One Stitch Two Stitch

Autumn to Me

means

dark cloud mornings

warm blankets

rainy afternoons

windy nights

indoor scrabble matches

Welcome back, I've missed you!

Monday Flickr Faves!

All the way from Flickrland, here's my inspiration for this week!

1. red, white and black cat, 2. Crochet: Vivid Dreams Blanket Completed!, 3. Cozy Mini Coasters - Verna, 4. Doily Delicious, 5. the baby's quilt, 6. in jar, even happier, 7. new stash, 8. viola, 9. happy patchwork pillows, 10. tried to use vintage colours, 11. Rainbow cake, 12. Linen pincushions

Suzie's Back

I'm finally getting back to making new Suzy Gazuntite dolls. She's absolutely my favorite doll to make because she has such a gloomy personality - sarcastic, grumpy, and forthright unenthusiastic about everything . . . oh don't get her started about her allergies. I promise to share pics of her progress real soon.    Sue

Back to School

For me the new school year means a rather sudden break on my craft projects. The week before school starts is quite hectic, between unpacking, setting up the classroom, preparing lessons, etc. there's just no time for crafting. I can sense that my crochet hook and yarns feel especially neglected!

Nonetheless, going back to teaching is always inspiring. Here are some goodies I spotted that boost school spirit!

This adorable nerd tote by WastedWishes.

I love these matchbook notepads by alittlebirdtoldme, awesome for jots and doodles!

Japanese Gift Market have the cutest 2-tier lunch boxes!

Really digging this mini calendar by tamtone.

I can't get over this laptop sleeve by Brokesy, love the blimp!

If you're interested in any of these finds, just click on the photo for link!

Sleep, Bake, Crochet

Not necessarily in that order, but I got a chance to do some of each through out Wednesday.

I added another repurposed jar to my little collection! This one has a crocheted flower pincushion on the jar lid.

Here's a peek at a new lap blanket I've been working on. So far, I have 2 squares made up of 4 tie-dyed suns (that 's what they look like to me!).

I've been working on and off for the last year and a half on this granny square blanket. I need about 300 squares. I've made about a 100, and I'm working on 45 new ones (just need to add the last round to these).

When I cut the 1st slice of my cake, I yelled, "And everything was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow!" (I'm a huge Elizabeth Bishop fan) because it was true, it was all rainbow and very yummy too! With school looming over my head (I go back next Monday), I feel like I'm racing against time to complete so many of my summer projects. I'll be working on a camera case today, so wish me luck! Are there any last minute projects you're working on? I'd love to see, so send me a link! Sue

SeeSueStitch Featured!

I'm sooo stoked! Some of my shop items were featured on Etsy treasuries. Two treasuries all in 1 day! Yay! In case you're asking yourself "what's a treasury??." It's a tool that Etsy members can use to feature a variety of handmade goods from different shops.

This one has a granny chic theme. Really adorable picks. Check out my flower brooch!

This one has a nesting theme, really sweet items for baby. Janey Sue is in the 1st row.

I'm not quite sure how much exposure these treasuries get but the idea that someone takes note of your shop and features an item of yours without expecting anything in return is a very kind gesture in my book!

Quick Sewing Project Q&A!

What do you sew when you find the perfect fabrics?

A kicka** plastic bag dispenser for my kitchen! LOL, I know, I'm such a sewing geek, but I was desperately needing one (my plastic bags were taking over my kitchen). The design was created by the fabulous Ayu Mills of Pink Penguin! If you're interested in making one of your own, you can find the how-to in Stitch magazine.

I'll be spending the rest of the evening idolizing my new dispenser. Have a happy Tuesday night y'all! Sue

New DIY!

I've wanted to share this tute for awhile, but somehow, I never got around to it until today! I thought about how cute this would be for a child's party. What an adorable party favor for those Go Fish or Uno cards. You can monogram them for a personalized touch or add a cute phrase to go with the theme of your party. With so many felt colors and fabric choices the possibilities are endless. Plus, you can use up your fabric scraps and the cozy will last way longer than any paper cover.

Well, now that I've sold you on my DIY (Did I mention it's super easy to make?), here are the steps!

