August 2024 Projects and July 2024 Projects: the Crazypatterns Crafting Group

Here’s the new thread for the September projects. Please continue the discussion via the link. 
September Projects 2024: the Crazypatterns Crafting Group



Dear users, dear authors,
here’s the new thread for the July projects.
You can read the earlier posts via the link:
June Projects and May Projects 2024: the Crazypatterns Crafting Group 

Have fun crafting! 

🎉Thank you

It’s gotten soooooo quiet here... Where is everyone? 

In the garden—most of the time. Spending a lot of time in the kitchen baking cakes, pastries, and bread. The kids are coming over for dinner today, so back to the kitchen 🍝

Yesterday I finally got back to working on my embroidery. And I have some yarn for snails—as if I didn’t already have enough in the garden, I want to make something for decoration. 

My remedy for snails 🐌.... Raw wool from sheep 🐑—unwashed, of course. There are only a few here and there on the zucchini.... They still killed the kohlrabi, but hey, I’ll leave that one to them 😁
I sat down at the plotter again last night and got to grips with the software. But now it’s working just the way I imagined it would.
I really need to get to the sewing machine soon 🙈—I made myself a bag, but somehow it desperately needs a lining... 
It already has a little decoration, and the matching strap is already on the board loom.... 

Wow, that bag is amazing. 

You’ve all been busy again.

Anja, your lace-pattern sweater looks great. You’ve completed another project.
Steffi, your bag looks chic, and you’ve even jazzed it up a bit. Great.

Thank you to everyone for the feedback on my granny square.
I’m going to crochet some more in different colors. We’ll see if I sew them together into a small blanket or use them as coasters. It also depends on my leftover yarn—what colors go well together.

And here’s another mini mandala based on a free pattern from Hobbii.

Unfortunately, I ran out of green yarn.

Now that’s what you call a one-of-a-kind creation... That’s how it’s supposed to be. 😉

I was kind of planning to do some weaving tonight, but then the reminder bell went off, and I ended up spending a live-streamed plotter evening with Miriam. Lots of input and a few new ideas for upcoming projects.... 
The plan for the weekend is set 😁: make a Pikachu for my nephew, plot some stickers for my son (he has his midterm exam on the 15th and needs them to label the distribution panel/electrical box), then weave some webbing, and maybe knit a little more on the sock before it turns into a UFO 😁... I just had to try knitting a sock sideways. It looks fun so far. But it’ll only be one—or, in other words, “St. Nicholas Day is already saved” 😂

@Andrea, your mandala has a beautiful color scheme. You can’t even tell that you ran out of green. I think it’s great.

Did you turn it into a coaster, or what are your plans for it next?

The sun is finally shining here again after such a long time. A mix of garden and wildflowers is decorating my little cottage. 

Exactly, Steffi, and thank you, Petra.
A pretty bouquet of flowers. I think hand-picked ones are the prettiest anyway.

My mandala will probably remain a one-of-a-kind piece / coaster—for now.
Because I’m using up my leftover yarn first. I need more yarn for a blanket.

I’m currently trying to bring an idea to life. It’s supposed to be a hanging decoration.

Done

—it turned out to be a coaster



What a cute idea!

The sheep coaster is great. 

That’s so cute 🥰
For me, yesterday looked like this....

I helped my sister throw as much as possible into the big dumpster.... but hey, everyone was in a good mood, with three dogs in the middle of it all and a child 🙃 so every now and then it was time to throw a ball and build a sandcastle (the dachshund helped dig the moat) 🤣 
Today I’m a little tired...

Wow, that looks wild and like a lot of work. 

We actually managed to throw the bulk of it into the dumpster yesterday....  Tomorrow we’ll pick up “everything you can scoop up with a shovel.” The wood and the metal sheets from the roof have been set aside because they have to be disposed of separately.... If they’d built the roof back then to be just as “sturdy” as the rest 😁, it could have stood there for at least another 100 years.... 

Now July is almost over.....

I’ve only done a little bit more embroidery on my sheep 



And yesterday I did some sewing again



What’s new with you all? I’m curious

I’ve already admired your sweater in the gallery. I really like the colors, and it caught my eye right away. Is that cotton? As a granny square fan, I naturally really like the back.

I’ve started something new. Now I have an embroidery project, a sewing project, and a crochet project on the go, and I can choose. Hope none of them end up as UFOs

Thank you so much.

