Early Bird Crafts

Fabric Coasters

2012-01-28T13:42:00.000-06:00

I made some fabric coasters recently. This set of 4 went to my friend, Jenni.

And this set went to my living room.

The fabric for my coasters was left over from the pelmet box curtains I made (and blogged about here).

To make these coasters, I cut 5" x 5" squares of the fabric. You need 8 total so for the ones that have different fabric on the front and back, you need 4 of each. I also cut 4 5" x 5" squares of batting that was left over from a quilt project. Sandwich the fabric right sides together with the batting on top. Sew around the edges with a 1/4 inch seam leaving an opening to turn them right side out. Once they are turned right side out, iron them and stitch 1/8 inch seam around the edge making sure to catch the turned in edges that were left open before. Then quilt however you want. For the first set I did parallel lines every 1/2 inch or so. For the others, I made concentric squares.

Master Charles Hat for Cole

2012-01-26T18:00:00.000-06:00

A year ago I tried making this hat for Cole and ended up with a much too large version that ended up going to my sister (I blogged about it here). Well, I finally got around to making one in the correct size! I tried to get a picture of it on the recipient, but it turns out toddlers aren't the best at holding still for photographs when they want to run and play (who'd have guessed?). So, below is the best action shot we got!

Kitten Mittens

2012-01-24T21:45:00.000-06:00

I made my sister some Always Sunny in Philadelphia style kitten mittens for Christmas. Here is the only picture I have. I kind of forgot to take a picture in my excitement to give them to her!

I transcribed the "infomercial" from the show and typed it up on the back of the package...you'll be smitten!

More crocheted can and bottle koozies

2012-01-22T15:17:00.000-06:00

New can and bottle koozies. All for sale in my etsy shop!

More koozies for Plaid Peacock

2012-01-08T14:25:00.001-06:00

Here are the latest koozies to be sold on consignment at Plaid Peacock. I just stocked up on yarn so I'm planning to make a bunch more to sell on etsy and maybe at a craft fair in March!

Laura's quilt

2011-12-21T11:32:00.001-06:00

I'm working on a quilt for my sister. This is the fabric. There is one more dark teal fabric that I added after I took the picture.

I've been debating for a while about what layout to use. She said she is interested in geometric shapes, color, and wants it to be somewhat non-traditional. I decided on the layout below as a rough design. I just drew it out several times on graph paper until I liked how it looked and then tried to recreate it in excel. Each block will be unique. I've been starting with a selection of the fabrics and then going from there. No real plan. In some ways it is easier, but it is is also kind of hard because I sit there and stare and try to figure out what to do next. I had also thought I would make the blocks kind of wonky, but I haven't been very successful at breaking out of my measuring and squaring routine. I'll have to make an effort to be more carefree in my piecing. I was hoping to have it done in time to give to her for Christmas, but I've only gotten 3 blocks done in the two days I've had off this week, so that isn't going to happen. But, at least I'll have made some progress! I'll update with some pictures of the blocks done so far later.

Another Andrea Bag

2011-12-20T11:46:00.000-06:00

Here is another Andrea bag sent out as a custom order for Christmas. I really like this fabric combination. :)

Harry Potter style scarf and hat

2011-12-03T22:01:00.001-06:00

My 4 year old nephew has been really interested in my knitting and spinning recently and asked me to make him a scarf when he saw all my yarn. So, I made him this scarf in the style of Harry Potter. I wanted to have something to give to his brother so I whipped up this hat in a few hours one evening and the following morning.

I've been reflecting on my knitting progress recently. Back in February of 2010 (almost 2 years ago!) I posted in this post about how I just didn't like knitting that much but that I really wanted to get over the learning curve so I could get into it. Well, I think it worked! I'm totally addicted now. I've even been teaching others to knit and have been able to help them trouble-shoot. That was a real eye-opener to me that I had transitioned from a novice to someone who actually knows how to knit! I made both this hat and scarf without any pattern. Now, the scarf is not that tricky, but the hat required me to make ear-flaps and attach them to the hat, decrease, and pick up stitches around the bottom to do the ribbing. Not to mention figuring out my gauge and how many stitches to cast on. All that which was foreign to me less than two years ago now seems easy!

It really just took some practice and making a few things from patterns to learn some techniques. Some other things that have helped me in the process have been the book Knit Fix, which has some really good explanations of both how to fix mistakes and also how to avoid making those same mistakes again (or in the first place). The other thing that has really helped and inspired me is the Knit Picks podcast. Kelley talks about a lot of techniques and makes them sound easy or explains why you would use them. I don't necessarily learn how to do the techniques while I'm listening, but at least I know they exist so I could look them up if I wanted to use that technique. Sometimes it helps me to better understand techniques I already knew about. She also reviews a lot of books and my library has expanded because of that. In fact, I think that is where I heard about Knit Fix!

Wet bags

2011-11-12T12:21:00.001-06:00

I previously made some wet bags for my sister-in-law and blogged about them here. I had tried lining them with vinyl,which I think was a good idea in theory, but the vinyl didn't hold up well after repeated washing and drying cycles. My sister-in-law asked me to make some more for her to give away as a baby shower gift. This time I used some leftover fabric from this quilt. I didn't use the vinyl, and went for sewn button holes for the ribbon draw-string instead of metal eyelets. The outer fabric is home decor weight so they have a nice sturdiness. The two smaller ones are kind of small, but I think you could put a bottle, pacifiers, or a onesy in them easily. I still love this fabric. I wonder if it is still available...I might have to stockpile some if it is. This was the very last I had in my stash.

Gas bag copy cat

2011-11-08T20:29:00.000-06:00

I saw this beautiful bag on another blog and just had to see if I could make one. I had been planning to make a bag with a zipper top for my friend, Kate, so this fit the bill perfectly. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I hope Kate is enjoying using it in Hawaii!

Purse for my sister

2011-10-04T21:51:00.000-05:00

My sister requested a new, small purse, so I whipped this up for her in August and gave it to her when she was back visiting my parents.

But, the highlight of the trip was that she found my bag of wool that I had been carding on the way there to have ready for my new spinning wheel, and decided the rolags looked like dreads. Then, the next day, my dad found them and held one up as if it was a mustache! Unfortunately, I missed getting a picture of that. Neither one of them knew that the other had done that. I guess I know where she gets her sense of humor!

Baa Baa Black Sheep

2011-08-30T21:28:00.001-05:00

I found out that one of the summer students working in our lab grew up on a sheep farm. She was going home one weekend, so I asked her if they had any black, grey or other colored wool that I could buy. She brought me back an entire garbage bag full of black and grey wool (for free!)!

Here it is before any washing.

Here are some clean, carded rolags ready for spinning. The white is from my other fleece that my dad got me, and the lightest grey is a blend of the white and the lightest grey. The other 3 shades of grey and black are all from this fleece.

I spun the different colored rolags in the order they were in the picture and then plied it back on itself to make this skein that goes from black all the way to white.

This one was actually my first skein of spun yarn from the black and grey fleece.

And, here is a coffee cozy knit from the first skein. This might have to go to the summer student as a thank you for the wool. I can't wait to make something from the other skein. I've carded a lot more of this wool in preparation for my new spinning wheel, so there might be enough for a scarf or something when I am done!

Andrea Bag for me!

2011-08-21T20:08:00.000-05:00

Remember the Andrea bag?

And then I tried to make it into a messenger style for myself...

Well, I finally made the original style Andrea bag for myself! Actually, I made it before I went on a trip to see Andrea and another friend, Ann, in Boston the first weekend in June. Andrea and I toured Boston with our Andrea bags! We had a great time and the bag was perfect for walking around town all day. I could bring everything I needed for the day, but it never got too heavy!

The Andrea bags even made it to Sam Adams Brewery!

You might recognize the fabric...I used it once for a Jen bag...and I wouldn't be afraid to use it again! I love this print!

Hand spun, hand dyed, and hand knit coffee cozy

2011-08-16T22:08:00.000-05:00

Back in November I took a small amount of yarn I had spun (double ply on the top and a singles on the bottom of the picture below) and dyed it with food coloring. It has been sitting on my shelf since then and I had no specific plans for it. I had just done it to try out dying.

The color was so bright that I couldn't imagine wanting to make anything out of it. In fact, it is even hard to get a good picture!

