A neat basket weaving idea . . .

I was shown this link today ...

http://www.designsponge.com/2012/01/sewing-101-recycled-paper-basket.html#more-127114

(picture is from the tutorial, not mine.)

It's weaving with paper strips ... combining a little sewing with paper with recycling ..... looks like a really neat idea... makes me want to make a waste paper basket out of newspapers! :)  If I do, I'll be sure to show you! :)

Things I've made . . .

Here are just a few pics of what I've made recently ....

Gifts for our cat, Peaches

The balls are plastic practice golf balls, which I cut a slit in, then inserted a jingle bell, and then crocheted around it with a bit of scrap yarn,  the knot is a 3"x 11" piece of fabric, folded in half, sewn and stuffed and then knotted.  I thought about buying catnip and inserting it, but our cat doesn't seem overly thrilled with catnip, so I didn't bother.
At right is the stocking I made for her.

The above is the basket I made for my mom.  It's basket #5 for me. :)  I think she liked it.

 These are hats that I made for a Secret Santa program in a nearby town.  Hopefully they will help keep three people (kids and adult) warm.

Below are photos of items I made for a online group's secret santa exchange.  I don't think she's opened the package yet, so I'm still hoping she will like them.

Sunsets, Peaches, Basket Making, and Pancakes!

Hi :) I have a few things to share today.

Here's a beautiful Sunset taken Nov 3rd from our living room window.

So pretty.  We've been having a lot of really pretty sunsets lately.  I love how the silhouette of the trees play against the pretty colors of the clouds... :) 

Here's a funny sight I saw this past week.  Peaches and Joel were both just laying on the living room floor.  Peaches tends to follow Joel when he's home.

I also started making my first basket on my own.  Not sure how it's turning out .. I haven't done any more than what the second picture shows .. hopefully it will turn out alright.  I am going to try to work on it today ...

As you in the US know, we had an extra hour on Sunday morning because of Daylight Savings Time ending.  Some people used that hour for sleep, but Joel wanted to make pancakes before church.  So he made us pancakes! :)  I put some bacon in the microwave and we had a delicious breakfast before heading out to church.  It was a treat to have someone else tend the pancakes so that I could eat with dh instead of being the last one to eat or eating standing up by the stove.  Great Job Joel! :)

Here is Peaches under the quilt last evening.

She and Joel stick pretty close together!  It was cute to see her peeking out from under Joel's lap quilt!

Noresta - Excellent FAST Service !!

What company can you order from online and receive the product less than 26 hours later?


The NorEsta Cane & Reed Company

I submitted my first order for reed & handles for my basket making adventure Yesterday before noon .. and I received my box of supplies just a little bit ago .. that's less than 26 hours from order to delivery!  Wow !

Sewing Mending and Basketry

Well, I've been fairly busy this last week or so, doing everything and nothing at all. Do you ever feel that way?  I'm always doing something, and the time goes by, but I don't seem to get other things done.  like cleaning, it doesn't get done very often around here, I'm just not very good housekeeper.  We aren't swimming through garbage or anything, we keep things fairly well picked up .. trash goes out, as does the recycling ... however the dusting and vacuuming doesn't get done often.  Ah well, I never said I was perfect.

One thing I did do this past week or so was to make some of our ratty fraying wash cloths look a little bit nicer. "Neater" anyway.  No more frayed edges.

 I left one 'undone' so that you could see the difference. It feels a little weird to have the bound edge, but atleast the cloths will last longer and we don't have strings hanging off of them.

I saw a few birds the other day as well ... here's a few pictures.

European Starling

 

I think the one on the left is a female House Sparrow.

Also saw this pair of White Crowned Sparrows.  First time I've seen these!  Ever!  Aren't they nice ? 

This past weekend I went to a Women's Expo at Southside Alliance Church in Sheboygan.  It was a smaller affair than I'm used to, but it was very nice.  I attended two small workshops in addition to the main speaker, and learned about Legacy of Clean 'green' cleaning products, and learned how to make this basket.

Isn't it cute!?

I absolutely loved making the basket.  I think I may order some reed and make more baskets.  It was pretty cool! :)  I searched online and found these places that seem like good suppliers.

http://www.noresta.com/  - in Michigan, but there is no minimum to get the wholesale prices.

http://www.gratiotlakebasketry.com/ - in Michigan as well - similar to Noresta in prices

http://www.easttroybasketry.com/catalog/ - in WI.  Actually only about an hour or so away from where I'm living now, but their online prices are slightly more than the other two places.  However, they do offer classes.  So it's a good place to know about.

So .. what do you think?