I looked through my scraps and found just what I needed. These colors definitely go well with a lot of things.
Yes, it’s cotton—perfect for the heat. It has lots of holes, after all.  That’s why I left off the sleeves. It’s really comfortable to wear—I’ve already tried it on. 

You’ve finished so many beautiful things lately, whether embroidered or sewn. At your pace, I’m sure you don’t have any UFOs. Unfortunately, I’m not very talented at sewing or embroidery. Have fun with your projects.

I wish everyone a wonderful week.

Best regards, Marion


I can show something too 😁 it’s finally finished..... 

I really love these embroidered sheep so much, I’m totally in love.... 
But right now, I’ve somehow run out of steam with crafting. I can’t really find a project that appeals to me at the moment.... 
Macramé is currently on my “tempts me” list, but I’d have to get some cord .... and that’s where the whole thing falls apart. I just can’t get myself to drive off and get it. I know where I can get it, and it would only be a quick stop in the store, choose a color, pay, and go back home.... 
I bought myself a dress, I had one like it before and really wore it a lot, until at some point it was just “worn out”..... Now I have this one hanging here, and honestly I don’t even know when I’m supposed to wear it.... It’s a very simple long dress, basically the kind you “throw on” and you always look “dressed”..... 
I’m getting in my own way again right now....  Hopefully I’ll find an intersection soon.... 😁

Steffi, your carrying strap is the crowning touch to your wonderful bag. 

I’m also having “slumps” again and again at the moment and can’t do any crafting for days. Everything is too exhausting for me. Is it because of the strange summer and this weather? I don’t know. 

Thank goodness these days eventually pass, and then there are days when I once again have lots of energy and enthusiasm for new projects. 

Thanks.... I actually warped the original colors from the bag onto the loom. 
Right now, I’ve sat down at the loom again. That’s because I can take it outside for a bit, sit in the shade for half an hour, and weave a couple of pattern repeats...  Of course, only when my husband isn’t around—he thinks, “I go from one hobby to the next, and he runs from one job to the next,” which obviously isn’t true. It’s not my fault that a lot of household chores just go unnoticed, even though they still take time and energy.... And it’s not my fault that he doesn’t have any hobbies at all 🤷

And I finished making/weaving two more keychains.... 

The last few days up here in Schleswig-Holstein have actually been quite pleasant. At least there’s been a light breeze now and then, and I have a few shady spots in the garden to sit in... 

Oh, it’s really quiet here.

The idea with the woven bag strap is brilliant, Steffi. It looks great.
Does that make the strap really sturdy?

You’ve made some beautiful things there; things are a bit slow on my end right now. I’m not very motivated, and definitely not feeling creative.

We were in Holland, and at a tourist market where the vendors were wearing traditional costumes and there were lots of old crafts, I picked up two skeins of wool.
I want to make a floor lamp with a crocheted shade, and I really liked the color for that—but I’ve already tried a few things, and no pattern is making me happy.
On Monday we found an old lamp, and yesterday I took the shade apart. We’ll see when I manage to finish the whole thing…
But for now, I can sand down and refinish the base… that’s tedious work, so my creativity can take a little nap for now.

What a great idea. Breathing new life into an old lamp. I definitely really like the color of your yarn. I love that mustard yellow.

It’s just amazing to see all the things people are doing here to pass the time.

But now there are already three of us who are feeling a bit burned out right now 😱—hopefully things will get better soon. 

@ Claudia.... The strap is tablet-woven.... 
It’s really sturdy, ideal for a dog collar and leash, too. 
I like the idea with the lampshade. And I like the color of the yarn. 
I probably would have knitted something rather than crocheted it. 

This morning I wanted to work on the plotter, but suddenly my Google Drive disappeared 😳 no files left.... It took me forever to find them again, and then I didn’t have any time left to plot 🥴 I need a new laptop.... Unfortunately, it’s not worth taking it to the “PC Doc” anymore either; it’s sooo old. A used one of the same kind would cost less than the doctor’s visit 😁 Unfortunately, I don’t have anyone in my family who knows about this stuff. So I’ll have to save up a bit again for now... 

Hey there... even though we’ve already made it to August (where did the time go?)
I finished knitting a sock yesterday 😊 well, not 100% yet, but see for yourself...

What’s that???? 

