Patchwork Felted Wool Hipster Scout Bag

I just finished designing my new fall bag! I used my favorite Vera Bradley bag, also called a "hipster" as inspiration. The size is perfect for my needs. I really like having a small side sling type bag for running around the city, keeps my hands free for grocery bags, getting on and off the bus and digging for keys.

I raided my stash of hand dyed wools and quilted it together with Liberty of London floral for the lining and interior pockets. I fused together a piece of wool and a scrap of Liberty to make the perfect little pocket on the back for my blackberry...no more digging around for that! The strap was made of 2 pieces of wool fused together, stitched along the edge and then cut with pinking shears. The finishing touch was inspired by the cutest little felted wool bag encrusted with military pins and badges from the Fall 2009 Chanel handbag line. I purchased my vintage badges on Ebay...I love that Boy Scout logo...BE PREPARED, and the British Woman's Association pin that reads...FOR HOME AND COUNTRY.

I will be offering one-of-a-kind bags like this in my Etsy shop.

The Romance of Estate Sales

It starts with our weekly log on to estatesales.net. Hundreds of photos are scrutinized, picking and choosing, until we have narrowed it down to at least 3 sales that are in the same direction..which is only 3 directions in Chicago seeing that the only thing east is the lake. My friend Beth and I target an area where we think we can find "a lot of stuff, the good stuff". When an agreement has been reached the plan is set in motion. We meet in front of the building early the next morning.

If we are lucky one of us had printed out a Google map and hopefully not left it behind. We set off on our weekly adventure, Beth behind the wheel, me the willing accomplice, Waldo in his doggy seat and "Queen" Greta in one of our laps...(Waldo and Gretta being Beth's long haired dachshunds). We have stashed the treat bag that contains fruit, nuts and cheese away from hungry little dogs as we set out on our journey.

We are not in a mad rush. We are not the highly competitive dealers that stand in rain, snow and sleet at 5am to get a number, wait in line for hours to finally make the mad dash, pushing and shoving through doors, up and down stairways...not us, we are the more leisurely buyers who like to arrive late after everything has been picked over when we are left to quietly poke around at the tidbits that the vultures have left behind...the bones have been picked clean but in most cases there may be a piece of sweet meat left behind.

Besides enjoying the joy of the hunt (which for one of us, moi, is also a job)...we like the adventure. We like the trip to the country. We like the discovery of a cute little town that we never knew existed. We like to look at neighborhoods and gardens, pastures and barns. We find the beauty in sweet little unassuming houses and balk at the McMansions as we both agree that having lived in big houses we now feel most comfortable in our cozy vintage condo in the city...although we also both agree that we miss our gardens.

Last Friday found us in Woodstock, Illinois in the simple yet lovely home of an artist, craftsman, cook, reader, collector and world traveler, someone not unlike myself.

Everything was neat and orderly, well kept and categorized. The basement had shelves covering nearly every wall, floor to ceiling, with books of every sort, bound magazines, fabric, pickling jars, jigsaw puzzles and games. There was a wonderful little work/tool room and a large part of the basement that had been devoted to framing. There were frames of every shape and size, old and new, mats, glass and antique prints waiting for a new home. I am sure the frames had been picked over but there were still hundreds left. With out too much trouble I found a perfect little 8X8 inch square to frame one of my Scrap Paper Monologue collages.

According to the organizers, the shelves of fabric had been gone since the first hour of the sale, but believe it or not, behind a box I found a small roll of French cotton...if there was any fabric left I would find it! I also scored some vintage McCalls Needlework and Vogue Knitting magazines. The woman was a prolific knitter evidenced by the boxes of completely knitted sweaters that were never sewn together, some had been partially sewn with only the neck edge left to finish... I am talking about at least 20 sweaters! It is hard for me to believe that you could put that much work into a sweater and not finish it. I do admit to one unfinished project in my knitting closet...but it haunts me because I tend to be a "finisher of projects."

