calendars ...... (I love how the little pockets turned out for this calendar!)
And the bunnies ... without having a garden to play in have been getting into so much mischief. This little bunny is trying to pretend to be one of the Christmas tree decorations in a bid to become the the fairy on top of the tree this year.I tried to explain that although we are making Christmas crafts now - decorating the tree is a long way off. And this little bunny seems to have been tortured by the other one in what was described to me as the 'wrapping up game' ...
I must give a loud and warm shout out to Janice, Rachel, Louise, April and Barbara (I hope I caught everyone) - all have tagged or given me lovely awards in the past months. I've been terrible at playing along I know - and distracted with moving etc - and I can't tell you how much all the comments mean to me. I loved how and what Jodie (from RicRac) wrote back in August about the whole tagging/award debate - and I'm sorry to be such a party pooper. By the way - have you seen Jodie's Big Selvedge Project - it is truly amazing and should not be missed.

My First Magazine Article

2008-10-16T13:54:00.009-04:00

The bunnies decided that today was a grey day and only good for staying in bed and reading magazines.
But what are they reading? It doesn't look like a magazine I recently brought. As I got closer I could hear the bunnies whispering ...

Bunnies: 'Oooooh ...... aaaahhh ... oh ... look ....'
Me: 'Bunnies - where did you get that magazine from?'
Bunnies: 'It came in the post today'
Me: 'And what has you so transfixed?'
Bunnies: 'It is an article that you wrote about how to make a Socktopus'
Me: 'Really? My 'how to' in a real magazine?'
Bunnies: ' Yes - look'
Me: 'Ooooh - doesn't it look pretty'
Bunnies: 'Yes and they wrote nice things about you too'
Me: 'Oooooh ...... aaaahhh ....'

Do you remember the Socktopus? He was quite a sweetie. Anyhow he was spotted by the folks of CraftStylish back in June and I nearly died of excitement when they asked me to write a complete 3 page 'how to' article for their Fall magazine. An additional bonus was I got to make 4 more socktopus's ... ...and I sent all five off for their big photo shoot (how I would have loved to be there). Gifts to Make is available through Taunton's online store, Barnes & Noble, Borders and all major craft and fabric stores. AND for an added bonus if you turn to page 8 you get to see what I look like (how I hate photos!)

I left the bunnies to continue reading the magazine - this little bunny looks quite studious don't you think? Maybe the bunnies will learn how to sew and knit soon so I can have a rest!

Tutorial: Simple Patchwork Pumpkins (and a Giveaway!)

2008-10-10T14:48:00.020-04:00

I really love pumpkins and when the Halloween season comes along I squeak like an over excited toddler when ever I see a pumpkin patch. Each year I have been here (did I mention it is 5 now!) I have insisted on carving pumpkins. When we were little no one celebrated Halloween in the UK - in fact if someone did ring your doorbell you didn't answer it for fear of having eggs thrown at you or something horrible like that. So the discovery of dressing up, stupid amounts of candy, tacky decorations (our front lawn was so nearly decorated in polystyrene tombstones last year - until I realized ... at the check out ... tombstones in hand ... that it might lead to divorce) and of course - pumpkins!!

Last year I made some life sized patchwork pumpkins.
They were very luxurious and really quite beautiful. I used recycled silk ties and lovely thick upholstery cord to tie around the pumpkins. However lovely they were - and they were certainly big - they deemed to be totally impractical for selling on Etsy due to postage costs!

Here is my tutorial for making your own simple patchwork pumpkin. My version this year is much smaller - but the tutorial will help you make any sized pumpkin - it is up to you. Remember that pumpkins come in all shapes and sizes - so if you think your sewing is too dodgy or your stuffing is too lumpy - it won't matter in the least - throw caution to the wind and dive on in!!

Simple Patchwork Pumpkin
You will need:
- colorful fabric- yellows, gold, oranges
- thread for sewing
- some sort of stuffing - I tend to use Poly-fil
- selection of yarn, thread, cord - NOTE: you will need 12 x the length of your template
- felt for leaf (optional)

1. Make your template. Your template can be any size - as long as it is this sort of eye shape - it will work.

2. Cut out the template out 6 times from different fabrics. This is a great way to use up all those small pieces of fabric you have lying around - sew pieces together to make patchwork strips ...... and then cut out the templates. Each section of the pumpkin can be as plain or as 'patchworked' as you like.

