Mum's bag

Hi there,

Just a quick share today.

I bought this cute bag years ago at a market and I've had it on my craft room door ever since. I've never actually used the thing, but I love it anyway. Worth the price of admission if you ask me. I just like looking at it.

Evidently my mum liked it too because she saw it again recently and it inspired her to make her own version.

Hers is a bit bigger because she made it as a crochet bag - mine's smaller than an A4 piece of paper.

Mum's has the extra addition of a crocheted flower. Nice job, Mum.

Nice bag too.

She said she had to take another pre-made bag at home apart to see how to make the base for hers. The things you do when you don't have a pattern. Don't have to tell me...

Doing any crochet or similar at your house?

Just wanted to share ours.

Have a great day!

Crafting update that has nothing to do with paper...

That's the way it goes sometimes, hey?

Sometimes it's paper, sometimes it's wool.

This post is about wool and sewing.

The update is as follows:

(I'm sounding very formal today, sorry about that)

The Flowery Cushion...

...is back out on the bench with some flowers pinned on because I'm determined to see it finished this winter.

The Colourful Rug... 

...is complete!

It's currently on my desk chair ready to be used.

I'm actually not sure if it's the right size (I'll fold it over when I use it)...but another seven bands of colour would've made it too big. And there was no way I was adding only three bands or something because that would've mucked up the pattern.

I love it and would love to start another (just because I feel like it), but I'll restrain myself and concentrate on my new...

Cross stitch Monkey...

Oh so cute.

When I saw this little fella for $29.95 in Spotlight, I knew I wanted to make it instantly, but I balked at the price.

I ended getting it online (as you do) for $23.45 (including postage) which I was a lot happier with.

It's a great little kit with everything in it that you need. Perfect for someone like me who has never crossed a stitch in her life. I did have to buy the hoop - that was 3 bucks from Spotlight.

Sue (my sister) - the cross stitch queen that she is - got me started and gave me lots of tips.

I've been really enjoying it a lot. It's nice to sew while Masterchef is on or something like that.

The pattern suggests making the monkey into a cushion, but I'm going to frame it I think.

So fun :o)

Crochet frenzy update

The crochet frenzy of late has not extended to getting last year's cushion done. It's still without the flowers, but they'll get stuck on soon. 

Ah, this cushion - I still like it. It's full on, but it's fun.

Can't wait to see it finished.

Get to it, Debra, get to it.

I will, I will, but I've been busy making this...

It's a rug that no longer exists.

I decided to flick the cushion for a while because who really wants to sew those flowers on right now? Not me.

I decided to flick it for some therapeutic crochet. That is, repetitive stuff. And using-up-wool stuff.

I was going along quite happily and then I started to run into quite a few problems and the rug got pulled right out again.

The main reason was - what was the main reason? Can't remember now. Maybe too many ends to run in? I don't crochet to spend my time running ends in...

Anyway, flicked the blanket...oh, I know the reasons! I started that sucker three, count 'em, three times.

1.  The original line of chain stitch was too tight and horrid.

2.  The whole rug was too long.

3.  And it was too long again.

The rug is for me to use while I'm on my roller chair in my room here. That means it needs to be short, so it's out of the way of the wheels.

I did the chain stitch what I thought was the right length, but as I added the extra rows of trebles it grew in length! Is this normal?

Anyway, the sucker ended up too long twice.

Yes, I did it twice. So annoying. Who knew trebles multiplied the original chain stitches? Not me.

To thwart the problem once and for all, I actually went and sat on the roller chair and measured where I wanted the blanket to come to and pulled some of the chain stitches out to compensate.

Of course it would've been better if I'd have done that in the first place, but I didn't.

Anyway - summary?

All is well now and it's the right length.

Good.

Here it is last week.

Seven rows of each colour.

The light yellow above is the final row in the pattern. I'll repeat the seven rows of seven again and then it'll be done.

Actually, I think I'll add another band of red to finish and then it'll be done. Fifteen bands total.

I'm up to the second band of orange (number 11) now, so I've only got about a quarter to go. Nice. Yep, been doing a lot of crocheting.

And giving myself a blister. Don't care. I just crochet through the discomfort.

I think my rug was inspired by my new tablecloth...

And this rug that I said I wanted to make.

My rug didn't want any purple or pink though.

It scoffed when I brought it out.

I tried.

It said no.

I said okay.

I know how inspiration works and that's how it works.

Sometimes the project just has a mind of it's own.

I'm going to finish this rug soon and then I try another and see if it wants some pink.

Love crocheting - it's so fab.

Crochet frenzy - part 2 - My mother

I'm not the only one with crochet fever. My mother has it too! 

In fact, I think she gave it to me. Her and Rochelle, both of them...

It's a good fever to have, I'm a-thinking...

Anyway, Mum caught the bug (and the fever, ha ha) and started making crochet samplers. 

You know, I like how our crafting and creative-ness can give us what we want (or need) at any given time. 

If I want therapeutic crocheting (which I do), I'll make a simple rug or something that doesn't require too much thought. 

If Mum wants a bit of fun and experimentation, she can get that too. And she got it through crochet samplers this time. 

