Some Things Just Go Together

I recently had fun putting together a gift for a fundraiser. If you've read this blog before, you'll know that I'm addicted to knitting baby caps. So, naturally, I included one in the gift. I combined this supper-soft ivory merino wool

with this super-fine pale pink cashmere/silk blend

to knit this wee cap.

Then I added this sweet baby book (no bias at all involved here;-)

which made for a lovely gift.

All the best,

Judy Ann

More Crafty Fun

We've had enthusiastic crafters these past couple of weeks at the little Glanworth library. I like it when I prepare a craft, and the kids have fun putting their own creative spin on my ideas. Isn't this a cute little snail? Almost as cute as the little crafter!

Even though it is mid-November, we were able to take a photo on the front porch!

One week earlier, I prepared an owl craft. Once again, my creative kids made the craft their own.

And sometimes, they want to make something completely different!

All the best,

Judy Ann

Funny Little Caterpillars

Sometimes when I just can't think of a fun craft to do at the Glanworth Library, I turn to one of my favourite crafty items, buttons. I took a pipe cleaner and bent it in half, and threaded a colourful wooden bead onto the bent end. I added a bit of white glue to hold the bead in place, leaving a little bit of pipe cleaner  sticking out of the bead to look like a nose. (Hm-m, does a caterpillar have a nose??) Then I threaded on buttons, in a pattern or not, for the body. I twisted the pipe-cleaner ends together to make a short tail. For antennae, I took a small piece of pipe cleaner, wound it behind the head bead and curved up the ends. I love googly eyes so I glued them in place, then used a permanent marker to add a small smile. The kids who made button caterpillars loved them!

Aren't they adorable?

All the best,

Judy Ann

The Story of a Baby Quilt

This past summer I started working on a quilt for a very special baby. I've liked the pinwheel block for a long time and decided to use it to design a playful quilt. I went to one of my favourite quilting shops, Hyggeligt, to look at fabrics. I fell in love with Oakshott cottons in soft colours, so I bought a bundle and a few half-yard pieces.

I really like how soft and natural the colours look with different warp and weft threads. I cut and stitched the pinwheel blocks and laid them out to see how they all worked together. Other than the wrinkles, I was liking the overall design.

We spent a week at my sister's cottage so I had a chance to stitch the blocks together. I hung the quilt top over the ironing board to take this photo and that's why it looks a little see-through with background lighting from the windows.

 I was pleased with how it was turning out. I wish I could say that I quickly sandwiched and stitched the quilt, but it took me a couple of months to get it finished. 

In the meantime, perfect Baby Taylor Jean was born, so that gave me the opportunity to stitch her name into the quilt.

I also stitched it full of love!

 I enjoyed doodling all over Taylor's quilt, but tried to be consistent in outlining each green pinwheel blade.

On the back of the quilt you can see just how much doodling I did!

I love making quilts, but the very best part is the giving. A quilt never looks better than when it is wrapped around a baby. And what a beautiful baby, just like her mom.

 All the best,

Judy Ann