Progress update: Toddler quilt

I am really happy with my progress on my first quilt. I had original had an idea for a rag quilt but decided to change it to a traditional quilt. I would love to make a beginners tutorial, coming from a true beginner. I have found some great sites with some great ideas and would love to put them all together. My greatest resource so far was a series of  Beginner's quilting tutorials from Pile O' Fabric. It is very easy and she has some excellent resources!

My quilt is definitely not perfect but as I work it, I figure out ways to make it a lot easier for my next blanket. I am making a quilt that will fit my daughters toddler bed. I did a few modifications and used a piece of flannel as batting for a lighter feel, and it is turning out great! I will say that you need an incredible amount of patience and time to complete a quilt. I definitely would recommend you take your time and don't rush, it will make a huge difference. 

More updates to come!!!

Adventures in Sewing

I would consider myself a beginner in sewing. One of my favorite TV shows is Project Runway and I have always been amazed with what they can do. The little knowledge I do have of sewing is completely internet taught. I have watched a lot of tutorials but I have sooooo much more to learn. I have been making my daughter some basic fleece blankets which have gone very well. I have decided I want to tackle a slightly larger project (little steps at a time). My next project will be a rag quilt for my daughter. I have been collecting some fabric and finally decided to give it a try. I am learning some basic quilting techniques which will help with this project. I would consider this project a baby step in quilting. I plan on documenting my progress and my hope is to make a tutorial for the completed project (we'll see!)

Wish me luck!

TUTORIAL: Stitch pattern

I love finding new crochet stitches and creating my own projects. In my many hours spent on Pinterest, I stumbled across this fabulous blog, Hakenenmeer, which had some beautiful patterns. I found this pattern for a blanket and it inspired me to make a scarf. I finished the scarf and started on a blanket similar to what you see in the original pattern. I don't speak Dutch, but I was able to recreate the pattern and translate in English. This is my first time writing out a pattern so I hope it's easy to follow! I encourage you to check out the great blog and check out my translation below!

Find the original pattern and inspiration here!

With this stitch you can make it any length and use any size hook. It is a great pattern for a scarf or blanket and works really quickly. 

In my blanket I used a size (K) hook

Hobby Lobby "I love this yarn" colors

(White Sparkle, Pink Sparkle, Pink Neon, Pink, Mixed Berry)

Chain multiple of 3+1

Foundation Row: Chain Multiple 3+1 

1st Row: In second chain from hook 1 sc,*Ch 2, Skip 2 st, 1 sc* Repeat from *to* until last two stitches. In last two stitches 1 sc in each. Ch 3. TURN

2nd Row: 3 dc in 1st ch 2 spc, repeat across each 2 ch spc until last ch 2 spc, 3 dc in last ch 2 spc, skip sc in previous row and dc in last chain. TURN (do not chain)

3rd Row: 1 sc in same spc as hook and 1 sc in next st, *ch 2, 1 sc (in spc between each set of 3 dc)* Repeat from *to* until last sp, 1 sc in last sp, 1 sc in top of ch 3 (from previous row)

4th & 5th row: repeat rows 2 and 3 to desired length

Here is a visual pattern follow in case you have any issues with the written pattern. You can use as many colors as you would like for this stitch. I found using an odd number of colors works best. You can also use two colors and alternate to create a little pop of color in between rows. You can choose to weave in the ends and create a border crochet. With my scarf I left the the ends out to give it more dimension. 

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions with this stitch!

My next project..

If you know me, you know I get easily distracted and tend to go from one project to another. I have really set myself a goal that I will finish a project completely before I start new one.Here are a few things I have completed recently!

A super soft furry fleece blanket. I really want to make one in my size!

Simple fleece blankets

I really wanted to make a scarf for my daughter but I did not like the idea of a scarf wrapping around her neck. I played around and made this easy keyhole scarf. TUTORIAL COMING SOON!

DIY: Paint Chip Flower Art

DIY: Paint Chip Flower Art
Here is a quick tutorial for some great looking paint chip art. Great for a baby or kids room!
Materials:

• Canvas (Any size, I used 11x15)
• Scrapbooking tape
• Circle Punches (Any size, I used 1 inch & 1/2 inch
• Scissors
• Paint chip samples
• You can get these from any hardware store. I found some awesome metallic and glitter samples at Walmart

The total cost of this project is under $5. To save even more money you can use white paper or cardstock in place of a canvas. You can then frame it with a store bought frame or paint an old one!

• Use any size circle punches and make as many circles as you need to make a round flower. 
• I used a mixture of 1 inch and 1/2 inch circles but it can work with using only one size circle punch.
• I suggest laying it out for a rough draft before you start taping. 
• I like to use double sided scrapbook tape because it is less messy than glue but tacky glue can be used instead.
• Cut a small piece of scrapbook tape to the back of each circle and lay them out to create your flowers. You can have a variation of color, size and quantity of flowers. 
• Take green paint chips and cut to create the stem and leaves. 

Finally, hang your work of art and enjoy!

Getting Started

I am finally starting a blog! I have no clue how to do this but I know with time I will learn. I am a mother of a beautiful 1 year old girl and a lover of all things crafty. I would like to share things I find about life, love, parenting, crafts..EVERYTHING. So here we go!