Totoro's Awed by Giant Acorn

Totoros, on the Eve of Christmas were awed by the large acorn brought as a gift by giant Korknisser.

Tree Pattern: Fuzzy Mittens Wee Tree Pattern with Through the Loops Fun Fur Variation

Merry Christmas!


Not sure what kind of flower this is, but it sure jumped out at me in all it's orangeness.

Must Have Haiku

Knitting Must Have sleeves,
The mind wanders to Clapotis
and lusts for Noro.

Sleeves just seem to go slowly. But of course there are the holidays, too what with all the cookie baking, shopping and parties. I took off a week from work but it's just not enough time!

Must Have enabler Kim praised me as "prolific knitter" but I don't hold a candle to Opal who I think has knit enough garments for a small country since I've met her.

I still want to knit Kirsten's Thorpe and some of Barbara's cute Christmas trees but will there be time?

It doesn't help that I'm easily distracted by stuff like Bumpy Doink's Japanese meme link. I have to work on the music meme she tagged me on, too!

I managed to crank out some more stitch markers, maneki neko (shown in black but also in white and gold) and apples. I recycled some turquoise beads and added some silver leaves. I'm also trying to use up some of my pearl and Swarovski crystal stash and go big with the earrings, as the younger girls seem all be in to huge dangly things.



And then of course there's the angst of work. I found out one of the ladies I walk with also put in for retirement. It was suggested by the walking group that when I feel a whine coming out I just call her up and quack. Maybe I'll try it!

Time to get out that Acorn Tree

The dried starfruit with li hing powder was a hit a work. I still think these are a bit strange tasting, but as the neighbors tree is all ripe at once I decided to make a really big batch. I found slicing them thicker works better as the first batch came out like potato chips. These take a little over 24 hours. I coated them with lemon juice and a little honey before drying. Tomorrow, the powder!

Having succumbed to Ravelry, I found a small group of Miyazaki fans and one knit a very cute Totoro. My version came out quite plump as I took the instruction "stuff firmly" seriously. He is posing under the Christmas Acorn tree with his new found friend. The yarns are Cascade Pastaza and Malabrigo. The eyes and chest markings are needle felted on.


Must Have is chugging along. I have two fronts going on at once. I find myself flirting with new yarn. Never mind that I have sock yarn in my stash. I'm trying to save up so I can splurge at Madrona, since it's so much more fun to buy yarn I have been able to meet in person.











The rain let up enough for a walk. It was so green!
Which reminds me. I have officially tendered my resignation, effective 6/30/2008 and I am happy about that:)

While Knitting Must Have...

1. The hats got modeled. Baby hats are so much fun to knit and even more fun to see on.
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Hats:
Black Orange and White, fisherman's rib in Big Wool.
Cascade 220 Pumpkin Hat.
Modeled by Marcus and Adam, photos by their talented dad. Marcus is such a big boy now and so curious about everything. I love the way Lou caught the colors of autumn.

2. I pondered what to do with starfruit. They smell good, they look so interesting, but what the heck does one do with them other then float them in the punch bowl?

My sister's answer: Photograph them, heh.

3 Mess with the Thanksgiving photos. In this photo, light is streaming to the windward side of the Pali Lookout. The story goes that the King of Oahu was pushed over that cliff (from the townside) by King Kamehameha when he conquered Oahu and united all the islands under one kindgom.

shh! wip

i'm whispering about this one, must have cardigan from street smart, in peacock, paton's classic merino wool. yarn is being swapped for cash from the original knitted brow. The pattern has a cool 3 stitch wrapped cable.

The skulls are a belated birthday present for the knittybird. I got the beads on my trip to Chicago, but they only had 3 :(

Pride Goeth before a Fall

River Grass Gansey is a lofty project and really want to knit it. I don't like to commit to projects on the blog...it's one of my idiosyncrasies. And here's why. Cast on 272, join for knitting in the round, MAKING SURE NOT TO TWIST THE STITCHES. I knit merrily along, never noticing my lovely mobius until I had enough to measure. See? Bachi! (Japanese for curse) It makes me want to knit a cardigan. And really I'm still not sure it's the right pattern for the yarn. It is rolled up nicely in a little yarn cake now until it speaks to me again. The gansey is still calling to me, but the yarn keeps whispering "lace". Yikes, I hope not.


So I made some earrings and a hello kitty key chain, working on the bead stash.


