Modern BOM ~ July

Here's my first block! I had fun picking out the fabric. I couldn't handle solids... I had to have a bit of pattern! The background pattern is actually music staff! =) The green is really, really bright. I wish the picture did it justice. Go here to find out more about the Modern BOM at Sew, Mama, Sew!

Fun Ruffle Scarf !

I love this scarf! It's fast and fun!!
Continue reading for my post; my crochet pattern is at the very bottom.

I finished a project!!! Wahoo!!! (my husband gets excited when that happens...) The inspiration for this scarf came from this pattern on the Lion Brand Yarn website this past winter. The first one I made I followed the pattern... I did all double crochets! I also used a less chunky yarn and a G hook (pretty sure it was a G hook). In any case, it worked but took WAY TOO LONG to make. Then I made another one for my sister-in-law and I decided to use the chunky yarn. MUCH BETTER!!!!


This purple one is for me and I decided to change it up a bit! I chained on a million... well, until it was as long as I wanted.


Be sure that your initial chain is 'fat'. In other words, don't make it too tight because then it's really hard to get that first row going! I think the first row is the most time consuming.

The 2nd row I decided to do 1DC, 2DC, 1DC, 2DC in each stitch. I think it fanned out rather nicely.


The third row I continued the same idea in order to make it ruffle. I did 1DC, 1DC, 2DC, 1DC, 1DC, 2DC, etc.


I was going to continue with the same idea and do a fourth row until I realized that I would run out of yarn. I pulled the fourth row out and looked at my scarf. It still needed something. I decided to do a scalloped edge using chain links.

All in all I'm happy how it turned out! I'll have to wait a month or so to wear it, but I guess that's better than having unfinished projects around!

Want to make one for yourself?
Here's the pattern!!!

Materials:
2 skeins ~ Lion Brand Yarn, Hometown USA, Super bulky '6', 81 yards per skein
1 ~ N-13 9.0mm crochet hook

Ch 80-120 (depending on how long you want it)
{I chained 120 for my scarf and the scarf measures about 67 inches.}
Row 1 ~ dc in each ch across (80-120)
Row 2 ~ ch 3, turn, * dc, 2 dc in next stitch; repeat from * across
Row 3 ~ ch 3, turn, * dc in each of the first two stitches, 2 dc in next stitch; repeat from * across
Row 4 ~ ch 3, turn, skip 1, sc in following stitch, *chain 3, skip 1, sc; repeat from * across
Fasten off and Done!

dc = double crochet
ch= chain

I would love to see your Ruffle scarf!




~this pattern was featured on Craft Gossip, One Pretty Thing & Confessions of a Stay at Home Mommy~

July FNSI{the car}

Here's my Friday Night Sew In {the car}. We drove from Kansas City to Champaign yesterday so I had a lot of time to finish my baby sock. It was my goal!!! I finished it and started another one. A couple weeks ago I set out to make some baby socks. Ravelry is the greatest!!! (Is there a quilt website like this??? If so, please tell me!!)

I've since gone through three different patterns in search of the easiest. =) I ripped this sock out quite a few times. I finally found a pattern I like. The heel turn is REALLY easy.


I got so excited that I was 'doing it right' that I did too many "knit, wrap, and turns" and had to undo a bunch. Of course, I didn't undo all of them so I have a beautiful hole in my sock (maybe it was meant to be lacy?)

It is a ribbed pattern, and at the end of the sock I figured out how to NOT make the ribs too wide where the DPNs meet. I did some online research. We'll see how the next one works.

Other than those things I feel like it was mostly successful. The toe is a bit pointy for my liking, but I think I know how to fix that for the next one. This yarn was just some cheap stuff I bought at Walmart. I have the nice stuff saved for when I can really get the pattern right. I knitted them using 4 DPNs size 2.

Sock Number Two!!

ALSO, Over the trip I knitted a bunch of booties that I LOVE. Here is the great bootie Pattern that I used!! The booties are gifts so I can't post them just yet!

Organic Cotton

Hello Everyone!
Liesl, at Liesl Made (an adorable blog/blogger!), just did an interview with an organic fabric designer, Harmony, of Harmony Art. Liesl recently made a pledge to buy and sew with organic fabrics. (wow!)

I really had no idea that growing cotton was so hazardous. Take a look at Harmony's website. She has great information here and here.

When I get home I'm going to look in to finding more organic fabric companies. I'll report back. =)

I was just shocked and wanted to pass the word along.
Take care!!!
~Andrea

Ric Rac Flower

Hello! So sorry for the delay in posting, but I'm on my Honeymoon!!! =) We're on a road trip so I've been doing a lot of crafting in the car.

I followed CINO's awesome tutorial to make a Ric Rac Flower!

I thought trying out a Ric Rac Flower would be the perfect car project. I grabbed the ric rac I had and some felt (remembering what I initially saw in the tutorial.)

As I reread the tutorial I saw that she used 3/4inch ric rac. I had 1/2 inch and while it worked, I can definitely see how wider ric rac would be way easier. next time!

There's no center yet (I forgot to bring a button with me..... or maybe I'll just sew some beads in the center?)


And then there's the back. I said to myself before starting this "Now don't pull too tight on your first circle of sewing or it will curl up and not be flat!" Did I listen? NO.

The edges curled up, but it's still cute! I used a water bottle to fashion the felt circle. yay road trip!

Can you guess where we are?????

Bling, Bling Ring ~ Tutorial

About a year ago I won a ring from my Mary Kay Director. It was a handmade ring, and I later found out that she paid $40 for it. Well, it broke... and eventually hers broke too. I love making jewelry so I studied the ring and then decided I could make one myself.

