MY PROJECT LINUS QUILT

The Project Linus  has donated almost 4,000,000 quilts and blankets to needy children and has almost 400 chapters. I have heard about Project Linus along the way but had never thought seriously about looking into it since my life is like most other people's, very busy with every day.  Maybe a fleeting thought of putting something together for the project, sometime, when the time is right, when there is nothing else to do-right!

Then the craft site, Craftsy, that I visit online put out a call for donations that could be given to Project Linus for needy children. Craftsy is trying to collect 1000 quilts by December-plus 1000 hats. I went online to research Project Linus and found just how much good had been spread by the organization. That is where the 4,000,000 figure came from-isn't that astounding?

Now, I have made many quilts for children in jeopardy on an as need basis when the call comes in and when I saw some of the photos on the site of children receiving quilts made especially for them by loving hands, I knew since there was never going to be a just right time when there is nothing else to do.

So in the middle of making things for Christmas for great granchildren [who are blessedly all in good health!!!], my Linus Quilt needed to be done. How much easier could it be? Craftsy provided us with an address to send our quilts and they will even deliver them for us. Good job, Craftsy! I hope we reach the 1000 quilts and hats.

The 1000 hat request was put out first and since I was already crocheting, whipped up some hats to send. Then came the 1000 quilt announcement.

So, if you would like to help these ventures here is the Craftsy address:

Keep A Kid Warm

c/o Sympoz Inc.

1553 Platte #202

Denver, Co. 80202

or

go to the Project Linus website. You may want to become involved in a local chapter if there is one near you. If you need any ideas or patterns, they are provided on the site.

Here is my Linus quilt:

 The angel fabric I had kept squirreled away for a special project was brought out.  The Linus Project children are so special, they deserve the best.

The feather fabric was chosen for the back to coordinate with the angel fabric. One of my favorite Bible verses is Psalm 91:4-He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shall thou trust; his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

I always put a pocket on the back of every child's quilt that will hold a book or little soft toy. As soon as I get the pocket on this quilt and find the right book, it will be wrapped up with the hats and sent off to Craftsy.

Here are the little hats I made:

There are also several scarves that will be included in the package.

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The Linus quilt was made in a quilt-as-you-go method shown in the video:

The video along with complete instructions can also be seen @ http://www.FaveQuilts.com/Tips/Techniques. While you are there, check out other patterns, tutorials and videos that can be used for your project.

God bless you

Carolyn Wainscott

HOW TO MAKE DOLL SANDALS FOR YOUR AMERICAN GIRL DOLL

Doll clothes are something I hadn't intended on getting into until a couple of months ago. My granddaughter wanted to give her boyfriend's daughter accessories for her American Girl Doll but couldn't afford to buy them. I told her I would help her out and make a couple of outfits for the birthday-and that started the whole thing.

I downloaded some crochet patterns and started with those. I looked up the dolls online and ordered a catalog. I like the concept of the doll with its historical background and line of books and things to do. I just can't get around the cost of eveything so a lot of clothes are being made and put aside for Christmas for my great granddaughters. I love dolls and being able to share this with them.

I have crocheted some hats and bags to match some outfits, even some Mary Jane shoes for one dress that I got carried away with making such a swirly skirt but it looks like I wanted it to.

This is one of my favorite little outfits. I love the two tierred swirly skirt. The top is from one of the downloaded patterns. I couldn't find a top I liked so I used one of the dress patterns and just didn't crochet the skirt. The fabric at the waist is a Tinker Bell piece which is just perfect with the little calico print. The flower on the headband is crocheted.

Let me say something about all those downloaded patterns-I appreciate them so much because they have helped me a great deal and I will share the links at some point. I did find, however, that some of the patterns are not accurate. I am not a greatly accomplished crocheter but one pattern I started several times was just not right. I have made lots of things but this one would not work no matter what I did.

The talented people who create these patterns and then share on the internet are wonderful and I have been able to follow along with almost all of them. It takes a lot of time to create and write instructions. Writing crochet instructions is far beyond me.