I've signed up for a couple classes at the Madrona Fiber Festival. The classes really went fast so no FairIsle beginning class for me. Instead I will be dyeing with persimmons. Also no Yarn Harlot. Oh well. Just being in the same town will be enough:)

Unshaped Shrug link

I found the link to the shrug pattern. It is Unshaped Shrug by KnitontheNet(Just call me Ruby)


I cast on for River Grass Gansey from Jamiesons's Shetland Knitting Book 2 in a very dark blue Rowanspun DK. The self talk has begun. I knit a swatch once and in the fudgy way I do things cast on with a larger needle in a smaller size. The dark hides all the details, but hey, a good soak will fix that. And, the needle size is rather large, and it looks a bit holey, but hey, a good soak will fix that. and of course I have no idea how large around it really is, but being an "apple" I hate ribbing that binds. And I decided it will take more then an inch to decide.

I want this yarn for myself greedy me. And I want cables. Even if I can't see them, I know they are there:)

I am always thankful these orchids thrive in spite of my disgraceful neglect of my patio.

The Koigu the Cat Ate Comes Back

But, first, the computer WIP.

So far the 6 fans and the black wiring has been quite exciting and the blue lights are very soothing. The slow process is adding back all my favorite proggies, learning the differences between Win2K and XP, and trying to find all the passwords...This is big sucker that actually seems to cool the room instead of heat it up. And surprise no A drive so I had to get the kid to rescue my DJ doodler fonts. I'm so happy to be back online. So many blogs, so little time!

The reknit of the Koigu socks the Cat Ate is finally done. I used the beaded rib on 54 stitches, and they fit me fine, but I wonder if they will fit my niece. Sigh. Does anyone know if the Bitter Apple Cat Repellant works?



I succumbed to these two books as I'm on a quest to find my next sweater project. I have enough yarn for a vest but I'm really fighting the urge to buy more Beaverslide, and I fondled some Plymouth Royal Llama Silk that makes me want to whip that credit card out.

I knit up the Malabrigo pink shrug using a free pattern I found on the Web right before the crash, and I can't find it again to provide a link and credit to the author. I'll keep looking. I didn't make a copy as it was a rectangle with ribbing on both ends. The ribbing on the long edges was picked up and knitted and on both ends is part of the armhole. The two balls of yarn were quite different in the saturation of the dye. The bulky weight was a pleasure to knit and of course it is a cushy as can be. So the bad news is I look ridiculous in the bulky pink shrug, and although I will wear it in the am on these cool Hawaiian fall and winter days, I will not subject the public to pictures of me modelling it!

Whine and Malabrigo

The trusty 'puter crashed so reading blogs and responding to emails will be a challenge for awhile. And now I have to go to work early to do the stuff I was doing at home. Waah.

Meanwhile, Koigu shortie socks are coming along, and I have 3 repeats of an actual lace stole. What sweater to do next? That is the question. I lust for cables, but no bobbles please ;) And of course there's that bulky Malabrigo in pink. I picture me wearing a fluffy pink shrug at home this winter...just me and my Malabrigo trying to break away from the blue.

Trip part 3of3: Wisconsin Treasures and Minamilist FO

Madison, Wisconsin is a mere 2.5 hour drive from Ohare Airport. My sister there is a very good cook and I threw the low carb diet to the wind and totally enjoyed homemade cherry pie! Yum. I made up for with with the very colorful salmon/vegie feast. Thank you blogless sister! (The defect in the lattice top, was made by ME!)

Two days after I left Fall fell, and her birch turned golden. Amazing!




Although the plan was to keep shopping to a minimum, we visited a lovely antique store where I picked up some celluloid needles, another bone awl and some tatted edging. I am fond of bone awls although I don't really know what they were used for. I hope not to pick one's teeth. I also found a Pyrex creamer and small bowl in Opal at a thrift store. I admit I'm a Pyrex junkie. It just seems so clean and the it's heat resistance is legendary! Wikipedia says the Corning Glass Works company invented it in 1915. It's hard for me to resist the custard cups, mixing bowls and pie plates whenever I see them. Little Totoros were quite happy with the new Acorn dish. Thanks again sister!


Minimalist got some quality time on the road. I followed the Knitty directions for seaming which is a lot better then my previous methods. I had just enough yarn for the size small in Cascade Largo. It is a great little swingy cardigan and a mindless knit. Love it!

I was reminded everywhere that Halloween will be upon us soon. I knit Susan Esser's pumpkin hat in Cascade 220 and a Fisherman's rib hat (just winged the pattern) with stash remnants.

