Little Somethings

   I've never been one to follow the line of thought of the bigger the better.  Bigger is just that, bigger.  I think, if bigger were better, the shoe on display would be the largest in stock instead of the smallest!  "OOOOOOOOOOOOOh!  May I try on THAT shoe in a size....?"  The clerk returns from the stockroom with a box containing two freakin' pontoons!   "NO!  NO!  I want THIS shoe!"  The clerk lowers his eyelids and replies, "THIS is THAT shoe 'cept it's in YOUR size!"  Some things are so much better smaller.

     I am fond of small things.  I think I've always been fascinated with miniatures...so much detail packed in such itty bity sizes.

     Lately, it's been small hats, bags, and shoes.

What began as a double lining for the crocheted tote ended up being a perfect sized tote, once I added coordinating handles, for one of my granddaughters.

Double lining #2 for crocheted tote.

Outside of completed crocheted tote.

     I also tried my hand at beaded crocheted rope (?).  The thought was to use them as handles for the crocheted tote above but decided to hold onto them and make the handles for the tote a different way.

The Sofa, Complete...for now.

For now, this is the completed sofa.  I may redo the cushion, making it to fit better...a bit wider, or option for some other space filler...shove pillows or, I may just remove the cushion altogether and paint the support board.  There are many options but for now, nothing else will be done to it.  I love it not only for how it turned out but also (and most of all) for what I learned while making it (mostly duh moments made clearer).

To view this project from the beginning, start here

Millefiori Cane - Working With Polymer Clay

     Time flies when working with polymer clay like no other craft I've tried.  It's so involving that the coffee can finish making and the pot go off again (2 hour timer) without ever having poured the first cup from it (look up to see if it's done....uh, yeah...it's done and then some).  So, I drink cold coffee the rest of the night (cold because the reheated cups sit there while I continue to mess with the clay as the chill retakes them).

   Polymer Clay Central is a great source of tutorials.  I utilized the rose tutorial shared by Leigh Ross as well as two different leaf tutorials( 1, and 2 ) for my first attempt at a polymer clay rose cane.

I would like to make a face cane similar to Alice Stroppel's at Polymer Clay Etc.  I've messed with a couple of things for the face and...well...they didn't go as well as the rose cane.  It's going to require more time alone to focus.  I wound up with lips that looked more like the internal organs of a cow.  I knew how I wanted the cane to look...the lips cane that is...and trying to figure how to get them to turn out right, without a book or tutorial, is taking a bit of time.  The same goes for the iris of the eye. 

Maybe, I'll finish that sofa so it doesn't enter my head while I'm working on something else!

The Kid-Size Sofa Still Continues...

  I think this may go into a second season with as many episodes it is taking on. 

This soooooooofaaaaaaaaa started out being made of stuff that was either left over or extras from some other project and refraining from additional purchases.  I did, however,  buy 3 more packages of buttons (5 per pack) to go with the 2 I already had.  The sofa saga, as it's turning out to be, is my adventures (or misadventures) in furniture making (not a professional undertaking in any way).  I am learning a lot of what-not-to-dos which is very helpful in narrowing down the what-to-dos.  So, if you see something done incorrectly feel free to point it out.  It won't hurt my feelings a bit.

Okay.  So, the sofa is brought back out to work on.  It got put aside for several other menial and not so menial projects.  I needed a break to think of what I wanted to do about the shortage of fabric situation.  It didn't start out to be a shortage.  My lack of knowledge in upholstering created wasteful use of it.  I didn't throw it away.  I wound up with a lot of bits and pieces.  It is still not complete.  Solving one problem created another...repeatedly. Lack of fabric lead to me decreasing the padding and piecing scraps together to have enough to cover the arms only thing is, I'd already made the cushion with the original amount of padding measurement; adding piping as an accent to disguise the piecework lead to the desire to trim out the front to coordinate with the piping on the arms but don't have enough piping to do that and the nearest store is 30 plus miles away. Well, the trim just won't match because I really don't want to go to the fabric store.  The fact that it won't match will eat me up but I will get over it.

Here's more in progress pictures:

 See the dimples at the top of the arm?  Both sides have them.  It's where the padding was attached.  It wouldn't have been visible had I added the layer of batting (that was the part of the padding removed due to lack of fabric...it was thick batting).

