Becky's Hobby Page

O, Christmas Tree!

2012-01-03T15:19:00.000-06:00

Pinterest is the BEST. SITE. EVER. There are enough ideas on that website, that given an unlimited amount of money or supplies, I would never run out of things to make!!! This is one of the first things I attempted. Greg cut it out for me and I painted it. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out!

Here comes Fall ... one can hope, right?

2011-08-24T16:10:00.000-05:00

So I do other craft projects other than crochet. I saw a picture of this wreath and just KNEW I had to recreate it!

Doily Crazy

2011-02-25T22:12:00.000-06:00

I've gone doily crazy as of late. I don't know why. I suppose I have burned myself out on scarves and baby hats! So, I pulled out old doily patterns and started to crochet. I'm not sure what I'll do with them now that I have them made.
I'm working on one now that I decided to get a little "creative" with as far as the colors go. The pattern called for just plain ecru thread. But, since the pattern had the look of a sunflower on leaves, I decided to go with brown, yellow and green. It's been a little bit of a challenge with all the color changes! If I ever get finished with it, I'll post pictures of that one.
Until then, here are some pics of some I've completed.

Ssssssnnnnnooooooooowwwwwwww!!!!!!!

2011-01-12T10:17:00.000-06:00

Every time it snows here in Mississippi, I say "another RARE snowfall for MS". But in 2 1/2 weeks, we've had 2 significant snowfalls. It's been FABULOUS!!!!!

The first was so very magical! We went to bed Christmas eve with a "chance" on snowfall and woke up Christmas morning to a winter wonderland White Christmas!!!

Two days after Christmas, we traveled to a youth conference in Pigeon Forge, TN. They too had significant snowfall. It was beautiful to see the snow in the mountains! It was my absolute DREAM!!!!

Again, Sunday night, we had a chance for a lot of accumulation. It began as sleet and quickly turned to snow. It snowed all night long! When we woke up Monday morning, we had 8,9,10 and even 11 inches in some places in our yard!!! It was the most snow I think I've ever seen!!!! It was wonderful! Three days later and the main portion of it still lays on the ground!

Well, after the first two encounters with all the snow, I thought I should have a hat. I'm not a hat person... but I found this pattern for a "silly elf hat" and I had a thought. Most of the time when we are predicted to have snow - it's a dusting. Usually we end up with much less than we were predicted to get. So, I said on facebook that if we got at least 5" of snow, I would wear my silly elf hat and post the picture to facebook! I began crocheting and crocheted while I watched it snow!!! We got well over the 5" I promised. So, I wore the hat and had my picture made in it!

I will say that this will be the ONLY picture made of me without my make-up on. But, it was early and I was going out to play in the snow ... who needs make-up for that!?!
I give you "Silly Elf Hat"! :)

DONE and with no time to spare!

2010-12-02T09:40:00.001-06:00

II finally finished the last of the Christmas stocking re-do's. But, with no time to spare! I did have the stockings finished before the tree went up. But, the picture wasn't done until 2 days after the tree. :") I realize that the picture has deep fold marks in it. I thought the glass would flatten those out. It did not.... But, I use that same frame and mat for several things over the year. When the decorations come down in January, I'll press those folds out. I just did not feel like pulling that frame apart and re-framing it.

The precious snowman garland is courtesy of my best friend who found that at a little gift shop in Jackson. It fit perfectly!!!

The M&M's!!!

2010-11-18T12:43:00.000-06:00

Someone sent me a picture of all the ladies in the costumes that I made. Well, I made the red, blue and green ones. Another lady made the yellow and orange ones. We were in a time crunch and neither of us could make all 5 by ourselves - in time.
Anyway, I did not ask permission to post this pic here, so I've blotted out their faces. I did leave Ms. Green's lips uncovered ... it just added to the costume! :)

Soooo turns out, maybe I can sew a little....

2010-10-29T09:38:00.000-05:00

I normally hem and mend things. I can make curtains ... hem and mend. But, last week I was asked if I could sew some halloween costumes. They were to dress as M&M's. It's a circle. I figured maybe I could handle it.

We took the pattern and got started. In the end, I had 3 M&M's ready to wear! I was proud of myself. I'm not fooling myself into thinking I could do anything elaborate ... but this is a start! :)

I had Jonathan pose in the costume. These will be worn to work today, but I won't get a chance to get down there to get a picture. They will wear black shirts and leggings or pants under the M's.

Green!!