Trip 2 of 3: Oh Canada

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Blogless da Twine and The Knitted Brow are well traveled but Canada is my first trip outside the US and I got my first passport for a spur of the moment trip to see Niagara Falls. The original plan was to fly to Buffalo, but my sister found a great deal for the Canadian Side.


At the airport we were approached by a very well dressed man who asked if we needed a taxi. We followed him upstairs and into a creepy parking garage. He had a very nice car with leather seats, but no taxi light. He told us the next day was Thanksgiving and everything would be closed. We told him we were going to Niagara Falls that day so he said, that was the best day to go and we would have the best weather. We asked him about our hotel and he said we were staying in the best location. This was quite encouraging! And he was cute on top of that and very tall. I suspect he was a taxi scalper, and my sister and I discussed how we have no street sense what so ever.

Toronto was quite a surprise. I was thinking about the Western side with a more British feel, or something French, and found the part of Toronto I stayed in very multicultural with lots of mid Eastern and Asian influences. We walked up and down Yonge Street, the "longest street in the world". We ate Lebanese food for the first time, and loved the garlic sauce and shawarma.

The next day was Niagara Falls. We did the tourist thing. We put on our blue raincoats and rode the Maid of the Mist. We declined the helicopter or Cessna flyover (just chicken that's all). It was pretty amazing.




The next day we visited the Royal Museum and enjoyed the historical part and the glass paperweight collection. We debated on whether or not the merging of the old and the new museum "worked". Then we took a hike to Kensington Market. The cosmicpluto was minding the shop, Lettuce Knits working on her Rhinebeck Sweater. I couldn't resist the sea silk lace weight (even though I am laceknitting impaired) and got some black Malagrigo to make an urban baby hat. Somehow I equate urban with the color black. (no doubt I'll just keep it to roll around in and cheer me up when I'm uncheered). She pointed us in the direction of Courage My Love a funky shop with a great button collection. Kensington Market is a quaint open market with lots of color and cute shops and old houses. I'll have to check out Romni Wools if I make it back there again.

Facts I learned while in Canada
1. Toronto's CN Building is no longer the tallest building in the world, but it is taller then Chicago's Sears Building.
2. Niagara Falls is not the tallest falls in the world but has the fastest flow and largest volume of any falls in the world. The water from 4 of the great lakes flow through the Falls. Both the US and Canada divert water to make electricity but during peak tourist season they have agreed to do it only at night so the Falls will be full.
3. Halal is food that is OK from a Muslim point of view and is not the name of a chain.
4. Ice Wine is made from frozen grapes that are picked at -8 degrees. Each grape yields only one drop of wine. (Either that or I'm very gullible)
5. The Civil War Underground Railroad ended in Toronto.

Trip part 1 of 3: Chicago

My trip started off well with an unexpected upgrade to first class from American Airlines. Wow, that gave me a good feeling and a whole lot more leg room! Chicago was unseasonably warm. In fact the day my sister came down and we did the Chicago Architectural Foundation walking tour, Historic Skyscrapers, it was in the high 80s! As the Academy of Family Medicine Scientific Assembly and the Chicago marathoners were in town, and Chicago is a big city, it was packed everywhere and the boat tours were sold out. I thoroughly enjoyed this walking tour. It was a brisk two hours and we covered at least 21 buildings. I also took a bus tour of the the Robie, Glessner and the oldest "mansion" in Chicago.

The insides of these buildings are a dream of incredible decorations, and are in great shape in many cases. Parts of the elevated train system, The El, were built to go around the Loop in the late 1800s. Some of it was built for the 1890 Columbian Exposition and is still being used today. Scary!



The picture in the last row on the left is the Monadnock Building built in 1891 by Burnham and Root. It is a dark, hulking skyscraper without adornment. According to the guide, this building is most oohed and aawed over by architectural students. Guess I'm partial to the adornments myself.

I was not able to get to Knitwerks, but visited the Knitting Workshop. It was small, and no shopkeeper addressed my sister and I the whole time we were there. Strange. My niece took us to a cute bead store in Lincoln Park and I got some beetle wings and skull beads.

I did run by the Bean at night and saw Chicago reflected in it. I missed meeting MacKenzie Thorpe at the Atlas Gallery as I had a dinner engagement with my niece but got a glimpse of him through the window as we literally ran past.



Mr Sockfish and Koigu short socks posed in front of Northwestern Medical Center. They wanted to stay and get some higher education as they were neglected on this trip for Minimalist Cardigan (which I hope is a FO by the time I get to part 3!)

