Lining the Pink Bag - a Quick Tutorial

The pink crocheted bag I made for Jane's PIF gift recently was lined with a very soft pink striped fabric so that little things wouldn't fall out of the holes which are always present in a crocheted project like this.

Lining this bag was a very simple process, as you can see...


See? Wasn't that easy? Hmmm, perhaps this should be the last picture, but I really like this one, so I'm showing it first!

Anyway...


...after finishing all the crocheting of the bag itself, I flattened it out on my cutting mat to measure it. I figured that the lining piece which would go around the inside walls of the bag would need to be about 15 inches from top to bottom, and about 29 inches wide.


Then I flattened out the bottom of the bag to determine how big the round piece would need to be for the bottom of the lining. As it happened, the Tunisian Short Row dishcloths I also made for Jane were just about the exact same size as the bottom of the bag, so I was able to trace one of them onto the lining fabric.


Then I cut a rectangular piece of fabric twice the length and a little wider than the size I wanted the pocket to be. I folded it in half, right sides facing, and stitched up the edges, turned it and sewed it onto the lining fabric so that the folded edge was the top edge of the pocket. I also lined up the stripes in the fabric between the lining and the pocket so that they matched as best I could!

Before stitching the short sides of the lining piece together to form a tube, I turned under the top edge twice and pressed it. Then I stitched the short sides of the lining with the top hem unfolded, and then folded it back down again and stitched the top hem. This ensures that no raw edges will be exposed at the seam.


Then I stitched the bottom edge of the tube to the raw edges of the circle with right sides facing, easing it to fit all around.


I then positioned the lining inside the crocheted bag and pinned the top edge in place all around. Using white quilting thread, I whip stitched the lining in place.

That pink yarn you see holding up the sides of the bag belongs to my crazy crocheting daughter, but it's not part of her Babette, which by the way has two more sections added to it since the last update! No, this pink yarn is for the zig-zag afghan she had to put away because of the warm weather! When she starts working on it again in the fall, I'll be sure to show you her plans for that. It's another colorful project!

A few people have asked me to show how I added beads to this project and the other crocheted project I just posted with beads in it as well. If I had been smart, I would have made a video for that while I was actually making this bag, but I guess I wasn't smart. So I will work up a little sample piece and make a video very shortly showing how I add beads to a crocheted project. I assure you, you will be so amazed and impressed and just totally awe struck at how very simple it is to do! Really, it's so simple and so fun, and really dresses up a project nicely. Be on the lookout for that tutorial very soon!

Happy Stitching!

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Pink Crocheted Bag - PIF Gift #3

I just received word that my Pay-It-Forward Gift #3 arrived safely at its destination, so now I can show you what I made for Jane.




Anyone who knows Jane, knows that PINK is THE color for her! I have never met Jane personally, and in fact I've never even seen a picture of her, but just from our light correspondence and exchange of comments on each other's websites, I get the feeling that she is a very fun and vibrant person. So I just had to make something equally as fun for her.

This crocheted bag is made with the same crochet cotton used for the dishcloths I was making there for A Really Long Time, with a little added twist...rows of beads thrown in for fun! The bag stands about 15 inches tall, not including the handle which is long enough to throw the bag over your shoulder, or to tie it into a knot to shorten it.

I lined the bag with a soft pink striped lightweight fabric in case Jane wanted to use it to carry projects with her, so needles and small things wouldn't fall through the holes. In a future post, I will share a little tutorial on how to incorporate beads into your crocheting. I'll also show how easy it is to line a bag like this.

Pop over to Jane's website to see the other PINK goodies she received in her package.

Happy Stitching!

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Handmade Single Decade Rosary Bracelet

What a beautiful day we are having here in New England. Picture perfect for a huge yard sale to benefit our local high school marching band. The Country Cabin Doll Quilts that I made recently, along with the matching pillows, were sold. In addition to that, all the homemade breads I baked yesterday sold as well. My daughter and I spent the morning helping out, and it was fun. By the time we left at 11:00, we had made over $800 for the band!

When I got home and had a chance to check my email, I discovered that Myra had received her PIF package from me and posted about it on her own website, Tactile Pleasures in Fabric. You can read about her little treats HERE.