2010-10-25T10:55:00.000-05:00

I don't recall ever making a baby blanket in green. I don't know why. I've made white, yellow, pink, blue & purple. But for whatever reason, I've never done green. I was planning a blanket for for a baby boy and they didn't have enough yarn at the store for blue. So, I thought, "why not green?". So, I picked up green yarn. The last time I made this particular pattern, I bought enough yarn to make 2. But, in my fogged brain, I just remembered the number of skeins I bought before and not how many blankets I was making with it! So, I had enough yarn to make 2 of this pattern. I made one for the little boy and decided to make the other one for a baby whose gender I didn't know yet. So, I thought green would be just fine. Turns out they are having a girl! I think the green blanket will be just as good for the girl as it was for the boy. That's the thing about greens and yellows ... they are truely gender neutral!
I'm really beginning to like this particular pattern. It works up really fast but it looks SO cute. It has become my second favorite pattern!
I just could NOT get the lighting to cooperate with me. This is really a mint-green. But, the color isn't showing up so good.

Aprons

2010-09-29T11:51:00.000-05:00

I've recieved an email several different times called "Aprons". It always makes me want one of those mystical garments. I just never have bought one ... where do you buy one anyway? So, I found a little kit at Wal-mart. The pattern is actually printed on the fabric. You just cut it out and sew it together! Now, I can't use the pattern again. But, if I wanted a second one, I can just go buy another kit. I mean, I'd have to buy the fabric anyway, right? So, I cut out and sewed this apron. I was really happy with how it turned out. I have a long line of seamstresses in my family. Some of them are pretty good at it and some of them are AMAZING at it! I either didn't inherit these skills, or probably more likely, I just haven't tried it enough to have honed these skills. Either way, I'm not a seamstress. I hem and repair. So, the fact that this garment actually LOOKS like an apron pleases me.

The email that insprired my apron making is below. If you remember your Grandmother wearing an apron ... you should read it! I am a little grossed out thinking about the "germ factor" ... but I still have fond memories! :)

Many of us have fond memories of the special ladies who wore aprons. Aprons were utilitarian for everyday use, but were an art form to some of those same ladies who made some really fancy aprons.

The History of 'APRONS'
I don't think our kids know what an apron is.
The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few and because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons required less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.
It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.
From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.
When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.
And when the weather was cold, Grandma wrapped it around her arms.
Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.
From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.
After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.
In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.
When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.
When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.
It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.
Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw. They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.
I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron - but love...

Two Down ... Two To Go!

2010-09-09T17:57:00.000-05:00

If you remember back last Christmas, I had a craft tragedy with the loss of my Christmas stockings! I then began to replace those lost stockings. I have finally found the time to work on them and have completed the boys stockings. I feel a little better now. I still have 3 months until Christmas, so I feel like I'll finish the other two in plenty of time.
These patterns are from a series called "Snow Folk" afghan. They were part of a set intended to cross stitch onto a blanket along with a little saying "Snow folk melt my heart". I'll cross stitch the little saying on a piece of fabric to frame and hang over the stockings. I'll be sure and get some snapshots of the next two stockings and the framed picture when those are completed.

Waiting on Winter 2

2010-07-28T10:56:00.000-05:00

The second of my "Waiting on Winter" scarf projects. I really like this one too. I may end up making each scarf pattern in several different colors. With temps in the upper 90's to lower 100's .... I think I have a loooooooooong wait until winter. :(

I'm SO ready for winter!

2010-07-26T11:38:00.001-05:00

Winter is my favorite season. I don't have enough time to list all the reasons why ... there are just TOO many to count! But, one reason is scarves ... I just love them. I love wearing them and making them. I've really been longing for the 35* cold winter nights lately. I just can't handle this 100* temp with a heat index of 115* and up!!! I just can't take it!
So, I've decided to prepare for winter by crocheting random scarf patterns. I collect patterns like some people collect Willow Tree Angles or other knick-knacks. So, I had plenty to choose from!
This is the first of the ones I decided to try out. I really like it. I think it'll be GREAT when the weather finally turns cooler!

Another New Baby Blanket

2010-05-28T10:25:00.001-05:00

I have one pattern, as I'm sure you can see by previous posts, that I just LOVE. But, I'm always wanting to try new patterns. I bought a booklet a few months back and this is the first one I've tried from that booklet. In fact, it was the picture of this particular blanket that made me want to buy the booklet!

I think it turned out really lacy and sweet. It only took me 6 nights to finish it. It worked up really fast! I think I'll probably make it again sometime. Especially in a crunch when an unexpected baby shower comes up!