I modified it so that it wouldn't break. The problem with a ring like this is that if the band breaks it all falls apart. (Which is what happened to ours.) SO I made the top of the ring (with all the beads) with sturdy beading thread and then tied it off. Then I made the band separately using an elastic(!) beading thread. This way, if the band breaks I only need to replace the band. Yay!

Want to make one?? Here's my first shot at a tutorial.
Comments, congratulations, and critiques are welcome!!!!

MATERIALS:
- 36 ~ 4mm Swarovski Crystal Bicones (I like AB faceted)

- 24 ~ 4mm Fire Polished rounds "FPR" (they are actually more oval than round, and THAT is key)

- around 90 ~ size 15 seed beads (tiny!)

- beading thread
- elastic beading thread

- beading needles (I use both sturdy needs and bendy wire needles)

- clear nail polish or flexible glue

- scissors

1. Cut your bead thread the length of your 'wing span' ~ from hand to hand with your arms straight out.

2. The base of the ring is done with the "right angle weave" stitch. I'm probably not doing it exactly right.... but below is how it makes sense to me.

3. String 4 of the FPR onto your thread. Tie a knot at the end of the thread to make a circle with the 4 beads. Go through all 4 beads again to reinforce the circle.

4. String 3 FPR. Send your needle through the opposite end of the bead that the thread is coming from. Again, making another circle. (In the photo you can see that the thread is coming out of the bottom of the bead, so the needle is coming through the top of the bead.)

5. Now you have two circles next to eachother. Go through each bead in the circle again to reinforce. End with the thread coming out the top of the rightmost bead (Pictured below)

6. String 3 FPR. Bring your needle up through the rightmost bead to create another 'circle'. Go back through the entire circle to reinforce. End with your thread coming out of the left side of the bottom bead. Tip: throughout this process make sure your thread is always tight. There should be no slack in the thread at all.

7. String 3 FPR. Put your needle through the bottom bead from right to left to create a 4th circle BELOW the previous circle. Go through the circle to reinforce. End with your thread coming out the bottom of the leftmost bead.

8. String 2 more FPR. This time go through the bottom bead of the top middle circle. Continue the circle with the leftmost bead of the circle on the right.... I know, words are complicated, hopefully the picture helps! Again, reinforce the circle. End with the thread coming up out of the leftmost bead of the new circle.

9. Now take your thread through the bottom bead of the top circle. It will be exiting to the left of the bottom bead of the top circle.

10. String 2 FPR. Continue the circle with the leftmost bead of the circle to the right. Reinforce the circle by going through all four beads. End with your needle coming out the right side of the bottom bead of the new circle.

11. Are you getting the idea??? Here are pictures for the next few circles. It's basically 9 circles ~ 3x3 with all of the center beads sharing circles.

12. Now that you have your 3x3 grid of circles we can begin the top!!!! String 1 Swarvoski Bicone, 1 seed bead, 1 Swarvoski Bicone

13. Put your needle in diagonally from where it is exiting. In the picture above the thread is exiting the bottom right of the circle; so the need enters the top left of the circle.

14. The two bicones should sit on top of the 'circle' evenly. Again, be sure the thread is tight! You basically make an 'X' with the bicones over the top of the circle.

15. String 1 bicone. Put your needle through the Tiny seed bead that was previously strung. Pull tight!!!!!

16. String 1 bicone. Finish your 'X' by putting your needle through the topmost bead of the FPR circle.

17. Tada! You now have your first 'X' of pretty bicones! Continue this 'X' process on top of all of the 'circles'.

18. When you are done you'll have 9 'X's of 4 bicones each with a seed bead in the center.

19. Reinforce the top. From the bottom right corner of the entire ring go through the bicones/seed beeds diagonally to the top left corner of the square. You will not go through the FPR in this process.

20. Go through one FPR and then back up to the bicones/seed beads and again go diagonally through 2 'X's. Continue this process weaving through diagonally to connect all of the bicone 'X's.

21. Feed the thread through the ring to the beginning thread. Knot them together. Nail polish the knot to hold it (or use flexible glue). Weave the ends through some beads and then cut!

THE BAND

1. Take your elastic ~ a good stretchy elastic ~ and cut a piece about 10 inches.

2. Feed the elastic through one of the middle FPR as shown above.

3. String the seed beads on both ends. Fit it to your finger, about 40 beads per side.

4. After its the right size, feed one of the elastic ends through the FPR opposite the first one. Tie the two elastic ends together. Nail polish/glue the knot. Feed the ends through a few beads and then clip!

DONE!

There will be two elastic strands. I use the tiny seed beads because I think they are more comfortable on your finger. Bicones or even FPR under your finger aren't all that comfortable.

There are many variations.......
These are all tops that need bands.

I am not kidding when I say that EVERY time I wear one of these people stop me and ask where I got it!!!

Bling, Bling in the sun!


AND my favorite... the HUGE one....
I'm not sure I like this color design. I'm still playing around with it.


This is what the FPR structure looks like for the big ring.

This is your 'map' for making the base for the large ring. Each line is a FPR. Do a row of 3 circles and then a row of 4 circles, etc.

Turned to the side (like the map).

Thanks for reading this long tutorial... I hope it worked... again... comments, congratulations, and critiques are welcome!!! =)

~this tutorial was featured on Craft Gossip~

This tutorial is meant for personal use only.

Have you made a Bling, Bling Ring??  Show us what you've got!