Reusable Tote & how to wind your own Yarn Balls!

Pattern is Quick and Easy - just how I like it! about 2 hours to construct and here is where I got the pattern: http://theadventuresofcassie.blogspot.com/2008/03/free-reusable-crocheted-grocery-bag.html

In the comments below the pattern they have instructions for a larger bag. I totally see this going to the beach, it would allow the sand to fall out of all the toys and would dry so quickly in the acrylic yarn!

Then I made this CUTE little yarn ball with my leftover "vintage" yarn from the 1970's: http://laughingpurplegoldfish.blogspot.com/2008/08/winding-yarn.html

Ready to Smock Feb 2012

Been a long time since I've done any of these ready to smock dresses, but I sure enjoyed it! This is for a client and is a size 2T bishop -- this was a nice break from grading math papers!

My Daughter's creations

My oldest daughter is 10 and she made the hat and scarf for a doll, my youngest daughter is 7 and made this pretty rainbow baby blanket! I am so proud of them!

Pink & White baby crochet hat with a flower

Another baby version, just switch from an I hook to a G hook and it goes from adult sized to infant!

Purple & Gold flower hat

This is my cousin's school colors at Holland-Patent, NY. She's going to be so cute running cross country in her new hat! I made this one last night while watching the dumbest movie of one liners I've ever watched...The Other Guys...at least I got a hat finished so I didn't waste that hour and half of my life!

Baby Shower Gift

This is a baby shower gift for a friend who has a "hunting" family. I think they will be so cute with coordinating daddy, mommy, and baby hats!

Infant hat with a flower

I took off a few rows, went to a smaller hook (G instead of I) and baby yarn and here's my first "baby" cap with flower. I think it is adorable!

Pink & White crochet hat with a flower

Just finished this for my dear friend in Tennessee -- Enjoy!

Tissue pocket packs - AGAIN!

Ashley and Amy each made 12 different pocket pack savers for their teachers, sunday school teachers, bus drivers, and other adults they know...each is stuffed with a pocket pack and is waiting to be chosen!

Baby "Baskets"

I used this pattern to make these baby baskets (I just added a handle). You can even throw them in the wash so baby can play with them too! I thought they would be a cute way to organize all the little stuff you need when you have a little one around. I have two baby showers this Sunday so I made one for each baby. I think they will LOVE them.

Little Totes

The girls decided to design little purses while I made their latest garments. They are fully lined with white inside and have a little pocket inside too. Their "pattern" was a piece of paper from the printer then they just folded it in half to make the purses...too cute!

New Shirt - McCalls 5798

This is for my elder daughter -- she is getting too big for dresses all the time -- this is a shirt from pattern McCalls 5798 (size 10) made a little longer than the pattern calls for and a ruffle added, too. I wonder why they can't just make patterns longer these days...nobody wears a shirt that cuts off at their waist anymore! She picked everything out herself.

Reclaimed Fabric - Floral Dress - Simplicity 3902

My daughter feels so pretty in her new dress...made from old drapes in my mother's house! Pattern is Simplicity 3902 - pretty easy pattern and has almost no gathering...form fitting and very flattering on the body. I always add some length to this pattern as my girls don't like dresses shorter than their knees.

Crochet Hats - Christmas presents

Here's how we all looked with our hats I gave away at Christmas:

Bonnets

No pattern -- just copied an old hand me down one -- just a big circle and a streched half moon -- made both in about 2 hours. I bet they wear them every day as they are now into playing "Laura and Mary" from the little house on the prairie books.

Biggest thickest pom poms EVER!

http://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/how-to-make-pom-poms.html

Best looking pom poms I've seen...Haven't tested it yet!

Crochet Hats with a flower

a couple more hats from this pattern...So FUN!

Cowboy Boots Pattern

I can't wait for the right colors to make a pair of baby cowboy boots!

American Girl Bikinis (Crochet)

My eldest daughter made the mostly purple ones, my youngest made the white set trimmed in blue, and I made the white set trimmed in purple. The little crochet flower is my favorite part. We made up the bottoms, and the tops are an alteration of the halter top pattern we've made before.

American Girl Halter top and Shorts (Crochet)

Several patterns combined to create this ensemble -- all patterns from Crochetpatterncentral.com -- my girls' favorite new website for patterns!

Flower on a Crochet Cloche

Pattern Here -- I've been having fun with this pattern -- it fits so well on my head and the girls LOVE them too.

I used worsted weight yarn for everything -- single strand for hat and double strand on the two flowers and single strand for the two flowers below.

Clemson Crochet Booties

Pattern Here -- EZ and Quick -- Made with Worsted Weight yarn.

Snowflake Hat I

I call this one "I" because I am pretty sure when my girls wake up tomorrow, they will be fighting over this cute hat. I think I'll go ahead and start another one! Too small for me, but will probably fit them perfectly! Oh, by the way, Click here for the pattern I used -- I used worsted weight yarn and it fits a big kid head. It is mostly chain and single crochet.

Berkeley Pride Hat - Crochet

Pattern: http://www.piece-by-piece.net/Patterns/fp10.htm -- I just added 2 stitches on the first round so it would fit my big noggin.

two tassel hat - Clemson Style!

