SewConnected Quilt Group

I'm in a virtual quilting bee called SewConnected. There are 15 of us. We each send out fabric during our assigned month and everybody works on a block for us and sends it back. So far, I've had alot of fun working on blocks for both myself and for other people. However... this month's fabric is VERY HARD to work with! The sender sent out 8 pieces of fabric which should be enough to work with, however, she wants a block no smaller than 10" (which means 10.5" unfinished). This wouldn't be a big deal except that she only sent out 9" x 5" pieces of fabric! I'm going to have to piece together the fabric to get it to 10.5"! Shesh! I don't even have a CLUE what I can make. I'm going to have to cut some of my fabric into 9x5 pieces and then try cutting those dimensions into a workable block. This is really challenging me, and it makes me very nervous. I hope I can come up with something nice for her.

New Crochet Books

I am definitely sick in the head. My other two books (Positively Crochet! and Crochet Bouquet) haven't even arrived from Overstock.com, and I've already ordered three more from Amazon! This time I ordered Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet, Crochet Inspiration and Beyond the Square: Crochet Motifs. (See! I told you I'm currently OBSESSED with crochet!).

The Amigurumi book got 5 stars. It's a bunch of crochet toys you can make with scrap/left-over yarn. Funny thing is: I don't have children to crochet toys for, and I don't have a stash of left-over yarn (yet) so I'll have to go buy it to make any of these toys! However, I convinced myself that I HAVE to have this book! The toys are soooo cute! One is a hedgehog that I can't wait to try out. I'm so new to crochet, I hope I can read the patterns and be successful at them. Maybe my grandmother would like some cute little crochet toys?

The other two books got 4-1/2 stars each. Again, I hope I can read the patterns well enough to be successful. One of the reasons I bought the Beyond the Square book is because it's spiral-bound, and I LOVE spiral binding on books for some reason! Besides, it got some rave reviews on Amazon.com. Crochet Inspiration also got rave reviews.

Flower Scarf Photo

Oh, YAY! I got a pretty decent photo of my new flower scarf. I had a hard time taking a picture of it because Annie and Stuart wanted to stand right in the middle of it, silly dogs!


Oh, and I did count how many I made: 14 (2 each of 7 colors). So this scarf "only" took me 8.5 hours to make--well, not true because I made 18, but had to take 4 off... so, back to 10.5 hours altogether.

I'm going to post this as my February clothing craft-along project. Who says I can't work ahead (because I will most certainly be posting some late, too!)?

Flower Scarf

I'm sooooo excited! Last week I made crocheted flowers that I turned into a scarf! It's partially based on the "Garden Scarf" in The Happy Hooker book, but I used the "Framed Flower" from 201 Crochet Motifs, Blocks, Projects and Ideas instead--only I just used the flower without the border around it. I'm not sure how many flowers I made; more than 14, but less than 21. It was actually 4 flowers too long so I had to take those off.

I used a tapestry needle to sew them all together (which took for-ever to do).

I was so proud of it that I wore it out to dinner on Saturday night, and not as outerwear, but as part of my outfit (with a black sweater--which looked awesome with it). I was sooooo happy that the girls commented on it. They couldn't believe I made it, and they were so complimentary of it which made me feel really, really good because I spent ALOT of time making the stinking thing, and I WANTED them to notice!

There's NO WAY I could ever make a scarf to sell. It takes me too long to make one. Each flower took me about 30 minutes to make, and then it probably took me 1-1/2 hours to sew it together. So that means an average of 18 flowers at 30 minutes apiece plus sewing time = 10.5 hours! That's a long time to spend making a single scarf. BUT... they would make perfect gifts to give, and I should get on the ball and start working on Christmas gifts NOW!

I need to figure out a way to photograph it so I can post it (I'll try to do that today).

