Completed Blanket

     I have finally finished the blanket! (Huzzah!)  Hopefully this was just the learning curve, and the ones to follow will only take half the time.  (This is most likely, as I have spent a great of time undoing and redoing.)

     And I must admit that I am hugely proud of myself.  There were a lot of first times on this blanket, and I don't think a prototype has ever looked better.

I have one last tip for you:
     If you decide to use a satin blanket binding (which I'm not sure I recommend yet) raise and lower your feed treads every time (yes, every single time) you you have to move the binding.  This is the only way I could keep the satin from snagging on the feed treads.

     

     These are the materials for the second blanket (which I'm planning to start tomorrow.) I need to get a better picture of the top fabric to share with you all, I'm completely in love. I have ordered it from every Joanne's in the area (I didn't find it fast enough, and they can only find six yards) to save and use for as long as possible, because I think it the perfect fabric for a little girls room.

      However, I'm having one heck of a time finding a theme for my boy nursery set. I wanted something classic and vintage-esque (like the McCall's patterns.) But most everything I find is either pirates or monkeys and way too obnoxious to be cute. I wanted trains, (or even better, airplanes) but apparently no one likes classic little boy motifs any more. (What is it with the monkeys?) And what happened to red, yellow, and cobalt for boy colors?

      

     I'm making a pilgrimage to the huge Joannes in Fredericksburg later in the week, hopefully they will have better selection than the one in town here. Does anyone know a good on-line site that may have what I'm looking for?

Update on Blanket

     Sorry about not posting yesterday, the Husbandman and I were at his parent's house until well after eleven and when we got home I just crashed, I did not pass go, I did not collect two hundred dollars, I just crashed.

     But today I wanted to share my progress on the blanket with you. I have left to do is put on the quilt binding and throw it in the wash! I have three more tips to share with you.

      I pushed a knitting needle down each row before I cut it, this helped a lot to break up the glue and made cutting so much easier. Relatedly, I also suggest that you go easy on the glue, only using as little as necessary to keep everything just barely together. Then use safety pins for the main “slippage” prevention. It is much easier when you are trying to cut each row.

      Lastly, I only cut through the top three layers, not the top four. This gave a prettier backing, as you will see the lightest shade of green instead of the backside of the fabric, it also, as my mother said it would, gives the blanket a much sturdier frame.

     And so I'm off to finish this blanket and start the next one, I'll post pictures this evening if all goes well! (They really are a lot of fun, and are so rewarding, I never thought I would have the patience to make one, but I promise, it is not nearly as mind numbing dull as you think they will be!)

As a very proud side note for me, as you can see, I have begun to figure out my camera! (It actually zooms and somewhat focuses!)

Big News and a Sew-Along Post.

     So I guess sew along is the wrong word... A sew-together might be better. Cause I'm not actually writing the tutorial, but rather using this one from Made.

My progress today:
     I picked my fabric for my blanket (its going to be one of three, this one is the gender neutral one, then I'll have a very girly one and a very boyish one)
     These are my fabrics:

     I also got everything glued down.  This is a lot harder than it looks at first, but by your fifth layer is much, much easier. My two tips:

     1. Dana recommends to work with half of the fabric at a time, I would recommend breaking it down even more, and working with only a quarter or a corner at a time.

     2. I would also suggest leaving the back piece for last. I found that even though it was nice and neat when I glued down the first layer, by the time I got to the fifth, it was all wonky from the shifting and prodding.

     I also began to sew everything together.  The only thing I would stress from Dana's tutorial, is to use two different colors for the front and back.  I like to make things way to difficult and I forget that this is an option. So I went with the chocolate brown of the lines on the front, but I really don't like it on the green material on back.  I think I'm going to have to take it all out tomorrow and start over with new colors to really be satisfied with it.

And that's what I got done today.

Oh, the big news? Oh that...



     ....I'm opening my own small business!!! I have the business permit all filled out and ready to take to the court house tomorrow! My aunt has commissioned enough work to really keep me busy for her charity event.  She is holding a cupcake challenge to raise money and awareness for her organization, Diapering the Need, which helps give diaper to new mothers in need.  It is a spin-off of the red wagon ministry.

    
     So after the fundraiser, I'll need something else to keep me busy, and I was very disapointed when I realized that it couldn't be sewing.  Then it hit me, why couldn't it be sewing? If these items would sell in a silent auction, why wouldn't they sell from a vendor or online?

     And with a great deal of prayer, and an overflowing cup of rewarded faith, my life for the next few months and beyond have been turned upside down as I went from tumbling the idea around in my head wistfully on Friday to filling out a business liscense appilication this morning.

This is kinda how I feel like right now...

     The Little Wife website probably wont be up and fully running until the end of March or the beginning of April since that will get me through the fund-raiser and give me plenty of time to work on my product line, but I am so happy! I'm 22 years old, and doing what I what to do, on my time, as I want to do it, and getting paid for it!

Sew-Along?

     I have huge news to share with everyone tomorrow!! Please stay tuned.

     But for tonight, I propose a sew-along.  This is my next project, and its something I've wanted to make for a long while now.  I wont be posting directions like most sew-alongs, because I can't think of a better way to phrase anything than how Dana already has.  However, I will post pictures of my progress, and any suggestions or tips or even just thoughts that I come up with along the way.

faux-chenille-blanket 

     If you decide to make this with me, I'll be so happy to post any pictures you send me, or have a link party!!

     We'll talk more tomorrow, but for now, I need some sleep!