Finished Friday - A Hat and more Starfish

I skipped last Friday's Finished Friday for two reasons - because I was gone, and also because I didn't have anything done to blog about! I've been in sort of a crocheting funk since fair, I have to sit down and make myself crochet, which I haven't been finding time for.

However, I crocheted basically all day yesterday, and I did a lot (compared to normal these days) today. Reason being, yesterday morning I left for the airport, and didn't arrive here in NY until 12 hrs later. (You can read more about my trip here on my other blog.) Between going to and from the airport, flights, and layovers, it provides for a lot of crocheting time when I don't have another choice of activity! :)

Soo here's what I got done in the past 48 hrs!

- A hat for sweet baby A!

It's missing the flower....

- And 4 rainbow starfish! (You can read more about the starfish dishcloths in my two previous posts!)

Yes, I know there's only 3 here... one is not pictured. ;)


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If you would like to join me in this Finished Friday quest to get rid of all the half finished projects we all have... please blog about your project(s) you have finished the past week on Friday's, and come back here and leave a comment with your blog link. If this is successful, in the future I might set up a linky list you can join. Projects do not have to be projects you procrastinated on, they can be anything, sewing/crocheting/knitting or any other fiber art, and they need to be FINISHED! :)

Bloggers currently blogging FF frequently with me are: 
Brianna - http://briannascreativecrochet.com/

Can't wait to see your projects!

Finished Friday - Starfish and a Lilypad - and a Prayer Request

If you would like to join me in this Finished Friday quest to get rid of all the half finished projects we all have... please blog about your project(s) you have finished the past week on Friday's, and come back here and leave a comment with your blog link. If this is successful, in the future I might set up a linky list you can join. Projects do not have to be projects you procrastinated on, they can be anything, sewing/crocheting/knitting or any other fiber art, and they need to be FINISHED! :)

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Compared to all I got done last week, this week's Finished Friday is a little pathetic, but it's better than nothing, right?

This week I made several more of these Starfish....

And one Starfish in a different color....

I used Sugar'n'Cream self striping cotton... not too happy with how it striped out, but it'll take forever to get it so it's perfect! :)

And this Lilypad!

I had made this lilypad dishcloth quite awhile ago, but finished it up to the last 5 stitches for some reason, then it ripped out some more being stored. When I found it looking for something else, I pulled it out and finished it so I would have something that I've been procrastinating on for Finished Friday. :)

You can buy the blue, green, and white starfish, and the lilypad here and here if you would like, and 100% of the sale will go to help Lilly find a family!

I have also listed many more items on our blog, and are listing many more daily, so go check it out with the new dropdown menu (that I spent hours on) under "SHOP" over at our blog "Handiwork for Lilly". :)

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Also can I ask you to pray for this sweet princess???

Her name is Selah, and she has been in a terrible accident and nearly drowned. She is fighting for her life, and really NEEDS PRAYERS!!! You can read more and read updates over at my other blog.

Finished Friday - A Bag, a Skirt, Dishcloths, a Frog, a Bluebird, a Bag, and a Starfish

If you would like to join me in this Finished Friday quest to get rid of all the half finished projects we all have... please blog about your project(s) you have finished the past week on Friday's, and come back here and leave a comment with your blog link. If this is successful, in the future I might set up a linky list you can join. Projects do not have to be projects you procrastinated on, they can be anything, sewing/crocheting/knitting or any other fiber art, and they need to be FINISHED! :)

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This post is everything that I got done for Fair after my last Finished Friday! :) So in other words, you've seen all these pictures, except the last one.

And my newest project came as an inspiration from the newest "craze" in the Reece's Rainbow orphan advocating community - A starfish dishcloth. In rainbow colors. The Rainbow Starfish Dishcloth. My only brilliant idea of the century. ;)

I've kept it a secret from all but one person outside my family, until the big reveal... which happened today over at Handiwork for Lilly, where the first starfish went up for sale. These are a specialty item, only for a limited time, so go get yours today (more being listed soon!).

If you haven't heard the story of the starfish, here is is -

A young girl was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean. People watched her with amusement.

She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, "Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can't save all these starfish. You can't begin to make a difference!"

The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and replied,

"Well, I made a difference to that one!"

