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I love the Emmeline Apron pattern by Sew Liberated. This is the second one I’ve made and they’ve both turned out beautifully. Well…actually….there were a couple things I didn’t like about the first one, but that was my fabric choice, not the pattern. I chose a bulky, loose weave fabric for the straps and contrast fabric because I liked the color. Unfortunately, this makes the top strap lay funny and makes the straps hard to tie. This version turned out much better. I made it for my secret sister at church and she loved it (at least she said she did! 
). I used some Amy Butler Nigella for the red side and a pretty Alexander Henry print for the reverse.
to order from my shop for Christmas. In fact, today is the last chance to order from most Etsy shops if you want your pretties by Christmas. I’m taking non-custom orders until 3pm PST today!
at such talent! And it’s being given away. I can’t post long (working on a Christmas quilt…..and I’m stippling for the first time….yeah me!), but I couldn’t not post this. I added several new hearted shops to my Etsy favorites. I’ll post pictures of the quilt as soon as I finish…which will hopefully be soon! I have another one to do too. We’ll see how that goes!
I’m feeling quite accomplished with all the sewing I’ve completed lately. Most of it is not very fancy, but it’s still a good feeling to get things done. Once again, I only have crummy photos. In order to be sneaky and not let the kid’s see their presents, I had to take them at night.
I used this Amy Butler pattern to make a tree skirt. I made this a bit smaller than the pattern, in an effort to save fabric/money. I didn’t feel like using 7.5 yards of fabric!
Christmas PJ’s for the boys…..and flax filled bears…J has been begging for one ever since I made them for the craft fair. I used the “lay a pair of pants down” method for the pj’s. I’m kind of thinking that JJ’s pair has way too long of rise. I guess I will find out on Christmas. The bears are my own pattern….an online friend gave me the idea. They are so cute!
Corduroy pants for Happy Baby…..I used Butterick 6030. I added the back pockets and made the front fake pockets into real ones. I did a lot of topstitching on these (at least a lot for me) and I’m pretty happy with how they turned out. I think they are a little puffy through the hips, though, so I might try to fix that next time around.
A skirt for me….I finished this up right before Thanksgiving and was going to wear it, but them I wimped out. I’m really hesitant to wear things I’ve made. I know it’s silly and I shouldn’t be so self conscious. I guess I’ve always been that way about things I’ve made. In college, I hated writing because you would have to have someone read what you wrote. What if they hated it! Hmmm….I really should be over it by now! Really, though, I love this skirt and have since worn it several times.
This top was oringally a dress I made. But I didn’t love the way it fit. I was trying to squeeze it out of a one yard peice I won from Sew Mama Sew and the bottom just didn’t drape properly because of that. So I unpicked the border, hacked off the bottom, sewed the border back on and voila, a shirt. It’s still a little poofy, “are you pregnant” looking in the front, but not nearly so bad as it was! Other than that, I really like it and plan to make more with a little tweaking.
Now, hopefully I can finish J and JJ’s quilts! The tops are all done. I just (just?!) need to piece together JJ’s backing, then quilt and bind both of them.
Also, orders placed by 12/17 will get to you by Christmas. Actually I would guess that orders placed as late as 12/19 would get there, but I couldn’t guarentee it. I have lots of things in my Etsy shop, plus some things here also. 10% off all orders over $50 and free shipping on all women’s skirts. Plus a free surprise with all orders over $25!
Today the feature is Valerie of CrochetGal. She can do some amazing things with yarn and a crochet hook! She has many beautiful shawls for sale, as well as many other things. She’s also destashing right now, so you should check out her yarn for sale!
Tell us a bit about who you are & where you are based out of.
I’m Crochetgal and I’m based in the ‘Valley of the Sun’,
Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
How long have you been crafting?
I’ve been doing various crafts since my junior school days. I started sewing because I
couldn’t afford to buy the pieces I wanted when I was in high school.
I started crocheting many, many years ago while in high school but never really continued on with it as life progressed. I tried to learn to knit but that didn’t ‘take’ at all. I put the crocheting aside when I went on to University and sort of forgot about it for years as I made my career in Computer Systems Design. Somewhere around fall 2002 I was watching the television when I saw an advertizement with a small child watching a battery operated plastic toy. At that time I turned to my partner and told him explicitly that for that Christmas there would be no plastic or batteries in any of the toys that we were giving his two young grandchildren. That’s when I started crocheting again, starting with small amigurami animals. I’ve since progressed to doing wearable art.
I’ve also started purchasing yarns direct from the manufacturers in order to get a better price on the yarns that I like. I’m more than willing to order for other crafters as well. All they need to do is contact me!
Who or what inspires you?
