Merry Christmas!!

I'm officially signing off here for a few days,but first I wanted to share the lovely picture above. I love the progression of faces on the angels, anticipation, marveling and then off into the Heavens singing...and Joseph looks so (appropriately!) tired! I've always had issues with shiny Nativity pictures with well rested, blonde people...ahem...most unlikely. ;) This painting is done by Brian Kershnik and might be my new favorite!

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas, and enjoy the entire season!!

Love,

Tilly

Christmas Crafting:: Pajamas

Every year new flannel pajama pants are at the top of my Christmas sewing list...I have been making them for my little brothers-in-law for several years, and my kids always adore the ones they get. Who wouldn't want to curl up in cozy flannel pants?? This year I also made some for my youngest brother and sister, who my kids had in our family gift exchange.

For all of the pants I used Simplicity's It's So Easy #3554. It really is "so easy", I actually lost the instruction page, but if you've sewn any sort of pants before the construction is very basic. I really like the cuff at the bottom, as I sort of loath hemming. :) Above are my siblings' pants--Max's on the left, Zelie's on the right. I didn't get a picture, but I like to put a ribbon loop at the center back so that they can identify the front and back, since there aren't really any other indicators, but it does matter!

And these are for Joe's youngest brothers, Thomas, Matthew and John (from left to right)...fingers crossed that they all fit!! I have to make some more for my own kiddos but those have to wait for when they are sleeping! ;) (Oh, and see the baby bump peeking into the shot?Almost to the third trimester!!)

Knitting Update part 3

In an effort to get slightly caught up before the swarm of Christmas gifts I will be sharing over the next weeks, I wanted to put up a few more knits that have been off of the needles for a while! First is Miss Jenny again, (really, I do knit for Anthony too, it's just harder to get pictures of him wearing it!!) in a modified version of the adorable Pebble Vest.

I used Lamb's Pride worsted in "Tormented Teal" and it was really nice to work with, after allot of wear it needs a shave/sweater stone to clean up some pilling but I don't mind that, and she LOVES the color! For notes on how I changed the pattern to make it fit my size 6 wearing girl, HERE is the Ravelry link. (BTW the fantastic skirt is made from the Oliver & S Lazy Days Skirt pattern!)

Then to prove that I really do knit for Bobby, here is his winter hat. ;) I made it out of Malabrigo worsted held double. The green is "Olive" and the blue/green multi is "Nostalgia". The pattern is the lovely "Thorpe" (rav link), and although it was kind of a pain to get started up at the top, it turned out just fine and over all was very fun to make. It's big on him now, so we should get a few years out of it, which is always nice! For my notes, it's HERE on Ravelry.

I hope you are all enjoying this Advent season, I can't believe that Christmas is a week away! I will be spending the weekend with my coffee and a huge sewing list, but I think I can still get everything done in time...ah the things we tell ourselves! ;) Happy last minute sewing/crafting/wrapping/decorating etc!!

~Tilly

Knitting Update part 2

My camera died, so until I get some better pictures of other projects with my iphone's camera the knitting posts are being delayed slightly. :) However, I did finish this project last night (or this morning really), and wanted to share it since they go with the hat in the last post.

These were such a quick, simple knit! The mittens are knit on two needles (although there is an option for in the round on dpn's) and the pattern has tons of sizes, which is fun, since I want to make them for all four of us. :) Since these pictures I have joined them with a crocheted chain, that runs inside her coat so she can't loose one. The "L" and "R" were because she is trying very hard to learn her left and right, and the mittens are made with a front and back so this made it easier than remembering which was which. The thumbs did turn out to long though, so I will be more aware of that while I make Bobby's pair. I asked her if she wanted me to fix them, but she said they were "good enough" like this. ;)

The Details

Pattern: Classic Mittens from Free Vintage Knitting Patterns

Size: Child's Medium, made a bit shorter than called for, and I should have shortened the thumbs too, so if your kids have pudgy hands sort of check as you go!

Yarn: Noro Kureyon colorway 270

Raveled here

I've already started on Bobby's, since he wasn't exactly thrilled that these were for Jenny! His are Cascade 220 Heathers and I'm making them navy and a spruce-y green striped! I SO SO want a pair too! ;)

Knitting Update part 1

It's that time of year...things are finally getting cold(er) here in Virginia and it's time to take stock of who needs some new hand-knits to stay warm. I'm a bit crazy about insisting that if it is below 65 my kids wear hats outside. My only delay was finding a pattern I liked for Miss Jenny this year, it needed to be quick and easy, but not just a super plain beanie. Kyrie, from one of my very favorite blogs, "Are So Happy", designed this wonderful pattern and is offering it on Ravelry. I knew instantly I had to make it, and a short trip to the yarn store later, Jenny had chosen this yarn for it...I think the colors are very "her", although not what I would have chosen...she has such a solid idea of what she likes, it's really fun for me to watch what she picks, knowing that never in a million years would I have chosen the same thing. It was very fun to work with and I got enough yarn to try some matching mittens next!

