Crochet / Knitting Needle Case

Happy Friday!

I made something on a complete whim last night.  I hadn't been planning to make it, and even when I started it I wasn't very confident of the outcome.  But it turned out to be fantastic!  If I had a shop, I'd sell these.  They're practical and very, very easy.  A little over an hour from conception to completion, I think.

As you may (or may not) know, I've recently started knitting and crocheting.  At first I threw everything (yarn and needles) into a tote, since I didn't really know if I would like either activity, but now that I'm turning it from an experiment into a hobby, I thought it was time to make some sort of system for it all, so I wouldn't have to go digging for a needle every time.

So I came up with this needle case:

I have some large knitting needles already and plan to buy even larger ones at some point.  So, to be safe, I made it 12" tall and 14" wide.

To start, I cut two fabrics into long pieces: 15" x 25", and sewed them together, exactly like I would sew a pillow.  (Lay the fabrics with the 'good' side facing each other, and sew the edges together all the way around, leaving a 2-3" gap in one corner.  Turn right-side out through the gap.)

I folded the bottom of the case (which becomes the pocket) so that it was 4" deep, and the top so that the edge of the flap reached the edge of the pocket.  I ironed both creases.  I sewed a simple stitch all the way around the case (1/8" from the edge), sewing together the sides of the pocket (don't sew the sides of the top flap together.)

To make the needle 'sleeves', I put a bunch of straight seams into the bottom pocket, anywhere from 1/4" to 1", depending on the size needles I had.  Since I plan to buy many more over the years, I left a large gap in the middle of the case where I can add sleeves as I please.

Finally, I added a tie onto the case.  If I were to make it again, I'd probably choose a strip of velcro, or a ribbon, or some kind of snap or button, but for this first one, I made a long fabric strip and sewed it on the back.  To determine where the strip would go, I folded the case up, with the needles inside, and rolled it left-to-right, then pinned the tie approximately where I thought it should go (it's a very scientific method, you see.)

It's certainly not elaborate, but it will absolutely work for my needs.  If you plan to make one, you can, of course, tailor it to your specific needs.  If you only crochet, for example, and use standard needles, you may want to make it much smaller, perhaps only 6" tall. 

What do you think of my spontaneous project?  :)

~ Sarah

"Catch and Release" Scarf

Well, I'm copycatting again.  I saw this idea on Pinterest (and can you believe it??  I actually got OFF of Pinterest and made something!!) and had to try it out.  It looked easy, beautiful, and totally something I could crank out in bulk (for, ahem, Christmas, perhaps...) 

Kelli has a very excellent tutorial here.  As with all things, I skipped a step or two (mostly the measuring-the-lines thing... I kindof eyeballed it.)  I picked a bunch of clearance fabrics, 3 yards long, and went to town.  In the time it took me to watch one movie, I had finished 12 scarves and was disappointed it was time to stop. 

Here are some photographs:

 

This white one was my particular favorite.  The fabric itself is a little stretchy, and makes a soft, comfortable, and absolutely gorgeous scarf.  I asked Jayson if it would be selfish of me to keep one of the white ones... after glancing at the 11 others I'd finished in 2 hours, he smiled and said, "I think you may have earned that one." 

Which one is your favorite?

~ Sarah

Deck Cushions

Wasn't it a beautiful weekend??

Fabulous for outdoor parties, especially if they were pool parties.  You'll be happy to know that my potato salad was a hit (although I still haven't found a place for the pirate yet.  Come on, Readers, no ideas??)

We have a (flexible) rule in our house that we spend Sunday afternoons together doing nothing, or next to nothing.  Yesterday, however, I felt an unsuppresable urge to accomplish one of my to-do list tasks - recovering my wicker cushions.  It was much easier than I thought, and because I moved my entire operation out to the deck, it counted as recreation anyways.



View from the deck to the back yard.



I love Jayson's boots on the railing. 



This is what they looked like 'before':

I know, they're so very...
blech.  I didn't pick them, fyi.

I was tempted to make a trip to my local fabric store, but I've been avoiding it the past week (the last two times I went there, I came home with unexpected sewing projects that I just didn't have time to do!)  So I avoided the danger and picked some fabric from my (not small) collection.  Fortunately, I happened to have just the thing:

Now, from previous posts, you probably know that I have an issue with measurements (by issue, I mean that I don't use them).  So it won't surprise you that I didn't use a pattern.  I literally placed the cushion on the fabric, then traced it and cut with scissors.  I also took the lazy way out - I didn't remove the old covers.  I sewed three edges, like a pillowcase, then hand-stitched the final seam (making sure that this final seam would be the one facing the back.)  {Since you might be wondering this, I had planned to use zippers, but didn't have any that were long enough.}

Then I picked matching buttons...



I would love for buttons to become
currency... I'd be disgustingly wealthy.

Using a long, sturdy needle and embroidery thread, I tied the buttons onto both sides of the cushion.

And voila!  A finished cushion.  I was quite pleased with the result.  Naturally, it would be much more impressive if they had zippers, were uniform, etc, but that's alright.  Unless you read my blog, you'll never know the difference.  ;)

Enjoy the beginning of your week!!

~ Sarah

Pretty Little Bench Cushion

What a glorious day we have here in NEPA!  I have been uber-busy-woman these last several days, and likely will continue in this vein for the next week.  So, when it came time to click on my "New Post" button, I thought, for a brief, sad moment, that I had nothing whatsoever to share!  But never fear, I found something afterall.  :)



I made this bench cushion for my charming foyer piece some time ago, but it was long before I was your blogger, and therefore, I didn't think to take photographs or notes as I made it.  *hangs head in shame*  So, since it would be unfair for me to give you a tutorial based solely on my memory of making it, I will simply tell you what I used, and more-or-less how I used it.  (This way there will be no bad directions!)

Supplies:

1. Large piece of foam (the green stuff - what's it called?)
2. Fabric
3. Rope
4. Buttons
5. Embroidery thread

How I made it:

-->  I started by measuring my foam to fit the bench top, and trimming off the excess.  A word to the wise - measure before you go to the craft store and let them do the cutting.  (I didn't in this case because the idea came to me when I was staring at the foam at the store, and had no idea what size my little bench was.)

-->  I measured my fabric to fit the foam (plus a few extra inches for mistakes, which there always are.

-->  The piping was made using a long strip of fabric that I sewed around the rope (right-side-out) {this left a 'tail' on the edge of the piping that fit perfectly into the seam}

-->  I sewed the piping into the seams of the fabric (leaving one side open, like a pillowcase)

-->  I stuffed the foam into its new 'pillowcase' (no easy feat!)

-->  As with many projects, I sewed the last side by hand.

-->  Using a large, sturdy needle, I stitched embroidery thread on each side of the cushion, then added a button on each side of the thread.  I tied the most sturdy, magnificent knot I could make up.

And that's it!  I believe that this was a one-evening project, but if you were making smaller cushions (say, seat covers for wicker furniture) it would take even less time. 

Close-up of the piping.  I was
exceptionally pleased with the outcome.

Close-up of the button.  Note that the foam
puckers around it -- the knots are extremely tight..

So, there you have it!  This is something of a cheat day, I admit, but I'd rather cheat a little than leave you with nothing. ; )

~ Sarah