Pink Purl

Morning Magic...

I want to know
what I am
and what I am
involved in by loving
this world
as I do...
I want to be found by love...

--by David Whyte, "The Sun" from The House of Belonging

This week I have been revisiting the poetry of David Whyte.  His poems are infused with spirituality and a reverence and bond with the natural world. Very highly recommended for the mind and the soul...

Today's photo at the top is of the early morning view we saw from our upstairs window...Magical clouds...

Wishing you all a magical, beautiful weekend... :o)

Polka Dots and Rickrack

Hi, everyone!  Is it Wednesday already?!  I'm a bit slow to getting round to visiting you all this week... We leave for our trip to the USA in just one tiny week!  There is a lot to do... And a lot to make yet for my sister and Baby Girl before we leave.  It's been a great few weeks for crafting!  My poor Etsy shop is suffering neglect at the moment though... Can you hear the echo there?! LOL!  I must say I've been enjoying the change of pace with all the baby sewing, knitting and making these last weeks, and sharing things as they are completed.  It's been refreshing and relaxing to have a small break from the "pressures" of shop-keeping, and think and work in a totally different creative way.  All the while though, these past few weeks,  I have been slowly working on new offerings for the shop, but I probably won't get many new items listed until next month after we return from our trip.  So look for those to come soon... In the meantime though, the baby love continues...

This week I made a tote bag for my sister.  She wanted a nice-sized bag to carry baby things around in, but one that could easily be used as a regular tote bag later on and not look too "mommy-ish".  So I used one of my bag patterns and added more pockets on the inside.  Something my sister really wanted was a zipper closure for the bag, so that was installed.  The fabrics I bought at Ikea.  I like this cheery polka dot paired with the bright turquoise solid--the turquoise picking up the dark aqua in the dot print. Rickrack adds extra cheer.

 

And look at this top zipper!  I learned the zipper application from this fantastic zipper tutorial at U-handblog.  What I really liked about this application was that I did not have to alter my pattern to accommodate the zipper.  The steps were very easy.  It took a while, since this was my first try doing a zipper this way, another try will go much quicker.  The result is very attractive.  Here's a peek inside the bag.  (Sorry can't see the extra pockets on the other side of the lining--the zipper casing's in the way!) 

 

I also made a simple, portable diaper changing pad, which fits neatly into the bag, using the same dotty fabric.  Inspired by this changing pad tutorial, I made a few alterations in pattern and sizing to make one to fit my sister's bag.  I also used slightly different materials, especially for the inside of the changing pad.  Here I used a piece of white oil cloth--any accidents while diaper changing can then easily be wiped and cleaned up off the oil cloth!  I did easy quilting of the outer portion--dotty cotton with a bit of interfacing and batting.  Coordinating bias binding holds all the layers together. A very satisfying project for a very useful thing!

 

A diaper and baby wipes holder is in the works...But I'm making my own pattern for this, and have just now completed the pattern, so will work on this during the rest of the week, and hope to show it finished before we leave next week. 

A little extra sweetness... During the past weekend I knitted this little baby hat.  New born size... Tiny head.. :o) I worked from this Baby's First Hat pattern and knitting with snow white Sugar'n Cream cotton.  This was a fun, quick knit--I had the knitting done in two hours while we watched a film Sunday evening.  And then did the finishing next day. The leaf-like pattern is delicate and very pretty.  I might make another on in a different color!

Wishing you a lively, colorful day! :o)

P.S. Some of you good friends were asking about a recipe for those croissants I showed during the weekend, even emailing me about them...In the Kitchen now is a recipe for those Mini Croissants!

 

Serenity Sunday...

A sloooow, leisurely breakfast... A must for Sundays!  I made these simple, mini croissants from ready-made butter-dough pastry... Blueberry preserves, fresh peaches, yogurt, coffee...mmm... Ah, Sunday... The best day of the week!

Everyday is a lazy Sunday for kitties...but especially Sundays ;o)

Late summer rose...

Tea and lemon cake on the porch with good reading and time together.  Dear husband reads the papers... I'm currently turning the pages of the fall editions of: Vogue Knitting, Interweave Knits, Shambhala Sun, and this excellent book for my spiritual journey--Being Nobody, Going Nowhere: Meditations on the Buddhist Path by Ayya Khem.  Also swatching a pattern, potentially for a scarf, with wonderful Wool-Ease in this denim shade---love this yarn! 

This weekend signs of autumn in the garden...

 

Hope all of you have been enjoying some serenity this day...Wishing you all a great new week! :o)

Pink Saturday!...A little more baby love...

For Pink Saturday today I thought I'd share some more of the baby items I've been making and sewing for my sister's Baby Girl.  These are some of the bigger projects I worked on this week.

I made this Rosebud Cuddler...This blankie has one side of tender pink rosebud-print cotton, and the backing is soft, snuggable white flannel.  It's about 32 x 32 inches square (81 x 81 cm).  Love this little rosebud beauty!

Also during the week I worked on making two sets of burpies...good basic burp cloths.  One set is white flannel trimmed pretty with light pink rickrack.  The other set is made of 1970's vintage blue floral-print flannel accented with aqua blue rickrack.  Yes, they're not pink, but I thought I'd include them in the photo with the pink ones, as both sets are so sweet!