So, I had some outfits piling up and wanted shoes to match. I came up with making sandals that are really quick and easy. Since the crochet brigade is so generous in sharing their expertise, I am sharing my idea for the sandals. You can make dozens in an afternoon. If you are going to craft fairs, they would make an inexpensive item without too much time involved that should sell well for you.

I first used some craft foam sheets that I had on hand using my hot glue gun and that worked well. But wonder of wonders, I found the adhesive backed foam sheets, in glitter, no less. Here is the sandal to match the Tinker Bell outfits I made.

Throw away nothing! Even little 1/4" snippets can be used as jewels for trims here and there. Make up your own kit as a gift for children to design and make their own doll sandals. They will have the best shod doll in town.

To help secure the adhesive on the foam, add just a dab of hot glue or other good glue at the ends to keep it from coming loose.

I had fun creating these from anything and everything, hope you do, too. Here is my video showing you how to put these together. 

So get some craft foam or felt sheets and have fun.
God bless you,
Carolyn Wainscott
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Check out my reversible designs in My Pattern Store for doll clothes, quilts and other crafts on Craftsy.com @

http://www.craftsy.com/user/pattern/store/43851

video tutorial for reversible doll cape @
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJzQkEVTTWk



video tutorials @
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9Hp75xJHn0


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZeoePfP0NE

THE REALLY BIG, REALLY CHEAP SCOOP

No, I haven't completely lost it, not any more than usual anyway.

My "green" sense is kinda always in gear, I've just been toying with some things that we have in abundance around here and I hate to have so much plastic go into the trash.

Since I am a quilter, all those milk and distilled water plastic jugs could be used possibly for templates if the time is taken. I have been working with creating organizers but the water jug I was experimenting with didn't fill the bill. It did show some promise in another direction, though. Having spent enough quality time together to know it wanted to continue its life as useful and not be looked upon as just another piece of trash,  we came up with a design to allow the Plastic Jug or "PJ" as he wants to be called,  do just that. 

The magic marker  magically glided around "PJ" and when I followed the markings with my exacto knife, voila, a really large scoop came into existence. 

So from the job of holding one of our most important commodities, water, "PJ" still has a job to do. 

"PJ" has become  the really big, really cheap [mmm-economical] "Scoop", scooper of the dog food, the one scoop scoop. No more multiple dips into the bag, now you can do it with just one-"Scoop".

The following video was made to detail the process of PJ Scoop's metamorphasis from almost trash to useful treasure.

It can be seen at http://www.favecraft.com/, the online craft site that offers all free patterns, instructions, videos and tutorials in many crafts-crochet, knitting, jewelry making, paper crafts, kids crafts, recycling, and much, much more.

Who knows, you may have PJ's brother in your cupboard.

Happy crafting. Would love to see your "green" creations.

Contact me at: quiltngrin@blogger.com

Carolyn Wainscott
the quilting granny

MARKING TIME AND SAVING MY SANITY WITH CRAFTING

Crochet is my present mode of marking time and sanity saving. As with a lot of you, crafting has been my therapy whether it was crochet, quilting, sewing, mosaics, beadwork, papier mache or whatever I was involved in at the time. Crafting is my way of keeping busy and working through instead of wringing my hands and pacing. In some instances I would have no skin left on my hands and no floor left under my feet.

  

The impetus to set aside quilting for a while and drag out my hooks and yarn  was fueled a couple of months ago by a young lady named Meghan when I read about her and her friends who were making blankets for underprivileged and sending them with missionaries on the mission field. You can read about  them in "Meghan's Ministry" at wwwTheAlabasterBox.blogspot.com.

Much has been crocheted in the last several weeks that normally would not have been finished because much has occurred-much pain, much waiting, much concern, much prayer. I have actually finished: 2 baby  blankets, 3 little girls' sweaters, 3 matching dresses, 4 hats, 3 granny square purses to complete the sweater/dress ensembles, 2 pairs of knee high foot warmers  and since this post was started a week or so ago, another toddler dress. Under normal circumstances, I would have been hard pressed to have one sweater done. Handwork like this is usually done as my Granny used to say in "snatches and grabs" instead of almost full time as recently.

