DO YOU LIKE APRONS.....

I do - I have to cover up because when I am cooking - I wipe my hands

on them just like my grandmothers used to do. Sometimes my cooked

food spits at me & I am glad that it doesnt ruin my clothes underneath. It

doesnt matter to me if the aprons are pretty or not - because I generally

abuse them severly. I wear a clean apron for every mealtime

& afterwards I just throw it in the hamper. I wanted to share with you

this particular apron. It is so simple & quick to make - only requiring a couple

of hours. For starters -

this apron had a prior life as a country dress. A

long thick cotton dress. Yes, it once had

a front & a back. What you see here is the back side with the 2 back pockets

still in tact. I made the front side apron & I gave that one away.

Both aprons have the same blue ties which were made

from one blue pillowcase. I could have put

gathers around the entire apron - but really that was more

work than what I wanted to put into it.

I bought this dress for $4.00 at the thrift store & in turn it gave me 2 aprons.

Wash it well. This fabric is

indestructible - so thick - 2 dollars each is not bad for an apron. You

can make these aprons as fancy as you would like according to the

dress you buy or own. They can be plain & utilitarian.

Forgive me ladies but if you make this apron

be sure to use a dress that is one or two sizes bigger than your body

because you want it to wrap around as much as possible.

This apron is ready for the hamper after a hard work at the stove!

By the way did I forget to mention that this heavy duty apron

washes up nicely!

by Hopblogger

I DIDNT MEAN TO DO IT.....

it just happened. I had this pretty little rosy velour christmas

fringed fingertip towel

with an applique of a snowman on it -- SOOOO CUTE.

Simply just outgrew it, besides,

it would look better as a pincushion - YES I SAID

PINCUSHION - just shoot me & get it over with. Just put me out

of my misery......... anyway sorry about these photos. As hard as I tried

I just couldnt get any photos that were clear & sharp.

Dont know what I am doing wrong. Me thinks that me do not know

how to take photos correctly. The front side has the snowman on it,

the back side is just a rose color. A border of 1&1/2 inch wide lace goes

around the entire pincushion hiding the seam. I dont know how I did it,

because I certainly did not plan it - but the pincushion is HUGE. I mean it is

HUGE! If you look at it from the side view it is almost 2 inches high. The

diameter is almost 6 inches across. It held alot of stuffing - & I mean that

I stuffed it alot - so much that in fact I had a hard time sewing the button

on to the front & back. I used a white snowflake button on the snowman

& a pretty pink rose button on the back. The good thing about this pincushion

is that it is reversible. A snowman for christmas - turn it over just a pretty

rose pincushion for the rest of the year. The picts do not show the prettiness of the

pincushion. Later, I might decorate the rose side.

I am really starting to like this huge

pincushion. Velour is so pretty & soft. It has an old victorian look to it. So

take out those fringed fingertip towels from your cabinet & use them in

another way. If I find a red & green plaid that will match that snowmans

hat & scarf - then I am gonna make a matching bag for it. I have decided

that my next pincushion that I show you is going to be MONSTROUS. I

think that I am going to make a pincushion out of Velvet & it just might be

the size of a dinner plate. Why not, I have seen tiny ones. It seems natural

that if you have tiny that you should go in the opposite direction & make

a huge one. I will make it soon & post it & I will let you know how I

feel about it.

by Hopblogger

I really cannot remember

where I found these at or how long that I have held onto them.

I cannot even remember what their original purpose was for??

Have you ever seen any of these before?? Do you know what they

are?? I believe that they once held CD's - or perhaps some kind of a

thin baby book.

Well, whatever their function was before - I know what you can do

with these if you happen to find any of them. Try to find alot of them

if you can because this idea you might really like! Click on the photo to see

the texture a little better. Sorry guys about the photos but it has been hard

to capture the images as they are light colored. As you can see I also had a blue one

that I already cut to pieces. This book or CD case

is sturdy enough & flexible enough to use. Take an empty

plastic floss bobbin & use

it as a pattern - draw around it onto the plastic & cut them out. You can

even cut the slits at the bottom to hold the floss in. Voila - so easy

& you just might be the only ones to possess colored

floss bobbins. Another great idea is to cut a bigger floss bobbin

from the back - put a slit in it & wind your laces or

ribbons around it. I think I will do that since I dont need

anymore floss bobbins. Once I finish this then

I will post you a photo of it. Also do not throw away

any of those little pieces - you could cut out little

stars & use them as buttons. I hope that you can use this idea. Enjoy

this one.

by Hopblogger

Well, I needed something to hold

all of those little thread spools in - and this little pouch just fit the bill perfectly.

I couldnt tell you how long that I held onto this jewelry pouch.

