suddenwhimsies

Summer Coverlet

Time has been slipping away at alarming rate. We are well on our way into August and my big plans to "redo" each of my kids bedrooms by the end of summer has turned into a manic free-for-all of painting, drilling, sorting through swatches, trips to IKEA and Jo-Ann ETC, paint drips on the carpeting, foul language and sweat.

 

Then my middle daughter (11-years-old) decided that BLACK was just the perfect color for her bedroom.So I asked her if she was really serious, or if this was one of those pre-adolescent parent (let's-see-if-we-can-get-mom's-head-to-smoke and blow-up) testing things. She was serious. Sigh.

We've --uh--negotiated a compromise. The walls are now a lovely, calming, soothing shade of robin's egg blue. Everything else is pretty much black -- with a bit of red thrown in. I have to admit that during the negotiating process (and this child is a ruthless negotiator) I had my doubts about putting that shade of blue with black and red. Then the latest issue of Domino magazine came in the mail. And wouldn't you know, I flipped through just a few pages before spotting a photo of a bedroom with blue walls and black and red everything else. And it looked NICE!

So I've been gushing and carrying on like a total weirdo, complimenting her on her "amazing design sense" and "fabulous sense of color". In reality, I'm terrified that she may change her mind and go back to insisting on black walls.

So, in the midst of all this chaos, as if I don't have enough to do already, I started digging through my stash of yarn UFOs (unfinished objects). I must have started this coverlet about five years ago. I can't remember why I packed it away because it's really, really cute-- and a great way to use up all those scraps.

So guess who took one look at it, fell in love with it and decided that they wanted it for their bedroom--Little Miss "I-want-everything-black". Go figure!!

I Love Vintage Aprons

How's this for a vintage pattern with a modern twist (the fabric, I mean)

I love vintage aprons and when I found this free vintage apron pattern posted by Susan Branch, I just had to try it out!

The pattern is posted full size, which means that you don't have to do any of that pesky resizing--like enlarge by 200%, and so on. The pattern simply prints out to scale over 12 sheets of paper -- you just cut the pieces out and scotch tape them together. People!! It's so easy! The fabric is from Jo-Ann's ETC. Check the fabric wall in the quilting section.

I decided to sew down the side of the bias tape so that my apron lies flat. The creases in Susan Branch's version are adorable too.

Susan Branch also has the most wonderful books. They are full of some of the best holiday ideas and delicious recipes--and her illustrations are so sweet! You have to check out this amazingly multi-talented lady!

Apron # 2 on my little Katie...

Here's another apron I made--on the fly--off the top of my head--which is the way I do most things, actually. It can drive folks crazy, but I'm very organized in my own little mind.

Pea Pod Perfection. Summer veggies at thier best.

Some day soon I will be pulling a chair out to the middle of my garden along with a bottle of ranch dressing. It will be a feast. And I may invite Tyrone...if he promises to be good.

So simple, ruffley and girly!

Got to have ric rac...

and a pocket for really important stuff...like dandilions, clovers, sweet stuff swiped out of the cabinets when mama's not looking...

Sassy Lips

Sassy Lips gets to say everything a good mama shouldn't say.

The inspiration for this came after I had the kids rolling in fits of laughter over an impromptu "puppet show" with two of those silicone oven mitts. They look like little mouths to me. I mean, would YOU want to stick your mouth into a 350 degree oven and pull out a hot casserole dish with your teeth? I didn't think so.

Here's Sass in action...She does a pretty good job. And I've found that if you keep her busy chewing, licking or otherwise occupied and/or submerged, she can't get herself into too much trouble.

And if she gives too much...uhhh...lip, then she doesn't get to clean the ice cream dishes!!

Felt - Part 2

 
Wow, I'm really bummed. I can't find my copy of "1000 Ways to Beat the High Cost of Living". I've been delaying this post until I could find it because there was a cute quip in there about treating fine woolens as you would treat your dear husband--be gentle, no twisting or wringing, etc... But I bet you already knew that. Stop snorting, I can hear you!

How about that jaunty little tassel?

Felting is really easy--and fun! The "mini duffel bag" started off as a rectangle stitched in alternating rows of double crochet. I crocheted the two end pieces separately and sewed them on right before putting the whole thing through the wash. In order to get the proper shaping in the finished piece, I've found that I've had the best luck stuffing it with dish rags, shaping it with rubber bands, and letting it air dry. You need to be patient though, air drying can take up to two days-- depending on the size of your project and the humidity in the air.

 

Just the right size for a pencil case.

 

Felt: part 1

Experimenting with felt-making...

is loads of fun. This piece started it's life as a crocheted pouch. After 2 cycles in the washing machine with sudsy hot water...

