Scrapbuster No. 17 & Challenge Submission: Steering Wheel Cover with Tutorial

I am lovin' my new steering wheel cover.

 I live in Arizona where 9 years of the blistering, desert sun has done some real damage to my steering wheel.  I decided I needed a cover for it.  What a perfect scrap buster!

Nasty sun-damaged steering wheel.

This was so quick and easy to make.  In addition to being practical, it looks great, and is washable.  During the hot summer, it’s also much more comfortable on your hands after the car has been sitting in a parking lot for a couple of hours.

I used fabric leftover from the Tammis Keefe celebration (check that out here), but you could piece scraps together to make a patchwork version.  You'll also need scraps of batting.

Since I know you want to make one, too, let’s get right to the tutorial!

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Scrapbusters No. 11: Charity Dog Beds

Charity dog bed about 3/4ths full.

I will save any fabric scrap that is larger than 1.5 inches square for sewing.   That’s pretty darn small, but there are always smaller pieces.  I used to throw those out and it would kill me to waste them.  Then, I heard about using them to stuff charity dog beds.  No waste and you’re doing a good thing for the doggies!

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Scrapbusters No. 1: Bead Soup Button

Welcome to Scrapbuster Month at Sara vs. Sarah!  Everyday during the month of March we will be posting a new scrapbusting project.  Without further adieu, let's do some spring stash cleaning.

Can beads be scraps?  I say definitely!  How many times have you had leftover beads from a project?  If you’re anything like me, you throw these strays together in a box or jar and it becomes a sort of “bead soup.”  So lets take that bead soup and turn it into a beautiful button perfect for embellishing just about anything.

My bead soup box--mixes of leftover beads.

I give full credit for this idea to my friend Barb C.  She showed me this and as far as I’m concerned, she’s a genius!

Supplies Needed:

• Some bead soup (a melange of leftover beads) – smaller scale beads like seed beads work best
• A shank back button or covered button base
• Strong, clear drying, multi-surface glue

Instructions:

Step 1:  Cover the top of your button with glue (I used E6000).

Tip:  Add a twisty-tie to the back of the button to give yourself something to hang on to while you are working with the button.

Step 2:  Dip your button into the beads and twist it around until it is covered in beads.  Let dry.

Dip the glue covered button into the bead soup.

Step 3:  When dry, cover the beaded button with glue and dip again.  Do this as many times as needed (at least twice; I dipped three times) to completely cover the button in beads.

Certainly, you don’t have to limit this to buttons.  Why not a brooch, earrings, or a fancy-pants cocktail ring?  This is so quick and easy that you’d think Sara came up with it!

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Socks Education Part 5: Finishing Off (The Toes)

We are to the toe!  Can you believe it?  It seems like just yesterday that we were turning the heel...  or was it the day before yesterday?  My, how sophiscated and experienced we are with socks now.

The Toe

Believe me, after the heel, the toe is going to be a breeze.  A walk in the park.  An ice cream sundae with a cherry on top.  It’s going to be easy.

Toe
Round 1	·        Needle #1:  k until 3 sts left, k 2 tog, k 1 ·        Needle #2:  k 1, sl 1 st, k 1, psso, k until 3 sts left, k 2 tog, k 1 ·        Needle # 3:  k 1, sl 1 st, k 1, psso, k to end
Round 2	K even
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until	12 sts are left
To Finish	·        Graft remaining sts (aka Kitchener sts); or ·        K 2 together for 1 round until 6 sts remain; cut thread leaving 8 inch tail, thread tail onto a yarn needle, then thread yarn through 6 sts and pull up; or ·        Bind off 12 sts and sew toe closed

Before we start, make sure your stitches are properly distributed.  You should have one-fourth of the stitches on Needle #1, one-half the stitches on Needle #2, and the final one-fourth on Needle #3.  We are going to decrease one at the end of Needle #1, one at the both the beginning and end of Needle #2, and one at the beginning of Needle #3.

Sock with stitches distributed

For Round 1:

Needle #1:  Knit until there are three stitches left on the needle, knit two    together, knit one.

Needle #2:  Knit one, slip one stitch, knit one, pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch, knit until there are three stitches left on the needle, knit two together, knit one.

Needle #3:  Knit one stitch, slip one stitch, knit one stitch and pass slipped stitch over the knit stitch, knit to end of needle.

For Round 2:  Knit even.

Repeat these two rounds until you have 10-12 stitches left.

Ten stitches left

We have three choices for binding off: 

1)  Graft the remaining stitches. Grafting is also known as the Kitchener stitch.

2)  K two together for 1 round reducing the number of stitches to six.  Cut yarn leaving an 8 inch tail.  Using a yarn needle, thread yarn through the six remaing stitches and pull up to close toe.

3)  Bind off the 12 stitches and sew the toe closed.