The old man looked at the girl inquisitively and thought about what she had done and said. Inspired, he joined the little girl in throwing starfish back into the sea. Soon others joined, and all the starfish were saved.

The same goes in the world of orphan advocating. There are 147 million orphans. It's impossible for one person to save them all, but we can all make a different to one. And little by little it will add up!

And buying a dishcloth (or any other item) from my other blog - a starfish or not, will make a difference to a little starfish, that little starfish being Miss Lilly, who is still waiting for a forever family to make a difference for her.

Fair - Crocheting

Last part of Fair Showing - Crocheting!

Judging my Dishcloths

Judging my scarf/shawl/wrap thing

Judging my cotton bag

A blue! - She liked how lacy it was and that the tassels were a good length and thickness for the project. 

18" doll swimsuit... I had this done, and I still needed an entry for a doll or toy item. :)

I had these done as well, and decided to bring them. It's nice that everything I sell is "fair worthy" so I don't have to make everything specifically for fair to bring it! :)

Baby Bluebird Hat - It REALLY annoyed me when I had 5 flowers made and sitting in my room, but I had to make a new one for this hat for fair. Why? Because Rachel made the others for me... ;)

Frog Hat! :)

Rebekah's Plarn Bag

Dish Cloths - I realize now blogging this picture that the blue and multicolored ones are upside down, and the purple one is sideways... and it's driving me CRAZY! lol It's a pet peeve, and I've blogged about it before.
The next day when mom was there with the other kids (I was home babysitting the littles as I'm done showing!), I had her flip them, and I attempted to have her take a new picture for me, but that doesn't work when she has my camera, and my memory card is still in the computer. :P

And the surprises of the day - A Best of Show on my baby blanket...

...And a State Fair on my bag!! That was the big surprise! I knew I would most likely get some big award of something with all first and 3 stars... like I've said, little competition, but was NOT expecting it on these two items! My guesses would have been the dishcloths and wrap/shawl/scarf. But nope. 

She really liked the fuzziness of the blanket and the fact she could find no ends (this is CRUCIAL that you hide all your ends if you show knitting or crocheting, I've learned the hard way, and she didn't find any on my stuff this year!). 

And the bag... that was a HUGE surprise. If I had to choose which item I thought would get a red, it would have been that bag! You know the bag which took FOREVER and we stayed up till 2 am the night before trying to get done. ;) She really like the strap, and the how tight and sturdy seam up the side was (maybe because I stitched it twice because I did the first one wrong and I didn't want to rip it out.. hehe).

So that sums up fair showing! And just to sum up our day excluding how well the actually showing went... I'll show you this picture.

Ya... no naps for anyone. The plan was to get there early, get done quick, and then come back and do naps. Didn't go so well. Oh and I mentioned the end of the night after the judge left in my last post.. that was at 9pm, and no worries, we didn't all stay until then, I stayed with some friends to help hang up photography photos on the boards. Everyone else ended up leaving around 5. Even so, without naps, it was a LONG day. ;)

Fair - Sewing

Next up for Fair - Sewing!

Judging Rachel's outfit

Judging the skirt I made (haven't posted about it here yet). You can get this pre-shirred material at the store, but we did it ourselves by switching the regular bobbin with a bobbin of elastic thread. It wasn't that hard to do, except for getting each round started. But definitely worth doing it yourself instead of buying it pre-shirred for $15 a yard!

My bag - another post coming about this, once I get it back from Fair at the end of this week and can take more detailed pictures!

On Rachel's outfit I got Best of Show! :) I wasn't expecting that, though I knew it was possible (like there is very little competition in my levels of sewing and crocheting... they are becoming lost arts!). The judge said really liked how neat and clean all the seams were on the inside. It was originally going to be a State Fair, but they changed it to Best of Show because I had told her it was for my little sister, and if it had gotten State Fair, Rachel wouldn't have been able to wear it until after State Fair next year (our Fair is after State Fair) and it wouldn't have still fit her. Plus she's been asking to wear it since I got it done. The head sewing/crocheting/knitting organizer told me this later... we have gotten to know her pretty well, and the judge, who I have had for crocheting, knitting, and sewing the past 3 years. :)

Next up - Crocheting!

