I'm Back! Sorry for the Hiatus

I have been sew busy, trying to juggle sewing, knitting, tweeting, pinning and sharing. In addition to watching my 2 yr old grandson 3 days a week. I finally have some new things to share.

All my favorite Holidays are coming fast! Did I mention my birthday is on Halloween?! SEW FUN!

Here is the latest in my new etsy shop. Listing a lot of Laurel Burch as she was soo inspiring. Her Holiday items are especially fun.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/164650967/holiday-pillowcase-laurel-burch-festive

I love Art Deco anything so could not resist these embroidery files for my kitchen. Hope you like them too. There are 2 different ones, will show you the first. There are 2 in the set.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/164637286/art-deco-embroidery-for-your-kitchen?ref=related-1

The next is an experiment of mine with ribbon and lace. It turned out sew much better than I could have hoped for. I fear it is decorative only due to the wired ribbon. I have towel bars for decorative and bars for usable. I am betting you do too!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/164665597/holiday-towels-in-your-bath-say-merry

Last but not least, is Thanksgiving. Soo difficult to find good things to decorate for this very special Holiday. If this is a repeat, I apologize but it is still a very pretty item. Enjoy! In the next week or so I will be adding at least 3 more Thanksgiving kitchen towels.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/162783586/thanksgiving-kitchens-are-the-best-place

As always, Thanks for stopping by. I will be posting fall wreath ideas soon.

Lynnette

It's Official! LynMorr Sew Fun! is Open

I am SEW excited! My new shop on etsy LynMorr Sew Fun! is open and features machine embroidered bath towels, kitchen towels and pillowcase. At least for now that is what I am showing. Later I may branch out into other machine embroidered items. I enjoy watching the embroidery unfold. I like the process of finding just the right file, the perfect colors of thread and the proper item to embroider. I fell in love with machine embroidery right from the very beginning.

Please take a few moments to stop by. I will be adding new items all week. These are just a few . . . 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/162783586/

https://www.etsy.com/listing/162788369

https://www.etsy.com/listing/162786123

https://www.etsy.com/listing/162777124

Now that the shop is open I can be more regular in my posting to this blog. I have spent the last couple of weeks finishing projects and trying to get the best photography.

Thanks for stopping by. See you soon!

Animal Cookies: King Arthur Flour

Animal Cookies: King Arthur Flour I like to cook too!

How to Embroider Card Stock

How to Embroider Card Stock from Lines Across

This is a tutorial showing you how to hand embroidery card stock. You can also do this with your embroidery sewing machine. The results are great!

Embroidery Library has a good tutorial that  includes a video plus a pdf which you can download for future reference. 

http://www.emblibrary.com/EL/ELProjects/Projects.aspx?productid=PR1165

You can make your own card stock or buy already scored cards and envelopes to match. It is a great calling card as well as nice hand-made gift. Cards, bookmarks, placecards, thank yous, etc are all ways of using this technique.

I believe I will make a few Christmas cards with my own handwritten note inside. Nothing says "I care" more than a special card made just for the recipient. 

Enjoy! Hope has been some help! Come back soon!

To Block or Not to Block ?

Good Morning,

I know you are thinking, "what kind of question is that?" Not to block? Aren't we supposed to block everything we knit? Like you I thought the same thing until I got the book Finishing School by Deborah Newton for gift. I have read it cover to cover and refer to it often. Ms. Newton is a knitwear designer of some renown. She has patterns and projects featured in Interweave and Vogue Knitting. Ms. Newton also shares her wisdom about finishing your knitting project at Vogue Knitting. For 25 years she has been considered an expert on finishing your knitted pieces.

What is blocking? Simply a process in which you use water or steam to even out irregularities or unevenness in your fabric. If you are like me, my tension is not always consistent, I don't buy $50 a skein yarn, and I love to try new pattern stitches. Those 3 things can contribute to the aforementioned irregularities, BUT I find that blocking sometimes detracts from the patterns but felt I was not finishing if I didn't block.

