Plant hangers, bottle hangers, candle hangers...

I feels like it's been too long since I last posted.
Here's some variations on the net hangers I've been meaning to show you.

These net hangers can be adapted to hang most anything, of any size, provided it doesn't have a prominent lip or bulge at the bottom.

A couple rules/tips that will help you adapt the instructions:

•  always have an even number of strands with no less than six strands per hanger.
• if you want to make the knots closer together, to make the hanger look more like a net, add more pairs of cord strands or it won't fit your pot.  The closer the knots are together, the smaller the circumference of pot they will fit.
• add a final row of knots about 8" above your pot rim and 10" above your last row of knots to add stability.  This wil keep your pot from falling out of the hanger even if it's swung violently, like, say, if your cat tries to get at it.
• use heavier gauges of cord to hang heavier objects.  This type of hanger can be made with everything from embroidery floss to rope, depending on what your hanging but, please, be reasonable.

Here's some of the projects I've been making:

Enjoy and happy making!

Printable Lovelies: Make Your Own Seed Packets.

I've been collecting seeds.

It's that time of year, when the snapdragons, brown eyed susans, four o'clocks, cone flowers and other annuals in my garden are producing seeds.  In order to make sure that they come back next year, I'm collecting some of their seeds to sew come spring.

I'm also collecting seeds to send off to a friend so she can use them to naturalize their hillside.

I'm also a cheap-skate, so I'm collecting clematis seeds from my mother's plants, to see if I can get my own vines for free-ziees, rather than paying a plant company for them.  

I love clematis, whether it's the ethereal small white ones, that bloom in a haze of little stars, or the woodsy vines that have largish deep purple flowers.  They always remind me of woodland at twilight.

The problem with collecting seeds is that you end up with all these tiny little specks, that look a lot like dirt, and bear no resemblance to their parent plant.  I realized pretty quickly that I needed a system to keep track of them all, some way of labeling them...

So I decided to make seed packets ( a novel idea, I know) with blank label areas where I can mark the type of plant.

Being the nifty person I am, I decided to scan them, A. so I could make more, and B. so I could share them with you!

I've formatted them so they will print accurately 2 to a page.

Just print them out, color them in(optional), cut them out, glue the tabs together, insert seeds, glue the top closed, and label. Viola!

enjoy!

PS. they're also handy for scrapbooking, gift tags, etc. 

       My sister is using them as place cards for her wedding.

Hanging Lantern Tutorial, (plus why MS Weddings rocks.)

This post is a tutorial for netted hanging lanterns like this:

But first, I have to say that I got the idea for hanging lanterns like this from Martha Stewart Weddings, and then go on a long tangent.

Have I ever told you how much I respect and love Martha Stewart weddings?

In high school, my best friend and I used to buy them, and look over them together, the way our peers were bonding over issues of 17 and Cosmo. Since we were/are both planning on being virgins on our wedding day, we found the craft tutorials, and beautiful dresses much more informative, useful and inspiring than the sex tips and make-up how-tos could ever have been.

We dreamed of the day that we would actually be able to use their tutorials and guides to plan our own weddings.

The Most Gracious Bride in the World.

I haven't posted this week because I'm preparing a blog post that's a tutorial, and therefore needs more editing and planning.
I've taken the pics for it.  Annie was willing to be my student/guinea pig/model, and she did a great job.  Now just to write the thing and pic which pics illustrate the tutorial best...

I was planning on that being my next post, but then I went to a wedding shower today.

In addition to wedding mayhem, a ridiculously large percentage of my friends are getting married, or having babies, or getting married and then having babies, or... You get the picture.  I am so happy for all of them, and the merry chaos it has caused in my life.  I'm swimming in a sea of sewing projects, trying to make something for all of them.

This particular bride, the bride the shower was for, got an apron.  I tried a pattern I bought because I loved the ruffles that edge the bodice and go over the shoulders.  I love those kinds of ruffles.  They're so 1950's housewife.  She loved it too, as you can see in the pic of her in it.
The amazing thing about this young woman, is that she is the most gracious, gentle person I've ever met.  She proved it today, by being the perfect gift recipient.

She opened every gift with such genuine joy and gratitude.  It was written all over her face.  I know that she got good gifts, and that certainly helps one be joyful about opening them, but she went far beyond polite thanks in the way she handled each item, examined it, and made eye contact with the giver.

I also love the way she laughs with her future husband, and the loving care of both their (large) extended families.

Here's a couple examples of her cuteness and warmth as she opens her gifts:

a couple more of my favorite things from the shower:

Favorite skirt:

Favorite baby (there were a lot of them to choose from):

Favorite odd moment

Favorite sweet moment:

Favorite picture: