Sunday, December 27, 2009

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.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

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.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

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.

Monday, December 21, 2009

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.