Makeover Monday: 10/22

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I chose this little pink bowl as my makeover subject in honor of breast cancer awareness month.  I made her awhile ago and always thought she needed a little something extra to make her just perfect.

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This scrap of fabric is from an old, stained, full-of-holes apron.

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Awwww- a match made in crochet heaven :)

Makeover Monday: 7/9

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A lovely customer from Australia found this fabric in sosovintage for her custom sosorosey order.  I was so happy that I had enough!

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Here is the 7" by 4" basket.  Next up will be a larger basket in another vintage fabric... but not until after vacation.  It's so nice to work with such a pleasant and patient person!

Makeover Monday: 6/25

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Whew!  I made it!  Sorry to come screeching in here at the last moment, and with only a half a makeover, too.  It's been a busy (mostly fun-busy) sort of day, and I just lost track of time.  I have turned this ball of fabric into a bowl already, though, and I'll be back tomorrow to show you how it turned out.  I have a couple of fun finds to share, too.  Hope to see you soon :)

Makeover Monday: 6/11

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I can't even count the number of times that I've clicked on the front page of Etsy and been greeted by a gray and yellow treasury.  Apparently, these colors are *IN*!  So, when I saw this sheet set in the thrift store, I quickly scooped it up. 

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Here's hoping someone thinks this coaster would be a nice addition to their yellow and gray collection!  I do like the yellow pops in there, and the little dots, too.  I didn't realize until I started cutting the fabric that this is a vintage Cannon Royal Family sheet.  I have more that I just might list in sosovintage for someone else's project!

Makeover Monday

About a year and a half ago, a lovely woman came to me to have her grandmother's wedding slip made into a bowl. A piece of it was also used to make a pin for her daughter to wear on her wedding day. Well, that daughter sent me a message the other day! She loved her wedding pin, and wanted to know if I could make something special for her sister-in-law who will be getting married soon.

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She sent me her sister-in-law's grandmother's doily, and a wooden Scrabble tile.  Grandma was an avid Scrabble player.  She wanted me to use the thread from the doily to make a heart... beyond that, the design was pretty much up to me.

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After double checking to be sure it was really OK to take the doily apart, I set out to undo stitches that have been in place for decades.  It did NOT want to be taken apart.  The thread was fine to begin with, and brittle with age on top of that.  Every few inches or so, the thread would just break as I took it apart.  After the first couple of rows, though, I came into stronger material. 

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I took out just enough to work with, and was left with a curly little pile.  I took out my teeny tiny crochet hook and made a teeny tiny heart.  Too small.  I took apart my teeny tiny heart and doubled up the thread.  Still small, but the best I could do.  I decided to use the inner portion of the original doily as the base, so I unraveled until I got to a good stopping point and then finished off.

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I arranged and arranged until I got it just right...

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... and I'm really pleased with the result!

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It measures 2.5" in diameter, and is light as a feather.  The bride will be able to attach it to her garter or bouquet, and have a bit of her grandmother with her as she walks down the aisle.  Something old AND something new.

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Though there were a few tense moments when the thread wasn't cooperating, I thoroughly enjoyed this project.  If I could do this every day, I'd be one happy lady.  Oh, Martha?  Send me your throngs of customers looking for that little something special for their wedding day ;)

Makeover Monday: 3/19

I have had this vintage sheet fabric for sale in sosovintage for quite awhile, and I've been in love with it since I found it.  I think the color combination is so fresh and modern- a unique take on a relatively neutral palette.

So, when I came across 2 full sets of these sheets at my favorite thrift, my heart did a pitter patter.  BUT, knowing I already had some of this, I was reasonable and left them behind for someone else.  And for 3 weeks there they sat.  Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore!  I snapped them up and made...

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... this beautiful round rag rug!  The colors blend in such an amazingly sublime way, and the four sheets I used yielded a good-sized 27" diameter mat.  Look for it in sosorosey soon!

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I have bills to attend to this week, and a meeting with the teacher I'm working with for my "other" job.  Ooh, and a haircut and highlight to look forward to on Saturday.  What do you have going on this week?

Makeover Monday: 3/12

 A new sosorosey customer purchased the made-to-order boy Easter basket last week.  She wanted light blue, light yellow and white as the colors.  I poked around in my stash and found this gorgeous cotton that fit the bill.

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Unsure of whether or not I'd have enough of the sand dollar fabric, I chose this one to use as the base.  The colors would blend, and I'd be certain not to run out of the primary fabric at a crucial point.

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 Finally, after all these years of crocheting with fabric, I can pretty well envision what it will look like once it's cut and crocheted.  This one is every bit as beautiful as I knew it would be!