3. Sew the shapes - one by one - together to make a ball. Remember you need 6 pieces sewn together make a pumpkin. Leave part of the last seam open - this will allow you to turn the pumpkin right side out. Turn your pumpkin right side out and stuff. Sew shut the open seam.

4. Now you need to cut your yarn/thread that will wrap around the pumpkin. You will need 12 x the length of your template. My template here was 5 inches long so I cut 60" of mixed yarns. I chose to use 4 strands of yarn - a dark green, light green, yellow and a cream. There are so many things you could use to add decorative detail here - ribbons, sequins, lace etc - just experiment!

5. Tie your yarns around your pumpkin (I twisted my yarns together as I went.) Make sure the yarn is tightly squeezing the ball - this will help give the 'pumpkin' shape. You will find that knotting the yarn at each 'junction' will help it stay in place.
Make sure you make a nice strong knot at the top of the pumpkin.
6. Once you have tied the yarn around your pumpkin - you will want to make a stalk. Select one strand of yarn and use it to wrap around the other strands. I used a simple slip knot which I repeated (keeping it nice and tight) until I didn't have any yarn left and a little stalk was left at the top of the pumpkin.
Tie a knot at each end of each yarn strand and trim to your desired length.

You can add a little leaf to your pumpkin if you wish. I cut a pumpkin leaf from green felt and tied the leaf to the stalk of the pumpkin.

So what to do with my little pumpkins. Well this little pumpkin is just the perfect size for a pincushion ...... and if you would like to win this little pumpkin pincushion - all you have to do is leave a comment on my blog (remember to leave an e-mail address so I can find you) before midnight (EST) on October 23rd!

UPDATE: Pumpkin was won by Donna from Cottage Days & Journeys. Number was selected by the Truly Random Number Generator!

Back in the Sewing Seat

2008-10-09T14:21:00.009-04:00

So I have moved back to the Big Apple - and all the bunnies in the Rachael Rabbit workshop were feeling a bit like this on moving day ...
... it was a sad sad day - but now I have set up Bernie in a corner of the flat and I everything is neatly stored in boxes so that my husband doesn't go mad with all the mess of having my very very important crafting stuff scattered around.

I can not tell you how good it feels to be back in 'the sewing seat' so to speak. I've been so distracted from crafting projects by packing and the move - the lack of creation in my life was beginning to really get to me. I've just finished another quilted play mat / wall hanging.I spent a quite some time on the detail of this one - the little felt flowers and the light shining through the castle windows. My husband exclaimed that he thought it was one of my best - I'm not sure - I am getting better at the whole sewing thing - or at least I'm now managing to control the sewing machine a little!
I even became brave and added little embossed hearts to the border - I would really love to learn how to free motion quilt one day.
I'm still knitting away at my second cable blanket - the wedding is in early November - so sadly I don't think it will be finished in time. The skeins are just enormous - I'm on only on the 2nd - only another 4 or 5 to go ... my little knitting hands might fall off!

I realized that I have been living in the US for 5 years now. 5 years - I can't believe it - that is about 1/6th of my life - time goes by so incredibly quickly - which reminds me that I lots of work I need to get back to. Hurrah for crafting - I seriously love it ;-)

Cables, Concentration and Chaos

2008-09-26T13:30:00.005-04:00

I am SO distracted by packing and such - that my craft and blogging life has rather taken a back seat - much to my frustration. The movers come on Monday :-( And although I am totally in control (I'm so boring and organized) and calm about it all - but doing anything other than sorting and packing is just not happening at the moment.

I have found that unless I feel 'productive' in the craft department I get very annoyed at myself - so I have managed to find a couple of moments start some new Christmas Tree Skirts and in the evenings I have been knitting another cable blanket.
This blanket will be also be a wedding gift - and unlike the Lover's Knot Pattern - I have designed this one myself (this could lead to tears or a knitting award!) It took about 4 or 5 false starts before I got the number of stitches right (my own fault - apparently I can't count - but casting on 260+ stitches looses its appeal pretty quickly) and I found (after much experimentation) that Excel was my best friend in helping me work out this design. Who would have thought that Excel would be such a good friend to me when designing my patchwork and knitting bits!

I am calling my new blanket 'Hugs, Kisses & Cables' - due to the Hugs & Kisses (OXOXO) cable that runs throughout the blanket.
Back to packing then and I am so sorry if I have not yet responded and say thank you for your lovely comments - they really mean a lot to me. Hopefully I will be back in full crafting and blogging mode very soon!!