Upstairs I found the most adorable antique stuffed spotted velvet dog...how did that get left behind?...some beautiful old beads the color of a Robins egg, a sweet floral linen lace edged collar, a hand thrown art pottery bowl, a Victorian velvet pouch, an old hankie (I still use these) and a large glass scent bottle with a sterling silver stopper...and eclectic mix from an interesting lady who didn't finish her sweaters. Some of these treasures are making their way into my Ebay store tonight!

As I was paying for my purchases I said ..."this looks like the sale they will have when I have passed away"...only my sweaters will be finished!

Patchwork Felted Wool Pincushion

This is a large 7X7 inch felted patchwork wool pin cushion backed with velvet and filled with sawdust. The pincushion is adorned with a velvet embossed oak leaf and a wool felt acorn. Many years ago Martha Stewart offered a set of large leaf shaped rubber stamps in her magazine with instructions on how to make these velvet leaves. Two pieces of velvet are bonded together using an iron on bonding material. The velvet is placed on top of the rubber stamp thenplace a pressing cloth over the velvet and apply a hot iron. I think at the time Martha had made a wreath with these leaves. The acorn was made from a large bead that I covered with bits of wool felt. As you can see it makes a darling perch for a vintage pin collection. This pincushion including the 2 vintage owl pins is now available in my etsy shop.
www.whimrose.etsy.com

Felted Wool Eyeglass Cases on Etsy

I have just added my felted wool patchwork eyeglass cases to my new Etsy shop!
www.whimrose.etsy.com
Next up are my large felted wool patchwork pin cushions that are sharing the photo above...I will even include a nice little collection of vintage pins to go with.

Custom Heirloom Applique Quilt Project

Two years ago when I was packing for my move from Santa Fe back to Chicago, my mothers friend Helen commissioned me to make a quilt for her using some beautiful pillow cases that her mother had embroidered. She was interested in having an heirloom that she could pass down to her children, some thing that would incorporate a piece of her past. When she handed me the pile of pillowcases she told me that there was "no rush", she knew that I would be consumed for months with the upcoming move.

The pillow cases languished in my fabric cabinet reminding me every time I opened the door that a challenging project was waiting for me. After a year went by every time I saw that stack from Helen I was consumed with guilt. When I mentioned this to my Mom she said..."Helen will understand, just wrap them up and send them back to her and tell her you don't have the time."

One thing that I am not...is a "quitter"...and my Mom knows that!

Last Winter I decided to unload my enormous quilt stash. At that time I considered wrapping those pillowcases up and sending them back but one day I pulled out my box of antique fabrics and suddenly was inspired to give this challenging project a whirl....timing is everything!

About this same time I made a new quilting friend in Australia...we became friends because she was responsible for purchasing the bulk of my fabric stash on Ebay! Isn't that ironic...just when I thought I was through quilting...she drew me back in! Meredith, my new pen pal, sent me a pattern for a center medallion quilt and that became my jumping off point to make this quilt. She gave me the encouragement that I needed during a creative dry spell.

Most of the center applique is done in antique Civil War era fabrics, many of them were tiny scraps that I have saved for years. Helen wanted a blue and white quilt but I convinced her that we needed that touch of pink to really highlight the pink in the embroidery. I was afraid that it may look too busy (even though I LIKE busy) but I think it really hangs together. I will continue to build this quilt out from the middle adding as much antique fabric as possible to give it a real heirloom quality. I will keep posting pictures as my work progresses.

Vintage Decorator Fabric

I have some wonderful vintage fabrics listed on Ebay this week. They are all in unused condition and there is yardage!.....4 yards on the crewel printed linen second from the top. The print at the top is hand screened and has a William Morris look and I believe it may be from Liberty of London. All of these and more can be found in my Ebay Shop Whimrose Projects: http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Whimrose-Projects

I have plans for recovering an antique slipper chair that is in desperate need of an "upcycle". I found some vintage fabric that is SO cute ...it is dark green and has chairs on it...I know it sounds awful but trust me it is so cute. I will post a picture and share the experience when I start the project.

