My, my, my! I just spent 6 freaking hours making a 12 square chart for the wheelchair afghan I made for the “National Night Out”! Holy Cow, I never even had a clue how long it would take. The original idea I found on Pinterest was not a repeatable pattern. So, as I finished one square I would make the chart for the next square of the afghan. It didn’t seem to be so time consuming at the time lol. What a wake up call! The charts I made were a mess when I was through, I couldn’t have told you what order they went in either.
With my new found respect for those who make these pattern for a living, I will never complain about having to purchase one! I knew that I would be repeating this afghan in the future, so the time spent charting it was sooooooo worth it. The afghan turned out so pretty and it had a nice weight to it that will translate into warmth when used. The color combinations are endless too! Those endless color options are the icing on the cake for me, I love to layout, rearrange, and choose the color schemes for a new crochet project.
Well, completely back on my feet! Stamina back and ready to go…….
My daughter, Maureen and I have coffee once a week when time allows. Kids at school, coffee and creamer, with my dogs for company……. what could be better?! Absolutely nothin’! Well this time around, I knew she had been working on a project in her bedroom. This project had been a long time in coming. She had been trolling the internet to investigate what she would need to make her vision come to life. But not just to life, but to become life like! So, I went to have coffee at her house this time around so I could see in person, not pictures, how her vision had come to life!
OMG! There is now a Tree in the corner of her room! It looks so real that I had to touch it! It is a wonder that wire, spray foam, paint, and loads of sweat and sore muscles could look so amazing. I had seen pictures but they didn’t even come close to what I was looking at. She had added fairy lights and greenery since the photos, they added such whimsy that all I could do was grin like a Cheshire cat!
Well, I could brag about this tree all day, but maybe these 2 photos will help you to understand.
I hope that you can get a feel for this beauty, pictures just don’t do it justice. It truly is amazing what we can all do if we have an image in our heads and are willing to try! Maureen has made her vision come to life and I bet at night it is just magical! My proud buttons are just bursting! Can’t wait to see your room evolve as you embark on your next project! All my love, Mom!
Well, this has been quite a few weeks! I was struck low by the corona-virus! I am finally back on my feet and ready to get back to work! You’d think I would have had loads of time sitting on my caboose for close to 10 days. Sadly, nope, I slept most of the time, couldn’t keep my eyes open! Such a waste of a great reason to lay around and stitch! Thankfully, while I was awake I was able to see all the great basketball of Round 1 and 2 of March Madness! The silver lining out of all that time!
We are now looking forward to more March Madness and our “Great Bottle Hunt” on Sunday! All of us are beyond the age of egg hunts, but we all have our own drink of choice ! So we hide everyone’s drinks of choice in the yard and let the hunt commence! Maybe this year we will find the lone bottle of our daughter, Maureen’s! Lol Have been looking for a year with no trace, I think the Easter Bunny got thirsty! Have a great, wonderful, relaxed Holiday no matter how you spend it! ……Cyn
Not only am I Irish, green has always been my favorite color! This is the perfect holiday for me. So everyone, get your green on, eat loads of Corned Beef, and top if all off with some Guinness! That’s my plan for Sunday…… Oh and it is March Madness Selection Day, let’s not forget!!!! May the Madness Commence…….. Cyn
Well, news travels fast! I shared last time that I love to create and donate to my sisters National Night Out events. What I just found out is that some of the residents at the Seniors Complex that Corinne was managing, know some of the residents at the new complex that Corinne was promoted to managing this past fall! Small world, small community, etc. any of these do apply apparently, lol. So, I was apparently the topic of conversation between the complexes. The seniors spilled the beans about the afghan that I donated to their big night this past year.
Corinne let me know that she was approached and asked if her sister would make an afghan for their night this year. On the complex grounds, there are a few seniors who are in wheel chairs and they would like me to make an afghan that would work as a lap blanket while they are in their wheel chairs. As Ado Annie would sing in Oklahoma, “I can’t say no!”. This request so touched my heart, I will most definitely get that lap blanket going for their raffle in August! The only criteria that Corinne requested was that it would be colorful, grrrrr, sometimes I can only shake my head at the vague instructions I work with LMAO!
So, here we go, I was excited to get it started! Time is never my friend, and procrastination was not an option. This tapestry chart was my inspiration…….. Oh and Cor wholeheartedly approved! Please don’t pay any attention to the my feet and my blanket, hehehe.
