Kim's Scarf

Christmas 2009 present for my sister. Pendleton wool scraps from the outlet shop in Portland with simple blanket stitching in cotton along the edges and a fringe on each end. Quick, easy, warm, and homemade. This year: aveda products from the shop next to the office for the mom of a ten month old little girl I can't wait to meet!

Playing with Lye

Now that presents have most likely safely arrived at their destinations I can begin to tell you about this year's offerings. The most unusual one for me was an experiment with soap making. I was invited to a soap making party back around Halloween as it takes about 60 days for curing and it was fast approaching that time frame. Which means that by the time Christmas rolled around I had totally forgotten about the soap and only found it again by chance!

This was a milk based soap and despite having read a few books in the past on the subject and deciding never to try this particular craft, I found it wasn't that bad. In no way does that mean I am going to start up a factory in the kitchen! Though I did get a soap mold for Christmas and am excited to try it out, I think I should be supervised for the next round or two.

I can attest to the fact that Tatonka thought it smelled good enough to eat, but I didn't try it out myself. So, if you got soap from me for Christmas, let me know, how was it? Did you eat it or wash with it?

Orange Socks for Toni

This is the time of year I love. Lots of elfing to be done and the excitement of hearing how much your elfing is appreciated. Except that I'm all done and stuff is sent off and I can't blog about it yet. So instead, let me show you other things I have somehow managed to finally finish during the semester, like these fun socks I made for my girl, Tonette.

I started this project an embarassing number of years ago and finally finished them in September for Toni's birthday. I mailed them last week. She loves them. Even though one is a pattern repeat longer than the other. No, I didn't get tired or run out of yarn, the longer one was made second....while I was tired and watching tv and didn't notice I was one repeat overdue.... Luckily Toni loves funky and reports repeated wearings already. That's the kind of reaction that keeps the homemade gifts coming!

QG 2010

Welcome to the 10th annual Linn Family Quilt Gatherin' folks! While normally a visit to Eastern WA would fry your heart soul when you live in AK, this year it just got soggier. That's right, I came all this way and all the weather y'all had for me was muggy and rainy and hail and torrential rain. No project pictures for you, just the send off at the end. I think this is the first year that I left this early. Last year I was the last to leave. It was awesome to see everyone, never long enough and super good food. I brought a whole action packer of stuff to Mom and picked up a bag full of goodies from a collection of people. Next year I'm going to twist the arms of a couple more girlfriends and get them to come join in the fun too. Next year I'm going to take a whole week off and have myself a shop hop in addition to the family hop. And I'll use that canoe I had the fun of bringing up from Portland. See you all then, with a slew of completed projects to hand out. Maybe I'll just move my Christmas giving to then......

Necklace Extravaganza

I will admit that the overcast days and rain is starting to get to me. How much can a person ride their bike, run, hike, and boat in the rain before they declare themselves soaked? I think I have webs growing between my toes. It doesn't help that I'm training Tatonka a ton this summer and it usually rains on us on our 2+ hour sessions. So I've been a little more active inside than usual for an Alaskan summer. I'm finally tackling some projects that have been sitting around way too long. If I have moved it twice (or more) I aim to move it no more. This mantra drove me last Sunday (not yesterday) to finish listening to a history lecture series loaned to me by my uncle (I needed to return it last weekend) and tackle the growing pile of necklace projects on my craft table.

I bought the supplies for these three necklaces a couple years ago. My intention was to make them and take them as prizes for my family's annual Quilt Gathering, but somehow they never got done. I have moved them twice, so...... it was time. I got all three done in time to package up and take with me last weekend to this year's 10th Annual Quilt Gathering. They must have been a hit because the matrons who got them wore them all weekend. Of course they also wore everything else they got, but I'm telling myself they were a hit.

I also attached the chain and clasp and added the blue bead to the nest for a new necklace for myself. I bought the supplies for this one about a year and a half ago, but have moved it twice too. I poached the chain from one of my repair projects, three necklaces on a theme that I found I didn't wear often because I didn't like the length. So I shortened them and repurposed the extra chain. I repaired a couple other necklaces and am happy to have them back in circulation. And very motivated to hang up my necklace rack in my new place so I can stop untangling what I want to wear in the morning off the doorknob.