Shaking Things Up

2010-05-27T09:02:00.002-05:00

I've always wanted to make my "old faithful" baby blanket and slip a cute or whimsical ribbon through it. I always chicken-out and do the standard satin ribbon because it just looks more elegant. Well, I was making this blanket for a 2nd baby. The parents are also really fun people. I just figured they had all the simple, elegant blankets they needed. So, I just decided that I'd go ahead and try my cute, whimsical ribbon like I've always wanted.

This is for a little boy. It's a red ribbon with white stitching. I think it turned out really cute!
This is also the first time that I didn't get a blanket finished before the baby arrived. :( He came about a week and a half early. So, when I realized that I couldn't finish it before his birth, I got a little lazy. Ok ... A LOT lazy. But, I figure it's really hot right now. He doesn't need a blanket. And, it's a really big blanket. To be a baby blanket, it's huge. It would almost cover a small adult! He'll still be small (7-9 months depending on when the weather finally changes around here) when it cools off. They'll use it more, closer to the end of the year. So, I'll gift it to them the next time I see them.

Old Stand-by in White & a new baby dress

2010-02-01T13:48:00.001-06:00

This is the blanket that I've talked about making DOZENS of times. I mean that literally!

I made this one for my sister and her baby ... "LadyBug". We're all calling her that until she's here. Her name will be a secret until then!

I've made several of these white with white ribbon for this sister to give as gifts to family and friends. She's always requested this particualar color. So, when it came time to make one for her - I knew without a doubt what she would want!

Her shower was this weekend so I can post pictures now.
The lighting was terrible! But, I didn't think to take pictures until the night before - and I knew I wouldn't have time to take pictures the next day, get it wrapped and get on the road to the shower. So, I just did my best.

I also made her this little crocheted dress, bonnet and booties. It's technically a Christening gown. But, I thought it would also be beautiful to make precious pictures or a coming home from the hospital dress or just a pretty church dress. However she wants to use it ...

It was a simple pattern - but it worked up so pretty. The pattern called for using silk rose buds hot glued to the points. But, I made these little flowers and sewed them on instead. I think it's prettier that way!

I think it needs a little slip under it - because of the openwork. Maybe we can find one ... perhaps she'll just wear a onsie under it if we can't!

The Good, the bad and the ugly of it all

2009-12-06T21:53:00.000-06:00

As a crafter, I've had a devistating loss. Now, let me say that in the real-world scheme of things - this is nothing. But, in my little world of crafting - it's a loss.

12 years ago - I took a cotton duck stocking and cross-stitched a cute little scene on it for our oldest son - he was 2. The next year (11 years ago) I did the same thing for our youngest son who was 3 months old. I also made one for my hubby and myself at that time. All just the plain cotton duck stockings I picked up for $5 at Wal-mart that I cross-stitched Christmas scenes or pictures on with our names. They were great as far as I was concerned. Something I pictured hanging in our home when our grandchildren visited! Here those are:

Well, Christmas time is here again ... so we pulled down the decorations and began to "deck the halls". When I got to the box that contained my stockings and dish cloths and bathroom towels - I was shocked to find there was a strange mold/mildew growing all over the fabric! I tossed the towels and such. They were just some decorations. But, the stockings I put in the wash (they are washable) and washed them on delicate. Apparently the mold/mildew had eaten the fabric!!! They were RUINED! I was just SICK about it. Just to the point of tears for a couple of days.

I pulled myself together and decided that they were gone and there was nothing I could do to fix them. So, I set about finding these cotton duck stockings to begin again. NO ONE sells them. Not wal-mart where I first got them, not any online retailers, not the crafters on etsy. I could not find them. So, I bought some cotton duck fabric and traced the outline of the stockings and begain to sew my new ones.

Now, I'm not a seamstress by any means. I can hem - and sew curtains - but that's about it. So, this was new territory for me.

I was scared that I would ruin this fabric. But, I was really pleasently surprised at the outcome. This is the first one sewn. I've got 3 to go. They'll all be blank this Christmas - because I just don't have time to get them all cross-stitched this year. But, when the decorations go down - I'll begin these for next Christmas!

My first attempt at sewing stockings:

Tidings of Joy

2009-10-13T11:27:00.000-05:00

Another pattern from Bella Crochet that I fell in LOVE with.
I just love holiday stuff. If I had the time and the funds and the space, I would decorate for every single holiday! I love them all.
I really love the way these wreaths turn out. They work up so beautifully!

