Wine Glass Flip Flop Coasters

Many of us have charms that we put on our wine glasses so we can tell who has which glass.  Since my parents live on a lake, I made these fun beach-themed flip flops for my mom for Christmas.  The bottom of the wine glass goes in the top of the sandal to hold it in place.  Then the flip flop not only becomes a coaster for the glass, but since I made a set of 6 with each one in a slightly different color combination, it also is a wine glass marker instead of using a charm.

Everyone loved them so much I decided to make some to carry in my shop on Etsy.  These are in process and will be added to the shop soon.

If you like this item and would like a set made for you or someone special in your life, please contact me and I’ll be happy to work with you to create a set in the color combination of your choice.

Dining Room Chair Pads

My sister-in-law Melinda asked me to make her pads for her dining room chairs for Christmas this year.  I think they turned out pretty well! :) 

To make the pattern pieces for the cushion part of the pad I just took a piece of tissue paper and traced the chair seat, making sure to mark where the openings in the chair backs are so I knew where to put the ties.  I also made sure I made separate patterns for the chairs with arms and the ones without arms, since I would have to allow space for the indent in the pad where the arms are. 

When cutting out the pieces for the cushions, I simply taped a permanent marker to a pencil, placed the cut-out pattern piece on the fabric, and then traced around the edge of the pattern piece with the pencil.  Since the marker was attached to the pencil, it automatically marked the cutting line with seam allowances onto the fabric.  Then on the cushion foam I just traced exactly on the pattern piece without a seam allowance.  That way I could cut out the pieces without having to make separate pattern pieces for the fabric and the foam.

When I made the chair pads for my parents I used a store-bought pattern and the ties were a major pain in the butt, so I improvised when I made the ones for my sister-in-law.  For the ties for this project I used my quilting ruler so I could get a nice straight edge for the pieces.  I measured 18 inches long by 2 inches wide on the fabric.  To sew each tie I folded under 1/4 inch to the wrong side on one short end and on each long side.  Then I folded the tie in half lengthwise and topstitched all the way around.  (One short end can be left unfinished because it will get sewn into the seam allowance of the pad.)

Once the ties were finished, I placed two seat fabric sections together with right sides together, being careful to pin two ties on each side where I had marked.  (Ties will be on the inside of the pad at this point, so when the pad is turned right side out the ties will be on the correct side, not insde the cushion.)  The I sewed all the way around the pad with a 1/4 inch seam allowance, leaving about a 6-inch opening to turn the pad right side out after sewing and making sure to reinforce the stitching on the ties so they don’t rip out with use.

After sewing around the pad, I then turned it right side out and inserted the foam cushion.  Then I hand-sewed the opening with invisible thread so it didn’t show.  If you were making these with foam that isn’t machine-washable you could put snaps or velcro on the back opening instead of stitching it closed.

If you’re making chair pads and have any questions about the construction, please contact me.  I’ll be happy to help in any way I can.

Sean's Vikings Afghan

Since most of my family lives in Minnesota, it’s not a big surprise that most of us are Vikings fans.  I was trying to figure out what to give my brother Sean for Christmas, and I thought he might appreciate an afghan to keep him warm while watching football.  So I made him this one in purple, yellow and white - Vikings colors.

This is another afghan using the Giant Granny Square pattern, but I used 3 strands of yarn throughout and a size Q crochet hook.  I used 2 skeins of each color in Red Heart Super Saver yarn (7 oz skeins).

Would you like one of these made for you, either in these colors or the colors of your choice?  I welcome custom orders.  Please contact me and I’ll be happy to work with you to create something beautiful for you.

Amigurumi Gingerbread Friend

I needed a change of pace for a couple days so I’ve been working on some amigurumi-style stuffed toys.  This one is an adorable gingerbread friend.  You could easily add a yarn loop at the top and turn it into an ornament as well.

I have the finished gingerbread man in my shop on Etsy.com here.  If you would like to make one of your own, here’s the pattern below.  If you do make one of these, could you send me a picture?  I’d love to see how it turns out.