Ms. Newton gave me the freedom to say "not this time, not this item." Or at least the not the pin and measure type of blocking. In her book, she states, "Sometimes all knitted pieces need is a very light shot of steam, or even no blocking at all." I think she is saying, take a look and decide for yourself what needs to be done to make your project look its best. Better I practice on my seaming and edges to get those right and not depend on blocking to make up for those 2 things completed poorly. In future posts, I will concentrate on methods of seaming. Not all seams are created the same. I have needed to learn which type works with which garment or item.

You need to ask the following questions in order to make a decision re: blocking:
1. Are the fibers able to endure blocking, heat, steam, etc.? If the answer is no, skip blocking.
2. Take a look, does it really need blocking? No? then move on.
3. If blocking is necessary, what is the least invasive blocking required? 

There are 3 methods of blocking: Steaming, Wet Blocking and Wet Towel Blocking

Steaming ~ a) Shot of Steam - no pinning, just carefully lay out your garment. Hold your steamer an inch or so above your fabric and, shoot. Never press. b) Mega-Steam - Lay your knitted item on a fabric surface (layers of towels, your bed, blocking board or other soft surfaces) pin if necessary, then lay a damp cotton or linen cloth over the knitted piece. Put the iron on a hot setting and touch it lightly to the damp cloth, allowing large bursts of steam to permeate the pressing cloth. Do this in sections, re-dampening your cloth for each section. You might need to do a little finger work, opening the eyelets gently or pinching the cable tips. Not unlike we do with fabric when finger pressing. 

Wet Blocking ~ More time consuming but especially necessary for lace knitting. This time you need that tape measure, lots of space and T-pins. The term is self-explanatory. Dip each piece into a small sink or container of water, squeeze the water out gently, roll it up in a towel and gently squeeze out more water. Then on to the blocking surface and with your schematic and pins, stretch out your item as much as needed with your hands, then pin the item to match the measurements needed. Let dry. 

Here is a nice video to help you by Kathy Elkins of WEBS Yarn Store.

Wet Towel Blocking ~ Lay a wet towel over a dry piece of knitting, pinned or unpinned. Leave it alone until the towel is completely dry, and remove. 

I hope this has been helpful. Happy Knitting! See you soon!

Hot Knitting Project for Fall- The Infinity Scarf

Happy Monday, I trust you all had a great weekend. Mine was great. Started my week off this morning by watching by 5, almost 6, yr. old granddaughter going to her first day of kindergarten. Happy/Sad Day. I can hardly believe she is going to school! Just had to share.

Sydney

Infinity Scarf is just another name for a scarf without an end. You say, like a cowl. Pretty much except it is longer and can wrap around your neck, or not. You get to decide. SEW many uses and SEW many materials! Knitting or crocheting is what we do, SEW let me show you some examples. There are many free patterns out there. I will show you just a few examples. Many of them with new techniques (new to me anyway) to close up that loop. 

http://mariknits.com/2012/03/anime-infinity.html

This one is one of the easiest ones, but look how pretty it lays on her neck. You can make it out of lighter weight yarn for the fall, then onto the bulkier yarn for the winter.

http://www.leavemetomyprojects.com/infinity-scarf-o-squish/

This Lavender Magic Scarf is made with fat cables to solve the often occurring problem of the scarf not quite laying the way you want it to. Using a Provisional Cast-On and closing the loop with the kitchener stitch, you will end up with a beautiful scarf.

http://www.tricksyknitter.com/store/opul-infinity-scarf-144.php

This one called Cool Breeze Infinity Scarf is a little more delicate and probably more my style. I am not very tall soo the bulky ones are just too much for me. This free pattern even gives you detailed instructions on closing it up with the kitchener stitch. 

http://untangling-knots.com/2010/03/05/knitting-zoz-cowl-pattern/

If you make this little scarf with fine yarn, you can have a great fashion accessory for your favorite jacket. Worked in the round with a pattern of ribbing and eyelets, this one is a real eye-catcher. Think of all the yarns you could use in the colors for fall and winter! 

