Friday's Favorite Fabric Finds (and a finished WIP)

TGIF!  It's been a long short week.  I did manage to find some pretties, though- check them out:

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I've had the first and third ones before, and the second one looks vaguely familiar.  I used a bit of the first one to complete my tangerine bowl.  Yes, I DO finish some of the things I start.  There's proof!

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I'm heading off for a much needed weekend retreat early Saturday morning.  I'll post details of the place, along with a cool quiz, tomorrow!

WIP Wednesday

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My main work in progress this week is getting caught up with the laundry.  Between sheets for sosovintage and regular clothes for the family, getting behind for even one day results in a bit of a mountain in the laundry room.

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For fun, though, I've been working on this large cotton yarn bowl in a new shape.  I'm working it double-stranded for added strength, and it has a generous flare to the top.  I'm going to *rag top* it with a vintage fabric that I found last week.  Can't wait to do that part tonight!

The After

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Just a basic pillowcase bowl, but she is quite sassy :)

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 :)

Tribal?

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Etsy has been going through a *tribal* phase- many front pages are compiled of arrows and chevrons and ponchos.  Dream catchers and leather beading.  I don't see this carrying over to real life in my area, but I'm not exactly known for being on the pulse edge of fashion trends.

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I made this little bowl last night as a nod to my beloved southwest.  It may not scream "tribal", but the colors and zigzaggy trim are my whispery sosorosey version. :)

Charmed, I'm Sure

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Valentine's Day is coming!  What could be sweeter than a little pink bowlee with a heart charm and dotty ribbon?  This one, and maybe some of her relatives, will be hitting the shelves this week :)

Pom Pom Pretties

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Sweet Stephanie from Berry Island was kind enough to send me this photo of her new sosorosey bowlee in action!  She keeps her felted pom poms in it as she works.  Pop on over to her shop if you're ready for a visual feast of colorful treats....just click on the shop name or photo to go straight there.

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: 8/22

I won't deja vu you again by showing the fabric for this bowl a third time!  I'm pleased to announce that it is finished, though.  It's hard to believe this contains two pairs of pants, two shirts and a jacket, isn't it?  After all these years, it still amazes me how much fabric goes into crocheted bowls and rugs.  I guess when it fails to amaze me, it will be time to quit!

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So, we're safely back from vacation and looking forward to a relatively quiet week around here.  Time to play catch up with laundry, housework, and orders.  I found out today that a new thrift store opened while I was away- and it's right across the street from my usual Tuesday thrift stop!  I'll be checking that out tomorrow for sure- I'll let you know how that goes.  My baby starts kindergarten two weeks from tomorrow!  Have your kids already started back?  How's your week looking?  Hope it's a great one!!

Makeover Monday: 7/18

My cleaning out process has included going through every fabric I have accumulated over the last 4 years. 

I have had some pleasant surprises, and some *what was I thinking* moments as well.  This one stood out to me as a mix of camouflage and tie dye, and I decided it would be just right for a Monday makeover.

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The light isn't ideal for photos this morning, but I hope you can see the flecks of green in there with the blue.  Definitely an oceany basket! 

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Though I've not posted many larger bowls in sosorosey of late, that is going to change over the next few months.  I have decided to pull my inventory from The Muse, and anything that I pick up in August will find its way here.  I loved my relationship with that shop and I loved having my work on display in a place that I truly respect.  I've decided, however, that consignment is just not for me.  It's too important to me to have the ultimate control over how my items are displayed, and I dislike the pressure (from myself) of keeping the stock current and fresh in two places.

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Here's hoping that you have a great week in store.  I will have some extra Jennie-time this week as Sophie is currently in cartoon and sugar bliss with my parents for a few days.  I'll be continuing my de-cluttering process, and posting lots of new goodies too!  What do you have on your agenda?

Makeover Monday: 7/11

I came across this bowl the other day.  I probably made it with the intention of making a nesting set, and then got sidetracked with something else.  It didn't look quite finished to me, so I poked around in my *rag-topping* stash and found this pretty orange fabric.

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Ah yes.  Just the thing!