I don’t usually knit socks—I’ve only knitted two pairs in my entire life. Most of the time, it was just about the patterns; with this one, I simply wanted to see how this construction knits up. Bottom line: St. Nicholas can come 😁 Knitting the perfect size is pretty difficult because it’s hard to adjust, and it’s knitted in garter stitch, which doesn’t feel very comfortable....
  My next project will be pretty small—I’m knitting a chameleon out of leftover sock yarn.
First, a quick walk with the dog, then I’ll print out the pattern and dig through my scrap box for yarn....
Have a great start to the week 😊

A St. Nicholas stocking? Is it sewn together at the bottom of the sole, over the heel? The pattern definitely looks great. 

Maybe you’ll show us the finished stocking. 

I don’t really like knitting stockings either, but while browsing I saw a St. Nicholas stocking pattern for sewing. We’ll see—once my blanket and my many UFOs are finished.......

The blanket is coming along

Yeah.... I still have to sew this together using Kitchener stitch, then I’ll have the seam at the back of the calf, over the heel, and under the foot.... The two triangles form the heel.... then I just need to close it up at the toe, and the sock is done....
And since I definitely don’t want to knit a second one—and this one turned out pretty big—it’s perfect for St. Nicholas Day 😄 


Completely finished 🥳🥳🥳
Just way too long at the foot.... 

It turned out beautifully. Too long? For a cold winter day or evening, it could actually be a little longer. The pattern and the spiral design are great. Was it fun, or more of a struggle? You always pick out really great projects—nothing is boring, but everything is totally exciting. 

Good morning....
I don’t have a problem with the length at the calf—the foot is too long; or rather, it ended up being more like a size 42. My nephew would call them “clown socks”.... 
The knitting itself was quite easy. I used a provisional cast-on and then placed stitch markers for the heel. I then knitted according to a knitting chart in a slipped-stitch pattern.... For the toe, I used short rows. In principle, it’s actually easy. 
At first I thought they’d be uncomfortable to wear because of the garter stitch and the seam, but honestly, they’re quite comfortable. With a sole added, they’d make great “house slippers” 😊
I might just end up putting them back on the needles 😉 but then in a different color—this one was just a test run. 

Wow, Steffi, that sock is awesome. I’ve never seen anything like that before… I just imagine it would be tricky to get the size right.
They’re definitely cozy for wearing around the house.

I’ll add weaving to my list (man, it’s gotten sooooo long by now…), that sounds interesting.
Were you able to fix your computer problem?

Petra, your blanket is definitely going to be great—a labor of love that’s worth it. It gives off such a cozy feeling.

The last few days here have been pretty crazy…

My sister and I went to look at another accessible apartment for her, and for the first time, everything was just right… now we just have to wait and see if she gets approved.
After that, we were both laid up for a few days—we must have caught a stomach bug.

Then my father-in-law called to say that my mother-in-law was in the hospital with a dislocated hip (for the sixth time now) and needed surgery right away—which has since happened.
So we quickly picked up a few “little treats to lift her spirits” and sent them on their way.

In the meantime, I’ve been working on the lamp… I think it’s going to turn out really nice.
The brass is polished, the wood has been resealed, and my sweetheart has redone the wiring.
Now all that’s left is to finish the lampshade…

@Claudia—your week has been quite eventful. Wishing your mother-in-law a speedy recovery and quick healing.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for your sister that it works out with the apartment. There probably won’t be too many options that meet the right criteria. I’ve noticed this with my friend—they’re looking for an apartment nearby for her sister after her husband passed away very suddenly. 

I’m really looking forward to seeing your lampshade.

I’ve finished another pattern block and have started cutting out the next one. Today we’re going to visit my mother-in-law, so I’ll take a few blocks with me and ask her to look in her linen closet for any floral or green fabrics. I hope she has something she might be willing to give me. I think a very light green would work well.

Two new





I’ve been doing a little crafting here and there....
The computer is running again—well, actually, it’s more like limping along, but it’s still able to plot.... 
This little guy here will be Alex’s birthday present—he’s getting a new kids’ room, and this decoration fits right in. He’s already received this little guy 

Yesterday my sister brought me a big stack of paper—she went on a shopping spree...

I’m so excited to see your projects, the lampshade, and the finished blanket.

No wonder I can spend ages wondering why there’s nothing going on in the handicrafts forum when I’ve once again missed the new month and then haven’t clicked on anything there. That’s annoying; I’d really like something like a permanent subscription to the handicrafts group. 