Well, this weekend I finally got around to knitting up a coffee cozy with the singles yarn. It seems like the only thing that you might not mind being that crazy color. It looks better than I expected. I actually kind of like it now. I'm considering putting it up on etsy.

Fancy Feet Anklets - Saturday

2011-08-07T11:20:00.000-05:00

I ordered the Fancy Feet Anklets kit from Knit Picks a long time ago. It comes with 7 different anklet patterns and 7 balls of sock yarn. I started this pair in November and finally finished a week or two ago. I just worked on them periodically between other projects. That is why it took so long! I'm enjoying them now and am looking forward to making another pair. Socks are great because they are small and easy to carry with you, but the tiny needle and yarn is not as fun for me. But, regardless, there are more socks in my future.

New spinning wheel

2011-07-31T13:13:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went to Susan's Fiber Shop in Columbus, Wisconsin and tried out a lot of spinning wheels. I have been eyeing the Majacraft Aura wheel for a while and finally found someone who had one that I could try out. It is pretty expensive so I wanted to be sure I liked it before I ordered it. After trying a few wheels, I was convinced that I wanted a Majacraft wheel because they felt so smooth when I treadled. However, the Pioneer was significantly cheaper than the Aura. It was hard for me to get a really good feel for which wheel would be the best for my spinning. The Aura is very different than what I have now, but that is part of why I was interested in it. It has a new technology that is different from other wheels. The Pioneer was a little easier for me to just sit down at because it was more like the wheel I have now. But, the Aura is sooooo pretty. It is solid bamboo. The Pioneer is pine and the wheel is fiber board. I just knew I wouldn't be happy if I didn't get the Aura. I saw it in a magazine and knew it was the wheel for me. So, I ordered it! It comes from New Zealand, so it will be about a month before I get it. I am pretty excited and will be counting down the days!

Here is a picture from the Majacraft website of what the Aura looks like. I can't wait to post pictures of mine when it arrives.

Tie Blankets

2011-07-24T19:36:00.000-05:00

This week our book club made fleece tie blankets to donate to the Ronald McDonald House while we discussed our latest book. We made six blankets and they were all cute! Mine had little alien guys (and a dinosaur).

Copycat bag

2011-06-27T21:20:00.001-05:00

Quite some time ago Jen (of the Jen bag) asked me to try to copy the red bag below from Anthrpologie. It took forever, but I finally finished a blue imitation bag! Mine doesn't have a zipper closure on the top, but otherwise I don't think it is too far off - especially since this picture is all I had to go off of!

The flowers were the most time consuming, but also the most fun part. The whole thing probably took about 12 hours of actual construction time. There were several other hours put into getting the pattern right and testing it out on scrap fabric. I was having a little trouble with my machine towards the end, so that slowed me down (I think its timing is off again). If I were to do this again, I'm sure I could shave some time off, but probably not much more than an hour or two. So, I don't plan to duplicate this any time soon. I'm not ruling it out just yet, but I need to take a break before I think about that!

Iowa Sheep and Wool Festival

2011-06-26T21:19:00.000-05:00

I recently went to the Iowa Sheep and Wool Festival. It was pretty amazing to see all those people who knit and spin in once place. I don't know a single other person who spins, and I saw people spinning everywhere! There was a sheep dog trial, a sheep shearing demonstration and lots and lots of vendor booths. I wanted to buy a lot of things, but ended up with only two.

First, I got about 3 oz of natural brown wool.

Then, I also got this hand dyed fiber that is 65% merino wool, 15% Tencel (some sort of cellulose fiber), 10% Banana, and 10% Milk....at least that's what the label says. Regardless, it is very soft and I can't wait to see how the yarn turns out.

Owen's car quilt (FINALLY DONE!!!!)

2011-06-20T21:42:00.000-05:00

This was going to be an easy project, but I had some problems with it. Mostly, it stemmed from trying to applique flannel letters. They were too small and my stitching was too wide so they frayed around the stitching. Then, I couldn't decide how I wanted to fix it. I finally ended up using my seam ripper to remove the frayed letters, cut new ones, then appliqued them on with a narrower zig-zag through the whole quilt. It isn't what I wanted to do, but it turned out okay after it was all done. I like the difference in texture with the flannel and the cotton and the frayed edges. I hope Owen likes it too!

Angora socks for me

2011-03-27T22:01:00.000-05:00

So, I did work on several of the things on my list recently. I finished the binding on Owen's car quilt, but when I washed it, I had some problems with the applique wanting to fray around the stitching, so I have to fix that. I also started working on a prototype for the copycat purse for Jen, but didn't get done with that either. I did, however, skip all the way down my list to spin yarn and make slipper socks for me!

It all started when I bought some angora rabbit fiber from a local rabbitry, Oldhaus Fibers and Rabbits (http://oldhaus.net). It is so soft! I mixed it 30% angora, 70% wool. Here is the pile of fiber, angora on the left, wool on the right.

And here it is after I carded it and made it into rolags ready to be spun. I prepared this much fiber twice for my slipper socks.

Here is one skein of yarn. I ended up with three. See how the rabbit fur makes a fuzzy halo?

Finally, here are the slippers. The one on the right was done almost a week before the other and I wore it around a little. You can see how much more of a halo there is on the one I've been wearing. The other should look like that before long too. They also look a little different because the last skein of yarn I spun was a little thinner, so the gauge was a little different. I think that is fine, since they are just for wearing around the house. I am pretty happy with them. They are so soft and comfy!

2011 Crafting To-Do List

2011-03-12T10:35:00.000-06:00

I feel like I already have my entire year's worth of crafting planned out! I have so many things I want to do. Sometimes I lose track of all the ideas I have had, so I thought I would make a list here and see how it changes over the course of the year.

Make a pattern for Cole's Robot Quilt (I've had requests for this!)
Finish hand-stitching the binding on Owen's Car Quilt
New purse for Jen - Copycat Challenge (more details coming soon)
Bluebird purse (a customer request based off of this bag.)
Natural Dying - read books on natural dying that my sister gave me for Christmas, try out natural dying with the dye stuffs she gave me, plant natural dye plants in my garden, harvest them and dye with them.
Finish my half done fancy feet socks...Well actually, the kit came with yarn and instructions for 7 pairs of anklets, but I'm just trying to finish one pair (the Saturday pair) for now. I'll have to post a work in progress post about these.
Revamp the Andrea Bag - Messenger style (for me!)
Master Charles hat for Cole in the color Robot (silver) - I already bought the yarn a long time ago and started on it last summer, but it ended up being too big and I haven't gotten around to doing the new one yet.
Master Charles hat for Owen in black and yellow just like the one in this post.
Spin yarn for and knit slipper socks for Jeff (like the ones I made for my dad). This should probably be two bullet points since the spinning is one craft and knitting is another!
Spin yarn for and knit slipper socks for me!
Read and knit the sampler in "The Sweater Workshop" to try to learn how to knit a sweater.
Spin yarn for and knit a sweater for my dad.
Hawaii Quilt from this fabric I bought in Hawaii
Peacock Quilt
The always present, never finished first quilt I started in 2003

There is probably no way that I will accomplish all of that. Especially if I get side-tracked by any other projects or if my friends and family keep having babies at the rate they have been! These are somewhat in the order of expected completion with the first few on the list being things I hope to accomplish this month, the last few being things I probably won't really do, and the ones in the middle are ones that I want to do, and probably will, but they'll have to wait until I get a few other things done.

Hand spun, knitted, suede-bottomed slipper socks for dad

2011-02-13T21:52:00.000-06:00

I spent a lot of time spinning yarn this winter for this project. Here is a pile of approximately 70 yards of hand spun yarn. The slipper socks ended up using a little over 230 yards of yarn.

My dad bought me a spinning wheel and two fleeces last year for Christmas. He wanted a sweater, but I wasn't quite prepared to jump straight into a sweater yet, so he settled for some knitted slipper socks with suede bottoms.

I ordered the correct size of suede bottoms at my local yarn shop and found a pattern for plain stockinette stitch socks in about the same size yarn as my hand spun on Ravelry. Then I found a pattern for the open cable pattern, converted it from straight needles (back and forth) to circular, and incorporated it into the sock pattern. They were pretty quick to knit except for the fact that I had to stop every few inches to spin more yarn! I had no idea how much it would take, so I just kept spinning about 30 yards at a time until I was done.

I just finished last night, so I haven't had a chance to send or take them to my dad, so I had to have my husband model for me!

