For the Granddaughters

These are little beaded crochet amulet bags to wear around the neck.  They can hold all the magic, amulets, charms etc. a girl possesses...or maybe they will hold some spare change and/or a dollar bill and some chap stick.  Who knows? They are Christmas gifts for the two granddaughters.  

I also bead crocheted a couple of wrap bracelets with button closures for them. 

They are the ones who like to dress in black now. I would rather have made them in all sorts of colors but they aren't for me. 

And I finished crocheting another hat for the hat pile. 

This was goal #18

for Finish-A-Long 2016

I finished one in purple/gray for the other granddaughter quite some time ago. 

A Hat. How About That!

I finished yet another hat for one of the granddaughters. The granddaughters love hats and will get quite a variety from this granny for Christmas. 

This was my goal #17 

for 

Q4 Finish-A-Long 2016

It's Not All Just Non Stop Quilting Around Here

I finished crocheting "Pixie Hood" for one of my granddaughters.  I recently found out she has a fascination for hats so I've started making some for her for Christmas.   I made this with a yarn I've never used before - reflective yarn. Those white splotches reflect light and there's kind of a glow in the dark effect. What fun.  And woe is me... I had to try and try again in order to get that front section of the hood right. Those were some new-to-me stitches. 

When I showed the granddaughters this book this is the one I expected Isabelle to pick as a favorite and she did. A "Pixie Hoood" is totally Isabelle. At age 11 she dresses in a rather Bohemian (artsy-fartsy) way.  And I think that's a good thing. She already has her own style and is not preoccupied with brand names. 

This was my goal #21     for    Finish-A-Long Quarter 2

And since I've finished this pixie hood I'm going to start another hat today.

 I work a few rounds of crochet...

... when I take a break from working out in the gardens.  

I guess crochet stitches are hand stitches (no machines involved in this process- just some old fogey hands and a crochet hook and yarn) so I'm linking up today with 

Slow Sunday Stitching (and for me, gardening) at Kathy's Quilts

and Monday I'm linking with: 

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Still Big Stitching

Well, you can't really see the big stitching going on in this photo but it's happening.  Right now I'm using navy perle #8 to big stitch around the basket parts. 

In crochet news...I usually make the grandkids a stocking cap and scarf each year for Christmas. I saw these balls of textured yarn with a pompom on top and thought they might be unusual and cute.  Package said it would make a small adult hat and instructions were included. Ok...so I started crocheting the hat. Instructions said to keep on keeping on until yarn was almost gone.  Well, that's what I did. No way in H..E..Double Hockey Sticks is that a small adult hat.   And, now that I look at the price I paid for the darned yarn that should make a small adult hat I'm really mad.  I hope the stuff was on sale and I didn't pay full price. If I did I must be getting senile. 

At any rate I found some yarn left over from crocheting dishcloths and figured it might match enough so I can finish up the small adult sized hat I thought I was making.  Don't know what I'll do with that pink stuff.  If I was a "returner" I'd take it back from whence it came...pompom and all.  But I'm not a "returner" and besides, it would probably take the same amount in gas to get to the other side of town  from where I work to return it. 

Well, instead of slow burning I need to get back to some slow stitching. 

Slow Stitching? Join us at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching. 

I Think I Need to Settle Down for a Long Winter's Nap

This weekend the  granddaughters finished up the hand sewing on the little pillows they made for their moms and dads. They both just turned 9 and this is their first sewing project.  They actually made the pillows this summer but never wanted to take the time to sew them shut. But, with Christmas approaching they decided they better get to work so they could get them wrapped.   Isabelle was in tears when she noticed that she had a little hole in hers but felt better when I showed her I could easily fix it for her. 

Jacob is only 4 so he hasn't had a turn yet on the sewing machine but he was certainly interested in cousin Kayla's sewing.  I told him I'd show him how to do that when he was a little older but he said...

...no way! Sewing is for girls! 

(Just wait, Jacob!)

Isabelle was proud of her work. She hand picked each scrap she used just for her mom and dad. She thought the pillow might be a little small but I explained to her that it's just right to put behind a back or a neck. 

Kayla is mighty proud too. The other side of the pillow is all Kayla - full of pink and hearts. 

They wrapped their pillows (I couldn't convince them it is easier to use a gift bag)  and the ornaments they all painted for mom and dad.   We made some Christmas cookies, put some clingy decorations on the windows and finished with some other decorations. 

Now that they are gone I feel like I need a nap but it's way too early for bed so I'll just relax with some of my own slow stitching.  

I had tried to crochet a cloche to go with some scarves I crocheted for the granddaughters but it didn't seem to be turning out right and I can't try it on them if they are getting the scarf and hat for Christmas so I decided to crochet a headband for them instead. I figured that would be safe.   I finished one and am almost finished with the other. 

The ruffly scarves they match. 

The funny thing is that they put in orders for slouchy beanies- one in red and the other in green.  And Jacob wants a blue scarf. 

After I finish up the headband  I will be stitching down the binding on the remaining quilt I need to finish for Isabelle...

...and snack on a few of those very sugary sugar cookies the kids made. 

If you are doing any kind of slow stitching then get on over to Kathy's Quilts and join the Slow Stitching Sunday linky party. 

It's Time Again for Some Slow Stitching on Sunday

I've finished the details on my applique butterflies. 

I finished up 13 of them and thought that meant I would be half way toward my goal of 48 blocks but I only have 22 completed blocks. 

I'm using 30s reproduction fabrics and hoping to make a quilt similar to the one my grandma made and I inherited.  I may not work on any more butterflies until next year. I need to finish up a few more Christmas gifts first. 

I also just completed a couple of curly crochet scarves for the granddaughters for Christmas using a pattern from MyMerryMessyLife.com ...

...and I was going to crochet a cloche I saw on About.com in matching yarn for the granddaughters but I think I will unravel it and try a different pattern. My gauge is right and I followed the directions for the correct head circumference but the hat just seems too loose fitting.  I'll set the hats aside for now...

...and go back to working on the embroidered pillowcases for my daughter.  That's one slow stitching project I didn't work on from last week.  Hopefully they will be finished by next week if I do some more work on them tonight and throughout the week each night after work. 

Doing any slow stitching today? If so join in the fun at Kathy's Quilt's Slow Stitching Sunday linky party. And if you aren't doing any slow stitching today you can just go admire all the work that others are doing today.