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This guy is all set to send off to Texas as soon as it is approved!

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And guess what?  I had enough fabric left to make another basket to slip onto the sosorosey shelves!  This one has the two fabrics reversed, but the bow, like the other one, is made from a strip of each fabric. 

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There is another basket coming up this week, too... this time a ruffly girl one ... so stay tuned for that!  I also have the promise of some customer project photos to share, and a custom order made from baby sheets.  What will you be working on this week?

Makeover Monday: 3/5

 Happy new week!  For today's makeover, I started with my favorite robin's egg blue cotton yarn.

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 Then I added a bit of this colorful cotton scarf...

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... to create a one-of-a-kind set of springtime nesting bowls.

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I so love the way they cozy up to each other.  Ready to work hard...

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... or just look pretty!

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After almost an entire non-winter, we have daffodils and forsythia blooming already.  But would you believe that right now, as I type, it is snowing?  It is so pretty, and made for a great walk this morning.  I'm looking forward to a morning of cutting fabric to fill this weekend's orders, and then an afternoon of hitting the thrift sales.  What do you have in store for this week?

Makeover Monday 2/20

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For today's makeover, I chose this vintage pillowcase.  I had originally purchased it with plans of selling it in sosovintage, but on close examination it had too many imperfections.  That made it a perfect choice for a sosorosey project!

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Mmm... lemon blueberry poppyseed. 

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I added a knotted strip of the fabric to use as a hanger.  I can't be the only one with limited space on my desk!  The possibilities of these hanging storage pods are endless- I don't know why I never thought of 

this before!  There will certainly be more of these to come :)

Makeover Monday: 2/6

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A lovely customer purchased THIS item last March.  Though it was being sold as a table coaster, she chose to use it as a chair pad.  She recently came back asking for 3 more to go with her other chairs.  She knew I wouldn't have the same fabrics, but asked that they just be in the same color family.  The 3 fabrics above were the ones we agreed upon.

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To try to keep it from being *so* obvious that they weren't a set, I did one in the same progression as the original, and two in the opposite direction.  I think they came out pretty darned good, but I'm probably a little biased.  They will be united with their distant cousin this week!

Makeover Monday: 1/30

 For today's makeover, which I was determined to DO, I chose a plain bright tomato red pillowcase.

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She turned into the most adorable little bowl, but alas, something is missing.  She is cute but boring.  Come back tomorrow to see how I decide to make her a little more fun!

Makeover Monday: 1/16

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I finally had a chance to make something {again} with the purple fabrics from two weeks ago.  I'm lacking tall pencil holderish containers in sosorosey, so this will help in that department! 

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In other news, I've finished 100 of the stars from the wedding order... only 20 more to go!   Next project: 3 shabby chic chair pads to match this one:

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It will be a challenge, since I don't have any of the same fabrics left - this one was sold almost a year ago.  I'm off to the thrift today to search for matches, and Sophie gets to join me since she has the MLK holiday off from school.  Wish us luck!!

Makeover Monday:1/2

Well, this is going to have to be a two part makeover.  These are the fabrics I used to create something.  But, I didn't like it.  So, I'm going to makeover the makeover .... I'll be back with details later in the week :)

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Happy Monday!  Guess what?  School is back in session tomorrow!!  I have a fairly easy week, and am really looking forward to getting back in my usual grooooove. 

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How is 2012 treating you so far?

Makeover Monday: 12/19

You know me and tie-dye.  Loooooove it!  This is a thrifted small square cotton tablecloth.

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And this is the gorgeous basket it produced!  It has a batik feel to it, and the colors are just perfectly bright without being overpowering.  It's about 4.5" wide and 3.75" high.  It works really well as a clutter keeper for a desk or craft area since it's wide enough for post-it notes and tall enough for pencils and pens!

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Can you believe that at this time next week Christmas will be over?  I have loads of presents to wrap, a house to clean, guests to prepare for, and food to buy and make.  It is sure to be a week full of hustle and bustle of the very merry variety! 

Makeover Monday: 11/21

Sophie's school colors are red, white and black.  I have been looking for a sheet in those colors for a very special project!

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On December 1st, I'll be taking part in the annual Holiday Shop and Craft Fair at Signal Hill Elementary School!  Having only done one other *in person* selling gig, I'm super excited and a little nervous.  The entrance fee goes directly to the school, though, so even if I don't sell anything I'll have donated to a great cause.  Each vendor is asked to also donate one of their items to a PTA basket which will be auctioned off later in the school year.  This bowl will be my contribution... I wanted it to be in school colors but still "neutral" enough to have widespread appeal.