Andrea Bag - Messenger Style

2011-01-22T16:56:00.000-06:00

Back in October/November I attempted to modify the Andrea Bag below into a messenger style bag.

Several people had suggested this and I really wanted a bag that was big enough to put a folder or pad of paper in for when I go to conferences or at work, etc. So, I enlarged the bag and changed from 2 straps in front and back to one side-to-side strap.

Just looking at it like this, I am fairly pleased with it. I love the fabric on the inside and the belt/bow. But, when I started using it I realized that I really was not happy with it. I think moving the handle to the side made it lose some of it's shape. It is too flat across the top. But even worse, I made it too wide but not deep enough, so it still doesn't really hold papers or folders very well, and it is so wide that I fell like my things might just fall out. Also, you might be able to see in the bottom picture, that by placing the handle on the sides, it pulls the two sides together when you actually use it and the top bunches up because of that.

Overall, I am considering this a good design learning experience. I eventually want to take a second attempt at this and will probably go back to the original handle style, but just make it a little bigger. I might also consider going with the side strap but changing the shape so that the top naturally is narrower to avoid the bunching that it does now. Oh, and I'll use a sturdier interfacing. This bag just feels flimsy. Hopefully I'll have better luck next time!

Owen's car quilt (sneak peek #2)

2011-01-15T21:13:00.001-06:00

I got done 4 more blocks for Owen's quilt today. Here they are!

Owen's car quilt (sneak peek)

2011-01-10T21:54:00.001-06:00

I know it has been a long time since I have blogged. I have been crafting, but I've been lazy about posting...well mostly taking pictures. For some reason, that can seem like the hardest part sometimes. Well, anyway, this is a sneak peek at my current project and I'll post some of the other projects I have completed (or at least started) in the last couple of months soon.

These are the first two blocks for a quilt I am making for my friend Jenni's new baby boy Owen!

I have 6 different flannel prints from the same line, and am mixing them with 3 different solids to make 12 blocks. From each flannel print, I plan to reverse applique it onto the solid and then use the cut out portion to applique onto the solid block.

Here is the reverse applique block. Actually, I don't know if that is a real thing, but that is what I am calling it. I decided to cut the shape out of the block to show the fabric beneath instead of the usual method of applique where you sew a shape onto the background. I stitched around the outside of the shape and plan to leave the edges raw to add texture. I think it will look better when washed.

Here is the regular applique block. I think I like the contrast of the fuzzy flannel block with raw edges and the smooth cotton block with the clean, finished look of the traditional applique. Opposites!

And here are the rest of the fabrics...soon to become blocks. I can't wait to get this done and give it to tiny, cute, precious Owen! I meant to get it done before he was born, but it just didn't happen.

Spinning

2010-11-20T09:49:00.000-06:00

Here's a little photo tour through my most recent spinning:

1) First I spun the single ply yarn.

2) Then, I wound it onto the niddy noddy to see how much I had spun (43 yards).

3) See how charged it is? It is all wound back on itself and kinky. It needs to plied in the opposite direction as it was spun to even it out.

4) Then I wound it into a center pull ball to get ready to ply it.

5) Here it is on the bobbin after it has been plied (2 strands twisted together). In this case, I plied it onto itself.

6) It isn't nearly as charged anymore, but it still needs to relax a little. (now it is 21 yards)

7) This is just a better picture of it at the same stage twisted into a skein.

8) Here it is after being washed with Kookaburra wool wash and hung to dry. It is all set, soft, and clean now!

9) Final product: 21 yards of double ply 7 wraps/inch natural wool yarn from my first fleece.

Master Charles Hat

2010-11-12T22:46:00.000-06:00

Cutest. Hat. Ever.

I saw the pattern for this hat on www.knitpicks.com and couldn't resist. I mean seriously, just check out the pattern here and look at the kid! Too cute. So I decided I had to make one for my friend's baby, Cole. The pattern comes with several sizes and I decided to go with toddler instead of infant so that it wouldn't be too small. Turns out, that was unnecessary. So, this red one will go to my sister. She requested the tie strings, so I added I-cord with puff balls on the end to the ear flaps. The yarn for this is knitpicks Gloss, which is merino wool and silk. It is really soft, warm, and has a nice shine.

Then, I decided to do some charity knitting and made this infant version for a March of Dimes charity auction to raise money for prematurity (which happens to be one of the conditions we research in our lab). Our lab made a Hawkeye themed basket of baby goods. The auction was last night and I heard our basket was a hit and went for $150!

Here you can see the size difference:

I LOVED making these hats. This is probably the most fun I have ever had knitting. I really like cables and knitting in the round. They look so difficult, but really aren't. I learned a lot with this pattern. You knit the two ear flaps on DPNs and then knit them into the round. I learned about different decreases that lean different ways to keep everything symmetrical. Finally, I had to pickup stitches around the bottom to add the ribbed edge. I'd never done that before either.

Speaking of learning things about knitting and knitpicks, let me just say that I LOVE the knitpicks podcast. I have been listening to it for the last year (and a lot of ones from previous years) and have learned so much and gotten so many ideas. I don't know many people (especially near me) that knit, so just listening to someone talk about it introduces me to techniques and terms that I didn't know about before. I would highly recommend the podcast. Furthermore, I would highly recommend the entire business. I was traveling last week and left my pattern from one of their kits on the plane. I just called them, and they emailed me an electronic copy right away. I got the feeling that even the people answering the phones were knitters and knew how frustrating a lost pattern could be.

Bridesmaid Jen bag #5 - All Done!

2010-11-02T09:29:00.001-05:00

This one is for a junior bridesmaid. See how it is a little smaller than the others? I was told she loves pink and butterflies so I put butterflies on the inside. That way it looks like all of the others from the outside, but has a little surprise on the inside!

What a nice collection of bags! I hope that the bridesmaids all enjoy them!

Bridesmaid Jen bag #4

2010-10-31T09:27:00.000-05:00

This is the 4th bag in the set of 5 I am making. It has a very different color theme than the others, but I like it. I am always surprised at how much more I like it when it is all put together!

Bridesmaid Jen bag #3

2010-10-25T22:52:00.000-05:00

The third of 5 bridesmaid bags is done! Hopefully, the last two will be done by the end of this weekend! I really like this one. The Alexander Henry fabric on the outside is great, the top is sort of shiny, and I love the button. I think it ties it all together!

Andrea Bag

2010-10-14T19:00:00.002-05:00

I designed this bag for my friend (and loyal blog commenter) Andrea. It has been really difficult keeping it a secret until I could give it to her! I am really pleased with it. I showed it off at work this week and got some good ideas from others. I am going to make a variation with one longer handle side to side and a little bigger body to be more of a messenger-style bag than a purse. I already have the fabric and can't wait to try it out!

Another Jen Bag

2010-10-12T18:30:00.002-05:00

This is the second of the set of 5 I am working on for Bridesmaid gifts for a customer.

Handles has handles

2010-10-09T14:49:00.000-05:00

I posted back in February about this wool I got at a local woolen mill and asked for ideas for handles.

Laura suggested wooden handles. Well, I finally bought some wooden handles and made it into a bag.

I really like the look of the wood and wool together. Plus, the round handles and squareness of the bag seem to work well together. I had a really hard time deciding how to attach the handles and tried a different method first. I should have taken pictures of it that way - it looked horrible! This second approach worked much better. I didn't put in any pockets, though, and I wish I would have because stuff just gets lost inside of it! I can't decide if I want to keep it for myself, put it up for sale in my Etsy shop, or just give it away. I'll just have to think about it for a while, I guess.

Tie Blanket

2010-10-05T19:47:00.002-05:00

I was shopping at the fabric store this weekend and saw that fleece was 50% off. I had been wanting to make a new tie blanket that matched the living room, since the Nebraska Husker tie blanket is now in our downstairs rec room, so I just couldn't resist!

Remember the Jen bag?

2010-10-03T15:48:00.000-05:00

I previously posted about the Jen bag:

and

Well, someone contacted me through Etsy and asked me to make 5 of them for her bridesmaid gifts. I am really excited about it! We have picked out the fabric for all of them, and here is the first one!

I am a little bit in love with this one. Now I want to make one for myself! It has a zipper pocket and patch pocket inside and closes with a magnetic snap.

And, I now have logo tags:

I got these on Etsy from Priya Creations. I feel so professional!

