Wednesday's Works

~*~

Whew, it's been a busy week!  It's hard to tell from the photo, I think, but this basket is hat box size.  She measures about a foot in diameter, and stands almost 6.5" high.  She's just waiting for her lid to be made.  I hope to have lidded photos for you tomorrow.

~*~

~*~

I finished the twin sister of the coaster I shared on Monday, so these are ready to head off to Oklahoma today.  Would love to see photos of them in their new home!

~*~

~*~

In my spare time, I tried my hand at something I've wanted to do for a long time- a cat toy.  This is the first one I whipped up.

~*~

Then I tweaked the size a bit, added organic catnip, and gave it a nose job and whiskers.  Sinatra is in heaven with his new toy, and I have them listed in sosorosey now, too.

~*~

What have you been working on these days?

Makeover Monday: 4/8

~*~

You may remember awhile back when I made the custom red ombre fabric bowl.  And that it turned out to not be right for what the customer wanted.  Then she decided on two round coasters instead of a bowl, but I had trouble finding the right red with black fleck fabric.  So I tried a mix of black and red yarn, but that wasn't right either.

~*~

At that point, this very patient customer asked if they could send me the fabric they liked.  Yes!!!  It arrived the other day, and here is what she found.  It is brand new from a fabric store, and while this would not be the type of fabric I'd typically be cutting up (just because it is not upcycled), it sure works for this purpose.

~*~

I'm not sure that I've ever seen a crocheted product look so much like the original fabric!  So anxious to hear how she likes it!

Makeover Monday: 1/14

~*~

The first sosorosey Easter basket of 2013 has been ordered!  These 3 fabrics will combine to make a large (10.5" diameter, 6" deep) ruffled basket for someone's very special little granddaughter.  Stay tuned for photos of the finished project in the next week or so :)

Something New

~*~

I love to make my game night coasters and applique, so for ages I've wanted to try the pattern out with fabric.

~*~

 ~*~

I finally got around to doing it the other night, and I just couldn't stop!  I made these four hotpads while watching a movie on TV.

~*~

 ~*~

Each of these is made from a standard size pillowcase.  They measure about 7" across and are about a half inch thick.

~*~

~*~

I like that they provide good table protection, yet they are flexible and kind of dainty looking.  They are machine wash and dry, too.  I should have these up in sosorosey before the day is over.  $10 each makes them an easy choice for a hostess gift, and as always, custom orders are welcome!

~*~

What is next on your list of crafts to try or things to make? 

Makeover Monday: 9/3

 ~*~

This exotic fabric really caught my eye at the thrift.  It was a fitted double sheet, but I cut the whole thing up into a veeeeery long 1.5" wide strip.  I wound it up into a ball, got out the crochet hook, and...

~*~

 ~*~

...made an upcycled hanging basket.  It's perfect to catch the mail when you first come home, and would work nicely for a bouquet of dried flowers, too.  Ooh, or take-out menus!

~*~

~*~

And guess what?  My *ingenious* design can also sit nicely upon a tabletop if you prefer.  And of course, it can be made to match any decor.

~*~

  It's been a long time since I have made something new.  I'm a happy girl this Labor Day.  How about you?

Makeover Monday: 4/23

 A returning sosorosey customer needed gifts for three new babies.  She requested "baby's first ornament" stars in red/white, green/white, and blue/white.  Here are the three baby receiving blankets that I found to meet the color request.

~*~

~*~

And here are the stars for Jake, Cameron, and Joseph.  The first baby stars sold for Christmas 2012!  I love that these can be given at any time of the year- an affordable and meaningful gift option. 

~*~

Happy last full week of April to you!  This week marks the last meeting that I will have with my mentee for the school system job I have been doing these last few months.  We also have school pictures to look forward to on Friday.  I have bunches of fabric to cut and items to get listed in both shops, too.  A big thanks to those who have gotten in their guess for The Price is Right game from Saturday.  Scroll down to play if you haven't already... the winner will be announced tomorrow evening, so there is still time to get your game on!

Custom Fun

I had a new customer with a special order in sosorosey this past week.  She found a bowl that she loved, but was hoping to have it in a different color.  She wanted something in green, blue, or purple.  I hunted around in my fabric stash and sent her some photos of different options.  She chose one right away- this lovely tie-dyed cotton in deep purple and indigo.

