Santa Bag In Progress

Two years ago, I made my daughter a SantaBag.  I had all the "ingredients" to make two-one for her, and one for myself.  As things go, I didn't get mine made that year.  I have started mine, finally, and will have it finished by Thanksgiving. (which, by the way, is coming up shortly)!  Can you believe it?  I misplaced September and October.

The SantaBag doesn't have a pattern.  It's just a box type bag with a zip top.  I've quilted red satin for the body, and it will be lined in red satin, also.  I have red and white candy-cane looking handles, and a couple pieces of  rhinestone bling for zipper pulls and key fobs.  It will be trimmed around the top with white fur, and will have white fur balls hanging from a satin ribbon, just like Santa's hat.  And, I have a tree ornament to hang on it also, which is my initial, done in silver and red, with rhinestones.  Today, I got the pieces quilted, and interfaced with Peltex.  I stacked three red buttons to use for feet, and have those sewn on.  I'll work it again tomorrow.  I'm thinking of Bunny as I'm sewing, because she makes some beautiful bags, and I think she's going to making some for holiday gifts this year.

Of course, I can't pass up a pattern on sale at Jos.  I was there a few days ago, and got a few Vogue patterns, and one McCall.  I have plans for V8624, a cute cocoon type jacket.  I bought a black/white rayon print for it.

A couple of weeks ago, I took a workshop at Needlework & Textile Guild of Michigan.  There's a workshop every month, and I attend all that I possibly can.  This workshop was "Nuno Felting" a silk scarf.  Basically, you layer wool roving, and ribbons, sequins, silk bits, etc. onto a silk scarf.  Cover with a thin gauze, wet with water and soap solution, make a jelly roll of it with bubble wrap, and roll the entire thing back and forth, felting the wool into the silk.  Fiber artists out there will know exactly how this process is done.  Here's my finished scarf.  It was laborious to say the least!

Knitting.  I finished this ruffley scarf.  It's made from Sashay by RedHeart.  The yarn is a mesh-type fiber, with silver metallic on the edge.  It's a no-brainer to knit-a good project to take along to knit when you're waiting for whatever.  Or whomever.  I have about 6 more skeins of this stuff to knit.



There was a big hoo-hah in the knitting community over KateMiddleton's knitted shawl that she was spotted wearing while grocery shopping.  It was all over Ravelry.  I downloaded a few patterns, and did some samples of the stitches used.  Then, Claire posted about the Kate shawl she was making, called "Ubiquitous Kate".  I found that free pattern at Ravelry also, and made a swatch of the stitch pattern.  Decided I liked it and ordered yarn from KnitPicks.  I'm using Gloss fingering yarn, in scarlet.  Gotta say I'm totally enjoying knitting this shawl.

I think that catches up what I'm doing creatively.  This week is not so busy for me as the last two, so I hope to get my SantaBag finished and maybe start on a jacket.  To those of you who got the surprise snow, I hope you had yourselves a nice sewing snow day!

My Frill and Top Off My Glass Please

I bought some lacy, meshy type yarn that, when knitted, forms ruffles.  This yarn looks like a tube, but when spread open, becomes a light, airy, open fabric.  Knitting sweaters in the summer doesn't appeal to me.  The thought of heavy yarn in my lap makes me hot.  But this very lightweight yarn works up into pretty, ruffled scarves, perfect for hot weather knitting.  There are several brands.  This one is Estelle's Frill Seeker.  I had to go to YouTube to see how to knit with it.  Yay for YouTube!

There is a quaint little town near me, Lexington, that is right on Lake Huron.  There are a lot of shops along the main street that cater to tourists. Gift shops, dress shops, ice cream parlors, etc., with old, creaky wooden floors.  It's a great place to spend the day and browse.  I saw these cute wine glasses and just couldn't resist.  I bought one for myself and one for my daughter.

It's a Mason jar on a stem!  Called "Redneck Wine Glass".  I've Googled them, and they are available online through several online stores, one being Amazon.  Love it!

I have the rain poncho lined and ready to top-stitch.  I'm not in love with laminated cotton.  It's heavy and I can tell, will be hot.  I will finish it though, put snaps on it and talk about it at Creative Clothing Club.  And I'll get into detail about it here in a few days.

Back to my Frills.