Placemats

Christmas is over, kids are back at school. The tree is still up, but probably after this entry, I'll be starting to dismantle it too.

I already shared the knitted project I gave as a gift . It was very well received. And with great surprise, which speaks volumes about my readership.

But I also undertook a sewing project. My mother has moved to a new smaller house this year, and now has no room for a "kitchen" table, so they have started taking a majority of their meals in the dining room at her "good" table. Because of this she asked for a tablecloth for Christmas. Since you know a tablecloth is kind of boring by itself, I decided to make her some placemats.

I used a quilt as you go pattern that I picked up somewhere and promptly forgot where, and some Christmas fabrics I had decluttered from the main fabric storage (and sadly moved to a new place until I could decide how best to dispose of). It was rushed. But the great thing about sewing, is that generally it takes much less time than knitting. And so after spending the odd 30 min here or there cutting strips, I ended up marathon sewing 6 placemats and then sewing binding down. All in about 3 or 4 hours. Most of this time in 2 sittings. But because I usually hand sew bindings down (on the wrong side) I was not done. Indeed, 8 hours of driving later, and I had 5 completely done. The 6th finished in the hotel room. And viola! Placemats.

Also not the best picture. I tried cropping out the hotel floor clutter but iphoto hates me to crop thing--preferring I give you the whole picture. To the end of not allowing me to export in any manner any photo I have dared crop. Try to imagine it without the edges.

It kind of made me sad losing all that driving time to sewing. But on the way home, I knit. (also a little at the family gatherings, but one family has a dog, who isn't used to yarn, and one member of my family feels we aren't paying attention when we are knitting so out of respect to her, I try to limit it).

But! I did make headway on the sweater I am knitting for one of my daughters!

The picture doesn't do the color justice, as it looks a rather plain blue, but in reality is brighter. The pattern is Girl Friday from knitty. I am about an inch (maybe 2) from finishing the back. I'd probably be done with the back already, except I find it hard to follow a pattern (even a simple one like this) when I have a headache, and I have had a headache for the last three days. Today it isn't terrible, so maybe later.

My goal is to finish both this and the other sweater (for the other daughter) by the end of January--so there will be plenty of sweater weather left. We'll see though.