Materials:
1 ball brown yarn
1 ball cream or ecru yarn
small amount red yarn
2 plastic safety eyes or small amount black yarn
small amount pink yarn
fiberfill stuffing
Size G crochet hook
stitch markers or scraps of yarn to mark rounds

Note: Work in continuous rounds.  Do not join or turn unless specifically stated in the instructions.

Head and Body:
Begin at the top of the head, with brown ch 2.
Round 1: Work 6 sc in first ch.  Place marker or yarn scrap in first st to mark beginning of round.  Move marker up as each round is completed.
Round 2: Work 2 sc in each sc around - 12 sts.
Round 3: *2 sc in next st, sc in next st, repeat from * around - 18 sts.
Round 4: *2 sc in next st, sc in each of next 2 sts, repeat from * around - 24 sts.
Round 5: *2 sc in next st, sc in each of next 3 sts, repeat from * around - 30 sts.
Rounds 6-11: sc in each st around.
Round 12: *sc2tog, sc in each of next 3 sts, repeat from * around - 24 sts.
Round 13: *sc2tog, sc in each of next 2 sts, repeat from * around - 18 sts.  If using safety eyes, attach them now.  Begin stuffing head, continuing to stuff piece as work progresses.
Round 14: sc in each sc around.
Round 15: *2 sc in next st, sc in each of next 2 sts, repeat from * around - 24 sts.
Rounds 16-23: sc in each sc around.
Round 24: *sc2tog, sc in each of next 2 sts, repeat from * around - 18 sts.
Round 25: *sc2tog, sc in next st, repeat from * around - 12 sts.
Round 26: *sc2tog, repeat from * around - 6 sts.  Fasten off, leaving a long yarn end.  Thread yarn into a large-eye yarn needle and gather stitches tightly together, fasten off again.

Arms and Legs (Make 4 total)With brown, ch 2.
Round 1: Work 6 sc in first ch.  Place marker or yarn scrap in first st to mark beginning of round.  Move the marker up as each round is completed.
Round 2: Work 2 sc in each sc around - 12 sts.
Round 3: sc in each sc around.  Change to cream.
Round 4: sc in each sc around.  Change to brown.
Rounds 5-7: sc in each sc around, stuffing as work progresses.
Round 8: *sc2tog, sc in each of next 2 sts, sc2tog, repeat from * around - 8 sts.  Fasten off.

Buttons (Make 2) With red, ch 2.  Work 4 sc in first ch.  Fasten off, leaving a long yarn end to use to sew buttons onto body.

Finishing:
Sew arms and legs to body.  Sew buttons to chest.  With red, embroider a smile.  With pink yarn, embroider cheeks.  (I used a satin stitch for the cheeks, but you could also do a french knot.)  If not using safety eyes, embroider eyes with black yarn.  (I used a satin stitch, but you could also do a french knot.)  Weave in yarn ends.

Girl's Knit Jumper Dress

Somehow between all of the homemade Christmas gifts I made this year I managed to find time to knit my daughter a dress to wear for her Sunday School Christmas pageant.  It’s a simple jumper dress knit in stockinet stitch with a garter stitch border on the hemline and the pockets.  It was really cute on her and kept her nice and warm on such a cold day.  Many people commented how adorable the dress was on her.

If you would like to make one of these yourself you can find the pattern for this dress on the Lion Brand Yarn website here.  (Note: On the Lion Brand website they call it a sundress, but you can easily add a shirt underneath as we did to make it a jumper.)

Would you like this dress made for you?  I welcome custom orders.  Please contact me and I’ll be happy to work with you to create something beautiful for you.

Quick V-Stitch Lap Afghan

This is the afghan I crocheted for my mother-in-law and father-in-law for Christmas.  Again, since I way overbooked myself I needed a quick pattern.  I used a size K hook, but if you wanted an even quicker project you could use a P or Q hook.  This was crocheted using three strands of yarn held together throughout, both for time and bulkiness, and for a little extra warmth.  You can never have too many warm afghans when you live in Minnesota! :)

I’ll be posting the pattern for this afghan here after I finish the last of the homemade Christmas presents.  I have a similar one in my shop on Etsy that is a light blue and is the perfect size for the special child in your life.