Inside, there are small pockets to hold

your small items. No need to use the pockets - just throw all of your

spools of thread no matter how small or large they are into this cute jewelry

pouch and display it. These little spools come in sewing

kits & they come in handy in your sewing room. You probably cannot

see the ties in which to cinch up the pouch. Do not overlook these

jewelry pouches any longer because they can hold a variety of

things in your sewing room. A great idea is to make a giant

pincushion to fit the inside, then draw the strings closed around it

making sure that you glue it shut. I know - but I just cant

help this obsession that I have with PINCUSHIONS!!

I am really getting out of control.

Anyway I am sorry that the picts are a little blurry,

but you get the idea. I bought everyone of these little

threads of spools (over 50 of them, brand new)

at the neighborhod thrift store for $1.00. They get used

moreso now than before since I have placed them where

I can see them. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

by Hopblogger

MYSTIC IMAGINATIONS

is the name of my book. I wanted to say that

I have some copies left that are for sale that I thought

I would mention on this blog. So far I have not had

a book returned - knock on wood. There is a little bit of

something for everyone in this book & I am not sure who

likes it most - kids or adults.

This book contains stories that rhyme & 2 of my favorites are

"The Coconut Crab" & "The Butterfly's Ball".

Have you ever seen a coconut crab - many people dont know that it does exist!

The crab is the largest that I have ever seen. They are native to

the Caroline Island. Search on the internet - this crab that is

wrapped around a trash can! This is just one of Gods lovely creatures

that lives on the land & not in the sea.

Below is an excerpt from the coconut crab

"Once again he went back into the sea, he went upon many ridges

till he reached a hilly crest

there he broke open a big fat treasure chest!

He pulled out many necklaces many thing that he could haul

he dragged it all behind him with his one big super claw!"

Below is an excerpt from the butterfly's ball.

"Each wore a dress the color of her wings, they had matching hats

& purses, necklaces & rings

Upon their shapely legs they wore silk black web hose

all woven by black widows with black high heels covering their toes."

by Hopblogger

2 cute!

are these little white shelves that my mother gave to me.

Hung on the wall they display a few of my pincushions - even the

can has a blue pincushion in it when you remove

the lid. The scarf hangers below show

some of my ribbons. Take note that the white

ribbons come from department store bags. I could never get used to the idea

of throwing away the ribbon that is used as a handle - just unknot

them. Most of these ribbons come only in

the white color & I look at it as being a FREEBIE for my crafts. Be sure

to double clic on the pict to see it better.

by Hopblogger

Merry Christmas!

Tree Ornaments. Some are elegant, country, christmassy,

or are derived from nature. I have found that those ornaments

that sit on a shelf & are leggy make to be some of the cutest

pincushions ever. Right now there are 2 of those that sit on the top of my

sewing machine ready to do duty - after the holidays away

they will go until next year - or those might find a new home & new

ones will take their place. Some of the best

pincushions can come from those tree ornaments - so start looking

at them in a different light. Be sure to pick those ornaments

that are not too soft & not too hard - pick inbetween.

A woman can never have enough

pincushions - that is if you sew alot. They come in handy when you

velcro it to the side of an ironing board, are close to your sewing

machine & near or on your cutting table. With a little imagination

you can fill up a little basket with these little ornaments & be able to

pick & choose which one you want to stick. These are so cute & they do

bring a smile to your face when you look at them. If you know

someone that loves to sew, a basket of these ornaments

would be so cute

as a gift - just be sure to leave a note inside telling them

what they are used for other than just christmas ornaments.

Many of these can be bought at family dollar stores - for as

little as 50 cents each. Purchase as many as needed for the size of the basket

that you are giving.

by Hopblogger

See I have been busy...

I have been making cartonnettes patterns - cutting them

out of heavy cardboard & gluing fabric on them. The largest curvy

cartonnette is 9 inches high & the rectangle cardboard behind it is considerably

larger as you can see. The rectangle is easier & quicker to cover - on this

one I sewed together the fabric, turned it to the right side & just

whip stitched it closed. The

fabric comes from some new napkins that I owned & never used. There

are 4 cartonnettes in each set & it takes 4 napkins for each set.

On the blue checked set I even left the fringe on & closed it

shut with big stitches. Maybe I will add a pretty applique to the

blue checked ones since they are my favorites.

Have fun making your cartonnettes.

by Hopblogger

Plastic Scarf Hangers

People that know me

know that I have a dislike for plastics. Cant stand the stuff!

When it comes in my house generally it goes

right back out by way of donations to thrift

shops or to anyone who wants it.

However once in awhile I keep a piece that is different

& that piece intrigues me as to find a use for it.

