Meet my nemesis...

This would be it...shirts.  Men's or boy's shirts to be specific.  With collars.  And long sleeves with cuffs.  But primarily collars.  It involves ripping-usually.  It involves pinning.  Lots of pinning.  To get them just perfect.  Or at least acceptable.  And then add the details that make them a western shirts and you have the makings of a migraine.  But these went together like a breeze.  Am I getting better?  I can only hope. 

         Or maybe it's the pattern. 

Because this one was the typical nightmare.  I received the fabric in the elephant swap a few swaps back and was waiting for the perfect use for it.  This was it.  A little shirt for a new little man.  I'm glad you can't see the buttonholes.  Not pretty.  But the overall shirt came out cute.  I have two more shirts in the works from this pattern and they aren't going well.  So the pattern is going, in the garbage.  I can sew shirts without the headache considering the first two shirts.  So I'm blaming the pattern.

I can sew dresses and enjoy the whole process.  No jaw grinding.  The pink dress is from leftover fabric in my stash and fabric my sister gave to me.  The dress below was also fabric given to me.   The pattern for both dresses is the same pattern.  The granddaughters saw the pattern and said, "Would you make us a dress from this?" and then promptly picked the view they wanted.  Two little girls, alike in many ways but different in some and they know their own tastes.  I love that about them.  That they know what they like.  The dresses and western shirts are in lieu of graduation gifts to my grandmunchkins that are graduating from kindergarten. 

Do you want to know where I got such cute fabric for the dress and western shirts?  Here:

I was gifted in a random act of kindness, an entire box of fabric!  Rae Lynne, from my itty bitty group in ravelry is also a seamstress.  She was given some of her mother in law's stash of fabric and generously shared with me.  The itty bitty group is like that.  It is made of wonderful caring sharing ladies.  We pray for each other, gift each other RAKs, vent to each other, advise each other.  And we've never met.  We came together over knitting and stayed as friends.

And congratulations to my 4 kindergarten pupils!  They passed with flying colors.  I was blessed down to my socks to be allowed to teach them at home for kindergarten.  I hate to see my sweet little girl head off to actual school next year.  The other 3 have one more year with me.  I've enjoyed teaching them and they are very bright little pupils.  No prejudice at all, just fact.         

We're knitting in 2012.

Before I show you my first completed knit for 2012...let me entice you with a cutie. This week there was a break in the rain and we had a little one. Hmmm, nice weather, albeit cold, cute little one, what to do? Head to the playground to expound on the newly acquired "whhhheeeee" skills. Translated: sliding skills.

Cute no?

And here it is: first knit of 2012. A test knit for an Australian designer. It's a bit long, a bit big, but I still like it. And more importantly, so did she. It's in the closet for next fall however. Definitely would/will make another. Quick knit, cute for fall and winter. Made a few modifications that are outlined on my ravelry page.

She got a bit giggly. She was wearing her aunt's turtle neck to offset the vest, which is also a bit big. But a fun photo shoot anyway.

The Itty Bitty group is at it again. Another swap being sent out as I type this. I was one of the first to receive my "Frogs and Fairies" package. My swap partner was headed for surgery right as these were supposed to be sent out and she still managed to put together a wonderful package for me as well as prep for surgery and get her family ready for her to be out of commission for a few weeks. I was throughly spoiled! Loved the books, the Smarties (a Canadian treat I shared willingly with the grandmunchkins), the bookmark, a Laura Storey CD with the song "Blessings" on it. (a powerful song that makes me cry everytime), a project bag with yarn to make the frog from the Spud and Chloe blog, and a craft kit and...did I forget something?

Oh yes....The Fairy!!! She is adorable!

And another Itty Bitty member has been sending out Valentine RAK's (random acts of kindness) by the score. I was the lucky receipient of such a kind act. An adorable turtle valentine and a cute little bunny named Zara. Julie knits these cute little bunnies and sends them out. So cute and such a fun reminder of a friend I've never met in person.