I also welcome custom orders.  If you would like something made for you please contact me and I’ll be happy to work with you to create something beautiful!

Quick Granny Square Afghan

For some reason I decided to torture myself and make the majority of our Christmas presents this year.  They’ve all turned out beautifully, but I’ll have to remember to space them out a little better next year to give myself more time.  Since I didn’t have a lot of time for each gift, I opted for some quick projects.

This is the afghan I made for my sister-in-law and brother-in-law.  It’s basically a huge granny square, but instead of doing a bunch of smaller granny squares and taking way too much time to sew them all together, I just kept adding rounds until it was the size I wanted.  I used two strands of yarn throughout ~ both to give it a little bulk so it was a faster project and to add a little extra warmth.  If you’d like to make one like this for yourself, I used a size K crochet hook and approximately 14-16 ounces of each color.  See the Giant Granny Square Afghan post for the pattern.

I also have one similar to this finished and for sale in my shop on Etsy.  Check it out!  I also welcome custom orders.  If you would like an afghan made for you please contact me and I’ll be happy to work with you to create something beautiful for you.

Kaitlyn's Bunny Costume

My daughter Kaitlyn decided she wanted to be a bunny for Halloween this year, so I looked through all of the pattern books and found a really cute pattern from McCall’s.  It was adorable and kept her nice and warm. 

Here’s a couple pictures of her in the bunny costume.  She’s turning around partway in the second picture so you can see the tail. 

Knit Seed Stitch Stripes Baby Blanket

While going through my stash of yarn I came across a variegated yarn that I absolutely loved with shades of blue, green, pink, and white.  Of course there wasn’t enough of it to make a whole project, but after digging a little further I discovered coordinating yarns and decided to make a baby blanket.  I’ve been doing so much quilting and crocheting lately, so I thought I’d do something different and knit this one.  It’s done in a seed stitch to add a little texture, and I crocheted a row around the edge just to give the blanket a clean finished edge.  The finished blanket is currently for sale in my shop on Etsy.

This blanket would be a great gift for any mother-to-be or any special child in your life.

Love this blanket but prefer different colors?  I welcome custom orders.  Please contact me and I’ll be happy to work with you to create a beautiful item for you.

Giant Granny Square Afghan

This is a variation on a classic granny square afghan.  Traditionally, several granny square blocks are crocheted and then sewn together.  For this variation, you would continue adding rounds on the granny square until it’s the size you want instead of making several smaller squares.  I currently have the afghan shown here in white, light sage and medium sage green for sale in my shop on Etsy.  I’ve also made this pattern with light pink instead of white for a customer.

I welcome custom orders.  If you would like to have this item in a different color please contact me and I’ll be happy to work with you to create a beautiful item for you.

Here’s the pattern if you’d like to make this one yourself:
Finished Size: The afghan shown here is approximately 51 inches square, but you can add or subtract rounds to make this whatever size you need.  This would be great as a baby afghan with fewer rounds.
Materials Needed:

Size J Crochet Hook
Worsted weight yarn in 3 or 4 coordinating colors - I used approx. 12 oz of each of white (A), light sage green (B), and medium sage green (C)
For a glossary of crochet terms & abbreviations used in this pattern see the Glossary of Crochet Stitches post.

Afghan:

With A, ch4.  Join with a sl st in first ch to form a ring.

Round 1: With A, ch3, 2 dc in ring, *ch 2, 3 dc in ring; repeat from * 2 more times, ch 2.  Join with sl st in top of beginning ch. Fasten off A.

Round 2: Join B in any ch 2 space, ch 3.  (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same ch 2 space, *ch 1, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch 2 space.  Repeat from * once more.  Ch 1, join with a sl st to top of beginning ch.  Fasten off B.