There are pros and cons to each of these methods.  I graft my remaining stitches.  This looks the nicest and there is no bulk.  However, grafting is the hardest method, especially if you haven’t done it before.  I’m not going to go into an explanation of it here.  My suggestion is that if you want to give this a try, go to YouTube where there are several good videos.

Pulling up the threads is the easiest method, but it is also the least attractive.  It will give you a little point at the tip of your sock.  The sock will be perfectly comfortable and usable, but if you’re anything like me, that point will annoy you.

Binding off and then sewing the toe closed would be my second most preferred method.  It results in a little bulk in the toe, but it’s attactrive.

Once you have finished the toe, weave in the ends.  If you have change colors at any point, and have two ends right next to each other, go in opposite directions when weaving them in.  This will reduce bulk.  Also, added colors with Russian join, you don't have to weave in at all.  Just snip your yarn and get on with your life.

Second Sock

Here’s the worst thing about knitting socks.  Unless you have only one foot, you have to make a second one.  So, return to the Casting On section and do it all again. 

One finished sock.

Come back tomorrow when I will publish the final, printable version of the Basic Crew Sock Build Your Own Pattern.  If I do say so myself, this pattern is pretty nifty.  Sara loves it because she can put it in a page protector (she has a strange affinity for page protectors).  It does fit neatly onto the front and back of a single sheet of paper which is handy if you knit on the go.  I’ll also have some ideas for you regarding designing and custom fitting your socks.

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Challenge 14 Submission: Atomic-look Ball Clock with Tutorial!

My atomic-look clock inspired by George Nelson's ball clock.

This submission is dedicated to chronically late, of which, sadly, I am one.  So, to get myself organized, I decided to make a clock for my TV room to help me keep track of time.  My prediction?  I'll still be late, I'll just be more aware that I'm late!

Here's the original George Nelson clock which retails for about $400:

Here's mine again; it cost about $10:

Here are the instructions for making your own Atomic-look Ball Clock.
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Socks Education Part 4.3: Taking Your Socks Life in a New Direction

Was turning the heel good for you?  It was good for me.  Now, let’s move on to gusseting.

The Gusset.

Click to enlarge.

The gusset can be as confusing as the turn, but I got you through that and now I will get you through this.  The gusset is, by definition, a triangular piece insert to make a garment fit better.  It’s the opposite of a dart which is a triangle that is taken out of a garment to make it fit better. 

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Socks Education Part 3: Diving in with Gusto!

Are you ready to knit?  It is time to show those double-pointed needles (dpn) who’s the boss (I’m trying to think of a Tony Danza joke, but I’ve got nothing).

Test Swatch.  Don’t skip this because you’re in a hurry to get to the good stuff!  Really, it’s important.  Take your time when knitting and you will enjoy it more. 

We are shooting for a gauge of 8 stitches per inch.  Take your yarn and the size needles you think you need to achieve this gauge.  Cast on about 18 stitches.  Now, working in your pattern stitch (in this case stockinette or K one row, P one row), knit about ten rows.  Lay your work down on a flat surface, grab your tape measure, and see if you have the correct gauge.  If you have MORE than 8 stitches, you need to use a bigger needle.  If you have LESS than 8 stitches, you need to use a smaller needle.  If you have exactly 8 stitches, then you’ve hit a home run on your first try!

The Pattern.  We are going to make a basic crew sock.  I’ve come up with a nifty “Build Your Own Pattern” (BYOP) worksheet. So I don’t overwhelm you, we’ll be taking each section of the worksheet as needed.  At the end of the series, I’ll post the entire worksheet which will print, conveniently, on one sheet of paper front and back.  This is Sara’s favorite feature because it means she can put it in a page protector.  She gets a little too excited about page protectors, in my opinion.  But hey, to each his/her own.

With this worksheet, you will be able to knit a sock for anyone as long as you know the gauge of your yarn and the length and circumference of the foot.  The first section will be used to record the “reference information” you need to get started.

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Socks Education Part 2: The Anatomy of a Sock

In order to fully enjoy the experience of socks, you need to have a solid working knowledge of anatomy.  Let’s take a look at the common crew sock.

The cuff; in my opinion the key to a good sock.

The Cuff.  The traditional way to knit socks is to start at the cuff and work toward the toe.  If I’m old-fashioned enough to believe in using DPNs, then you can bet I’m traditional enough to knit a sock beginning with the cuff. 

While the heel may be the most difficult part to knit, it’s the cuff that is most likely to have the biggest impact on the success or failure of your sock.  If it’s too tight, it will be hard to put on and it will cut into your leg.  If it’s too loose, the leg of your sock will fall down.  In either case, you will be mad at your socks for the entire time you are wearing them.  The moral of the story here is to pay attention to your cuff to heighten your enjoyment of socks.