The Old Stand By

2009-10-02T10:44:00.002-05:00

This is the baby blanket that I've worked up dozens of times. And when I say dozens, I mean that literally! I tend to get bored with a pattern if I make it too many times. I've tried different ones to "shake it up a little" But, this one always works up so beautifully. So, I keep coming back to this pattern time and time again. I've done just about any color combination you can imagine ... almost. I've done white with white ribbon, blue with blue, pink with pink, yellow with yellow, purple with purple, white with pink ribbon, white with blue ribbon, white with yellow ribbon and white with chocolate brown ribbon. I'm thinking I should try some whimsical colors next time. Maybe a bright orange with polka-dot ribbon. Or a white one with a funky ribbon. :)

I just couldn't get the lighting to cooperate with me. But, maybe you can get the idea!

Harvest Moon Wreath

2009-08-31T10:20:00.000-05:00

I fell in love with this pattern from BellaCrochet about a month ago. After going back and forth on it I finally decided to purchase the pattern and try it out! It worked up really quickly and easily.
The "hard" part was blocking and gluing. I just love it!

Harvest Crinoline Lady

2009-08-26T12:02:00.000-05:00

I have recently fallen in love with Crinoline Ladies. They are so elegant and hold such a connection to "days gone by". The name Crinoline Ladies comes from the petticoats worn by ladies to hold their dresses in shape. Wikipedia says: "Crinoline was originally a stiff fabric with a weft of horse-hair and a warp of cotton or linen thread. The fabric first appeared around 1830, but by 1850 the word had come to mean a stiffened petticoat or rigid skirt-shaped structure of steel designed to support the skirts of a woman’s dress into the required shape. In form and function it is very similar to the earlier farthingale." I'm pretty certain I wouldn't want to wear those things, but they make for beautiful intricate doily's.
These are suitable for framing or displaying on a table or dresser. This one is "Harvest". And I'm certain as soon as she's blocked and stiffened, I'll be adding her to my etsy shop for sale!
These beautiful ladies work up really quickly. I can make one in a day if I don't have any major interruptions.

Another new pattern

2009-07-13T07:36:00.000-05:00

I'm still trying to find a new pattern for a baby blanket that I like as well as the first one that I've made dozens of. This one turned out really pretty, but, I still like the first one better. I might have to just go back to that old standby. I've got one more pattern I'm going to try. It won't be for anybody in particular. I'm setting up an online store at etsy.com to try and sell some of these projects that consume so much of my time and money. I figure if I'm going to spend money on the supplies to keep my hands busy, I should try to sell them. You'd be amazed at how much some of the blankets are going for on that site! So, I thought I'd give it a try...

This one is a gift for a baby due in September.

Key Fobs

2009-06-23T09:38:00.000-05:00

These are "key fobs". I don't know why they are called that - but they are. I call them key chains.

Whatever they are ... these are some I made with some hardware and ribbon.

I sewed these by hand.

I think maybe I'll try the sewing machine next time.

Baby Dress Take 2

2009-05-28T15:04:00.000-05:00

So, I tried the baby dress pattern a second time.

It turned out way better in a different color and I used different flower details.

This one turned out really cute, I think.
The flowers are crocheted with thread.

The dress is knitted with a soft, sweet yarn.

A New Blanket

2009-05-28T14:49:00.000-05:00

I have been making baby blankets to give as gifts for a couple of years now. In fact, the little girl that I made the very first blanket for, will be 3 in October. I've been making this one pattern every time. It's a really pretty blanket with a lacy edge and a ribbon around the boarder. I've used every color yarn and every color ribbon to make it. I've made DOZENS (no exaggeration) of this same blanket in all kinds of color combinations. I've just grown tired of it. It's not as special to me anymore. So, when it came time to make another blanket, I decided to try a different pattern. This has a really lacy edge to it. I absolutely loved it. I made this one in pink. I started this blanket the first full week in May. After I finished the body of it and realized that I had missed something somewhere along the way... I had to frog the entire thing and start all over! And so, I finished the 2nd attempt the 3rd week in May. With just 2 days to spare until the baby shower I was taking it to! But, I think it turned out really pretty.

Baby Dress

2009-03-13T12:52:00.000-05:00

This was my first attempt at this pattern. It turned out, basically, like I thought it would. I think next time, I'll choose a different color for the dress. I'll also probably change the button on the side to a big flower button. This was just what I had on hand.

