Basketweave Afghan

I gave this lovely afghan to my sister-in-law as a birthday gift last weekend. I started it at the beginning of February, but most of it was completed during March Madness. It's a lap afghan, about 4 feet by 4 feet.

I used the Basketweave Afghan pattern from Lion Brand and Wool Ease Thick & Quick yarn in Oatmeal. I love the texture that the thick yarn creates and I love the specks of brown within the lighter colored yarn. The border is seed stitch and the blocks are just alternating knitting and purling. 

The blocks aren't really misshapen, it was just really hard to get the afghan to lay perfectly on the ground. The great thing about this yarn is that you can put it in the washer and dryer! Plus, this thing was warm! I got to take it for a test run as I finished it up.

I think the seed stitch frames the blocks nicely. Most of all, I think this afghan looks pretty fancy, when, in fact, it was very very simple to make. I would make it again!

Black History Month Beignet... Two Months Late!

Surprise, I've been sewing! I cut this skirt out a week before the end of February intending to wear it to our Black History Month Closing Reception, but I finished it a good two months too late!

I used the Colette Beignet pattern and an African wax cotton. I'm so pleased with how my first Beignet came out. The time that it took to finish is not a reflection of how hard the pattern is, it was actually pretty easy to put together! I took these pictures after work one night this week and my hair just wasn't cutting it, so you're getting headless pictures and a slightly wrinkled skirt! 

 

And there's pockets! I was worried about attaching the lining to the waistband facing, but it was really no big deal.

 

Look at all of those buttons! I love the automatic buttonhole on my machine. It's like magic when it stitches the same exact buttonhole after the first one! I also love my button sew-on foot. It makes sewing buttons on so quick and easy. No more hand sewing buttons!

I just realized this is my first finished garment since last July. Wow! And I didn't exactly love those knit dresses, so it's the first garment that I'm pleased with since May. Yikes. Thankfully I don't think I'll have to wait as long for another successful garment. I'm halfway through an Alma blouse—I just have to tweak the fit in the chest a bit. Once I have the fit figured out, I plan on making a couple of these to wear to work during the summer.

Did you catch the Great British Sewing Bee? I watched the episodes on YouTube and I loved it. It was so calm and comforting, free of drama, and filled with encouragement and good attitudes among the contestants. I would have been pleased to see any of them win, they all deserved it! I'm excited that it was picked up for a second season, although we'll have to wait until next year to see it. I hope they keep the format the same. In case you missed it, here are the YouTube links: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4. Enjoy!