Materials:

1. altered playing cards sleeve   2. embroidery floss   3. a small button   4. embroidery needle  5. a sheet of felt   6. cotton fabric with a large shaped-print    7. pencil   8. scissors

Before starting the project, use the original card deck sleeve to create your template for tracing. Undo and lay it out flat, then clip off the parts of the sleeves illustrated in the photo above.

You new altered sleeve should look like this when you're done.

Steps:

Begin by tracing your altered sleeve on a sheet of felt*. You may choose to trace the curves of the flap and add the window to the back of the card deck sleeve or do straight edges for the flap and omit the window. I chose to do the latter version which is easier. Once you've done your tracing, cut out the shape of the sleeve and set it aside momentarily.

Find a cotton fabric that fits the theme and color scheme of your choice. I recommend a large shaped-print which you can use as an applique for the cover of your cozy (I found this cute cupcake print in my stash and used that). Cut out the shape and pin it to the front side of your cozy. Use the original sleeve to help position your applique.

Once pinned, thread your needle, using the floss color of your choice, and blanket stitch all around the applique and knot off.

* Note: When picking out your color scheme, try choosing colors that contrast with each other. For this cozy, I used hot pink and chartreuse hues.

This next step is optional but if you would like to embroider a phrase or name, then stitch it on to the cover of your cozy now. Since I used a cupcake, I thought it would be cute to backstitch "Eat, Play, Love" on the cover (it's cute and alludes to that Julia Roberts' movie I'm dying to see!)

The quick trick I have to embroidering lettering to felt is to write the words on tracing paper first, then I pin the traced words on the felt and embroider over it (tracing paper punctures easily and allows you to stitch the design without the messiness of fabric pens). Once I've finished embroidering, I gently tear and remove the traced paper and viola your lettering is perfectly stitched!

Next, use a blanket stitch to join your cozy. Your felt cozy will look like the letter T lying in a horizontal position. To join, fold the tail of the T over to the head of the T (edges should be aligned evenly). The "tail" piece of your felt should be positioned in the middle, between the top and lower flaps. Stitch these two ends together. It should look like a tube with the flaps sticking out. Blanket stitch around the top flap and the mouth or opening of the cozy.

Now stitch the bottom flap of your cozy using the same blanket stitch. To stitch more comfortably, slide in a deck of cards to provide the rectangular shape needed. Knot off once you've closed up the bottom flap. Sew a small button on to the back cover, close to the opening of the cozy. And then cut a small slit to the top flap to make the eye opening.

Now you have a super sweet cozy that protects your playing cards, all handmade by you! I hoped you've enjoyed this DIY as much as I've loved sharing it with you. Bye for now and happy crafting! Sue

Inspiration of the Week!

Here are my Flickr faves of the week that I'm really into. What great inspiration. Enjoy!

1. ABEL J.J. CIKORY, 2. Wonderland - Hand Drawn Gift Stamp Sticker set of 3, 3. Snuggly Friends, 4. Still dreaming of going on adventures..., 5. Untitled, 6. Theodore the Stevedore, 7. domek, 8. 1st time patching, 9. bright pins, 10. woolly and furry bouquet pillow..., 11. Happy Vintage Weekend, 12. dream on

Gone Swampin' This Sunday

My bf and I were back up in Fort Myers this weekend. On our way back, we decided to take the scenic route which is a stretch called Tamiami Trail that cuts straight across the Everglades and connects Miami to the Gulf Coast.

I can only describe this rustic, two lane road as pure serenity. A paint-by-numbers landscape of lush greenery with an array of herons swooping through the sky.

Smack in the middle of the trail, we stopped at this tiny eatery called Joanie's Blue Crab Cafe. We ordered fried green tomatoes and the Swamp Combo - gator, frog legs and crab cakes! I know you must be thinking gator and frog legs?! but it was absolutely yummy (both taste just like chicken)!

I love the hokiness of the "Thank you" portrait.

The cafe has a very eclectic decor with plastic bottles turned into lanterns hanging from the ceiling, as well as colorful postcards stapled to the wooden beams. The walls are covered with pretty paintings and photography by local artists.

After having lunch, we snooped outside and discovered two gators wading in the swamp behind the cafe. For a second, I was overwhelmed with guilt that I might have feasted on one of their gator cousins, but the swamp girl in me quickly shrugged it off. After all, it won't be the last time I eat gator!

What's the craziest thing you've eaten? Send me a hello! Sue