Always Had Handmade

(Amy and Me)

After yesterdays post I started thinking about all the capes and ponchos my grandmom made us. Beautiful capes and crocheted ponchos often with matching dresses every Easter. 

Add that to all the doll clothes she made us.

Going through pictures I found that we were often dressed in homemade clothes. These were from both sides of my family.  From dad's mom were the sewn and crocheted items and from my mom's side knitted items. It's no wonder I love these hand crafts so much!

(Knit vests, sorry Amy I didn't want to look silly by myself!)

Thanks for making me think about all this Joanne, I hadn't realized how much work had gone into dressing us. 

Sewing Projects

Sewing is not my favorite thing to do but I do enjoy the projects that come from sewing.

I'm about to start a handbag for my friend, she's interested in the black bag on the pattern.

This is a bag I've been poking around with that I need to line. This picture doesn't do the fabric justice but I'll show you the finished bag later.

Beachball Footbag

Not a bag to put on one's foot, well kinda but no. A bag, filled with sand, that hacky sackers like.

Gilbert did some research and found that microfiber fabric was tight enough to hold sand. I actually had some on hand. He also looked for patterns and came across a blog I follow. She's in my blog list, The Purl Bee. The pattern is for a beach ball type ball which Gil and I agreed would work. Here's her pattern and tutorial: http://www.purlbee.com/fabric-beach-balls/

I told Gil I wasn't the greatest sewer but he encouraged me.

He would, he wanted a sand filled footbag!!!

Unfortunately this one is a bit big. No problem, we'll go a bit smaller on the next.

Knitted Pot Holders

I've made lots of these pot holders in the past. They make great gifts and I like them better than any that I could purchase. I'll have them sewn up before the day is over. I use Sugar'n Cream cotton and for the backing I've used ticking, felt and flannel. The felt's the easiest since you don't have to turn it under. I sew them on the machine in either boxes or diamonds.

An easy project that's extremely useful which is always my goal. Wow, I just remembered, these pot holders were the first thing my mom taught me to knit when I was young. I don't think I got much farther either. My mom sewed the backing on and both my grandmoms received them as gifts. That sure takes me back.