Monday, January 23, 2012

Pinning Away

Like most people I know, I have been trying to make some of the things I pin on Pinterest. I saw that Audrey had pinned this gorgeous scarf sometime this fall.


Not wanting her to know I was being sneaky, I didn't pin it on any of my boards, but followed the link to the pattern and got a-knitting. I couldn't start it until I was finished with Ellie's stocking, so on Christmas Day she opened a two-thirds finished scarf still on the needles, but she didn't mind! I finally finished it last week and gave it to her this weekend.

My friends and I made these ornaments with our daughters on Dec 22nd. I have no idea how the Pinterest one looks so good - after we all tried with our under-one-year-old babies we figured it must be fake. Oh well - it's the sentiment that counts!

Ellie is not a baby that wears many headbands. I don't particularly care for the giant, larger-than-the-child's-noggin bows that some moms put on their babies. But these little flowers are too cute!! They make lovely adult headbands as well. Audrey and I like ours more than Ellie likes hers.

This weekend I started on this knitted herringbone cowl. It's VERY long and I got bored after I cast on 165 of the 220 stitches, so mine will not be as long as the one pictured, but it will still work. I also started with some random yarn I had lying around, but I don't have the heart to take apart what I've done thus far, so, if I ever finish it, it will be cheap acrylic aqua yarn, not the deliciously soft ecru alpaca the pattern uses.

Now for the big finish! Audrey loaned me one of her sewing machines so that I might have an easier time making little dresses, etc for Ellie. Can you believe this is her spare machine?!? (Aud has some wicked sewing/quilting skills.)

The one I had been using belonged to my Grams and, judging from the user manual, was purchased circa 1971.

Once I had the bobbin correctly threaded (which took MUCH longer than it should have), the whole dress only took about thirty minutes to make! Then I quickly made some fabric-covered buttons and learned how to make button holes. Here's the finished dress - I hope it doesn't look too 'home sewn'!


The best part about this particular project for me was the vivid memories it brought back of my mom. She sewed all of my Easter dresses until I was ten or so, and even made me a dress for Winter Formal one year in high school. The sound of fabric shears, the humming of the machine - I could see her sitting at her little sewing table making pillows or curtains or a table runner for the dining room - and thought of how happy she would be that I am trying to do the same for Ellie.

What's up next? I might try sewing this travel chair or making these penguins.

OMG!  I <3 penguins!!
all non-personal images via Pinterest

2 comments:

Pocket said...

Awww!! That dress is so adorable! Ellie is so lucky to have a Mama with such talent! The way you feel about sewing is the way I feel about baking pies - it's like you're channeling your mother's energy and love into everything you do! What a way to honor her, she must think Ellie is the most well dressed girl in this world!

Mags said...

Oh you've done really well with Pinterest for sure! And yay for the awesome sewing machine!!