TUTORIAL: Asymmetrical Color-Blocking on Knits

The calendar flipped to October and the air magically turned chillier this weekend, at least in our little corner of the world it did. Time to break out the long sleeves and hoodies! Knit long sleeved tees are the staples of The Peanut's wardrobe (mine, too) once the weather turns cooler. I still prefer shopping for fabric in a brick an mortar so that  I can feel the fabric and see the color. Sadly, the knits necessary for tees are still underrepresented in our local stores. So I turn to appliques and color blocking to keep things interesting. I first put together this tutorial in August, so I'm excited The Peanut can actually wear the top now. And as long as I've pulled it out of the drawer for her, let me pull it out for you, too.

Accio Gillyweed, It's CraftingCon!

I’m the very first ever competitor in the brand new CraftingCon! I volunteered and was thrilled to receive my owl informing me I would compete with the theme of my choice, Harry Potter. I'm as excited and nervous as a Seeker facing her first Quidditch match.

You must see more! Head here to see the (winning!) post originally published at CraftingCon on Mae & K to view my full entry. See all the pictures taken by Great Lake on the grounds of Hogwarts, and read as I let my geek flag fly—or should I say, levitate—for all things Potter. Keep reading here as I go all Hermione into the details of creating a Triwizardly look.

Elephant Legs? Put Me in the Zoo!

I was so excited to start blogging in part so I could officially sew a long with Project Run & Play. Season 9 is upon us and I was raring to go. And then they announced the challenges. I'm so very happy that I'm not a formal contestant because the Week 1 challenge stumped me right out of the gate. (I hate to jinx myself now by saying I had clear ideas for the remaining challenges early on, so I won't. But I did.)

Piggie, Gerald, elephant legs, an ice-cream cone, and a tribute to Robert Lopshire, too!

Ottobre Tunic: Third Time's the Charm!

Usually, around the third time in a row that I sew-up a pattern I start to feel burnt out. Not so with this tunic. This charcoal-gray Ponte-knit with subtle sparkle was the fabric I had in mind for this tunic from the get-go. I wasn't burnt out sewing this one, I was excited! My favorite part by far is the pop of pink in the trim and top-stitching. We generally shy away from pink around these parts, but I'm a sucker for a bright-colored trim on a neutral solid.

 Finally warm enough to get some pics outside, now I'm looking forward to a green background instead of brown.

Sewing from Ottobre Design: First Time Ever!

Our little, three-person family hangs three stockings every year at Christmas. And every year Santa Claus generously fills all three. Among the goodies, we each get a magazine. Santa knows me well, and this year he hooked me up with my very first issue of Ottobre Design! I may have actually squealed when it arrived. Issue 2013/4, Kids Autumn, is filled with so many amazing patterns I want to sew them all. But I started with #14, The Princess Castle Tunic.