 

the resulting "fabric" was actually dense enough to anchor a few grommets.

 

Insert an empty cottage cheese container to help the base keep it's form and offer a bit of stability...

 

and you have a swell needle holder...

or not...

Wash Day

Columbine keeps migrating into my house via little fingers. I don't know if columbine traditionally makes a good cut flower (especially with those tiny little stems), but I thought it was so pretty that I just had to share.

Okay, back to work...

1003 Ways to Beat the High Cost of Living:

#288
When damp clothes must be kept a while for ironing, prevent mildew by keeping them in your refrigerator. (Did they really do this back then?!  If you ever saw the inside of my refrigerator, you would definitely NEVER do this)

#286
When hanging a coat or dress on the line use 2 coat hangers hooked in opposite directions, and the wind will not blow the garment off. (This is absolute genius, I have to remember this one)

#266
To make your own clothespin bag, fasten a pair of embroidery hoops in the top of a small flour sack and then slip a wire coat hanger over it. The hanger will move along the clothesline, and the pins are easy to get at when needed.

Yes, I really do hang my wash. About 10 years ago, we  had the wonderful opportunity to live in Australia for several years. The clothes dryer that came with the house took about 3 hours to dry a rather small load-- and our first months electric bill was hideous!

 

In the meantime (before the first electric bill came), I was noticing that virtually everyone hung out their laundry. The sun, wind and heat was free after all. The great outdoors was just giving away all of this wonderful FREE energy. On  the down side, it requires doing a load of wash almost daily to keep on top of the laundry.

When we moved back to Michigan, where nobody hangs out their wash, I kept struggling with the notion. Our laundry room (a.k.a. "mud room") is on the main floor, and our dryer aint no wimpy one either (full load of towels in 45 minutes- oh yeah!) But that dryer kicks out a lot of heat into my kitchen, and I was finding that I would have to crank up the air conditioner to compensate. How wasteful is that?

 
I jammed the screw closure down into the gap below the hook, and then wound some wire around the gap to secure the hoop in place. Works pretty well.

Hanging the wash isn't for everyone, but we have fun with it. This is what happens when a four-year-old helps mama.

Be warned! Draping laundry over racks can lure you into a false sense of security. You still need to use clothes pins!  Otherwise, on windy days, you will be going on search missions to retrieve small undergarments from neighbors' yards. Very embarrassing.

Close up of the crocheted lace:

Chain 12 for each motif --plus ch 3.

Row 1: 1 sc in each st.

Row 2: Ch 3, 2 dc, *ch 3, skip 3 sc, 3 dc*

Row 3: Ch 3, *skip 3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc in ch 3 space* and finish with ch 3, skip 2 dc, 1 dc in last stitch.

Row 4: Ch 5 *1 sc in ch 3 space, ch 3, (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in next ch 3 space, ch 3.* Finish row with 1 sc in last space.

Row 5: Ch 1, * 1 sc in sc, ch3. In the ch 3 space between the 2 groups of the 3 dc, work **1 tr, ch 1** 6 times, 1 more tr in the same space, ch 3* and finish the row with 1 sc on sc, ch 1, 1 sc in third of chain 5 at the beginning of the previous row.

Row 6: Ch 2, *1 sc in sc, ch 1, 1 dc in first tr, ch 1, then **1 dc, ch 1 between each tr of previous row** (6 times), 1 dc in the last tr, ch 1* and finish with 1 sc.

Row 7: Work in sl st to space after second dc of the previous row. *In this space work 2 dc, 1 loop( ch 5) and 2dc. Skip 1 space; in next space (center of the motif) work 3 dc, 1 loop and 3 dc, skip one space and in the next space work 2 dc, 1 loop and 2 dc.* and finish the row with 1 sc.

Hang that Crochet!

Hmmm. Hanging crochet baskets. I just had to give it a try...



Originally I used a long piece of crocheted chain stitches rather than the hardware store beauties pictured here to hold up my baskets--but balancing them was a bear! I opted for the "real" chains after several unsuccessful attempts with the yarn and hook.





Now, what to fill them with...hmmmm...

Happy Mother's Day-A pattern for you!

It's my latest whimsy--a needle case! It combines the best of both worlds, crocheting and recycling! Yes dears, that IS a paper towel tube in there! The really cool thing about this is that if someone rudely steps on your needle case and squishes it, you can just pop the old tube out and insert a new one!

Before I get to the pattern, I have to share my Mother's Day gift!   I, ahem,"received" this wonderful book:

   

Okay, actually, I had to go purchase it for myself after I realized that several of my "bombshell" hints had totally missed the mark. Anyway, Julie is my new hero. She is so incredibly creative! My jaw dropped several inches as I flipped through this book in the bookstore. Really! She takes crochet way beyond the usual and expected. This book will totally change the way you "see" this craft. The projects are absolutely  brilliant! Julie also has a wonderful blog at http://skamama.blogspot.com/. I don't know which to do first--the Patchwork Handbag or the Pacific Coast Basket.....hmmmmm.