Dreamcatcher Crochet Square

I made my first "filler" square the other day out of off-white yarn. Then I made a second one out of green TLC Essentials acrylic yarn. It's kind of wavy/warped, but I've been assured it will straighten out when it's sewn to other blocks. I can't believe I read the pattern, and it turned out right (and it looks great!)! Here it is:


I've opted for an all-acrylic afghan because this is for the dogs, and it'll be washed alot. And, this is the afghan I'm making out of blue, green, yellow and white (but not much white because I still think it looks too "clean"). Anyway, I picked the green and blue because of the cover of 200 Crochet Blocks book I blogged about earlier.

Crochet Obsessed

Okay... I do this about EVERYTHING! Once I decide to do something, then I go out and spend alot of money on it. Some stuff (like quilting) sticks and other stuff doesn't (like I don't know what because it didn't stick).


I read in the Happy Hooker book (by Debbie Stoller) that there are sharper-style crochet hooks that are easier to crochet with because they slip through the stitches easier than blunt hooks. So, I took a good look at my hooks, and they're ALL the blunt-style. Hmmm... gotta do something about that.


And, I want some wooden crochet hooks, too. Hmmmm... gotta do something about that, too.

So, yesterday I searched for "wood crochet hooks" on Google, and came up with a TON of choices. There are some wooden hooks out there that are almost $30 each (but they look so cool, I may have to buy one!). So what did I buy (like I NEED them)? A set of 12 bamboo crochet hooks from eKnittingNeedles.com. They range in size from 3mm to 10mm. The hooks are $4 or $5 each so they would have been around $50 if I'd bought them individually. However, the set was $29.99 with free shipping (I just LOVE free shipping!).


Anyway, it's hard to tell in the picture if they're the sharp kind or the blunt kind. I have my fingers crossed that they're sharp. Here's what one of them looks like, and then the whole set beneath it:


The only bad thing (I think) about them is that the size is printed on them, but not the alphabet letter. Alot of patterns just say "I" hook, and not "size 9" (or whatever the right size is for that letter). I guess I just need to learn the sizes.


Also, I'm going to have to make another crochet roll for these hooks! That'll be fun!

New Crochet Books

Yesterday, my crochet books from Overstock.com arrived! Oh, YAY! They are GOOD books, too. The first is 201 Crochet Motifs, Blocks, Projects and Ideas by Melody Griffiths. It has some great stuff in it. I really like the flower and lace sections. Plus there's a section on the crocheted alphabet that is kind of neat (though I don't know why I would ever need to crochet the alphabet). Maybe I could do a big "B" and sew it on a sweater like Laverne's big "L" on "Laverne and Shirley."


Of all the projects listed, I think my very favorite is a really cute siamese cat mini bag! Really not my style, but it's so dang cute, I'd carry it anyway! I wonder how hard it is to make? Another of the projects is a really cool belt made out of a chain of crocheted 2-color swirls. That is pretty nifty, and I'd love to make that, too.


Anyway, I started making 4" flowers out of my new "Cotton Ease" yarn this morning. I want to make a scarf out of them. The flower I'm making is the "Framed Flower" from page 23, but I'm not putting the frame around it; I'm just doing the flower instead. There's a picture of the framed flower on the cover of the book below (it's the one in the middle):




The second book is 200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws and Afghans by Jan Eaton. Love, love, love it! I bought this book because I wanted some other block choices for the 12" crochet-along that I'm participating in on Craftster.org. After I bought the book, I found a review that said the blocks were 8" square. I just thought I'd have to add some borders to get them up to 12". However, all of the blocks are 6" instead so I just have to sew 4 together to get 12" (or at least that's how big I hope they'll turn out--as tight as I crochet, though, they still may need a row or two added around the perimeters).


The blocks are all listed with hooks that demonstrate the difficult (i.e. 1 hook = easy/beginner; 2 hooks = medium/intermediate; 3 hooks = advanced/difficult). Most of the blocks are 2 hooks. I wonder if I'm ready for 2 hook blocks yet?


