Half a Latch Hook Rug

My daughter started working on a latch hook rug when she was a child, and never finished it.  While digging through her closet in search of the power cord to her heated blanket, my husband found the unfinished kit and gave it to me.  I decided to finish it for her and her first grade students, and give it to them for Christmas.  This was the end product...

It was a fun and easy project -- something I can do during commercial breaks while watching TV and winding down in the evenings.  I enjoyed it so much that I bought another graph n' latch rug kit.  I guess that means I'm hooked!

Current Projects

For years I have been collecting quilting patterns that involve kitchen related graphics like cups and saucers with the intention of making a wall hanging for my kitchen or a table runner.

I have never done paper piecing like this before.  I have to make two copies of a pattern, cutting one into pieces, laying the pieces onto fabrics, and cutting with a seam allowance around each piece.  Then I lay the pieces in the specified order onto the back on the other pattern copy and sew right through the paper along the edges.

When I am all done with the piecing and sewing and turn the paper over, this is what I get...

It's a crazy looking block.  I obviously did a better job matching up seams on the right side.  This was just my test piece.  It took me several weeks to construct it because I've been so busy doing other things.  I don't know if I'll be able to use it.  I might just consider the effort practice for bigger and better things.

The other project I've had on my To Do List is to recreate my favorite top from scratch.  I've worn this knit top for years, but now the material is very thin and the seams are coming apart.  I haven't been able to find anything like this top, and I was having a hard time letting it go, so I shopped around in fabric shops looking for a knit fabric that would be fun to wear.  I picked out the black scrolls with pink flowers on white background with black trim.

I have never sewn clothing from a knit before, and am already having trouble getting straight cuts because the edges curl.  Since knits stretch, I suspect that sewing will be a challenge too.  I am definitely not a fashion designer, but I'll call it a learning experience.

Quilt Magic No Sew Wall Hanging

This is a picture of my completed Quilt Magic No Sew Wall Hanging.  I ordered this kit through Amazon simply because I needed the encouragement of being able to finish a craft project.  I have tons of craft and quilting supplies, but my life is so crazy and unpredictable that I can't seem to finish anything I start.  This kit comes with everything you need minus the iron, pins, scissors, serrated knife and dinner knife.  I was able to complete it within three days, and plan to give it as a birthday gift to my daughter to hang in her first grade classroom.

The directions are good, but not idiot-proof.  I read them multiple times but still managed to screw up right away by cutting up the wrong fabric, so make sure that you read everything, including the small print, and make sure you understand it before beginning the project.  I'm so used to having to do things the hard way that I didn't expect everything to be set up so well in advance.  The patterns are actually grouped by fabric.

Fortunately, they do supply you with enough fabric to allow for mistakes.  I was worried that I might have to find a substitute fabric because of my mistake, but that wasn't the case.  However, with that said, should you decide that you don't like the color scheme or print, you can always use your own.

This is basically a laser cut foam board that you tuck pieces of fabric into.  There's no sewing, no glue, no mess.  As with anything, there is a minor learning curve, but with a little practice you will find yourself motoring along in no time.

Teapot Tissue Box Cover

I've had this Bucilla plastic canvas 6243 teapot tissue box cover needlepoint kit for probably 15 years.   It still has the price tag on it, which shows that I paid $11.70 for it at Bend Franklin Crafts.  I know that the branch of that store I shopped at went out of business a long time ago, and needlepoint kits cost a lot more than that now.  I have no idea why it took me so long to complete it, but I feel quite satisfied to finally wrap up this project.

The most difficult parts were constructing the handle and the spout.  Also, because the majority of project utilizes white thread, and because I outlined the canvas patterns with a black marker before cutting them out, the thread kept getting dirty each time I pulled it through the edges with the marker ink.  I should have scrubbed the ink off the canvas before doing the needlepoint.  

The assembly directions were very general with no diagrams.  I tried looking up more information on the Internet regarding how to construct the spout, but the kit was so old that I couldn't find anything beyond people trying to sell unused kits on eBay.  So, I did my best.  I noticed that in the picture on the front of the kit, the teapot was angled to not show most of the spout, and I could tell that whoever constructed the example had trouble matching up the seams just like I did.  I suspect this is one of those projects that is expected to be flawed, since perfection seems impossible given the nature of whip-stitching plastic canvas together.

But I'm happy to be done with it, and now I have a cute tissue box cover.