Baskets

Another couple checks off the list.  Coil wrapped Easter baskets for two special little girls.  I tried so hard to make them exactly the same size but........... I did use the same yardage of clothesline in each basket but the shapes are a little different.  Well now they nest for easy storage.  That wouldn't have happened if I tried to do that! I sewed the smaller basket mostly at one sitting at the sewing machine.  The other one had lots of interruptions which is maybe why it is a little more flared and consequently a little broader.  They are done and now to fill them.  I bought a few yards of nylon netting in green and some tulle to use for grass so I won't be pickeing up cellophane grass for weeks to come.

Happy Easter.  --Ann--

 

Easily distracted

you know how it happens..............you are looking in the stash for the perfect piece of fabric to finish the border of a quilt and you find another piece of fabric for a different project and everything for that project is right there so you do that instead..............I cut my strips to make a coil wrapped basket.  I’m using linen from a dress and a skirt length that was given to me by a friend of my mother’s in Ireland. I’ve had the fabric for over 30 years and I’m never going to make it into a skirt.  When was the last time I wore a skirt?   I even re read parts of my book about making coil wrapped baskets.  It was full steam ahead on my bag/basket then I stood it upright what a mess!!! The shape was lopsided and distorted so I made lunch, knit a few rounds, read for awhile, soaked up some vitamin D on the deck and came back to it.  Distractions always clear my mind. I decided it was so awful that I ripped it apart my upper arm got a good workout and it didn’t take long until I got to the base because I straight stitched across for extra support just like the instruction said to do.  The curved surgical blade seam ripper works wonders. Then I started over from the beginning. Do you have any idea how fast it sews together when over 100 yards of clothes line are wrapped?!??

 Really, really fast!  I was done in no time at all then to add the handles and a little embellishment.  I filled my new bag with projects for the weekend and was a very happy camper while the guys fished.  Now to clean up the mess of threads on the floor.  --Ann--

New little go bag

 I needed a new little go bag for knitting. It has a pocket on the inside and two pockets on the outside. I love the coil wrapped baskets for when I am knitting at home but for the car it is nice to zip it shut so when I am hurrying my balls of yarn don't roll out the door and down the road. I used a batik and a light weight denim. I made a pink bag just like it and gave it to daughter for her knitting but didn't get a picture. My oldest niece was here over the weekend and wanted to learn to knit socks.  She made a pair of short little socks that she put on her shih tzu when she got home. Poor dog step, shake, step, shake, shake. She learned the basics and got a good start on the toe with a sport weight yarn. These are my demo socks for teaching her, I love the way it is striping and wonder how far I will knit before the stripes repeat.--Ann--

just another basket

Just another little basket from a day in the sewing room. I'm almost ready to bind off the socks. Grey winter days are good for sewing and snow is such a wonderful background for photography.--Ann--  basket listed on etsy.

on and off the needles

 I just finished the merino and bamboo socks......soft and warm. I have been working on lots of projects sometimes I just need to so some power sewing, so I made a coil wrapped basket for my sock yarn. I made the base 11" x 14" it was floppy and awkward to sew, I used well over 100 feet of clothesline and barely put a dent in my basket of strips. Now my sock yarn is all in one place instead of a stack of cardboard boxes. Looks like I don't need to buy sock yarn for at least a year. I can pick a sock project for the next snow storm.

And we've  got snow.............

Socks are such a nice take along project for sitting at the dentist for a new crown on a cracked tooth. I am half way through the gusset, I like the way the color is clumping together because of the pattern, the short color changes are a bit monotonous.  I have made progress on the sweater but she has been having a bad sleeve day and is not very photogenic. I am making long sleeves without a pattern. I thought making it longer would be easy well it is until I start tapering.......and then the real challenge is so make the sleeves match since my arms match..........I'll be "ttinking" this afternoon on the sleeve again. --Ann-- check out all the knitting at Judy's

Basket Case

I cut strips for one basket or so I thought, I have made three and some oval stacking baskets for a shower gift. It seams those strips of fabric reproduce faster than rabbits. The basket is listed at my etsy shop.  Ann

On the Needles

I didn't think I would make enough progress on these socks to post anything today but I finished the first heel turn!!!!! and it was easy!!!!! Need to do some work in the garden while it is still cool this morning then my reward will be to do the other heel this afternoon when it gets hot out. But first a quick peek at what everyone is knitting at Patchwork Times.  ~~Ann~~

Binding Coil Basket

Making these coil baskets has become habit forming. I have tried several ways to sew the binding on because tapering the wrapped clotheslines isn't all that finished looking. I have tried sewing on the outside of the bag using the open arm feature of my sewing machine. I turned one bag inside out for the final stitching was not easy to turn then I had to turn it back and one I sewed by hand.

This way is the easiest and looks finished.
Cut the bias tape exactly the same as the circumference of the basket. I clip it to the outside of the basket all the way around then cut,  sew the ends together diagonal seam with a 1/4 inch seam  and press open. That gives just the right amount of stretch to go around the outside of the basket. Hold in place with clips, necessary if there is a dip in the center front and center back of the basket.

 stitch around with a straight stitch and 1/4 inch seam

my bias is left over from quilts and is either 2 1/2 inches wide or 2 1/4 inches wide

 turn bias in, clip and stitch around again

Nice smooth binding.

Add handles.
I hand stitched the handles between the coils with a matching hand quilting thread. 
Too hard to go through the coil and too thick to stitch by machine.

What shall I put in this basket?  ~~Ann~~

just beyond my backyard

Another coil bag, this one is for my sketching supplies. Maybe I should just call it a grab and go bag, the bag in one hand and coffee cup in the other.

Our skies in South Dakota can be very dramatic. I love the prairie because you can see so far.  I love to stretch my eyes and wonder how many miles I can see. When the weather forecasters are tracking  storms, and we in South Dakota are always checking the weather, I realize how far away the lightening strikes are.  Lightening flashes can be seen 60 to over 100 miles away.  ~~Ann~~

Scrap bags

listed on etsy

While my computer was out I sewed more coil bags and sewed more and wrote a  few blog posts in my head.  My woodcarving tools are all in one basket now  much cuter than the shoe box they were in and easier to grab to take outside with my cup of coffee. I still haven't used all the 1/2 inch strips of fabric I cut for the first bag but then I find a little more of something that fits the color palate and I cut away. I've gone through almost 500 feet of cotton clothesline, 2 short 1200 yard spools of thread and a couple partial spools of machine quilting thread and only 1 needle broke. The only thing more fun than buying new fabric is using it up completely!

Scrap Happy,   Ann

Have you tried these

 Have you tried these clips from Clover?  They are perfect for clothesline coil baskets!  I can clip the new strip of fabric to the cord to get started wrapping and fold and clip the rest of the strip into a manageable length then clip the end.  They are my new best friend in my sewing room.

Using up scraps,  Ann