One of the items I made for Myra is a Single Decade Rosary Bracelet, also known as a chaplet. Here is what it looks like up close...


This is a Rosary that can be worn as a piece of jewelry around the wrist and removed for use when praying the Rosary. There is the crucifix, 10 beads together for counting the Hail Marys, the single bead for the Our Father between the 5 decades, and the Miraculous Medal. Even if this bracelet is never used for actually praying the Rosary, it is a nice piece of jewelry to wear to show your faith and devotion to the Blessed Mother.

These Rosary bracelets are quick to make and quite easy as long as you have the right supplies, especially the proper type of pliers. Rosary making pliers generally are needle nose pliers with little wire cutter blades on the side for snipping the wire or chain links.

I have been making Rosaries of all kinds since before I was in high school, so we're talking quite a number of years now! Like about over 30! I love to make the bracelets and use them as gifts or for our local parochial school fairs or fundraisers. If you are interested in purchasing one or more for yourself or to give as gifts, just comment or email me and I'm happy to make arrangements with you. I charge $12 for one, and each one comes in a sturdy little white gift box, all ready to be wrapped and given away. They make lovely gifts for graduation, First Communion, Confirmation, wedding and anniversary, birthday and Christmas.

Happy Stitching!

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My First Pay It Forward Gift has Arrived!

I just love the idea of the Pay It Forward exchanges I've seen so many people participating in lately. With all the negative stuff we constantly see in the papers and on the news, it's nice to know that there are lots of people out there who just like to Be Nice to each other.

Last fall I signed up for Lyn's Pay It Forward exchange and received a whole collection of wonderful items that I know she picked out just for me. I had 4 people sign up for mine, and just last week I finally shipped out my first gift. It was to Leah in Australia and she received it in record time.

My main gift to Leah was a handknit scarf that you may have seen before here at Hooked On Needles when I demonstrated the elongated knit stitch. If you would like to see how it looks all finished and wrapped around Leah's neck, just hop over to her website and scroll down a bit for a peek at Leah's Self Portrait Wearing a Scarf. Just lovely!

Happy Stitching!

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Another February Finish and a Crochet Mystery Project?

One Pay It Forward gift is finished and has been added to my list of finishes for the One Project a Month challenge on my sidebar. I'd love to show you a picture of the completed item in its proper context, but I think the person who will receive this reads my website. So you'll have to wait until I send it off and know it has been received before I spill the beans! Sorry.

But here's a consolation prize for you...

Recently you read here about how to work the Tunisian Rib, and I mentioned at the end of that article that I had come up with an interesting way to use that technique. Well, I thought I would make it even more interesting and offer it to you as a mystery project. What do you think of that idea? If there is interest in a Tunisian Crochet Mystery, I would love to present this little project in that format. I will tell you up front that it won't cost you very much money and it could even cost you nothing if you have the supplies on hand. I will also say that it is not a very big project, so it won't take long to finish. If I were to sit down and start it now, I could have it finished in a couple of hours, so maybe plan on a couple of evenings if you are a slow crocheter.

So what do you say? Are you up for a little mystery project using your new skills with Tunisian crochet? Leave a comment and let me know.

Happy Stitching!

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Pay It Forward Gifties Arrived from Australia

Some days, George the mailman is just so good to me. The other day he brought me a package all the way from Australia. I had signed up for Lyn's Pay It Forward exchange not too long ago, and she got right to work with these wonderful gifts, even though she had a whole year to fulfill her promise.

Would you like to see the lovely things she sent me? I'd love to show them to you!


Here is what I found in the box - some very pretty wrapped packages and an envelope. Isn't there just something magical about a wrapped package? Ooooh, the suspense!


Just look at all the nice things Lyn sent me. There are two patterns, one for a knitting needle caddy which I will definitely make to organize my mess of knitting needles, and one for a very pretty bag that has a round bottom and an embroidered panel across the middle. The pattern for the embroidery design is included in it too. Lyn knows I love bags!

There was a pair of folding scissors which is great because I like to have scissors in every place I do my needlework so I don't have to keep track of one pair.