The Details

Pattern: Little Pip's Acorn Hat (rav link)

Yarn: Noro Kureyon in colorway 270

(I got mine at our LYS but this is a good online yarn resource)

Raveled here

This hat definitely benefited from a good blocking, right off the needles I was worried it would be to small, but after blocking it might even have a bit of growing room! Very fun pattern, don't be intimidated by the bobbles, once you start them they are very easy and SO fun to do!

{this moment}

In the words of Soulemama...

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo -capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

I finally finished Anthony's sweater... It still needs buttons, which will be sewn on as soon is it finishes blocking!! (In the background is Jenny's purple sweater from last year, I think I was able to stretch the sleeves a bit while washing so it might fit a bit better now!)

Action shots to come ;)

*GASP* A post!!

I feel like I should have to dust off the blog or something! :) I'm not really feeling very inspired to do a big post, but I did finish a little knitting project and thought I would share...

Bug needed a new hat for fall and this seemed like the perfect choice. I wish I had added a few more rows of the plain knitting so it covered her ears a bit better, but I think she likes it fairly well as is...I might crochet a scalloped edge around it or something for a bit more length, but we'll see. :) The pattern is Soulemama's Hat of Choice (linked a bit down this page), and the yarn is Brown Sheep Company's "Lanaloft" in Razzmatazz. It's a lovely yarn, but the colors proved to be a bit tricky to photograph...the first picture is closest. You can see my pattern mods HERE. It feels good to show a finished project again! I have a few other that need blocking and buttons, but they will make it up over the next few weeks.

In other news, you might have (or might not) noticed the new ticker in my right sidebar...yup, we're expecting Baby 3! I'm officially due on March 31st (lol) so that puts me at 15 weeks on Thursday. :) We wont be finding out the gender this time and that's really exciting! I figure we have had one of each around the same time so clothing will overlap nicely either way. I'm convinced it's a girl though, and I've been right with the first two...but we'll just have to wait and see!

August 14

I just wanted to let everyone know that I haven't abandoned this poor blog, but it's been a crazy summer for our family, with some big shifts in "normal". Once Joe's new work schedule starts up in a week or two I'll be back to regular posting again- I have lots to share and can't wait!

A quilt for my boy

About 1,000,000 months ago I started this quilt for Anthony. I don't exactly remember when...it might have been for his first Christmas, or maybe his second. Either way I started it and didn't finish it. (It needed to age for an appropriate amount of time in my WIP basket...)

Now that's he's sleeping in his own bed it's actually rather small. A little more than a yard square; which is a great snuggle size or baby quilt, but I do need to get moving on his actual toddler bed quilt. All of that being said, I LOVE this quilt. I doubt any other quilt will ever top it. It turned out exactly like I had hoped, sweet and snuggly, but still very sturdy and rustic...just like my boy! It's a very simple pattern, the khaki squares are from an old pair of Joe's corduroy pants, I alternated the "nap" so that the cord. rows go up and down in one block, then side to side in the next etc.

I did simple freehand quilting on it with embroidery floss. Big stitches, sort of straight rows, I didn't want anything fussy or to precise...it just didn't suit the project. I had it spread out and held together with basting pins (like bent safety pins) and I would work on one side and he would sit and watch on the other, then we swapped. ;) The quilt is full of memories like that...I pieced it in my grandmother's Loom Room (her studio for quilting, stained glass and weaving...bliss!) where I pieced my first quilt with my sisters; pants I got Joe for our first Christmas, and lots of time working on it with him "helping" me.