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Coming February 2nd: Socks Education

Join us on February 2^nd for the first installment of our in-depth, six part series called “Socks Education.” 

This series is for you if:

• you’ve never knitted socks before, but have always wanted to try
• you’ve had a bad socks experience, but would like to try again
• you’ve knitted socks for years, but would like to learn some new techniques
• you enjoy a heavy dose of innuendo with your knitting

As part of this series, you will design your own socks!  Sarah will walk you through each step of the design process and at the end of the series, you will have a “Build Your Own Pattern” (BYOP) template that will allow you to design socks for any foot.

Sara, who has never made socks, will be knitting along.  Here’s the Socks Education class schedule (subject to change).  Why not knit along with us?!

February 2^nd – Part 1:  Making It A Pleasurable Experience

February 3^rd – Part 2:  The Anatomy of a Sock

February 4^th – Part 3:  Diving in with Gusto!:  Casting On, The Cuff, and The Leg

February 11^th – Part 4:  Taking Your Socks Life in a New Direction:  Turning the Heel

February 18^th – Part 5:  Finishing Off: The Toes

February 19^th – Part 6:  Doing It Over and Over:  BYOP for Basic Crew Socks

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Tammis Keefe Day 5 - Pet Bed

Pet made made with "Tammis Dogs"

I’m going to be honest.  I had a frustrating night of sewing last night. My thread kept breaking.  I tried 4 different spools of thread and it happened with all of them.  So, I tried changing the tension.  That caused the needle to break.  I put in a new needle and then the bobbin thread ran out.  What I planned on doing had to be revised over and over again, and most annoying of all, Copper the beagle was being extra “helpful.”  Grrrr.....

Copper the Beagle helps by sitting on the fabric when I need it.

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Patchwork Scarf - Tammis Keefe Project No. 4

So, what do you make when you have SO MANY awesome fabrics to choose from? (I'm referring to the Tammis Keefe tribute line by Michael Miller of course!) ... You make a patchwork scarf, that's what!  

• blue owls DS4714_Blue Hoot
• red dogs DS4720_Tomato Tammis Dogs
• alligators (wait til you see what else we've got with this alligator fabric!) DS4793_White Later Alligator
• birds DS4593_Multi Cage Free
• red owls DS4714_Red Hoot
• pink / grey dogs  DS4720_Gray Tammis Dogs  

Sarah and I picked up some Michael Miller coordinating fabrics to add to our projects. In the scarf, I have:

• black with white dots CX 4540 Dinky Dots
• white with black dots (lost my selvege edge, but looks like Dalmatian spot the dog)
• red / white / pink (hmmm, another lost selvege?)

As usual, I couldn't resist adding some pom poms to the scarf! The turquoise blue coordinates and sets off the owls JUST RIGHT!  

I went with a "ragged edge" scarf ... and I have no idea if that's a technical term or not, but it was really fun and easy to make this. Sarah showed me the trick of tearing fabric vs. cutting it, and let me tell you I. AM. HOOKED. The rough edges that it creates are perfect for a project like this; and it's MONUMENTALLY faster.

To make this:

1. Snip and tear some fabric squares (mine are 7" x 4") and I have 13 of them in total.
2. Sew squarers together - WRONG sides together - using 1/2" seam.
3. Press.
4. Cut a piece for the back of the scarf that is the same length and width as the front "patched" piece. I used some awesome white Minky (with dots) that I had leftover from my oldest daughter's baby blanket! It's been in the stash, just begging to be used. Flannel would also be nice.
5. Place wrong sides (of the minky back and the patchwork front) together. Pin well. If you want to add pom pom fringe, then pin that in between the layers on both short ends.
6. Sew around all edges using 1/2" seam.
7. Clip / Notch all exterior edges, being careful to clip JUST TO, BUT NOT OVER the seam!
8. Clip / Notch all joining lines of the patchwork piece.
9. You're done ... just throw it in the wash and dryer to "fluff" it up!

I love the minky back on this scarf, it's warm and soft. And I love the color variety in all the Tammis Keefe fabrics - I think this scarf goes with just about everything in my closet! I am so thrilled with this, I am going to wear it today. :-)

PS: If anyone has any tips for additional "fluffing" of the clipped edges, I am all ears. I washed & dried it. Then, I dried it another 30 minutes in the dryer with a tennis ball. Does it just get "ragged" over time, or is there something else I can do to accelerate the look? I want really ragged!

Another PS: Stay tuned for more projects and remember our first giveaway is just around the corner!

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Beaded Birds for Beverages - Tammis Keefe Project No. 2

As Sarah mentioned, we were thrilled when we received the big box of awesome fabrics from Michael Miller! I had a moment of inspiration upon seeing the prints ... I knew that I wanted to embellish one of the adorable prints in some way using applique.

