WIP: Granny Square Quilt

I don't even remember when I started my Granny Square quilt. Maybe last year or even longer. The few blocks that I completed  and the fabric that I had selected for it have been sitting in their box for such a long time. Maybe longer than any other project. So last week I decided that my Granny Square quilt should be my next "forgotten" project to tackle. Today I finished sewing all the blocks... just a few left to trim and very soon there will be a quilt top. Yay! 

I've been thinking about ways to quilt this little project and I just can't decide. What do you think? I'd love to hear your suggestions. 

I hope you have a happy week!

XO

Martha 

Peasant Blouse

Happy 4th of July! (for those of you in the US) We have been enjoying of a long weekend due to the Independence Day Holiday and that meant extra crafting time for me. I love when I get to spend more time playing in the sewing room. I got to finish this peasant blouse that I started last week. The fabric for this blouse is basically recycled fabric; it came from a dress that I bought years ago and never wore because as much as I loved the print I never liked the way it fitted me. So a few weeks ago I took it out and decided to turn it into something that I would actually wear. The dress was empire waist with very thing straps and a very full skirt. Thus, the top didn't give me much useable fabric but the skirt was made of two beautiful panels of fabric. I chose a peasant blouse because the pattern is easy and very forgiving (in case of mistakes). I drew the pattern using a blouse I already had as a guide. I centered the the body of the blouse in the middle of each panel and used the sides with the seams for the sleeves. For the cuffs and the neck I made a bias tape with the lining of the dress. I had to be inventive as there was not much fabric to spare. I'm absolutely happy with the way it turned out and I think I'm going to be wearing it a lot this summer. 

I hope you have a lovely week!

XO 

Martha.

Modern Plus Quilt

Hello friends! I hope you had a lovely weekend. I had the most amazing time sewing and quilting. I finally finished my Plus Quilt which I actually started back in December. Wow I can't believe it has been that long! It was meant to be our Christmas Quilt, but life happened, then we embarked on the craziest home renovation that led me to take a brake from crafting. So here we are, the end of June and my quilt is finished at long last. This is the second Plus quilt that I make. The first one I made was two years ago (you can see it here), but it was a gift and ever since I wanted to make one for us to keep. I just love the simplicity of the design. Because the quilt design is simple I wanted to spend more time on the quilting.  So I quilted  all the negative space with a dense meandering pattern and the crosses with straight lines echoing their shape. Since the quilt was meant to be finished in the winter I backed it with a super cozy flannel. It is super warm, but I think we are going have to wait to use it. But I'm super happy with the way it turned out. And even more thrilled that I'm finally getting back to my creative groove.

I wish you have a lovely week!

XO

Martha.

Lately...

Lately I've been trying to get back to crafting mode. I've missed sewing, quilting and knitting. It feels like it has been forever since I sat in front of my sewing machine. Putting back together my sewing room has been a slow process, but it will be worth it. In the mean time; I unpacked my knitting needles and some yarn and decided to start a Honey Cowl. This will be my second one. I just love the pattern so much and my first one is looking a little worn out since I wear it quite often. You can see my first Honey Cow here. It just feels so nice to be crafty again. 

I hope you have a lovely week.

XO

Martha 

Hello Again...

Happy first day of Spring! 

Last time I checked in it was still winter; time really goes by quickly. Things have been quiet on the blog but behind the scenes life has been very busy. And most importantly, my sewing room has been going through a bit of a makeover. I hope to show you some pictures soon. Have a lovely week and I hope spring has arrived as well where you live. 

XO

Martha.

Reykr Hat

Hello friends! Happy New Year! I hope you had a lovely holiday season. It feels really nice to be back here after a long hiatus and so glad life is settling down around here that I can get back to my crafting. My first finish for 2016 is this lovely hat designed Leisl from Buckaloo View . I had the pleasure of testing the pattern for her. I had so much fun knitting this hat. The pattern is easy to follow  and very adaptable. It has quickly become a favorite (My husband absolutely loves it and requested another one in a different color). So I'm already casting on a second one. The ribbing pattern allows for such a perfect fit and the way it finishes is so different and absolutely lovely. 

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful week. 

Swift Hat

Hello friends! I hope you had a lovely weekend. I had the craziest week. As I had mentioned before one of my beloved dogs has been sick and we have been dealing with that. But last Wednesday (as if I needed another sick pup) I had to rush my other dog (Miss Mona the pug) for an emergency surgery. It was very stressful for everyone at home. Specially because her condition was so critical that her vet could not perform the surgery and we had to take her to a Veterinary clinic for specialties. Thankfully she is now at home recovering. We are trying to keep her calm and quiet so I've been spending a lot time sitting by her side watching her and knitting to help me pass the time. So today I finished my Swift hat I started a couple weeks ago. The pattern is from the book Journey by Jane Richmond and Shannon Cook. The hat is supposed to be slouchy but it was turning out to be too much for my taste so I altered the pattern a bit and made it shorter than what it calls for. I'm so pleased with the way it turned out. I just hate the reason why I'been having so much time to knit. 

I wish you have a safe and happy week!

XO

Martha.

Kiwi Shawl

I finally finished my Kiwi shawl (you can see some of my progress here and here). I love they way it turned out. Specially because this shawl started just as a way to use up this yarn I had in my stash. The yarn was actually an impulse buy.  I was not really sure about the colors but it was on clearance at my local craft store. 99 cents for a skein of silk/bamboo yarn is really hard to resist. I figured at the time: I'll find a way to use them. After storing it for a while I decided finally make something with it. I wanted something simple to knit so I chose a basic triangular shawl. I only had three skeins of yarn (two green and one brown) so the yarn dictated its size. It is big enough to wrap around my neck by not large enough to cover my back. Now that I see it finished I'm glad I didn't pass up on this yarn. The combination of silk and bamboo on the yarn make for a super soft and luxurious texture and the drape is fantastic. I think it is jus lovely even if it looks like a kiwi. 

I hope you have a wonderful week!

XO

Martha