Off to my yarn stash I hurried. There was a variegated that I fell in love with, had to have, but didn’t know what I would use it for ( go ahead laugh, I haven’t met many skeins that I haven’t liked). It was kismet! That was the impetus for the whole color profile! Whoot, whoot, we’re on a roll now. I still had quite a few balls of scrap solid colors from previous projects to add to the mix. Here is the first square of “Bright Colors”.
After tidying up all the loose strings, a simple border finished it off quite nicely. It’s a start! A really superb start I think too! Cheerful, check; Colorful, check; Corinne approved, check, check! Now to continue to get the squares completed, then decide how to finish this beauty! Cyn
Update March 15, 2024
Well, I got rolling on the lap blanket, to only come to a complete stop! The chart I was so in love with, had a problem. I had hoped to be able to rotate the chart and the pattern would repeat itself for me. Nope! that wasn’t going to work. So, I pulled out the graph paper and made two more charts to get the first four finished.
Now the whole picture was coming together! Hopefully, I will be able to rotate these four charts to keep going. I think this blanket will need to be at least 5 squares by 5 squares. The added edging should give ample coverage and warmth while sitting in a wheelchair! Back to work….. Cyn
A super long time ago, when our children were all very young, Steven and I made the craft faire circuit. We created along with Steven’s Mom and Grandma a wide variety of crafts. One of the main items that Steven’s Mom and Grandma made were wreaths, wreaths made from our yards grapevines and willow trimmings. Grandma was a wizard at making bows! In all the wreaths that they made, most of the decorations were natural items we grew, found along side roads, or near water ways. One of my favorite, we found by the creek near our house. ……..
These spikey, pokey weeds were awesome! You could use them in their natural state or spray them with a color if needed. They added texture as well to every wreath they were used on. Your hands took a beating, but it was so worth it. If you harvested them before they dried, they were much kinder to your hands. I found myself thinking about them while Steven and I were on a drive to the coast this past fall. We always seem to find ourselves near the coast around the time his Mom passed in 2017. Our conversation was centered around those wreaths and the spikey weeds that we used to gather. I had an idea for updating our use of them and we made plans to see if they were still growing along the creek.
Oh man, we were so excited when we saw that they were still growing there! We cut a whole bag of them and waited till they finished shedding all their seeds to the bottom of the bag. Well, just recently I grabbed the bag and shook the rest of the seeds out and took the smaller of the heads out to give my idea a try! First to gather the items needed…..
I had this vein of colors in mind, it didn’t hurt that they were in my dresser of scrap material. The wire would help stabilize the petals, and the petal cut out of cardboard to have as a pattern. You might have already guessed where this was going…….. Flowers!
I cut out the petals in my fabric choices, 8″ pieces of wire, and started to assemble my petals!
I had a few bumps in the process, firstly the only wire I had was green, from all my wreath building. The green shows through on most of the petals as I finished. Secondly, I wanted to make doubly sure that the fabric held securely the wire, so I used 77 Spray glue on one side of the petal and iron on fusible webbing on the other side. The wire thankfully stuck to the spray glued side and then I placed the fusible petal on top and ironed it down. So far so good, only time will tell on this step!
Once I had the 6 petals ready to go, taking them one at a time, placing the petal (wire end) under the spikey cone, I wrapped the wires around the stem. Once I was finished with that I wrapped floral tape around the wire. The wire and floral tape really helped give the stem the strength it needed for future use! Well, here is my first attempt…..
Not bad for my first attempt! As I mentioned before the green wire needs to be changed, its distracting being so visual under some of the fabrics! I also would like to add beaded wire as stamens before I attach the petals. Lastly, I’m going to try and see what leaves would look like also. Overall, I am so chuffed and excited to see what the new changes will bring to my beautiful weeds transformation! I believe that Grandma and Mom would be thrilled with the upgrading of our weed!…… Cyn
“Hallmark Holiday’s”, my wonderful husband calls them! He’s of the mind that there are more non-holidays that he can buy me little gifts for, than to just reserve them for a few days a year. I used to refer to them as “Un-birthday gifts”, at least that’s what Lewis Carroll called them in “Alice in Wonderland”. I must admit I prefer his way, he has spoiled me rotten for 42+ years and I know how lucky I am to have this thoughtful man in my life!