There was the cutest little basket of fabric rolls in warm cozy colors, just what I like. And a handy little wrist pin cushion.

But what really caught my eye was the fabric wrapped little bundle which I thought was just the fabric itself. Lyn had hinted about it on her website, so I was anxious to see it. The bundle had a pair of chopsticks in a pretty little sleeve slipped through the knot. After looking at all the neat gifts, I picked up the bundle to inspect it more closely and it felt like there was something in it. So I went ahead and opened it.

Look what I found...

Made out of the same fabric as the bundle itself were the most beautifully stitched accessories all strung on a ribbon with a vintage button and a sewing machine button at the ends. There is a scissor holder, a little round pin cushion, a neat little 3 sided fortune cookie purse-like container for holding a thimble or other items, and a bell shaped needle book that opens to reveal a little felt page for holding needles.


Here's the little fortune cookie being held open by my daughter. Aren't those wonderful gifts? I would have to say that Lyn certainly did her part of the Pay It Forward and went above and beyond. Thanks so much Lyn for your thoughtfulness and generosity. I am looking forward to using and showing off all my wonderful goodies!

I have had 4 people sign up for my Pay It Forward exchange, but I will have to wait until the new year before I start thinking about what I will do for them. In the meantime, a tote bag tutorial, an update on my knitted stuffed toy and a few new knitting videos are on their way to Hooked On Needles very soon.

Don't forget to sign up for my Christmas/200th post Celebration Giveaway. It ends a week before Christmas, so you better hurry!

Happy Stitching!

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Update on Upholstery Fabric Pile and Pay It Forward Reminder

The pile of donated fabric doesn't look too much different than it did when I first showed it to you the other day, even though I have made 9 tote bags and 2 pillows! That's when you know you have Too Much Fabric!

I already showed you the first 5 tote bags and the 2 pillows. I am hoping today to get another several bags cut out and sewn up and tonight I will take some pictures so I can show them to you tomorrow.

This mad sewing rush has thrown my posting schedule completely out of whack since I have not had one minute to work on anything besides that pile of fabric. I do apologize for that. But I've been having fun with it, mixing and matching the fabrics and thinking of fun ways to sew pillow covers and bags. I did try an idea I had for a bag the other day. That experiment took me several hours and did not work out to be usable in the end. So I decided just to stick with the basic tote bag for now so I can get as many made before Saturday as possible. I'll experiment more when I have the luxury of time.

I also wanted to remind you of my Pay It Forward exchange that I put out there not too long ago. Lyn in Australia is already making me something because I was the first one to sign up for her PIF exchange. Now I need three handy and generous people to sign up for mine so I can make them something special sometime in the next year. The only catch is that they must post the same exchange on their website and make something for three other people within the next year who would then do the same thing. And it just keeps on going. I hope it does anyway. It would be kind of sad if this leg of the PIF exchange died with me. How embarrassing!

So check out my PIF post which you can find here and if you feel like being generous to three other people in the next year, leave a comment on that post so I can start thinking of something nice to make for you. It would be my pleasure!

Now back to the sewing room. I promise pictures next time!

Happy Stitching!

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Pay It Forward Exchange

This exchange is now closed! Many thanks to Leah, Mrs. Bubba, Jane and Myra for having an awesome sporting spirit and signing up for my Pay It Forward exchange! If you are looking to sign up on someone's PIF, try checking out their websites. They may still have openings.

Lyn from Bluebird Quilts in Australia was the person whose name I received for the recent Stitcher's Angel Swap so I have been following her blog for a while now. She is quite a quilter and I have admired her work ever since I first popped in to see who I would be making things for. This week I saw that she had just announced her participation in a Pay It Forward exchange and would be sending something handmade to the first three people to comment on her post about it and agree to do the same thing.

So here's my Pay It Forward Exchange announcement:

This is to the first three people who leave a comment on this post asking to join the Pay It Forward Exchange and who agree to do the same thing on their website:

I will send a handmade item to each of you sometime within the next year. In turn, each of you agrees to post a similar announcement on your website and send a handmade item to three people who will continue to Pay It Forward in the same way.

This Exchange is only open to those with active websites or blogs.

So who's up for some fun?

Happy Stitching!

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