Fair - Photography

Fair showing was today... and boy was it a long day! And guess what! Fair is over for me (besides pick up Sunday) for this year! Yay! :)

This year I only did three projects - Crocheting, Sewing, and Photography. I did really well in all three, I got all blues (Conference judging, not Danish) and had a couple surprises at the end of the day!

Here are the photos I brought for photography (crocheting and sewing coming in later posts) -

Entry for 'Extreme Close Up' - This was the first year he didn't tell me it needed to be more focused! :) It got 1st and a star which means it will be considered for additional ribbons (Merit Award, State Fair, and Best of Show), but it didn't get any thing else.

This is the first picture for the entry 'Plant life or Flowers'

And this is the other one

This was the first of two pictures for "Insect or Fish"

And this was the second of the two pictures

And along with a blue I got a Merit Award on my butterflies! I was really happy with this because this is the first big award I have gotten in photography. It's a lot hard to place for the big ribbons in photography because there are easily over 1000 entries, which is a whole lot more than Advanced Crocheting where I am one of two (this year one of three). :)

Stay tuned for sewing and crocheting!

Finished Friday - Rachel's Outfit, Shawl, Plarn Bag, Sponge Bob Hats, and Baby Blanket Border

If you would like to join me in this Finished Friday quest to get rid of all the half finished projects we all have... please blog about your project(s) you have finished the past week on Friday's, and come back here and leave a comment with your blog link. If this is successful, in the future I might set up a linky list you can join. Projects do not have to be projects you procrastinated on, they can be anything, sewing/crocheting/knitting or any other fiber art, and they need to be FINISHED! :)

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I never said you couldn't post about more than one item! I usually tend to do only one, but I'm changing it up this week! :) Hopefully this will also make up for the Finished Friday's I missed in the past few weeks.

My excuse for being MIA lately- fair judging starts in 63 hours.. err 2 1/2 days. And I still have LOTS to do. :)

So onto this week's Finished Friday! First up, a sewing project for fair - An outfit for my little sister Rachel. I have to admit, this turned out absolutely adorable, and it called for an impromptu photoshoot. :)

Had to take this picture... because you won't look at the outfit in the pictures below... only my adorable model!

Seriously? Little Diva! I had her put her hand on her hip and on the garage there, but she lifted up  her foot and put it on top of the other one!!

Not a fan of the bees buzzing around her head...

So I "threatened" to tickle her if she didn't smile!

Peek-a-boo! I see you!

My favorite picture!!

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Next up - a shawl/big scarf/wrap thing! I used a N hook (REALLY big for my non-crocheter readers), and reg worsted weight yarn to create the lacy effect. I used this pattern, and used ALL of the One Pounder skein. This shawl is going go to fair (if it makes it), and then I'll sell it on my other blog.

Yes, I used the shower curtain rod to model it for me because I didn't feel like it. I'm cool like that.

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Next - a plarn bag. I never blogged about it here (hello, I've blogged 7 times since the Block Party posts.. I kinda don't have breathing room in there to blog about such projects), but I made a rainbow plarn bag for my sister Anna awhile back. I took most of a day to make (6+ hours?), but I finished it in a day, and same with this one I just made the other day for my sister Rebekah.

It looks much cooler in person. Take my word for it.

This bag will go to fair, and then it will used by my sister and hopefully not get sprayed with water and rot. I used plarn (plastic bag yarn) and a strand of regular acrylic held together for stability. I changed the color of the acrylic to do the striping effect (same with the rainbow one). I did make up this pattern, since I HATE using patterns (no offense pattern writers), and I will write and test this pattern soon so I can share it with you so you can make your own awesome colored plarn bag! :)

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Next - Sponge Bob Hats. Ohh these were dreadful! They were for an order, and I will let you all know that if you want to order one of these, expect to pay $50 per hat, and expect it to take a couple years. Ahem. I am not in favor of making more. :) 

The pattern used is from Ashley Phelps, who is one of my favorite designers for hats. I've come back again and again to her patterns to use as the base for mine, and haven't been disappointed. I've used her Angry Red Bird, Angry Black Bird, and now SpongeBob. I also have intentions of using the Minion, Panda, Polar Bear, and I have a Monkey in process. So yeah, all her hat patterns. :)

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And lastly - I finished the border on this blanket. :)

Until Fair is a "Finished Friday",

Sarah :)