Frugal Friday 10/24/14--Crafts as Gifts

This week I'm going to continue to share crocheted gifts that I have given.

I started crocheting these cotton washcloths/dishcloths several years ago.  They have been a common gift for the women over the years.

Last year I gave making crochet topped towels a try.  They came out really well.   I still have lots of towels since you only use half of the towel to make each one.  I wonder who would like another one this year?   I didn't have a pattern.  I just took the one that I own and made my best guess.

I had won this cookbook in a raffle at the grandkids' elementary school.  I knew I wanted to give it to my sister-in-law for Christmas.  That gave me the idea to also crochet her 2 of the double thick hotpads and then make her the matching coasters and cross magnet with plasttic canvas.
Not sure why I thought they needed to match the cookbook, but they did.


I'm going to go off the track of the crochet now and show you a latest project.  I was approached by the PR firm for wholesaleforeveryone.com and asked to make Trick-Or-Treat bags with some of their Halloween-Themed Bandanas
 
I did one post with the giveaway, but want you to be on the look out tomorrow when I will put up a tutorial with step-by-step pictures of how to make the bags.

These are gifts too.  A bag for each of my 9 grandchildren that live in town.

An InLinkz Link-up

Writer's Unite 10/23/14

Good Thursday to all! 
I haven't caught up with my blog posts, but I did get my new Super Sunday Reviews series started.
I am adding a linky there each week as well for you to share reviews you've done in the past week.
I will share that post in the linky today.

I had some questions about what can be shared in this Thursday linky.  Share whatever you like!  It doesn't have to be something that you wrote this week.  It can be something you wrote last year, 10 years ago, or yesterday.  The choice is yours on what you would like others to take a look at.

Thanks goes out this week to Ruthi Cox for getting the word out about this weekly post.
You can find Ruth many places online including:
http://wizzley.com/authors/RuthCox/
http://www.zazzle.com/abitosunshine
http://abitosunshine.blogspot.com/
http://www.dogpawsitivetidbits.com/

An InLinkz Link-up

WIP Wednesday 10/22/14

Somehow I'm not feeling as productive in the area of sewing this week.   I only have 2 pictures to show you this week.

Let's start off with my hexagons.  I'm working with brown, black and gray on the soscrappy challenge. (See button at the bottom of my post).
I stopped making them in to flowers because I needed to free up pins for other projects.  I did get all that I had papers pinned to put together.  Hopefully this week I will get at least a few of these made in to complete flowers.

Then I completed 4 more Charming Stars blocks for this month and the sewalong with Terry's Treasures. (See button to the right)
I have them hanging on the 'design wall' now.    I'm enjoying these blocks.   I already told the quilt shop owner that I intend to put the top completely together for this at the upcoming retreat November 7th and 8th.   It will be here soon and I'm so excited!

Wait!!  I did do more sewing than this.   I knew I had to have!    I finished up 7 more of the Halloween bags.   The giveaway for the bandanas is over, but I will soon be putting up a post with step by step instructions on making the trick-or-treat bags.

Here is my UFO list........ I was looking in my sewing room for one thing last night.  I was going through my too many to count bags that either have these UFO's in them, or projects that I've not started yet.  My mind was boggled.   It's not even been that long since I made up all of these bags of projects yet I still had forgotten about some of them.  I need to get busy and STAY busy.


UFO's
Rectangle quilt
challenge wall hanging
GoodNight Irene quilt/wall hanging
Yo-Yo Table runner
Emerald Island Fusique table runner
Five and Dime quilt
40 Hot Pads (22 done)
Christmas bags (total of at least 25) (9 done)
Charming Stars quilt
Brown half square triangle quilt
? sets of doll blanket, pillows and rug

I am linking up with the following blogs:

All Business Monday---Online Craft Mall

This week I would like to introduce to you the Online Craft Mall at Under The Rainbow.

Under The Rainbow, Online Craft Mall is your source to buy and sell quality crafts!
It's a real craft mall for craft shopping, not just links to other sites.

Are you a crafter looking for an outlet to sell your wares? Do you enjoy buying hand made items?
If so, then the Under The Rainbow Online Craft Mall is for you!

I've been a member of the mall for 10 years now and have never been disappointed. You will NOT find a better deal on the internet.

Online Craft Mall with a LOW one time fee of only $10 to join!


Including myself, there are currently 23 crafters.
I have several of my crafts listed there and need to add more.

View Marsha's Crafts

Marsha Cooper, Crafter     Gifts Galore and More, Owner

Hutchinson, KS     

I'm Marsha, a mom from Kansas. I have 4 children, with only one left at home. I have 10 grandchildren. I really enjoy my crafts and keeping my hands busy at all times. I've really been enjoying making upcycled, or recycled crafts and I've been learning more and more about quilting.


All handcrafted items in the online craft mall are handmade by individual crafters. Crafters join Under The Rainbow online craft mall as independent members and Under The Rainbow works directly with our members to fill your orders. Most members will even customize crafts for you!

Follow Under The Rainbow on facebook to see highlighted crafts and more.
You can also follow Under the Rainbow's pinterest boards as well.


Stay tuned next week for more information  :)

An InLinkz Link-up

Super Sunday Reviews--Learn To Sew with Lauren

When I received my copy Learn to Sew with Lauren in the mail I was ecstatic.
My 13 year old grandson has been asking me to teach him how to sew.
He was the first one to look through the book.

The full title is Learn to Sew with Lauren:  From first stitches to personalized projects.

It's not kidding.   The front 63 pages of the books is techniques starting with understanding and choosing fabrics and ending with setting in a sleeve.  In between you find things such as basic hand stitches, seams, hems, and a lot more.
Here are examples of some of the technique pages:

Pages 64 through 207 are projects.  They start with Beginners--easy peasy through Improvers--more tricky.
Here are a couple of pages from the projects:

The first project in the book is an Envelope Cushion Cover.   I've never made one before, so couldn't wait to give it a try.
The instructions were very easy to follow.  Each project shows plenty of illustrations to go with the instructions.
Here is my pillow cover.  I can't wait to make more now that I know how easy they are to make!

The front and back covers of the book contain paper patterns for the projects that need them:

I attend a sit n' sew at our local quilt shop once a month.  I took the book along this month to get feedback from the other ladies.   They were all impressed with it.  They did notice things that I didn't such as the wording telling that it's published in another country.  It actually is published in the UK.
One lady pointed out that all measurements are given in both metric and standard measurements.
They liked how the instructions were clear with plenty of illustrations.

About the author:
Lauren Guthrie was a finalist on the highly successful Great British Sewing Bee TV series.   A very enterprising twenty-something, Lauren initially trained as a physiotherapist, but gave that up to renovate a historic building in which she has just opened her own haberdashery, Guthrie & Ghani, in Birmingham, England.  Lauren runs extremely popular sewing classes and workshops, as well as a popular blog from her website www.guthrie-ghani.co.uk with news, projects and tutorials.

Book info:
ISBN 978-1845339272
Hardcover, with 224 pages and 7 pull out patterns. 400 total illustrations.
Distributed by Hachette Book Group


Get your copy now on amazon :)



Disclaimer: I rec'd a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. Author and other information was also provided to me. I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions expressed are my own.

An InLinkz Link-up