I stayed at the Fairfield Inn one block from Northwestern. The people at this hotel were very nice and found my sister's passport while we waited at the airport. My niece was able to bring it out for us and American Airlines put us on the next flight out without charge! And best of all this hotel had free breakfast and is one block from the Michigan Avenue!

Facts I learned about Chicago.
1. The Chicago river was reversed so it no longer flows in to Lake Michigan, but in to the Mississippi.
2. Mrs. O'Leary's cow was not guilty
3. Chicago has alley ways between most of the skyscrapers so the garbage trucks do not clog up the main streets during collection
4. Before the elevator, buildings were only 4 stories high and the top floor was the cheapest. After the elevator, the penthouse became the most desirable location.
5. Steel girder technology allowed the modern skyscraper to soar and also allowed Frank Lloyd Wright to flatten out his Prairie homes, by avoiding vertical lines.

I've been tagged, and welcome Mia, a small FO

I've been tagged by Kelly Jo She just moved to KnitFrogRepeat

I think I did this one awhile back.

The rules are:
Once tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list 8 random things about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to 8 other people, visit their sites, and leave a comment letting them know they've been tagged.

Eight Random Things About me
1. I've been on a diet since birth. My mother is obsessed with weight and food. I'm trying to overcome it. I used to be very physically active, but now work and all my hobbies are sedentary. Yes, I know better, but if you offer me a very tasty piece of chocolate (like a dark chocolate covered macadamia nut), I still often say yes and pop it in my mouth. Yikes!
2. My crafts have been a series of obsessions. In middle school I made paper machette(sp?) jewelry and painted peanuts to look like bugs. In college I knit. In my 30s and 40s I sewed. There was the pincushion phase, the book cover phase, quilitng, and the rabbit phase, to name a few. Now I mostly knit again.
3. I like to grow pineapples in my patio. They are very low maintenance and the pineapples are very sweet ripened to perfection before being picked.
4. Right now I'm going through a "men are icky" relationship stage. The exception, of course my sons, who are the best:) The other exception being some of the blogger's husbands who from what I read are very nice and considerate.
5. Nature amazes me. The storms in Kansas, the quiet of fresh fallen snow, the red sand tracing flash floods in the Grand Canyon, the blue of Lanikai, the glow of sunset, the diversity in color and shape of flowers. Can't beat it.
6. I always thought I would age gracefully...haha, I thought I would giggle and smile through labor pains, too. Now I color my hair and worry about all those strange spots on my skin like grandma had.
7. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I think I have time for another career. But just what would that be?
8. I feel lucky to live in Nuuanu. It is cool, green and lush. I don't mind the rain (liquid sunshine!). As the saying goes, no rain, no rainbows.

I will have to work on a tag list but I'm inviting all the Hawaii and Aloha Knitters to join in and do this meme even if you did it before.


Welcome Mia.

Pattern: Doll and Hello Kitty bed/bag from Leisure Arts Scraps Savers, 100 great Little Gifts. Pink Aran in Rowan's Cashoff, adapted from Martha Hayne's Top Down Beanie Sweater. Knit on size 5 Clover bamboo DP. I still have to make the pillow and a few changes of clothes.

Ariann, FO and a Wednesday Sky

Pattern: Ariann by Chicknits
Yarn: SWTC Karaoke, 50%soy silk and wool.
Needles: Size 7 Knitpick options

I like that there are only two little seams under the arms. I messed up on the increases due to short attention span, but frogged back, actually followed the directions and lo and behold all turned out well. The needles are nice an pointy and no catching or breaking even though I put a lot of stress on them when I got to the part where the front/back combo and both sleeves are joined together. Getting around the sleeves was challenging until some of the decreases were done, so I added two DPs when I got to the sleeves and kept all the other stitches on the circular.
This yarn is nice to knit, a bit of fuzz came off but it held up well in the soak. It is very warm! Hopefully not too warm for Tacoma. I'm not sure I like out the striping/pooling happened on the body and sleeves, but oh, well, there ya go!
I'm still in search of the right buttons. These from the stash are the right size and have a shank, but the color is too bright, imo. It's for my sister so can't model it as it doesn't fit me.


The sky was ablaze this evening.

No photo wandering Wednesday

To heck with the math, I ate the white pineapple all up! It was very sweet:)

Ariann will need frogging and redoing. I lead myself to believe that the decreases would take care of themselves, and now the collar won't roll and the neckline is ruffled. I'm verklempt.

Perhaps I'll start some simple socks.

