Sunday, August 24, 2014

vintage card catalog!

My dad is a big garage-saler/antiquer/&c, so he sometimes picks up cool stuff for me instead of things to resell. Or I claim them before he can post them to ebay. Either way, I end up with some pretty awesome stuff.



His latest find is this adorable card catalog, made by Globe and with a patent of 1900. It's over a hundred years old, but has held up pretty well! All the drawers were present, and all but one still had the locking filing system inside. And he got it for only 4$. :D

Monday, August 18, 2014

Flannel napkins

Continuing the new apartment theme of this summer, I recently made a set of flannel napkins. I was inspired by this pattern--I think that flannel napkins are possibly one of the coziest ideas out there. But I did my own slightly more perfectionist-y process for the mitered corners.


Monday, August 11, 2014

patchwork key fob (+ pattern)

My younger sister was staying in some dorms for a summer program recently, and requested a key fob. So I decided to make one, of course! This key fob has a key ring on one side, and a clasp on the other, so that it can be both clipped inside a bag and folded to fit around your wrist. I'm keeping this one, but another is in the works for her. These would make wonderful gifts, as they are small and quick to make, but very practical.




Saturday, August 9, 2014

Tea Cosy

One of my perhaps lesser-known addictions is tea. I love trying different types, drinking it while doing research, and when just relaxing with a nice book. And of course, I love collecting various tea-related paraphernalia. :)

Because of my hoarding instincts, I have a few different teapots. But right now, my 2-cup Price and Kensington is getting the most use, so I figured I'd make a few tea cosys for it. And since both turned out pretty cute (at least in my opinion!) I figured I'd also share the patterns with any other knitters who'd like tiny tea cosys for their equally adorable tiny teapots. Here is the first one:


This tea cosy requires minimal knitting skills, as it is knit flat and then seamed up. And it's a great project for beginners, as it is knit entirely in seed stitch with some minimal decreasing at the top.



It is also super easy to whip up in a few hours--so it'd make a wonderful gift (perhaps with a matching teapot) to a recent graduate or as housewarming present. :)

I hope you enjoy, and I will be posting the pattern shortly--look for it in a day or two!


Thursday, August 7, 2014

handkerchiefs!

Some of my favorite things to hand sew are handkerchiefs. Although they aren't perhaps the most practical, they are very relaxing to sew, and I always feel a bit charmingly old-fashioned doing so.

The usual contents of my purse--wallet, sunglasses, handkerchief!