Making A Case For Readers

 Ever since I first set my eyes on some of that new self-striping yarn, I've been wanting to try it out.  But alas, I'm not that great a knitter and can't make socks so I came up with this little glass case instead.

I used Deborah Norville Serenity sock weight yarn and Size 6 needles.

Cast on 34 stitches.  Knit in stockinette stick (knit row 1, purl row 2) until piece is about 8 1/2 inches long.  Cast off and weave in ends.  

Press and block the piece.  Cut out a scrap piece of fleece the same size as the knitted piece.

Then cut about an inch off the top end of the fleece so that when the knitted piece is sewn to the fleece, there will be enough of the knitted piece on the top edge to roll.  See picture to the right. 

Place the knitted piece on top of the fleece and sew the piece to the fleece along the top using a slighter longer stitch than normal.

Fold the right sides together and leaving the top edge open, sew along the sides and bottom edges with a 1/4 inch seam.

Carefully trim the fleece from seams, being sure not to cut the knitted piece, to reduce the bulk of the seams.

Turn inside out.

Add a snazzy pair of readers and you are ready to go!

Skirting the Issue

 The dilemma...I wanted an ottoman for the reading chair in my bedroom but desired ottoman needed to be small enough so that it didn't obstruct traffic into the bathroom and it also needed to be able offer some storage for books.  I finally found an ottoman that was the perfect size and even on wheels so it could easily be rolled out of the way when vacuuming.  The problem?  I didn't like how it looked.    

So I decided to put a skirt around it.  The biggest problem was trying to find the right material, no small feat since there are only two places around here that sell fabric.  The first is our local WalMart, which after running the local fabric store out of business, now hardly sells any fabric at all.  (I hate WalMart but it's the only place we have to shop.)   There is a quilting shop in town that sells fabric but their store hours coincide with my work hours so I can never make it in there.  Luckily, when we had to make a quick run into a Walmart out of town yesterday, I happened to find some material that I thought might work.  I was taking a chance on the color and hated to spend $5.44 a yard for two yards of fabric I would probably never use for anything else but as it turned out, the risk paid off.  Not only was the color a perfect match, but I also had guessed right on the amount of material to buy.  (That so rarely happens!)

Since I didn't have a pattern, I just kind of winged it and I have to say I liked how it turned out.

Of course, I spent most of what little free time I had sewing so there wasn't any time left to do any reading but I did manage a test run on the last chapter of my current book and the ottoman worked out perfectly.  It's great to have a place to prop my feet up and even better to have a place to store my books.  Mission accomplished!

Easy Peasy Baby Quilt

This baby quilt was incredibly easy.  I made it this afternoon while watching a movie and the movie was only 82 minutes long.

The secret?  Pre-pieced material.  I happened to be cruising the remnant basket at Hobby Lobby and found this 7/8 piece on sale for $6.89.   It's pieced from alternating bits of baby-soft flannel and chenille fabric.   (Mmm...flannel and chenille...two of the best textile sensations in the whole world.) 

Since this is a gift and I don't know if the baby is a boy or a girl, I chose a pale yellow fleece for the backing fabric to match the yellow in the plaid squares and help neutralize the blue.

The remnant said it was 7/8 yard but because you can never be sure with a remnant, I bought one yard of the fleece. Placing the right sides together, I laid the pieced fabric on top and pinned the fabric together around the edges.

Because fleece can sometimes stretch, I didn't cut the fleece to match the top fabric.  I just trimmed it up a bit leaving about a 2 inch margin all the way around.

Then I sewed the pieces together using a 1/4" seam and leaving a 6" gap on one edge to turn the turn quilt the inside out.

After the edges were sewn, I trimmed the fleece down to the edge of the top fabric and then turned the quilt inside out.  I ironed the quilt making sure press the edges as crisply as possible and tucking in the 6" opening used to turn the fabric inside out.

Sew the 6" opening closed, getting as close to the edge as you can.

Top stitch around all 4 edges of the quilt using a 1/4" allowance.

That's it.  That's all there was to it.

See, I told you it was easy and Mom never lies!  (Except about her weight...she doesn't admit that to anyone!)

To Infinity and Beyond!

Infinity scarfs are all the rage now.  (Does anybody still use that 'all the rage' phrase anymore?  What the heck, I just had my 55th birthday yesterday so I'm getting to an age where I don't give a rip what anyone thinks.  But I digress.)

This one was extremely fast and easy to do.  I knit mine using Sensations Angel Hair yarn (bought from Jo Ann fabrics on sale for $4.99 a skein).  It's indescribably soft and with a 22% wool content, very warm. 

Using size 11 needles, cast on 20 stitches and knit each row (garter stitch) until piece measures about 37 inches long or you have enough yarn left to cast off and sew each end together to make a large loop.

That's all there is to it.  A trifecta when it comes to beginner knitting projects...easy, practical, and stylish.   

No-Sew Blanket (can't have a craft blog without one of these!)

