I thought it would be fun to start showing some before and after photos of my bags. Let’s just hope I remember to take the before photos. I tend to get all excited and jump right into a project!
I’m calling this my X and O bag. Can you find them?
i’m a finalist in crafty nation’s craft off!
I entered the denim messenger bag I made for Christina in Crafty Nation’s Craft Off and it’s a finalist!
Head over today and cast your Craft Off vote. You don’t need to be a member or have to sign up in order to participate in the voting. Winners announced on Wednesday! Cross your fingers for me!
conversations in the car :: sorry, charlie
M: Mama, is this music Coldplay?
Me: No, sweetie. This is Charlie Sexton.
M: This music is Charlie Brown Sexton?
Me: It’s just Charlie Sexton, not Charlie Brown Sexton. He’s a singer.
M: Oh.
(long pause)
M: Mama, can you put in Coldplay?
little pod from bella
When my parents were playing with M in the backyard, she found a bunch of pods by the fence. She gathered them up to give to mommy and daddy. How cute! My dad took this picture of a little pod in one of my silk flowers. Isn’t he talented? I love this photo!
springtime in nebraska
I never cease to be awed by Spring weather in the Midwest. It’s amazing to me that one half of our state can be under winter storm warnings while the other half is under tornado warnings.
Yesterday was the first time the sirens went off for the season. There is a weird energy that comes with the sirens. It’s not excitement, but it’s not anxiety either. I’m not sure how to describe it. It’s very humbling to acknowledge the force and strength of Mother Nature.
There’s not much time to prepare for a tornado. You don’t get days to stock up on supplies or evacuate. Boarding up windows and stacking sandbags doesn’t help. We just put a few things in the tornado bag and head for the basement. My tornado bag has our cordless phone, my cell phone and charger, my laptop and charger, my wallet, knitting for me and books for M. After yesterday, I’ve decided M needs a tornado bag of her own. She definitely picked up on the stressful urgency of the weatherman telling people to take cover. I think she needs some special books and toys to distract her.
Having a child has definitely changed the way I react in these situations. I am much more calm on the outside, but a little more panicky on the inside. Luckily, storms that blow in fast usually leave just as quickly. Then the sun comes out and we head upstairs and get on with our day. And I always say a small thank you when we climb the stairs that they’re still there.
custom wool felted bag :: teal and white
I have to give props to my friend Cathy. She picks the neatest sweaters for her custom bags and always has the coolest coordinating fabric choices.
I’m not sure what I like more—the beautiful buttons or the purple floral print.
She also requested a coordinating box bag for her knitting. I love making these bags. They give me lots of practice with zippers!
i have a lot to say…
…but don’t have time to blog about it all right now. Instead, I’ll remind you that my giveaway ends tonight, so leave a comment!
Here are some other fun giveaways for you:
Lisa is giving away something from one of her shops. You get to pick!
Kelly is giving away a sweet kid’s apron.
Sarah is giving away some fabric.
M&M Studio is giving away even more fabric.
Good luck and have fun!
st. patrick’s day giveaway!
GIVEAWAY CLOSED. CONGRATS TO LISA IN FLORIDA!
Are you feeling lucky? Maybe a four-leaf clover would help. St. Patrick’s Day is the second day of the Lincoln Handmade Team’s giveaway extravaganza and I’m throwing a four-leaf clover coffee sleeve into the ring!
All you need to do to win is leave a comment and tell me how you celebrate St. Paddy’s Day. Do you wear a lucky shamrock or lots of green? Maybe you wear orange! Do you eat corned beef and cabbage? Drink green beer? Make Irish soda bread? (Yum!)
Whether you use the cozy for a tasty Irish coffee or rich and creamy Guinness, join in on the fun! Then visit the other members of our team for more giveaway goodness.
Comments close Thursday at midnight CT. Erin Go Braugh!
giveaway extravaganza
Every day next week a Lincoln Handmade Team member will be having a giveaway! All of our members are extremely talented and do beautiful work. Be sure to check out their blogs and shops. Then stop back here on Tuesday. I’m giving away something green for St. Patrick’s Day!
Monday: Christy of ChristyNelson.net
Tuesday: Julie of Kundhi Creative (Me!)
Wednesday: Lisa of Chimera Crochet
Thursday: Kelly of refibered
Friday: Korrine of Crafterella
Saturday: Lynette of Handmade for You
how to refashion an ’80s sweater in five easy steps
UPDATE: Thanks to the Craft Magazine blog for their link to my tutorial!
March is Mending Month over at Craftzine. I’ve been doing a lot of mending lately. I keep a bag next to my desk for whenever I have a little time for sewing a button or fixing a hem. Mending is good for the soul, at least mine anyway.
Last week I posted a scarf I made out of sweater scraps from resizing my brother-in-law’s ’80s style sweaters. It was super easy. I probably wouldn’t try this with an heirloom sweater, but it’s great for all those oversized sweaters you may have collecting dust in the back of your closet.
Step 1
Try on the sweater inside out and pin along the sides and under the arms for a more fitted shape. (I used safety pins for this step.)
Step 2
Lay the sweater flat and adjust the pins make sure your seams are straight and equal in size. (I changed to straight pins at this point.)
Step 3
Machine stitch the new side seams with a straight stitch. Then repeat with zigzag stitch to catch the frayed ends. (A serger would be perfect for this.)
Step 4
Your seams might be a little wobbly after stitching. Press with a warm steam iron. Use a press cloth if your sweater isn’t 100% wool. Trim excess.
Step 5
Turn sweater right side out and press open the seams. That’s it!