Round 3: Join C in any ch 2 space, ch 3.  (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same ch 2 space, *ch 1, 3 dc in next ch 1 space, ch 1, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch 2 space.  Repeat from * twice more.  3 dc in next ch 1 space, ch 1.  Join with sl st to top of beginning ch.  Fasten off C.

Round 4: Join A in any ch 2 space, ch 3.  (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same ch 2 space, *ch 1, 3 dc in next ch 1 space, ch 1, 3 dc in next ch 1 space, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch 2 space.  Repeat from * twice more, ch 1, 3 dc in next ch 1 space, ch 1, 3 dc in next ch 1 space, ch 1.  Join with sl st to top of beginning ch.  Fasten off A.

Rounds 5-39: Repeat round 4, adding a ch 1 space and 3 dc in ch 1 space on each side and continuing color pattern.  Do not fasten off C at end of round 39.

Round 40: With C, ch 1, sc in each dc and each ch 1 space around, working 3 sc in each ch 2 corner.  Fasten off C.  Weave in all ends.

Tip: To help keep the afghan square, join each color in a different corner for each round. 

Zoo Animal Baby Quilt

This adorable baby quilt features a fun zoo animal print with elephants, lions, giraffes, lions, tigers and penguins.  This quilt is a great option when you need a baby shower gift in a hurry.  It is pieced using a simple one-patch design with red and white sashings and red cornerstones.  I will be posting the pattern for this quilt when I have a chance.

I recently sold this quilt in my shop on Etsy.    Would you like a quilt made for you?  I welcome custom orders.  Please contact me and I’ll be happy to work with you to create something beautiful for you.

Blue Ripple Afghan

This gorgeous afghan is crocheted in a soft ripple pattern using cream, light blue, and a light blue/tan/cream variegated yarn.  It is currently for sale in my shop on Etsy.  This is one of those really soft blankets that you reach for on a chilly afternoon or evening when you’re cuddled up on the couch, or as a throw blanket for a little color to dress up a room.

This afghan would be a great gift for someone you love, even if that someone is yourself!

I welcome custom orders.  If you love this afghan but would like it made in a different color, please contact me.  I would be happy to work with you to create a beautiful item for you.

Pink Stripes Baby Afghan

This baby afghan is crocheted with an interesting texture that almost looks like a waffle-weave.  I sold this one in my shop on Etsy.  It would make a great gift for any mother-to-be to welcome a special little one to your life.

It’s the perfect size to use in the nursery in the crib, to take on outings, or for a floor blanket for playtime or tummy time.

I welcome custom orders.  If you'd like this afghan made in another color please contact me and I'll be happy to work with you to create something beautiful for you.

Update 4-28-12:  I just added the pattern for this afghan!  You can find it in the Pink Stripes Baby Afghan Pattern post.

USA Tablerunner

My parents host our family’s annual 4th of July picnic at their house every year, so when I saw this pattern I knew it would be the perfect gift for Mom.

The original pattern was for a lap quilt, but I took just the flag, U, S, and A blocks to make this tablerunner.  Many people commented how beautiful it turned out.

If I get ambitious I may actually make the lap quilt one of these days. :)

Blue Star Tablerunner

Since I’m posting tablerunner projects, here’s one I made for my parents.  My mom had asked me to make chair pads for their dining room chairs and barstools.  Since there was quite a bit of fabric left over I made a tablerunner to coordinate with the chair pads.

The blue fabric is quite bulky so I had to use a fairly simple pattern so the fabric would lay flat.  This is a simple Ohio Star block set on point with plain borders.  It makes a great everyday tablerunner to dress up the dining room and protect the table.

Ohio Star Placemats and Tablerunner

Yes, it’s true.  I do more than just baby quilts and lap quilts. :)  This is a tablesetting I made for my mother-in-law for Christmas a few years ago.  I had a lovely poinsettia fabric and thought it would make a nice tablerunner and placemat set.

The blocks are just simple Ohio Stars, some in red and some in green with the poinsettia fabric in the corners and borders.  I found a nice red fabric with a gold holly print for the backing and binding.

