LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY PURSE

A while back I found a cast-off, lunch-sized picnic basket at Goodwill (thrift store).  I don't know how old the basket is, but it appears to have been around the block a few times.  I paid $2.50.  Of course, I didn't take any before photos because I was too excited with my new found treasure and wanted to get started with the revamp right away.  You can take my word for it that it was in desperate need of some TLC.

Job number one was to gut the basket, thoroughly clean it, sand down the lid and paint it my favorite color.

Then I went to work crocheting numerous roses.  There are more flowers on the basket than you can actually see because I doubled some of them up to make them appear fuller and give it some various heights.

The flowers would need a platform to be attached to, so I made one using recycled cardboard and a layer of thin foam rubber which I covered with a scrap of natural colored cotton batting.  I used hot glue to adhere.

Next, I added a trim of cotton lace around the edge to hide any batting that might be visible.

After finding the center of the purse, I hot glued the platform to the top.

Around the edge I put some very sweet, pale pink velvet ribbon, just to finish it off.  The ribbon went on very neatly and I tacked it on with two sequin pins at the very back - no glue clumps here!

Then came the fun part of flower arranging.

Each flower is attached with a pearl head pin, some pink some white.  The leaves are also attached with pins, this way if anything should get dirty I can easily remove the flower for hand washing or simply make a new one, repin and send it on its merry way.

All the flowers are crocheted from various cottons such as my very favorite Tahki Cotton Classic, Paton's Grace, and maybe some crochet cottons as well as some embroidery floss.

On the front I added a pink umbrella dangle charm (which I found at Michaels) as well as some pink cherries to give the purse a front and back.

I have been stopped by more people than you can imagine (both men and women) who compliment my purse and want to know where I got it.  I proudly tell them.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my new old purse.  It's a real conversation starter.

S.W.A.K.

Don't forget to visit Frannie at CuteKatyDolls on YouTube! 

THE JELLY ROLL MORTON

This quilt top is from a jelly roll purchased a long time ago, so I am officially naming it the Jelly Roll Morton quilt.  I'm just going to assume you know who he is.  The center square fabrics (two different, but the same) were a separate purchase as well as the backing (stripe) and binding (rosebud).  I have made lots of things out of the excess (view purse here).

Like me, photos are not quite as vivid as they should be.  I am already longing for spring.  That's probably why I've changed my banner so quickly.  I want color.  I want flowers, and I don't mean the kind in a vase.  I want green leaves on the trees and green grass under my toes.  I want to wear pretty, impractical shoes.  Alas, it is only January 3rd.  Dirt snow covers the ground.  The silver lining in this cloud is my current project - a colorful crochet afghan requested by Frannie.  I am using these yarns.  She checks on it everyday to see how long it is getting.  I love crochet.  The repetitive motion is soothing, almost hypnotic at times.  The most relaxing needlework, I think.  Perfect for evening.  After everything else is finished for the day.  (Homework ✓ - Dishes ✓ - Lunches for next day ✓ - Tote bag/trapper/violin ✓ - Outfit ✓ - Child in bed ✓ - Laundry ✓ - Dog walked ✓ - Milk & biscuits for dog ✓✓ - Yes, our dog loves milk & biscuits every evening before bed - except he refers to them as milk & cookies.)  TV on.  Cozy socks.  And fleece.  Sans make-up. 

S.W.A.K.

CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE

This may be coming soon to a mailbox near you! Pink pearl bead-knitted purse and a chocolate bar charm to boot! Here's all you have to do to enter:

Guess how many small conversation hearts are in the jar - yep - that's it. Make a comment and put in your lucky number.

Feeling like you could use a little extra luck? Then paste the conversation heart giveaway image on your blog with a link back here. Come on back and tell me you did it and then go ahead and make another guess.

If you can't figure out how to post the icon, just go ahead and blog about it with a link to my site and let me know, and you can take another guess that way too.

Now you don't have to have a blog to enter, but leave a way for me to contact you should you have the correct entry.

Since it's hard to tell the exact size of the jar, I'll give you a little info - it measures approximately 10" from top to bottom, including the lid, and the circumference is about 20". The jar is about two-thirds full.

Contest closes Sunday, February 14th, Noon EST. Winner to be announced sometime before the close of Valentine's Day. Closest guess wins.

So what are you waiting for? GUESS!

S.W.A.K.

PURSE-ONALITY

This is a new purse I've created using left-over patchwork pieces from a quilt that I had made. I forget what the fabric is called, but I just love it! (Could it have been something from Three Sisters?)

Guess I'm left holding the bag. :)
Yes, I Even Wear Polka-Dots!

The two sides have the same pattern, but the fabrics are different.

One Side

The Other Side

Let's Not Forget The Inside

I even made the pockets out of little fabric tidbits that were pieced together and they are really adorable. (Nothing went to waste, so does that make it Eco-friendly?) Of course, there is some rick-rack trim and buttons too.

S.W.A.K.

More info is available at Etsy.

