Crochet Hook Case Fail

Every once in a while, a friend asks if I will teach her how to sew. Of course! So, in anticipation of my next lesson, I found a cute pattern for a simple crochet hook case. I thought it would be a great beginner project, and would help my friend how to work from a pattern. I wanted to have a sample -- and let's face it, my crochet hook collection is a mess! -- so I made one of the cases this morning, using some cheap fabric I picked up at Walmart a while back. I cut the pattern pieces, and thought they looked a little small, so I grabbed a crochet hook and held it against the fabric. Sure enough, it fit with room to spare. So on I went. Here's the finished case:

See that crochet hook on top? I wasn't trying to be artsy-fartsy with my photo...it just doesn't fit in my case. In fact, none of my hooks, aside from the short one I initially grabbed as a tester, fit. Bad luck, but the good news is that this project whips up in a snap and I will definitely be making a larger one soon.

Pleated Swap Purse

I was recently invited to join a bag swap -- my first one! I've done other handmade swaps before, but not for a bag. It was fun, but a little nerve wracking when you look at all the fabulous bags the other ladies created. In any case, this is the bag I made and mailed.

The pattern is one I purchased from ithinksew quite a while ago, but never got around to making. Story of my crafting life! It came together pretty well, although I did struggle a bit with the handle, and I made some modifications to the pleating, and added some piping. Overall, I'm pleased with how it came out.

Part two of the swap was to include a bag of scraps. Sadly, I'm not one of those girls who has a ton of popular modern designer fabrics (fabric shopping options are really limited here, despite being a good-sized city & online options from the USA can take ages to arrive), so I included some pieces from travels and my stash. Hope my partner isn't disappointed.

In my haste to get the bag mailed out two hours before the deadline, I neglected to notice that my son had pulled out of the package the card I'd made to go with it, so I guess I'll be mailing that separately next week. Oops!

Linked to:

Point of View party

Catch Up, and Beet Soup

I've been feeling a little overwhelmed lately. Fall is a flurry of activity and events for my family, and all that, coupled with trying to get the house and yard winter ready, testing the waters for working part time again, and some family strife, I just haven't felt like blogging. Or even crafting much, for that matter. I also forgot to take photos of almost everything, so here are some of the highlights: * goodies for a play group Hallowe'en party -- 'mouldy' popcorn (idea from Purple Chocolat Home), bean bags with jack-o-lantern faces, and pumpkin pie scented playdough.

* finished second butterfly quilt. I free motion quilted it like the first one, but managed to get a fold in the backing. Not a big deal...still pretty. * took part in a vegetarian soup swap. I made beet soup, from this Canadian Living recipe, and really enjoyed it. I never cared for beets as a kid, but as an adult, there's something about the vibrancy of beet flesh that just screams health and vitality to me. * baby hats, knitted and sewn. My friend gave birth to a beautiful baby girl almost a month ago, and I knitted her a few simple baby hats and sewed a little bonnet as part of her baby gift. Love all that girly stuff! * Hallowe'en quilt -- I completed a couple rows of the quilt front, but this project is now officially on hold until next fall! * Handmade Gift & Bag swaps -- I haven't participated in many swaps, but t'is the season for me to procrastinate on making gifts for people I know, in exchange for making gifts for people I don't know. These projects are on the hush, so photos will come after mailing. And, um, completion. * Family gifts -- despite good intentions, I have very few Christmas gifts completed, and I foresee myself hitting the stores the week before Christmas. Yike. * Baking -- I've been doing a lot of baking lately. Cool weather response, I suppose. * And, the biggie, my youngest son decided it was time to stop using diapers. I'm so proud of him! I didn't 'potty train' either of my kids; rather, I put out a potty seat, told them what it was for, and waited. It probably took them longer than some kids (my youngest is almost three years, and my oldest was three years and a couple months), but the transition has been pretty accident free, even at night. That's it for now. I promise to be a better blogger the rest of November and December. It's not that I think anyone is sitting at home, pining away for me to post something. Rather, posting is a good way to motivate myself to get going on my projects, and a nice way to look back on all that I did manage to get done. Sounds silly, but I really am more productive when I think about blogging something. Have a great week!