Enjoy the pattern! And Happy Mother's Day!

Crocheted Needle Case

Supplies:

• 3 different colors of Crochet Cotton Size 10 or fingering  weight yarn (this is a thinner yarn than the worsted weight stuff)
• crochet hook: size D
• paper towel tube
• small piece of sturdy cardboard
• white sheet of paper (the tube shows through in parts, and white is just prettier than that brownish color)
• yarn needle

Gauge:
1 square should measure approximately 1-3/4" across.

Make the circles (make 2):
Make a slip knot and chain 1.
Round 1:  8 sc in the beginning slip knot. Join with sl st to first sc. Ch 1, do not turn.
Round 2:  2 sc in joining st, and in each st around, 16 sc. Join with sl st to first sc. Ch 1, do not turn.
Round 3:  1 sc in joining st, * 2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st *. Repeat from * to * all the way around, 24 sc. Join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off. Ch 1 with a new color, do not turn.
Round 4:  1 sc in joining st, 1 sc in next st,  2 sc in next st. *sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st*. Repeat from * to * all the way around, 32 sc. Join with sl st to first sc. Ch 1, do not turn.
Round 5:  1 sc in joining st, 1 sc in next 2 sts,  2 sc in next st. *sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st*. Repeat from * to * all the way around, 40 sc. Join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off.

Yippee! You have finished a circle! Now make another one more for the other end of the tube.

The Circle Square (make 8):----I know it sounds funny, but I didn't know what else to call it.
Make 8 more of the circles described above. The next round will turn your circles into squares.

Round 6: Join and ch 3 with white (or some other color as desired). * Hdc in next 2 sts, 5 sc in the next 5 sts, 2 hdc in the next 2 sts, in the next st make 1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc (this makes a corner) *. Repeat from * to *, 3 more times. On the last repeat, you will end with a 1 dc, ch2, and then sl st into the second chain of the beginning ch 3.

Joining:

1. Stack 2 squares with right sides facing.
2. Sc along one edge through both pieces so that you are joining the two squares together.
3. Repeat this step 3 more times.

Top:

1. Choose one of the sets to be the top. Repeat the "Joining" step on the other side of the squares to make a tube.
2. Turn inside out and whip stitch one of the circles to one end of the tube.

Bottom:

1. Repeat the "Joining" step three more times along the long edges of the joined squares to make a piece that is 2 squares across by 4 squares down.
2. Fold the piece in half long ways and repeat the "Joining" step along the long edge to form a long tube.
3. Turn inside out and whip stitch the other circle to one end of the tube.

Putting it all together:

1. Note: the shorter of the two crocheted tubes will be the "top" and the longer one will be the "bottom".
2. From the sturdy piece of cardboard, cut 2 circles (1-5/8" diameter). Insert these circles into the bottom ends of the two tubes you just crocheted.
3. Cut off a 1-3/4" section of the paper towel tube. Cut a piece of white paper to measure 1-3/4" x 6". Tape this white sheet to the outside of the tube.Insert the tube into the "top" crocheted piece. This may take a bit of stretching but if your piece is crocheted to gauge, it should fit nice and snug. Note: If it absolutely will not fit, don't despair! You can simply cut the length of the tube, remove 1/4" or so and re-tape it.
4. Cut off a 7" section of paper towel tube for the "bottom". Before covering this tube with a piece of white paper ( 6-1/4" x 6-1/4"), make sure to slice the tube along it's length and remove about 1/4". Re-tape the tube and tape on the paper. Making this piece a little narrower than the top piece ensures that the top slides easily over the bottom when closing up your needle case!
5. Insert the tube into the bottom crocheted section. A slight twisting motion helps if it is a little bit snug.The crocheted edge should come up to the edge of the white sheet of paper
6. Fill 'er up crocheters!

Sophie's Bead Bucket

Yay! I finally finished! This one has been a work-in-progress for a really long time. My family has been finding these little crochet squares all over the house. I stitch them up whenever I have a spare minute or two and then I just leave them behind. We will probably be finding these little squares well into summer--kind of like the pine needles from the Christmas tree.
Check out the stitching of the individual squares. They are made entirely of slip stitches! Really!

Lunch Sack

Starting off as a crocheted basket...

 
...and turning into a lunch sack. My projects have a way of morphing into other things as they progress. The fabric was an amazing thrift store find, and the bobbles on the ends of the drawstrings were a "last minute" whimsy.