Mystery Daisy Quilt for Mom

What feels like several years ago, but I know can't be more than 1.5, I selected fabric for a quilt for Mom and Sis and headed south. Believe it or not, this is the same pattern I used for my animal print quilt for myself, done in a mystery quilt workshop on the island.

Mom had never done a mystery quilt with rotary cutting, and I thought this would be a great project. She made the one for Sis while I made this one for her. We got the tops cut and assembled over the weekend.

Adding borders took me forever as I had at least four quilts at that stage. And of course I didn't buy enough fabric for the borders I ended up wanting, so I had to address that challenge. And then the back I sent down to the fearless Bearly Quilted had too high of a thread count and was giving her fits. Luckily she knows me well enough she was able to substitute with another she had on hand. Doesn't she do the most amazing quilting? I love her work and hope to some day be able to do such a good job with my own machine. I guess having a machine would be instrumental in that. And having a place to put the machine would be important to address before making such a purchase.

I started the binding when I was in limbo between Heaven and 701. I needed something for my hands to do while I was mindlessly sitting in front of the tv. So I started it by hand. It was difficult to stick to that when a few days later I had access to my machine again, but I did and I'm glad. It adds a nice touch. That's what I'm telling myself because we all know you can't see it and it makes no difference.

Black Leaf Hat

This is another Christmas present I made this year. I have also not received confirmation of it's receipt Ahem....

I think this is the fourth time I have made this hat. I first made it in red with someone in mind, but liked it so much I kept it. Then I made it in pink, then green (which got admired so much it got given away), and finally this one. The pattern is from Knitty and is very fun.

Flax and Wool

I have not yet actually heard from the recipient that this Christmas present was received, but since others in the household have reported receiving their gifts, I am forced to make an assumption with this one.

Ahem, anyway......I got the pattern for this piece a few years ago from a little shop in Grants Pass Oregon. I bought the hand dyed thread and linen in Portland. The pattern actually calls for some additional bling, but when I got to this point I decided it didn't need anything more, so I stopped.

The recipient is a fiber artist extrordinaire, so stitching something for her is always a little intimidating. However, I know she would never stitch this for herself. Someday I hope her spinning lessons and sheer insistence that it is possible will enable me to unlock the secret to spinning.

I sent this piece without framing as she has someone who can make her a better frame than most pro shops I have taken pieces to. And failing that the one shop I have been impressed with is in the town she lives in. Lucky that.

Flannel Bear Pillowcases

For some reason this picture insists on turning sideways. This was what I made my mom for Christmas this year. She likes bears and paisley fabric so when I was store-sitting for my friend in Coopers Landing I did a little shopping in the flannel aisle. All seams are french seams, which is far less daunting than it used to be and I like it more than serging. Especially since I don't have a serger.

Carpet Bags

I made this pair of carpet bags for my cousin and her beau for Christmas. They were inspired many months ago (probably years if I think too hard) and were a lot of fun to make.

I had in mind that they might occasionally get a weekend away and these would be fun bags to check into a B&B with. They are focused around tapestry scenes, 3"x5", that I found and thought they would like. I rounded up several pairs of jeans from thrift stores around the state in coordinating colors and belts for the handles. Originally I intended to put something stiff in the bottom, but couldn't find anything to fit the bill when the time came.

I also could not decide on a closure, so I left that up to them to add as they are crafty people and were delighted with this. They are lined with a different batik, one has seashells and one reminds me of the ocean. Both have an inside pocket and the front of the top of a pair of jeans on one side and the back on the other. Then I just added pieces as I saw fit until they were a size I thought appropriate.

Weiner Dog Vest

I'm very excited that Christmas presents have been arriving and I can finally start posting about them. I made this fleece vest for Smokey's mom. She got a little weiner dog, Lola, last year and I picked up some fabric from my girlfriend's quilt shop in Cooper's Landing that had weiner dogs on it that reminded me of her. I've had this piece of blue fleece since I lived in Fairbanks over 10 years ago and always had in mind to make a vest out of it. The two pieces cames together just right. Smokey helped me pick out striped ribbon to finish of the edges. He was even gracious enough to undo the first round of binding with it on the collar. The gift was a success and is on it's was to Texas for vacation.