~*~

~*~

~*~

I'll tell you a secret- I made this bowl twice.  I used a larger hook the first time around and didn't care for it at all.  So, the next night, I took it apart and crocheted it again with the hook I usually use for these.  Much better!  I LOVE the way this one turned out, and even better, so does my customer!  Nothing better than a happy ending :)

The New Rug

A new half-moon *mezzaluna* rag rug is ready to grace the sosorosey shelves.  This one is made from two entire freshly laundered queen size bed sheets... one that is primarily greens with bits of plum and orchid, and one that is primarily plum and orchid with bits of green.  Both sheets were purchased with a rug in mind, but I had no idea how well they would go together in the same rug!  This one measures 16" deep and 32" across- perfect for in front of doors and sinks or beside the bed :)

New Basket

Happy, happy Easter to all who celebrate!

~*~

As promised, there's a new sosorosey basket coming to town.  Arriving just in time for summer, meet the upcycled gathering basket.  Perfect for display in the home, or for actual down and dirty flower or veggie gathering in the garden!

~*~

Here she is close up...

~*~

And here she is lugging a batch of pussy willow branches.

~*~

This one was crocheted from two different sheets, a brushed cotton and an old flannel.  Both had sort of an English garden theme, with red roses, deep green foliage and ecru backgrounds.  Since I won't be having a makeover this week, I hope you can imagine it.  I will be back to blogging regularly within the week... see you soon!

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!

~*~

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.

~*~

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!! 

Makeover Monday: 4/11

Well, I was being a little tricky about the "color" missing in my shop... I was thinking white- sort of a non-color, but missing just the same.  Pardon the terrible *before* photo- that really is a very stark white cotton sheet!

~*~

I haven't added any large upcycled containers lately, so I made this bucket as large as the sheet would allow.  This baby is over 9" wide and almost 5" tall.

~*~

And, since I had two people kind enough to look in my shop and report back about the lack of yellow (high five Donna and Kristine!), I went ahead and took their advice using a bit of this lovely vintage fabric.

~*~

This is more like sweet petite size- 4.5" across by 2.5" high.  I've tweaked my bowl recipe... now the sides flare out gently creating more of a bucket shape.  I'm such a Gemini- can't stand to do the same thing for too long!

~*~

Guess what HUGE thing I'll be doing this week?  Registering my baby for Kindergarten at her new school for next year.  *sob*  Where has the time gone?  How will I possibly be able to put her on a bus?  Wish me luck with this first step on Thursday. 

~*~

Do you have any big or exciting plans for the week?  Or perhaps you have an idea for the next spill it session?  I'm all ears!!!  Happy Monday- thanks so much for stopping by my little nook of cyberspace :)

Completed Makeover

Here is the finished custom Easter basket that I talked about on Monday's post. The 2nd fabric is from a lattice covered vintage sheet- showcased with the other fabric on the double bow I attached as a finishing touch. This is on its way to Tennessee for the spring holiday!

Makeover Monday: 2/21

We've had such a nice taste of spring the last few days, that I thought I'd choose a bright fabric for today's makeover. Here's the ball all cut and ready to be crocheted; it's a floral print with pinks, lavender and turquoise on a tangerine background.

~*~Here's a closeup of how all the colors look blended together...

~*~

... and here's the whole big basket. She is 7" in diameter and almost 4" tall... a great size to bring a functional burst of warmth to any room of the house. Look for her in sosorosey soon!
~*~

Happy President's Day to you Americans out there! Are you having a holiday today? My hubby had to work, but Sophie did not have school today. This week I will be readying a big bunch of goodies for a trip to The Muse in Frederick in early March. I'm also looking forward to working on the edging for a special bath mat order. I have a very exciting possible wedding order in sosovintage that I should hear a final answer on soon- I'll share details on that if I get the job! What do you have happening in your neck of the woods this week?

