Crochet Madness

I feel life is conspiring to make it hard for me to sew lately.  First we had 9 windows replaced, which meant cleaning and organizing and moving heavy furniture. Then it was deep cleaning of rugs (mainly done by my husband) but more moving of heavy furniture and cleaning.  A visit from my sister from Massachusetts and now organizing the basement where we have been putting "things" that the girls have outgrown or we just don't want upstairs in case the guests we plan on having over for the girls 4th birthday party want to move downstairs.  More cleaning and organizing.  I just want to sew!!!  Thank goodness when I take breaks and put my butt on the couch I can at least crochet! I've made a soap saver (hanging in my shower), a bath mitt for the girls and a coffee cup cozy.  I tried the cozy today and I think it did keep my coffee warmer longer.  I'm going to bring it to work.

Bath Mitt

Audrey gets clean with a crochet 100% cotton bath mitt.

Previous windows

Workmen working in subzero weather. 

New windows.  So happy we can open these windows now!

My girls seem to be mocking my cleaning effort by making toy displays all over the house like this one on the stairs.  When I ask them to clean they say "I don't have energy to clean".  Ahem, that is my line, girls!

I hope you have a nice week.

Craftsy Block of the Month January

I decided to join the Craftsy BOM hosted by the lovely and talented Amy Gibson from Stitchery Dickory Dock.  Two blocks this month and I have completed one of them, the Asterix Block.  Amy makes it look so easy not even pinning, but I have to say I sweated every step and slashing was nerve racking.  I am hoping to learn some tips and tricks and I love the visual - so much better than You Tube! And it is Free!

I am going to read some of the questions on Craftsy.  I bet someone else has asked why the white part gets so wrinkled-looking.  I wonder if I am suppose to press without steam?

My Wonky Pound sign.  I'm not happy with it.  See the seam ripper there.  I think I'm going to try one more time.  Not looking forward to ripping on a bias, yikes!

My second wonky pound sign.  Seams are matching better, but looks wonky!

Thought it might be fun to have part of the constitution on it but with 1-1/12 inch strips it didn't turn out as nice as I thought it might in my imagination.  But I can choose which wonky block I want to use later.  I've decided to do a cowboy theme,  I think The Pioneer Woman Cooks blog is making me appreciate that kind of life.  This fabric because it matches the cowboy fabric coming up sometime in the year.

I came home to my girls just plum pooped out.  Making a huge mess can be tiring, I guess.  It is tiring for me just looking at it.  Oh well, I want them to have fun because that is how they learn.


Have a great week!

Embroidery WIP

I have been working on getting the quilt of my girlfriend's hands completed.  I am enjoying the process of how this quilt seems to have a way becoming so different than what I had first envisioned.  I would never have imaged this embroidery going on it, but here it is.

I never thought a backstitch would be challenging or even a french knot and a lazy daisy.  I think even as little as 5 years back I would never have the patience for embroidery.  I guess having children does give you enjoyment in slowing down.

This is the first time I've ever embroidered a lazy daisy.  So for me, I post it, flaws and all and am proud of my efforts.

I hope you will be getting some good news.  Nothing is a lost cause when you have faith.  I'm still working on what faith means to me.  Faith feels like a loaded word. A word so easily popped with the prick of negativity...and yet a life line out of negativity... kind of complex for me.

Found these dove pictures. I see the dove as a symbol of hope and change, but in the pictures below the dove represents peace and life.

Artist: Pawel Kuczyski

Artist: Rafal Olbinski

Hooded Scarf Completed

I finished the hooded scarf over the long holiday weekend.  I did not realize as I was crocheting it that it was a skill level intermediate.  I think by the time one is an intermediate it must go without saying that one must adjust to desired length.  I'm not sure what happened, but the hooded scarf barely fit my 3 year-old daughter.  It was also suppose to have a nice round silhouette on the back of the head but I put that on the wrong end (by neck and not top) and the back of the head turned out rather pointy.  I added a shell border around the face and made a pom pom to accentuate the pointy back.  I do look forward to making one for myself, now that I know what needs to be added, mainly many more rows of crocheting.

It was a nice sunny day so I asked my lovely daughters to model my new hobby (crochet) hats.  This was during my lunch hour and my camera overexposed, but my girls sure do make my hats look so cute. And my hats make them look like little old ladies, hehe.

My girls were having fun and I think they liked the sun on their face.

I hope you have a wonderful week!

 My resolutions for the New Year 2012:

1.  Be daring in mixing and matching fabrics, and make free doll pattern from One Red Robbin.

Completed February 19, 2012

2.  Make a quilt from this pattern with this yummy jelly roll.

3.  Crochet this hooded scarf with this fun yarn.

Completed January 1, 2012

4.  Applique this strutting Rooster using this template.

5.  Make this panda with furry fleece and not curse myself when it sheds like the dickens.

6 & 7.  Make one item from each book below.

