IggyJingles

Sorry it took me so long to reply.

This bag has over three hundred sacks in it. A single sack makes between 7 and 8 linear inches of double crochet. I'm going to do some quick math (60"x35rows/8"perbag=262.5 then add the bottom which is probably 30+ bags and the handle rows which are single crochet...).

Anyway there are probably 40 hours of crochet and yarn making in the bag. My husband keeps telling me to log the hours I spend, but since I am rarely doing one thing at a time (eg crochet while watching tv or watching my daughter play at the park, yarn cutting while talking to my daughter or husband) it is hard to do that.

Please visit my Etsy store if you would like to purchase the huge basket tote.

www.iggyjingles.etsy.com

Thank you - but right now look for them on Etsy instead!
www.iggyjingles.etsy.com

*Always put the strings of lights on the tree first, before the garlands, then finish with the ornaments.

*I love decorative luminaires made of steel cans. Fill with water and freeze, then use one or more different sizes of a large nail and a hammer to punch holes in a pattern. Leave the cans silver or spray with metal primer and paint and put a votive candle in.

*My daughter collects Barbie dolls and many of them are beautifully dressed as sparkling angels and princesses. I made a garland from faux greenery, bunches of colored tree balls joined by zip ties, and a colored LED light string to which I add a gorgeous doll every couple of feet. The wire branches twist around their waists. I run the garland across the large archway between living and dining room and my daughter loves it. I also sit a bunch of pretty dolls across the pelmet of the windows behind the spot where we put our tree.

*I use big cookie cutters as pattern templates for cottage style soft tree decorations - hearts, bells, leaves, trees, boots, angels. I put wrong sides of seasonal fabrics together, cut out around the pattern and then use a contrasting thread to run around the shapes on my machine with a 1/4 inch allowance. I leave an inch on the bottom to lightly stuff the pillow and then hand sew on a small ribbon hanging loop and two buttons at that point. I have also used foam shapes as if they were buttons, and they work very well because they are so light weight.

*Every year I decorate the gift packages for my family and friends with unbreakable tree decorations, including the soft ones from the cookie templates. My friends get to hang the ornaments on their tree after they open their gifts.

*Several years ago we were given a year of gourmet Fruit of the Month. The carboard boxes had internal dividers which turned out to be perfect for storing similarly sized breakable ornaments.

*All our ornaments go into small boxes, and soft stuff goes into ziploc bags. Then the small boxes and ziplocs go into ordinary cardboard office file boxes with lids, which I label with the contents. I now have 6 of these and they are easy to carry, find and store.

Congratulations, it looks just beautiful. Don't forget to sign the back. Quilters will often sew a small hand written (or embroidered) label with their name, the date, and any name they have given the piece. It's art. It deserves a signature.

Oh, I forgot to say - I have had some good results from using thick fleece as the backing/batting combined (so maybe not a true quilt either) to result in a really soft blanket. Lots of basting required but worth the trouble in increasing the cosy factor.

Your quilt looks really bright and comfortable. In my limited experience with quilts, it has been best to baste using large stitches radiating out from the center to prevent movement and stretching in the quilting process. I believe some people use large safety pins for that purpose. If it were me, I would probably want to stitch down very simply around the squares, either by hand or machine. I would do that in order to reduce uneven stretching over time from using the t-shirt knits. That may not be a concern for you with the other fabrics if they are wovens.

I would be worried that the fabric would want to stretch and pucker around the ties over time. Perhaps my worry is unfounded, and would be mitigated by using many ties rather than just each main corner. Even so, nothing prevents you from going back and sewing later if the the tying doesn't work out for you for some reason.

How lovely to be able to come home to such a wonderful, comfy thing each day. I bet you will be the envy of all your friends, and get asked to make some for their rooms too.

Hi. I wrote an Instructables on the beads. Here's a link:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Wavy-Cut-Paper-Bead-How-To/

Or you can look at a more long winded version on my blog:

http://iggyjingles.blogspot.com/2008/04/wavy-cut-paper-bead-how-to.html

Robyn C.

Thank you! I have just put some more onto Ebay, under the seller ID designarob.