making my own napkins and loving it

okay, so as promised, i’ve taken some pictures of various craft projects that i’ve been meaning to post.  i’ve also been embarking on new projects, which i’ve also taken pictures of, so i’ll also post them.  also.

first:  the scarf for the walrus, to keep him warm and stylish while he philosophizes.  it’s a basket weave, in a really beautiful deep red-orange alpaca wool (blue sky alpacas, to be exact, sport weight, in scarlet).  i love the basket weave, because it’s complicated enough that you have to pay attention and don’t get bored, but repetitive enough that it’s hard to lose your place.  now i want to knit everything in this weave.

second:  the dog bed, which i think i mentioned in an earlier post.  this project evolved on somewhat of a whim, when i saw some cute dog-inspired patterns at joann’s.  i had some polar fleece left over from my quilt, so i figured i’d make a little doggie quilt.  the quilt turned into a fully reversible dog-bed made to fit over the foam bed my parents bought for the stinkbag.  it was definitely one of the more challenging projects i’ve done, just because i didn’t have any sort of pattern, and the polar fleece had to be cut and pieced together in order to get it the right size and shape, and then i had to figure out how to attach it to the reversible quilt without having a ton of ugly seams hanging out.  so here it is, with a matching dog collar:

the collar is the same material as the other side of the quilt, and i was able to embroider tank’s name and a little picture, thanks to my new christmas present!!!

finally:  yes, it’s been a busy season for crafting, and you’d think i’d want a break after so many little projects, but i’m just so excited about my machine, that i can’t keep myself away.  so i decided to go ahead and make the “apple a day lunch bag,” which is a pattern i picked up at spool, my favoritest place on earth (at least the center city, philadelphia, zone of earth).  this was my first experience with fusible interfacing, and let me tell ya, i’m a fan.  here’s my final project, posed seductively next to its mother:

now i just need a job that i can take my lunch to.