"It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

...everywhere you go." -- all 'round my house, anyway!

Of course, when November opens with a snowstorm -- and when another happens two weeks later -- and then the temps drop below -20 C (-26 C with the Wind Chill)...I've been hunkered down with my kitties, and Christmas handwork has begun in earnest.

One of my cousins "back East" is expecting his first grand-baby sometime in December, so a crib quilt is under construction.  When I asked Grandma-to-be what colours Mom-and-Dad-to-be would like, she replied, "Well, S is rather fond of black.  In fact, it took some persuading to keep her from wearing it to her wedding!"

Ahem.  Well.  "So..." I replied, "How about black and white with a touch of red?" G-to-be smiled.  Good!

I turned to a favourite "old" (not vintage) pattern: Magic Tiles from Kathleen Bissett.  When I first began to quilt almost twenty years ago now (!), this pattern was all the rage for a while.  I believe it was the fore-runner of 'Stack 'n' Whack' and that sort of thing -- where you slice and dice your fabric and re-arrange it to come up with wonderful combinations of colour and shape.  I made a good half-dozen of these, and it remains a staple in my pattern repertoire.  This time I am making it a bit smaller -- nine blocks instead of twelve, and I haven't decided on a border yet.  This is in part due to the fact that it's been a bit tougher to find enough variety in fabric -- and no, I didn't have much BW&R in my stash!

So...nine blocks it is, with grey sashing ("grout"), thanks to my friend C for that inspiration.  Here's the stack of 'em on my cutting table, awaiting the last cut and shift:

It wouldn't be Christmas around here without some knitting.  In addition to the mittens under construction, there will be a pair of thick-and-quick neck warmers for my neighbours (who keep my sidewalks and driveway blown out every winter, often more than once!) and a hat for a Certain Young Lady who's fond of my son.  Then there's a ruffle scarf that's been requested by my dear Sis...and perhaps some slippers...

So Pookie's been helping me decide patterns and yarns:

I won't say any more that that, because some of the recipients actually read this blog!

With all these starts, there have been a few finishes.  "Posh Poppies" goes in the mail today.  All three aprons for the Dec. 1 Open House and Tea at the Mirror & District Museum have been assembled; there's just a wee bit of hand-stitching to do at each waistband.  And my 15" x 15" piece for the current theme, "Connected", needs just a bit of tacking at the edging, plus a label and sleeve.  All will be revealed on that front at the deadline, November 30.

With Hanukkah just over a week away, I also managed to finish the wee "Gelt Bag" -- a free pattern from DMC, using their Metallics Light Effects floss.  This floss is a bit tricky to work with, but as long as you keep the lengths short, you can tame it!  The pattern calls for a pre-made bag, but not having time to mail order one (this is a shop sample and it's late as it is!) I made my own from 14-count Aida cloth, a wee it of lace and some ribbon.  If I were to make another, I'd do the design before assembly, as it's rather a challenge to stitch with your hand inside a little sack!

In other finishes, there were two Mont Blanc hats completed for the store last week -- but that darned Bravo Mezzo yarn wouldn't quit, so I made up these:

Maine Morning Mitts
Clara Parkes
The Knitter's Book of Yarn

And this preemie-sized cap -- with still a bit of the white left over -- a "loaves and fishes" moment!

And that's all my news for this WIP Wednesday.  I'm hooking up with The Needle and Thread Network...and going off to finish those Magic Tiles blocks!

Finally!

A few finishes on a Friday...reported from my cozy nest on a Saturday morning, wind whipping snow around the corners of the house; fresh, hot coffee at my elbow.  Ah....!

First -- though there aren't photos (at present), there are now two (count' em!) "Mont Blanc" hats on display in the " Bravo Mezzo" exhibit at TCL -- one white with purple-blue stripes and one in the reverse colour-way.  

The PLUS is that there is yarn left over, which I've decided to turn into " Maine Morning Mitts" from Clara Parkes' Knitter's Book of Yarn.





And then..."Posh Poppies" is finished -- at least from this gal's point of view -- and ready to be returned to its owner for framing.  (Note that there is machine basting around the perimeter to identify the area intended to be framed -- per the pattern's measurements.)

The little white flowers were recycled from a piece of lace in my stash.  They aren't exactly what's called for.  The pattern required me to cut 2" squares from a piece of slinky faux satin, and to sew them, right sides together (!)...leaving a small hole for turning.  Once turned right-side out, I was to take a needle and thread and create a four-petal flower, like so:

UGG-LEE!

Definitely not my forte!

Is it any wonder I switched?  I tacked each one carefully with silk thread and then attached a number six black bead in each centre.  The pattern originally called for brown beads (no size given) -- but I thought the black picked up the black in the poppy centres to unify the piece better.

Applique floral detail

Beading detail

So.  I'm feeling quite pleased with the effect and hope my friend S who "commissioned" me to make it up for her is pleased too.  On to The Next Thing...

Aprons!  "Aprons?" you ask.  Yes.  The Mirror & District Museum is having its first-ever Christmas Open House and Tea on December 1, and I am making 3 long aprons for the servers (me and two other gals).  A king-sized flat white sheet from Value Village was purchased for the purpose, and yesterday (Friday) I put together the first one:

Simplicity Sewing Book
ca 1972

These are long aprons, meant to go over long skirts.  The fabric is thin and soft, befitting a used sheet...and the bottom hem was already in place.  I tore the fabric into 36" squares, gathered the top to 20" (or so) and added a 62" strip for the waistband and ties.  I had a little help with the measurements from a pattern I bought online: "Auntie Dot's Apron" from Jodi Nelson of Pleasant Home.  A few modifications (length, no pocket) -- et voila! 

Oh yes...and because I hadn't gathered much of anything in the way of a garment's waist since my daughter was small, I dug out my old Simplicity Sewing Book to make sure I remembered how to do it properly!

One down; two to go!

Last but not least...there is knitting.  In addition to shop samples, I'm doing a wee bit of knitting for Christmas.    Remember these mittens I began 'way back in August?  I finished the cuffs and let 'em sit for quite a while.  Well!  Yesterday I finished the left-hand mitten:

Topside

Underside

I just love the way this yarn performs!  I've made the entire mitten from the same ball, as well as the cuff for the right hand.  All that remains to be done is the right hand itself.   Here's my old hand modelling for you:

I won't say who these are for, except "not my daughter" (:-) ) 

And now to link up with Nina Marie's Off the Wall Friday, and drop on by to see what everyone else is up to!