The Princess and the Pea

2008-09-18T10:50:00.011-04:00

I was asked to make a wall hanging / play mat based on the tale by Hans Christian Andersen The Princess and the Pea. Can you spot the naughty green pea that made the Princess so uncomfortable all night? There is one particular line in the tale that I love 'So the prince took her to be his wife, for now he was sure that he had found a real princess' which I embroidered up the side of of the bed.
I had lots of fun making it - and I thought the perfect accompaniment would be the actual story book of The Princess and the Pea. And this is when I discovered that I'm a bit of a traditionalist at heart. I could not find a traditional copy of The Princess and the Pea anywhere - the picture books have all been 'modernized' - the text is not the same ... it makes me sad that we have to modernize everything. But as I reread the original text - I realized I too had taken lots of naughty liberties with the interpretation of the tale for my quilt!

I only made 12 mattresses and not the full 20 ... ... my Princess looks rather neat and tidy and is not in 'a terrible state' ... ... and I assumed the Princess would have had a ladder to get up to the top of the mattress pile ...... my Princess also has a very friendly orange cat ... ... and every Princess knows she should take off her crown before going to sleep!Perhaps we don't have to be 100% accurate all of the time?

Why Do Bunnies Have Hoppy Birthdays?

2008-09-03T10:09:00.000-04:00

I was sitting very quietly in the garden - observing the wonderful nature sanctuary my lack of gardening skills have created - when I heard a little voice ...

"Hello there little bunny what do you want?"

"Well I fear I am a little lost. I am looking for Matthew's 1st birthday party ... I have a special jumper on just for him AND I made him a birthday card with my own little bunny paws."

"Well I've heard that Matthew's birthday party is actually England - which means you still have a very long way to go - but it was very sweet of you to make him a handmade card."

"Thank you - I drew a picture of my favorite thing on the front - a big juicy orange carrot."

"Shouldn't the card say 'Happy Birthday' instead of 'Hoppy Birthday?'"

"Oh no ... we bunnies are very happy creatures so we always like to give Hoppy Birthday wishes instead! Bunnies just love to hop you see, especially on exciting days like birthdays."

So I hope here today I have shed yet more light on the secret lives of bunnies!

Handmade Things are Filled with Love

2008-08-29T15:49:00.000-04:00

One of my oldest friends is getting married and I wanted to make something special for her to mark the occasion. I didn't really want to make another love filled quilting disaster so I decided that this was the time to knit something big! Time to knit my first full sized blanket. But what pattern to knit? After much searching I found a free pattern for a Lover's Knot Afghan from the Lion Brand Yarn Company.I thought that 'Lover's Knot' was such a lovely pattern name for a wedding present. I found the most gorgeous cream and super soft (as well as ecologically friendly) wool from the YarnCountry.com. (The hanks were so enormous that I had a whole hank left over - which enabled me to knit all three of my maypole dancing bunnies!) I increased the size of the Afghan by adding an additional two pats to the pattern ... ... so my finished blanket measures approx 53" x 67" and there is a super soft 4" fringe/tassels at both ends.

I also embroidered a little label that I sewed on to the back of the blanket. (I saw this idea on the lovely Julie's blog back in June and knew I had to make something similar for my blanket.)

I wish the bride and groom a life time of happiness together - as well as many winter evenings feeling warm under the love of one very special blanket!

Heartbreak and Distraction

2008-08-17T10:36:00.011-04:00

It is true - my heart is aching ... we have sold our beautiful house - and until we find our next house having my own little room to use as a dedicated work space is doomed - I shall be 'craft camping' ... by that I mean I have to decide what craft items will be going into storage and what craft items I can take with me so I can continue working.

The house has been so much more than a place to live for me - since I have been in the states I have been so homesick and this is the first place - since leaving the UK nearly 5 years ago - that I have called 'home'. It is cute, beautiful, warm and cosy, old fireplaces and floorboards, the garden has been fabulous for bunny photo shoots, the community is wonderful ... it is going to be very hard and very very sad to leave.
But my husband spends his weeks in the city and I spend a lot of my week in the country - we always spend our weekends together - we recently decided that we should try find a home that was the 'grand compromise' - close enough to the city for commuting and enough out of the city so I don't go crazy. So I'm off to the big apple to stay with my lovely husband (it will be nice to see him during the week) - and I know a stint in the big apple would be a treat for some - but if I'm totally honest I am not a city girl in the least ... unless it is for a little shoe shopping expedition!

