Pleated Tote Bag

My daughter really liked the orange Jane Market Bag that had made last week so I tried out a new pattern in the orange fabric for her. This is the pleated tote bag (free) from Artsy Crafty Bag. She has recently learned to crochet so I tweaked the bag to work for her crochet supplies. She has several spots for crochet hooks as well as a zippered pocket. I used the zipper pocket directions from the Sew Liberated Mischievious Gnome Messenger Bag. Overall, I'm pretty happy with. I like the pleated and the general shape of the bag. I think I may add a few patchwork details in the next bag I make. I still need to add a button to the front, but my daughter can pick that out next time we go shopping.

PP8 Swap (Reusable Bags)

I particpated in the Potholder Pass Bag Only swap once again. After knowing that I had a package at the post office, but was too late to pick it up, I made it there today to sign for the package. Sign for the package?? The postmaster said I needed to sign since it was registered and foreign. Laura from Brazil sent this beautiful bag from the Jane Market Bag (Posie Gets Cozy) to me. I love the bird print in the middle! The polka dot print is perfect to coordinate and she used a plaid to line the bag. Along with the bag, she sent some blue floral fabric (my girls already said it needs to go on the piano), stickers and a card. Thank you Laura - this was a really neat swap package and know when people ask about the bag, I can say it was handmade from Brazil!

Another Jane Market Bag

I think I know this pattern well. I offered to make an "Angel Bag" for Potholder Pass 8 (PP8) when someone's package didn't show up. Well, the package did show up (yah!!!) and even better, the person I was making the bag for wanted to complete a swap together. My partner had several birds in her favorites including a stitchery pattern. I don't do a lot of embroidery, but decided to trying stitching a design on the machine. Overall, I think I like it. Hopefully my partner likes it. It is a very strong bag. I interlined most of the bag with canvas and there is also interfacing in the center panals and the pocket. The pocket is also lined and bound at the top. The straps are a little longer than the pattern calls for so it can be worn over the shoulder. I also decided to try piecing the straps together for a patchwork effect. Next time, I may try a couple different fabrics in the straps. I used cotton ric rac along the seams and when I tried sewing the straps on, my machine really gave me fits where the ric rac was at. Next time I use ric rac, I may purposely cut the ric rac short since you don't see it anyway.

Crochet Dishclothes

When my forth child was born, I had a hard time sitting still in the chair. I'm one that likes to be doing "something." So, I decided to make crochet dishclothes for all the ladies that I worked with at the time. My goal was to make one per day (that meant I had to sit down and concentrate on the crochet rather than think about all the things I should be doing which meant I would be walking around while moving around). I did meet my goal that year, I healed faster than if I cleaned everything around the house, and I have continued to crochet dishclothes while we travel or if I watch tv with my husband.

The discloth with the cream border is a pattern I saw when I first started crocheting these where the stitches alternate front and back post single crochet. This is my favorite pattern all around although I rarely put anything other than a single crochet border around the edges. My oldest daughter wanted to know how to complete a scalloped edging so I showed her on this one. The second dishcloth is from a pattern that I first printed six years ago. I had to look to see if the pattern is still online and guess what - it is. Here is the link to the directions if you are interested. Cindy's Simple Dishcloth http://crochet.borgbilly.com/patterns/dcloth1.htm.

Jane Market Bag for PP8

I'm participating in the PP8 hosted by Amy at During Quiet Time. My partner this time requested orange and turquoise or red and turquoise. She also stated that she likes flowers and fruit. When I searched through her favorites, I discovered she also likes crochet so I used size 10 thread to crochet the two flowers (attached with safety pins). I used osnaburg for the center panel with Kona solids strips at the top. I also quilted random flowers in the osnaburg (quilt sandwich made with flannel and more red checks for the back of the pocket). The ric rac came from a vintage lot I bought while thrifting. The straps are Kona with orange topstitching. I did use interfacing throughout this entire bag including the straps. The lining is also the red checks (properly aged - over 10 years). The bag is headed east and hopefully the new owner likes it!!