Pretty cool, hey? I love crafting and creative-ness. 

Onto the samplers. 

Mum decided to make them because she said that if you choose a pattern and then buy the wool and then start crocheting, the whole thing can turn out really....um, different to what you thought. 

You can't always tell how big a granny square is going to be from the pattern, so enter...

....the sampler.

Here's my mother and her sampler folder.

Yes, her sampler folder.

I know, I cracked up too.

She's hilarious. This is so her.

Really, it's just the pattern with a sampler in display pockets in a pink folder...you know, no biggie to put together, but if anybody was going to do it, it'd be my mother. And she did!

You're hilarious, Mum. I love it.

Now, my mother can read a pattern.

It helps, you know.

Look at those squares - beautiful. Love that first one.

This is why you do a sampler. You ask yourself - "Do I want to make 155 of these suckers??"

It's kinda like a choose-your-own-adventure book.

All the adventure, but without all the effort.

Or what about these ones?

Again with the pretty one on the left there. I like that one.

And the other one is interesting.

Again, this is why you do it.

Sorry, this is why she does it.

To see what they look like.

To see how big they are.

To see if they float her boat.

To see if she wants to commit.

To see if she wants to take on the full adventure.

It's a good crochet tactic when you think about it.

Pretty simple.

I think these ones were all about the size.

Don't want to set out to make a queen bed rug and end up with only enough wool for a dog blanket, now do you?

Cody wouldn't mind though.

Oooh, now I like this one with the flower on it.

Very interesting and pretty, yes?

And these remind me of tulips. I like this one too.

And that pink and white one reminds me of the brown and white suit thing that Mum made for Pete when he was little.

Look what I found?

Pete at 5 months (in 1975) sporting his shirt/top thing, but I'm sure there was a jumpsuit, Mum? Kinda like overalls?

Anyway, too cute.

So, Mum's a crochet queen. She made more samplers for her book, I've just shown you a few. They were kinda bulging out of the folder a bit - pretty thick the old wool samplers.

Good job, Mum, you're amazing.

Just had to show you the crochet hook roll that she made too.

Being the organisational queen that she is, she just had to do it to keep them all in one place.

Cool, huh?

Look how big!

Look how tiny!

Never seen either in my life...I think I've had the same crochet hook my whole crocheting life and it was probably my mother's to start with...

Ah, here's the roll all rolled up with a cute crocheted tie.

Of course.

So fun.

Thanks for letting me share, Mum. You're fab. Done any more samplers? Ooop, don't answer that, I know you've been painting the house....

PS. Oh, wait, wait, I've gotta catch my breath....this is so funny! LOOOOK at that brunch coat thing!! And guess what they called it? A Granny Square Snug Sack, can you believe that?? We completely lost it in the (antique-y type) shop and then Mum pulled it together for the photo. SOOO funny.

Crochet frenzy

Oooh, I can feel it!

I'm in a crochet frenzy!

I want to make this!

Which is this!

I love the bright colours...ooh, love 'em. 

I'm a bit scared though...you know, can't read a pattern. I could make it up, but it's soooo much harder....

I want to make this!

Again, scared. 

Again, no pattern reading abilities.  

How do you get the ridge pattern from the beginning????

I'd have to work this one out...a bitta trial and error.  

Heck, I want to make this too! Why not? 

I'd omit all-a that white though...

This is an eaaassy one...

For all the rest of them, it'll be "MOTHER!!!" 

The flowery cushion

Hey, 

How was your weekend?

Get any crafting done? Do you craft on the weekends? 

I'm not getting crafting done, but crocheting.

That's the other thing I do when I don't want to stand up and scrap. I sit down and crochet. Big (happy) sigh.

We were visiting friends last weekend and she asked if I could teach her how to crochet. She already knew the basics and I just helped her pull some things together. Was kinda nice to teach her a few bits and pieces. I'm pretty bad though, I just make stuff up and can't read a pattern either, but she's pretty free form too, so we managed.

So much so that she dropped in two days later and showed me the necklace thingy she made in 24 hours! Amazing!

She (Rochelle) made a string of flowers like the ones above with chains in between. It made a long strand and she modeled it for me like you'd wear a scarf.

We joked that it wouldn't keep you warm (wasn't meant to), but it was a really pretty thing to wear. Was so lovely and she's sending it to her friend in Denmark as a little gift.

After our crochet lesson on the deck on last Sunday, I decided to pull out the cushion I didn't finish last year. I saw it in the Better Homes and Gardens and knew I wanted to make it. Like I said, can't read a pattern, so I made it up from the pictures.

Cushion cover? Check.

Flowers? Check.

Enough of them? Yep, check.

Way to get those suckers on there? Hmmm, still working on that. Will see how it goes...

Gotta say though, while I was teaching Rochelle, and we were checking crochet out on the internet, I was just sitting there crocheting because I could.

Oh man, I loved it.

What is it about crochet?

Rochelle knits (and does tonnes of other stuff), but she's never crocheted before.

"It's so therapeutic!" she said.

I know, I know.

That's the magic. It's therapeutic.

Bring on the wool!