This particular dress, I'll probably keep as a sample... but I definately plan on making another for a gift very soon.

This one was made as a size 0-3 months.

I began this project the first week in March 2009 and finished it the 2nd week of March 2009. It was a very simple pattern. I could have finished it sooner if I could have worked on it as much as I wanted to.

Spring flowers and snow?

2009-03-03T16:46:00.000-06:00

I've been out with my camera some. I love winter time... but I love the flowers in the new spring. I got some shots of the new srping flowers and then a few days later of the snow on those new spring flowers.
Here's what happens when winter and spring collide!

Angel of the Southwest

2008-10-08T11:08:00.000-05:00

I made this project for my husband before we were married. He was really "in to" southwest decor at the time. It turned out really pretty. There are gold metallic threads used in the halo and wings to give it a "heavenly glow".

I don't remember what year I made this project. I do remember that it took me quite a while to complete. I was still pretty new to larger cross stitch projects at the time. I usually made small ones.

This pattern is available in a book titled "Cross Stitch Angels". It is available from American School of Needlework. (Kooler Design Studio)

This photo is not very clear. It is an older project and it has been framed for a long time. I could not take the photo in full light or use a flash because the lights reflected in the glass.

Ruth 1:16

2008-10-08T11:01:00.000-05:00

This is one of the only projects I have made for myself. I absolutely love the colors of the sunset in the background of the picture.

This was not a complicated piece, at all. I do not remember the year I made it or how long it took to complete.

The pattern is in a boolet called "Ruth 1:16". It is available from Leisure Arts.

The photo is not very clear. This is an older project and it has been framed for quite a while. I could not take the photo in full light or use a flash because the lights reflects in the glass.

Isaiah 40:31

2008-10-08T10:55:00.000-05:00

This was a project I made for my husband. It was very simple to make. It didn't take much time to finish. I can not remember the year I made this.

This is called Isaiah 40:31. The booklet is available from Leisure Arts.

The photo is not very clear. This is an older project and has been framed for a long time. I could not take the photo in full light or use a flash because the lights reflect in the glass.

Grandma's Quilt

2008-10-08T10:38:00.000-05:00

I made this cross stitch for my Grandmother. She was a wonderful quilter. I gave this to her as a Christmas gift one year. (I don't remember the year). When she passed away, it came back to me.

This is called "Grandma's Quilt". The booklet is available from Leisure Arts. It took me very little time to complete this project.

This photo is not very clear. This is an older project that has been framed for a while. I couldn't take the photo in full light or use a flash because the lights reflect in the glass.

Photography

2008-10-07T11:12:00.000-05:00

I dabble in photography. I have a mid-range quality camera - if you consider the professional cameras available. I shoot with a "Canon Powershot A650 IS". It's a 12.1 mega pixel camera. It's really one of the best point and shoot cameras out there. You can put it on custom mode and change the settings to your specifications as well.

Since I bought my camera in March of this year, I've really gotten in to Macro flowers. Macro meaning the focus setting on the camera - for those of you who don't deal with photography. It's very focused and up-close.

There are a few photos that I'm pretty proud of. So, I decided to include them here. I might even have a few of these printed in a larger size and frame them as art for my home. :)

All American

2008-10-06T09:27:00.000-05:00

I made two of these afghans. They were both made in 2006. The first (pictured) I made for my husband, Greg. I made it as a late Father's Day gift. The second one I made for my Dad for Christmas. Both Greg and my Dad served in the U.S. Army and are both very patriotic. So, I thought this was the perfect gift for each of them!

This pattern is from the book "Our Best Afghans A to Z" from Leisure Arts. It took me about 2 months to complete each one.

From This Day Forward

2008-10-03T09:26:00.000-05:00

I've completed this project twice. The first I began in January of 1997. The second I began in January of 2003. They were both wedding gifts. The first for a dear friend of mine - who actually introduced me to my husband. The second for my best friend. We've been friends literally our entire lives. So, I wanted something really special to commemorate her special day.

This is a counted cross stitch, Paula Vaughn pattern, from the Leisure Arts book: "The Best of Paula Vaughn". I'm sure it's available as a stand alone pattern: "From This Day Forward". It was worked on 22ct off white fabric - over two fabric threads.

It took me quite a while to complete these projects. Really more time that I gave myself. I actually gave each gift somewhere around their first anniversaries. So, I'd say about a year and a half to complete each project. With two kids and a busy schedule ... I did not get the chance to work on these every single day.

This is a picture of the second project. However, they were basically identical.