Anyway, I read another review that said to make sure to go to Interweave Press' website and print out the list of corrections. There are 7 blocks that have corrections. I think that's really nice that they publish the corrections. There's a note on the corrections page that says that some or all of the mistakes may have already been corrected--depending on which printing of the book I have. I haven't gone through it to see if mine is the lastest-updated version or not. Doesn't matter, I'll just put my printout inside the book.


Anyway, I'm anxious to start making some little 6" squares and sewing them together to make a 12" square! Fun! Fun! Fun!!!

Simply Handmade!!!

This morning, when I checked my e-mail, I was soooooo happy to find an e-mail from Paige Evans from Northridge Media requesting that I send in a baby bib I submitted for publication consideration! It's for the June/July 2009 issue of "Simply Handmade!" Oh, wow! How exciting is that?!

I have to fill out a little form that lists what types of products I used on my project, and a detailed description of how it's made. Plus, I have to sign a statement that it's an original creation, that hasn't been published before, and that I give Northridge Media permission to publish it.

I can also "include any interesting tidbit about its creation." Hummmm..... that's hard. I don't have kids, and I don't even know if the thing will fit around a kid's neck (as in it's probably too big to offer much protection!). I just wrote a little statement about how wonderful 100% cotton napkins are, and that it's easy to find a texture or pattern that "fits your baby's personality (or wouldn't it be fun to match the baby's bib to the table décor?)."

I'm not allowed to post blog photos of the bib until August 1, 2009.

Oh, yeah, they're going to return my "creation" along with "scrapbooking products and two copies of the June/July 2009 issue of "Simply Handmade" about a month after the issue has been published." I wonder what kinds of scrapbooking products? That's exciting! WAA-HOOOOO!!!

Small De-Stash Swap

My package from astormorray arrived yesterday! She made my cats a little catnip mouse out of red and black yarn she found in her stash (she hates red so she was surprised to find it). She said he's stuffed with "second cuts" (whatever that is) of a fleece she's been spinning, and he has a little heart bead inside him (which is a family tradition based on Raggedy Ann). She was disappointed that he was so small so she included a hand-carved wooden stamp she thought I might appreciate.

This was a very fun swap, and I'm glad I participated in it. The next one is in February, and I think I'll participate in that one, too.

Crochet Hook Roll

Here's a cool crochet hook roll I made for myself. I had a little zippered case to put them in, but one half only held 5 or 6 hooks and the other half was for tiny, tiny, tiny hooks that I don't have (so the rest of my hooks were just loose in the bottom of the case). Anyway, I still have ribbons to tie on it for a closure, but it's mostly finished.

The fabric I used is from two cloth napkins I bought at Walmart several months ago. I really like the pattern.

January Crochet Filler Square

Here's a photo of a "filler" crochet square I made for my 2009 Crochet-along afghan. It's called "Dreamcatcher" and is the January 2008 square. I'm pleased because I used an "I" hook, and it came out to 12" as it should have! Yay, Me! I've already started on another one; this time in green.

Lace Cap for Clothing Craft-along

There's another craft-along on Craftster.org that I'm participating in. This time, it's a New Year's Resolution Handmade Clothing craft-along. These are the themes:

january - hat, touque, etc
february - scarf/shall/wrap
march - bag, clutch, purse, luggage
april - dress
may - skirt (boys - maybe a kilt )
june - shirt
july - undergarments, undies, boxer shorts, corset
august - pants
september - sweater / hoodie
october - costume
november - socks/slippers/shoes (good idea gimmiemoresalad)
december - jewelry

I won't participate every month, but I can for some of them.

Yesterday, I worked on a crochet lace cap for the January theme, and I got it finished. I can't believe I got it #1. to take shape and #2. that all of the holes are in the right places! I had a couple of little hiccups, but overall, it turned out right. I'll never wear it, but I still think it's pretty!

Second January Crochet-along Square

This is the second January Crochet-along block I made. It's supposed to be two colors, but I don't like the white I bought to go with it (the white looks too "clean") so I just made the whole thing in one color.

