An ugly phone I bought for just two dollars has had a beautiful make over. I love tissue paper and have a wonderful collection of it. I picked out a pretty rose pattern and I glued it onto the phone with Modge Podge. I left the dial plain and put a little Hello in the centre of the dial face. So here it is. I am very pleased with how it turned out.

I've also been working on a project to give as gifts. They have turned out nicely and I will share the pattern in this post. I buy a bundle of these plastic hangers very inexpensively at our local department store. Then I just use left over yarn from other projects. They are wonderful to use to hang those clothes that have that nasty habit of slipping off the hanger. The pattern looks a bit long and drawn out but it's just that way to give you an idea of the way it works up. After you have made one side of this, you will be whipping them up without even thinking about the pattern. It's that easy.

Coat Hanger Covers

Ch 4, join with slst to form ring.

Rnd 1: Chain 3, 1 dc , ch 1, 2 dc in ring, (beginning shell) ch 2, * 2dc, ch 1, 2 dc (shell), ch 2. Repeat from * twice more. Join to top of ch 3 with a slst.

Rnd 2: Sl st into next dc and next ch 1 space. Beg shell in ch 1 sp, ch 2.. * Skip next ch 2 sp. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 2. Repeat from * twice more. Skip next ch 2 sp, join to top of ch 3 with slst.



Rnd 3: Sl st into next dc and next ch 1 space. Beg shell in ch 1 sp, ch 2.. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 3. Skip next ch 2 sp, shell, ch 2 in ch1 space. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 3. Skip next ch 2 sp, join to top of ch 3 with slst.



Rnd 4: Sl st into next dc and next ch 1 space. Beg shell in ch 1 sp, ch 2.. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 3. Skip next ch 3 sp, shell, ch 2 in ch1 space. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 3. Skip next ch 3 sp. join to top of ch 3 with slst.



Rnd 5: Sl st into next dc and next ch 1 space. Beg shell in ch 1 sp, ch 2.. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 4. Skip next ch 3 sp, shell, ch 2 in ch1 space. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 4. Skip next ch 3 sp, join to top of ch 3 with slst.



Rnd 6: Sl st into next dc and next ch 1 space. Beg shell in ch 1 sp, ch 2.. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 4. Skip next ch 4 sp, shell, ch 2 in ch1 space. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 4. Skip next ch 4 sp, join to top of ch 3 with slst.



Rnd 7: Sl st into next dc and next ch 1 space. Beg shell in ch 1 sp, ch 2.. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 5. Skip next ch 4 sp, shell, ch 2 in ch1 space. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 4. Skip next ch 4 sp, join to top of ch 3 with slst.



Rnd 8: Sl st into next dc and next ch 1 space. Beg shell in ch 1 sp, ch 2.. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 5. Skip next ch 5 sp, shell, ch 2 in ch1 space. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 5. Skip next ch 5 sp, join to top of ch 3 with slst.



Rnd 9: Sl st into next dc and next ch 1 space. Beg shell in ch 1 sp, ch 2.. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 6. Skip next ch 5 sp, shell, ch 2 in ch1 space. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 6. Skip next ch 5 sp, join to top of ch 3 with slst.



Rnd 10: Sl st into next dc and next ch 1 space. Beg shell in ch 1 sp, ch 2.. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 6. Skip 6 ch sp , shell, ch 2 in ch1 space. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 6. Skip next ch 6 sp, join to top of ch 3 with slst.



Continue in this fashion until you reach 8 or 9 stitches between the two shell sets. I crochet mine with a 4.5mm hook and usually 8 stitches are enough at my personal gauge. Check your piece by sliding it onto the hanger from time to time. You may need to do more or less than I do. Remember to make these slightly small so they have to be stretched onto the hanger. That way they don’t become loose with wear and tear.



Make two of these and sew together at the ch 1 on each side. Crochet a flower or tie a ribbon at the top for decoration.

If you decide to try this pattern out, please let me know how it goes or if I need to make any changes. I'm not used to writing instructions for my work. I’d love to see how yours turn out. Happy crocheting!

Beaded Eggs

Fair thee well Winter months and welcome Spring! Easter weekend, spring and a full moon, this weekend has it all. I got my beaded eggs out for my window display.

The gold egg has a silver bead band in the middle. This egg was made back when silver was used in the making of beads which is why this egg now appears to have a blackish band around the middle. The silver has tarnished. These three eggs are resting on a bed of dried freesia from a bouquet Paul gave me. I haven't made any of these in some years but I have lots of requests for them.