Dishcloth 8 of 26

2010-09-06T09:58:00.000-05:00

8) Cluster rib:

I really love using cotton for these swatches so that I can use them as dishcloths, and in general, I am a big fan of cotton, but it just isn't as nice to knit with as wool or even acrylic. Cotton doesn't have the stretch and give that other fibers do, so I have to be careful to knit loosely or else I get frustrated, especially when trying to slip stitches over others.

Hand spun and hand dyed

2010-08-31T19:10:00.001-05:00

This is my first batch of yarn spun on my new drop spindle. The drop spindle is a little easier for learning to spin because it is slower than the wheel. I have more time to concentrate on drafting consistently. I am still not great at being consistent, but I think I'm getting better.

This is also my first batch of dying yarn. I just used food coloring and used a combination of yarn dying techniques that I have read about in books, including this one, and the directions on the food coloring box. I figured that wool is a protein fiber and egg shells are protein, so food coloring should work on wool if it works on eggs. I heated a couple cups of water to just barely a simmer and added vinegar and food coloring as specified on the box. I used 65 drops of blue and 15 of red. The water looked really blue so I expected the yarn to be more close to indigo than purple, but I still like how it turned out. I was surprised to see how differently some parts of the yarn took the dye. I am excited to knit something with it to see how it looks knit up!

A morning of mending

2010-08-29T19:10:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I had a really productive morning mending clothes.

I re-sewed seams in 2 pairs of pants, patched a pair of jeans, sewed buttons on 2 shirts, fixed the hem in a pair of dress pants, and fixed a seam in a shirt! I can't believe I waited so long to take care of these!

Mending clothes isn't that exciting, but I did learn how to use the blind hem feature on my sewing machine for the dress pants, so at least I learned something in the process.

Dishcloth 7 of 26

2010-07-21T18:44:00.000-05:00

7) Snowflakes:

Iowa Koozy - Hayden Fry

2010-07-16T20:04:00.000-05:00

Another koozy. These are some of my favorite projects - someone made a joke about wanting a koozy with Hayden Fry on one side, thinking that would not be possible. I surprised him with this koozy and he was adequately surprised and excited!

Garden

2010-07-11T22:36:00.003-05:00

Well, this isn't exactly a craft, but I am excited about it so I'm going to share. I planted a garden in May. Here is the BEFORE:

I got home from my week long vacation today and was really worried that it would be dead...but here is the AFTER:

Everything had grown and was ready to be picked! Look at all this! I even had 2 blueberries from my blueberry bush. Check out my web album if you want to see more before and afters!

Cole's Robot Quilt

2010-07-09T11:36:00.004-05:00

I know it has been a long time since I have posted anything, but I finally have something to show for myself! I had great intentions of posting updates on this quilt as it went, but I was sick for a couple weeks, traveled, had guests at our house, etc, etc and never got around to it. So here is the finished product. It is a baby quilt for my friend who just had a baby boy. Their theme is robots, so I thought David Walker's Robots was an obvious choice. The pattern is my own. I did applique planets and rockets in the 4 corners and a big robot in the center - all inspired by the fabric. The shapes are free-hand, so not perfect, but I was pretty happy with the result.

Chickadee purse plus clutch

2010-04-25T22:36:00.004-05:00

I finally finished the Chickadee purse that someone ordered to give as a gift. It is the same as the prototype except that I added some iron on interfacing to the body of the purse to give it more structure. I also decided to add a matching clutch. It closes with a button and elastic loop (hair tie).

I also made some hang tags and tied one on with ribbon.

And, some new packaging!

Dishcloths 5-6 of 26

2010-04-12T21:26:00.003-05:00

5) Vertical Weave

6) Six Stitch Cable

From these two I learned:

I am not a huge fan of pass slipped stitch over (but maybe I just need practice)
Cables are way easier the second time around (I made this dishcloth once before)
As much as I like the idea of not using a cable needle, I am not willing to take that chance just yet.
I need to work on regulating my cast on and off tension because I go between way to tight and way to loose. I need to find a happy medium.
There must be better ways to bind off some of these patterns because sometimes it just doesn't look very good. I need to look into that too.

I recently got the book Knit Fix by Lisa Kartus, but haven't had the time to take a look yet. I am hoping I can get some good pointers there to help out with some of the issues I am having. But regardless of some of these issues, I feel like I am definitely moving towards my goal of becoming better at knitting. I am quicker and it is getting easier. I am getting better at recognizing my mistakes and fixing them. I am starting to get ideas of how to do things without a pattern. I really like cables! This is exciting. I can't wait until I am done with all 26 and I can look back and see how much I have progressed and learned.

Chickadee purse

2010-03-22T20:51:00.005-05:00

I usually just name my purses after the person they were made for. But, this one is a surprise and just in case, I decided I better come up with another name. Chickadees are kind of black and white like this purse so...

Well actually, this exact purse is not for someone else, it is for me. Every time I come up with a new design I have to try it out first to make sure it comes out how I am envisioning it. The second time is always better because I figure out what I should do to make it better. So, I will be beta testing this one.

This time I used rings to connect the handle.

It is lined with satin, has a magnetic snap closure and a decorative silver button.

Laura bag baseball style

2010-03-17T22:25:00.005-05:00

This was a special request for a co-worker who needed a bag to take to her son's baseball games that would hold the score book.

I followed the same basic pattern that I made up for the Laura bag with a few adjustments. This is the inside of the bag. The magnetic snap is a change as well as the cell phone pocket (patch pocket).

Another change is the addition of a zipper pocket on the other side of the inside. It is a little lower than I meant to make it, but I guess it still works.

Although a button was not really necessary, I couldn't resist these buttons. The baseball and bat are actually two separate buttons, but I just sewed them on right next to each other.

Here is one final picture so you can see the scale.

Dishcloth 4 of 26

2010-03-15T22:56:00.003-05:00

The plan continues with

4) Lace and Fans:

The plan is working! I was able to do this with very little pattern assistance after I did the pattern once. Then, I got to the 2nd to last row and realized that I had forgotten to yarn over two rows before and was therefore short one stitch. I was completely amazed when I not only was able to figure out where the mistake was, but also drop stitches down two rows and rework them into the correct pearls/knits AND add in a yarn over. I was momentarily convinced that I was a knitting genius!

Dishcloths 1-3 of 26

2010-03-07T22:05:00.004-06:00

The first three of my dishcloths in my plan to improve my knitting are complete.

1) Moss Stitch

2) Divided Boxes

3) Stockinette Stitch

Pincushions

2010-03-02T17:40:00.004-06:00

I decided I needed a new pincushion so I made this one out of scraps. It is so much better than my old one!

I had so much fun that I decided to make two more and post them in my Etsy shop.

Blue patchwork pincushion

Grey and yellow bird pincushion

Handles

2010-02-28T16:43:00.004-06:00

As I was putting away the left over fabric from the Jen bag, I noticed this piece of wool I picked up at the local wool mill. It seemed like a good size to make into a bag, so I bought it for about $3 and put it in my stash to do some time. I didn't really have a plan of what to line it with or how it would end up, but when I was putting away this lining fabric, I realized that it matched really well and the scrap is about the same size as the wool piece! So, I think I will use it. But, I have no idea what to do for a strap/handles. I just can't picture it. Any one have any suggestions???? I need help!

Jen Bag complete!

2010-02-21T21:58:00.002-06:00

Here is my first custom order purse sold!

The outside is corduroy, and the top is probably a cotton blend although I didn't look at the makeup of the fabric when I bought it. Is is a nice heavy weight to balance the corduroy, but almost has a sheen to it.

The inside is lined with silky nylon lining and has patch pockets on one side...

...and a zipper pocket on the other. It closes with a magnetic snap. The lining was a little difficult to work with, but I think it turned out nicely!

On Knitting

2010-02-20T12:49:00.003-06:00

I have a love-hate relationship with knitting. I love the way it looks, but I just don't like it as much as crocheting. I think it is because I learned to crochet first. I started crocheting right after high school. Someone taught me the basics and I just started trying and learning from my mistakes. I bought a book and learned as I went. Then, about 5 years later, in graduate school, I was introduced to knitting. Again, I learned the basics and then went on my own. I made a few simple scarves and things like that, but just never got into it that much. I make a scarf or two each year, but never really get motivated to do more. I think it is because crocheting is so much easier for me. I don't have to work very hard to get a lot of reward. I am still a novice at knitting. I wait so far between times that it is like starting over with learning how each time. I feel uncoordinated and frustrated, and eventually just go back to crocheting.