During one of her many thrifting expeditions - using her thrifting mojo - Sarah picked up some awesome plain white Pottery Barn cocktail napkins. Score! I decided to spruce up those plain cocktail napkins with the two BIRD themed fabrics ( blue hoot (owls) and multi cage free (birds)) from the Tammis Keefe Tribute line.

If you've been reading our blog, you know we have a thing for sequins & beads (here & here)! And then it may come as no surprise, that I just had to use sequins & beads on these adorable birdy fabrics!

Here are some close ups of each finished cocktail napkin....  

this is my favorite one! I was going for an accent of the branches here ...

the cages here are highlighted with alternating bright and light pink sequins with black beads

little branch accents - teal sequins with silver beads

highlighting the BIG bird here with silver on silver (sequins & beads)

Making these was a breeze -a little time consuming, but nothing you cannot do while sipping a glass (or 2) of Two Buck Chuck!

Materials:

• Tammis Keefe Fabrics from Michael Miller - to cut out the BIRD shapes
• Iron - On Adhesive / Fusible Interfacing (I like Heat 'n Bond Lite, or Wonder Under)
• Coordinating Embroidery Thread
• Coordinating Sewing Thread
• Sequins
• Beads

Steps:

1. Pick the part of the fabric you want to cut out and use on a cocktail napkin. In my example, this is the owls on branches ... and the birds in cages.
2. Fuse interfacing / adhesive to wrong of that fabric - follow packaging instructions.
3. Precisely cut around out the shape. (This is easier to do once the interfacing is on there. It makes the fabric stable and so much easier to cut). I would recommend cutting about 1/4 inch around the shape so that when you embroider the material, you are not stitching OVER the cute cutout!
4. Remove paper backing and iron cutout onto cocktail napkin - follow packaging instructions.
5. Pull out 2 strings of the embroidery thread and whip stitch around the edges of the shapes (for decoration & to prevent fraying). You can go with a contrasting thread to highlight the cutout (like the green used on the Owl Fabric) or a coordinating thread that will not show up as much (ex: white thread on the birds). The Heat 'n Bond will keep the shape adhered to the napkin, but it may fray after washing(s) so this will help with that.
6. Using the sewing thread, highlight or accent the shapes or animals with a sequin / bead combination. You'll see that with each of these four napkins, I tried to accent something different! With the Owl Fabric, I went for highlighting the branches & owl eyes. With the Bird Fabric, once I framed the cages and on the other I outlined the big bird.
7. When you're using sequins, you'll see they are "dome shaped" ... place it life a "cup" such that the "dome" is upside down. Make any sense?
8. Pull thread from bottom of napkin to the top - thread on a sequin (like a cup) - thread 1 bead - push that combo taut to the napkin. Then, using the needle, go back down the middle of the sequin (beside your original point of entry) to secure placement. Repeat this step as desired.

These napkins would make a great gift for any entertainer  ... or a fun treat for yourself!

Oh, one more thing! I "tagged" the napkins by cutting out the "tammis keefe" name from the fabrics and sewed them onto the wrong side of the napkins on the edge. I love this added touch!

Thank you Michael Miller for letting us get creative with your Tammis Keefe Tribute line! We'll be back tomorrow (and lots more days!) with another project featuring these fab fabrics!

At the end of our showcase, we'll be offering a very generous giveaway (EIGHT YARDS of fabric & perhaps one or two of our completed projects from this Tribute... SO, be sure to stay tuned for the contest next week. In the meantime, you can like us on Facebook or become a Follower to catch the latest!

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Ponytail Holder Bracelet Tutorial

Ponytail holder bracelet

I've been thinking about jewelry a lot lately.  Because of a sensitivity to metal, I've not been able to wear jewelry without developing a rash for at least a decade.  I've been thinking that the answer to this lack of accessorizing in my life might be to make my own jewelry out of mostly non-metal materials.  

As I go out in the world, I try to be mindful of what interesting stuff I could utilize to make my own jewelry.  When I was at Dollar Tree last week, I came across a package of ponytail holders and inspiration struck!

Essentially, I used the ponytail holders as "links" to make a chain.  I used metal jump rings to hook them together, but that tiny bit of metal doesn't touch my skin so it's not a problem.  There is enough stretch in the bracelet that a clasp isn't necessary.  Bingo!  The Ponytail Holder Bracelet was born!
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Ribbon Tie Toddler Belt - with Tutorial

Last year for Valentine's Day, I made the easiest string of felt hearts to put on the mantle. I cut WAY too felt hearts. So I stuck them in a box for this year. Those hearts combined with some leftover ribbon (more on that below) ... enter - the Valentine's Day Toddler Belts! I very quickly whipped up (like less than an hour) two toddler belts with ribbon closures. One has felt hearts, while the other is plain red gingham. 

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