From K - Finished Snowflake Pillow

Let me introduce you to my new favourite couch accessory - the snowflake pillow!

After spotting Rachel's original, I practically begged her for a tutorial so I could credit her creativity. I started on my blue version a day later and it sat half finished for the past few months.

 

I debated machine quilting this pillow to finish it quickly, but kept going back to the idea of hand quilting it. In the end the hand quilting idea won, and I'm really glad I made the extra effort. I love the subtlety that the quilting adds while still giving texture.

 

I used a Cosmo glitter floss in silver to quilt the background and I think it added just the right amount of shimmer. I also added a mini snowflake detail in the centre square to pull it all together. One can never play with too much shimmery quilting floss!

 

When pulling scraps for this quilt, I intentially looked for dark blue prints that were used in my hubby's Manly Plus Quilt. I love how they coordinate and coincidentally so does the Mr. Let's just say we might need a second pillow soon.

 

It's the end of a very long week and I'm ready to kick start my weekend curled up on the couch. See you on the flip side.

Linking up to Finish it Up Friday and Needle and Thread Thursday.

From K - Two Cabled Canucks

Over the Christmas break you might say that I became a wee bit obsessed with cabled knit hats. My pattern of choice? Cabled Canuck by Tanis Fiber Arts.

I have only ever cabled once before so it took me a few cast ons before I really got the rhythm and followed the pattern correctly. For my first attempt I used TFA Green Label Aran weight yarn in Shadow.

I have to admit, I almost shed a tear when I gave this hat away. I could not imagine a more perfect pattern and colour combination. It makes me swoon just looking back at these photos.

To be perfectly honest I ordered another skein of this yarn about 20 minutes after I started working with it. If I could only knit with one colourway for the rest of my life, I would be happy for it to be this. For someone who changes her mind often, that's saying something!

The details in this design are so well thought out and really speak for themselves. I especially love the snowflake that this pattern makes at the top, kind of like a cherry on top, non?

After I cast off my first hat, I couldn't help myself and cast on another using the same pattern and the same yarn, but this time in the Dove colourway.

I really love the purple undertones in this skein but it just didn't capture my heart in the same way. I'm not sure that I have ever made the same exact thing twice, but I just might have to make a second version f this hat in Dove.

Here is a pretty true to life photo of the two skeins side by side (left: Dove right: Shadow).

My order arrived with a new skein of Shadow and I'm anxiously hoping to cast on another hat soon. I promised myself thought that before I do, I'll finished up a WiP first. Luckily these socks are keeping my focus.

From K - Kitty Dreams Dress

I named this dress after the fabric line, but honestly this dress could easily be be renamed Kitty Kelsey's Dreams Dress as it's everything my dreams are made of and more. A dress with a wonderful fit, an amazingly whimsical print AND said print has cats, balloons, mice and butterflies no less!

When Lizzy posted about her Catnap Dress Contest last month I literally stalked the internet for a local shop (or even a Canadian online shop) that had yardage. Turns out no one in Canada had received their shipments yet from what I could tell so I bit the bullet and ordered from Stash Modern Fabrics about 10 minutes after the contest was introduced.

I then proceeded to pace around my house impatiently with my house cat Joey for nearly three weeks while it made the maiden voyage up to Canada. After customs played with it for a while, they eventually passed it along my way and I frantically started cutting, serging and sewing this week - and gosh was it ever fun!

Lizzy wanted to see how we would wear our kitties on our sleeves, so I sported this to my very corporate job yesterday, styling it with a blazer and some killer stilettos to show you that kitties can have a place in the office, even amongst the all the suits.

It seemed fitting to also show you how I intend to wear this out and about on weekends since I see this quickly becoming a wardrobe staple. I paired it with a cute pair of suede booties but I see moccasins in my future with this dress too! 

Right from the beginning I knew this Kitty Dreams in Grass print was just begging for some lime green pockets and I love the extra detail it adds. I'm quite certain that it's a commonly known fact that fun linings make everything 100x better.

The shoulder flounce on this dress is the kind of detail that makes me swoon. Simple, subtle, not terribly flashy but still unique. I might just need to add flounces to ALL my future dress projects now that I know how easy they are to sew.

Dress Details:

• Pattern: Simplicity 1877 by Leanne Marsh
• Fabric: Catnap by Lizzy House
• Thread: Gutermann in colour 792

I had such a great time making this dress and watching all of the other Catnap dresses pop up on IG (#catnapdresscontest and #catnapdress) and the contest Flickr page. This was exactly the type of selfish sewing I needed before getting back to sewing my gift list next week.

Linking up to Needle and Thread Thursday and Finish it up Friday.