We’re on!
I was encouraged by those of you who showed interest in having another sheet swap, and I ended up at the thrift shop yesterday.
A few stripes and a floral found their way back to my house.
Later I was wandering around online, and oh! there are some really unbelievable mod florals on eBay! I can’t in a million years afford all of those, but I figure if I get all of you to buy them and then we swap… well that’s another story. (Sneaky, I know.)
I’ll put together an official signup sheet in the next few days (I hope!) and I’ll also outline the rules of how to select and cut up the sheets. For now, though, be on the lookout for fun and funky sheets and/or pillowcases from the 70s or 60′s, or maybe even earlier. They should be either 100% cotton or (more likely) a 50/50 cotton/poly blend. A popular brand from that era is Cannon.
And in case your local thrift shop options are lacking but you still want to participate, you can check out the little graphic that I added to the blog’s right sidebar over there –> It lists promising eBay auctions. Please somebody snag that green and orange “power daisy” sheet. It just has to become a Summer skirt, or a really funky set of hankies.
I’ll be back later, when I’ve had a chance to get organized. I’m thinking we should shoot for a swap date in mid-June. Does that sound reasonable?
I’m very excited, you know. This could be just the kick start my sewing machine needs!
Sheetsanity
I’m getting that itch again. The same one I had roughly four years ago. If you were here then, you might know what I’m talking about…
I feel another sheet swap coming on.
What do you think of trading pieces of your pretty vintage sheet finds? And maybe pillowcases, too? They’re perfect for turning into kitschy home decor, flowery skirts, soft hankies, and more!
We could all take a few weeks to scour our local thrift shops, and then we would cut up and share the spoils with each other, spreading the vintagey wealth a little bit. In the meantime, I could share some posts here meant to help you find good sheets, and giving some ideas of what to do with them once you’ve got them.
I don’t know about you, but I would rather have three or four smaller pieces of different fun prints than one gigantic piece of a single print, and swapping is the best way to do that. Especially if you live in an area where fabulous linens are scarce.
So… what do you think? I will ask in a more “official” capacity later, but before I do that, I’d like to gauge interest and see if it’s worth doing again!
P.S. The images from this post were taken during the last sheet swap – these were some of the sheets that were sent in. If you’d like to see what we made with them once they were distributed, check out the flickr group.
Me and my paper hat
Oh, I do like this hat. I did not care much for crocheting with paper, but I think the end justifies the means. And the pattern was fairly easy, too. I could see myself making another in cotton (and probably in about half the time – cotton would be significantly easier to work with).
My only modification? I worked it in a single color (the pattern is written for three) so that it looked somewhat like straw.
This will be perfect for our beach getaway. It’s exactly what I needed to complete my “incognito movie star” look, too…
Of course, that look really also requires glamorous wide-leg drapey lounge pants. Guess that’s next on my to-make list…
P.S. I might add another row to the brim. Maybe. Got plenty of paper left!
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Categories: crochet, show and tell
Tags: hats, linda permann, lindamade, summer sun hat
Comments: 10 Comments
When the going gets tough…
…the tough start a new project!
I had a lousy day Friday, from the moment I woke up, until roughly 6pm, which found me hanging out with my sweet family, and sipping a vodka collins at the Stirling Hotel. Things were much better after that.
Leading up to that moment, though, there had been a number of minor irritations that cumulatively turned me into one very crabby camper. So I blew off everything I was supposed to be doing, and sat down to make a suddenly-extremely-important project. One that just a few hours previously, I didn’t even know I wanted. Oh! the not-to-be underestimated instant-gratification wonderfulness of Ravelry downloads and local yarn shops!
This will soon be the Summer Sun Hat by Linda Permann. My collection of Linda patterns continues to grow, despite the hour I spent wandering around Ravelry, trying to expand my horizons a little bit. There’s just something about her aesthetic that keeps attracting me. Why fight it?
So, I’m crocheting with paper, which is kind of an odd thing, and not particularly kind on the hands. I don’t have the same stamina with this paper as I have with the pima cotton I’m using on my other current project. Still, I expect to be ready to start the brim by tomorrow, and before I know it, I’ll be relaxing on an Ocean City beach, in my crocheted sun hat. I can’t wait!
I think I need to sew a sundress, too. It’s funny… four days at the beach always seems to inspire four weeks of thinking about my wardrobe (and what it lacks). This will be our sixth year heading down there. You’d think by now I’d have all of the clothes I could possibly need!
You’d think it, but you’d be wrong 
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Categories: crochet
Tags: hats, linda permann, lindamade, summer sun hat
Comments: 2 Comments
Seasonal reading
I can tell that summer is on its way just by looking at my coffee table reading. Knitting and Crocheting books are gradually making room for food books and memoirs, or those best-of-both-worlds kind of books: food memoirs.
I suppose I’ve become a bit predictable in recent years, but what can I say? My interests are decidedly seasonal and cyclical.
I could drone on about these, but maybe it would be more fun for you to check out my bookshop! I call it a “bookshop” but really, it’s an amazon affiliate shop, and I do get a small commission from anything purchased there, but there’s no pressure to buy at all. Please just consider it a place to look through all of my favorite books and supplies, most of them annotated with my opinions. If we like the same kinds of things, you might find something to add to your library reserve list, or your wish list. I keep it fairly up to date, and the first page always reflects what I am Currently Enjoying. I usually list my six most recently-purchased books, along with whatever I currently have out from the library. Right now, it’s a pretty long list. I’m in consume-mode, big time.
In case you’re reading this at a later date, and the titles in Currently Enjoying have changed, here are some direct links to the seven books in the photo:
- Barnheart: a memoir
- Chicken and Egg
- The Homemade Pantry
- Super Natural Every Day
- The Colette Sewing Handbook
- Custom Crocheted Sweaters
- Amazing Crochet Lace
The Homemade Pantry, Super Natural Every Day, The Colette Sewing Handbook, and Custom Crocheted Sweaters are all library books that I’m considering purchasing. The last two books, in particular, are excellent references. They’re perfect for those of us who like to tweak patterns or even design our own, and I’m pretty sure they need to live on my crafty book shelf.
Have fun looking through my favorites, and then be sure to come back here and tell me what is in your book pile! I would love to add more titles to my library reserve list…