My dad is going through Chemo therapy right now and he's always cold so I made this blanket for him.  Because he's tall, I used 2 yards of fleece for each side but most of these no-sew blankets are a bit  smaller.   Most are made using 1 -1/2 yards of a print for one side and 1 -1/2 yards of a complimentary solid for the other side.  Baby blankets are made using 1 yard each.

There are tons of instructions out on internet but I think this one is pretty good.  http://www.instructables.com/id/No-Sew-Fleece-Blanket/

(I found the music to be extremely distracting so now might be a good time to discover your computer's mute button.)

The video recommends a 5" square cutout on the corners but I've always used a 4" cutout based on the instructions the fabric store gave me years ago when I first started making these.  The 4" works but I think the 5" would be easier to work with so that's what I'll try the next time I make one of these.

The fleece patterns available now are endless.  Sports team logos, children's characters, baby prints...you can easily find a print for anyone.

The great thing about these no-sew blankets, aside from the fact that they are easy to do, is that they are extremely warm and practically indestructible.  

And best of all, I've never given one to anybody who didn't love it.

**** UPDATE ****
My dad loves his blanket and uses it all the time. Whenever I go over to his house, he always has it on.

This is Dad and my wonderful step-mom, Norma, opening his Christmas present from my daughter.  (Love those socks, Lissy!) 

If you know someone going through chemo, this blanket is just the thing.  It's not only practical but a daily reminder that someone cares.

Yo-Yo Bookmark Tutorial

I call these 'Book Blossoms' and unlike regular bookmarks, these don't fall out or get lost.

I came up with the idea when I needed a quick project for a women's retreat at church.  The ones we made were a regular bookmark (see the picture at the end of this post) but I always wanted to make an elastic version after seeing my good friend, Linda, use rubber bands as bookmarks.

These also make great little gifts when you need something in a hurry.  Not only are they cute, but they are really easy to make.  You just need some scraps of material, 1/4" wide elastic, buttons, and some scraps of interfacing. 

I've found an old used CD makes a perfect template for a yo-yo.  I usually fold a few layers of fabric together and cut several yo-yo's at once.  (I wouldn't recommend more than 4 layers, it's not as easy to cut.)
You can either trace and cut with a pair of scissors or use a rotary cutter.  Cut a 1" inch square piece of interfacing for each yo-yo.  Then round the corners on the interfacing square to make a circle. 

Fold over the edge of the fabric circle and finger press as you sew a basting stitch (a basting stitch is just a long running stitch) and gather around the edges.  Hmmm.  I just noticed how fat my fingers look. 

As you sew and gather the stitches, the yo-yo should start to form.  Just before you finish the outer edge, slip in an interfacing circle to give the yo-yo some stability.  (You can skip the interfacing if you don't have any but it does help.)   Yup, those fingers really are fat.  Like little white sausages.

Finish stitching and gathering the outer edges together then draw them in as tight as you can and run a few stitch through the gathers to secure them together.

Cut a 14" long piece of elastic.  (This is for a standard paperback. If you have a larger book, adjust the length of the elastic accordingly.)   Put the ends together to make a band (be sure it's not twisted) and overlap the ends by 1/2" then either hand-sew or zig-zag stitch across the ends to tack them together.  Then sew the band to the back of the yo-yo.  You can hand sew it but it's much easier to use the sewing machine.  Just flip the yo-yo over so that the top is on the bottom and center the band over the back of the yo-yo.  Sew it just as you would a button.

You can either sew or hot glue the button on the yo-yo.  FYI, the little mat that I'm using with the hot glue gun is a remnant left over from the oven liner that I bought to use in my toaster oven.  The liner was made for a regular oven but I trimmed it down to fit the bottom tray of the toaster oven and kept the left over to use with my hot glue gun.  Works really great and rolls up for easy storage when you're done.  

If you don't want to make an elastic bookmark, you can also just use a ribbon to make a regular bookmark.  Simply hot glue a piece of ribbon to the back of the yo-yo.  Couldn't be easier!

Laptop Sleeve

I got the idea for this laptop sleeve after seeing something similar in Country Living or some such magazine.  They listed the company's website and I immediately looked it up online.  It cost $38 plus shipping and handling.  Well, I still wanted one but not for $45.

So I did what any other crafty mom would do, I made my own.  I used a cotton/poly print for the outside and faux sherpa to pad and line and the inside.  I didn't have a pattern but figured since it was basically an envelope design, I wouldn't need one.  I just measured the length and width of my lap and added enough of an allowance to accommodate the extra thickness of the faux shearpa. (Maybe one of these days, I'll make another one and post a tutorial.)  I also added a little pocket to hold a mouse or a CD.  I used some Velcro I had on hand (bought on clearance for a pittance) to make a closure for the sleeve. 

My total cost for the whole project was about $10 in materials and a couple of hours time on a lazy Sunday afternoon.  The feeling of accomplishment afterwards?   Priceless!!