accessories

Wow, have the days since Thanksgiving just flown by!  Jr should be here any time and until then I’ve been craftin-it-up with some easy projects that can be completed in just a few hours for obvious reasons.

First up are these adorable crocheted loafers.  The pattern is by Hook Candy.  They work up really fast and make a great holiday gift for any new mom or mom-to-be.  The yarn I used is Red Heart’s new Eco-ways and the little buttons are genunie leather for an added dapper look!

For my niece, I whipped up this cute little reversible apron to go with some Easy Bake Oven accessories I purchased for her this Christmas. The fabric is part of the Wild Thyme fabric line by Carolyn Gavin.  Since my niece is only 8 I’m pretty sure she’s not reading this (I hope) so I thought I would share a pic before it gets wrapped.  The classic apron pattern is free and can be found here.  I made the child’s size but there’s also measurements for an adult size.  It was another quick and easy project.  The “B” monogram was made with felt and hand-stitched to the front before sewing.

My current and probably final craft project for a while is this knitted basketweave blanket.  Also a free pattern found on Lionbrand.com its being made with Vanna’s Choice in Silver Blue and Linen.  I chose to alternate the colors to make it a little more interesting. It’s only 18 by 24 and will make for a nice small car seat blanket.  Which given the impending winter will come in handy.

What are some of your favorite quick and easy craft projects this holiday season?

I was thrilled to discovery that my Manicure Kit Cover tutorial was featured on Sew Mama Sew (SMS) yesterday!  YAY! 

Thanks to all the new visitors that have stopped by and left comments.  It’s great to hear that you will be adding my little project to your holiday gift list.

All month long SMS will be featuring handmade gift ideas and tutorials so if you’re part of a holiday gift exchange or just want some fun ideas be sure to check it out. If you not an avid sewer don’t worry!  There are recipes, printables and lots of giveways! 

http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/

So, as I mentioned the blog posts have slowed down but at home its been a mad dash to get projects completed.  The house is a disaster zone but we’re making great progress.

Even with all the housework I was able to work on a small knitting project for myself.  I found this Easy Lace Scarf pattern via Ravelry.com.  It’s a very easy to follow pattern but I realized I didn’t have enough yarn to make the scarf long enough so I improvised!

A lot of knitted hand warmers are worked in rounds.  This prevents the piece from having a seam. But if you don’t have supplies like double pointed needles or aren’t into knitting rounds just yet this is a great beginners option.

Lace scarf turned hand warmers. Here’s how:

Needle size: US 8
Yarn: Worsted weight

Lace pattern from Knittersreview.com
Cast on 22 stitches and knit 2 rows.

Now you’re ready to begin the lace pattern, which is as follows.
Row 1: (RS): K all sts.
Row 2: K2, p18, k2. (Those 2 border stitches on either end will always be knit in garter stitch—their role is to keep your fabric from curling.)
Row 3: K2, (K2Tog) 3 times, (YO,K1) 6 times, (K2Tog) 3 times, k2.
Row 4: K all sts.

Repeat rows 1- 4  10 times or till the piece measures 6 inches, then knit 3 more rows before binding off.  Create another piece the same size.

Once complete place them on top of each other with right sides together and hand stitch up one side. Doesn’t matter which side as they are identical.

The next step is to figure out where to place the thumb hole.  For that, place the piece over your hand and use stitch markers to figured out where to leave the opening.

Once again place the two piece on top of each other right sides together and hand stitched to the stitch markers and that was it. Turn right side out and your done.  Pretty easy and the seam isn’t even noticeable!

The yarn I used was a silk/cashmere blend so it had a lot of stretch to it which made them a little on the big side.  Nothing a warm wash can’t fix.

However, if I made them again I would keep the pattern the same but perhap use an acrylic yarn and smaller needles (US 7) so they don’t stretch as much.

A while back Beth and I decided to do a trade after I fell in love with one of her necklaces that was on display at the Strange Folk Festival last month.

The necklace perfectly matches these earrings that are also from her collection.  So, when I asked Beth what she would like in return she suggested a crochet bobble pouch much like the one I made for her sister Holly last year.