And, by the way, I LOVE this blue! I saw a purple and green color combo on the cover of a book, and I think I'd like to put a green like that with this blue. I'll go shopping, and hit Joann's while I have a 50% off coupon to use.

Anyway, the center part of my first square was 10" so I went up to a "J" hook this time. Oddly, despite going up two hook sizes and make a conscious effort to loosen up, the center part was only 10" again! Go figure! I had to add another round of double crochet to the borders to get it to come out to 12".

Mom's Cards and Swap Cards

I've already posted these as I made them, but I like playing with Flickr Toys so here's a mosaic of the swap cards I made my swap partner:


And, here's a mosaic of the cards I've made for Mom:

More Cards for my Mom

I'm not sure my mom's going to like the patterned papers on these cards, but I'm going to send them to her anyway:

My New Swap Partner!

Yesterday, feelix assigned swap partners for the De-Stash swap I'm in. I was soooo upset because my partner asked for a doll blanket or stuffie for her 2-year-old, a reusable grocery bag, polyclay stitch markers or resin jewlery! OH NO! I can't make ANY of those things for her!

I PM'd her last night and told her I was destashing paper, and I can make her handmade cards. Fortunately, she's "quite pleased" with this because she sends her grandmother cards/letters all the time. Oh, YAY! I was really nervous.

I've already made a few cards I know I can send to her, but I'll make her a few more. I think 10 is probably a good number to send plus some mini cards.

Two more cards

I'm still busy, busy, busy making cards, cards, cards! Below are the two newest ones. The top one is made using a new stamping technique I read about in the latest Take Ten magazine (at least the technique is new to me). You ink up your stamp then spritz it with water and stamp it on watercolor paper. The first impression was incredibly vibrant and beautiful, but I made a card for my sick grandmother out of it and didn't get a photo before I sent it to her. The photo below shows what the second impression looks like. I still think it's pretty.




I really like this card. It's loosely based on a Poetic Artistry/Mojo Monday sketch. The sketch doesn't have the ribbon or the scallop, but instead has four pieces of paper behind the center image. If I make this card again, I'll use a square or rectangle for the sentiment rather then the circle. The mats are French Roast dark brown (they look black in the photo, but they're not).



I'll either use these two cards for the swap I'm signed up for or to send to my mom. Not sure which yet.

Poetic Artistry Sketches

Yesterday, I found a set of card sketches by Poetic Artistry called "Mojo Monday" sketches. I played around with them some yesterday. I'm really impressed with the cards people make from sketches, but I'm just not that good at it. My results end up looking cluttered and/or cram-packed on the card.


This first card is almost exactly like the sketch. I think (in the sketch) the little square is more in the center on the right side of the bigger square, but I felt it took up too much space there so I moved it up. Except for the card base and ribbon, this is all scrap materials. I embossed the numbers with a Cuttlebug embossing folder, and I laser-cut the "Make a Wish" and scallop.



The first card in the photo below is also from one of the sketches. I used my new K&Company patterned paper, an Offray brown polka-dot ribbon and more recycled cardboard. The bird stamp is K&Company and the "Hello" stamp is Studio G.


The second card is my own design (though with all the sketches floating around out there, I'm POSITIVE there's one that looks like this, and someone will be PO'd that I stole their idea when I certainly didn't!). Again, this is a K&Company stamp and patterned paper. I love using recycled cardboard now!



I will probably use all three of these cards for the De-Stash Swap I signed up for on Craftster.org.

Recycled cardboard card

Here's another card made from recycled cardboard. The bird stamp is from K&Company.

Bookmark Tutorial Update

I've been getting a lot of hits on my bookmark tutorial. Some hits are coming from Craftster.org, but I just found out the tutorial made it to a website called Bookmark Collector. Here's a cut 'n paste:

Make Your Own Bookmark
A tutorial on making a flat paper bookmark - really a base for creating more artistic bookmarks, by Sew Help Me - Link

That's kind of exciting! Maybe I should make some more and finish them with the fibers at the top this time!