I recently came to the realization that crocheting was probably like this for me at first too, but I didn't have any easier choice at the time. I wasn't scared to make mistakes like I am with knitting. I just tried things and that is how I really learned to understand how it works. That is what I need to do with knitting. I need to get past my feelings of having to make something specific, something that looks good, and just make. something.

So, I branched out. I bought circular needles, went without a pattern, and decided to figure out how to knit in the round. I decided that if I ended up with a hat - great, if not - fine.

I did it! I knitted a hat! Without a pattern! So, it is a little small and the top is a little pointy. But, I leaned how to knit in the round, and I have some ideas of how to address the pointy top. I might even try following a pattern some time. At least it is a start. But, I think I need a goal to motivate me, so I came up with a plan...

I am going to use this book to learn 26 knit stitches. I am going to make one cotton dish cloth for each using this giant skein of yarn. If they are ugly, who cares? No worries, no pressure. Hopefully, when I am done, I will be a knitter. So, be on the lookout for updates. Maybe I can average one per week? It might be one every 2 weeks. We'll see.

Jen Bag

2010-01-29T20:19:00.006-06:00

This purse is a smaller purse version of the tote I made for my sister. It has a zipper pocket and two smaller pouch pockets on the inside. The pockets are a little shallow, but are better than no pockets! This one is going in my Etsy shop!

Pelmet box curtains

2010-01-10T22:01:00.003-06:00

This weekend I finally got around to making a pelmet box for my living room window. I got the idea from this tutorial. Since my window is pretty wide (72 inches), I had to use 3 foam boards taped end to end. I was worried about stability so I connected it to 2 curtain rods (one towards the top and one towards the bottom to keep it from bowing. The whole project took a few hours and cost about $50 for the fabric, sheer curtains, curtain rods and supplies. I think it really makes the room look more finished.

My present

2010-01-06T22:08:00.004-06:00

Now that we are well into January, I am finally ready to share what I got for Christmas from my Dad...

Yes, that IS a spinning wheel. And before you even ask, yes, like Rumpelstiltskin and yes, like Sleeping Beauty. That is the first thing I have heard from almost everyone I tell. It's either that or "did you ask for that?". The answer to that is...well, sort of. I think it all started with this post. For some reason, the idea of dyeing yarn with something you grew seemed cool to me. Then, I thought it would be even cooler if you spun the yarn yourself too. Although I thought this was an amazing thought, I didn't really ever imagine making the effort or the investment (time or money) to learn this craft. But, nonetheless, I called my dad and asked him if he would raise me a sheep so I could have wool to spin. Of course, he laughed at me and told me he would get me some discarded wool from a nearby farm and asked incredulously if I even knew how to spin. I told him that I didn't, but of course I would figure that all out when I got the sheep. So we laughed and joked about this for several months...until he stumbled across a spinning wheel at an antique shop. He went to a nearby sheep farm and got me two fleeces for the price of the shearing ($5 a piece). So, I am now deep into a new craft. I have been researching on the internet, at local yarn shops, listening to podcasts, and mostly just trying it out. Here's what I've done so far:

Washing: Turns out when they shear sheep they don't give them a bath first. At least not when the wool isn't the reason they are raising sheep. This picture doesn't really do justice to the amount of sheep poop (or the smell) that was on the fleece.

This is after one round of washing 1/2 of the first fleece:

And round 2. Most of the dirt is gone, but still grass, sticks etc. You have to comb or brush that out essentially.

Here is my first attempt at spinning yarn. It was very uneven.

I made a little coaster/pot holder (crochet):

Then, I plied two of my spun yarns together:

Finally, knitted something. It didn't start out to be an iPod case, but that is what it ended up to be. I find it ironic that I got a spinning wheel (very primitive machine) and an iPod touch (pretty high tech) for Christmas and I am equally impressed with each for completely different reasons. This picture just makes me smile because it puts the two together!

Mom's blanket

2010-01-01T09:32:00.003-06:00

I know it is the new year now, but I'm not done sharing about Christmas! I finally finished my mom's crochet blanket and I gave it to her for a Christmas gift. Here it is on her king sized bed.

Laura bag complete!

2009-12-27T11:29:00.000-06:00

Here is the finished version of the bag for my sister. I ended up lining it with home decor weight fabric that I had left over from a project to give it weight and strength. It is completely reversible with buttons on each side. The patterned fabric is from Amy Butler.

Christmas continued...

2009-12-23T10:37:00.004-06:00

Here is an example of a present I bought for myself! It was a black Friday (or Saturday) deal at Joann's. Normally $200, on sale for $79. I couldn't resist. There is just something about having one of every color that I can't resist. I always HAD to have the biggest box of crayons for school and I could just look at them all and feel happy. I feel the same way about this case of thread.

And here is another shot of my sister's naughty cat - this time climbing the Christmas tree and knocking off the ornaments!

Christmas time means finishing old projects and starting new ones

2009-12-23T10:09:00.001-06:00

I took this week off and am spending it at my parents' house. My sister is here too and brought her cat. Between her cat and my dog, I think you will see an animal in almost every picture! I have had lots of time to work on crafting and have finished up several projects and started a couple new ones. My next few posts will show of some Christmas presents I made for others and some that I got! Here is another koozy with a new type of embellishment - the hand-stitched patch!

PS: I didn't try to get the cat in the picture - he just jumped into it and posed!

Makeup Brush Case

2009-12-20T11:42:00.003-06:00

I finally made the case I started thinking about way back in this post. Here it is:

Laura bag prototype

2009-12-13T15:15:00.002-06:00

I am working on a design for a bag for my sister. She wants a tote-type bag to carry her books etc. around to her grad. school classes. She asked for something that might be able to be reversible, has cool fabric and a funky button and has room for books. I didn't want to start trying to design something with cool fabric, so I started with this left-over fabric I have had in my closet for a few years just to get the general measurements and the shape figured out.

Here is the fabric I plan to use (both Daisy Chain by Amy Butler). The questions are: How is the shape/size? Should I add some sort of flap at the top for the funky button (that I haven't picked out yet) or should I just stick it/them on there as a decoration? Also, should I do all one fabric on the outside and the other on the inside, or should I make the pleated body part one fabric and use the other for the top? Maybe I need a coordinating solid for the top/straps?

This is the first shot I tried to take. I guess my dog thought that since I was sitting on the floor that I must want to play with/pet him!

Texas Tech Koozies

2009-12-09T10:50:00.004-06:00

A set of 4 koozies special request from Andrea are complete and going to the mail! Enjoy!

Thanksgiveaway winner!

2009-12-02T18:47:00.004-06:00

Thanks to RANDOM.ORG a winner has been selected. The crocheted bag will be going to lucky number 3, Laura! At first, I thought, "what are the odds my very own sister would win?!?!". But then I realized...1 in 4 :) So, Laura, you can expect to get this at Christmas!

Purse Size Margaret Bag

2009-11-23T18:07:00.001-06:00

Last weekend I made two purse size Margaret bags. I used the pattern from Oh, Fransson!, but shrunk it and made some adjustments to the other measurements to make it a purse. I was able to fit 2 on the 1.25 yards I bought for the large size bag. I used home decor fabric and only used one layer of interfacing instead of all the layers the pattern calls for. This worked fine since the fabric was thicker and saved some money!

Here is a comparison of sizes of the purse size and the shoulder bag size.

Thanksgiveaway!

2009-11-22T17:30:00.005-06:00

Crochet Grocery (or Anything) Bag Giveaway!

Due to the small response to this giveaway on the first time around (i.e. the only comments were from my two close friends), I have decided to extend the deadline for comments until December 2. Of course, Andrea and Jenni will still be in the running to win the bag. Plus, for being so patient, they will both get a special gift (yet to be determined :))! So, if you want this bag to be your own, just leave a comment and let me know how you will use it!

As you can see, I decided to fill my bag with yarn, but you could use it for groceries, or anything else you can fill it with. It doesn't take up much space, so is easy to carry around and use instead of plastic when shopping. If you want this bag for your own leave a comment saying how you will use it. On November 22, I will draw a random number and announce the winner!