Raggedy Ann Star Baby Quilt

Apparently I must have bought way more of this Raggedy Ann and Andy fabric than I needed to make my niece’s baby quilt, but I’m glad I did.  This is the third baby quilt I’ve made using this adorable Raggedy Ann and Andy fabric.  It’s the perfect size to use in the nursery in the crib, as a wallhanging, or as a floor blanket for playtime.

This is another quilt that looks complex but is really pretty simple to piece together.  The entire quilt is made of squares and half-square triangle pieces, but when put together they make a beautiful star pattern.

I recently sold this quilt in my shop on Etsy.com.  Be sure to check out my shop.  I also do custom orders so please contact me if you’re interested in having me make a quilt for you.  I’ll be happy to work with you to create a beautiful item for you.

Friendship Angels Lap Quilt

This is a quilt I made for my manager for Christmas a few years ago.  Since our structure name is Team Angels I thought the angel fabric was appropriate for the background stars. 

Although it looks complex, the piecing is pretty simple for this quilt.  The blocks are simple Friendship Stars, and the placement of the background fabrics creates a secondary Friendship Star pattern.

If you’re looking for a fast project for a gift that doesn’t look like you did it really fast, this is a great one.  I’ll be posting the pattern for this quilt when I get a chance.  In the meantime, the second picture shows a closeup of the blocks so you’ll probably be able to make it without the pattern.  It’s just squares and half-square triangle pieces.  I made 9-inch finished star blocks, so each of the smaller squares and half-square triangles would be 3 1/2 inches before sewing them together.  The middle angel square measures 9 1/2 inches including seam allowances.

V-Stitch Baby Afghan

This baby afghan was crocheted with a v-stitch using 2 strands of light blue medium worsted weight yarn held together for extra softness and warmth.  It is currently for sale in my shop on Etsy.  This would make a great gift for any mother-to-be or for the special child in your life.

Love this blanket but prefer a different color?  I welcome custom orders.  Please contact me and I’ll be happy to work with you to create a special item just for you.

Want to make one yourself?  I’ll be posting the pattern for this gorgeous afghan here soon.

Hugs And Kisses Quilt

This is the perfect quilt to give as a wedding or anniversary gift since it features “X” and “O” blocks - the hugs and kisses.  I’ve actually made this in two different sizes for two different wedding gifts. 

The first quilt features smaller X and O blocks (and more of them) with green, blue, and a cream and tan background with “Faith, Hope, Love and Trust”.  It was made for my cousin Jordan and his wife Jodi’s wedding - the last of the three that my mom, grandma and sister-in-law helped me create.

After making Jordan and Jodi’s quilt with such small blocks I decided to make the blocks larger in the second one.  This one I made for my friend Leslie and her husband Ron’s wedding ~ they’re shown holding up the quilt in this picture.

I will be posting the patterns for both sizes when I have a chance.

Golden Wedding Ring Quilt

This quilt was my first attempt at paper piecing.  My mom, grandma and sister-in-law helped me make it for my cousin Andrea and her husband Al’s wedding.  It was the second of the three quilts we made in 2006. 

We made this with a light blue and green for the focal fabrics, and the background is cream and tan with “Faith, Hope, Love, and Trust” scattered across the fabric ~ appropriate for a wedding gift. :)  It could easily be made with other color combinations to create a kaleidascope look on the quilt. 

The first picture shows the full quilt, held up by my aunt Elaine and my husband Al.  (In case you were paying attention, yes, my cousin and I both married guys named Al.)  The second picture shows one block of the quilt before it was sewn together with the other blocks.

Love Around The World Quilt

 This quilt is a romantic twist on the traditional Trip Around The World pattern. 

I found some beautiful fabric with “Faith, Hope, Love, and Trust” on it so I used it in this quilt that I made for my cousin Ginger and her husband Aaron for their wedding with help from my mom, grandma and my sister-in-law Melinda.  We had three family weddings within four months so we worked together to make the quilts.