Finished size 9 by 5 in

It’s based on a pattern from the One Skein book by Leigh Radford but I made this version wider and a little shorter so it looked more like a clutch. I also added a patchwork lining with some Swell fabric I had in my stash. I thought the fabric went well with the grass green yarn from Knitpicks.com.   Their cotton worsted weight yarn named Shine is by far my favorite to work with.

I hope that Beth enjoys this as much as I enjoyed making it.  The textile of the bobble or popcorn stitch really makes this a sturdy and unique looking piece.

For a while now it seems that the mustache is back in style.  I’ve seen events, novelty items (here & here) and even coworkers sporting “the stache!”

So, when I saw this mug at my local UO store a few weeks ago it made me chuckle. Since I work with a group of IT guys I though it would be even funnier that I, the only female, have a mustache mug.  On second thought, I have seen a handful of women sporting their own style of “stache” but lets not get into that.

Is it quite possibly one of the silliest purchase I ever made but it made me laugh.  Then again I’m the type of person who laughs at fart jokes so maybe this mug was made for me!

I recently purchased a manicure kit from my local drugstore and even though it came with an ugly plastic case I decided to make my own.  It turned out to be a really easy project and a great way to use up fabric scraps.  Although it’s a little early to be working on holiday gifts these would make for some super handy stocking stuffers!

Supplies:

Small amount of fabric for front, inside and pocket
Medium to heavy fusible interfacing
Snap kit or velcro for closure

Step 1: Download the manicure kit cover template I created.

Step 2: Cut out fabric using template. Cut 1 front cover, 1 inside cover, 1 interfacing & 1 pocket (on fold)

Step 3: Press interfacing to front fabric piece

Step 4: Fold, press & top stitch pocket piece

Step 5: Pin pocket piece to inside cover piece.

Step 6: Using template pocket guidelines stitch on dotted lines to create dividers and attaching pocket to inside cover.  I used blue water-soluble marker to create guidelines.

Step 8: Pin front to inside cover (right sides together)

Step 9: Sew 1/4 inch seam all way around leaving 1-2 inch gap for which to turn cover inside out

Step 10: Cut around curved edges of fabric to create a smoother corner when pressed

Step 11: Turn work inside out and press

Step 12: Topstitch around outside

Step 11: Add snap closure to front and you’re done.

If you give this a try and find that you have any problems or questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.

So, the holiday season is here and I have to admit that the usual Scrooge in me is slowly fading.  I’m not to the point that I enjoy caroling or plan on wearing a Christmas sweater anytime soon but its great to see all the fun holiday craft projects in blogland and do a little holiday shopping.

So a couple of weeks ago I found myself in a dilemma.  Now, I know its the time of year to be buying gifts for others and I have almost everyone taken care of that’s on my list this year but let’s be honest haven’t you bought something that you know would make a great gift but you just can’t part with it?  Haven’t we all been there?

While out in the CWE (Central West End-St. Louis), I came across this adorable boutique named Ivy Hill.  They had a little bit of everything.  Clothing, accessories, and bath products. That’s where I found this adorable little wallet.  The concept is genius!  A safety pin flower on crushed velvet which, even as I type, sounds completely punk rock but is ready to be the star of any holiday party.  Can’t you blame me for keeping it?

Last month when I held my first giveaway a reader asked where I got the notepads for the

Quilted List-Taker Gang of Roses film .  Since I had plenty to spare, I offered to send her one in exchange for a little surprise swap. I love what she sent and was overwhelmed by her generosity!

Thank you Emily for the wonderful goodies!

From the votes via comments and email it looks like no. 3 is the winner.  Thank you for voting!

As I mentioned in my last post, I’m on a mission to find the perfect pair of wellies!  It may have something to do with my obsession for accessories.  Accessorize in the UK is one of my all-time favorite stores!  See I’m already getting side-tracked… anyway, there are so many options for wellies out there its overwhelming!

Since I have an orangish/red raincoat I wanted to find something to match, of course!  Here are my three choices.  I’m hoping you can help me decide which one to pick. I’m leaning towards option No. 1 but I really like them all.  Your thoughts?