Completed April 29,2012

8.  Get this table topper done before Halloween.

9.  Find a pattern worthy of cutting into these fabrics.

10.  Watch the entire season of Game of Thrones in one week, before due date from public Library.  Happy & Safe New Year to You!

Hurray, I'm Done!

My last fleece money holder is complete!  I'd like to introduce you to Bowling Pin Girl.

I call her Grace because it was by the grace of God she became complete.  Not having any idea what I was doing, just getting inspiration from this picture.  I learned so much from making her. Mostly from my mistakes. Her head was not suppose to be like a bowling pin, but I actually cut her form out before sewing and sewed her face on without stabilizer and the fleece gathered shrinking her head to the size it is now.  She is a happy gal who likes her misfit pals and is very affectionate with them.  Jester man doesn't mind but he gets a little nervous with all her affection because she can get carried away and gets entangled with him making him feel a little claustrophobic.  That's when he gets bunny and politely excuses himself with a chore that needs doing. He is sure skeletoR is calling him.

She adores bunny because he is her favorite color, purple.

The making of Bowling Pin Girl.  This was my solution for where to put her limbs while sewing her  bowling pin frame.  I basted her limbs on before assembly.

Well it's off they go to start another adventure in a different house with different kids, 3 boys & 1 girl.

Friends come in all sizes, shapes, color and disposition.  And that's just describing my multiple subpersonalities, when I try and befriend myself.  (LOL)  One should not be blogging at 12:46 am... good night/morning.

p.s. The ugly chair is actually very comfortable.  Can you believe I have two of them!

Fun Money Holders for Kids For Christmas

My sister has four young children, one seven, two six and one five years old.  Three boys and one girl. Usually I buy gifts for them throughout the year, with a few last minute finds during Black Friday. This year, gift ideas did not jump out at me.  I asked her if she wanted me to get them savings bonds.  She said to get them Walmart gift cards and they could have fun picking out their own gifts.  I decided to send them cash, and also decided to make an elaborate money holder.  A fleece softie of my own creation.  I have to say I have more respect for those fleece softie makers.  Trying to make a cute or fun face and body is harder than I thought.  I did get inspiration from seeing a picture of the McCalls pattern M5826 called Creature Dolls for the first two shown today.

I first started with freezer paper and folded it in half.  Then drew half of a body.  Changing my mind several times.

Cut it out and open it up.  You can fold it back up and cut/trim it some more.  I wound up trimming more around the underarms and body so I had room to sew around it.

Find some fun fleece and put right sides together, then pin template to wrong side of fleece.  Then as best as you can sew around template trying not to sew on top of the template. You can crunch the paper, it doesn't hurt it when you need to turn and some of it goes under the sewing machine's arm. I do a lot adjusting with needle down and lifting the foot to straighten the fleece.  It is stretchy so I try and go slow adjusting all the way.  Leave 2 to 3 inches not sewn on the side for turning and stuffing. I found out the hard way this locations works the best because you need to stuff real good in the arms and legs, and you can't do that if there is a hole in it for turning.  After sewing cut around sewing line leaving a generous 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch.

Before turning make sure you clip all around it up to the sewing line.Don't clip the opening where it is not sewn.  Make sure both pieces of fleece get clipped.  The figure is all curves and curves need clipping!

I made a face using off white polar fleece with felt pieces for eyes, nose and mouth.  I craft glue the pieces of eyes, nose and mouth before sewing.  The placement of pieces can give different looks.  The yellow piece is going to be the pocket for the cash. I wish I had red, which would have looked better.  I wound up trimming the face, but be careful, it's like trimming your own bangs, before you know it, you wind up looking like skeletoR.

Stuff good and plenty with polyester fiber and then whip stitch the opening shut.  I sewed by hand the face and pocket to the body because I still don't have this system down to its most efficient sewing steps and I just wanted to sew around the pattern first before cutting.  I made the one on the right (blue and green) first.  Don't assume your second one will necessarily be better.  I do have a girl to sew for and I already know pink cheeks will be used.  I will update the post with pictures of the next two. Looking at the fleece pattern, my imagination is already going wild with ideas. Working at the office during the day makes it hard to take good pictures. It is dark, dark, dark, by the time I am ready to take pictures.  My apologies for the dark pictures. My choices were underexposed or overexposed.  I thought underexposed suited these monster-like figures better. ($20.00 will be put in pockets. They should be able to buy some fun Legos with that much.) I had to borrow some cash from hubby to take the picture.

Don't hate me because I'm so scary looking. My creator made me this way.

In the picture above, our young football star has the misfortune of being the keeper of secrets. Creepy?  Yes!  Ever wonder who makes the toys for the island of misfit toys?  Looks like I would be one of them.

My girls... pictures like these make me so happy.  The years when doing this to yourself and thinking you are so cool are fleeting.  (I could be very wrong about this.)

Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year!  But the days start getting longer, whoop, whoop!

May you all be blessed with good health, sunshine in your heart and the amazing ability to forgive everyone for their idiot behavior!