 :o)

Crochet and Sizzix, but not together!

Well, I suppose you could use Sizzix and crochet together somehow, but I'm not. Betcha someone has though! 

Firstly, the crochet.

I know it's cro-shay, but I still read it as cro-chet. Maybe I should call it croshay from now on.

I'm still making this cushion (from the June Better Homes and Gardens).

It's still pretty full on, hey?

Here's my version so far.

It's looking a little sparse, hey?

And see the ones off the cushion over on the right? They're re-dos. Didn't add enough extra chain stitches in the middle and they turned out like Barbie beanies instead of flat flowers! I obviously noticed they were curling at the time and kept going because I thought I could stitch them flat with just a little curled edge, but decided I didn't like the idea.

Remember I'm making this whole thing up from the original picture I saw on the net. I've got the issue now, but it's still not helpful to me because I really can't read the patterns. Don't know if I can actually, haven't tried. I just asked Mum about one of them and she helped me sort it out. They still don't look like the ones in the mag though, but it doesn't really matter. 

After putting all the flowers out like this, it was fairly obvious I needed to do more and more big ones too. I've done a stack and the cushion's looking pretty full now. Two more to finish and I'm ready to stitch. Not looking forward to that, so I'm putting it off. 

Now, onto Sizzix. I got onto their site recently to check on an image and saw their Coming Soon section. Had to look, of course. Was interested to find they have some new embossing folders coming out in conjunction with Basic Grey.

Hmmm, I'm noticing a lot of cross licensing now. Sizzix and Basic Grey. Sizzix and Tim Holtz (of course, what a splash). Teresa Collins and that Stampmaker machine - not sure what it's called. Core-dinations and Jenni Bowlin. Core-dinations and Cosmo Cricket. Stampin Up and Sizzix. Companies joining together with their products and endorsements. That's my definition of cross licensing anyway!

Wanna see the new folders coming?

Check here for the first few.

And here for the second lot (they're on two pages).

My favourites are Christmas/Thin Ice (esp the Christmas one, and it's horizontal!), Peppermint Twists/Scallops and I really like Powdered Sugar/Snow Globe. Nice. Which ones do you like? Oh, I like Tim's Christmas Countdown one (with all the numbers) and the one that comes with it. Can't remember what it is, but I know I like it.

I've linked you over to pages four and five of five pages of new stuff. Check it all out, it's worth a look. Loving the ornaments - I hope I like the shape. Can't really get a good idea of what they really look like by the images sometimes.

A final note on Sizzix embossing folders. I've found that sometimes they crack the cardboard when they emboss. It's almost like the design is too deep.

To combat it - I emboss on no tabs (on Big Shot) and use shim instead of the top plate. Sandwich is white spacer plate, clear plate, embossing folder with card, chipboard and/or layers of cardstock so that it'll emboss, but not crack the card.

If using the Cuttlebug, it's the same. A plate, B plate, embossing folder with card and then chipboard/cardstock to make up the thickness.

Actually, what I might do is make up my own embossing plate out of chipboard. Work out what combination of chipboard/cardstock I need, stick it together, cut it to the size of a plate and call it my E plate! Would be good to do the same for the Big Shot. Just like the buttons, it's annoying when things don't work properly. Takes the fun outta crafting.

What do you think? Does anyone else out there notice that they (the Sizzix folders) crack their card sometimes? The Cuttlebug ones don't.

Okay, that's enough from me today. Over to you now. Start making your wish list of embossing folders and dies! I save them to Favourites under Things I Want to Buy. Bad, I know, but I like to keep track and I feel like I've "bought" them if I put them under there. I actually forget about the list sometimes and it's interesting to come back and see what's in there. Sometimes I still want things like the Marvy button punch and sometimes I wonder what I was thinking at the time and sometimes I delete things because how many embossing folders can you have really?!

:o)

I'm making this...

Whoa, baby.

It's from the June issue of Better Homes and Gardens. I put the issue in the light and snapped this photo. I only borrowed the magazine from my sister after I'd been making it for weeks from a couple of pics from the internet (someone had made it and her friend took photos and put them on her blog). Basically I've been making the whole thing up.

I've just discovered by looking at the picture that the green layer has a ruffle. Mine doesn't have a ruffle and now I have to figure out how to put one on.

I can't follow a pattern to save my life, so that's no help. Plus, I think I was meant to start in the middle and crochet around in a square, which would make it easy to add a ruffle. I started with a 50 cm chain (actually I just kept crocheting until it went over my cushion insert) and then crocheted in rows.

Just in looking at the pic above though, it looks like it's in rows like mine. Phew, got that bit right.

I'll figure out a ruffle. If all else fails, I'll go ask the crochet queen (Grandma). I'm planning to show her the cushion anyway (some of it is her wool too), so I'm sure she'll sort me out.

I'm loving crocheting again. I was desperate to make something this year, but didn't want to do another scarf! My mouth dropped open when I saw the cushion online and knew I wanted to make it.

Andrew thinks it's granny. 

Sue (sister) thinks it's loud, which means she's not sure about it and probably has an eyebrow raised! 

I think it rocks.

:o)