@Petra: I’ve now seen your placemat and little sheep - how lovely! I really like the style of the placemat; I’d like to try making one too, although I don’t have fabrics as nice as yours.
I posted in the neighborhood WhatsApp group asking them to think of me if they have things for the used clothing collection, especially things like bedding, etc., but so far no one has responded. 
I’m using up old T-shirts, and two fitted sheets have already had to be sacrificed (they were full of holes from the cat anyway). Next I’ll use pillowcases (80x80), which I don’t use anyway because I have a special neck pillow, and there are fitted pillowcases around those too. 

Following a pattern here, I finished my first butterfly-shaped neck pillow. It was my first zipper; it worked on the second try.
Thanks to Akela’s wise advice, I’ve been able to learn quite a bit lately. 
There’s also a lot of frustration involved as more or less a beginner, though, and phew, sitting at the sewing machine is really not good for my back and neck. I can only do short sessions at a time. 

I much prefer lounging relaxed in front of the TV and crocheting. 

Here’s my pillow: 

I wanted to crochet a little more, but in this heat the yarn sticks to your hands. I’ll be so glad when this awful heat is over.

@Anja - are those cotton fabrics you’re using for your butterfly? Because the fabrics are really great and would also make lovely seat cushions / placemats / pot holders when paired with solid-color stripes. 

Great that it worked out with the zipper. Practice makes perfect. I tried it once with a bag, but haven’t done it since. But my daughter wants a pillow made from an old pair of her summer pants, so I’ll be sewing a zipper into it again. Hope I can manage it again then. 

For my blanket, I’m looking for a soft green or a light floral pattern. I’d like to check out the Diakonie shops for that this week. I’ve had success there quite a few times before. 

[Image removed]

[Image removed]

@Steffi - a Pokémon is awesome. I wouldn’t have believed you could make something like that with a plotter. And once again, the desire for a plotter is moving up the list of unfulfilled wishes. 

How big did it turn out? 

Yeah, a plotter like that is really helpful—it cuts very precisely and can also “score” the fold lines. That makes folding exactly super easy. First, it cuts everything out; then it scores the fold lines. In theory, I could even insert a pen, and it would write all the numbers for me 😁
By the way, you can also cut fabric with a rotary cutter 🙈
The sitting Pikachu is 40 cm tall and the wall-mounted one is 50 cm—
so they’re just the right size for a kid’s room 😃

I really admire everyone who works on a sewing machine. Such beautiful things...

  Last night was really rough. I got an email yesterday saying there were supposedly issues with charging my Spotify subscription… I was supposed to update my information… Of course, I didn’t do that… I still slept really badly because if they can’t charge me, my account must be way in the red… That’s when a little panic starts to set in.  I was planning to drive to the bank this morning to see what was going on. Then I checked right away on the app to see when they were actually supposed to charge me 😉
I’ve reported the email to Spotify and the Consumer Protection Agency....
“They” are getting more and more brazen 

Similar story: 
Mom’s neighbor (over 75) was looking at his bank statements and noticed a Netflix charge. He doesn’t have internet except on his cell phone and isn’t a subscriber. He called Netflix and was told he’d signed up for a subscription last month and that his bank details had been provided. He hadn’t. The bank refunded the charge (it happened twice in total), and Netflix also returned the money (he now has double the amount, but is giving it back to the bank). He didn’t click on any links; someone knows his bank details and is using them to cause trouble. Since we all disclose our bank details (to employers, health insurance companies, and for all standing orders), practically anyone can use them to sign up for online subscriptions. 
The bank filed a police report; apparently, they can find out who it was via the IP address.

Second story:
A neighbor has a company fuel card. He goes to fill up and, eight weeks later, gets a chewing-out from his employer asking what he’s up to. Fuel worth 800 euros was purchased 400 km away from his home. 
A restaurant bill for 3,000 dollars was charged to his credit or debit card in the U.S.
Apparently, someone skimmed his cards (NFC). 
That’s why I keep an RFID blocker in my wallet so that can’t happen! 

And everyone’s cheering about how great it all is—globalization and digitizing everything as much as possible.... 
I recently got a job offer from Indonesia 🥴—would I have ended up working for this kind of scam? Working about three hours a day, I could have made up to €800 per day.... I’m speechless.... 

Petra, you’re really making good progress… didn’t you find anything suitable at your mother-in-law’s? How big do the pieces of fabric need to be for you to be able to work with them?
You did a great job on the zippered bag, and the more you do it, the easier it gets.