Speaking of holidays, Valentines just flew past us in a flurry of rain storms. Those storms always keep me inside, curled up under an afghan crocheting away! I showed you the Christmas pillow that has developed into an ongoing project for me. While at Michael’s to pick up 1 skein of yarn for a pillow I was finishing, there was a sale going for the yarn. Of course there was a sale, I truly was going to just grab the 1, only 1 color I needed……. but……. Steven saw the red variegated version of the yarn I was there to buy! It was on clearance and he knew that I had a design in mind for a new pillow cover. So, I left the store with 3 more skeins lol.
These pillows not only are fun to make, but they allow me to use the dresser of scrap materials that I just can’t seem to get rid of. There is an ebb and flow to said dresser. Just when I have made room and feel so accomplished, I fill it back up! LOL There is always new fabric that magically leaves the store with me. I just have no will power when in a fabric store!!!
Here is the layout for this Valentines pillow…..
My jar isn’t what I had hoped for, I must admit. It will need alterations if I make another one. Thinner and with some shading, needs work indeed. But for now I really wanted to have it done and on the chair before Valentines. The job of blanket stitching can take some time and time was drizzling away just like the rain outside.
Having sneaked it into the house and placed it on the chair, I waited. It was spotted right away, low and behold the design was recognized immediately! Consensus was that for us it passed muster, but it was agreed that the jar needed work. Agreeing with that totally, I appreciated the input. Our dogs loved it though, it is now lovingly coated with dog hair. Oh, this picture doesn’t show you the yarn! Hold on…….
See!!!! It is the perfect match for all the Valentines you can think of! Steven was oh so right! We couldn’t leave it behind! Cyn
National Night Out is an event I just recently became aware of. I probably would have never even become familiar with it if my sister Corinne hadn’t been involved at her work. She was the Manager of a senior complex at the time. On the first Tuesday of August every year this event takes place. According to their website, https://natw.org/about/ this event is growing yearly!
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie.
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.
Millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all fifty states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August (Texas and select areas celebrate on the first Tuesday in October). Neighborhoods host block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and various other community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, exhibits and much, much more.
It is a great time for all the residents! They had a band come in and perform, there was a raffle for prizes that were donated, and dessert was provided to list a few items on the program for the big night! It is a chance to gather and socialize that these seniors look forward to.
Corinne was telling me all about it in June of 2023, while we were having a crafting day. She was telling me how she and her team were struggling to find business who would donate to their event. Their pleas were falling on deaf ears. Her residents had been so generous to me, they had given me a large bin of yarn from a Knitting Group that had disbanded during Co-vid and never gotten back together. Their generosity of spirit was amazing and I was so sad to hear of this lack of support by their community. Corinne asked me if I would make an afghan with their yarn for the raffle. Of course, I was all in! She asked if I could make it a coffee cup theme and I used their yarn to create the afghan!
I felt that this was really only the tip of the iceberg, there should be more fun and functional things that we could come up with! It was on one of our trips into the fabric store (on a day of 1.99 pattern sale), that we found some wheel chair and walker patterns that we could make also!
On one of the wheel chair/walker caddies we used some jean pockets to make it a little more masculine. Having a huge supply of old jeans for future projects, this jean idea turned into little jean pocket pouches that could be snapped onto their chair/walkers and hold their eyeglasses, phone, etc. We had a super time gabbing and designing. The big day was just around the corner. Unfortunately, I was house sitting for our daughter and couldn’t attend. Corinne said it was so very successful and a super fun evening for all! Those who won the pockets, caddies, and the afghan were even approached by other residents to see if they would sell or trade them. Lol.
Well, with that much feedback and a few thank you notes, I decided to keep making them through out the year and make sure that they have a bumper crop to raffle off this upcoming August! If you know of a “National Night Out” event at a seniors complex, please think about what you could do to make their event awesome! The deep appreciation and swell of gratitude is truly humbling!……..Cyn
This New Year I am trying to complete my UFO’s! Unfinished Objects, as they are commonly referred to by quilters. As a rule, I deny myself a new project until I have finished the one I’m working on. There are exceptions to that rule though. For instance, if I have a very large cross stitch project that I’m working on, I take a pencil and section off the pattern. The sections are divided by how many months till I need it completed. If I finish that required section early on in that month I allow myself to work on a quickie project. I tend to go through periods of boredom on large patterns, just wanting to be done and start a new one! This way I finish that project without frustrating myself or getting bored and setting it aside, usually forgetting about it for a very long time!
