Zakopane Top

 

     I just finished this top.  I want to take it on our trip to Poland in a couple of weeks as one of the towns we will be visiting is Zakopane.  

     I bought the pattern as a download.  I printed out the sizes I needed and taped the pieces together.  That is probably the most tedious part of this top.

     When I went to the ASG Conference in San Francisco at the end of June, I did the optional fabric shopping trip the day after the conference ended.  I took with printed front pages of multiple patterns with post-it-notes with yardage requirements attached.  In the past I have bought fabric because it caught my eye but then didn't have enough to make what I wanted or it just sat there because I didn't have a plan for it.  I found this buttery soft Vicose/Polyester blend jersey in my colors at Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics in Berkley, CA.  I have pants and jackets or sweaters that will work well with this color way.  

     I found the instructions very easy to follow and it went together quite easily. My only problem is that I have to print everything out.  I'm sure I could follow the directions in the pdf on the computer but I find that too distracting.  Looking forward to wearing this on my upcoming trip. 

Hike Lake County 2024

 

     We started our annual fall tradition of taking the grandkids for walks on the weekend.  We do Hike Lake County which has multiple hikes mapped out.  If you do at least seven you can earn a zipper pull or hiking shield.  

     I really like this program as it gets you outside and visiting forest preserves you may not know about.  The kids have graduated from needing a stroller to now helping to carry the snacks and water bottles in backpacks.  We also have a tradition of stopping at nearly every bench and having either water or a snack :-)   The weather was good for a hike of 2.6 miles with not much tree cover as it was overcast and occasionally a little drizzle.  

     I do wish the other two grandkids were closer so that they could join us also.  Of course that means we would be back to needing the stroller but that's okay.

     My husband found that there were a couple of geocaching sites on this hike.  They didn't find the one by the bridge but they did find the one near the parking lot.  I think this just added to the fun of the day.  

Breencation Pillowcases

 

Breencation '21gifts

     I have not had much time to sew lately as I had grandma and grandpa camp here plus this week I am watching the two oldest grandkids.  This post is about pillowcases I made 3 years ago.  When we go on family vacations I like to make something for the grandkids.  In 2021 I made them matching pillowcases.  I had the fabric in my stash and the desserts fabric seemed so right for vacation.

Embroidery done

     I embroidered 'Breencation' and their name and year on the pillowcase.  I then assembled them using the hotdog method as explained in this blog.

Almost ready for the sewing machine

     After making so many of these pillowcases it goes really quickly once the embroidery is done.  At the time of this vacation our daughter-in-law was pregnant with grandchild #5 so I made a receiving blanket that was the same colors and embroidered on it also.

Blanket for the baby to be

    I love to be able to use the talents God gave me to bless my family with gifts.

Pillowcase for my granddaughter

Heart Pillow

 

Original pillow

     My daughter-in-law had this heart shaped pillow from when she was very young.  It obviously had seen better days but she wanted to keep it somehow.  She had a gown that she bought to wear when she had her daughter.  She wanted to use it together with this pillow for a keepsake.

Inside

     I carefully took apart the pillow preserving the two sides.  I removed the buttons from the pillow front that was so frayed. I then cut a piece from the lower part of the gown and embroidered her daughter's name and birthdate.  I overlaid that on the front piece and then redid the lace around the edge and put it all back together.  I did reuse the stuffing but I fluffed it back up and did not stuff it as full as it was before.

Front of a 'new' keepsake pillow

     The rest of the gown I reworked into a top that she could wear during the summer months.  The back of the pillow is still in its original state as it wasn't damaged.  I was glad I could keep as much of the pillow that I did.  

Back of the pillow