My Crocheted Blanket

Two weeks ago I received some new yarn and crochet hooks (along with some other stuff) in the neighborhood ladies gift exchange.  I was really excited to try out the yarn because it was so fuzzy.  The crochet hooks were also larger than I had ever used before.  

I used that yarn to make a striped scarf.

I loved it so much that I wanted to make a whole blanket!  I went the next day to buy some more  Bernat blanket yarn.  I chose purple because it was my favorite color.  I guessed that seven skeins would be enough for a blanket of my favorite size, approximately 60 by 72 inches.  I was right! 

I started out with a row of chain stitches using a P hook and used my new Christmas Bear quilt to check the length.  It was 82 chain stitches.  Then I decided to just single crochet the whole thing.  

81 single crochets was the perfect size.  I loved how both the large crochet hook and the yarn felt in my hands.  

The yarn was so soft and fuzzy that I never wanted to stop.  The crochet hook was so nice that my hand never cramped.  

I just kept going and going whenever I could. I even crocheted while playing Pokemon TCG with Panda.  

Monkey approved of the fuzzy yarn after the fourth skein.

Then on one cold, snowy day last week Kitty and I finished the seventh skein.  (She likes "helping" me pull the yarn.)

Kitty kept throwing the yarn ball in the air and at me.  "Score!" she said.  Then she used the string as a roller coaster for Foxy.

I just kept crocheting and got it finished.  Over 1,500 yards of yarn and only 2 yards left over.  

I wish you could just feel the texture and weight of this awesome blanket.

I put it on the sofa for a picture.  

But Kitty quickly pulled it off for a snuggle.

I finished it in less than seven days.  Now the only problem is that I want one in every color of the rainbow. 

XX,

Jasmine

P.S.  I am now all caught up with blogging and hope to keep it that way while I can.  My blogging will definitely be slowing down.  (No more six posts per week.)  

Christmas Placemats

I made these placemats for a neighborhood women gift exchange.  We were supposed to bring something that was one of our favorite things.  I love quilting and decorating with quilts, so these placemats were perfect.  

They are made with the scraps from the two "Christmas with 3 Sisters" quilts.  I started out by separating them into six sets.  I had to add three 2.5 x 21 inch strips which were leftover from another project to make all six place mats.  

I pieced the placemats, trimmed them to 12.5 x 18.5 inches, and then quilted them on the Bernina Q24.  I used scrap batting and there was barely enough.  

The binding on multiple little projects really adds up, but it was fun to stack them on the floor as I finished them.  

The backing is from the current 3 Sister Moda Christmas line.  

I had fun testing them out on my table.  

My friend who received these was so excited. She said they match the colors in her house perfectly.

I really need to make some placemats for my home sometime.  However, I know once I start I will want to keep going until I have a set for every month!  

XX,

Jasmine

Mini Kitty Quilts

One day in September my mother and I went to a quilt show and then to a nearby quilt shop.  Miss Kitty came with us.  She kept eyeing all of the orange fabric so I let her pick two fat quarters.  She happily carried them around the store.  She loved the orange kitty fabric the most.  My plan was to make her and Miss Bunny some matching Halloween draw string bags. Miss Kitty had other ideas.  

Miss Kitty played with the fat quarters all day.  She kept calling them her quilt.  She even wrapped up her pink fox in the fat quarters.  

The next day I added some flannel for batting and made them into an actual little quilt.  

It still worked out well for her fox who was all cozy when listening to Teddy Ruxpin tell a story.  

Miss Kitty calls it her Kitty Quilt because of all the black cats.  

I knew that Miss Bunny would also want a mini quilt.  I pulled out a minky scrap and some Frozen fabric my friend gave me to make this little quilt.  

It was Bunny approved.

Bunny also calls this her "Kitty Quilt" because it is used for her white kitty.  

It reminds me of when I had to do something very similar for my three boys.  

Just don't tell my daughters that the boys' quilts were much bigger than theirs.

XX,

Jasmine

Blue Table Toppers

Earlier this year I made some blue table toppers.  It wasn't until a few months later that I realized I never took pictures of them finished.  

I made these just like the yellow ones in the spring.  I loaded the blue fabric onto the Bernina Q24 and quilted it with a spiral.  

I actually cut a corner out of the fabric because I didn't need everything quilted for the three table toppers.  I would rather have plain cotton scraps than a quilted scrap.  

I cut the quilted fabric to size and bound them with a navy blue fabric.  Later I took photos.  

I really like how the table toppers coordinate, protect the dresser and nightstands, and allow the quilts in my room to shine.  The crazy thing is that I bought this blue fabric right after I finished my Modern Farmer's Wife quilt in January 2015.  At first I couldn't figure out the quilting design I wanted.  Then I just kept putting it off.  I'm so glad they are finally finished.  They look great with the May, July, and August quilts for my bed.  

XX,

Jasmine

Teacher Gifts

After all the minky blankets were made I didn't have much time to make some end of school year teacher gifts. I decided to make some simple drawstring bags that we could put a little treat in.  

I did some assembly line construction to speed things up.  

The fabrics we chose went along with the teacher's favorite color or movie.  I finished them just in time.  

Then my orange loving Kitty picked out some fabric for a bag of her own.  (I have a spare for just in case.)

What are your favorite simple gifts to make?

XX,

Jasmine

Yellow Projects

My husband likes to keep the dresser and night stand in our bedroom covered with table toppers.  It protects the wood and hides the dust.  I had used the same table toppers for years, but the fall table toppers did not look good with my spring decor.  

I So I bought some yellow fabric and quilted it up on the long arm.  Then I cut it to the size of the dresser and night stands.  

Once I got the fit right I added binding.  

The yellow brightens up the dark wood.  

That bear paw pillow was another one of my finishes.  I love how they coordinate.  

I also made a sunshine dresden pillow.  Quilting it was so much fun.

 

It was on the bench in my entryway for spring.

These colorful pillows could become addicting.

XX,

Jasmine

Custom Disappearing Nine Patch

My friend Linda commissioned me to make this quilt for her sister who loves blue.  We picked out the fabrics together and I did everything else.  

That day after shopping I was able to cut out all of the five inch squares.  Then I got started on piecing the blocks.  

I divided all of the blocks into fourths so that each quadrant of the quilt has the same amount of each fabric.  

Piecing all the blocks together went really fast.  

I quilted it on the Bernina Q24 with a pretty blue bird fabric for the backing.

I quilted it with the loopy spiral.  

Then I got the navy blue binding on.

I love how it turned out!

After finishing the quilt I used some of the scraps to make a matching tote bag.  

Linda and her sister loved them both.

XX,

Jasmine