Announicing the GRAND OPENING of Whimrose Projects Etsy Store!!

I am so excited to announce (after months of saying "I should")...the one and only Whimrose Projects Boutique on Etsy featuring many of the items featured on my blog...no, I don't think you will find canned tomatoes...but possibly a tomato pincushion!

I have all of my Liberty of London fabric bead necklaces listed for sale and will be happy to custom make any of the necklaces to your specifications....Also I had so much fun designing my banner that I just may offer banners for sale. I have loads of ideas for new and exciting designs so stay tuned to my blog and Etsy to see what's to come!

and here is the link:

http://www.whimrose.etsy.com

Making Good Use of My Canner

On Saturday I bought a 1/2 bussel of big fat juicy tomatoes for just $10 and made 4 1/2 pints of chili sauce and 10 of all purpose tomato sauce. Once again this is not a big money saver but the taste does not compare! I decided to make 1/2 pints so that it would go further. I think even if you add one cup of the good stuff to a can of Del Monte you are going to get a much better flavor.

Tory Burch Purple Suede Loveliness

Lets talk about purple suede shoes...ahhhhh yes...I wanted these so BAD that I actually convinced myself that they fit...well mostly because I was working the Christmas shift at Neiman Marcus and had an employee discount...who could resist...and then they sat in my closet...first I had to wait for the horrid Winter weather to end..and then the rainy Spring...and then the first time I wore them and walked 15 blocks, I knew I had made a mistake...I had to stop into Nordstroms to buy a pair of footies just to get my poor blistered feet home...so there you have it...I "shopped" and I did not "score" so these little size 7 beauties are being sold on Ebay and here is the link:


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390092262057&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT


...did you know that purple is the hot new color trend for Fall ????...and if these fit you they would be extremely comfortable

Another Pickle Harvest

The canner was purchased and was put to work fast before my 5 pounds of "organic cucumbers fresh from the farmers market" spoiled in the frig. It is amazing how five pounds translates to just 4 pints of pickles. We have already polished off a half of a jar. From a froogal point of view canning fresh organic produce is not a money saver but the results far out weigh store bought.

The Jewels of Summer!

Our farmers in the mid-west are having a harvest that is 2-3 weeks later than normal because of the unusual brief cool summer that we have had. This week has been the most delightful surprise with perfect temperatures and sun shine for nearly a week.

On Wednesday I found a beautiful array of colorful vegetables to make this Winter Pickle Salad. One grower had a head of Romanesco cauliflower which is neon green and shaped like little cones...so cute. I also found a miniature variety of carrot that was streaked with red , some tiny yellow patty pan squash, red, orange and yellow peppers, and green beans...the jars look like a sea of jewels!

The canning process is something that I have never tackled and found it to be much easier than expected as long as you have the proper tools assembled before hand. I purchased a canning kit at Target that included all the utensils needed and used my stock pot for processing. Things went so well with this first batch that I have decided to invest in a canner which can be purchased for around $25. I want to scoop up as much of summer as I can before our l-o-n-g winter sets in!

Winter Salad Pickle

2 c cauliflower florets
1c peeled pearl onions or onions cut into squares
1c thickly sliced celery
1c sliced carrots or small baby carrots cut in quarters
1c thick sliced zucchini or small patty pan
1c yellow or green beans
2 medium red, yellow or orange peppers
3c white wine vinegar or herb vinegar
1 1/2 c sugar
1 1/3c water
2 tsp pickling(coarse/Kosher)
1/8 tsp paprika

Before you begin preparing vegetables place jars and lids on a rack in a large kettle or canner that will fit the jars comfortably and allow enough room to cover jars with 1 inch of water for processing . Fill with water, bring to a boil and turn off heat.