These are all great gift ideas, and it is not too early to begin those gifts. 

Stop in again. I will be covering other new knitting and sewing trends for fall and winter.

Have a great day! See you soon!

Funky Finds for Friday

Good Morning, Happy Friday!

Decided this week to give you a look at Funky Finds. These are things that I found made with unusual supplies. You will see what I mean if you keep on reading. 

Fun with Legos on a Retro Table~ It is always so hard to find a good place for little ones to play with their Legos. If you have one of these old tables or a great thrifty shop, this might be worth a try. I think my little grandchildren would like this. Clever idea!

http://fussymonkeybiz.blogspot.com/2013/07/lego-table.html

Porch lights ~ What did we ever do without those little twinkly clear lights? I think of them at Holiday time, be it Christmas or Halloween. but Porch lights made from Mason Jars? Hey, I can do that. Follow the link and you will be able to find the instructions.

http://www.allthingsheartandhome.com

Another Outdoor Light Idea - Solar Powered Chandelier ~ Too easy for words, pretty self explanatory. This link will also show other clever ideas.

http://worldinsidepictures.com/13-insanely-clever-diy-projects/

Handmade Tin Box Earrings ~  Taking those great little tins that we all have a few, if not a lot of. I love those tins. Especially the old ones. I use them for everything. Popcorn tins hold my ribbon and other trim, old Oreo cookie tins hold my coffee beans, Xmas tins hold my Xmas candy. I just never thought of this. If you follow the link, there is a tutorial to show you how.

http://madewithmamaslove.com/handmade-tin-earrings/

Fence Post Pumpkins ~ This one should be easy too. Just have your local hardware store cut the posts for you, buy a little paint, Use stencils if you are like me and can't draw for anything and you have a clever decorations for your front porch.

http://www.bhg.com/halloween/crafts/fence-post-pumpkins/

Recycled beer, wine and liquor bottles turned into useful things. What a great idea! There must be millions of those things thrown away every day! Not something I have the tools or know-how to do but I am very impressed someone came up with this. They are sold at UReflections on etsy. Most are very reasonably priced for what I think must take quite a bit of time to do.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/UReflections

https://www.etsy.com/shop/UReflections

Rick Rack Roses~ They look special, and who would have thought of using rick rack like that? 

http://atticgals.blogspot.com/2010/07/ric-rac-rose-beads.html

Belt ~ No sewing required, just duct tape. If you hit the link, there are 6 other ways to use duct tape. 

http://diy.allwomenstalk.com/diy-duct-tape-projects-you-should-try-now

Well, I could keep on going. There were sew many to choose from, I may have to do this again. I know it isn't sewing or knitting but if you love crafting too, maybe there was something of interest. All of the websites in the links are worth a check-out, sew maybe there will something else of interest for you.

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!

How Brands Use Twitter [INFOGRAPHIC] - AllTwitter

How Brands Use Twitter [INFOGRAPHIC] - AllTwitter just a bit of Info if you want yo sell your craft

Knitting for little Noggins – Charity Organization | Daily Knitting Videos

Knitting for little Noggins – Charity Organization | Daily Knitting Videos just in case you needed a great way to use your talents!

Knitting From the Heart – Charity Organization | Daily Knitting Videos

Knitting From the Heart – Charity Organization | Daily Knitting Videos another way to use your talents!

How to Dye Yarn with Kool-Aid | Daily Knitting Videos

How to Dye Yarn with Kool-Aid | Daily Knitting Videos Kool-Aid is amazing. You have no idea what it can do. Probably shouldn't drink it, tho. :)

How to Knit the Kim Kardashian Beanie | Daily Knitting Videos

How to Knit the Kim Kardashian Beanie | Daily Knitting Videos Love hats. I would wear this, and I am not Kim~

Zibbet~an alternative to Etsy and eBay

Good Morning,

I found this new site, at least new to me, Zibbet.  I quote, "Zibbet is a global marketplace, connecting buyers and sellers of Handmade Goods, Fine Art, Vintage Items and Crafting Supplies." Each of those categories are broken down even further, you can even search by color. Currently they have more 157,000 listings.

