Reversible jumper and sundress top -- and the cabled blanket is finally DONE!

Like so many other people, I instantly fell for Michael Miller's Sarah Jane Children at Play fabric when it came out and had been hanging onto a couple of contrasting yards for months until I could work up the nerve to cut it out. I had also been eyeballing Sandra Lister's reversible jumper pattern for quite some time with these fabrics in mind, so when I finally managed to master buttonholes a week or so ago, I decided it was time to bite the bullet.

When I started to cut it out, I was horrified to realize that I didn't have quiiiite enough fabric. Like, by an inch. The fabric is an odd width (42 in or so instead of the 44-45 I'm used to) and the doll fabric is directional, so it has to be cut out a certain way. I fiddled and fiddled with it and finally discovered that if I held my breath and made the fabric scream, I could just barely -- we're talking about a millimeter -- get what I needed.

And here's the final product. It was relatively easy to put together, although hemming both sides at once was a little tricky.  But I'm pretty happy with the result.

The odd part was, because of the shape of the pieces, I then had several fairly nice-sized chunks left over. I was determined to get something else out of it. After much contemplation, I settled on the "Pretty. Easy. Sundress." from Craftiness is not Optional. Except I would make it a top, because H already has too many dresses, but can use some more casual clothes for the warmer months (which are pretty much upon us and will be here through October).

I must admit, I had a tiny bit of trouble understanding the instructions for making the pattern. (I have a BFA in theater with an English minor and a MA in journalism. I am not a mathy sort of person.) So mine ended up a little bit too big.  Better than too small, I guess!  I also added a little line of rickrack along the top to make it a bit vintagier. What?  That's a word.

I wasn't thrilled with the way the inside looked where the two big pieces are joined, so I think next time I will make the bodice pieces 3/4 of an inch longer so I can fold it under and insert the skirt into the lined bodice so there are no ugly edge pieces on the inside.

I will also make it about an inch or so longer, because there was a fair amount of belly and top-of-diaper flashing going on.

I will make it again, though... it's perfect for summer -- cool and casual but way cuter than a onesie!

And I even have a few precious scraps of my fabric left for some teeny project down the line!

And this week I finished a project I have been working on for nearly a year and a half! H's baby blanket. I started it three months before she was born. I hadn't planned on making her one, but after I made one for a little friend, I decided she needed one, too.  Only with a young baby it is not exactly easy to find time to sit around knitting! 

 I used this pattern.  It isn't hard at all (in fact, it would be a good first cabling project), just time-consuming!  I actually took out a couple of cables and made it a small "stroller blanket" size, because otherwise it would never have been finished.  So, she's over a year old and just now getting her baby blanket!

with a pencil for scale ;)

The funny thing is, she was lying on this blanket in the pictures I took when she was a few days old and used on her birth announcement.  But it wasn't close to finished.  The blanket ended on needles right out of the frame! Ah, well, it's finally done now. And the first thing I did after finishing it was wash it to get the dusty smell out.  Better late than never!