Makeover Monday 1/10

When I went thrifting at Yesterday's Rose last week, I wasn't looking for t-shirts. When I got there, however, I discovered that t-shirts were on sale: 4 for $1. I decided it would be a good time to look for tie-dyed tees to repurpose. I only found two, but how exciting that they were both red and white! Perfect for the upcoming month of love.
~*~

I cut and crocheted the extra large shirt last night. This is a really nice sized bowl, and I even had enough fabric to give it a fancy rim. I think she looks like a plus size peppermint :)

~*~

Happy Monday! The forecast is calling for snow along the east coast tomorrow, so there is a decent chance that Sophie may finally get to use her new Christmas sled! I'm looking forward to a week of finishing up a couple of custom orders and crossing some items off of my to-do list for this month. What do you have going on these days?

Eco-friendly Fruit Basket

Not sure what to give your child's teacher for the holidays? Maybe an upcycled apple is the way to go! These two are heading off to Connecticut as Christmas gifts, but I'd be happy to whip one or some up for you- just ask! The leaf lid comes off to provide a nice little storage place for all of the teacher-y things that tend to accumulate and sprawl over his or her desk. Just $15, and sure to be a standout from the usual mugs and candy.

Making Ready

Some of you may remember part of a black, raspberry and white rug that was featured on a makeover Monday awhile back. That rug was never born; my customer changed her color scheme before I got too far. Since the customer is my mom, I couldn't be too upset!

~*~

So now I have her request for a set of matched rugs in blues and browns. These are to be two decent sized rugs, and you can't even imagine how much fabric and planning goes into this kind of order. I know I can hardly imagine it, and I'm the one doing it.

~*~

I decided to start with the smaller of the two rugs, so I chose 10 of the 18 fabrics I have gathered for this project. I cut those in half- putting one set aside to be incorporated into the bigger rug, and cutting the other set into quarters.

~*~

These are the fabrics that will make up the first rug. What do you think, Mom? Fingers are crossed that you like the colors. If so, I'll get started this weekend and have some progress to show you all for Makeover Monday!!

Moving On Up

The heirloom toy bucket is really coming along. Here she is now at almost 7" high. Don't you worry about all of those ends you see inside the bucket- they will be woven in when I finish. Just about time to do the handles...

Don't Whine....Twine!

I've been in full-on *feel sorry for myself* mode the last two days. My dental visit on Tuesday has resulted in two more future visits, the prospect of a great deal of pain and suffering, and many hundreds of dollars out the window.
~*~

In order to keep my mind off of the tooth nightmare at hand, I've been happily playing with my new bold, eco-friendly baker's twine purchased from The Twinery. Clicking on the logo above will bring you straight to their website...but be careful- this twine is GORGEOUS! They shipped very quickly, the twine is just as beautiful in person, and they ship internationally, too.

~*~
I purchased the Caribbean, Peapod, Pink Sorbet, and Maraschino. These gift tags will be part of the holiday goodies for sale in sosorosey. I'm thinking of offering them as a set of 4, but I also wonder about the idea of having a listing for individual tags as well. Do you think someone might want to purchase just one special tag? Your feedback is very appreciated!

Makeover Monday: 8/30

I've begun to gravitate toward brightly colored fabrics for a more contemporary vibe. I knew this sheet would work up to be bold and fun.

~*~

Yep! Bold, fun .... and shapely. Since there are a few others selling basic upcycled pencil pots on Etsy now, I figured I'd go ahead and make mine a little different. This beaker-ish shape is juuuuust what I was hoping for.

~*~

Happy Monday to you! What's on your agenda for this week? Me, I have a doctor's appointment on Monday, a house cleaning scheduled for Tuesday, a playdate on Friday and a wedding to get ready for this coming weekend. And in between? There's tae kwon do to attend and fun to be had with my Sophie, a custom order for business card carriers to work on, and still loads of things to photograph and list in both shops. Whew!

Makeover Monday: 8/16

Not to be immodest, but after crocheting with fabric as long as I have, it is rare for me to find a general pattern that I haven't tried. You've seen most of it right here- the plaid, the dots, the stripes, the floral, the flannel. This graffiti sheet is a first, though!

~*~

It's a party in a bowl! In person you can see the bits of letters and flecks of colors, creating an overall fun effect. Maybe I'll name her "ransom note".
~*~
Happy, happy new week to you! Enjoy summer's last fling :)