I finally sewed on the binding right before his birthday in May and he has been using it ever since. I wish I'd gotten pictures right away, because it has been through the wash at least a dozen times already and is getting a pleasantly "used" look to it. He drags it around everywhere and I know he's not ready to really start his day until he puts it down in the morning. So yes, I love it, but not as much as him! :)

Grrrrr

July 14

Hello! I just wanted to pop on here to say that I haven't given up this space, I'm just enjoying a bit of a summer break. I will be back here soon with lots to say and share (there's been some major knitting/crocheting/sewing happening here), and if all goes to plan (hahahahaha!) a give away is in the works. Okay, back to the house work. :)

Homemade Bread

Lately I've been trying to establish a weekly rhythm to help us get everything done. One thing I noticed was that I would plan to bake a few things (including bread) as part of our weekly menus, for sandwiches and the like, but then when it wouldn't happen I would have to scramble for an alternate lunch plan. Well...no more! I think Monday is the perfect day for baking around here. I'm always in the kitchen anyway, since there are usually some dishes to catch up on after the weekend, and since I'm still feeling a wee bit lethargic after two days of quietER to do lists, baking seems to be just the thing. This week I tested a new bread recipe that I really love! I have one other I would like to test, but I'm about 95% sold on this one...I just want to check the other out because well...you never know! ;) So...found on all recipes, here is my current favorite...

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 3 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup bread flour
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 cups quick cooking oats
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 4 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
• 2/3 cup brown sugar (I used turbinado)
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 10 cups bread flour

In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer, stir together 1/2 cup warm water, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 cup bread flour, and yeast. Let grow for about 5 minutes. It will bubble almost immediately.

Measure oats, 4 1/2 cups warm water, whole wheat flour, salt, 2/3 cup sugar, and 2/3 cup oil into the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed with a dough hook for 1 to 2 minutes. Increase speed slightly, and begin adding bread flour 1/2 to 1 cup at a time until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Humidity determines how much flour you need before the bread pulls away from the edge of the bowl. It is normal for the dough to be sticky.

Place dough in an greased bowl (*note* I had to use my two largest mixing bowls, and it really really filled them once it had risen! One bowl is certainly not large enough unless you have a Really Really mammoth fit-a-two-year-old-in-it bowl), and turn to coat the surface. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Divide dough into 6 pieces. Shape loaves, and place in greased 8 x 4 inch pans. Let rise until dough is 1 inch above rim of pans, usually 1 hour. (*note* clearly, I did this a bit differently, since I only have 2 loaf pans...I would really love to get some of these to expand my collection, but that's just currently not an option...so we have a variety to chose from!)

Bake at 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C) for 30-35 minutes, or until tops are browned. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

WIP Wednesday:: Better late than never!

How cute is that foot?? My third ever sock, from this pattern. I'm really loving it... hopefully I'll have the pair finished by the end of the week!

Jenny's New Dress

Okay, so since the pictures uploaded backwards, you get the peak at my current project first instead of last...no time to fight with blogger today! I'm sure you'll understand?

I completely love my rotary cutter and mat! Pink is definitely one of the best colors out there!

(organic vanilla chai in my favorite mug ~*yum*~)

Exciting stuff that! Hopefully I'll have more progress to share with you soon! Back to the regularly scheduled programing...

This has to be my favorite sewing project for a while now; it was such a sweet pattern and fits just exactly like I wanted it too. Isn't it nice when everything works?? I used an older pattern from my mom's stash; McCalls P465 from their 130th anniversary collection. For those interested, if you Google it there are lots of patterns available from small shops and on etsy; there is one with sizes 3-6 and one with 8-14. I made her a size 3, with the size 4 skirt length and it's the perfect length on her...she's not especially tall, I just like to start a dress with as much growing room as possible! The only other change I made was to eliminate the neck facings (hate them) and replace them with single fold bias tape that hand sewed down. The lace you can see at the neck is from the slip I made her with McCall's 4505, view A, (which I loved btw, very sweet and easy!). I'm excited to make her a few more dresses like this once I make some more progress on a few other projects. This should hold her for now though! Now for more pictures of my beautiful girl in her blue dress...

I just love that girl!

Little girls, in little dress that I made...

My niece's birthday is on Tuesday, so in honor of her fourth year I made her this dress. :) It was Simplicity 5695, in the size 4, with a pattern envelope worth of width added at the bottom (where IS my measuring tape??). I really love how it turned out, and I'm hoping to make several more dresses with this pattern. No buttons or zippers to catch on braids, I completely love the ruffle. :)

Miss Charlotte in her new dress...she's just the cutest thing ever! (8 braids for her octopus party)

Of course they were never standing still, but I realized that all three of the girls were in dresses I have made. !! Little Zoey's was Charlotte's Easter dress two years ago, Jenny's is her new dress (pictures coming tomorrow), and of course Charlotte was trying on her new dress right away.