It was started by 1 gentleman as an alternative to eBay, where everyone is looking for the bargain. Difficult to sell handmade items for profit there. The really cool part is there are no listing fees and no commission/sales fees.

These are just a few examples of what I saw there.

http://www.zibbet.com/BlackCreekCrossing

http://www.zibbet.com/RosePetals

http://www.zibbet.com/nicscreativeconcepts

http://www.zibbet.com/WhiteOwlDesigns

Just a little taste of what is offered. Happy Shopping!

Welsh fruited tea bread recipe - goodtoknow

Welsh fruited tea bread recipe - goodtoknow  This is a "Must try".

Making Ribbon Flowers

In other posts I have referred to the importance of embellishments to your projects. Cool buttons, satin ribbon, rick rack, decorative stitching or whatever says WOW to you. One day I was thinking about Easter baskets for the grandchildren and thought how fun it would be for the girls if their baskets had flowers in them. Since I have several popcorn tins full of ribbon, I thought I might try to make ribbon flowers. 

I checked YouTube to see if I could find a tutorial. I like to see it happen. I believe that makes it easier to learn. Oh my goodness, I found so many showing how to make so many different kinds of flowers. I urge to check them out. One stood out to me Vintage Handmade Organza Ribbon Flowers, filmed by mybutterflykisses12.  If this is something you would like to try, here is the video. 

and here are my first attempts. The variations are endless. As you see I added feathers to one and buttons to the other 2. All the best ones, of course, went into the Easter baskets. 

I have lots and lots of buttons, many are just singles, you know left-overs from other projects. Also my mother, my aunt and a few of their friends heard I was looking for buttons and they all sent me their button stash. SEW FUN!

New Items at LynMorr Doll Fashions

Good Morning, Needless to say I have been absent for a couple of days. I have been busy photographing finished work and trying to get other projects finished in order to open the second shop. I thought I would share with you the latest at LynMorr Doll Fashions. There will be more to come. I would so appreciate your stopping by the store!

 

Sometimes we have to say to ourselves, is that me?

Sometimes we have to say to ourselves, is that me?:  Maybe. This is a post because I did a search re: original thought. Funny what happens when you do a search on the Internet. Please click then share your thoughts. Thank you for dropping in.

Fabulous Finds for Friday

In order to keep to creative juices flowing I do a bit of searching on the web, looking for new ideas, new tutorials, new patterns, etc. I spend time on Pinterest, Twitter and just general looking around.

I thought I would share a few of  my fabulous finds. Not all of them relate to what I do but thought you might like to see them. I don't have to aspire to complete the project to appreciate it. I found 8 this week. Here they are in no particular order of preference.

1.  Girlie Ghost Cute little tutorial on how to make this sweet ghost using scrapbook paper. Clever.

http://7layerstudio.typepad.com

2. 3 Seam Caftan Tutorial Sew easy to make and sew fun to wear.

http://www.simplesimonandco.com

3. My Colors Quiet Book What a great way to use up those scraps of fabric in your stash! I can't bear to throw them away either.

http://www.bloglovin.com

4. The Button Stop A wonderful little shop on etsy who specializes in handmade buttons. I am always looking for that special button that just finishes the project. They have awesome buttons, handpainted on recycled wood.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ButtonStop

5. Slouchy Scallop Lace Hat Lovely hat. I  may try this one. Free pattern with a free membership at Ravelry.

www.ravelry.com

6. Lace Doily Lamp Now you could use Grandma's doilies, buy some ready made or be really adventurous and make your own so the lamp reflects you! I don't crochet but this project makes me wish I did. How-to instructions are included.

dosfamily.com

I hope you enjoyed these Fabulous finds! If you click on the title of each, the link will take you to the website and instructions. If you have fabulous finds, please share them! Enjoy your weekend!

