2022 in Review

 

Here are my finishes and some of the projects I worked on in 2022.  So many things not pictured though, that are in process.  Had to include my two babies as well.  So proud of what they have accomplished in 2022 and continue working on for 2023!

Ringing in the New Year with a nice, quiet, day at home with the love of my life!  We will hit 28 years married later this year.  And of course, I will squeeze in some sewing as well!

Best Wishes to all  in 2023!

January Wrap Up

 I had 23 days in January that I did some crochet or sewing or both.  To me that is a major win since it seems I haven't been finding much time to do those things in the last few months.  

Yesterday I finished a baby quilt that will make its way in the mail today for my daughter to give to a friend.  

This is actually the second one I made since the quilting came out awful on the first one.  I wasn't paying attention to the back since my long arm has been doing well with many previous quilts and it ended up loopy.  Not so bad that I can't finish the edge and donate it but too bad too make a gift of it.  I am much happier with this one overall- liking the random placement of blocks better than the original diagonals.  

My other finish for January was the quilt inspired by the Ron Weasley knitted blanket.  I have been enjoying its warmth in the evenings as I crochet or watch TV.  My kitty likes it too.  One night, when I couldn't sleep, I came down to find her cuddled up on it on the sofa.  She is enjoying cuddling with me in the evenings on it as well.  

Here is the pretty girl, enjoying another favorite spot.  

She is having lots of freedom this week because our puppy is away at boarding school.  I see him this afternoon and he will be done and come home on Saturday.  We have had our first lesson with him a few days ago and it is amazing the things he has learned!  I hope that, upon his return, we can convince the kitty that he is a nice boy and she can come near without him chasing.  She is not very trusting though...

I hope to get some time with this project this week but there are so many that need attention.  AND, my two tubs of scraps are getting out of hand and really calling for a coin quilt to be made and some more spider web blocks to be built.  

We are also trying to get our kiddy cottage on the market.  So, there are many projects that need doing that will prevent the sewing.  Then there is that thing that most of us are required to do, called WORK.  Ugh!  It really gets in the way of my crafting.  

Ron Weasley's blanket/quilt

 I finished the Ron Weasley Blanket-inspired quilt.  Here are some up close pictures of my really awful quilting...I followed designs that I printed up from online pictures, mixed with free motion waves.  I have never been great at free motion quilting and tracing these patterns with my long arm was just as bad.  However, I am happy with the quilt.  It is going to be a great sofa quilt.

  

I think Ron and Harry would approve.  

I did very little crochet this weekend but am plugging along...

Blue/bright granny square will be a lap blanket.  The granny rectangle will be another lap blanket and the square is one for the Ron Weasley crochet blanket.  

Very happy to have had the long weekend to work on this quilt and have a finish.  So many more to go...

Mischief Managed

 

I got the Ron Weasley Blanket-inspired quilt top put together.  Then I searched and searched for a piece of flannel that I KNOW I HAVE- white with the HP characters on it.  Can't find it anywhere!!!

I have other HP fabrics I could use but I really wanted flannel...I know I will find it-after I finish this quilt probably!

Here's some more views...

Here is the next project I cut out so that it can eventually serve as another leader and ender- simple Irish chain so once I have the 3 square units made with strip sets, I can sew them as L&E.  

Much accomplished for a Sunday, though I have ignored many chores that need to be done...

Weekend sewing- Friday Night with Friends

 

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to sew on Friday night as planned- nothing is working as planned so far for the New Year...

I did get some time yesterday though.

I started a spur of the moment idea for a leader's and enders project.  Tested these and will finish getting it cut out today, hopefully.  I am putting lots of UFOs together so need Leaders and Enders for between rows etc.  

I love bees and have quite a collection of bee fabric.  Two other bee quilts in the works.

I got two more Weasley Blanket blocks crocheted on Thursday.  

I did go purchase more yarn a few days ago so that I would have enough variety of accurate colors.  

These one color blocks take just a few minutes and I love doing them.  They are relaxing and I feel like I am making progress.  

I hope I will have a quilt top to show by the end of today, as well as a new outlook for the New Year.  Focusing on recentering and reorganizing from the crazy start I have had to 2022.  

Happy sewing!

Harry Potter Inspiration

 

After watching the 20th reunion celebration, my husband and I have been inspired to re-watch all the HP movies.  We are up to Goblet of Fire which we watched last night, so only 4 more to go.  I also decided to reread the books.  I am on Chamber of Secrets.  And, I have always wanted to recreate Ron's blanket and finally feel like I understand crochet enough to go that route, though the original is knitted.  My blanket will not be identical- only inspired by...I won't be bothering with creating diagonal lines, but will look at colors and thickness of lines for inspiration.  I will also be using my stash so not all the colors will be exact.  

I started yesterday and have 4.5 blocks completed.  I am sewing in ends and putting the blocks together as I go along.  I created my own pattern but there is a book on Kindle Unlimited with patterns for a crochet version.  

Here is my first block.  I chained 25 which made the block exactly 8 inches.  I am using half double crochet (US terms) and each row has 23 stitches.  The chain 2 at the beginning of a row does not count as a stitch.  I thought I would do 20 rows but, as it turned out, 19 rows made it exactly 8 inches square.  

I am using mostly "I Love this Yarn" from Hobby Lobby- in a number 4 weight.  I am using a 5.5 MM/I-9 hook.  

Here is one way to test for squareness in addition to measurement.  I am not one to block my crochet unless it is just really out of whack...

For block number two, I did 6 rows of red, 7 rows of white, and 6 of blue.  

In the reproduction and reference materials I found online, there are 80 blocks in this blanket so that is what I will be aiming for.  That will make my blanket 64 by 80 inches.  That is if I decide it does not need any sort of border when finished.  

If you have made this blanket, or decide to try your own, I would love to see pictures and have updates on your process!

I used the gold from the first block to do a single crochet to put them together.  I like the ridge that is left on one side of the blanket and will make sure all the joins are on the same side.  If you look at the one in the movie, it appears to be joined with black and it does have a slight ridge as well.  

My husband said he thought, when I was printing out all the pictures for reference, that I was going to reproduce it as a quilt-not a bad idea so...

I only have two more days before I return to work after the Winter Holiday.  So many ideas and unfinished projects and NEVER enough time!!!