While looking through a couple of craft boxes

my eyes spied these 3 little plastic scarf hangers.

With a little imagination

these cute almost 9 inch hangers can be used with your

crafts. For those of you that like your laces or ribbons

where you can see them - try this idea & hang the ribbon hanger

on a hook on the wall or from a shelf. Eventually this one will hang

from a shelf & be filled with many more ribbons.

A close up of the hanger photos show a ridge around the

hanger where you can

apply DMC Number Stickers

to the plastic (where my fingers are holding it) & hang your floss

from it. Keep your eyes open for these

little hangers, maybe your friends have them &

no longer want them, which in that case they will

freely give them to you - or check thrift shops to see if they are

just throwing them in a bin for 5 or 10 cents each. If I find more

of these I will be picking them up - to find other uses for them in

my craft room.

Be sure to leave me a comment & tell me

how you will use your scarf hangers.

By Hopblogger

Take an empty unused basket..

and turn it into something useable. Baskets come in
handy for most everything so why not make a little sewing basket. I lost this

little sewing basket once it was finished to my

youngest daughter. She loves the 70's look & wanted it. On the

left is the empty basket with its matching lid - not a spoke

was broken. On the right is the finished basket. I intertwined

pretty wide white lace through the spokes & hot glued it to the inside.

Next, I cut fabric & lined the inside tacking it down with hot glue.

Then, I cut a circle of cardboard, stuffed it, added fabric & glued it to the bottom.

I cut fabric for the inside lid & also glued that in. Then I applied

a yo-yo & sewed on the button. AC Moore had the cutest

little wooden eggs - so I bought a small bag of them. They

make the cutest little egg darners - just the perfect size for this small

basket. The matching pincushion is less than 2 inches in

diameter. That gives you an idea of how small this basket is!

A small matching bag holds a thimble - nothing fancy here.

Needles can be pinned to the little piece of brown felt.

Also on board are 2 small wooden spools, one holds

some little flower lace wrapped around it while the other smaller

spool has chocolate brown candlewicking yarn. The little red

item is a needle threader. The floating piece of flower lace

was attached to my wedding veil 35 years ago - in which now

will be attached to the end of a pair of small scissors. Last of all

is the little angel that watches over my angel. Fixing the

outside of the box was not hard.

It is also another pincushion

designed to hold safety pins or homeless items. To me the outside

looks like a hat but I knew that there would not be any way to downplay

that - that is the reason why I didnt add any ribbons, rosettes or any

yo-yo's to the outside - so I am happy

with the way that it turned out. Hope you get some ideas!
by Hopblogger

DISPLAY OR NOT.....

How do you store your Embroidery Floss, Buttons, Lace &

Ribbons? Do you store them in glass jars, boxes,

dresser drawers & closets. Do you enjoy beauty or

hard working functionality? I happen to like both of

these. Are your collections

small or large? I love all of that stuff & have a hard time deciding

on how to store it. So, it all boils down to display it or not.

Dust - a common allergy dictates most of that decision for me.

Space dictates the other.

Organization is hard in a small space.

Function - I like simple, easy, reusing, remaking it & mixing

it all up. I also like for it to be pretty!

The picts below are only 2 of my flatware chests that I have kept

for many years stored in my attic - not knowing what

I would use them for.

But because they are nice wood - I havent

been so eager to toss them out!

It finally dawned on me what to remake with them

after looking at many of the French blogs concerning

their cardboard boxes - which I find them to be beautifully handmade

with exceptional quality. Oh! how I desire one of them!

I am in love with cloth covered cartonnage - the

french word for cardboard.

Sorry guys - I had already stripped the inside

of the flatware boxes & applied

one coat of white paint on the inside of one of them before I

took these photo's. The other

box will be covered in cloth on the inside.

These boxes would be great for storing

lace & ribbons on cardboard holders which is what the

french call cartonnettes. Have you seen the wood boxes

that hold embroidery floss? They are expensive, beautiful & by me

unattainable!

Well thats exactly what

my 2 flatware boxes are going to hold. They are going to

experience & begin a new life

for holding embroidery floss bobbins! Check out those French

blogs & look at the cardboard dividers they cut from

cardboard & cover with cloth.

One of these boxes will be

going to my daughter. I will post the picts when I am finished.

The only problem - is deciding if I should paint or cloth the outside

of the boxes.....decisions, decisions.

by Hopblogger

E is for.....

Elise, my oldest grandaughter. Only four more left to go!

Click on the link for these beautiful Alphabet patterns.

http://www.uneaiguilledansunebottedefoin.net/28-categorie-641086.html

by Hopblogger

For a couple of weeks,

I have been meaning to introduce you to 2 of my

favorite Halloween pals. Some time ago I acquired them & gave them names.