1. Combine cauliflower, onions, celery and carrots in a large bowl. Combine squash beans and peppers in a separate bowl.

2. Combine vinegar, sugar, water salt, and paprika in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a full boil over high heat. Add cauliflower, onions, celery, and carrot and return to a boil. Remove from heat and add squash, beans and peppers.

3. Remove vegetables from liquid with a slotted spoon and pack into jars. Pour liquid to within 1/2 inch of rim. Clean rim of jar with a clean cloth or paper towel. Lift lid from hot water and center on top of jar. Apply screw band until fingertip tight

4. Place jars on a rack in a large stockpot, kettle or canner that the jars were sterilized in and fill with additional water to cover by one inch.

5. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. turn off heat and remove lid. Allow jars to sit in kettle for 5 min. Carefully left jars out and place on a heat safe work surface. Do not touch seals or dry jars. Let cool for 12-24 hours. Check jar seals, sealed lids turn downwards.

This recipe was taken from:

Small Batch Preserving
by
Ellie Topp & Margaret Howard

Summer Menu

I continue to be inspired by the possibilities of the Liberty fabric covered beads.

While visiting my brother in Michigan we stopped in in to see some dear friends that have a lovely old farm house complete with a barn that is being renovated and beautiful gardens that produce massive amounts of vegetables. We took home the first crop of tiny radishes and a handful of chives. Later we served them with sweet butter on grainy bread and a touch of coarse salt....YUM!

I was admiring the vintage tablecloth that was spread on the kitchen island and my friend and I talked about how we both collected them. I no longer have an outdoor patio or a kitchen table, for that matter, now that I am living in a high rise condo. I offered to keep a look out for any inexpensive gems . Two hours later I found this cloth at a local antique flee market......so with much regret I am passing it on....along with one of my necklaces... these colors are right up her alley.

....my swirly plate is full of possibilities for another braided or charm necklace! I better hurry...summer is nearly half over.

Clare Potter... Vintage Perfection

My recent fascination with vintage women's magazines has led to this charming new addition to my Spring wardrobe featured below.


While browsing the pages for fashion illustrations to add to my collages I came across this article on Clare Potter...one of the first ladies of American sportswear. After a Google frenzied search I came up with little information about Clare Potter's career but surprisingly...on Ebay(where else?)...I actually found this stunning little linen jacket up for auction from a seller in the UK...and shockingly I won the item for under $20. It fits me perfectly and is in beautiful condition. What makes this jacket special is the attention to detail. The collar is ecru satin with a sage green velvet trim and the buttons are covered in a pale gray satin.


I like the addition of this 50's star burst brooch..also an Ebay purchase for $9.99. The jacket looks real cute with another one of my spring bargains... gray silk, pleated cropped harem pants that I found on a a double markdown +coupon at Express for $15.99.

........ the great froo*gal style is workin'!!!

Happy Mothers Day

Truthfully, I have always hated Mothers Day, I think my expectations have always been too high and we all know when your expectations are too high, there is no where to go but down. This year I am choosing to go with the flow and see what transpires...the idea of my husband and son cooking in my kitchen has always induced some stress but if that is what they want to do then...have at it...I will just "show up" when the dinner bell rings!

Fuel

Life is ironic........as soon as I thought that my quilting days were over and the bulk of my fabric sold on Ebay, what do I decide to do?....Go to the International Quilt Show! That was all it took to suck me back in...well that and the fact that I had taken on a commission to stitch a quilt for a friend of my Mom two years ago, when I was leaving Santa Fe....yes that's right...2 YEARS AGO...I unearthed the remnants while cleaning out the stash.

The quilt show refueled my interest and gave me the spark I needed to get the ball rolling on this project. I came home with one small bag of fabric for the quilt and one tiny bag of treasures for me (featured on the plate above).

All those little treats, with the exception of the felted beads, came from a dealer that was selling "dead stock" from a jewelry factory in Venice, Italy...one of my favorite cities. Doesn't it all look yummy!

