Showing posts with label organizers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organizers. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

MAKING QUICK, QUIRKY ACCESSORIES

 I guess at heart I am a true, dyed in the wool, southwestern style, feathers and bead loving old hippie and the hatband with matching earrings that I have made prove it.

I wanted something patriotic with feathers and beads and as the hatband began to take shape the song "Yankee Doodle" started going through what mind I have left.
 "Yankee Doodle went to town
riding on a pony
stuck a feather in his hat
and called it macaroni"
So that is how the Yankee Doodle Hat Band got its name. It is easy and quick to make.
I have yet to figure out what macaroni has to do with a feather or his hat, or his pony.

-THE YANKEE DOODLE HATBAND-

-MATCHING YANKEE DOODLE EARRINGS-
Surely, every self respecting Yankee Doodle Hat Band needs matching Yankee Doodle Earrings, don't you think?
Making jewelry is not one of my best ventures. I use beads to embellish my quilts and wallhangings so I do pick beads and findings that are of interest whenever I see them. You never know when you might have need for a spectacular focal point. Of course, that is the justification for all those lovely things squirreled away for future use and you never know, one bead could be the inspiration for a whole design.

At any rate, I hope you have fun with these if you decide to make them. 

Check out these and many other craft videos and tutorials @ http://favecrafts.com/.

Blog Hop Button Finished on the 15th: FaveCrafts Blog Hop for June
-------------------------
Since my maid has not showed up for work for quite some time now, I cannot spend all my time in my sewing room. For some reason, husband dear thinks there should be meals on the table and the house reasonably kept- not to mention a few clean clothes every now and again.  I keep telling him he can turn his underwear inside out and wear them another week but that doesn't work any more. 
As I've told you before, my domestic divadom does include cooking and am sharing some of my favorite recipes. The Hot Fudge Topping was in yesterday's post and today I am including my next fave, my Butterscotch Topping,  which is just as easy and quick. As with the Hot Fudge Topping, this recipe is doubled or tripled every time I make it-might as well get more done in the same amount of time!

BUTTERSSOTCH TOPPING
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/4 cup butter or margarine
dash of nutmeg [optional]
makes about 1 1/2 cups
In 1 1/2 quart mixing bowl, combine brown sugar and flour. Stir in milk and syrup, then butter. Microwave at high 2 to 4 minutes, or until mixture boils; stir well. Microwave 3 1/2 minutes. Stir in nutmeg. Serve warm.
-----------
Since we eat a lot of ice cream around here, we have a lot of those nice plastic containers. I use them for storing leftover soups, chilis and beans in the freezer and also for sending them home with the kids-my good containers would never be seen again if they went out the door. I also use them as organizers for my craft paints and things. You can see those in a former post where I show how to make a "Repurposed Organizer". 
----------------------
Happy Homemaking
Carolyn Wainscott

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

KEEPING THINGS HANDY IN MY COFFEE MUG

I know this is a strange title but I like using things differently from their intended purpose and like them even more if they are cheap. I do keep quite a few things handy on the table by my chair so I don't have to jump and run every time I  want to do something or forget an idea or phone # if not jotted down immediately. It seems I am in constant need of:pencil/pens/paper clips, pins/needles/thimble/thread, fingernail clips/file, glue stick, notepad/daily planner, etc.

All this paraphernalia has been kept in a basket til now which took up too much space.

When the idea of this little coffee mug organizer hit, I just loved it and had to make one for myself to see if it would hold enough stuff for me. While I was at it, I made several more for friends, my sisters and my mother. I hope they get as much good from this as I do. The cup with its pockets holds everything I need in a much smaller area and looks so much better. 

[All that stuff in one little mug] 

It takes just a few cents worth of fabric and a coffee mug with your every day sewing tools. You probably have a mug in your cupboard that you can use or pick one up at a yard sale for a few cents. I, the great cheapo, broke down and actually bought special friend mugs for the gift organizers. Mine, on the other hand, came from my own kitchen.

The organizer can be really dressed up if you wish with any trims you have. Ours just has some of my plain vintage buttons securing the lace ties. I think these would also make a good bizarre or festival item. They could be made up in theme fabrics for fall, Christmas, teachers, patriotic to be used as a fund raiser.  

The video demonstrating how to make the coffee mug organizer was made for FaveCraft.com, the online craft site that provides free patterns, videos, tutorials and instructions for all kinds of crafts including:crochet, knitting, paper crafts, kids crafts, jewelry making, needlework and much more.


If you decide to make one of these, I would love to see it.
You can contact me at:quiltngrin.granny@blogspot.com

Happy crafting,
Carolyn Wainscott
the quilting granny

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Come over and visit My Craftsy Pattern Store @
http://www.craftsy.com/user/pattern/store/43851

http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/sewing/toy/ag-hooded-cape/15386


http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/sewing/toy/ag-hoodie-from-hannahs-closet/43213




GETTING ORGANIZED WITH RECYCLABLES

Full time job for me-getting organized. Then when I finally get it done, I can't find anything. I knew where it was when it was under something in one of those piles over there.

There is a tendency of too much around here and not wanting to throw anything away that is too good to pitch is part of my problem. I have been watching the shows on hoarding to encourage myself to NEVER, NEVER  get to that extreme.

My habit of not getting rid of emptied containers does come in handy and keeps me from having to send food out the door in my good purchased ones which I would never see again. I make soups, beans and chilis by the gallon[s]. The leftovers are stored in the freezer in the various emptied ice cream buckets, margarine-butter-sour cream-cottage cheese tubs stacked on the shelf. I always buy the giant economy size of anything so the containers are large.

Recyclables are also used in a lot of my crafts and have helped save money, especially when working with childrens' groups on a small budget. I have designed crafts around what was on hand rather than having to purchase supplies. 

I love making a lot of different crafts so have a variety of supplies on hand. Sometimes I think I would like to go out and purchase a system to organize all of them but then it is really more fun and creative to make my own for free. 

Organizers like the one shown in the videos run anywhere from $10 up. Mine only takes a little while to make with everyday sewing tools. It takes very little fabric and the ice cream bucket is free. This one will be used with my fabric paints and accessories. 

For a different sized container, just adjust the measurements to create your own custom organizer.

The videos below were created for FaveCraft.com for the online craft site. I was trying to keep the instructions to less than 5 minutes but that wasn't enough time to give adequate information. The site provides free patterns, free instructions, free tutorials and free videos on all sorts of crafts including: crochet, knitting, jewelry making, kids crafts, paper crafts and much more. You can find information on just about anything you are interested in with links to craft supply companies.

The site has so many beautiful crochet patterns that I must do for my great grandchildren that I almost have carpel tunnel syndrome trying to get them done.

I hope the videos help and if you have any questions, contact me at: quiltngrin.granny@blogger.com.

PART 1
PART 2


Happy organizing
Carolyn Wainscott, the quilting granny
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
check out all my designs in My Craftsy Pattern Store @
http://www.craftsy.com/user/pattern/store/43851

http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/sewing/other/soft-sculpture-nativity-set/147482



http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/sewing/other/sunbonnet-sue-baby-quilt-pattern/44984


http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/sewing/clothing/girls-hooded-cape-by-hannahs-closet/39227