Not Your Grandma's Doily

Actually, not mine, either.

I've inherited a bunch of hand crocheted, tatted, and machine-made lace and doilies from my great aunt Muriel. I'm very excited about them- I'm not sure others always understand why, especially when they look at me with a funny look on their faces. I'm just convinced that there are new things to do with all these wonderful handmade lacy pieces of fabric, and I am determined to use them. It's not usually fashionable nowadays to have little doilies sitting around the house, but there are literally hundreds of thousands of them floating around, stuffed in boxes, hidden in the back of drawers, or otherwise being stored all over the country, I'm sure. Some of us are unwilling to give up this craft of our foremothers due to sentimentality, and others just want to get rid of them and move on. And here is where I fit in: I'm trying make them useful again!

My newest projects:

A doily pillow.

Zippered doily pouches.


I'm already using one of the pouches as a wallet of sorts and I love it!

I should also note: I inherited some doilies, but they are currently still in Colorado at my parents' house. These doilies I picked up at a garage sale: a dozen for 50 cents. What a bargain!

The Amy Karol Bag

So, someday, if I have a small crafting/sewing business.... I'll offer the "Amy Karol" bag for sale. Of course, I'll have to get Amy Karol's permission, etc., but I'm naming this bag after her because of the inspiration I got from making a couple of the Pleated Beauty Handbags from her Bend the Rules Sewing book and bag swap. I modified the construction and size, and added exterior pockets, but I'm very proud of the final product! It is the right size for carrying a good hardback book and a nalgene water bottle, without being too big or floppy. Or I can carry a two-year old's water bottle, a snack, and a couple of play cars... and a good paperback book and a nalgene water bottle.

My Amy Karol bag: wild and crazy, mismatched lining, handles, and pleats! An exterior pocket on both front and back, and much of it made of sturdy cotton duck. I absolutely love it!



And, the Amy Karol bag I made for my cousin, Katie. Somehow, she's always seemed like a perfect purple to me. So, he bag is certainly purple! On hers, the lining, handles, pockets, and pleats are all the same fabric. It has only one exterior pocket, but I also added a magnetic clasp to the main compartment.



If I ever get my business going I'll have to find a cheaper source for magnetic clasps- I think the clasp cost (at Hobby Lobby) as much as all the fabric together for the bag.

Mother's Day Apron

My mom wanted an apron for Mother's Day, so I made her one. She will get it this week when we go to visit my parents this coming week.

It is based on the Emmeline Apron from Sew Liberated, though I have some changes to make if I do it again. It was really fun to figure out, and I used up some more of my stash of fabric that I've had for years. The Emmeline is reversible; this one is almost: I had to add the front pocket because the long darts in front poinked out instead laying flat. I suppose I could have added a pocket on the back and it could have been reversible. How funny would it be to have an apron that was reversible but looked the same on both sides!

I picked up the dress form at a garage sale for $10 a few weeks ago. I love it!

New BTRS Swap

Oh, and I entered the new Bend the Rules Sewing Swap, which is for a set of place mats and napkins. I can't wait to get my partner's info so I can start working on it!

For more information click here.

Busy, Busy

Goodness- it's been a while! I don't even have a photo to post, although I've been busy (crafting and living a busy life in general). A recap of the last several weeks includes: our (dumb, dumb, dumb) dog developed some weird pica eating habits, and is still recovering from the exploratory surgery he had two weeks ago (to the tune of an obscene amount of money); I've been a moderate insomniac for nearly two months which cuts down on my work time because I'm inefficient and unmotivated when I'm sleepy; we installed countertop in half the kitchen (hopefully the other half will be this weekend...); I did manage to make my mom an apron for mother's day, and will be delivering it to her next week in person; and, very good friends of our got married last weekend- but between all of the brunches and flower luncheons and rehearsals and dinners and ceremonies, etc., not much time was leftover for housework so I've been trying to catch up on laundry, cleaning, and watering the garden for three days. The great thing about the wedding weekend was I made myself a new purse to take with me to all the events- and stayed up very late one night to do so (but since I was already not sleeping well at night, I figured, "what the heck?"). And now, I've got a hankering to make another one, so I'd best get busy!