Friday Link Up: A Picture... A Moment

Sunday bliss: prepping breakfast. And one of my favorite things about living in California: finding local berries in the market year round. 

How about you? Did you capture any special moments this week?

Join me at sharing your special moment from your week. Please visit others and promote the link up with a text link or with the button.

XX

Martha

Lately

It feels like I haven't quilted in ages... My last quilt I finished was last December. So it really has been a while. It is crazy how time flies! 

At the begining of the year I made a list of the quilts I wanted to accomplish in 2014 and   a Pyramid/Triangle quilt was one of them. I bought the triangle ruler almost a year ago (that's how long it has been on mind).  So finally a couple weeks ago I started pulling fabrics from my little stash and put together a selection that I thought would look good together. I have been cutting a few triangles each night and a more on the weekends and on Sunday I finally cut all the pieces a need to start putting the quilt top together. I can't wait to put this quilt together and finally check it off my list :)

I hope you are having a lovely week.

XX

Martha.

Friday Link Up: A Picture... A Moment

Spring is in the air! The first peach blossoms started to make their appearance. Oh spring is such a magical time. 

How about you? Did you capture any special moments this week?

I'm looking forward to seeing your special moments. Add your link and visit others. And please promote the link up with a text link or the button.

XX

Martha

Adventures in Dressmaking: My First Finish

So here it is, I finally finished the top I have been working on.  My first addition to my handmade wardrobe. The pattern is Top A from the Stylish Dress Book Volume 2. The pattern is actually very easy to follow and extremely  user friendly; especially for beginners like me. All the instructions are put in a few easy steps and it includes pictures to illustrate the construction.

 I really like the way it turned out. However there are some things that didn't come out as planned. The fit is a bit loose but I think this gives me a good starting point for sizing when using this book. Although, I been debating whether or not I I should take a few inches from the sides. Finally the fabric, while I love the silky texture and amazing drape it has, it had its challenges working with it. It frays very easily so I had to be careful at not handling it too much before ovelocking the edges. And hand basting became my best friend since the fabric is very slippery. I wanted to make sure the pieces didn't shift while sewing them. Specially the pleats and the neck binding.

My friend Nat has the same book so we had decided to make the same top and share our adventures (I'm a bit late sharing mine, sorry Nat). You can see her top here. She shares her insights about working with this pattern and a mini tutorial on how to make the gathering for the sleeves. 

Overall I think  my first experience in dress making was a success. I'm really looking forward to adding  a few more handmade items to my wardrobe. 

Have a great week!

**Linking up to New To Me in 2014 over at Celtic Thistle Stitches **

XX

Martha.

Friday Link Up: A Picture... A Moment

Bird watching... After a storm I went out to the garden and found a flock of these little guys feasting on the flower pods from the birch trees. It was such a joy to stand under the trees and watch them move from branch to branch and listen to their chirps. I hope they come back soon.

How about you? Did you capture any special moments this week?

Now on to the link-up. Add your link and  visit others how link-up. And please promote the link-up with a text link or with the button. Thank you for stopping by.

XX

Martha.

New Yarn And Some Knitting Decisions

Hello! I hope you are having a lovely week. I've been meaning to show you the new yarn that  I purchased a couple weeks ago from Knit Picks.  This was my first time ordering yarn online and I'm absolutely delighted with how it looks in person. The yellow/gold one is called Billow in Turmeric color; it is 100% Pima Cotton bulky weight. It is so soft and cozy. The pink/fuchsia  is called Galileo Yarn in Abalone color; it is 50% Merino Wool 50% Bamboo sport weight. I think the color and texture looks so luxurious.

I usually find it hard to work on more than one knitting project at a time. But since I'm on the final stretch of my shawl I have been working on I though it is time to decide what to do with these fabulous yarns.

After and extensive research in Raverly (oh boy there are so many amazing patterns!), I found some great options that would work really well with each yarn. For the bulky cotton I thought that this Bandana Cowl from the Purl Bee would look great with it. And for the pink yarn I'm thinking about making another shawl. I'm still learning some of the basics about knitting so I think  This pattern would be a nice challenge. 

What do you think? Which one should I start first?

XX

Martha.

Friday Link Up: A Picture... A Moment - Issue 1

Enjoying the morning light while working on my knitting. Sunday happiness.

How about you? What was your special moment this week? 

Welcome to the first issue of our Friday Link up. Add your link and visit others. Please promote the link up with a text link or with the button. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your link. 

XX

Martha.

Project 365 - January 2014

January moments from my Instagram feed.


XX
Martha.