They are very easy to make.

First I blow out an egg and then seal the hole with a bit of tissue and glue.

In order to start with an even line, I put an elastic band around the egg and use a pencil to draw a starting line.

After removing the elastic, I use a toothpick to apply white glue and a pin to attach the beads.

I never have a design in mind, the shape of the beads and egg help to determine that.

These are tedious to make but most of mine were done while watching television. Or rather, listening to television. The first egg I ever beaded got broken when I had one of my Irish temper tantrums and threw it at Paul. When it broke, it was like fine china hitting a cement floor. So ended my days of egg tossing. I missed him and lost one of my beautiful eggs. Perhaps it may have been more satisfying if I'd have hit my mark LOL.

window rabbits and a guilty cat

These cute bunnies came from an antique shop in Brighton, a little town just ten minutes east of Colborne. It's an excellect shop because they mix old with new. These bunnies are sold separately but they look like such a nice pair that I bought both. They are in my Easter window display. I need to sew a lace curtain for behind the window because I'm not fond of the wall paper the previous owners had in the kitchen. It's a navy blue plaid and while it's nice enough paper, it's not kitcheny enough for me. I've got so much to do in the house and the kitchen is on the bottom of the list.







Paul's cat Jasmine decided to join us for dinner the other day. Sadly for her, I don't dine with my pets so she had to make a hasty exit from the table but not before I got a picture of her eyeing the last chick'n nugget in the pan. Both Paul and I are Flexitarians so I doubt she would have eaten it even if it were offered.

After scolding one's cat one looks into its face

and is seized by the ugly suspicion that it understood every word.

And has filed it for reference.

~Charlotte Gray

At Lotsa Stuff, Leslie the proprietess had this chicken pulling a wagon of chicks. I loved it so much and when I was tidying the other day, I found a bag on the dining table and they were in it.

I love Paul so much. He never makes a show of gift giving. Something could sit there for days and he wouldn't say a word. I on the other hand hate keeping secrets and would do something famboyant in order to get the recipient of the gift to notice it sitting there.

Nippon - Weeding out

When we moved into this house last summer, my mother and I combined some of our collections. In the china cabinet, my mother's Nippon collections share space with my Sadler teapots. I'm only keeping a few choice pieces of Nippon. Some of it I plan to pass on at a yard sale this comming August.


Colborne hosts an event called Trash 'N Treasures. Because of the move we didn't participate last year but will this summer. I plan to have an old fashioned lemonade stand set up as well. Perhaps offer a few baked goods but that will depend on if my son has his bakery up and running by then. I don't want to cut into his business.

Lotsa Stuff

There is a sweet little shop here in Colborne ON., called Lotsastuff. I wander down every few days to see what's new. Mostly I browse but I have also bought some lovely treasures there as well. These birds just sang to me of the coming spring and as much as I dearly love winter, it has been a hard and sorrowful season this year and I need to hear my birds singing again.

I have a window in my kitchen that looks into the sunroom. There are shelves in the window and I am having a great time dressing the window for seasons and holidays. Upon entering the sunroom, it is one's first impression of the house and what can be found inside. One of my teacups suffered a tiny chip in the rim making it no longer safe to use so I put a tiny little hippopotomus figurine in it that my aunt gave me from a job lot she bought at the auction.

She bid on salt and pepper shakers and anything that didn't fit the bill, she gave to me. I also gleened this tiny kitten and it sits in what I believe is a sugar bowl. The bowl has been in my mother's cupboard since I can remember. I decided it needed to come out into the open where it can be admired. If anyone has any information about this dish, I'd love to hear from you.

I am looking for some beaded eggs I made to go into the display as well but they are lost at the moment from the move.

If you dig deep enough

Here is a picture of a sweet little clock I picked up at the thrift shop for next to nothing. I don't know why no one else scooped it up unless it's because they couldn't figure out how to get to the clock to put in a new battery. The clock face twists off. It works fine and will soon be happily situated on one of my guest room tables.

