First I always cut off the edges - with a print it is because the edge is white, and with a solid it is because the edge is tighter woven and that is just a preference of mine to cut it off.

Then I lay the smallest piece on top of the largest, so I can match them up and cut away the excess.

I never used to cut a square away in the corner, but after doing a few blankets with diagonal cuts I realize cutting the square makes a cleaner corner.

Then cut the fringe - I always do a what feels like a natural cut with my scissors - then it is just one cut versus a couple of short ones. Plus I like this length - not too short it can’t be tied and not too long.

Here is a shot of the fringe tied.

I finished one side yesterday and will have another side done tonight. It doesn’t take too long to cut and tie so these are quick and easy gifts to make. I bought a lot of solid pieces on the Friday after Thanksgiving a few years ago and am finally using them!

There is a pink and purple fleece tie blanket - basically you lay two fleece fabric pieces together, cut fringe and then tie the fringe twice. The bottom fabric tie will end up on top - see how it is darker on top? That’s the purple.

And here is the fabric for one blanket I am making for a gift this year. I admit I was not too happy with having to use orange - another thing I am trying to do is use what I have, and I already have orange! - but after looking at it all day long, I think I like it.  Once it is all together the orange around the edges (since that is all you would see when you look at the print side) will look nice.

I did get started on the other crochet blanket tonight as well. I did the starting row and then about 1/3 of a second row. It’s been cold here so I’m thinking of lounging on the couch with a blanket and a good movie and I should have a good bit of it done. Do that a few times in the next couple of weeks and done! The fleece blanket is much faster, maybe 15-20 minutes per side is all.

Mom has only visited a couple of times but whenever she does I end up with projects to finish or start. Way back when I was pregnant with Alice I discovered ebay and their craft/sewing section. Before I realized what I was doing (hahaha) I bought a bunch of already cut material. All these years later, I’ve only ever used a few of them a few years ago for pillows for my Dad. This visit Mom encouraged me to get them out and make something with them and I found four packets of 2inch squares. They were a rainbow of colors and I thought a spiral pattern would look cool.

Here is the squares laid out and then one square already done. I have a large piece of white felt hung up on the wall to layout material - I’m not sure where I read about that tip but it is a great one. The only reason there are pins in the top left row is because I hadn’t ironed down the seams and the fan was on so it kept falling off, otherwise material stays on there so well.
Can you see the spiral? Start at the top left corner and then go! I have extra squares that I took out of the layout and will probably use them as a border of sorts. I’m not sure what I am going to make but I felt so good getting back into sewing. It didn’t take too long to make these two squares and I am hoping to get the other two done today. Mom is coming back next week and I am going to have her help me figure out border material and how to put it together. Since they are 2 inch squares the end result is 1 1/2 inches and then all together that is what, 7 1/2 inches square? That’s not too big. I probably won’t make a blanket but maybe a wall hanging for the craft room? I haven’t decided.
I have these same squares in 1 1/2 inch size but I’m really not sure what to do with them. Maybe I can use them as a border as well?

Fred Flare hearts me! And I heart them right back. Have you been to Fred Flare? I usually go look and I just now realized they had a blog. I ordered a few items and they showed up yesterday!

PLUS

And you get this:

Is that not the cutest magnet board you have ever seen? I love it! This is right above my sewing machine and I plan on using it as an inspiration board. There are so many things I want to sew, work on or finish I can easily put them up there. I am also going to make a covered corkboard and hang it next to the bird.

Emotibuds too! These are little clip on things for your ipod earbuds. I’ve been looking around for new headphones/buds but not finding anything I love. But the emotibuds are very cute! Alice loved them and she wanted to open all three packages but I stopped her. These ones are the starry eyed, I also got the smiling and laughing ones.

And for a bit of crafty - I laid them on the baby blanket I a crocheting. I think I am 10 rows in now? It is fairly long though so I wonder what I got myself into…

Technorati Tags: Fred Flare, bird magnet boards, emotibuds, crochet blanket

I started to crochet a blanket for one of my nephews the other day. And I messed up on the first row - but I didn’t realize until I had already completed three rows. I figured eh, that’s not too much I’ll just cut the yarn and start over. I started over yesterday and did two rows before realizing I messed up the first row again.

Today I started and restarted the blanket at least four or five times. I’m not sure what was going on - clearly I shouldn’t have been trying in the first place! But I got it and so far have six rows done.

Of course I misplaced the charger for my camera battery so no pictures until that is found!

Here is what one piece looks like ~

Actually, that isn’t finished but I know my camera battery is charging right now. I made two of these per poncho - one for my daughter and one for my niece. And today I should be done with the last of the four. I need to get a knitting needle so I can sew them together and do the edging and the tie. I’m excited!

I finished Alice’s pieces in about two weeks and I worked like mad and finished my neices two pieces in five days. Yep, five!

I’ll grab more pictures today and share - I’m so proud of myself that caught on to crochet fast, that I can read a crochet pattern, and that I sat and (almost) finished my project.

In preparation for homeschooling, I’ve been cleaning up the craft area. I need to do this often otherwise it just get too out of control! LOL I found a small box of already cut quilting squares (embarrassingly enough, I actually bought them off of eBay a little more then five years ago….and never used them!) and a sack with already cut material and a pattern.

I love this material - the colors go perfect with each other and they are bright and vibrant. I think it is a wall hanging? Just according to the pattern I found with it and if I remember right, my Mom and I bought the material together as we were both going to make one. I think this will be next on my sewing list of to-dos ~ after a few doll pillows and blankets my daughter has requested.

Really, it’s the cutting that always slows me down. I admit I’ve usually had my Mom around to help me with the cutting of material - or she does it for me and mails it to me. I’m spoiled like that. But now that we are across the counry from each other, at least I’m finally doing all of these projects I was supposed to do!

I even found material for a skirt for my daughter. I know it was for a skirt, now to just find the pattern for that.