One chapter ends and another begins!

For my girl that is! She's come to the end of high school! I can't believe it in some ways - seems like just yesterday she was off to kindergarten! Next up after the summer will be university! Time flies!

Receiving her Grade 12 diploma!

All grown up and ready to celebrate!

Getting things done!

How has so much time passed since my last posting? I honestly have no idea where the days go right now!!!I’ve got some knitting FO’s to show and am kind of excited because it’s been a long while since I’ve had much knitting mojo going on!

First up is my Plath Cardigan. I originally started it back in May ’09 as a maternity cardi when I was still pregnant with Baby Bean. How I ever thought, knowing me and my procrastination, that I would finish a cardigan and have any chance of wearing it, when starting it in May and being due in July is beyond me! Of course it didn’t get finished!

I hauled it back out of hiding a few months ago (and literally it was hiding – couldn’t find it for the life of me for a bit – turned out it was in with my knitting stash of all places. Imagine that! Knitting hiding in with the knitting supplies… Go figure!) Anyways, it was looking dicey for finishing it in time for this pregnancy too with my lack of motivation to knit anything, but I persevered a bit at a time and lo and behold, finally finished it last week! The sizing isn’t great for me; it’s a touch big under the arms, but all things considered not too bad. I’m feeling a bit “meh” about it, not sure I really like it, heck I’m not sure I like it at all, but it’s done and maybe it’ll grow on me (or I'll grow into it) over the next couple months!

And seeing as how I’m now starting into my sixth month along in this pregnancy and had not yet knit a single stitch for this wee baby, I felt I really should do something! I’m going to make a Baby Shell (great little pattern from a mom I know in my mommies group on Rav), but can’t find my circ that I need and so far have been too busy to go actually buy a new one. So on Saturday I came to the conclusion that I needed something to start. Anything as a matter of fact!! So I grabbed a pattern, some needles and a ball of yarn as I headed out to the truck to go to the Manitoba Highland Gathering for G’s competition. In the time it took us to drive there and half way home I finished a sock! I don’t think I was ever at risk of succumbing to 2nd Sock Syndrome with this pair! They were just that quick and easy! Love a pattern like that! (by the way - the socks are actually a lovely pale blue - not gray... guess that's what happens when you take a picture when it's pouring down rain in the evening even using a flash didn't help.)

I also made a new skirt last week! Yes, I do realize I’m sort of addicted to the Florinda pattern, but it is a seriously easy and comfy skirt to make! I didn’t bother lining this one, so I think it took me less than an hour to make. This is from the $5.00/metre fabric I mentioned last time, so for maybe $10.00 (including fabric, the jersey knit for the panel and elastic), I have a new skirt. I think I’ll wear it to G’s high school graduation on Friday evening!

Speaking of G’s graduation – how on earth did she ever get old enough to graduate from high school??? – I need to make her clutch. I’m using this tutorial from U handbag.

Next up is focusing on making the crayon rolls for Baby Bean’s first birthday party. I really want to do some “loot bags” for the little ones and I’m figuring crayon rolls, pad of paper, bubble solution and maybe if I’m organized enough some homemade play dough and a cookie cutter. If I just get the crayon rolls done I’ll be thrilled! (I’ve 8 to make, so I really need to get cracking on it!) I’ll let you know how it goes!

I'm in. Hook. Line. Sinker.

Or maybe I should say, "Needle, Thread, Fabric"

I know I've been extolling the virtues of Moda pre-cut fabrics lately, really I'm starting to feel like a bit of a walking advertisement for them, but I just can't seem to help myself.

Being new and therefore incredibly inexperienced in the world of quilting I like the thought of anything that makes it a bit easier for me to progress in my quilting abilities and these pre-cut goodies seem to be just the thing to help me along. I can't (or won't because it's a bit embarassing) tell you how much time I spend online these days oogling fabric and patterns. Plotting and planning projects. Too bad I don't get near as much time to actually sit down and sew! All in time though... all in time.

As you might notice I've added a few new things to my list of, well, "favourite things" and now because of one of those, I now have to go add another to my list. V and Co. has a giveaway on her blog right now sponsored by Green Fairy Quilts. Because that's all I need in my life... yet another website to go to for hours on end! ha ha! But I think I'm actually in love. I really like how their site is laid out - and the prices look great! I forsee some shopping in my very near future! Eeek! (I believe my credit card is now trembling away in fear...).

I am taking part right now in a charm square swap with my Mommies group over on Ravelry and because we've all been talking quilting and charm squares lately, we've lured a few more previously non-sewing mommies into the fold. We're going to have a second charm square swap coming up soon so they can partake as well and so I am going to completely justify any purchases in the near future as necessary for my swap participation. How's that sound?

On the sewing front at home, I ditched the cat pee batting - (BF)G raised a very good point when he said, "What if you can't smell the pee anymore after it's washed, but the cats can and keep peeing on it?" I near well died at the thought of that, so out it went. Good thing I got such a good deal on it or my thrifty (ok, cheap) side would have had a bit of coronary over tossing it out! I grabbed the spare batting out of the closet and set to work on making my Charm Squares Baby Quilt sandwich, pinned it all to death and have started machine quilting it. I am pretty happy so far with my efforts and hope to have a chance to do a bit more soon. I also finished sewing all my blocks together for the Oh Cherry Oh baby blanket. Only now I really, really like it and am contemplating getting another honey bun and making the whole thing bigger. To heck with baby blankets... I'm thinking picnics in the park type blankets instead. We'll see!

Oh and I fell victim to the siren call of some pretty black and white cotton the other day at the fabric store. It was $5.00/metre. I figured I couldn't go wrong. I think this momma's going to get yet another skirt!

On the knitting front - Plath is coming along. Slowly but surely. I'm working on the ribbing of the placket and bottom right now. It's taking forever. I may have had this little baby before I ever get it finished at this rate...

Now, off to go ponder what fabrics I really must have! :)

Anyone want a cat? How about three?

I'm feeling a wee bit more than a little defeated in my quilt making efforts. Not because of the fabric. Not because of the quilting. No indeed. I've been beaten. By my cats.

I lovingly draped the quilt tops in progress, along with the batting and backing for one over top the jolly jumper that currently resides in my sewing corner of the basement. I figured it was a good way to keep them nice and pretty and out of the reach of drooly dogs and shedding cats. It was working like a charm. Until yesterday that is.

I came home after a lovely afternoon and evening to find, much to my horror, that my whole neatly draped pile of fabric was in a heap on the floor underneath the jolly jumper. I was annoyed that it was heaped up like that, but figured all that would be needed would be a quick pressing of the tops and the backing and I'd be right back on track. Being late, I decided it would be prudent to just hang them back up and deal with them today instead.

As I picked them up it hit me. Like a tonne of bricks. That unmistakable odour of cat pee. I am out for kitty blood at the moment. (and a way to wash my batting prior to using). GRRRRRRRR.

In happier and more exciting news, I have baby to be's first photos in my possesion. I love this one in particular where baby is looking all snug as a bug in a rug!