A New Shopping Bag for MisterStitches

I recently made a new shopping bag for MisterStitches.  We always take our shopping bags with us now, so MisterStitches has quite an assortment in his car's trunk.  He always tells me that he likes the Green Bag Lady's bags the best, and also that he needs a new bag.

So I got busy and made him a bag from the GBL's pattern, provided on her website.  MisterStitches does not like thin or unsturdy bags, so I used this green/beige fabric that is upholstery weight for the bag.  He really, really likes this new bag.  I told him the only thing it's lacking is a Green Bag Lady label and number inside.  Maybe I'll have to get some labels of my own. . .

English Paper Piecing

I'm having fun with English paper piecing (EPP) again.  I'm taking a class by (snail) mail.  SisterStitches is teaching it from the store she manages, Bear Patch Quilts in Minnesota.  I love this class!  Every month I get a nice packet from Bear Patch.  It contains some instructions from SisterStitches (and a recipe and a word-of-the-day and whatever else she feels like talking about!), some cardboard EPP shapes, and the appropriate plexiglas templates for those cardboard shapes.

I started doing some English paper piecing way back here.  Then I did more of it here.

Here are some of the hexagons I've made so far for the class.  I've chosen to use brown and light blue fabrics, with a couple a zingers thrown in alongside them.

When I first started with EPP, I was simply sewing hexagons to each other to make a design (a la Grandmother's Flower Garden).  But in this class I am making the hexagons from other shapes.  That makes it a lot more interesting.

All of our hexagons finish at 2 1/2 inches along the side.  When finished, we will have enough hexagons for a wall hanging sampler.

It's really interesting how I can make different designs by my choice of fabric.  In the above photo you can see how I made some concentric circles by placing my fabric in just the right way.

I'm really enjoying this class (did I already say this!?!?) and look forward each month to receiving that new packet in the mail.  I also have to tell you that SisterStitches is a great teacher!

New Pants for GranddaughterStitches

I made some new pants for GranddaughterStitches.  It seems she prefers stretchy pants to her blue jeans, and I hope these keep her warm.  They went together in a snap--one afternoon.  That might have something to do with the fact that it's not the first pair I've made!  In December I made her some in a different color, so I guess I did my figuring out then.  I did have to lengthen the pant legs several inches, as GranddaughterStitches is tall for her age. 

I didn't have any of my cute "Grandma Made It" tags, but I did remember to put a size tag at the back of the waistband.  That's important with handmade children's clothes, as they may get passed around, and moms need to know what size they are.  These were size 4-5, obviously (!) and I added the "L" to stand for long.

They're all ready to get into the mail now.

Blue Baby Afghan

Here is a baby afghan in light blue that I recently finished.  I used a different kind of yarn this time.  Instead of baby/sport weight, I used cotton yarn.  The cotton yarn has a little more "heft" than the lighter weight baby yarn.

Here is a close-up of the stitching.  Not sure if there's a name for this stitch, but it's simply one single crochet and one half-double crochet in the same stitch, then skip a stitch.  It made for an interesting texture, don't you think?

I also put a border on this afghan.  First I went around with single crochet, then with double crochet, then another row of single crochet.

Into the last row of single crochet I made a scalloped border.