I did manage to sew a silk blouse for $2.99. I got a brand new dress on half off day at Goodwill and made a T-shirt blouse.

I'm still traumatized from the giant centipede I found one night in my dining room. It was huge! I hope there aren't any more. I'm thinking I have to wear shoes in the house.

I passed my Boards. I'm so happy I wasn't in the 6% that fail. It would be grounds for seppuku. There were no questions on shoulder dystocia this year, but they persist in putting those statistic questions, like NNT, etc. I just want to know the bottom line!

I got my first passport. Yup, I've never left the country and I've passed the half century mark. Kentucky was the most foreign place I've been too. I want to see Niagara Falls and my sister has talked me in to flying in to Toronto instead of driving from Buffalo. I better practice my French. Any good yarn stores in Chicago or Toronto?

I took Erin's class, Bubbles and Baubles in hopes of learning to wire wrap top drilled beads. It's going to take a lot of practice.

Another Felted Totoro and Sashiko Baby Futon

Pattern: Knitted Totoro by smartygirl.
Yarn: Cascade 220
Needles 10.5 bamboo clovers

I don't know why his head came out so small and his ears so big. I felted him 16 minutes and needlefelted the eyes, nose and chest markings on. The original seems more Totoro-like. The other blues invited the new guy to inspect the quilt in progress. I have to figure out something for his whiskers.

Quilt Pattern: Sashiko Baby Futon, pattern by Pauline Kunimune formerly of Kuni's Dry Goods.
I enjoyed taking sewing classes at the old Kuni's. I have made this futon many times for new babies. I love the mon designs and put the family one in the center and toys around. It's a fast quilt as only 5 blocks have sashiko, and a futon is tied not quilted. I orignally tried out traditional futon stuffing, but it shifts as it is not bonded. If find it more practical to use bonded 5 oz batting so it can washed in the machine. I love Kona Cotton for the backing, borders and blocks as it has a nice weight.

Yoga Mat Bag, FO

Yoga Mat Bag from Last Minute Knitted Gifts is done. It's just about dry. It came out way too long for the yoga mat which is hiding inside and only come up to the top end of the Kureyon. It will work well for a very tall yoga practitioner. The areas that I stranded pulled in a bit and the Kureyon did not felt as much as the Cascade giving it a bit of the "boa constrictor that swallowed a meal" look. The top bells out a bit. This happened to the one other bag I felted in the machine. Anyone know why that happens and how to prevent it?
I made this for someone who actually does yoga, but don't know if I will actually gift it since it seems too big. Maybe with a bit of surgery...? My yoga practice so far has only progressed to watching one video, but hey, I have the mat so who knows? I guess I could use it to store my yardsticks or if I ever take up golf....

The bottom of the bag is very clever. The extra rows give it a nice edge and alternating K2tog and SSK decreases pretty much hide shaping after the felting is done.
A new technique for me was knitting the icord edging along the strap. It was very easy and well explained in the pattern and gives the edge of the strap a nice smooth, firm edge.




I found some cute Maneki Neko ceramic beads at Creations by You. They were a bit big, so I made them into stitch markers for larger size needles.

Sometimes I just want to knit stockinette

I find myself reminiscing about old Honolulu at times. It's all relative about what is old. This view of downtown Honolulu illustrates my point. The building boom has created many new skyscrapers in downtown. They are mostly expensive, but no doubt have fabulous views. None of it looks "Hawaiian" to me. Sigh.

I started Minimalist Cardigan from the new Interweave Knits. I tried to talk myself into believing I had enough yarn, but no amount of positive thinking can change 8 balls into 12 balls no matter how much I want it to be, so I better stop now. The Cascade Key Largo I got from Opal is very nice to knit and in my favorite color, indigo blue. I wonder what else it wants to be? I hope it's stockinette!


Yoga Mat Bag from Last Minute Knitted gifts is miles and miles of mindless stockinette. It was something I needed. The Kureyon left over from Kim's Rosedale is very festive. The rule was not to buy more yarn so I mixed it with some Cascade 220, but alas, I've run out of orange for the strap. I hope the two yarns felt at the same rate, or it will be a very interesting bag! I've avoiding going to Ben Franklin to see if there is more orange. I had good intentions of not buying more yarn. I toyed with the idea of using a rope strap with grommets, but I'm not sure. I will let it marinate a bit.

My local Goodwill produced a great stand (?candle holder) for the latest needle felted Totoro pincushion. I'm stuck on the idea of gluing it in. As a rule I don't like to glue anything no matter how fun a hot glue gun is. I'm also trying to decide if I should put some silk ribbon leaves around it.

