Pink is for Girls

Three hours of cutting...


gives you this.


Four hours of sewing...


gives you this.


Fifteen small blankets and one large blanket. All for The Preemie Project.

Blue is for Boys

From ten yards of fabric I got six small (20"x22") blankets and two large (30"x30") blankets. I also used a package of purchased receiving blankets to make three more large ones. I found them for a good price at Tuesday Morning and originally planned to crochet an edge on them. But, I changed my mind when I started thinking of how much time that would take. I like to make blankets, but I don't want to spend a lot of time doing it.

I make my blankets the quick and easy way. First pre-wash and dry your fabric, then iron so you can measure accurately. Decide how large you want the blanket to be and cut two pieces of fabric one inch larger than the finished size. For example, if you want a 30"x 30" blanket, cut each piece of fabric 31" x 31". I've invested in a cutting mat, rotary cutter and acrylic ruler to make this step easier, but it is not necessary. Next place the two pieces of cut fabric together with right sides together. Match the edges and smooth the fabric. If you are using coordinating fabrics and you cut each piece seperately, this is where you find out how good you were at measuring and cutting. Match as closely as possible, remembering a small discrepancy won't make much difference because of the 1/2" seam allowance. I then use a rotary cutter and a template I made from a piece of cardboard to round the corners (easier for sewing). You can pin the fabric together if you want, but I find that flannel does not slip on itself, so I skip that step. Now, sew around the edges using a 1/2" for the seam allowance. Do not sew all the way around. Leave a small opening. Clip the rounded corners so the seam will lay flat when turned. Then turn the blanket right side out through the opening. Using an iron, press seams flat. Topstitch all around close to the edge. That's it. If you decide not to topstitch, be sure to sew the opening closed.

I hope that makes sense. It takes almost as long to write about it as it does to do it. Back to the sewing machine.

Knitting on hold...

sewing in progress! Time to transform this stack of soft flannel into blankets for The Preemie Project. Most of this fabric was purchased at Wal-Mart for $1 a yard. I love the price and the quality of the fabric is good. Probably not as good as more expensive flannels, but in my opinion there's not enough difference to pay more. I'll probably be at the cutting table and sewing machine for a couple of days. Still hoping to knit a little in the evenings. So much to do...so much fun doing it!

Bluejays back on track: Needville 20, Sweeny 14.

Time Flies

How can it be Friday already? This week was a busy one with an event to attend every evening. I've been knitting every day, but didn't accomplish as much as usual. I finished another gown set though...this one for a baby boy 1-3 lbs.

Seems like I get stuck on one type of item at a time. This will probably be the last gown set for this month. The Preemie Project mail in date for our upcoming donation is October 24. Just a little over a week left to get everything in order. Next week I will concentrate on sewing blankets. Those usually work up fast, so I hope there will also be time to make a few more hat sets and maybe another bear.

Here are the details of this set:

Yarn Caron Cuddle Soft (fingering weight)

Needles US 3

Patterns
Preemie Baby Kimono
Knitted Newborn Hat (Remember the one I made before? Love how changing the yarn and needles gives it a more delicate look.)
Easy Socks (Knit in the round with no eyelet row or ribbon this time.)

Rainy Day

Today it's raining, so no natural light for pictures. That's okay though, because we need rain. I plan to spend the day washing clothes and knitting. The knitting part will be fun; the washing, a necessary chore. I finished another gown set.


This one will fit a 1-3 lb baby. It's very feminine with it's lace skirt. The next one I make will be for a boy.

Patterns:
Spring Purple Burial Gown
Lacy Hat
Easy Socks

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft Baby Sport

Needles: US 3 for all items

Things I Changed:

*I added an eyelet row to the neckline of the gown to make it adjustable. Next time I may add an opening in the back of the bodice for easier dressing.

*I knit the hat in the round by changing the purls to knits. It
resulted in a hat that is more texture than lace. Still nice.
If you follow the directions and knit it on straight needles, you
will get a nice lace pattern.

*Also worked the socks in the round. This is the same pattern I
used before. I like these little tube socks with the eyelet row
and ribbon.

My Weekend

It's been a beautiful weekend over here! Finally temperatures are cool enough to turn off the air conditioner (too bad that won't last). All of you from cooler climes would have been laughing at us at Friday night's football game. The temperature was about 60 degrees and we were freezing...all bundled up in blankets and buying out all the hot chocolate in the concession stand. It felt colder than it was though, because the wind was blowing hard right in our face. And it was damp too. You can laugh, it's okay. This was an important game for Needville. It was their first district game (this one counts) and things were rough from the start. A humiliating loss: Needville 6, Wharton 46. Oh well, the band looked good in their new uniforms.

This picture is from Saturday's band competition in Edna (my son is one of the drum majors). The Bluejays performed their show called Spy vs Spy. It's a good show and the crowd enjoyed it. The judges liked it too. Needville left the competition with a 1 rating, a trophey for outstanding color guard, and a trophey for 1st place band in the 3A division. UIL band competition is in two weeks. That's the one that really counts for the band.

Teeny Tiny

I'm back home now. Had a good time in San Antonio. While my husband attended his scheduled meetings, I was free to do whatever I wanted, so you know what I did...I knitted. Made a few things for The Preemie Project including this tiny gown set for a baby weighing less than one pound.

The gown measures just a little over 7" from the neck to the hem and the bodice is only 3 1/2" across the front. It was hard to know how big to make the hat. The one I made will fit on a regular size lemon. It is 4" in circumference, but can be stretched to 5". The tube socks are flat now so they look a little big in comparison. When worn I think they will fit a foot as small as 1". It is difficult to imagine a baby this tiny. It makes me sad if I think about it too much. It is my prayer that this gift will somehow bring comfort to the family that receives it.

I used three different patterns for this set. In each case I used Caron Cuddle Soft Yarn (a fingering weight I think) and size US 3 needles. Instead of the lace pattern on the gown, I substituted stockinette stitch. The hat and socks were knit in the round on dpns. Here are the links: Gown, Hat (you will find it on the pattern called Micro Bunting), and Socks (called Easy Socks). I shortened the length of the socks by knitting the ribbing for 3/4" and the bottom of the sock for 1 1/2".