I added a little more single crochet to make a wider band...and a few color changes...LOVE IT!


Step 1: You chain 16 and do row after row of 15 single crochets until it wraps all the way around your head.
I did two colors and changed color halfway through. Looks like the beginning of a scarf.

(I think it was about 3o rows of each color for a 7 year old about 34 of each for my big noggin), and I started both colors off the chain so I would know how many rows to do...kinda like burning the candle at both ends! It was my first one so I didn't know how many rows to do to fit my big head.)

Step 2: With a yarn needle, I sewed the beginning to the end and then sewed the top of the tube together.

Step 3: Then I did 9 rows of single crochet around to form the "band" (I did three purple, one orange, one purple, one orange, and three more purple rows.)

When you lay it flat it looks like a rectangle. Pom poms are 12 strands of 2 colors 7 inch long pieces (2 colors so 24 in all) tied in the center and sewed to the top corners.

Another (less than) 2-hour Crochet Hat

Click here for free pattern
...Now I'm down to an hour and a half!

2-Hour Crochet Hat

http://www.piece-by-piece.net/Patterns/fp10.htm

Cute crochet hat! Took about 2 hours from start to finish.
I used the multicolor yarn for colors B & C, and the pink is color A.
My girls LOVE getting to pick out their own yarn for stuff like this.

Super Easy American Doll Skirt from Recycled Flare Jeans

Instructions:
1. Take a pair of your old flare leg jeans
2. Cut off the ankle (8 inches or so) of one leg of the jeans
3. Fold over twice & sew almost all the way around
4. Insert elastic
5. Sew the hole shut

Now your American Doll is sporting a stylish Jean Skirt...

Doll Dresses

The girls picked out their own fabric for dresses for their dolls Molly & Samantha = I think the embellishments made them awesome. Pattern is Simplicity 4364

Mom's pillow & cushion recovering project

Mom bought a new couch and had an old chair that she wanted to put with it. I had the task to recover the cushions on the chair to match the couch. She bought this pretty floral fabric, and I recovered the pillows that came with her couch, salvaging the piping and back of the pillow. Also salvaged the foam and zippers on the rocking chair cushions...more pictures will be added of this project later as I finish the project.

The picture on the left is the "before" shot of the two cushions and one of the two pillows...you can sure see that they DO NOT go together!

Picture on the right is before and after of one cushion...MUCH better!

FYI - I am NOT going into the furniture recovering business...

Three Tiered Skirts

My girls love these skirts so we picked a T-shirt from their closets, and designed skirts to match...
they both have little white "modesty" shorts sewn in.

Dress for Brooklyn

My co-worker smocks, but doesn't sew. I sew but don't have time to smock. So together we are making a dress for our friend's daughter. She just had her first brithday...I sewed it and she will smock it...can't wait to see the results!

Available for $20 each - Ready to Smock

Let me know if you're interested. I am not doing any "smocking for order" right now, but had these three hanging up in my sewing room and wondered if anybody wanted them.
($20 each)
- white bishop is either size 6 months or 12 months (I can't remember which!)
- the yellow floral and stripes bishop is size 18 months
- Daygown with collar is size newborn through 12 months and buttons all the way down the back. (Front and back pictured.)

Third kind of Kanzashi flower

Used this tutorial to create this third pattern kanzashi - These are fun and quick. But I think I'm done for now. Maybe I'll cut a few out to make another day, but a girl's gotta do laundry.

Second Kanzashi Pattern

This one starts from circles and makes a flower about the size of the original circles. Pretty quick to make these and now the girls are picking the fabric and tracing the circles...Here's a link to the Tutorial I used... I think I'll put the pink buttons in the center of these...or maybe I'll make a Yo-Yo for the center...Haven't decided yet.

Decided on white centers for the pink ones and a yo-yo for this yellow one:

My first Kanzashi Flower

I used this video to make this flower. I like this and it only took about 20 minutes of my time to do! I didn't do it exactly right, and my second one should have better lines than this one, but it will make a cute hairbow.



First one on the left...Second one on the right:

Jeans Coozie

Saw a cute coozie today made with the waistband of a pair of jeans then they tied ribbon to look like a belt. Then I sewed in one of those free coozies that companies hand out with their logo inside to actually keep your drink cold.

Well, I tried it -- and this will be one of a kind because I don't plan to try again. Sewing through that many layers of jeans stinks so this is the result and I'm moving on. You can't be perfect every time. Hard to know the exact size of the rectangle to sew a circle on the bottom too.

Sleepover Nightgowns

Won't my little one and her friend look cute in their matching sleepover nightgowns? She's so excited! Took about an hour and a half to make both. I think this is called peasant style with the elastic around the neck - makes a comfy nightie.

Ready to Smock Baby Gown

infant up to 18 pound sized. Ready to smock out of my white broadcloth.

This one has a small patch on the front center to smock. 5 buttons down the back. To view the pattern, click here

Here's another one made with the CUTEST alphabet fabric -- one of my new favorite fabrics!

Ready to Smock Bishops

Two ready to smock size 6 month bishop dresses with banded short sleeves. One is a 100% cotton lavender mottled print, the other is my white broadcloth I LOVE to use. TOO cute!