Book Review: A Thing of Beauty by A. J. Cronin

This book is a great story of one man's obsession to be an artist.  To achieve this, he had to deny his family their expectations of what his future was to be, and it took him on a journey that is enviable, yet sad in order to find his artistic freedom.  I found my copy of this paperback at a library sale, but copies can probably be found at Amazon or through a Google search of other book sellers.  Here's an excerpt which I think sums up the feelings of people with artistic drive:

 

The covers of the original Bantam paperback:

 

Upcycle a Cardboard Carton with Crochet

Upcycle a Cardboard Carton

with Crochet

Materials Needed:

Sturdy Cardboard Carton, empty (this example used a Huggies Snug & Dry carton, 54-pack size)

·       Worsted Weight Yarn (this project is a good way to use up yarn bits in the stash!)

·       Crochet Hook Size K (a larger hook makes for faster finish!)

·       Yarn Needle

·       An awl or pick to punch holes into the carton (holes must be large enough to allow the yarn needle threaded with single yarn strand to pass through)

Note:  Use two strands of yarn held together

Step 1:  Beginning at bottom of box:   Chain a length approximately 1-1/2” shorter than the length of the bottom of the carton (turn your carton upside down and hold the chain loosely across the bottom to measure.)  Sc across the chain, and re-measure.  Your chain should now reach the edge across the bottom of the carton.  If not, adjust by adding more or fewer chains – remember, the chain will be stretchy, so hold the chain loosely to measure against the carton, do not stretch it out.  The piece should be measured against the bottom of the carton – when held loosely against the bottom of the box, the sides of the rows should match the edges of the box bottom. 

Sc each row, and repeat until piece covers the bottom of the box (turn the box over frequently, and hold your work against it to check your progress.)  Your completed bottom should cover the bottom of the carton, edge to edge.  Cut yarn. 

Step 2:  With contrasting yarns or the same colors as desired, attach new yarn to any corner of the bottom piece.  Sc across, and repeat by sc each row, until the piece measures the length of the box side (hold your work with the bottom in place and smooth it up the side of the box to see where you are for length).  Once you have reached the exact length of the box side (and keep in mind that ‘exact length’ means that when unstretched, the piece measures the length of the box side), work 2 rows in dc (these two rows will fold over into the inside of the carton edge).  Cut yarn.  Repeat for remaining three sides.

Step 3:  Use a strand of yarn and the yarn needle to sew the four seams closed (or, attach a single strand of yarn, and use a Size G crochet hook to sc along each seam, for a ridged look.)

Step 4:  Sewing the cover onto the carton:  Hold the cover against the carton and fold the two rows of dc into the carton to determine where your holes will be placed; they should be approximately in between the two rows (about 1” in from edge of carton).   Use the awl or pick to punch evenly-spaced holes across the edges of the box . 

Step 5:  Thread yarn needle with a long strand of yarn, and anchor the yarn by running a few stitches through the edge of the dc.  Needle through a corner hole, and begin an overcast stitch along the carton edge, following the holes you punched.   Weave in any loose yarn ends to finish.

Project Suggestions: 

·       Finish your project by adding handles

·       Add a lining of fabric to inside of carton

·       Use bright primary colors for each side for a child’s storage box

·       This project is a great way to use up bits in the yarn stash

Re-Cover Your Old Kitchen Mats with Fabric

I bought some kitchen mats that were cute and inexpensive.  But not so inexpensive that I was willing to replace them again when the tops began to separate from the foam pad (I did try gluing them down, with no success.)  The foam pad is still nice and cushiony.  I considered punching holes along the edges of the mats and stitching or crocheting the edges with yarn, but since I was in a fabric de-stashing mood, I decided to go with fabric covers.  The fabric I used is an upholstery type fabric, and it has a nice fringe if I unravel it a bit along the edges.  It is about the weight of corduroy.

I realized that if I simply just made a pocket of fabric and slipped the rug in, I would be left with an accident waiting to happen:  a piece of fabric on a slippery smooth floor; whereas if I left a good portion of the rubber mat exposed underneath, the mat would keep its place.  I made straps of the fabric to go across each end of the mat, and sewed the straps to the edges of the mat. 

My finished, re-covered mat!  The benefit also of this cover is that I can remove it easily and give it a washing.

Note:  I walk easily around in the kitchen without disturbing them, but I notice that my husband tends to kick them up into wrinkled piles!  The foam rubber cushion of the mat is about 1/2" thick, so I'm amazed that he manages to do this.  I simply smooth them when he leaves the kitchen, but I'm keeping a close eye on whether they become a trip hazard for him... If you plan on trying this project, be sure to just do one mat first and let it sit around a bit to see how it goes.

Product Review: Brother Lock 1034D Serger Machine

I bought this machine from Amazon, and it arrived quickly, with no problem (but oddly, the seller sent it in the colorful, come-steal-me box it comes in; with no outer wrapping or carton (I'm just glad I was home, and noticed it sitting on the front step!). 

I was new to serging, though have been sewing for over 40 years on a regular machine.  Everyone hears such horrible stories about serging: the horror of threading the machine, how to handle all those cones of thread, and more, so I never felt I had the time to learn something new that might be tricky.

This machine, however, is perfect for a novice serger.  It's not totally overloaded with features that you won't understand as a beginner, but it has enough features that you will be satisfied with the projects you can undertake (seams, decorative serging, etc., that you can use on clothing, curtains, crafts, pillows, and even quilting with unique exposed seams!).  After opening the carton (and I had let it sit unopened for a few months, thinking I had to set a block of time apart for it), in three days I have made two blouses and a bedspread!  I definitely recommend this machine. 

 Pardon the wrinkles on the T-shirt; I didn't even want to take the time to press the fabric, because I was having such fun making it.  The material is a striped knit fabric that was in a fabric stash bag that a former sewist gave to me; I made the skull applique with a bit of yellow gingham, and the flower from a bit of fleece that was also in that bag.  For a pattern, I simply traced a favorite existing shirt of mine (it was a scrub shirt) onto the knit fabric, and cut around it, leaving about 1/4" (to allow for the serger knife cutting). 

For this bedspread, I also made it a stash-busting project....I already had the pre-sewn quilt patchwork top that I had purchased from a charity shop where they teach their wards how to sew, and other skills (the quilt top was nicely made, and pre-washed, too!).  I added the ruffled border along the edges from some broadcloth yardage I had, and found a forgotten stash of ruffled eyelet trim to top it all off.  Now, I must make a bolster for that black pillow....

Revolting for Change Skull Sticker

Revolting for Change Skull Sticker: Revolt, and make a change for the better! The bold graphic skull and black, red and white color scheme make this sticker a standout.

Take a music break with some soothing holiday music....

Take a minute this busy holiday season, and relax to some native flute music with a holiday theme:

http://www.reverbnation.com/timromero/song/15412950-we-three-kings-of-orient-are?fb_og_action=reverbnation_fb%3Aunknown&fb_og_object=reverbnation_fb%3Asong&utm_campaign=a_public_songs&utm_content=reverbnation_fb%3Asong&utm_medium=facebook_og&utm_source=reverbnation_fb%3Aunknown