The first picture shows the full quilt.  The second picture shows the border quilting which features hearts that are connected.  This was my first attempt at free-motion quilting and I'm pretty happy with the results. :)  

Teddy Bear Pinwheels Baby Quilt

This quilt was made for one of the ladies I worked with at a title company.  The funny thing is I had to scramble to get this done in time for the baby shower, but the baby came early on the day of the shower so the shower had to be postponed anyway. :) 

It features the same fire fighter teddy bear fabric as the Teddy Bear Heroes quilt.  This is a great quilt to make if you need a cute baby quilt in a hurry.

Teddy Bear Heroes Baby Quilt

This is a quilt I made for my cousin’s son Caleb.  It is made with two traditional blocks - the Snowball block and 9-Patch block - and features and adorable print with fire fighter teddy bears. 

It’s difficult to see in the picture, but I quilted a teddy bear design in the Snowball blocks and a paw print pattern in the border.  I will be posting the pattern for this quilt when I have a chance.

Just For Dylan Baby Quilt

This adorable quilt was my first attempt at applique.  I think it turned out pretty well. :)  This was created for my cousin’s son Dylan.  It’s based on a pattern I found The Quilter magazine. 

I was looking for a border fabric with frogs to coordinate with the center applique and happened to find an adorable flannel fabric so I decided to do the entire quilt in flannels.  It’s so soft!

Starry Path Of Friendship Quilt

For this quilt I combined the Double Irish Chain and Friendship Star blocks.  Usually the Irish Chain blocks have a plain setting block in between the chain blocks, but since I was doing a red, white and blue theme I thought it was fitting to have stars instead of just plain setting blocks.  Many quilters use a faster strip piecing method to piece the Irish Chain blocks, but I pieced each square separately to give a scrappier look. 

I recently donated this gorgeous quilt to the VSA Arts of Minnesota Silent Auction held September 20, 2009.  For more information visit the VSA Arts website at www.vsaartsmn.org.

ABCs For Hazel Baby Quilt

This beautiful but simple quilt was made for my cousin’s daughter Hazel.  I found the alphabet and dot fabrics several years before I knew what I was going to do with it.  When my cousin found out she was having a girl I thought this would be a great time to use the fabric.  The pink fabric used for the binding and backing is from the St. Jude’s Quilt of Dreams fabric line, so a portion of the sale of the fabric was donated to the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.  I will be posting the full pattern for this quilt when I have a chance.

Noah's Safari Baby Quilt

I made this quilt for my nephew Noah just before he was born.  My brother and sister-in-law chose not to find out whether they were having a boy or a girl so I wanted to make a quilt that would be appropriate for any child.  When I found this safari animals fabric I knew this was the one, especially since I knew they would name the baby Noah if it turned out to be a boy. 

I used two simple blocks and surrounded them with a plain border, although the striped fabric makes it look like more than just a plain border.  Need a quick baby gift?  This is a great one to make.  I will be posting the full pattern for this quilt when I get a chance.

Crocheted Curly Scarf

This fashionable curly scarf was crocheted using a burgundy medium worsted weight yarn.  It can be worn year-round both for warmth and for fashion.  This scarf is currently for sale in my shop on Etsy.

Love this scarf but prefer a different color?  I welcome custom orders.  Please contact me and I’ll be happy to work with you to create something beautiful for you.

Glossary of Crochet Terms

Here are some of the crochet terms used in our patterns.  Rather than post a tutorial for crochet stitches, we found a great tutorial on the Lion Brand Yarn site.  Visit the Lion Brand Yarn crochet tutorial here.

• sl st = slip stitch
• sc = single crochet
• dc = double crochet
• hdc = half double crochet
• tc = treble crochet (aka triple crochet)
• yo = yarn over
• ch = chain
• rnd = round
• sc2tog = single crochet 2 stitches together (used to decrease number of stitches in a row or round)
• dc2tog = double crochet 2 stitches together (used to decrease number of stitches in a row or round)
• hdc2tog = half double crochet 2 stitches together (used to decrease number of stitches in a row or round)
• tc3tog = treble crochet 2 stitches together (used to decrease number of stitches in a row or round)