I made this bag following this tutorial from the Purl Bee. Instead of linen, I used cotton. The best part is that it was from thread I already had! My husband's grandmother got me an entire bag of crochet thread from an auction. When she gave it to me a couple of years ago I wasn't really doing any crocheting with thread, but have since done a few things. I found one skein of this thread and started the bag, soon to find out that the one skein would not be enough. Shortly thereafter, I found out that this exact line of thread is not made any more! How lucky was it that I dug down in the stash and found another skein of the exact same thread!?! It worked out perfectly!

Another funny coincidence - I decided to put some smaller skeins of yarn in the bag for picture taking purposes, only to see that one of those had a label with a pattern for a very similar bag!

6 to go

2009-11-11T22:14:00.004-06:00

I my postings have been few and far between recently. I was gone to Hawaii for work, then my parents came to visit, and then we went to the in-laws' last weekend, so my crafting time has been limited. However, I did get some crocheting in on the 6 hr car ride. Unfortunately, a lot of it was in the dark, so I didn't get to use all 12 hours for crafting. I am now down to 6 skeins of yarn left for Mom's blanket that I am trying to get done for Christmas. Sadly, that means that I have only gone through 1 1/2 skeins since my last post about it in August. The longest side in this picture is actually the width, so I hope the yarn I have left will be enough!

The good news...I did finish a project over the weekend and I will be posting it soon. I think I will do a giveaway, so be sure to check back soon!

Scrap Buster Contest

2009-10-27T22:16:00.004-05:00

In case you haven't seen...my mouse pad tutorial was posted on Sew, Mama, Sew for the scrap buster contest. Now you can vote for the best tutorials! The winners will win a $50 gift card to Sew, Mama, Sew. I could sure use that! :)

Also, I just got back from my conference in Hawaii, and couldn't resist coming home with some Hawaiian print fabric! I can't wait to make something with it.

My Very Own Margaret Sling Bag!

2009-10-13T21:59:00.004-05:00

Earlier this year I read this post about the Margaret sling bag. I LOVED the bag and soon found my way to my now favorite site, Oh, Fransson!. The pattern for this bag was designed by Oh, Fransson! and she was kind enough to provide a tutorial. I have been wanting to make this bag for a while, but my upcoming trip to Hawaii inspired me to hurry up and make a bag that would be big enough to hold all my 'stuff' while traveling and conference-going, but neutral enough to go with a variety of outfits. An added bonus is that it is significantly better to look at than the lovely conference totes that get handed out!

I added this appliqué of a little bird to the pattern and also made the closure strap out of the interior fabric instead of the exterior.

This is the inside of the bag. It is reversible, but I probably won't use it this way. The inside has two pockets, although they are kind of hard to see with this patterned fabric. (The pen is there just to show where the pocket is)

I am really happy with this bag. I used it today and got lots of compliments. I am so excited that I finally made a bag!

This last picture has nothing to do with the bag or crafting. I just thought it was a perfect example of how Iowa weather goes directly from summer to winter without any fall. This was what I found in my yard Saturday morning!

Mini quilt mouse pad tutorial - scrap buster!

2009-10-07T19:36:00.009-05:00

I have been wanting to make a new mouse pad for work for a while, and I have been wanting to make a blue and green themed quilt, and I wanted to participate in Sew, Mama, Sew's Scrap Buster Contest, so this seemed like the perfect project!

I started out with this pile of scraps from the baby quilt I made a while ago.

The strips that I cut for the baby quilt were all just a little too long, so when I trimmed them I ended up with relatively regular sizes of scraps of each color. I had a small rectangle of each of the solids and prints (about 1.5 x 1.25 inches) and a large rectangle of each (about 2 x 1.25 inches). I realized that these would make nice mini blocks without having to do any additional cutting, so a plan began to take shape!

You will see throughout a lot of these pictures that I have 3 extra mini blocks in warm colors. I was going to use them for the back, but didn't like it in the end after I chose the binding, so just ignore those extras! I used 9 mini blocks for my project. It is bigger than a normal mouse pad, but that lets you actually see the blocks. If you wanted to make it smaller you could use fewer mini blocks.

Start by sewing the two small rectangles together and the two large rectangles together using a 1/4 inch seam. Then press the seams either to one side or apart. There are great debates about which is better. I don't claim to know which is better or to do it consistently, so you should do whatever you prefer.

Next, sew the small rectangles to the large rectangles with a 1/4 inch seam and press open.

Since my scraps were not exactly the same size (and because I don't always sew perfectly straight) I trimmed them up to make them approximately 2 x 3 inches.

I also had some strips of white sashing left over from the same baby quilt that were about 2 x 7 inches so I cut them in half and used them as sashing between the mini blocks (again using a 1/4 inch seam and pressing the seams).

I wanted to make it more square so I used 1.25 inch wide strips between the rows. As I mentioned before, I don't always sew straight, so for me, it is always helpful to square up my block at multiple stages. So, after putting all the blocks into rows and the rows into a bigger block I tried to make the edges straight and parallel.

I used the same 2 inch strips on the sides and then 1.25 inch strips across the top and squared up my block to be a final 10.5 x 10.5 inches.

You will also need something for the back and some batting. I used a scrap of white print cotton fabric left over from the first quilt I ever made back in college that was nearly the right size and just needed some trimming and a scrap of batting (this really was a scrap buster project!).

Cut the back and the batting the same size as the finished block. Layer them with the back right side down, the batting, and then the top right side up and pin together with safety pins.

Quilt together however you want. I outlined each of the mini blocks with white thread about 1/8 inch from the edge of the block. Then, I made a double helix - think DNA (did I mention I work in the field of genetics) to run vertically between each column of mini blocks and on the two edges.

Finally, I found the perfect fabric for the binding. It was a fat quarter that I picked up at Jo-Ann's as an impulse buy when I ran in for something else and it caught my eye in the sale bin. I cut my strips 2 inches wide for the binding. Here is a nice tutorial for quilt binding from Heather Bailey. I also really like many of the tutorials that Oh, Fransson! has here. In fact, her web site is also where I got the idea for the baby quilt these scraps came from!

Some potential modifications could be to make it smaller or to use stiff interfacing under the batting to make it more stiff like a typical mouse pad. Since it is large and my wrist rests on the edge, I haven't had any problems with it sliding around. However, if I had problems I was considering trying making dots of puffy paint on the back (kind of like those woven gloves that have grippy rubber dots on them). It had also crossed my mind that a person could use that rubber mesh looking stuff that is sometimes used to either line shelves or under rugs to keep them from slipping, but I don't think I need to do anything for this one.

Getting to see this beautiful fabric all day while I am at work really brightens my day!

Another dog vest expansion

2009-09-29T18:00:00.003-05:00

I got a referral! Well, okay, maybe someone I know through my friend who I did the previous dog vest alteration for was there when I handed over the finished product and later asked me to do the same for her. But, I'm just telling myself that word is getting around about my excellent craftsmanship! Regardless, here is the second doggie vest expansion. I used some blue fabric from my stash that happened to match quite well and pieced together some scraps of cotton batting for the lining. I had to remove the velcro and move it slightly to fit the fabric that I had, but I think it will be okay since it will be on the under-side of the dog!

Case for crochet hooks, makeup brushes, etc...

2009-09-27T20:41:00.003-05:00

My stylist recently asked if I could make a pouch for her makeup brushes so that they wouldn't get the inside of her purse dirty. She suggested something similar to the sunglasses cases I made previously, but with the flap on the long side. However, after thinking about it, I decided to try it like this instead:

There is an elastic strap across so that makeup brushes (or in my case crochet hooks) can be held in place and can be easily accessed. You just fold it up and close it with the magnetic snap. I like this a lot, but I think I need to add some more stitching on the elastic to make the slots tighter for the smaller hooks. I tried some decorative stitches on the elastic, but had a lot of trouble with skipped stitches. I had the most luck with regular straight stitching. (If anyone knows any suggestions on how to avoid this on elastic, please share!) I would probably also move the elastic nearer to the middle next time. I was worried about getting too close to the snap, but I think I could have gone a little closer and still been okay. I have a few other ideas in mind for the makeup brushes, so I am going to make a few other options and take them in next time I get my hair cut to see which my stylist prefers. I just love getting suggestions of things to make and then figuring out how to make them!

Magnet Update

2009-09-26T09:00:00.005-05:00

So...it's been a while. But, here are the beer bottle cap magnets I said I was going to make. The glue took a long time to dry and then I was too lazy to take pictures. I finally took some pictures, so these will all be going in my shop soon (with the exception of the Blue Moon magnets that will be going to my friend Andrea). I have several projects in progress and several more new project ideas so I hope to have a lot more to post soon!