Come on say hello to Flirty Frank (on the left)

& his ONLY friend Scary Sam. Together they make a pair!

They are both more orangey than what they appear

in the photo's. No matter what I tried I couldn't seem

to get a good pict of them both. Flirty Frank is a pillow but is firm

enough for pins to be stuck into him. Look at his mug - how

could you not adore him! When I was given

Scary Sam - he was hooked onto a basket. He didnt

like it there so I yanked him off! I dont know

what scary sam is stuffed with - but it is extra firm & is not

poly-fill. I think that I like them

both as pincushions. To stay around my house they need a job!

from Hopblogger

MY GOODNESS TIME FLIES...

when you are busy - sorry guys I didnt realize that it

had been so long between posts. I have been working on my

next projects - I will show them to you once I have finished it.

In the meantime I wanted to post

my Poms online & to show you the newest member of our

clan. Please welcome Kane - our little 1&1/8th pound puppy. He is so

adorable & loving! At night Kane sleeps in a

crate next to my side of the bed. The little darling

doesnt mess up his crate at all. Potty training is going really well!

Meet Kane

Meet A Wee Bit of Curry, called Curry. He loves to have his photo taken.

Meet Pretty Irrational called Ira. Ira is always camera shy.

A ROOM IN DISARRAY....

Yes, this is it - my workstation. My husband is

working on building me a work table & attaching it to the

computer station that he built for us. Plan to skirt the table

when it is finished.

I will show you picts when it is

all done - but what I want to know is - have

you seen it on my desk yet! Yes, of course you see it - but just

in case you havent because your eyes cannot

move away from my clutter -- I am talking

about the wood cup holder - well no longer is it a

cup holder - WOILA - it is a scissor holder! Small to medium

sizes will hang from the lower handles.

My scissors need fobs. Maybe I will attach a pretty

pincushion or strawberry pincushions to the top

of this cup/scissors holder.

Do you

think that you could use this idea. It could be painted,

decoupaged or left as is for you to enjoy next to your cutting

mat. Be sure to click on each pict for a larger view.

from Hopblogger

MANY PEOPLE HAVE EXPRESSED

how much that they like my bed - so I thought that I would show

it to you. I'll show you the rest of the room later.

I LIKE HAVING MY WALLS...

in my bathrooms free of any toilet tissue

hardware and as much clutter-free as possible. I like to keep these

bathrooms uncluttered. According to Feng Shui this is the

section where my genealogy should be. So I designated family

photo's to above the toilet. Seems like a good place for it. Its time

to paint the walls & change that ugly floor tile!

from Hopblogger

OUR COMPANY HAS LEFT TO GO BACK HOME

so sad......it was so great seeing & meeting Aunt Doris, June & Charles

after all of these years. It was also a pleasure to meet Charles's

wife Peggy. Hey guys - all of us hope that you had

a safe trip back home to Florida! Below is a pict of all of us

together -- June, Aunt Doris, Me, Peggy,

Charles & my father Earl Senr. be sure to click to enlarge pict.

from Hopblogger

FOR MANY YEARS

in fact for at least 9 years - this paper towel holder has

been attached to the inside of the cabinet door in our downstairs

bath room. But it has never held paper towels a day in its life -

it has always held toilet tissue. The cabinet door can be easily reached

to open. Besides the clutter inside the cabinet - the room is

uncluttered. If you would like to use this idea - then go ahead -

just please say that you saw it here! I will post my little half bath for all

to see - from Hopblogger

DO YOU OWN ONE OF THESE.....

this has to be the most littlest bath room

that you ever did see. It is my

upstairs bathroom - the bath that you see at

the top of the stairs when you look up. Have you

ever seen such a tiny bathroom? REALLY, THIS SHOULD

BE AGAINST THE LAW!

If I didnt need an upstairs bathroom for guests

then I would rip it all out & make an extra closet --

hmmmm - I think that is a good idea!

Too bad - for I can only think this I cannot

actually do it. Telll me if you have one of these closet bathrooms.

from Hopblogger

Here are several pics

of my dining room - I hope that you like them. My husband graciously measured & put my glass curtain rod finials above the windows to hang my green toile valances. Beneath are very short brass rods to hold the matching curtain panels - these panels do not open or close (since I do not have a need for privacy in this room). The lace panels are simply threaded with string & tacked up onto the center of each window above the window molding. They do not move either as I enjoy looking out of this big bay window. OOPS! seems like I need to straighten up my china cabinet - its a little messy & cluttered from the holidays. Sure do hope that you like my curtains & valance that I made - be sure to click on each photo for a larger view -- click, click

Hopblogger