NY State Fair 2013

So, exciting news... I won 1st place at the NY State Fair! I entered a crocheted table runner that I finished this spring. You may have noticed that I referenced it earlier in the blog in this post. I'm really excited about it since it's the first entry I've ever made to any fair anywhere! Here are some pictures of the display at the fair and my piece. It was an honor to be included among some really talented individuals.

Crochet Jewelry

Using some easy and free patterns I found online, I made these sweet little earrings. I used both size 10 crochet thread as well as regular sewing thread, which created even smaller earrings. I pinned the earrings to some foam and used clear nail polish rather than starch to stiffen them.

The patterns I used are available here and here.

Sunshine Pillows

Washable pillow covers are the best. Especially when they're made from 97% cotton, 3% spandex fabric that stretches just enough to make the on/off process super easy. The fabric is breathable, stays firmly in place on the pillow, and is super comfy under your noggin.

I have to mention that I covered pillows I bought at Joann Fabric on a St. Patty's day sale at 80% off. That makes these pillows even better.

Remember when I posted about crocheting doilies? These yellow ones happened right around that time.  I had this need to put them up against blue fabric for a sunshine-y effect. It's probably the time of year. I'm aching for summer!

I pinned them carefully, insuring that they were evenly placed and spaced before sewing them onto the squares of fabric that would become the pillow covers.

Sewing them on was a bit painstaking, but went quickly. And the yellow thread matched the yarn perfectly.

I made a simple envelope style closure with two smaller back pieces that were hemmed and overlapped one another. My serger does such an excellent job of finishing fabric. And, since these get washed frequently, the serged edges insure that the ends stay intact. I followed the serger with a clean, tight straight stitch to really reinforce those edges.

Voila! Pretty little sunshine pillows.

Versatile Melted Fabric Flowers

I made some pretty fabric flowers. And I love them. Because I can slap them on anything.

There are so many tutorials for these on the web that I feel it's pretty silly to explain it all again here. So, here's a good tutorial. She's very exact and careful in her process. I tend to be a bit more "carefree" in my execution. For instance, no templates. Because why? It's totally unnecessary here. But however you choose to make them, it's a pretty simple project.

And I really love the results. Here are some of the projects I've put together with these flowers.

Wreath

Baby Headbands

Bouquet

Brooches

Hair Clip

Bag Clip

Napkin Holders

The possibilities are endless!

Laminated Fabric Placemats

I love the idea of laminated fabric. But, it can be difficult to sew. I've found some good tips for sewing with it here and here. However, it's still been frustrating for me. So, I've tried to stick to sewing simpler things with it, like rectangles. Ha.

It's not a new idea, but I think it's super smart: laminated fabric placemats you can simply wipe off. And reversible, too, so you can flip them for a new look when you want.

I used a template that I cut from paper at the size I wanted to cut out all of my rectangles. Sewed the right sides together, trimmed the seam allowance and the corners, and flipped them right side out.

I was able to topstitch the mats, though it was not an easy feat for me. I found it pretty challenging to get my machine to cooperate at times. What really helped was placing some regular scotch tape on the underside of the presser foot as well as your feeding feet. It helped the fabric to more smoothly glide under the needle. It was still challenging, though, and I had to adjust my tension a couple of times before I got it right. Hang in there. It's achievable.

I think they're cute. And colorful. And clean-able. Excellent.

Also, don't you just love my peonies?

Painted Easter Eggs

I bought some wooden easter eggs during a sale at Joann Fabric's online site. Of course, this sale occurred after easter, so my eggs will be waiting almost a year to be displayed in our house. We don't even really do easter. I never had an easter basket as a kid, never did the easter dress thing, never did the egg hunt... And, to be honest, I'll never desire participation in most of the traditional easter rituals. So, this is one of the holidays for which I have the fewest decorations.

I love spring, though. And I love a pile of brightly painted eggs. So, I painted me some.

And I used some varnish to seal them afterward.

I used a glue gun to lay down circle stands where the eggs could sit as they dried. This worked moderately well. The glue circles should be sized appropriately to your egg size. And taller than mine were to truly hold the egg. They did work. But I'd more carefully plan their measurements next time.

I do love my eggs, though. Bright and cheery and springy. Just what they should be.

April Fool's Day

April Fool's Day is fun when you mess with your husband. Mine is a technology lover. To be fair, I suppose that anyone might be upset if they thought their laptop might have been ruined with nail polish.

I purposely spilled nail polish I never wore anymore onto plastic wrap and let it dry in the basement for a couple of days. When dry, I could lift it like this:

 

Then, on April Fool's Day, I placed it on his keyboard like this:

And then I gasped, and called for him. 

I stared at the spill with a horrified expression. His reaction: to grab tissues from the coffee table and yell, "Well, don't just stare at it!" I started laughing right about then. Because I'm terrible at holding it in or keeping a straight face.

Then, I got spanked. ;) All in good fun, of course.

Totally hilarious.

Totally worth it.