I need to find frames for family photos. Mom and I were going to do a wall with family portraits and pictures. I still plan on doing it but it pains me that she won't see it. Here is a picture of my late brother Rene when he was a little boy around 4 years old. He died at just 29 years leaving behind a wife and two small children. He's been gone for twenty-three years this coming March but it sometimes feels like yesterday. He was a cute little guy.

vintage patterns

Paul and I were at an auction with my Mom not too long before Christmas. We bid on a whole bunch of stuff and won most of it. One of the lots that Paul won for three dollars had a box of vintage patterns in it. At first I thought 'big deal' but as I went through them I found myself becoming very excited. They are a real treasure. I can't wait to get started on some of these. They range in size from 9 to 22+. The sizes are more realistic than today's size standards. My sister-in-law has offered to come out and give me a hand mastering my serger. I've had it for about 4 years now so it's time I made something.

The pattern above has a post mark on the envelope for 1942. The pattern beside it has an additional pattern inside that is cut from newspaper from WW2.

"What one loves in childhood

stays in the heart forever."

~Mary Jo Pulney

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They date all the way up to the stylish era when Simplicity patterns exorbitently priced their patterns at a dollar. My goodness, can you imagine getting a pattern for that price now? A lot of these ones were priced at twenty-five cents. Whoooa.

"Nothing makes a woman more beautiful

than the belief that she is beautiful."

~Sofia Loren

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I plan on making costumes with these patterns and perhaps a few dresses for myself. Most patterns are easy to adjust up one size or down one so the whole box of patterns offers a fit for almost anyone.

Whoever owned these patterns must have really favoured a couple of them because there are duplicates in different sizes.

"Oh, never mind the fashion.

When one has style of one's own,
it is always twenty times better."
~Margaret Oliphant

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There are also a few girl's dress patterns and one Mommy and Me set.

"Fashion is general:

style is individual."
~Edna Woolman Chase

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"When you are feeling low about how you look, it's important to put the magazines aside, and practice looking in the mirror and focusing on all that you have to be grateful for. Stop comparing youreself to the made-up fantasy images presented by the media; instead, be the best that you can be given the attributes that you have."

~Kristine Carlson

I love these two little gems. #9081 and 9257. There is quite a difference in the two sizes but I'm somewhere in the middle so I'm hoping to work something out.

"Fashion fades.

Only style remains."

~Coco Chanel

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"Those whose ideals of love face the future instead of the past will find it a very tender, beautiful, and spiritual expression of the human longing for a mate who shall be also friend, companion, and inspirer."

~Richard Wightman The Things He Wrote to Her.

There are about thirty more patterns but I posted only a few of my favourites. I was hoping to have my give-away for a few of the patterns left in the box in March but as there seemed to be no interest in this post I will hold off until this blog is more established.

"Fashion mocks individuality.

Style celebrates it."

~S.B.B.

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Fashion guesses,

style knows.

S.B.B.

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I am so thrilled that my mother came home from the hospital for Christmas. It seems that we will be spending Christmas morning with the VON. Can't complain though. As I mentioned in my previous post, this Christmas has a different flavour all together. I have been lost as to what to give my mother. What do you give someone who has incurable cancer? Warm socks, a neck roll, a new housecoat . . .? Then I found a wonderful pattern that just seemed to hit the mark. A love ball!

I cheated a bit with mine. I didn't add wings because my mother is feeling a little angel overwhelmed at the moment. Plus I just glued on felt circles for the eyes. I only finished it a few hours ago but I am glad it will be under the tree for her in the morning. I found the inspiration for this at Crochet Me . Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful pattern!!! She can hold it or just sit it on her table. No matter what she does with it, she will know it was made by me to express my deep love for her.

Here is a little craft I do with recycled Christmas cards. I use canning jar lids. Just spray paint them gold. Cut out a circle from a card to fit inside the centre of the lid and glue it in place. Next place a thin line of white glue around the edge of the card and sprinkle glitter on it. After the glue is dry, shake off the glitter and glue two lids together with a ribbon sandwiched in between the lids. Voila! These are easy and make lovely bow substitutes.

Looks like a white Christmas here in my little corner of the world. Right now it's fluffy powder but as soon as it warms up it will be snowman time. Both Paul and I love building snowmen although they are rarely men. Usually they are snowdogs. Below is a pic of my snowman pins in a shadow box. Hopefully tomorrow there will be a new pin under the tree for me :-)

collecting

I wish I could get a better picture of these but the glass reflects the flash from my camera. I have been collecting Christmas Tree brooches for several years now. People always comment on how pretty they are. They just sparkle in the light and you can't miss them. I also collect snowmen brooches but the glass from that shadow box got broken in the move and I haven't had the time to repair it yet. Maybe I'll just take the glass out all together this year.




