Today is Max's first birthday. It seems like only yesterday that we were bringing him home:
and now here he is one year old:
I decided that he needed a birthday cake, so while I was at the grocery store I found this cute little iced donut that I couldn't pass up. Max loves it. I tell him to go get his birthday cake and he finds it and brings it to me. It's a rubber squeeky toy. Just fit the bill for a birthday cake for Max ;)
As for the vest for John----well, it's coming along very nicely so far. I'll show you a photo of how I knit in provisional pocket placements in the two front sides. I have tentatively decided to take out those provisional stitches, use a smaller needle than I'm knitting the vest with and pick up those provisional stitches and knit two or three rows and sew my welts to those stitches, turn them to the inside, adhere a basting tape to the zipper to hold it in place on the inside (right side of zipper facing wrong side of vest), go to the right side and "stitch in the ditch" all the way around the pocket opening. Hopefully I'll have a welted zipper pocket in John's vest when I get through. Now to find some zippers. John doesn't like the dual separating zippers and that's all I have been able to find locally. I'm not using that on the pockets, only the center opening. However, I do need for all of them to look alike. Internet shopping is on the horizon.
I'm using Lynne's advice (thank you, Lynne) and have knit a swatch with the provisional pocket in place and will practice on that before I start working them on the vest. Thank you all for your suggestions---they have all been very helpful. I must say, the only way to do this is by trail and error. There are no tutorials on zippered pockets in knitted fabric anywhere that I can find. I even went down to my LYS and they acted like I was somewhere in left field. They had no clue where to even begin.
There is one more idea of putting in the welted zippers that I'm going to try on my swatches. This method is to sew the zipper directly to the welts before attaching it to the vest, put that on the wrong side of the vest and hand stitch the whole thing to the vest. I'm tending to like the first idea the best. I'll just have to try them both to see which I like.
Here is a photo of how I did the provisional pocket placements. I am much further along than this photo as I have just started the decreases for the arm holes and am about ready to place my provisional pocket on the upper left chest.
Meanwhile, I've also been sewing for Maggie. Here is a pair of ruffled bottom pants with a short sleeve appliqued witch's boots and a long sleeve appliqued tea pot with Maggie's initial in the center (the plain white knit shirts were purchased ready-made and I added the appliques)
Close up of the teapot and witch's boots:
Yesterday I made a reversible a-line jumper. One side is black gingham with a "girly ghost" applique and the other side is orange gingham with a "turkey" applique (can be worn for both Halloween and Thanksgiving). The appliques were actually on a jumper that Maggie had last year and we wanted to re-use them. I carefully cut them out trying to not cut the satin stitches around them, used "wonder-under" to adhere them to the jumper and stitched them all the way around with another satin stitch. I was lucky that I was able to match the thread exactly. I still have to make the button holes and sew on the buttons.
Today, I made another pair of blue gingham ruffled bottom pants and have a long sleeve knit shirt that I'm going to applique a lollipop with a ribbon tied to the stick. I added a piece of ric-rac on the ruffle seam which made the ruffle "pop".
I'll show you photos of these when they are finished. Now it's time to go sit with Max for a little while and knit on John's vest.
Oh----it's getting chilly here and the leaves are beginning to turn and some are even falling off the trees. Right now, it's raining---typical fall day.
Happy Birthday Max - from Daisy and Lackie !!!
Posted by: Anne | September 29, 2010 at 09:21 PM
Max is still as adorable as can be!
Posted by: Jo | October 04, 2010 at 05:10 AM