More team spirit

2009-09-13T16:56:00.005-05:00

My husband was jealous of the Nebraska koozy I made for my friend so I had to make one for him too. His friend wanted an Iowa koozy so this will be going out in the mail soon. A few more are in the works too.

I learned several lessons from this project:

1) Fusible webbing makes applique so much easier.

2) Related to #1: Even though I often think that I'll just skip a step (like using fusible webbing) to save time, it usually makes it harder, more frustrating, and ends up taking even longer.

3) Hand stitching is not actually the worst thing that I could ever have to do (like I previously thought).

4) Practice makes you better at things (like hand stitching - don't get me wrong, I am no pro, but I am a little less bad now that I have done it a few times).

Husband craft!

2009-09-12T20:26:00.003-05:00

My husband came up with this craft idea. We glued magnets to beer bottle caps. Now our fridge is covered with these beauties. We have a nice variety, but I decided to post the classy ones! We have too many so I will be posting some in my shop!

Oven mitt

2009-09-09T21:29:00.003-05:00

Remember this fabric? Well, I finally made something from the orange dots and stripes - another oven mitt. This one was going to go in my shop, but ended up a little too small and with a few other imperfections. So, it is going to my sister instead! She recently moved, so is in need of oven mitts. This works out perfectly!

Nebraska crocheted bottle koozy

2009-09-07T10:53:00.005-05:00

Ok, I'm not gonna lie, I'm kind of in love with this, my latest creation. An old friend special requested a crocheted bottle koozy with some Nebraska Husker spirit so I hand appliqued this N onto a red bottle koozy. I should have used the fusible webbing to stick the N down before I started stitching because it got a little crooked, but I was lazy and didn't bother. Before I started, I wasn't sure how this would look, and at first I was concerned about my inability to nicely hand stitch and how it was looking kind of tattered and unprofessional. Now that it is done, I think that it just adds to the overall look of the koozy . In fact, it reminds me of a vintage letterman's sweater! I may have to try this again!

Dog vest expansion

2009-09-06T22:15:00.001-05:00

My friend (and faithful blog reader), Jenni, bought this little vest for her dog, but it was just a little too small. So, she asked me to add an expander panel. I removed the Velcro from one side, made a rectangular panel from some fabric from my stash (and lined it with a scrap of batting left over from the edge of a quilt), sewed the panel to the side the Velcro was removed from and sewed the Velcro on to the other end of the panel. It only took a few minutes and now little Bella can stay warm when she goes outside this winter!

Felted coffee cozy

2009-09-06T07:56:00.004-05:00

I crocheted this coffee cup cozy from wool yarn and washed and dried it to felt it. Now it works great as a replacement for those cardboard ones that you get at the coffee shop. I need to make a couple more to work out the pattern. This is actually not my first attempt at this. I made one about a year ago that was much too large, thinking it would shrink a lot when I washed it, but it didn't. Then I started making a second one, but made too many increases too early so it was okay at the bottom, but huge at the top. This one is about the right size, so I'll have to see if I can replicate it!

Fabric Notebook Cover Tutorial

2009-08-30T15:34:00.006-05:00

First of all, I have to apologize for the quality of some of these pictures. I didn't realize they weren't that great until after I was done. But, I think you can still get the idea of what I was trying to portray.

I started with this small binder I have had forever, but you could use any size notebook and adjust the measurements accordingly.

1) Measure the notebook you want to cover (mine is about 5 1/4 inches by 8 1/4 inches).

2) Cut a large rectangle of your outer fabric that is large enough to accommodate a 1/4 seam allowance on each side plus 1/8-1/4 inch around for the top stitching. (I failed to take the top stitching into account in my measurements so mine is pretty snug. I will provide example measurements of what I should have done.) For my notebook I needed 6 inches by 9 inches. If you aren't sure, I would recommend going a little larger rather than a little smaller since you really can't fit the notebook in there if it is too small.

3) Cut 2 small rectangles of coordinating fabric for the inner pockets. The size of the pocket depends on what you like and the size of your notebook. I wanted mine to cover about 2/3 of the notebook. These need to be the same measurement up and down as the other rectangle you just cut ( in my case 6 inches). Decide on the final width you want and add at least 7/8 inches for seam allowance, top stitching and the hem on the open side. I wanted mine to be 2 1/2 inches wide so each rectangle ended up 6 by 3 3/8 inches.

4) Cut a strip of coordinating fabric for the closure. Again, the size of this depends on the size of your notebook and your preferences, but I made mine about 1 3/4 inches wide and about 5 3/4 long. It was actually just a scrap that was left over from my other cutting and it looked about right so I used it.

5) Cut fusible interfacing the same size as your main fabric and the rectangles for the inner pockets and iron on (wrong sides together) as the package instructs. I used lightweight fusible interfacing. This is optional, but I think it helps give it just a little stiffness and form and also helps the lighter areas of the fabric from being see-through.

6) Iron a 1/4 inch double hem along the side that will be the open side of each of the inner pockets and sew.

7) Fold the strip that will be the closure in half, right sides together, and sew along the long side (1/4 inch seam). Then turn right side out and iron with the seam in the middle.

8) Position the closure strip onto the main fabric (right sides together). It will be on the part that will be the back of the notebook.

9) Layer the pocket piece on top of the outer fabric and closure (again the right side of the pocket should be facing the right side of the outer fabric and the hem should be towards the middle of the rectangle) and pin into place. Also pin the other pocket piece into place.

10) Stitch around each pocket piece from where the hemmed edge meets the outer fabric all the way around to the the other hemmed edge of the same pocket. Do this on each side and then turn right side out.

11) Fold in and iron the piece of outer fabric between the 2 pockets on top and bottom.

12) Top stitch (1/8) inch around the entire notebook cover.

13) Slip the notebook into the cover and determine where the button should be positioned and hand-stitch it on.

Crocheted blanket for mom

2009-08-22T17:26:00.005-05:00

I started this blanket for my mom around the end of May in 2008, so a little over a year ago. I mostly work on it while I am riding in the car on long trips, but I really want to have it done by Christmas time to give to my mom. As you can see here, I have about 7 and a half skeins of yarn left. I hope that is enough! I'll update on my progress periodically.

Quilted fabric coasters - lime/stripes

2009-08-20T22:08:00.002-05:00

I made these coasters from the same fabric as the sunglasses case. I made one set of 3 that I took to work for my desk. The second set of 4 is now posted in my shop. For the first set I did one coaster each using lime green, navy, and chocolate thread for the quilting. I really liked the green on green, but preferred the navy or chocolate on the striped fabric. For the second set I used lime on the top thread and navy on the bottom so that I could have the best of both worlds!

Sunglasses case - third time's the charm

2009-08-17T21:03:00.004-05:00

I made two more versions of the sunglasses case. The second one I made much bigger thinking that would be better for big sunglasses. As you can see, the large sunglasses fit without a problem. But, if you see it in person, it just seems too big. It measures about 4.25 inches by 8 inches.

The third case seems to be a pretty good size. My smaller sunglasses have plenty of room and the larger ones fit snugly inside. I'll probably post this case in my shop (if I can convince myself to give it up). I'll surely be making more sunglasses cases now that I have an acceptable pattern. I am still not sure what to do with the larger one, though. Maybe you could put a checkbook and pen inside? Maybe it will be a freebie? Any ideas?

Fabric and Frame Giveaway!

2009-08-17T20:14:00.002-05:00

I really like these fabrics and they are being given away along with your choice of picture frame at lovely little handmades. I bet I could find something to do with them!!!

Wet bags for baby

2009-08-16T07:49:00.010-05:00

Thursday I shipped off my most recent baby gift - these wet bags. They are fabric bags lined in vinyl so that mom can throw dirty clothes, shoes, diapers etc. in them and keep the rest of the contents of the diaper bag dry. I had heard about wet bags that were lined with solid colored vinyl fabric, but I really wanted to line mine with a coordinating fabric that you could see. My first idea was to use a clear shower curtain over the inner fabric. When I went to the fabric store I found some clear vinyl sold by the yard, but they only had the really thin or really thick versions in stock. Then, as I was gathering my applique supplies, I spotted some iron-on vinyl! So, that is what I ended up using. The fabric is Robots by David Walker from Common Threads Quilt Shoppe.