Using this formula, I truly have no UFO’s with my sewing, cross stitching, and crocheting projects! Now, I wish it applied to the projects that I collaborate with my husband Steven! We have been working on a particular project since the spring of 2023. Between his work schedule, special requests, and what he lovingly refers to “Life Inter-ruptus” we are still trying to get it completed. During the holidays it definitely gets set aside and Yes, forgotten for sure. I found it again, uncovered it from where it was hiding and decided that we ARE going to get this finished before St. Paddy’s Day. It will be almost a year since we embarked on a dream project of mine.
This project is very dear to my heart. I have had a love affair with dolls since I was 4 or 5 years old. It was made even more special by having a Grandparent who made clothes for these dolls. Special clothes, sometimes made from favorite outfits I grew out of. These kinds of long lasting memories have a way of never letting go, they sneak up on you and cause a wondrous spontaneous smile to come from deep down! Well, we have long talked of refurbishing an old suitcase into a doll house. Yeah, I know that it is being done all over the United States. This one has been waiting for the right doll.
We found them while shopping for Christmas presents a year ago. We knew the minute we saw them on the shelf. We weren’t even surprised that they were from Europe either, the quality was wonderful! We had never heard of Kruselings! They are only 9″ tall, can stand on their own, and were magical to us. Our girls were into Barbie and New Kids On The Block dolls. They would have loved these magical dolls even more.
We brought Vera, Sofia, and Chloe home with us that day. Then started to plan the first case. Fairies! Of course, we had to make it a tree house. It took me a while to make the pattern to replace the torn lining of the case. I already had the perfect fabric on my shelf, it was a great place to start!
The outside had been painted while but the bones of the case was really great. First things first, replace the lining and then decide the next step.
Then, the other side…. Matching fabric was fun and challenging. The clouds we found on-line, an adhesive backed vinyl wall paper. I was really learning on the fly, but having so much fun.
Unfortunately, this is where “Life Inter-ruptus” happened. So our goal is to get this going again! Part of that goal is to make it lightweight, interactive, and inviting for a little girl to escape into fairy territory! I will post more as it come together! Happy New Year to you all, and here’s to finishing my UFO! Cyn
There is something about these rainy, cold days that hit the Pacific Coast that inspire me! Inspire me to curl up with a warm afghan, listening to my book, with coffee or cocoa. Lets not forget the draw of my yarn stash and the pull of the crochet hook! The freedom from yard work, which I might add is a favorite pass time of mine, always is a nice break! While looking through all my sundry pattern choices, I found myself returning to a pillow. Admittedly, I love throw pillows! You can change the covers out for every season, holiday, and each and every whim that might uplift your mood. They are also a fast project to get done in an evening or while you have gotten cozy in your favorite chair to listen to the rain while you have a spare afternoon to enjoy.
Before Christmas, I crocheted the first pillow form. The pattern called for some decorations that I loved, the letters J, Y, and the O was compiled of little leaves. The pattern was in the Annie’s 2022 magazine.
I must admit that I became very frustrated with the “O” and decided to do it my way, lol
Using felt letters instead, I adhered them, then blanket stitched around. The snow was added and I waited for it all to dry. The idea of making the pillow easier to change and launder if needed, had me changing the end to look like a kind of envelope with buttons to set it off. I really loved the whole pillow and it sat on our bed for the season. But, let me tell you the wheels were turning and I knew that I would need one to replace it after the holiday!
Being a bird lover, our bathroom shower curtain was a cute bird theme. It has always intrigued me and I had been looking for a chance to mimic it in my own way. This was the perfect opportunity to give it a college try!
Corinne was coming over to have a “craft therapy” day and I was determined to have something to show for the day! Making the pattern from card board scraps I hoard from paper pads, calendars, etc, the picture I had in mind was coming to life. What do you think?
I am so thrilled with this one! Let me tell you I have fallen down a rabbit hole with this crochet creation! This pillow gives me the opportunity to sit and crochet, with the bonus of using my scrap material to create a design of my choice to boot! Doesn’t get any better than this!!! Let’s just hope that there are enough rainy days to help me out the rest of the winter and spring lol!
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