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Happy almost Thanksgiving to my American friends!  We'll be celebrating with a big feast at a fancy restaurant with my folks.   There will be plenty of Scrabble playing and football watching, too!  Do you have special holiday plans this year? 

Makeover Monday: 10/17

I found this pretty patchworky pillowcase while thrifting the other day, and couldn't wait to see how all of the colors would come together in a crocheted bowl.

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I wish there was more of the red showing, but other than that, I really like the subtle dreaminess of this blend. 

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How was your weekend?  We had perfect fall weather, so we were able to rally and get down to the neighborhood Oktoberfest celebration on Saturday night.  They did it up big this year, complete with a German band and Bavarian pretzels.  There was loads of other food, too- sausages and cabbage and potatoes, every appetizer under the sun, side dishes, and super yummy desserts.  German bottled beer and a keg, too.  There was a pinata for the kids and then a big bonfire in the fire pit for whoever was still around.  We met some new neighbors and hung out with old friends, while Sophie played kickball and did crafts with the other kids.

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This week I'll be going to my first meeting for the "real" job, and doing lots of volunteering at Sophie's school for the book fair.  How about you?  What's on your agenda?  Hope you have a fantastic week!

Makeover Monday: 10/10

One of my good Etsy friends recently started her first year of teaching.  She asked if I could make something for her in her school colors, navy and gold.  I added the patterned blue fabric to provide more interest and texture.

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And here is her big old blue and gold star!  This beauty measures 9.5" from point to point, and is sure to provide plenty of good vibes for a long and successful teaching career :)

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Happy Monday!  I have a dental appointment this week (arghhhh!!), and my first PTA meeting as a parent instead of a teacher.  Friday is school Picture Day, too.  Other than those bits of have-to stuff, I will just be doing my usual mom, wife, and shopowner gigs this week.  How about you?  Anything fun on the agenda?  Wishing you a great week!

Makeover Monday: 9/19

Well, I'm excited to see a few new sosorosey followers- welcome!  For those who don't know, the first photo here is the curtain fabric that my customer wanted me to match.  The last photo shows the fabrics I chose to work with.  I had so many photos to share for today's makeover, I decided to play around with the bighugelabs mosaic maker (again).  I'm very pleased with the way this keeper came out, and I sure hope my customer is, too. 

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This is shaping up to be a "school filled" week.  Back-to-School night is Tuesday, where I get to go in and find out all about the class rules, routines, etc.  Then on Friday, we have a "panda picnic" at the school from 5-7.  My folks will be joining us for that, and then staying for the weekend to celebrate Mike's birthday.  He doesn't officially turn 48 until the 26th, but this way we can all have some fun together.  What do you have going on this week?

Makeover Monday: 9/5

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Happy Labor Day, Americans!  We are enjoying summer's last hurrah in Pennsylvania today, so I only have a makeover "teaser" to share.  This jade fabric is a type I have never crocheted before.  It is a thick, textured polyester and comes to me from a customer hoping to have a special clothing article made into a custom bowl.  I'm really looking forward to seeing how this works up.  I will have another peek later in the week!

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Tomorrow is Sophie's first day of Kindergarten.  First time riding a school bus to school.  First time riding ANYWHERE with anyone who isn't a family member.  We had the opportunity, though, to ride a school bus together on Friday at her school orientation.  We sat in the seat behind the driver and went around the block.  It was cool.  Please send good thoughts her way (ok fine, OUR WAY) for a fantastic first day!!

Makeover Monday: 8/15

Deja vu!  Yes, this is the same fabric shot from last week.  I'm still working on this project, but I did make some progress to show you!

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Last week I had only completed the very bottom blue part.  Now I've gotten into the fun bit- adding the ruffles!  It is 4" high and about 5" wide (including the ruffles).  I should have the finished product to show off sometime soon!!  Hope my special customer is liking what she sees so far ;)

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So, if you've popped into one of my shops recently, you've seen that I am on vacation!  Guess where I am??  Back in Moab, Utah!!  I'll be here through Saturday, living the crazy desert lifestyle.  Up and out early to beat the heat, back in from adventuring around lunch time, then lazing around the pool in the afternoon.  Maybe a siesta.  Back out for dinner and more adventures when it starts to cool down in the evening. 

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We have some fun trips we're hoping to do- including getting Sophie on her first rafting trip down the Colorado River.  I'll still be online and blogging away, and I plan to post photos, too.  Hope you have an equally exciting week on tap!!