This week I also finished work on the baby quilt!  The eyelet lace forms a trim round the whole quilt, a little gathering at the corners--very delicate.  I kept the quilting stitches (done by machine) very simple, just echoing lines, as I felt this quilt didn't really need a lot of extra embellishment, that the shining stars of this project were the fabrics themselves and pattern/blocks.  I have a pink heart in fabric ready to make up as a name/date patch to sew on the back of the quilt.  I'm waiting for my sister to decide on a name for the baby, as I'd very much like to include Baby Girl's name on it and birthdate.  So I may wait and give this quilt at Christmas, after the baby is born in November, and her name is decided.  Out of all the many projects I've ever made, this little baby quilt is my most favorite.  No doubt because of the great emotional attachment to this quilt...who I've made it for--our niece, who though not even born yet is very much with us all already!  I've had this quilt finished for a few days now, but still have it out, so I can just look at it...think of Baby Girl...and can't help but let a couple of tears, happy tears drop...

But I am making some things for my sister and the baby that are not all pink...so I'll be working on those and sharing them as time goes...

Once again great thanks to Beverly of How Sweet the Sound, our Pink Saturday Hostess, who started this wonderful celebration for all things pink!  Please stop and say hi to Beverly, and find out at her place who else is joining in on all the pink fun this week!

Happy Pink Saturday to you all...and Happy Weekend! :o)

P.S. This will be my last Pink Saturday post... for a little while at least.  With much to do before we travel to the USA very soon, just days now, lots to do here at home, as well as create some new things for my shop for a fall/winter range, it's a bit busy just now...we all know how that goes! ;o)  But I hope to join in once again for Pink Saturday and all the pink passion before too, too long...

Thankful Thursday...Friendship

Each Thursday the lovely Rhondi of Rose Colored Glasses is the hostess of Thankful Thursday!  Thankful Thursday is all about taking a moment to count one's blessings... Please stop by and visit Rhondi, and see a list of who else is sharing a moment of gratitude this week. :o)

How rare and wonderful
is that flash in the moment
when we realize
we have discovered a friend.

--William Rostler

I am very thankful for the many friendships in my life.  Friendship is a vital ingredient in life.  We need friends to share life's joys, sorrows, struggles and triumphs with.  Friendship comes in many forms...in real life time, and in cyberspace time.  I feel very blessed since I began blogging to have made many wonderful friendships along the way.  So today I sing with praise and thankfulness for you, my blogging friends!

And during the last two weeks four very good friends have been so kind to give to me some special awards.  I am always very humbled to receive awards.  The thought and feeling behind the award given moves me deeply.  That I and/or my blog touches another person and brings them joy does make me glad.  For I have been touched by so many of you and my life enriched for meeting and getting to know you through the sharing that happens at our blogs and behind the scenes of blogs too--emails, letters, phone calls, gifts...the delights of friendship.   I thought today, on Thankful Thursday, it would be fitting to hand out some awards in turn... Today I celebrate my blog friends!

My new friend Shirl of Shirls Rose Cottage very generously gave me this Blogging Friends Forever Award! Thank you, Shirl...what a huge, lovely surprise this is!  And isn't the award itself fun?!  I now have the great pleasure to pass this to some blog friends who have been here with me a long time, as well as giving this to a new friend also.  Please accept this award, my friends...and in turn, hand it out to others following these "rules":
1. Use the Twinks Bank icon
2. Nominate 5 other people only
3. Four (4) nominees have to be dedicated followers of your blog
4. One (1) has to be someone new to your blog and live in another part of the world.
5. You must link back to whoever gave you the award.

I'm happy to share this award with these friends who've faithfully been with me here a good time:  Marie of A Year from Oak Cottage, Beverly of Tea Time and Roses, Marie of Dreaming of Wild Roses, Rosie of Rosie's Whimsy, and to my new friend Heidi of Foxgloves, Fabric and Folly!  :o)

My sweet friends Marie of A Year from Oak Cottage and Jayne of Country Cottage Chic so kindly gave me this fun I Love Your Blog Award.  Thank you so much, Marie and Jayne!  I know have the very happy moment of sharing this with at least 7 other blog friends, but I'll make it 12!  Here are the "rules" for this one:
1. Please put the logo on your blog.
2. Link the person from whom you received your award.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put the links of those blogs on to your blog.
5. Leave a message on their blogs to tell them!

I'm thrilled to pass this one on to a bunch of friends, some I've known a good while, and some who are new friends too!  M.Kate of La Vie Est Belle, Dyan of FlowerChilde Cottage, Melanie of JellyBeanAngel, Kim of Ragged Roses, Raina of Raining Sheep, Beverly of How Sweet the Sound, Flower of Flower,  Shayla of Diary of Artist Shayla Perreault Newcomb, Willow of Willow's Cottage, Wool Winder of Wool Windings, Tara of Days Missed on a Hammock,  AND Anne of Nikkipolani  :o)

And the other week my good friend Elizabeth at The House in Marrakesh gave to me the Brillante Weblog Premio 2008 Award... Many, many thanks Elizabeth!  I did not forget you gave me this one! ;o)  I happily pass this award on to everyone already awarded here, and to everyone reading...That's right, this one's for everyone!

Happy Thursday!  :o) 

P.S. This will be my last Thankful Thursday post... for a little while anyway, I hope to pick up this meaningful way of posting again soon!