So what do I take? Obviously Bernie has to come with me and my bag of knitting needles ... but what about ... ...the boxes of ribbon ... ... lace ... ... buttons, sewing needles, cord ... ...bias tape, scraps of material or just the big bits? Will I need my box of felt? What about all the ties and shirts I have to recycle? How much yarn should I expect to use? Which books to take?

It is all seeming a bit much to choose from ... where do I start?

How do you work?

2008-08-11T09:54:00.000-04:00

My creation process goes something like this. I get an outline ... patchwork playmat/wall hanging, fairy, Paper Bag Princess, non Disney, some light green and some sparkle ... so I got a copy of the Paper Bag Princess ...
... I did some very wonderful artwork (the MoMA will be begging me for these sketches one day!) ...
... I refined the drawings some what ...... then I cut out all the little bits and sew them all together - hoping it looks something like I had planned!
The story is that the little Princess is happily dancing through the grass picking up flowers as she goes.
I used gold and silver thread to add the sparkle as well as a little gold material for her crown.
And worried that I hadn't used enough light green in the piece - I used some lovely white and light green fabric for the backing.
How do you work?

Tutorial: Simple Knitted Ball

2008-08-04T08:45:00.015-04:00

I find it hard to throw away any material or yarn - and I have lots yarn remnants that are too small to be incorporated into new projects. So over the weekend I made this pattern for a simple knitted ball - a fast easy project - and the ball is suitable for all ages. I used my left over Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Superchunky yarn (sometimes I think this is the softest yarn ever invented - but it has proved to be too expensive for my constant knitting habits!)

Simple Knitted Ball
You will need:
- yarn remnants (various colors or same color - this is really your choice)
- knitting needles
- some sort of stuffing - I used Poly-fil
- yarn needle for sewing pentagons together

1. Knit 12 pentagons following this pattern:
cast on 6
row 1: inc, knit 4, inc (8 stitches)
row 2: p
row 3: k
row 4: p
row 5: inc, knit 6, inc (10 stitches)
row 6: p
row 7: k
row 8: p
row 9: k2tog, knit 6, k2tog (8 stitches)
row 10: p
row 11: k2tog, knit 4, k2tog (6 stitches)
row 12: p
row 13: k2tog, knit 2, k2tog (4 stitches)
row 14: p
row 15: k2tog, k2tog (2 stitches)
row 16: p2tog and tie off

2. Sew your pentagons together to create a ball - I hope this diagram helps to show how this is done. I used a contrasting yarn in blanket stitch to add an additional decorative element.
Remember to leave at least one seam open so you can stuff the ball!

3. Stuff the ball and stitch remaining seam(s) shut.Then all you need to do is find someone to play ball with you ... Castro didn't seem to want to play ball - but he did agree that it was a very soft!

Getting All My Ducks in a Row .....

2008-07-28T18:39:00.011-04:00

During my visit home at Christmas last year my mother and I visited this really cool thrift shop where you can find hard back craft books for 50p ... one of the things I pounced on was this book of Beatrix Potter knitting patterns ...
... the designs are very dated and I really purchased it for bunny themed knitting ideas - but flicking through it the other day I found a pattern for Jemima Puddle Duck ... a baby blanket with duckies I thought - that would be sweet. Jemima, I decided, was more goose like than a duck so I changed the pattern to this ...
I used some of the wool given to me by Auntie Chris (it is amazing how much I have already used!) and it took a while to get the blanket correct as I discovered that designing shapes or pictures in a knitting pattern is not that simple!
I must have knitted and unravelled at least 15 times ... but finally I got all my ducks in a row ...
... and here is my little duckie baby blanket.
It measures 33 1/2" x 28" and has a moss stitch border. Perfect for a crib or a stroller or just for general snuggles.
I quite like ducks ... not quite as much as bunnies ... but they make me smile a lot. Can you believe it is nearly August? Where has the year gone?

Swap Shots

2008-07-23T15:59:00.009-04:00

I've sent off my cupcake themed apron for the Cupcake and Tea Swap. My apron (based on the cakeland number in A Is for Apron) went to the girls at A Spoonful of Sugar and I was glad that they were kind about it!
And I also sent off my goodies for the Alabama Stitch Swap to Betty Ninja. Of course I had to make the bunny project!
These are my photos - but I can't believe the pictures that Betty took of the little bunny and needle book I made .... she really has an amazing talent with a camera.

I have to say that I really enjoyed making the goodies for both these swaps - I will be signing up for more swaps in the future for sure!