Cardboard Card

I made the little cutie below out of the cardboard I recycled from my new Mary Engelbriet calendar. The piece of cardboard behind it is from a fat quarter I got at Joann's. The dove is a K&Company stamp that I embossed white. Also, the cardstock is from PaperAccents. It's recycled, too.

I submitted this card for publication consideration in the June 2009 issue of Cards magazine. The call is for "stamping" and "birds," and this card fits either category.

January Depression Held at Bay...

Now's the time I usually get depressed; the holidays are over and a couple more months of bleak, winter weather leaves me feeling dark and blue. Ugh. HOWEVER... (mind you, this may sound really silly, but...). This year, I'm really excited about all the crafting opportunities listed on Craftster.org, and I hope having something crafty to focus on will keep me from being depressed.

So far, I've gotten involved in the De-stash-along, the Crochet-along and the 2009 Handmade Holiday Crusade-along. I've also joined a De-stash swap, and I'm waiting on the STU ATC swap to be posted. PLUS, I have the SewConnected quilt block swap (January fabrics should arrive today). (The craft-alongs are no obligation; the swaps are obligations to a partner).

I've already started posting card projects in the De-stash-along, and I finished my January block for the Crochet-along.

The 2009 Handmade Holiday Crusade-along is fun; the organizer is posting monthly themes, and then you post your finished projects. She puts everyone's name in a hat and draws a winner each month. This month's theme is ornaments (and I LOVE ornaments so this oughta be fun).

Little Squares Mini Cards

Who's getting sick of my cards!? Sorry, not me! I'm having a ball cranking out mini cards. Here's another set that's going to my mom. They're blank inside so she can use them for anything (well... at least I hope she likes them well enough to use them).

These are truly scrap cards. I used up the last tiny little bits of K&Company paper for the little squares. Even the bases are left over art paper I had from some project I made eons ago. The eyelets are also K&Company.

2009 Crochet-along

So, I've also signed up for the 2009 Crochet-along on Craftster.org. Every month CraftADDchick will post a square, and we have the whole month to complete it. This month's square is called "Esther's Square," and it looks like this:

I have one corner that looks kind of wonky, and the whole thing is very wobbly-looking. Plus, the center square was supposed to be 11 inches, but I used the recommended "H" hook, and my center was exactly 10" so I had to add an extra row of double crochet around the borders. My final block size is 12-1/4". Even with all of the mistakes, I think it's an awesome-looking square, and I can't believe I was able to read the pattern directions and make a square out of them!

More thank you mini cards

Mom told me she needs to send some thank you cards out. I told her I'd make her a batch of them, if she doesn't mind mini cards. Mini cards are the PERFECT way to use up all the scraps of cardstock that I've accumulated. Here are the cards I've made for her so far:

Most of this paper is from K&Company, the cardstock is Paper Accents, the ribbon is Offray, the "Many Thanks" stamp is Studio G and the rhinestones are Darice.

The picture is kind of dark because I got up WAY early, and was in the shop at 5:00 in the morning.

Owl Birthday Cards

Here are some more masculine-looking birthday cards that I made yesterday. The owl is a stamp from Sassafrasslass. I think these little guys are WAY cute!


Also, the cardstock is PaperAccents and the eyelet is K&Company.

2009 Birthday Cards

This morning, I made a nice little stash of birthday cards for 2009 birthdays. Everybody's getting the same card this year! The cards are cute. I just hope the ribbon isn't too girly-ish for a male card. Well... I may make another set without the ribbon, just because I'm not sure. Anyway, it's a tag card with a silver eyelet through the top. I pop dotted the "Make a Wish" off the card for extra dimension. Here they are:

The cardstock is PaperAccents and Folia Papers, the eyelet is K&Company, the ribbon is Offray.