Today is for Photography

Good Morning,

I have about 16 projects finished and so today will be devoted to photography, one of the most important part of your craft. In fact, I am going to re-photograph some of my other things. Have not been happy with how they look on line.  In the last couple of weeks I have learned so much by just browsing the net looking at how others have handled their craft. Also been reading.

If I don't have good luck today, I may try to make a lightbox. I found this great tutorial about doing just that at handmadeology.com. It is simply taking a box and lining it with white paper. I saw another that had you cut circular holes in 2 sides and the top, covering those with tissue paper and directing 3 light sources through those holes. When I can get the lamps, I will be in business.

So I am off to take pix. Have a good day!

New Yarns in the Hot Fall Colors

Good Morning,

Fashionising.com tells us that "greens feature heavily in the color for FALL 2013, from deep lichen green, a mossy, nature-inspired hue-to the more yellow-based Linden green. Not to mention Pantone's 'color of year": Emerald Green. Pantone also predicts Acai purple, Mykonos blue, Samba red and Vivacious pink."

www.fashionising.com

When we knit, crochet and sew our new projects, we want them to be stylish and new.  Vogue Knitting in particular has captured what will be just the thing for Fall. Short and sweet cropped tops in cream, pink shades and delicate lace, ethereal and fanciful neckwear in the top color, emerald green,and bold animal motifs headline. 

Trendsetter Yarns is offering cashmere, angora, mink and baby camel. Sounds expensive but what a projects they would make. The mink even comes in colors.Check out your favorite yarn company to see what's new. Caron, Lion Brand, or my particular favorite, Bernat all are showing great things for Fall.

I personally love the new colors, can't wait to get started.

And Pantone's Top Colors for Fall 2013 Are...: Dressed: glamour.com

And Pantone's Top Colors for Fall 2013 Are...: Dressed: glamour.com

Knitting Information, Tips, and How-Tos

Knitting Information, Tips, and How-Tos  Excellent website

My Fundraising Page, not mine, my daughter's

My Fundraising Page even a $1 is sew appreciated. Her first marathon . . goal B4 she is 40 which is 30 days after the event. Bless her heart she has been training like it's her job. 

Crafty Humor for Sunday

http://mrsbobbins.blogspot.com/

My Favorite Designer, Laurel Burch

I have long been an admirer of Laurel Burch. If you are unfamiliar with her work, please check out her website. Her story is amazing! Be sure to watch the video. She is no longer with us, having died of a bone disease, osteopetrosis, at the age of 61. But her work will go on. Not only is her work beautiful but her philosophy of her craft is inspiring.

You will find her designs on just about anything from coffee cups to handbags. I am especially fond of her line of wonderful fabric with themes like the jungle, the ocean, of course, her Fantastic Felines. 

Right now I am working on a set of towels and pillowcases, using a special set of Christmas embroideries by Laurel Burch. 

The most recognizable theme is her Felines, but she also uses Mythical Horses, Blossoms, Butterflies Dogs and People.

These are just 2 pieces of my well-worn and well loved pieces.

Saving My Favorite Sweater

Happy Sunday! Trust you are having a great weekend! 

Knowing how to sew can sometimes be a lifesaver, or in this case, a sweater saver. Last Christmas season I bought some of those wooden ornaments for my granddaughter, Sydney, and I to paint. On the appointed day I don't know what I was thinking~NOT, and put on one of my favorite sweaters. Naturally I got paint on the front of the sweater. Again, what was I thinking? I took acrylic paints with me for the project. I guess I forgot how messy 5 year olds can be. I don't know. Anyway, the sweater was ruined BUT I didn't throw it away. Couldn't bear to. A few months later, an idea popped into my head that maybe I could save the sweater by machine embroidering over the spots of paint. I had never embroidered on sweater knit before but what did I have to lose? 

I used a cut-away stabilizer on the back and a water soluble stabilizer on the front so the pattern wouldn't sink into the knit. I found the largest embroidery I could fit into my hoop and took a chance. Result? My sweater is back in the closet!

Would love to hear about your "Saves".

Crafty Humor for Sat.

www.pickledish.com