OH, YOU BEAUTIFUL DOLL(S)

Frannie and her American Girl dolls: Lauren, Samantha, and her newest doll, Julie, from the 1970's. I love the snowy chic oufit Lauren is wearing. Thank you, Janet, for the Christmas quilt. The winner from the Peppermint Twist giveaway is PamKittyMorning. Did you have a great Christmas everyone? Sharon, I'm making you a card. Everyone, have a Happy New Year!

FRANNIE S.W.A.K.

The above was Frannie's very first post. Hope you enjoyed it. My niece, Jenny, at Birtyboutique0i0 has just started her own blog. Won't you take a moment to wish her a Happy New Year and welcome her aboard? Don't forget to come right back here and enter the Baby It's Cold Outside giveaway!

You knew this was coming, so here are the lyrics. You can listen to this vintage audio here.

OH, YOU BEAUTIFUL DOLL
(1911)
Music by Nat D. Ayer
Lyrics by Seymour Brown

Hon-ey dear, Want you near,
Just turn out the light
and then come ov-er here,
Nes-tle close Up to my side,
My hear-t's a fire
With love's de-sire.
In my arms, rest com-plete,
I nev-er thought that life
could ev-er be so sweet Till
I met you, some time a go,
But now I know I love you so.

Oh! you beau-ti-ful doll,
you great big beau-ti-ful doll!
Let me put my arms a-bout you,
I could nev-er live with-out you;

Oh! you beau-ti-ful doll,
you great big beau-ti-ful doll!
If you ev-er leave me
how my heart will ache,
I want to hug you but I fear you'd break

Oh, oh, oh, oh,
Oh, you beau-ti-ful doll!

Prec-ious prize, Close your eyes,
Now we're goin' to vis-it
lov-er's par-a-dise, Press your lips
A-gain to mine, For love is king

Of ev'-ry thing. Squeeze me dear,
I don't care! Hug me just as
if you were a griz-zly bear
This is how I'll go through life,
No care or strife When you're my wife.

Oh! you beau-ti-ful doll,
you great big beau-ti-ful doll!
Let me put my arms a-bout you,
I could nev-er live with-out you;

Oh! you beau-ti-ful doll,
you great big beau-ti-ful doll!
If you ev-er leave me how my heart will ache,
I want to hug you but I fear you'd break

Oh, oh, oh, oh,
Oh, you beau-ti-ful doll!

YOU KNOW YOU WANT ONE!

Be sure to check out the other great giveaways at Whirl Into Winter hosted by Quilting With Debi.

S.W.A.K.

MORE CUTE STUFF

Tomorrow is Frannie's best friend's birthday, so I thought I would show the card I made for her last year. I got my inspiration for this card and also for the happy birthday banner I created from doll dress patterns. I have quite an assortment of those.

Here's how you can do it too: Choose a pattern than you like and take out the instruction sheet that has the drawing of the patterns on it.

Now you need to enlarge the drawing (I make mine the size to fit on an 8-1/2 x 11 paper). I copy it onto card stock (make 2-3 copies) and cut one of the copies out around the entire outline (this becomes my whole pattern piece).

The other copies are used for cutting out the extra pieces. For example, for the birthday dress above, I cut out two cuff pieces for the sleeves and two collar pieces.

Next, I trace the whole pattern piece onto a 4 ply paper (heavy weight, but still able to cut it out with scissors).

Now use the same pattern and cut one out of decorative paper. Glue this piece down to the 4 ply paper (I use spray adhesive), making sure you get out all the air bubbles.

Cover with a sheet of waxed paper and lay underneath a pile of books or magazines for a couple of hours to make sure it's dry and will lay flat.

After it's dry, decorate with other decorative papers to make the cuffs and collars. Try using glitter, small buttons, ribbons, paper flowers, whatever you like.

I even used gathered crepe paper streamer to create the skirt of the bathing suit.

Glittered letters were used to spell out the name and a number for the age.

I also attached a small cardboard easel back so it could stand up.

The sentiment was written on the back.



Did I totally confuse you?



:)

Would you like to see step by step photos?

Next up: Step by step instructions (with photos) on how to get started with bead knitting. I have just begun the orange bead-knitted giveaway purse and I want to show you how it's done.

S.W.A.K.

11 GUESSING DAYS LEFT!

BEAD KNITTED CHANGE PURSE

I LOVE making bead knitted purses. I have an addiction to it. I love the feel of it and I love all the colors beads come in. You can get silver or copper-lined beads, transparent, opaque, rainbow, metallic, high-luster pearl, etc. My favorite beads are the ones that really sparkle! People are always amazed when they see me working on a project like this. I tell them they can do it too. If you can do a simple knit stitch, increase and decrease, you can make a beautiful bead knitted purse. The most difficult part is adjusting to the very thin needles, size 0000, and transferring the beads to the size 8 thread. The purse here is made with size 11, silver-lined seed beads. It is sewn into a silver colored frame with a kiss-lock closure. How about that? Frannie's shoes match the purse. She loves sparkly things too!

S.W.A.K.