Needle Art Workshop

One of our workshops we learned about needle art. We used a cookie cutter to make a pattern on our handkerchief. Works great since you can erase the line and if you wash it the pencil disappears. We used a cookie cutter for the clover and free-handed the H's. With a little patience it turned out great!

New Project - Dyed Reed Heart

Recent Project - Dyeing instead of painting

I had someone who wanted a dark brown or gray heart. They ultimately decided on a dark brown. This was the outcome. I love the darker ribbon with this instead of the sheer I normally use.

I did learn that the reed dyes better when the water is hot or warm. It doesn't hold as well if the dye water bath is cool.

Simple instructions on how to dye reed can be found at: http://www.ehow.com/how_13937_dye-reed.html

Getting Ready for the Holidays

It has been a busy fall. As I look back I wonder where the time has gone. One minute it is September and school is staring and now we are putting up Christmas decorations.

I have been working on numerous projects. My mom decided this Christmas that all of our gifts had to be handmade. For me this isn't a problem. The problem is what to make. One of my sisters sent me a text saying my nephew had out grown his Iowa Hawkeye hat that I made him last year and that he could also use some mittens. I have never made mittens, so that would be a project that would challenge me, but with so many other projects, time may not be available.

I have been working on some basket patterns also. I had ordered supplies for a backpack and finally dragged out the supplies and pattern and got to work. The thing I have discovered with my last few baskets is that as I get to the top I tend to pull the reed tighter and the top cuts in. Sometimes this is desirable but for the last few patterns, it wasn't necessarily the ideal. At least each basket is unique and I seem to learn a little bit from each one that I do. Part of the problem is I hate to give them away or sell them once I put all the work into them. Plus some of them I don't feel are perfect, so hate to give away something that isn't perfect, but I guess that is what makes each one unique.

First Holiday Mart

I decided to try and sell my creations at a holiday mart. I found one that didn't have an expensive entry fee and worked into my schedule. The only part was that it was mostly commercial booths (Mary Kay, Avon, Tastefully Simple, Advocare, and the like.) Made a few sales (mostly woven hearts) but most people there were not interested in handmade items. Had a few people stop and look (most like the baskets and the owl hats) but most didn't seemed interested in much more. So next time, need to participate in one geared toward arts and crafts buyers.

Covered the cost of gas to get there and learned about how I want to set up my booth if I do it again. Life is about the little things and continually learning, at that I did!

Coffee Cup Cozy/ Cuff Bracelet

I have been working on all sorts of projects lately, some are new ones, others are ones I have been meaning to try but never seemed to have the time. This one fits into the later category.

Coffee Cup Cozy/ Cuff Bracelet

Gauge isn't important, depends on yarn and crotchet hook you are using.

For mine I used wool, worsted weight yarn and a G hook.

Working in the round
Row 1 - Chain 35, join ends with slip stitch
Row 2 - Single crotchet, slip stitch to first stitch (34)
Row 3 - Single crotchet,  slip stitch to first stitch(34)
Row 4 - 2 single crotchet in first stitch, single crotchet remaining stitches, slip stitch to first stitch (35)

Repeat rows 2-4 until your cozy is the desired size.

In order to figure out how many stitches I needed to begin with I chained a row and slip stitched it together than used a glass to make sure it would fit (also tried to see if it would fit over my hand onto my wrist, since I had seen some double as cuff bracelets)

Craft Idea

I was just recently in Hannibal, MO for a sisters weekend. I am always looking for new ideas for craft project or inspiration for new projects. We save wine corks in our house to use for future projects and we found this idea in the Wine Stoppe while we were out enjoying the Historical Downtown Hannibal. Great way to dress up an inexpensive clock and re-use old corks. Also, a neat wine bottle holder if you have an old guitar (or other instrument) and want to re-purpose it.

Reserve Champion!

I entered one of my latest baskets at the Douglas County Kansas Free Fair in the Open Class Fine Arts and received Reserve Champion in the class. So exciting. Hopefully next year I can create one and move to Champion!

Is a basket perfect for a wine bottle!

Inside the basket.