Paul and I had to walk downtown today to get some Ensure from the drugstore for my mother. Happily, we are very close by. The walk was nice going because we had the wind at our backs but coming home was a different story. There is very little traffic today. The snow has created wonderful drifts in the yard. I want to get a picture of them before Brady goes outside to fetch his ball and pee on them.

Can Christmas be so close?

It's only 10 days until Christmas Eve. Where does the time go? I think this is my first year of being so completely unprepared for it. I have a few trees up, have done a little decorating and have purchased some gifts but I haven't even started my Christmas baking. Today, I promise myself.

To the left is a pretty little snow scene on top of the corner shelf. The house is cut from 2x8 inch lumber and the snowman and trees are from 1 x 6 inch lumber. The white paint splattered on the finished pieces add the excellent effect of snow. It's a simple design from a Christmas book that I no longer have. I can't even remember the name of it but I will try and find out. I made several projects from that book. Most of which one of my sons stole when he was setting up for his first Christmas in his own place. No matter. What greater compliment is there than that?

In the opposite corner to the picture above there is a small Christmas tree adorned with crocheted snowflakes. I need to make more but that will come after Christmas. In front of the tree is one of my bears in a child's rocking chair that Paul picked up at the auction a couple of weeks ago.

Here is a snowflake ornament that was a gift from my friend Jill. The ladies in this next ornament represent Lisa and I. She is another friend and though we don't get to shop together, we dream about it. I like to imagine the shapely dame in the black dress is me but I think it is more likely her.

collections

I have always been a collector of sorts. My dad was quite a collector and when he passed, I inherited several of his collections such as his license plates. There is a plate from 1929 through to when they stopped renewing actual plates to where they only renewed stickers. My mom is also a collector. She's the one who got me going on china and linen. She also collected pigs but has most of that collection in temporary repose. My love of collecting was as natural to me as breathing. My husband Paul is now also a collector especially of walking sticks but mostly he is on the lookout for something to add to my collections. Sweet guy. I think I'll keep him.

Some of my (our) collections continue to grow and some I put a halt to. Sometimes you just reach the satisfaction (saturation) point and anything beyond can clutter your collection. One of the collections I've stopped is my teddybears. Perhaps someday I will resume the collections but not until I find a place for all of them in this new house.

My collection of gloves continues to thrive. This past Thanksgiving, everyone was assigned a vintage hat. The ladies also got to wear shawls, gloves, boas and scarves. It was a lot of fun and even the men got into the game. Paul wore a curly red wig, a black cowboy hat and green rubber boots. Gotta love that man!

Here I am again. Paul and I were out sifting through boxes at an auction sale and came up with a few items to buy. Needless to say I picked better stuff than he did. Well, it will be after I'm done with it. He bought this ugly lamp for a whole dollar. This picture doesn't do it justice.

The dirt on the glass will have to be chipped off and the shade, it's plastic! Do you remember those plastic curtains you used to buy? The shade reminds me of those. I must admit, there is potential there. He wanted it for his room. I know that sounds weird. We share a bedroom but in a house this big, we each have a room designed specifically for our personal tastes. They are really guestrooms but we call them His and Hers bedrooms.

I picked up these two sweet sugar bowls, excuse the pun, in a job lot for a dollar. You can see we are big spenders LOL. I like to use sugar bowls for candy dishes. I also picked up an old Bell phone for two bucks. I know this phone is ugly but I have plans for it. Check back in a few days and it should be looking a bit better. These phones were so clear in tone and comfortable to wear snuggled against your neck and under your ear. Today's phones to me have more static and simply cannot be balanced on your shoulder as you use your hands for more important things like crochet.

Speaking of which, here is a picture of an afghan I finally finished. I have been working on this for years. It's not that it was challenging, it's just because all the little granny squares were made up of end pieces of yarn. I had to make a total of 834 of them. Then I just had to crochet them all together. It turned out very well and is a good warm afghan.

To keep rust from forming on the inside of metal salt shaker lids paint the inside with clear nail polish. When it is dry, poke through the holes with a pin from the inside out.

Keep a pair of cotton gloves in your lingerie drawer. Put them on when donning your pantyhose to keep fingernails from causing runs.

Thanks for stopping by. I am off to find something to create, fix or bake.

Home. . . where the dearest treasures of life can be gathered,
the purest pleasures enjoyed,
the richest comforts and conveniences preserved,
and where God can smile. . .

Rev James H Potts 1888