My first attempt was the red bag. I made the inner bag taller than the outer so that I could cuff it over and put the draw-string in. I love the way this one looks with the shiny cuff, but as you can see, it just doesn't cinch up very well. You have to work with the draw string a little to get it very snug. I figure the functionality of being able to easily shut the bag will be more important to a mom dealing with a mess than the cute shiny appearance. So...

Attempt number 2 was the blue bag. This one I made the inner vinyl coated bag the same size as the outer and then added a separate non-vinyl cuff for the draw string. I had some trouble with this because the vinyl is slippery and the bag just barely fit over the base of my sewing machine. I needed to pin it, but didn't want to poke holes in the vinyl so I tried using binding clips like you would to attach binding to a quilt, but they ended up sliding around. So, the stitching on the cuff isn't the best. However, it does cinch shut quite nicely.

Final attempt - striped bag. This time I used a similar method as the blue bag, but I sewed the cuff to the inner bag before putting it together and then folded it over so that it held in place better. This worked much better, but I thought I was being clever by making the inner bag a little bit smaller (width) so that it fit inside the other bag better, but that meant that it was hard to make the cuff fold over the larger outer bag. Again, the stitching on the cuff is not as nice as I would like. But, the good news is, this was also my first time to try applique and I think it was pretty good for my first attempt (if I do say so myself!). I followed the instructions by Elizabeth from Oh, Fransson! on Sew, Mama, Sew!. It was pretty straight forward with such good instructions! I have a feeling I will be doing that again!

I did wash and dry the red bag in my washer and dryer. It seemed okay, but I was worried about the vinyl separating from the fabric so I turned it inside out, covered it in parchment paper and ironed it again to be sure they were still fused. I think it is okay to wash and dry if needed, but they will probably last longer if they are just wiped out or hand washed most of the time. Hopefully, these will be useful bags. I would love to hear some suggestions on how to make these better. I might make more in the future, and am also considering using vinyl coated fabric to line a makeup bag.

Crocheted can and bottle koozies

2009-08-14T22:55:00.003-05:00

In college a friend suggested I crochet a beer koozy. I thought the idea was so silly because it was such an oxymoron, so I had to try it. I can't believe how many people have asked me where to get them when I use one. So, I decided it was time to put some in my Etsy shop. These 4 are all posted there. I plan to continue to post more there regularly. I have a few more multi-colored yarns and a bunch of solids that I am planning to use. I have done some custom designs in the past (Dean's Beer embroidery) and have some ideas for more customization for the future. I'll be posting about those once I try it out.

Last night, my husband suggested a bottle koozy. Here is my prototype. It is listed in my Etsy shop as well. I am pretty happy with how it turned out. I just hope I can re-create it! The bottom is open so it slips over the top of the bottle. I haven't tried it out, so I am hoping there isn't a problem with the bottle slipping out the bottom.

Matching can and bottle koozies!

Homemade sunglasses case prototype

2009-08-09T18:41:00.005-05:00

As Andrea suggested, I made a sunglasses case. The inner fabric is left over from the multi-color baby quilt and the outer fabric is left over from another project I will post about soon. It is lined with a very heavy interfacing that gives it a nice stiffness that would protect the sunglasses, but makes it kind of rigid, so it probably needs to be bigger to accommodate other sunglasses. Mine fit, but it is a snug fit and they aren't that big. The flap closes with Velcro.

All in all, I am pretty happy with it other than the size. Also, I am not satisfied with the top stitching and how it lined up. I think next time I won't top stitch until I put the pieces together so I don't have the problem with the stitches lining up like in the picture below. I also thought about using clear thread, but I kind of like the stitching contrast so I think I'll try it that way again. I am also not sure if I like the stitching from the Velcro showing on the top of the flap. I might attach the Velcro to the inner fabric before I put it together so that it doesn't show on the outside. I might also consider a non-flap version. Please leave me a comment if you have any suggestions!

More crocheted coasters

2009-08-08T16:23:00.005-05:00

I had to make some more coasters from this yarn. This time I went for rippled squares. I just love the texture and think it is a nice contrast on a smooth table. They are up for grabs in my Etsy shop!

New Fabric

2009-08-05T20:53:00.003-05:00

I got these great fabrics yesterday at Common Threads Quilt Shoppe. I have a few projects in mind, but leave me a comment and let me know what you think I should make!

Coaster Packaging - Ready to Ship!

2009-08-04T18:29:00.005-05:00

Look how nice my packaging looks for the coasters! Just another example of the great shop set items I got from iluvdesign's Etsy shop!

These are getting shipped to Andrea soon!

Crocheted flower coasters

2009-08-03T18:09:00.005-05:00

My friend reminded me that I used to crochet these coasters that look kind of like flowers or stars, so I made a set this weekend. These are made out of some really nice cotton yarn that I got at a local yarn shop, Crazy Girl Yarn Shop. The yarn is from Blue Sky Alpacas and I found a link to it here. It is the color Tomato.

These coasters are so easy to make and very quick. Here is a pattern:

ch = chain

sc = single crochet

dc = double crochet

Start with a slip knot on your hook, ch2

Round 1: 8 sc in 2nd ch from hook

Round 2: 2 sc in each sc around

Round 3: (sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc) 8 times (end with 24 stitches)

Round 4: (sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc) 8 times (end with 32 stitches)

Round 5: (sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc) 7 times, sc in next 4 sc (end with 39 stitches)

Round 6: (skip next 3 sc, 8 dc in next sc, skip next 3 sc, sc in next sc) 4 times, skip next 3 sc, 8 dc in next sc, skip next 3 sc and join with slip stitch to the next stitch

Tie off and weave the yarn end into the coaster.

Make your own, or buy these in my Etsy shop!

Business cards and fabric card holder

2009-08-02T19:22:00.006-05:00

I got the design for my blog banner and for my Etsy store from iluvdesign's Etsy shop. Also included were designs for business cards, bag toppers, rubber stamps etc. I printed off some business cards and put them in my new business card holder that I bought from baffinbags's Etsy shop. They are both great!

More tab top curtains

2009-07-26T14:15:00.005-05:00

As a follow up to the last post...This weekend I helped a friend make some tab top curtains for her bedroom. She picked out the fabrics (the zebra is an old bed sheet) and we sat down and made up the design together. She did most of the work, I just showed her how to do it and helped with some of the more prominent seams. I did the top-stitching where the brown and plum meet up. I am usually horrible at sewing straight, so I was really happy with how well this part turned out. I think they turned out great. She did a great job, especially for her first time sewing! I can't wait to see them hung up in the room!

Tab top curtains, oven mitts, and a recipe book

2009-07-26T08:38:00.009-05:00

Earlier this year I decided I needed curtains in my kitchen. Although I have had a sewing machine for years and have sewn things before, the truth is I really am a novice and am just learning how to sew. I don't really know many people around where I live that can teach me the tricks of the trade, so I have been learning a lot from reading other people's blogs. The point is, I knew I wanted to make simple curtains with tabs at the top and I didn't want to mess with a lining and I needed a little guidance. I found very helpful instructions here. It worked out perfectly and I was very pleased with the results. I also just made something up for the tie back and used Velcro to close it.

I was so excited by the idea that I could finish an entire project in a weekend (I mostly had been crocheting for the last few years) that I was inspired to make coordinating items from the left over fabric. I made these oven mitts following Soozs' tutorial and this hot pad that I just improvised.

At this point I had entered into some sort of crafting frenzy and just couldn't stop. I had seen this post recently and really liked it so I took inspiration from it and modified it to be a recipe book. I just cut a piece of stiff interfacing and slipped it inside the 'pillow case', tucked in the ends and top stitched around. I used the insides of a cheap binder style photo album that holds 4x6 photos, or in this case, note cards. Two eyelets each at the top and bottom with a yellow ribbon holds the pages in the book.

Multi-color baby quilt

2009-07-23T20:36:00.009-05:00

My most recent craft project was a quilt for a friend who is expecting. The quilt top was inspired by Oh, Fransson's Paitbox quilt. I followed her pattern to make the blocks. The back is Alexander Henry's 2-D Zoo that I got from Sew, Mama, Sew. I got the solid fabrics from Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts as well as some of the prints. However, my favorites (like the block below) came from my local quilt shop, Common Threads Quilt Shoppe. I just found out that the quilt arrived today (I had to mail it) and they loved it! I was really happy with how it turned out and loved getting to pick out all the color and pattern combinations.