Check back tomorrow for some new pictures of Miss Jenny and better pictures (and details) of her new dress. Enjoy what's left of your Sunday!

Plans for this weekend...

It's going to be a very pleasant afternoon around here, I'm making the above pattern (view D) for my niece's fourth birthday, and I have a slip to make for under Jenny's new dress...maybe I'll even get to the bloomers. :) Pictures of both dresses will be coming this week, so be sure to check back!

This morning it's off to the farmer's market to get our CSA share, then to go visit Joe's family while they're still in town. Then the sewing and gardening will begin...homemade pizza for dinner tonight! Oh, and I'm testing out a new bread recipe so if it's good I'll be sharing that this week as well.

Happy weekend!

~Tilly

WIP Wednesday:: My Home Management Guide

(the above picture has nothing to do with this post, but it was just so pretty I wanted to share!)

Lately things around here have gotten...well, chaotic. In the untidy sense! I hate it when the house gets like this (which lately has been most of the time), but always feel at a loss for what to do about it. I have toyed with the idea of a home binder before (FLYlady calls them control journals) but have never really taken the time to pull together even the basic steps. Mostly because I wasn't sure what they were! Enter this wonderful blog: Want What You Have, particularly This section. My friend shared the link with me and I've been working slowly but surely on it since that night. I have a long way to go, but I think that with the daily schedule and cleaning lists in place I have enough to start putting it into action! So I thought I'd give you a little peak inside what I'm working on... pictures should all be clickable if you want to read what I have.

For starters, my binder is a 3" wide Avery conference D-ring binder, with a one hand ring opener, front and back interior pockets and clear vinyl pockets on the outside. (sounds like a car, huh?)

(the section papers I have are from a system called the Maidservant, I never could get going with this one, but I do love the pages! The booklet that comes with it is helpful too) My first section is "Prayer", but right now it only has a layout of what to read each day to complete the Bible in a year. So I'll show that later when it's more useful. Today is about the "Cleaning" section.

Let me start by saying that I think the key to this thing working is the pretty paper. I got mine at Staples, and for about $14.00 I got 200 sheets and I L-O-V-E it! Opening up to see this really makes a big difference! I put all of my pages into clear page protectors, so they stay nice and neat and tidy. (And if I have changes to make I can either stick a tabby with my notes right onto it, or just write it on with a dry erase marker to be wiped off later.) Okay, where was I....

First I have our new daily schedule. New. Like, I just finished it. We start tomorrow, trying for a half day, and the after dinner part, we'll work our way up from there! It's simple and straight forward, and takes the thinking out of my day. Because really, I'm terribly scatter brained these days and I just can't count on my brain to be there when I need it!

Then I have my day-of-the-week jobs. When you're making up your lists, she actually has you make your daily tasks list first, (which I did) but for a two page layout, I liked having this next. A simple break down of what has to happen each day of the week to avoid a really big cleaning day. That works for some people I realize, but with two small children each day is too much of a variable to be able to say "Friday I scrub my whole house", where as I can plan an hour or two's worth of work and spread it out as I can over the day.

Flip the page and you will see my Daily Tasks. These are those jobs that absolutely must happen or you will be embarrassed to open the door all the way type things. Bare bones, "get these things done and you will be able to sleep at night" type things. I have planned 40 minutes in the morning, and 40 minutes in the afternoon, along with a few reminders of things I should be doing throughout the day.

Thursday is my Kitchen Deep cleaning day, so here I have all of my tasks listed out for that day.

Almost every day, in addition to the day-of-the-week jobs, I have a spot for one monthly/quarterly or bi-annual job. I can just choose which one I feel like doing/have the time for (etc.) and knock it off of my list so that I don't have to have just one giant day to take care of them all. An exciting idea, don't you think?

Now, this isn't in my binder, but it is helpful to me. I have another copy of my daily schedule printed up and in a clear page protector on my fridge. This allows for quick referencing, and serves as a visual reminder to stay on target throughout the day. (Jenny was thrilled that she got a piece of special paper lol)

And this little $5.00 magnetic white board is the best marriage tool ever! Joe likes me to just write what I need him to do/have on his radar down, but we were always loosing the list and it just wasn't working well. Neither was me "reminding" him. So this is great. :) I found it and the day of the week magnets at WalMart. I just jot down what I need him to do that day (a big job on the weekend or something like that), and when he gets home from work he checks it and most days he can get right to it. I don't have to remember (or forget) anything and he doesn't have to be "reminded" whenever I see him. ;)

Look out for some finished project posts coming soon!