# 16

I got this book a few weeks ago and now I'm back on the doily train - which I like to imagine is really fancy. This pattern is number 16 in the book and was stitched in Martha Stewart Crafts cotton hemp yarn in picnic green.

Woven Perler beads

A few months ago I saw these little baskets on Fine Little Day a few months back and fell in love with them.

I thought they were such a sweet little way to use Perler (or Hama beads as they are also called) beads - which I have, for some reason, had a giant bucket of for years. Then a few weeks ago I saw a post over at Mini Eco with links on how to weave them using the peyote stitch to create little slip covers for tea light holders.

I'm really happy with how they came out. I don't know why I never thought to actually use Perler beads as, well, beads. 

Oh and they have the prettiest glow at night when they are lit up.

Christmas gifts

The stupid thing about trying to take last minute photos of the Christmas gifts you made is that it's last minute and the photos aren't going to look so great. But then the good thing about moving back home is that most of the gifts you made are close by and you can get pictures of them another time.

I did, however get a couple good pictures of these cross stitch kits I made for our nieces. It was a really fun gift to put together and I think my favorite out of what I made for handmade gifts. (I also made coasters, spice mixes, marinated olives, bacon salt, tivets, etc..)





They were really excited about the pouches and the pattern (they love my little animal drawings) but the other stuff they seemed a little confused about until I explained it would be a fun project we could do together. Then they were all "OH A GIRL'S CRAFT DAY" and were excited again. Cuties!

Another gift I made was an animal portrait for my brother's girlfriend, Kate. I have to say, I really cracked myself (and her) up with this one.



So there you go, a little post about a few things I made. I think I might work on a 2011 wrap up post later today. So much happened this year that I feel like I should, but I don't know!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, PALS!

Crochet Season

It's finally that time of year where the idea of touching yarn doesn't make me cringe.  I just assume that anyone who can knit or crochet or touch yarn in the summer time has air conditioning, or a million fans, or like having fibers stick to you. Yuck! My new project, not that I needed a new one, is to make some kind of bath mat rug type thing. The blocks I'm making are from the Good Cause Afghan pattern from Crochet Today. Find it here!

I'm still settling into our apartment. So slowly. There are still boxes that need to be unpacked into things we don't own yet - shelves, desks, etc.  I've been consistently distracted from said boxes by some business  planning/starting/scheming with a couple of (click!) very rad ladies(click!), hugging Adam while he's trying to work, figuring out handmade Christmas gifts, Gossip Girl/Frasier/Family Ties all being on Netflix instant watch and Minecraft. 

And just like that...

I'm home! Not 100% yet, but now only gone 2 days a week. We finished principal photography on Anatomy of the Tide on Friday - a chilly day up on a cliff at Owl's Head State Park.

I'm really grateful to have had this experience. It was really like nothing I've done before and I feel like I learned so much. I got to make some new friends, really get to know Kate, see some beautiful Maine spots I'd never seen and had lots of fun and laughs.

It feels good to be able to finally settle into Adam and I's new apartment. I've started to slowly unpack and set things up. There are still boxes everywhere but I'm trying to not let it get to me too much and take some time to really think about where I want things to go.

I guess that's it for right now. Just a little Hello! I am home! Let's hang out! OH, also this is my 300th post! That's pretty bananas. I kind of can't believe I've even had that much to say over the past few years!

Anatomy of the Tide

Wow, so, life huh?

When Adam and I returned to Maine the last thing I thought that I'd be doing a month after getting back would be working on a movie! My brother's girlfriend asked me to be her wardrobe assistant on Anatomy of the Tide, a feature film being made here in Maine. (check out the Facebook page for some great behind the scenes pics!)  It has been such an amazing and unexpected experience so far. I've been meeting some awesome people and seeing some awesome places.




 We've been filming mostly around Rockland but just spent this past week on Vinalhaven. Really, it has been the best kind of homecoming - to just be able to spend a month just being here. Between the movie and working a few days a week on Bailey Island I am crushing so hard on Maine right now.  I'm remembering all the reasons why it's the perfect place for Adam and I.

I'm in love with so many things right now!

Trivet

Well! First of all, we've been back in Maine for a few weeks now and we are sooooooooo happy! We move into the great apartment we found next week, which, oddly enough, is next door to the last apartment we lived in in Portland.

Alright, moving along! We've been staying at my mom's house in Bath and if you've ever been here then you know about her craft room. (you can see a peek of it here) Since I really haven't had much time to craft the past few months, and all of my supplies are currently in storage, I'd kind of been itching to make something.

I decided on some paper piecing and after digging around some buckets of fabric my mom pointed me to a bin of scraps from my grandmother. The bin is filled with all kinds of crazy fabrics, I think mostly from the 60's and 70's that my gramma used to make herself little house dresses and aprons. I might have to scan some later because some of them are kinda crazy!



After I picked out a few of the less crazy patterns and the plaid, which was a pretty awesome pair of pants I had when I was much younger, I decided I wanted to make a trivet. I like making things, but I really really like making useful things!


I used 7/8 in hexagons and then top stitched them onto a thick piece of tan wool. The wool will add some extra protection from heat and adds a great sturdiness. I also started stitching diagonally along the top but the bobbin in my mom's machine ran out and I cannot for the life of me figure out how to replace it. And yes, I looked at the book already.


I see a lot more paper piecing happening this year!

Love, a very happy Sarah in Maine