 The piping on the top of the arms was used where I'd pieced fabric together.  I think it would've been too much to add it at the long seams as well.

 I covered foam core board with some thiiiiiiiiin batting and fabric.  I thought I was going to have to do piece work on these as well.  I used Tacky Glue in the middle and hot glue around the edges to secure the pieces in place on the front of the sofa.  The above panels were placed at the fronts of the arms.  I made two panels for the lower front (they had to be pieced due to the length of the foam core board as well as the sizes of the fabric pieces that were left.).

 It got 2 coats of black paint in the areas that may be exposed due to gaps at the seams of the panels.

 The lower front panels in place.  I thought I took pictures with the arm front panels in place....Oh, well...next episode...

 A super basic box cushion.  The red?  Well, it was part of the fabric shortage solution.  It was left over from another project (or one that didn't get started...it was in the remnants box so it was fair game).  I covered the buttons for the tufting (that are yet to be added) with it so it'd coordinate.

 It has the UGLIEST green zipper (28" enormous plastic one that I've had for at least 15 years!) in the back but it's okaaaaaaay. (that's me telling me that it's okay)

It being my first box cushion, I am happy with the way it turned out. (Yes, it would've looked awesome with some of that red piping that I had a shortage of around it!)

My project continues...

Out of Love Comes Creativity (or is it the other way around?)

    It was decided by the parents quite some time ago that my youngest grandson's 1st birthday theme would be The Cat In The Hat.  Ooooooookay.  I thought typical (and more than adequate) store-bought decorations were going to be the direction taken.  My daughter had other, bigger things in mind.

    She set out to make it extra special.  I think she has gone above and beyond!

 

  

National Pie Day

 January 23rd has been designated as National Pie Day! I am all over that!

My favorite, quick to make pie.(It can be made from scratch scratch for those hardcore scratch bakers.  Just substitute jarred lemon curd for your favorite curd recipe, approximately 3 cups COLD whipping cream, whipped  with 2-4 tablespoons sifted powdered sugar until medium stiff (don't want them too sloppy nor too stiff but I tend to lean toward the stiffer side of medium than the softer side...but both ends of medium will work), and your favorite pie crust recipe.)

My Favorite Pie

1- 10 ounce jar lemon curd; divided

1- 8 ounce pkg. cream cheese; softened

1- 16 ounce container Cool Whip; divided

½ cup powdered sugar

1- deep dish pie shell; baked and cooled

In mixer bowl, add softened cream cheese and beat several minutes, until creamy.  Add powdered sugar and beat until well blended.  Add ½ of lemon curd and beat until well blended.  Scrape down sides of bowl and beat a bit more until all is thoroughly mixed.  Fold in ½ of the Cool Whip and set mixture aside.

To assemble: Spread remaining lemon curd evenly on bottom of baked pie shell.  Add the cream cheese mixture on top, and spread smooth.  Top with remaining Cool Whip.  Chill until ready to serve.

Notes:  If you like a tangier pie, add lemon zest to cream cheese mixture.

          If you’d prefer, use a smaller pie shell when assembling.  When done, mix the leftover components well and store in freezer (don’t forget to date and label-this is too good to let go to waste).  Thaw, re-stir and enjoy.

          (I make 2…one to serve and one to freeze.  Since I want lemon more than others in the house, I pre-slice the second one so I can remove a slice when I want, the rest remains frozen.  Round pie sized storage containers are perfect for this!)

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

Continuation of the kid-size couch/sofa

     I first thought to edit the previous post and add the next set of photos but, didn't think those following would get an update.  So, I opted to continue with a new posting.  For those dropping by for the first time,  you'll find the beginning of this project here.

     Although I didn't take pictures of it (I was pretty annoyed with myself for such a bubble-headed mistake (I will elaborate later in the post)), I wound up remaking the seating frame which is simply a rectangle with a center support (If I were making a larger sofa, I would definitely add more but, for this small of a piece, surely one would suffice).  The first one (the 'mistake') was 11" deep and was not deep enough considering the thickness of the back cushion.  I remade it to approximately 18" deep.  Deeper than originally planned - 14" but a great deal better than the 11" originally wound up with (okay!  When deciding how deep the make the couch, I extended the measuring tape to 11" and used the length of the measuring tape case, 3", to make up the difference making it 14".  Well, when I went to mark the wood, I forgot that I used the case length in my visual and placed the tape against the wood and begin marking it where it was set, at 11".  Goof made.  Goof identified.  Goof corrected.).

