Knitting Needle carrier project for Mom

I can now safely post the project I've been working on - a gift for my mom. Mom has always knitted for as long as I can remember and she always had the same (ugly orange) knitting needle holder! Sorry Mom - orange velour just isn't my favorite!! So while she was away visiting my sister I broke into my stash and pulled out these .....

 Nice Blue-Greens with a splash of purple!

Then with pencil to paper I designed how I wanted the bag to function

and came up with measurements.

Let the sewing begin!

I had to make a few things twice -

what I thought would work in reality didn't so back and forth

I went to the cutting table and sewing machine and after a while I got this ....

The out side with a zipper all around....

and the inside!

One side will hold her short and long straight needles

and the other side I put a zippered pocket for her circular needles.

The zipper gave me a bit of trouble, but in the end

it went in and hopefully she'll be able to manage opening

and closing without too much trouble.

Not sure I'll ever make another one!

Maybe a roll up one without the zipper!!

Hope she likes it!!

Switch to knitting ...for just a moment

SO my knitting adventure continues!

However since my last knitting post - I have ripped everything out and started over!!

This time I'm paying attention.

I started with 40 stitches and now I actually still have my 40 original stitches!!

My last attempt was foiled when I some how added

an extra 9 stitches some where along the line!!

SO now I'm going along at a good clip...

I even added another skein!! I of course had to read up on how to do it! 

I'm still not sure I did it correctly -

I'll have to have my mom check it! She's helping me with this adventure!!

See it's almost a scarf!!!!

I just love these colors - reminds me of the ocean!

Experimental Iris

I've been working on several projects lately.

This one ... "Experimental Iris" as I call it - is one that I started last year

at an applique class that I took from Maria Lage (she is a fabulous appliquer!)

I had the applique Iris all done but wanted to experiment with a few different surface embellishments.

First I marked my lines and added the Sashiko stitching

then I wanted to make it "pop" so I tried my hand a micro stitching....

well this is MY version of micro stitching!

Oh I tried my quilt halo - it's weighed and you use it in place of quilting gloves.

It took me a while to get use to it - but after I got the rhythm I liked it!

The Quilt Halo is a Sharon Shamber product

Here is the micro stitching - I took it over to the edge as well.

then I wanted to do something with the moon,

I tried several different ideas ... more sashiko,

hand stitching, machine stitching....

sashiko with gold thread....

and I finally decided on a simple beading design.

next I'm going to go in and bead the flower....

but that for another post!