I Won!

Thank you so much to Chicky Chickita - I won two of the prizes at her recent blog giveaway. Yay!

First this Guy Laroche pattern. Pretty darn sexy with that deep V back, huh?

And also this vintage Singer 'Junior Miss' Sewing Machine! How cute is that?!

Chicky Chickita is having a Giveaway!

Chicky Chickita collects vintage sewing machines and patterns. She is having her first giveaway - a pattern for a Guy Laroche gown and a 70's 'toy' sewing machine. If you want to check it out click HERE for giveaway!

Creating a One-of-A-Kind Photo Frame

As I mentioned in my last post I recently visited Portland, Oregon. I stayed with my friend Merry and her daughter. Merry was the most amazing hostess and spent a lot of time and energy showing me the around the Portland area and making me so welcome. So I wanted to send Merry a special 'thank you'.

I decided to create a unique photo frame, using a map of Portland and some Mod Podge.

Step 1: I measured the size of the frame and cut the map into strips.

Step 2: I placed the strips where I wanted them, overlapping the corners. Then I trimmed off the excess.





3. Finally, I Mod Podged the pieces thoroughly, let it dry, and this is the finished result.

I'm really happy with it and think it looks great.

This is so easy. Just take a map from any city or even a country and make a one-of-a-kind photo frame for youself or as a gift.

Let's Get Our Sew On!

My Finishing the Unfinished month is now two months! I was in Portland for a week so I didn't get as much time as I would have liked to tackle some items. I did finish the skirt I was working on as well as knitting up half a baby blanket. And another little project; my first time with Mod Podge! Pictures of all these will follow shortly.

In the meantime, let's celebrate the first day of National Sewing Month! Woohoo!

All Free Knitting 'Stitch London' Giveaway

Stitch London: 20 Kooky Ways to Knit in the City and More

How cute is this book?

Inside you'll find 20 adorable designs including patterns for Big Ben's Tower, Tiny Tower Bridge, the London Police and more.  There is even a pattern for a picnic blanket made entirely of plarn (plastic yarn) that's perfect for an impromptu meal in London's grassy Hyde Park.

All Free Knitting is giving a copy of Stitch London: 20 Kooky Ways to Knit in the City and More to one very lucky winner. To enter the drawing Click Here

Book Details:
Stitch London: 20 Kooky Ways to Knit the City and More
by Lauren O'Farrell
Publisher: David & Charles Publishing
http://www.davidandcharles.co.uk/
ISBN: 0715338676

Finishing the Unfinished #3

A few months ago I started the Twin-Prufe Design No. 4295 Spring Magic. A thank you to Bex for  generously provided the pattern for free on her web site. I finished the knitting and sewed up the pieces fairly quickly...and then, of course, I had to try and find 16 'perfect' buttons. As you can imagine, this part took much longer and the cardigan has been sitting, waiting.
I eventually bought some "definitely-not-perfect" buttons and sewed them on yesterday.

So, ta-da, 3rd finished item.

This was my first time blocking, even though I had made several jumpers and cardigans before when I was much younger, this was a process I wasn't even aware of until I saw it on Liz's blog. I pinned the pieces to some flat foam over which I had put a plastic table cloth (the cheap ones you use once and throw away). It worked out pretty well, although, since my house isn't big and I have a cat that will sit on everything you don't want her to, I did end up moving the foam and knitted pieces to different spots around my house depending on which area was not being used.

More pictures of the cardigan....

Wow, I really need to improve my photos! I think the problem is that I should take them earlier in the day when there is more light. At night, even with the lights on, it's too dark and with the slow shutter speed I inevitably move the camera and end up with blurry pictures.

Verdict: I'm extremely happy with the knitting. The tension is even and neat; the pattern is quite pretty. The one problem I have is the size. I want it to be snug and it's more of a blousy fit. I'm thinking of handwashing it and then drying it without shaping in the hope that it might shrink. If that doesn't work, then someone in my family might be getting a little gift! 

Finishing the Unfinished #2

This dated, mustard colored lamp was being thrown out by my neighbor and I thought I could salvage it and paint it into something interesting. Some people might think I destroyed a lovely vintage piece but in reality it was truly a horrible color and the palm trees looked like they were made out of some kind of plaster and then glued on.

Before

I'm not sure how I feel about the finished look, but it's an improvement on the old lamp and now a very unique piece. Perhaps, the shade is too much of a contrast. Is the chocolate too much? Should I replace it?

The picture is very poor quality - the blue of the lamp is actually darker than it appears and my walls are more coffee colored than the grey in the photo.

After

It is currently on a small entrance table and because it's quite large it overwhelms the space. Once I've purchased a more bigger sideboard then I think it will look good.