Knitting, Crocheting & Sewing — oh, my…

Sometimes things work, sometimes they don’t. I’ve been on a crafty binge the last couple days, and had some of each. The pillow likely would have worked better if a) I hadn’t had wine before attempting to sew it together and b) I had sewn the crochet block onto the cushion BEFORE it was stuffed.

But you know, I’m new to this whole sewing thing. Live and learn. (And, as an extra bonus, the project cost nothing. I used leftover wool, a fabric remnant, and stuffing from an extra pillow.)

Thankfully, this wee wine baggy (cozy? caddy? carrier?) knit up super quick and easily. It’s a variation of my Gully Green giftbag. I rather like it. It only used about 65 yards of DK-weight yarn, so it’s a great way to use up remnants of yarn.

And that’s a quick little round up from the weekend. Currently on the needles are a Top Secret Project, a lace shawl for a pregnant friend, and a chunky lacey cardy for me. But I’ve got to run and make supper, so I’ll update with links to patterns later.

Happy Monday! Hope you survived yours OK.

Room Tour: The Twinbits

It’s finished! And it’s a hit. My “babies” love their big-kid bedroom, and I’m pretty pleased with it myself. Other than the paint (“Daydream” by Debbie Travis) and a bit of fabric for the chair, the rest of the items were found or made. It’s decor on a dime — enjoy your tour!

E’s Bed — the quilt on the headboard was made by Great-Aunt Karen. The large crocheted blanket by friend Christina, the small one by myself. The chenille bedspread was a thrift-store-score.

Both bed frames were rescued and painted by Nana.

C’s Bed –  the spread was a gift from Nana, and the picture frames  handpainted by  C&E’s brothers and uncles.  Gingerbread men climber from my childhood. Crochet blanket by me, quilt by Great-Aunt Karen.

Bookcase (and matching miniature furniture in room) were built by the twinbit’s Great-Granddad Martin. They were originally in Aunt Emily & Aunt Elyse’s room, and have passed along to us.

Rocking chair was recovered by me. (First attempt, be kind. ) Crochet blanket by a family friend.

I really love the window treatment. I sewed a simple valance, and then we made paper pinwheels using the instructions here — the paper is pages from an old book I found in a thrift store (“An Edwardian Lady’s Country Diary”) and instead of pins, I used some lonely stud earrings that had lost their mates or weren’t being worn any more.

And on the window sill, to tie it together, we put one more pinwheel.

Carriage and toyhouse built by Great-Granddad, latch-hook rug by a family friend.

A Secret Crush…and I need help!

…I can’t deny it any longer. I adore vintage textiles.

I love the worn softness,

uniqueness,

the sense of history.

I especially love finding hand-embellished ones. It reminds me that our generation — especially us young moms, largely on our own and away from our families — are another link in the chain of women and mothers who have lived, created, and driven the world.

And will continue to do so.

We’re part of a long history of women who have faced up to hard times and determined not only to survive, but to thrive. To take the simple and ordinary and make it beautiful, using only our creativity and the resources at hand.

Amazing what thoughts a simple thrift-store treasure hunt can bring to mind, isn’t it? 

I’m planning on using the chenille bedspread for my daughter’s “big girl bed” that we’ll be setting up this weekend.

The tablecloth, I’m not sure about yet…it’s in lovely condition so I might use it as is…or perhaps it will become a sundress for my daughter this summer. Time will tell.

Oh, and I have a question for you — what should I do with this jug? It’s been sitting in my kitchen since our hot apple cider at Christmas, and I need to repurpose it…but as what?

A Pretty Pantry, and Brownies.

The simple ideas are the best, aren’t they? This project combines my favorite things – recycling, repurposing, shiny glass, bright colors, saving money, a sense of order…and easily accessible brownie-baking ingredients.

If while grocery shopping I have a choice between an item in plastic or an item in glass, I try and buy the glass. Even if it costs me a few more cents, I’m gaining a storage container out of it. I have yet to meet a glass jar that can’t be thoroughly cleaned and repurposed when empty. Soaking them in hot soapy water is usually all that’s needed to remove the labels but if there’s a sticky residue, try rubbing a couple drops of Lemon Essential Oil over it, then washing again — it’s amazing how quickly the jar cleans up.

After it’s clean, use it for plastic-free leftover storage, organizing craft supplies, or containing small items in the bathroom. If you use yours in the pantry, you’ll probably wants labels — sharpies work great but lack the pretty factor. I loved these links to free printable labels and recipe cards from my friends over at the Frugal Not Frumpy blog. Use a simple gluestick to attach them to the jar, and they’ll remove easily with a soak and scrub if you repurpose the jar later.

Oh, and when you’re done organizing the pantry, bake these. And bring me some.

Bethany’s Bestest Brownies

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. Blend the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Add eggs, beat well with a wooden spoon. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt, then gradually add it to the egg mixture. Spread in a greased 8×8 square baking pan, and bake for 20-25 minutes, just until the brownie begins to pull away from the edges of the pan. You want them to still be moist and chewy. Cool, then frost with:

Yummy Brownie Frosting

• 3 tbsp softened butter
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa
• 1 tbsp honey or corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 to 2 tbsps milk.

Cream butter, cocoa, honey and vanilla. Add icing sugar and milk, and beat to a smooth and spreadable consistency. Apply liberally to brownies, then lick the spoon.

Hibernating In Style

If I look out my window, I see white, grey and brown. That’s it. Snow, clouds and tree trunks. Neutrals combined with color is one thing; a world of monotone shades wears on me. I usually spend the weeks from mid-January to late March twitching, eating too much chocolate, drinking gallons of coffee, and knitting things in impossibly bright shades just to keep the color-desperation at bay.

Since none of those strategies are beneficial in the long run, I decided on a new one. This year I am attempting to use these months of nearly-mandatory indoor time as an opportunity to clean, organize, decorate…to create a warm, colorful den in which to spend my hibernation.

I am a quirky person (I have made my peace with it) and I am delighting in slowly crafting my world to reflect who I am. We moved just a few months ago, and I took advantage of the opportunity to rid myself of a lot of STUFF…much of it perfectly “good” stuff…that I simply didn’t want/like/need. It was liberating; just because things were still “good” didn’t mean I had to keep them. It felt to good to free myself of the baggage, and trust in the future.

My new style is cheerful. Colorful, too, because beige be damned — I’m not beige and my house won’t be either. I’m a jeans-and-sweater girl; my home shouldn’t look like a business suit. I spent some time listing what I like – strong, bright colors; bold patterns; soft and warm fabrics. I love the shine of glass and the warmth of wicker baskets. I like using things for a different purpose than intended – baskets to store DVDs, an old creamer to hold handmade soaps, mandarin orange crates to organize boxes of tea. I don’t like fussy patterns, boxstore art, knick-knacks, or too much symmetry.

Over all — I love crafting a home out of materials that have already had a previous life. I am a regular haunter of the local thrift stores; I don’t always buy. The goal is not to get more STUFF; the goal is to keep an eye open to the possibilities…and the things I buy are often what nobody else likes — the old vintage tablecloth; random cloth napkins in funky colors; old glass jars and baskets. The fascinating thing is this — it all comes together. When I stick with the colors and textures that I love, they always seem to work.

The trick seems to be tossing the rulebook out the window and listening to my hibernating instincts.