See!  I even experimented with pocket screws!  I think I got the general idea of them.

As soon as I acquire some more wood (I've been rummaging through hubby's stash to spot any pieces so I'll know exactly which ones to ask him for), I'll add more front to back braces for support as well as structure for the arm padding.

I'm not sure if I'll use them but, I cut some cedar planks (cut and spliced the center) that were leftovers from a park bench restoration (hubby's honey-do project).  I like the way they look and almost feel bad about them being covered up by upholstery.  It's either the cedar or having to use ten thousand (alright...maybe not that many but, a lot) pieces of scrap...  I just don't know.  The cedar is in place but I've not yet attached it.

My project continues.

Dabbling In Furniture Making

     I have absolutely no experience in furniture making.  However, I am in the middle of making a kid-size sofa.  Some of the templates (made from an old cardboard box) have been drawn and cut out.  I figured, if it turns out, I'd be able to duplicate it without too much trouble.  I know how I want it to look but am having difficulty getting my ideas to work.  I know the framework won't be seen but I'd like it to be secure AND tidy. 

     The foam was ordered from Joann.com using a 50% off coupon a couple of months ago.  Due to all the to do of the holidays, I didn't open the box until today.  I now know how they got all that foam into such an itty bitty box...it was rolled and vacuum packed.  It's opened and unrolled.  I sure hope it regains its' shape.  Otherwise, the sofa may just wind up being an unpadded bench.

     Since this is an experimental piece, I am using scrap wood left over from other projects.  The back and from pieces were cut from a half sheet of 3/4" plywood (it has splotches of various paints and stains from where it was used as a surface to place other items on while painting them).

The back panel template.  On the left, I've marked it for tufting (if I'm going to be experimenting, might as well experiment with a variety of techniques, right?).

The front panel template (laying on the cut out pieces of plywood).  You can see the holes have been drilled in the back piece, for tufting and the front piece has also but cut.

Because of the thickness of the foam and batting, a longer needle was necessary.  Being that the nearest store with the possibility of an upholstery/tufting needle (I don't know its' actual name) in stock is almost 30 miles away, I used what I had on hand - stiff stainless steel wire and masking tape. A workable length was cut, the end looped, and taped to itself to prevent snagging.

The underside.  Thick bamboo skewers (again, using what I had on hand) were cut into approximately 3" lengths and used to secure the knotted tufting threads

 

The layers used were, the 3/4" plywood,



 

4" thick medium density foam,

high loft fiberfil sheeting,

2 layers of high loft quilt batting (I thought I was buying more of the fiberfil sheeting but, as it turned out, there is a difference...the fiberfil sheeting is loftier, more like what one would use in a comforter and the quilt batting is denser or more tightly compacted.  Here, I thought high loft was high loft.  I'll be sure to check closer should I purchase it again)

Red piping, cut into approximately 3" pieces, folded over, to use for the tufting.  I had originally planned on using just fabric covered buttons but, after looking at them then, assessing the task for which they were to be used, I decided the buttons didn't look like they could handle the strain of tufting and will add them later as adornment only.

I love the look!

After all the pulling was done, I acknowledged what I could've/should've done differently (that is a big factor of this experimental project afterall) as well as realized how much work goes into tufting and have a new found admiration and appreciation for those that do it all the time.

My project continues.

Resolutions For The New Year

     I've not made any resolutions.  Well, none that I shared with anyone else.  I've made goals for myself but, that I do throughout the year.  So, I don't count them.  I have decided not to tell anyone the plans or goals I have for myself.  Instead, I will simply take steps toward them.  Talk less, do more.  Catch up when I get sidetracked (aaaaaaaand I know I will).

All the best to you all!

Happy New Year!

     I wish everyone a productive, rewarding, and a deep-down-in-the-soul-fulfilling 2012 with obstacles not so big they can't be overcome but big enough to leave you with a feeling of accomplishment after they've been surmounted (afterall, ya gotta have some strugglin', right?).  Now, get to work on achieving those goals!