Victorian Collage...30 Minutes for Creativity

Here is a little 30 minute creative project I did last week. I came across an old book that I bought a few years ago in a used bookstore...a great place for inspiration...the book, Book of Collage by Gloria Vanderbilt, one of the original "craft maven's extraordinaire" is full of wonderful and simple ideas for putting together keepsake Victorian style collage but also features many of Gloria's wonderful fabric collage works of art that are very contemporary in look.

I was able to put this piece together quickly because I had just finished sorting through a box of ephemera that I was going to list on ebay. The box I was about to list was an accumulation of odds and ends that I have gathered over the year from box lots that I have purchased at auction. As I was looking at the pictures that I had had uploaded to the listing I started having second thoughts but went ahead and listed anyway. The very next day while I was in the bookshelve I stumbled on the Gloria book and immediately ended the listing (this is not usually a good idea!)and that afternoonI snatched out these elements, grabbed some fabric scraps from the now "highly edited fabric stash" and there you have it...all it needs now is a nice little frame (or not)...I am on my way to the auction house tonight and will surely be able to find a frame in another one of those box lots!

Liberty Print Fabric Bead & Button Necklace

I am really pleased with my version of the Anthropology fabric, bead and button necklace!

This necklace was amazingly easy to make and requires very few skills, if you know how to braid and sew on a button you got it knocked. I was going to share instructions on how to make this necklace but then I had what Oprah would call "an aha moment"....I am going to sell DIY packets! I have been contemplating an etsy shop for over a year now. I just need to DO IT.

Most of the projects that I do are unique because of all the collected elements that I have to work with. It takes time to hunt down a collection and a certain eye to put together the pieces...and that is my specialty!

Until I get the etsy gig working I would be happy to take orders so send me an email and I will put together a kit with your color choices.

Signs of Spring

I have spend a lot of time recently weeding out my fabric stash. It has been a long and arduous process but it was time to let go of some things and get down to the bones...keeping only what I really like and only what I will really use. My rule has always been if you haven't worn it, looked at it or used it in a year you never will....for most of my fabric it has been more than one and nearly seven years. I also believe that in order to make room for new growth to bloom you must weed the garden.

While sorting stacks of potential lots to be auctioned on Ebay my mind was already a buzz with ideas and little piles were starting to form...this is one of the piles. This pile is about to become a necklace like the one pictured above that I saw in an Anthropology catalog.

Now that I am out from under the "ground cover" of my fabric garden I can finally see the little heads of crocus peeping through!

Liberty Print Charm Necklace Part 2

I thought I would have a second look at this necklace today to see if I could improve on it but decided that is was great just the way it is! I did however add a couple more charms that my son begrudgingly handed over...these vintage crackerjack charms represent dollar signs to him. Last summer he purchased an enormous lot of these treasures at auction and has been reaping the rewards on EBay ever since. Every time I went to his apartment last Fall I would snitch a couple. One day I was caught with my hand in the Crackerjack jar (so to speak)and I thought the gig was up but much to my surprise a little bag stuffed with these beauties showed up under the Christmas tree...YIPPEE! I am eking them out for various projects...the next one will be a knitted bracelet.

Assembling this necklace is very easy. I snipped and tore 1/4" strips from 1/4 yd lengths of Liberty fabric leaving the edges raw and frayed. I then gathered together some of my fabric covered beads (see tutorial in January 2008 post) vintage beads, buttons, Bakelite and charms and threaded everything on the fabric strips. I made 4 different strips and tied them together. I held all the strands together and rearranged the elements to fit and then tied all 4 strands together in a knot so that I could wear the necklace at any desired length.

