100 items! Archives - Page 3 of 4

Posted on March 3, 2014 by admin

The New Blanket

The new blanket! I have been admiring this pattern around the internet. I know that Lucy of Attic 24 is making a variation of this same pattern. Her blanket is beautiful as always. Â I have posted bits and pieces of my blanket on facebook so if you follow me there then you have already seen a little of it.Â https://www.facebook.com/Chocolatedogstudio I started this blanket back around the middle of February.

Here it is at the very beginning. It is a perfect scrap afghan pattern as you can use any colors you want. I am using a complete stripes worth of each color.

It will be a great blanket as there are no holes for air to get through. It is taking me a bit to get it finished as I keep setting it down to work on other items in the 100 items in 100 days challenge! I am using my stash for this so it counts as well but the sewing machine has been calling these days.

Talk to you later,

Karen

You can see Lucy’s blanket here:Â http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2014/02/creative-happiness.html

Posted on March 2, 2014 by admin

#49 and #50!

It has been awhile since I posted in my 100 items in 100 days. I have been working on it nearly every day. I have just not had time to post photos of my work. It will be another couple days until I can sit down and take some great photos. It has also been overcast and cloudy, which makes for drab and dull photos. I will leave you with these quick pictures I took of some embroidery hoops I am working on. I am in the process of using up these embroidery hoops. As you can see there are so very many that need to be used!

So these would numbers 49 and 50, which makes me half way there and on the downhill slope of the Challenge. I never thought I would be able to get this far but this is working out quite well! I have been forced to think outside the box and work on bit and small projects for my shop! It has been exciting to sit down and sew everyday. Â I have made about 10 or more items that I need to photograph so I can show you.

Talk to you later,

Karen

Posted on February 21, 2014 by admin

Friday!

I have several ideas rolling around in my head to sew today. A couple of receiving blankets, pot holders, another coffee press cozy and then some things to finish up. I have a quilt to layout and baste. I have some other wrist warmers I can crochet, grey, yellow and brown and maybe navy. I want to make some place mats for the shop and more potholders. Â There is decidedly too much to do and not enough time to get things done. I am feeling overwhelmed. It seems no matter how much I use up what I have there are still tons of supplies to use. Here are a few photos to prove the point. Yes, it is really a mess but I have been cleaning and these photos were taken a couple of weeks ago.

This isn’t even the tip of the iceberg of supplies in my studio.There are several laundry baskets of yarn, 6-7 large plastic tubs of fabric. I have received 5-6 large plastic tubs and drawer units of fabric from my MIL’s long term stash of items. It is overwhelming me. The little things that I keep making only seems to be making more scraps that take up more and more room! I need to clean the studio this weekend and make order out of creative chaos! So, that is my plan for the weekend and hopefully I will also get some items cut out and ready to go! The good news is that I do have enough of what is needed to make another weekender bag, maybe two!

talk to you later,

Karen

NOTE: So that you know I am human and weird things happen to us. We now have a water leak that requires repairs. So, I will be cleaning up the mess today and probably tomorrow after the repairs are done.

NOTE: I am cleaning the studio and why oh why must it look worse before it looks better….? But it is improving…slowly but surely. The house is repaired and running properly.

The cleaning is coming along slowly but it is getting done. I am trying to integrate my MIL’s fabric with my fabric so I am not buying things I don’t need. I would rather just sew it all up and get it out of my hair. Cleaning craft supplies drives me crazy.

Posted on February 20, 2014 by admin

The Overnight bag #48 out of 100

I love these overnight bags or weekender bags as they are called. I really needed one as I travel Â more frequently for overnight stays rather than week long trips. The wheeled suitcase that we used when adopting our youngest is OLD and huge. In fact hubs and I can both use it for a weekend or longer! I had this fabric in my stash.

Here is another photo of the main fabric I chose.

I had the zipper, piping, lining and inner liner all there sitting in my stash. I drew up my own pattern and the sewing and then ripping out commenced! I found that it is easiest to baste by hand the parts you are sewing together.

Here is the finished bag and I am happy with it.

There are a few things I would change next time. I would buy a pattern that comes complete with instructions. I would baste everything from the beginning by hand. I do like the way it turned out and I even put some pockets on the inside. I would also buy the metal feet that fit on the bottom and keep it off the ground.