Monkey Socks, FO

My Summer of Socks lone pair is finally done!

Pattern: Moneky Socks by Cookie A
Yarn: Trekking XXL, color 77, a present(yay!)
Needles: Knitpicks, size 1

Trekking is finer and not sproingy like Koigu. It seemed a bit splitty, so the very sharp knitpicks came in handy. I loved the color shading and the final product. The pattern is very easy to follow and thankfully easy on the lace-phobic I've become.

The grey Totoro's really wanted to be in the picture, as they feel entitled to equal time to the blues.

Now, what for Project Spectrum orange, brown, purple? Do I cheat like last color and post flowers? Hmmm.

Totoro gets Needle Felted

Well here it is, my first needle felting project after Howard the Hedgehog's eyes...Totoro pincushion.
A while back I was obsessed with pincushions. In Hawaii, the humidity causes pins to rust so what to stuff them with was an issue. I heard of using human hair and actually got one in pincushion exchange. I ended up using a lot of fiberfill which actually works okay. I read it dulled the pins, though. Then my sister sent me a bunch of cleaned, carded wool and that was my favorite. She also sent me a kit where the roving is lumped into balls and tied in a pantyhose, then felted in the machine. I made a bunch of these balls and used one of them for the base of my pincushion.
I covered the ball with some lovely wool/silk roving that Opal gave me, then used bits of yarn and roving to make the rest. I haven't found a piece of foam to try my hand at freeform, 3-D needel felting, but hope to work up to some like sildeth's little gems.
The little lacquer box held a pincushion that I sacrificed as it was not stuffed enough.

Maui No Ka Oi

My trip to Maui was a business trip and I really meant to leave my knitting at home, but at the last minute Mr. Sockfish decided to stowaway. The Trekking Monkey sock posed in front of one of the Wailea Shops, where Paris Hilton is alleged to shop. From a crafter's POV, this shop is full of great projects. Who doesn't need a dial phone that looks like a pink dog, or a dress so stiff with beads it's impossible to sit in? I suppose if I was 20, a size o and rich I would ...errr, well maybe not. But I certainly wouldn't mind making some of this stuff for fun!




I managed to finish one sock. I made it a little shorter for our tropical weather. I also stopped at Sew Special - Maui at the Kaahumau Shopping Center in Kahului. No yarn, but lots of great buttons and I picked up the Clover felting needles. No, I don't have any plans, for needle felting, I just "collected" the kit, heh.


Both of my parents are from Maui. After my grandma died, I lost my desire to go to Maui for awhile. My last trip there was 3 years ago and I was amazed and dismayed at all the progress.

Downtown Lahaina, is lot of little shops and restaurants and a lot of traffic.

Kula still has a breathtaking view but there are so many new houses up there. This picture looks down on the "neck" of Maui, which is said to look like a kneeling woman. The West Maui mountains, viewed from the south, make up her head.

I ate pineapple every day. It was so sweet. This is a great pineapple year, hot! Woohoo!!

DP Knitting Needle Case, A Tutorial

1. Cut one each 9.5 x 29.5 inches outside fabric, inside fabric and fleece. Pin together like a sandwich, right sides out.



2. Cut one pocket 6 x 29.5 inches. Make a 1/2 inch narrow hem by pressing 1 inch on a long side, then folding raw edge to pressed line. Sew down. Use a decorative stitch if you wish.



3. Pin flap on inside, matching raw edge of pocket to bottom of sandwich.



Mark you sewing lines from top to bottom. I put two 3.5 inch pocket on each edge to fit my needle gauge, and added other pockets from 1 to 1 3/4 inch wide. Sew these down through all thicknesses. Use a quilting foot if you have one.

4. The top flap is 29 x 5 1/4 inch. Either use one piece twice as tall and fold it in half or two separate fabrics. Round the corners with the handy cd template, trim and clip the curve. Sew 1/4 inch seam along raw edges. Turn right side out and Press. Decorate flap now if you wish.



5. Pin flap opposite pocket. I should be 5/8 inch or so from the raw edges.



6. Center a 36 inch piece of ribbon on the left edge of the outside.



7. Bind the edge. I used self made binding, 2 1/4 inch wide. It does not have to be bias. I like to use a serpentine stitch or serge the edges before turning the binding to compress the edges.



PS: found this great Continuous Quilt-Binding Instruction by Heather Bailey.