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Now she has a happy little glow to her sunshiney self :)

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Here's hoping you have a happy glow this week, too!  Sophie has Art Camp this week in the mornings, and then swimming lessons in the afternoons.  We have a lunch date today as well, and we're looking forward to a visit from Nanapa this weekend.  Woohoo!  What's in store for you this week?

Makeover Monday: 4/18

Sometimes when I am browsing the linen aisles at the thrift store, a pattern or color combination will just jump out at me.  This pillowcase was one of those!

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I cut this one pretty thin- about three quarters of an inch wide- and used a smaller hook than I have been using for these.  It is amazingly sturdy- your average person would probably have a hard time believing that this is *just* crocheted fabric.  As always with sosorosey baskets: no stiffener, no inner stabilizer.  I love the uber round shape- it is just so CUTE.

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Happy Monday, my friends!  It is spring break week here, and we're looking forward to spending time with our Massachusetts family over Easter.  I have a fun announcement coming up tomorrow, and a new sosorosey item that I'll be unveiling soon as well.  I also thought of a fun "Spill-It" topic, so look for that later in the week.  I hope you'll join me in the gossip fest, lol.  Have a super duper week!! 

Colossal Bowlee

A nice new customer saw THIS listing in sosorosey, and asked if I could make it a bit bigger. The original bowlee measures 4" across and 3" high. This mammoth beauty is 11" across and 10" high! It will be used to house either a wastepaper basket or a large houseplant. Isn't that fun? Off to find the right size box...

New Shape

I had a returning customer pop in to sosorosey the other day with a very special request. Her husband makes gemstone rosaries, and he had recently made one that was to be donated to raise money for their local school.

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She wanted to purchase a small bowl to serve as a presentation piece for the gift. The rosary to be donated was made of fancy jasper, and after looking at several photos of this stone, we agreed that an off-white bowl would be the best color.

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My *usual* bowlees are 3" deep and the sides go straight up. I wanted to create a bowl for this purpose that would do a better job of showcasing the contents, so I gently flared the sides out. As a finishing touch, I strengthened the rim with an additional stitch for added interest and durability. It came out looking so sweet that I decided to go ahead and offer this new shape in the shop. This hot pink one is the latest addition!

Makeover Monday: 1/3

I just love Valentine colors!

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Something about pink and red together just makes me happy. Look for this cotton clutter keeper in sosorosey today!

Phat Lip

After making that curvy little aqua number the other week, I was anxious to experiment with my increases and decreases on a larger sized container.

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This is a double strand mix of a beautiful twilight blue and an ecofriendly/recycled deep ecru cotton. The bowl is 8" across the bottom, 6" across the top, and stands 4" high. Being able to create sturdy, shapely curves with yarn alone is just pure crochet magic!

Makeover Monday: 6/14

I started with this gorgeous Amy Butler-esque sheet, and turned it into...

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... a nice big bowl AND...

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...a wallflower coaster!!

Yay for queen size sheets!!

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Happy Monday! This week is my daughter's first week of "no school" summer. We will be heading to cartoon cuts for a hair trim, Target for shorts, and to the playground as much as possible. I have to finish an upcycled snuggler, at least 1 more bowl and flower for the boutique, and clean my house. The boutique appointment is on Thursday... if all goes well, I'll be back here to announce the local venue for sosorosey goods. What do you have on tap for this week?

Makeover Monday: 1/11

When I found this sweet cotton sheet last week, I couldn't resist the siren call of the hearts. Well, and the pink. And the flashback of super prep Pappagallo and Izod memories (nightmares?) from high school.

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I thought, "Oh, won't this be so cute for Valentine's Day?!" But alas, there was no trace of the hearts once the fabric was cut and crocheted. That wouldn't do.

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So, I made a lid. Much better!

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Happy Monday, Friends!

New Big Bowl

For the first time in a loooooong time, I crocheted a big ole bowl *just because*. I wish it were possible to capture the softness and detail of this one in photographs. It is made from a freshly laundered, pink paisley jersey knit cotton sheet. She measures 11" across and stands about 4.5" tall. This one would make a gorgeous container for makeup or hair accessories for girls of all ages. Look for it in sosorosey very soon- price tag: $30.

What's Soft and Round...

and mostly red all over? Nope, not Santa.

It's my new fleece bowl, teeheehee.