You can just see them inside here. There are three and they are nice and deep. My laptop will fit with my clothes. The cords will slide into those deep pockets. The handles of the bag are long enough to fit over my shoulder but not so long that the bag drags the floor when I carry it by hand (which can be a problem when you are short!) I found a pattern for another weekender bag that is for free and I think I am going to try to make another one in different fabric!

Talk to you later,

Karen

Posted on February 19, 2014 by admin

Pot holder Tutorial/pattern

I had some questions about these pot holders that I made for my daughter.

I am not big on piecing tons of tiny squares so I found this tutorial on Sew Mamma Sew that sent me here:Â http://www.sewmamasew.com/2009/10/elizabeths-fabric-focus-quick-piece-tiny-squares/

Basically you line the squares up on iron on interfacing (sticky side up) and iron them down. Then follow her tutorial for stitching them together.

At the time I thought that I would make some place mats (yes, we do have that many squares). I put them aside (for months) until I was making pot holders this weekend. When I decided to see if they would work better for pot holders. Then I simply cut them into 9″ squares placed them on top of one piece of batting and quilted the front of each pot holder. I cut the backings to fit and placed them over another piece of batting and quilted each back of the pot holder. I added small pieces of ribbon for the hanger loops to each corner and basted them in place. I like basting better than pining. It isn’t as hard on my sewing machine to sew over.

If you need to see the tutorial I used it is here:Â http://www.mygirlthursday.com/2011/05/diy-scrap-busting-pot-holders.html

They worked out quite well! I’m sorry I don’t have any photos but I was on a sewing kick and I needed to get a bunch done! So this isn’t really my tutorial but a combination of several techniques!

talk to you later,

Karen

Posted on February 18, 2014 by admin

# 47 of 100 items in 100 days!

I made these pretty pot holders for my daughter. I will store them for her until she needs them. She cut them out for her quilt and they were left over. They are Â bright and colorful.

Talk to you later,

Karen

Posted on February 17, 2014 by admin

#39- 46 of 100 items in 100 days Challenge!

Here is a huge addition to my 100 items in 100 days Challenge! I was super productive today and many things were started and finished! A huge Thanks to my Mom! She gave me some elastic so I could stay out of the fabric stores!

So here is # 39

#40

#41

#42

#43

#44

And a couple of pot holders that I finished last week but never counted!

#45

#46

Thanks, Mom!

Talk to you later,

Karen

Note: Almost all of these are listed in my Etsy shop: www.chocolatedogstudio.etsy.com

Posted on February 15, 2014 by admin

Neon Rainbow Blanket #38

Remember when I showed you these yarns…

And this little beginning of a blanket.

Here is the finished blanket… in all it’s glory.

Here are the shots the photographer took.

It is 60″ Â x 45″ wide approximately.

It is for sale in my etsy shop… www.chocolatedogstudio.com

https://www.etsy.com/listing/179404749/blanket-hand-crochet-blanket-afghan

I Â love the bright neon colors combined with the black.

This blanket makes #38

Talk to you later,

Karen

Posted on February 13, 2014 by admin

New blanket

The new blanket…

These are stash yarns that I ordered before Christmas…in case you are wondering if I have given up the Challenge!

Just a little sneak peak!

Talk to you later,

Karen

Posted on February 12, 2014 by admin

100 items in 100 days: #30 – 35

We decorated the inside of these clear glass Christmas ornaments by adding crayon shavings and then melting them with a hair dryer. They were fun to make and now the box of six ornaments is gone out of my stash! We added them to the jar of sticks and hearts.

So this is # 30!

I crocheted these stars and snowflakes out of up cycled navy cotton yarn. I love the stars in the navy and they just need the hanging loops made. These would be #31-33. I would sell these in a set.

Then I tried these red and white stars. The red and white ragg cotton yarn is thicker than baker’s twine and I am not as pleased with these. This would be # 34Â

These are made out the soft cotton yarn left overs that I use to edge the receiving blankets. It is soft and the colors are beautiful! This is #35The stars are out of baby blue wool yarn and the snowflakes out of crochet cotton. I love these together but I made a ton of the snowflakes as they were so easy. I easily have 20-30 of the snowflakes. These areÂ # 36 and 37.

Talk to you later,

Karen