Hiya! Today I have a different kind of post….a crochet post!
After Christmas, I had the desire for a big crochet project. Crocheting for me is normally just rectangles, squares, hearts, and other random shapes, but I really wanted to learn some new skills. I started off with two skiens of yarn, and ended up buying 7 skeins. I was inspired by this blanket.
Well, 7 skeins, one month, 100 BBC Merlin episodes, and 64 granny squares later, I came up with this.
Charlie wanted to be in the shot again. He got so much love last time, so I figured I might as well include him again.
I’m so happy with the result. Most of it was making the squares, which made a huge stack, but when I actually crocheted them together the blanket was smaller. If I didn’t know, I never would have guessed 64 squares went into this!
The rows have been coming apart at the corners. I crocheted a long rectangle of 8 granny squares together and then crocheted the rows together. NOTE TO SELF: Darn your ends in. I never thought that darning/sewing-crocheting in the end pieces of yarn could make a difference. I was lazy and I knotted the end of the rows and cut it off. Well, I wish I didn’t do that, because I have been fixing my falling apart blanket all week!
If you would like to learn how to crochet, I would recommend learning. Crochet is great for something to do in the car, or something to carry in your purse. It’s very portable, which is something I always liked about it. Bella Coco has tons of great beginner YouTube videos for the beginner.
I would make it again. It ended up a little bit smaller than I planned, but it’s really good as a lap blanket or a decorative blanket for my bed. I also think I would use this technique again for a baby blanket.
I also added a small single crochet border for effect.
Well, I suppose that’s all! Thoughts anyone?
I’ve learned from my mistakes this past year of sewing, and I wish I knew some of the stuff I know now. Here are my tips.
1. Make sure you have enough fabric for your project.
Sometimes I’m so caught up in sewing something that I forget to check how much fabric I need. This has happened to me a million times, and it’s frustrating!
2. Clean your machine often.
Need I say more? Check out this link where I am reminded painfully of this.
3. When cutting a pattern, make sure you have cut all the pieces before you throw away the scraps.
Last year, I was sewing a dress, and I cut all the pieces without checking for the back bodice piece. It either didn’t come in the pattern package, or I threw it out, but it caused a lot of trauma and stress. Eventually, I drafted my own pattern with my mom.
This was the dress I made–it’s hard to tell that I drafted my own back bodice pattern.
4. When buying fabric at a store, be sure to check how much the fabric is per yard.
I think everybody knows this, but once I get to the checkout counter, it’s shocking how much fabric supplies I buy! Just walking into Joann’s instantly makes me want to buy stuff.
5. When buying fabric, have an idea of what you’re actually going to do with it.
This is similar to the 4th and 1st tip. I always buy fabric and don’t actually have an idea of what to do with it. Then when I wan to make something out of it, I either don’t have enough or it’s the wrong type of fabric, etc.
6. Remember to change out your needle for the right fabric.
I’m always so lazy about this, and the other day I was sewing really thick fabric with the standard needle. And what do you think happened? The needle got caught when sewing, and it wouldn’t sew or come up. I eventually had to take the bobbin out, turn the machine off, and cut the fabric out until the needle finally came up bent. So I had to throw it away! You would have thought I learned my lesson, but then the next week the same thing happened!
7. Use the right stich length and tension for the right project.
I can’t tell you how many times this has happened, and again, I was lazy and didn’t change it. Oh well.
8. Don’t use a million pins.
I’m pin-crazy, and I use tons of pins when I don’t really need them. Once it’s time to sew, though, I get annoyed at having to pull out the pins.
9. Don’t sew over the pin.
Okay, so maybe this one is like the 8th tip, but it’s happened to all of us.
10. Last, but not least, read all the instructions on the pattern.
More often than not, I skim over the instructions, and it comes back to me later when I sew the wrong pieces together.
I would LOVE to hear your funny sewing stories. Either let me know in the comments or tell me here. I’ll post all the stories on the blog in the next post. Thanks!
DUST. It was clogged up with dust! I opened it up last in February, it and was clean, but I’ve sewed considerably more since then. I took 15 minutes cleaning out all the loose thread and dust. My manual didn’t say anything about oiling it, except for saying not to oil the bobbin case. I’ll have to look into that more.
Once I was done, I put back all the screws, the presser foot, and the other things I needed to take off, I threaded the machine and bobbin, and what happens when I sew? The thread gets tangled. I cleaned out the thread, and then what happpens? The stiches are tight and aren’t sewing properly. Note that the tension is fine, the stich length is at the largest setting…and it won’t sew.
I give up! I love my Brother machine, but I think it’s time for me to take a break for a week or so.
Tell me in the comments about your most frustrating sewing problems!
Hello Freckled Fashionistas! I’m sitting on my back porch right now in a sundress soaking in the nice breeze and fresh air.
My sewing room used to be in my bedroom until my mother suprised me with a separate space for me to sew. Today I’m going to give you a tour.
I had 2 yards of this beautiful fabric and I ended up using it to make a couple throw pillows and pillowcases. It may not have been the best thing I could do with it, but I’m pleased with the outcome.
You might recognize this dress from last year.
This basket is just for extra fabric and bits and bobs.
This fabric shelf is pretty much just filled with children prints (I’m working on a child collection, but more on that later), because I keep my clothing fabric in a seperate container in my room.
Sneak peak on a vest I’m working on!
How’s your sewing room (if you have one)? Let me know in the comments! Happy Sewing!