ashley-elva.com

Finally finished the pattern!

Ashley — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 01:20:10 +0000

I meant to write up the pattern to my Thunder Bluff Mittens, and it turns out I kind of forgot / put it off for a whole year. Oops. Well here it is now:

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Finishing up the quilting on the red star quilt

Ashley — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 01:20:02 +0000

DSC_6165, originally uploaded by kalamaridemocracy.

This thing is going so fast! I love it.

So I made this…

Ashley — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 21:48:23 +0000

DSC_6150, originally uploaded by kalamaridemocracy.

In about 4 hours total. Started cutting and piecing Friday night and assembled the blocks and border today. I should be working on my fall quilt, but its boring at the moment, and easy piecing is more my style. I am extremely happy with how it turned out. In fact, its supposed to be a wall hanging for Christmas and I want it to hang it right now.

I was reading this blog the other night, and I was really inspired by all of her scrappy quilts, and all the redwork she does. I’ve always wanted to do a crazy log cabin quilt out of scraps, and I was surprised at how fast it went. Most of the scraps are leftover from my tree skirt, and there are a few prints from Tula Pink’s Nest.

One of these things is not like the other

Ashley — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 04:12:30 +0000

I was really excited to start this quodiblet pattern I bought at a quilt shop on vacation. The “rails” blocks (pictured at the bottom) turned out really well. When I moved on to the checkerboard blocks I made some unfortunate color choices.

Yeah… the spots on the gold combined with the brown reminded me of an old spotty banana, not attractive and not even remotely matching the blocks I have already done. Oops.

Kitten

Ashley — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:47:16 +0000

DSC_6128, originally uploaded by kalamaridemocracy.

We got a tiny boy cat yesterday. Still deciding on a name. He wailed for most of the night, but then was very playful today during the day.

Pinterest as inspiration

Ashley — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:18:54 +0000

I saw this dress on pinterest the other day, and I had to have it. The image came from a French fashion website, so I knew it wouldn’t be easy or cheap to buy. Thats ok though, I’d much rather sew it myself.

The pattern I will be using is McCalls 6117 (which is apparently discontinued, although I just bought it a few weeks ago.) I’ll be using view c, top right. I will also need 2.5 yards of 60″ denim and white top stitching thread. The pattern matches the original dress almost exactly, but I will need to make pockets, and figure out some way to add the buttons to the neck opening.

4th!

Ashley — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:33:04 +0000

I’ve been enjoying my holiday weekend so far. Yesterday my husband and I headed to Ribfest in Naperville, and definitely had our fill of ribs and pulled pork. My favorite part, however, was getting to wear my new sun hat. I have wanted to buy a large summer hat for a few years, but I was always afraid that it would be too weird or ridiculous. I’m glad I caved though, because I got quite a few compliments yesterday on it and the rest of my outfit.

I don’t normally get really into the 4th or dressing in flag colors for the holiday, but I just really like the color combination. (Shh don’t tell anyone, especially my mom.)

The other advantage to the huge ridiculous hat is that it kept my face from being burned. In previous years I found it easier to stay inside all summer than to risk getting burned, but I would regret it later. I figure what is the point of nice weather if you can’t enjoy it. I have been quite careful this year and apply sunblock every day and even carry it around in my purse. I plan on enjoying this summer, and fingers crossed I won’t turn into a lobster.

We usually have plans for the 4th with another couple, but they decided not to get the fireworks this year or even do anything for it. I enjoy the small stupid firework (like a chicken that shoots sparkles out of its butt) over the large display, so I am sort of bummed. It still early though, I’m sure I can figure out something by tonight.

Nostalgia

Ashley — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:21:46 +0000

The last sewing machine I owned had a blind hem stitch setting, as well as the foot for it. Overall the $200 Viking machine worked really well for about a year, and then was painfully bad for another two. I was really disappointed in the very short shelf life of something that (to me) is quite expensive. I really do love my new quilting machine, but the fact that it has no zigzag or satin stitch whatsoever means that I can’t do buttonholes, overcast edges, or do a blind hem.

Hrm, I guess I will have to do all of that stuff by hand now.

Oh man

Ashley — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 20:44:49 +0000

DSC_5610, originally uploaded by kalamaridemocracy.

If I didn’t love this so much I would stop knitting. Three balls at a time is driving me bonkers.

So I have wanted to be a viking for Halloween for years

Ashley — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 19:46:57 +0000

But I never remember til about October 25thish, and it is way too late by then. I got an idea to knit a tunic out of metallic yarn to simulate chainmail, and the idea just kept running from there. I already bought the yarn, swatched, and started knitting today. I will be knitting this top down, though not raglan, and it will look something like this:

The column running down the front and around the point is a simple braided cable, and the rest of the body will be in garter stitch. The darker brown area will be a leather belt. I figured I would buy dark green leggings and brown leather boots for the rest of the outfit, and they can also be reused later for non costumey stuff. Needless to say I am pretty pumped about this idea. I really haven’t been this excited about a knitting project in a long time, and I haven’t designed something from scratch lately either.