Liberty Print Fabric Charm Necklace

This is a necklace I have been working on using my fabric covered beads with the addition of vintage buttons, pieces of Bakelite, old enamel earrings and vintage Crackerjack charms. I saw bracelets made from torn strips of Liberty of London fabric on the Liberty website and thought making a whole necklace loaded with charms and beads would be a fun project. I started this a few months ago and it has been hanging on my door knob all winter. I think it is time to take it out and play around with it a bit more. I will publish the results after some tweekage!

Couture Knits for Blythe

Blythe's sweater dress was knit on variegated sock yarn using #2 needles. I used a Barbie doll pattern as a loose guide for binding on stitches but then I went "freelance" from there, fitting as I went.

I love knitting on small needles but it can be daunting if you are making a full size garment so this was very satisfying. The jacket is a strip of fringed wool that I hand stitched into a little bolero with a tiny felted flower.

I am wondering why I have waited so long to take on this fun little project.

Blythe Couture at Target

It seems that Alexander McQueen and I are entertaining the same muse these days!

When I opened the March issue of Bazaar, there she was... sporting an original designer frock...at Target no less...(one of the froo*gal's favorite places to shop). I promptly picked up my needles and finished the couture ensemble that I had been working on...I didn't want my Blythe to feel left out.

PS.....if you can actually buy Blythe at Target for $14.99...that is a REAL bargain!
PSS....I am liking those bangs...I may have to send her back to Michael for some fringe....I just hear a little scream from the other room!

Sock Darning to the Rescue

After holding my breath to pay my bills I decided to darn my socks....see a complete "how to darn" February 14, 2008 blog entry. Do you want to know how long it took to preform this task...seriously...3 minutes! These socks were not even old socks, they were maybe worn a dozen times and I probably paid $8 for them...so there you go!

Knitting For Blythe

A few years ago, while living in the desert, I became obsessed with "Blythe"....obsessions were common place for me in the desert....no friends and a lot of time on my hands.

I had an Ebay customer that send me a picture of her Enid Collins handbag collection, something that we shared in common. Propped up against one of the handbags was a Blythe doll. I googled Blythe and was enthralled! To make a long story short I spend the next few months scouring the Internet for one of my own. The dolls are made in limited editions and the prices can rise high on Ebay. I managed to find one in my price range on Amazon...the only problem, (for me anyway) was that she had pink hair. I had read many articles about customizing these dolls and figured that I could make a few changes by enlisting my hairdresser Michael.

...and that is when Blythe cursed the day she ended up in New Mexico.

My hairdresser was probably my only real friend in Santa Fe and I love him dearly. We share the same offbeat sensibility so when I approached him with the idea of taking on a "vinyl diva" he was up for the challenge....it was not until later that he confessed to a pile of "skinned" Barbie dolls in the closet of his youth! (the hairdresser prodigy that he was).

Apparently when I went to pick her up he had to fish her out from under the back seat of his car...he had put her there because she had basically turned into "Chuckie" after he made a mess of the dye job...her eyelashes fell out and she was covered in black streaks! He was not quite sure how to break the news to me since I had high hopes of her becoming "The Next Top Model" for my own personal line of Blythe fashions.

....well something was lost in this whole process(but not my hairdresser). I dressed Blythe in her store bought clothes, wrapped a ribbon around her head and propped her up on my work table, sans eyelashes...and that is where she has stayed until recently when she has decided to forgive me for the "wrath of Michael"....I think I owe her a new dress.

Birthday Girl

While I was putting together my patchwork monologue entry for today I thought about this quilt that I made a few years ago and drug out another dust covered box from under the bed to retrieve it. This project was part of a quilt group challenge that I participated in. The challenge for this particular piece was to use the ugly green fabric that can be seen in the skirt. I was also experimenting with other techniques like curved lines and digital printing on fabric. I am not sure how this ties in with today..."my day of days"...but it reminds me how much joy creativity has brought into my life for 57 years and even when my venue changes my innate style remains the same.

.........my horoscope said this is my lucky year...maybe I will win that dream house!

Happy Valentines Day!!!