I’m inspired by various fibers and my moods. I can have a specific yarn in my stash for
years and then, out of the blue, it will tell me what it wants to be. I also happen to work part time for a small company here in town that makes incredible ribbon jackets and the owner/designer is an inspiration to everyone who works for her. It is from her that I have learned how to blend yarns and colours successfully.
What is one of your favorite things you’ve ever made?
This is a really tough question as I’ve got so many favourites. One of my most inspired
pieces is a Jade bamboo shrug. I had the pattern in my collection for a year or so, but
when I saw the actual piece at a trunk show I knew I just had to try it.
I get joy out of creating a special, custom piece for someone.
How did you come up with your shop name?
I was doing a demonstration session for younger children along with a knitter and a
spinner. The kids were having problems remembering our names and our techniques, so
we told the kids to call us CrochetGal, KnitterGal and SpinnerGal. We’ve used these
names ever since!
What is one of your favorite items in your shop?
One of my favourite items in my shop is my Fisherman Sweaters. These evolved because
my partner was wearing a very old and ratty knitted sweater that should have been trashed years ago. He had looked for a new one but couldn’t find anything suitable, as had I. It was in the early fall and I was wanting to learn how to do cable crochet so I challenged myself to make him a sweater for Christmas. He’s now got a few and I actually managed to make one for myself as well.
A second favourite is my shawl collection. There isn’t one specifically that I like more than any other. I love each one because every one is completely unique in the blend of yarns that were chosen for each.
Anything else you want to say?
I’ve always felt that people should give back to the community as much as possible. In that respect, I began crocheting blankets for Project Linus, an organization that provides blankets for kids in crisis. I crochet at least one blanket a month for our local chapter. I’m an active member of the Crochet Guild of America and a member of the Desert Crochet Guild based in Phoenix, Arizona.
She is currently offering 30% off all of her seasonal items and free shipping for orders totalling $40 or more in her shop. A great time to buy for the holidays!
Today I’m featuring MagyarBeader. She has a wide variety of jewelry in her shop. I especially like these blue earings…so pretty! She graciously sent me the following interview. Enjoy!
“I find it very hard to talk about myself so I will just say that I am blessed to be a part of a very talented family of artists and crafters. Past and present. I like to think that some of their talents have rubbed off on me. I live in the “burbs” just outside of Detroit in the beautiful state of Michigan.
My first attemp at crafting was at age six when my aunt very patiently tought me to crochet. She made beautiful lace. Since then I have always tried to do something creative with my hands.
My shop name is a small tribute to my Hungarian heritage. Magyar means Hungarian.
I have always admired beautiful jewelry, especially classy vintage pieces. My favorites are those with intricate beadwork and bold colors. I tried to capture a little of that in this ( my favorite) necklace. As far as what inspires me, it can be anything or anyone at any time. Some of my best ideas have come to me in the shower!
I am so glad my youngest daughter pointed me to etsy and I can’t thank her enoug for her encouragement and support. My sincere wish is that those who own any of my pieces will enjoy them as much as I loved making them.
Between now and Dec. 20th I am including a fun suprise gift for everyone who makes a purchase from my shop.”
Make sure and visit her shop! She has lots of things that would make lovely gifts.
I won a set of blocks! My boys are going to be so excited! It’s the first time I won something for them! She just let me know they are in the mail.
I just made this caramel popcorn for a Christmas party. I think next time I will use the oven, but other than that is was so good. I used semi sweet chocolate instead of the milk chocolate it called for. Oh……and I forgot the peanuts. I ended up sprinkling some walnuts right at the end.
These sound like something my DH would like:
Chocolate Covered Cookie Dough BallsIngredients:
1-1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
8 oz mini choc chips (I just dump whatever in the bowl I don’t measure)
8 oz milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup toffee bits(optional)
Directions:
Mix first seven ingredients and roll into balls. Place o a lined cookie sheet(I use wax paper) and chill for 30 minutes.
Melt a bowl of chocolate. Dip cookie dough balls into the milk chocolate. Let harden on cookie sheet. Then sprinkle with toffee bits(optional). Place in fridge until ready to serve.
I got this recipe off of Sewing Mamas and one of the ladies said to add a splash of whipping cream to help the dough stick together better.
to say, don’t enter this giveaway…..cause I want to win!
![IMG_5045[1]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/3072986824_2b39dc4bf8.jpg)
You can check out my latest tutorial on Cotton Spice Blog’s Last Minute Christmas Gifts. The pics I took are horrible! But it’s a fun and easy present for kids.
Also, check out this gorgeous tablecloth. Wouldn’t this be a great project for any holiday? Just add the appropriate verse or quote. So pretty!
