coaster swap!

ummm WOW it took me a long time to get this up here. sorry! i got these amazing coasters as well as some great quarters and some chocolate from my swap buddy! they are completely hand sewn... can you believe that? thank you soo soo much!

in other news there has been no crafting around here. so so sad. i'm DYING to do something with my hands. i picked up my knitting last night and did a row on my flair (while rocking) even though i'm pretty sure i have to frog it. i've gotten farther than is pictured in that post, but i got all messed up and then put it down for 2 months. i thought i figured out the problem but i really don't know if i can salvage it...

anyway, we're going out of town this weekend and my monday test is easy next week so i've been hunting for a craft to bring... i might actually have something to share with you!

more coasters

remember when i signed up for the kindred crafters coaster swap?? well i got my coasters done and sent off to my partner in Australia! she received them last week so i can show you now!

i was pretty happy with how these turned out. i did them a little different than the other coasters but basically the same idea. one thing i need to figure out with my sewing is how to get things to turn out all the same size - soo hard. i'm probably just too impatient when i'm sewing... didn't help that we were in the midst of remodeling and it was my first week of school...

i'm in LOVE with this flower pattern - remember the pillowcase bag?? these were made out of the matching sheet. maybe with what's leftover i should make myself a sun dress???

**i got my coasters too! haven't taken photos, but i will post soon as i can!**

flea market finds

a few months ago i discovered a great flea market, but hadn't had a chance to go back. when my mom was here a few weeks ago we took some time out of working on the house to browse. we weren't sorry.

for the past few months i have been desperately wanting a rocking chair. i think because i know i'll want an antique rocker when we have a baby, but also because i LOVE the idea of knitting or reading while rocking. it is incredibly soothing. i had spotted this the first time i visited this particular flea market - i fell in love and kept talking about it, but i just couldn't swing it.
good ol' mom - she was just like 'get it. you love it so i'll just get it for you.' holy crap! i was happy. i'm in love with it. i know this color is puke green to many and velvet probably makes you cringe, but i just can't get enough of it. and it is in amazing condition.

i am a dark wood person. light wood has its place and people can make it look amazing, but for me - i just love the dark stuff so this fits perfectly with our other furniture and antiques. it has great details. i love the rivets and knobby posts!

i also found this great antique ironing board. i was looking for a table to sew at and i thought this could be great because it is narrow and long so you have lots of room for support of a quilt or something. BUT i didn't look at how the legs are situated. see those metal rods? they get way in the way of where your leg needs to be to press the foot of the sewing machine. i'm hoping to figure out a way to make it work, but i'll keep it either way. i think its charming for a craft room, no?

here is another view. as an aside - i'm not way in love with how the color on the craft room walls turned out. i'm hoping i can like it after things get in place and stuff is on the walls.

bag wrangler

crafting has been about as far off my radar as you can go, but not for lack of desire. my time has been sucked so dry at times it is hard to breathe. BUT its friday and the deep breaths always come easy on friday. i made this a few weeks ago, but never had a minute to share...  

this is how badly i needed a solution for our plastic bags. i know, its bad, right?? 

solutions have been all over the blogosphere and craft fairs forever, but i just recently gave in to the beast that is our plastic bags stash. we don't even use plastic - we have reusable grocery bags, but somehow they get in. 

most recently i saw a version here and then the most recent issue of Living had a quick and dirty version made out of a dish towel. 

i went for the dish towel version - i heart the dollar store for things like this. i took a part an old pair of pjs for the elastic so the total cost was $1 and i haven't had to find anywhere in our new house to hide our unsightly bags!