One of the blankets was done as I sat with my sister-in-law who  was found to have a tumor on her brain and was rushed to have emergency surgery.  She did really well but has to have care 24/7. The squares that were brought out with coordinating yarn after I met Meghan and troop were put to use because they were so handy. These were finished in a granny square. I do a lot of granny square-it is kind of a mindless pattern that I don't have to think much about as I work.

The foot warmers were crocheted for my 2 oldest grandchildren to keep them from taking my pair that my sister, Jackie, had made for me for my birthday. Both were threatening to take them.  These were also done as I sat with my sister-in-law.

The second blanket was completed a week or so later as we  waited all day for word on grand nephew, Ayden, who is only 9 months old. A brain tumor had been found and he was having a scan and mri. They were expecting to have to do emergency surgery but that was scheduled for a week later. Prayers went into each stitch. I made sure the blanket got to him several days before  his surgery.

The day before Ayden's surgery my son, Jeff, had surgery on his shoulder. One of the sweaters was worked on as I waited during his surgery. The matching pieces were also worked on as I cared for him after his surgery during the waiting week for Ayden's surgery.

In all this,  news came that niece, Debbie, has breast cancer. More intense crocheting, crocheting, crocheting-something to keep busy, something productive to do, something of beauty to create for 4 beautiful little girls.

Having the girls' outfits done,  I had been searching for sweater patterns for my great grandsons so they won't feel left out when their sisters get their new outfits. An email arrived announcing new hard to find crochet patterns for boys from Hooked On Crochet at AllFreeCrochet. I will be using one of the new vest patterns-it is just what I was looking for.

You see, Debbie's surgery won't be for a couple of weeks and I need the calm of handwork. I started one of the boys sweaters earlier today.

Being busy is a blessing, being able to be busy is a blessing.

Below are photos of the 3 sweater outfits and granny square dress that I have been able to make for my great granddaughters-Hannah, Jenna,  Ashlynn and Maizin and the site where I got the inspiration and patterns.  My friend, Valerie, sent me the link that I have looked over almost every day. 

It is a site for all kinds of crafts with patterns and even video tutorials and instructions. If you work with children's groups, there are a lot of crafts for reclyclables and all of this is free. From that site, I have gone to several others that I didn't know about.

I have downloaded enough patterns to keep me busy for the next 200 years even if I work 24/7 and they are all gorgeous. 

The original site Val sent me is: wwwfavecraft.com and from that I have visited:

AllFreeCrochet-Hooked on Crochet

Redheart.com

crochettoday.com

knittingtodaymag.com

LionBrand.com

Caron.com

Annie's Attic
and there are many more

On favcraft, I seem to pick patterns designed by "doublestitch twins" [see photos-sweaters/newsboy hat, below] and Vintage Creations [see photos-dresses, below. There is also a beautiful crochet lacy duster that one day I may get to for myself].  

I so admire the people who have designed the wonderful patterns available. Robin Murphy on the Red Heart site has some of the most beautiful little girls' dresses I have ever seen-they are breathtaking.

For Hannah-size 6, Jenna-size 4-5, Ashlynn-size 2-3
BIG & LITTLE DRESSES by Groovy Crochet

NEWSBOY CAP PATTERN BY "DOUBLESTITCHTWINS"

Flower Child's Sweater by doublestitch twins-FAVECRAFTS

Vintage Rose Pattern-FAVECRAFTS

Granny Square Purse-use any Granny Square pattern to size desired

For Maizin-size 18 months

Granny Square Yoke Dress Pattern by Valerie Moffitt on RedHeart.com

I have really enjoyed working on these outfits for the girls in the light coral, yellow and white. 

Two of each pattern-one for me and one for my sister were printed,  put into page protectors and into notebooks. The extra set made a nice gift for my sister who is an avid crocheter and I keep adding to our collections.

HERE IS THE LINK FOR YOU TO GO TO FAVECRAFTS AND LOOK FOR YOUR FAVORITE CRAFT-I HOPE YOU GET AS MUCH ENJOYMENT AS I DO FROM THE SITE:

HAPPY CRAFTING!!