Pink Roses Teapot

Can anyone tell me anything about this teapot? It was given to my mother by her mother in 1963. We both love it, and I saw it in a photo in the December 2012 issue of Country Living UK, page 77.

Star-spangled bunting

I made my own star-spangled banners for Memorial Day and Fourth of July. We draped them on the porch and even on the new tree house. Don't you think we all need some this summer?

The Summer 2013 tree house line (for the most fashionable tree houses):

Liberty print spring napkins

My sister and I both love Liberty fabrics, and she needed new dinner napkins so I designed and made these. The Liberty print is the one with leaves and flowers, which is typical of 19th century English textile designer William Morris’s fabric and wallpaper. Morris was also an artist, writer, and libertarian socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelites and the English Arts and Crafts movement. (As an author, illustrator and medievalist, he helped to establish the modern fantasy genre, and was a direct influence on authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien.) 

I used the DIY napkin instructions I found on the wonderful Chocolate & Zucchini website and made eight (18-inch) dinner napkins and eight (9-inch) cocktail napkins, all of which are made with two different fabrics. I even made a re-usable pouch to present and store them in, so no wrapping paper needed!

Easter bonnets

 

I made these baby bonnets just in time for Easter this year. What do you think?

They are made from an old pattern of my grandmother’s and are called wonder hoods because they stretch to fit, so a baby could wear one for about 2 years. (I usually tell people these fit 1-2 years of age.)

Anyway, I sell these, so if you'd like one in time for Easter, please post a comment here (Price = $18) (Note: the pink-ribboned one has already been sold; sorry!)

If you'd like to make one yourself, here is the pattern. (I don’t believe they are copyrighted anywhere, but if they are, please let me know; I don’t want to get in trouble!)

Note: The weight of the yarn you use will dictate what size the bonnet will be; the lighter weight the yarn, the smaller the bonnet.

1.     Cast on 82 stitches, work in ribbing (K2, P2) for 5 (6) rows.

2.     Change to stockingette stitch, work 5 rows, *K next row.

3.     Continue stockingette for 4 more rows, repeat from * until there are 5 ridges (formed by the purl stitches on right side of work).

4.     Bind off 28(34) stitches on each end and continue to work the remaining 26(32) stitches in ridges until there are 4 ridges and 5 flat rows.

5.     Bind off. Sew flap to sides.

6.     Then pick up 68 stitches around neck edge of cap and work in ribbing (K2, P2) for 6 rows.

7.     Bind off.

8.     Sew on ribbon.