I am headed to Austin, TX today to visit my best friend Ann...YIPEE!...I'm thinkin'....margaritas, Texas barbecue, shopping...resale shopping, and some much needed "talk til ya drop" therapy!

Patchwork Monologue will be on hiatus until Tuesday when my creative juices will be flowing over.

"Misti Alpaca Tunic Sweater Vest"

I finished my tunic sweater knit on circular needles and I am very pleased with the results! I have to admit I was "winging it"...sort of a "design as you go" project. I used 2 different patterns as a jumping off point, one for the top and one for the bottom. I have knit handbags in the round before but this is the first time that I have knit a sweater. Circular knitting is great for the "knitting while you do something else" projects, also there are no seams to finish so when you are done, you are pretty much done and that is always exciting!

I have a set of Denise Circular knitting needles that have inter-changeable tips and ends so when I finished the bottom I just snapped the needles off and put the plugs on the ends to hold my stitches. I worked the top pretty much "free style". I found a pattern for a top down knit vest and used that as a guide for how many stitches to cast on. I had to work out my pattern so that I would end up with the same amount of stitches left on my top needles as I had left on the bottom stitch holders. I transferred the stitches to straight needles

I joined the top and bottom with a "three needle bind off". I had used this stitch before when I was making handbags and thought it was so cleaver I wondered why you don't see it used more often.

To do a three needle bind off you hold the needles with the 2 pieces that you are joining side by side in your left hand then using a third needle you place the tip through the first stitch on each needle as if you were knitting one stitch only you knit the 2 together as one. You knit a second stitch, the same way as you would for a regular bind off and then put the first stitch over the second and proceed with the remaining stitches.

Using this method leaves a beautiful smooth seam front and back!

Workin on it.....

I have started the "top down" loose turtleneck for my tunic. This yarn knits up real fast on size 13 needles. It really flows and those little felted leaves just pop right through. I think I will just knit until I run out of yarn, in ever increasing rows, and then see what happens next!..I love this kind of knitting..... I am thinking just one odd stripe and then more of the alpaca before I join the top and bottom.

Knit Tunic Project

I started this tunic vest on New Years day. I saw this knit sleeveless tunic in a shop in Sutton's Bay, Michigan last summer. I have a picture of it on my Blackberry but have not been able to download my pictures with any success but I will keep trying. It had this nice big soft turtleneck that was slouchy and knitted with an interesting variegated yarn. The bottom was slightly flared. I found a pattern that was close to the same shape and I used that to knit the bottom on circular needles. I am using "Misti Alpaca Baby Chunky" yarn. I am close to the armpits and have decided to start the turtleneck on different needles and work from the top down. I have a really interesting idea for joining the top and bottom so we will see how that goes and I will post my results. I am going to work in this really cool novelty yarn that I bought in Venice, Italy 4 years ago...as you can see the colors are perfect together!! YEAH!

DIY Purse Organizer

How to make the purse organizer:

Supplies:

2 pieces of template plastic 14"X4"
2 contrasting pieces of fabric 29"X4.5"
1 piece of fabric 29"X9"
1 piece of quilt batting 29"X4.5"

*Layer the two contrasting fabrics and right sides together and the quilt batting on the bottom.
*Stitch 1/4" along one edge.
*Press seam towards batting. Fold in half and press.
*Trim 1/4" off the raw edge of batting.
*Place layered piece on top of the 29X9 piece of fabric.
*Measure the areas you want to divide for the items that you carry in your purse and mark with pins. Make sure to give a little ease so that your items will fit in comfortably and stitch through all layers to create pockets. Back stitch at top to reinforce.
*On one end turn the batting filled piece under 1/4" and stitch through all layers.
*Fold larger backing fabric over and line up raw edges.
*Stitch 1/4" along edge and along the end that was not folded under.
*Turn right side out and slide in the 2 pieces of plastic template.
* Turn in 1/4" on raw end and stitch closed.

Voila!...Purse pockets!