Steffi, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that your computer doesn’t crash… I’m so glad my husband has that all under control for us.
I’ve been tempted by a plotter like that for a while now, and seeing your great pictures has me itching again, and my brain already has a few ideas… though I really don’t want to start anything new. I’m going to give myself another slap on the wrist. 

Anja, I like your colorful butterfly—it looks cozy. I’m sure it’ll look great even when it’s not in use.

Yes, scammers are getting better and better these days, and it’s sometimes hard not to fall for them… I always check the relevant account directly first, without using the link. It’s not as easy to spot as it was a few years ago.

I’ve finished my lamp now; after a few test patterns, I settled on this very simple lace pattern—I like it best. In the end, I never really liked the more playful pattern I’d originally wanted.
So it’ll stay this way, and we love the warm light created by the color of the yarn. 

By now, our living room has really taken on quite a retro vibe…

Claudia, your lamp is awesome. It would fit right in at my place, too. I’d prefer it in pink or natural tones, but it’s a really great idea and beautifully executed. The best part about DIY is that you can choose colors that match the rest of your decor. You’d never have found the perfect lamp in a store.

  As for your question about the fabric—no, my mother-in-law didn’t have anything to spare. But I actually enjoy searching for it myself—scouring flea markets and thrift stores to see what’s available. In the meantime, I definitely have plenty of other fabrics in stock.

I finished No. 14 yesterday. 

 

The lamp is awesome 😀 
a one-of-a-kind piece, and if you could find it in a store, it would surely only be as a designer item and completely unaffordable. The pattern fits perfectly.

It’s muggy as a laundry room here today 🥴 Rain, way too warm, and humidity you can almost touch. Even without the light rain, you’d be soaked in no time. It feels like being in a sauna. My dog still needs to go for a walk in a minute, though—a short, very leisurely one. She also has such a thick coat, just as you’d expect from a livestock guardian dog... The day before yesterday, she stood in the pond for half an hour without moving; I would have let her stay there, but I was standing right in the middle of the meadow in the sun 🤣 

You should’ve jumped in the pond with us, Steffi.

Claudia, that’s a great lampshade, and the little rhinestone is a nice touch—it all goes together beautifully, and both are real eye-catchers!

Back then, I crocheted chains of chain stitches onto my broken paper lampshade. They’re actually pretty handy—I can hang my glasses, cables, and other things on them: 

Here’s my No. 14

*Thumbs up* for all your lovely crafts.

I’m just fiddling away with my leftover yarn. Don’t have anything to show yet.

Whoa Petra,  you really are trying your way through all the patterns, respect! 

Andrea, are you joining the contest with the leftovers? 

I finally found Ina’s rug again and worked on it some more yesterday. I’d forgotten how much fun it is: crocheting, cranking, weaving, sewing in ends. 
It’s really slow going, though, but the leftovers are being used up beautifully. 

Anja, your rug looks great. How big do you want it to be?

Not sure yet. I’ll see how it goes. Long enough for the hallway or the bathroom would be good. But that’ll take a while.
I had major problems with the Prym Mühle yesterday—stitches kept dropping. 🤬

Good evening,

Giveaway? Did I miss something?

Anja, Your blanket already looks great, and you’ve already got so far. I have the pattern too; I only tried it out briefly, but then other projects got in the way again.
I don’t have any problems with my Prym mill. You have to crank it more slowly, but it’s a great thing. Saves time.

At the moment I’m crocheting mosaic granny squares again.

The rug is turning out really nice... I could also imagine making it with thin yarn and then using it in the hallway for the cabinets instead of the usual doilies.....
Prym crank/mill????
That would be an idea to “ask for”... I’ve seen a few that were made with a 3D printer 🤔 I’ll ask my son if his printer has some time for me. He’s already printed a weaving board for me and a matching shuttle.
  I’m totally wiped out tonight—I actually did my tax return “on my own,” meaning without an accounting firm. That’s always so expensive, and honestly, I don’t have anything complicated to report....
Now it’s time to put my feet up with a cappuccino and some yarn. 

Cappuccino and yarn are a nice reward :-)

I get along better with thinner yarn, but I don’t know if there are different types of knitting spools. After a while, I end up standing on a chair to keep the weight suspended in the air—I always think, “Hopefully no one sees me doing this…”

Have I shown you these two yet?

For No. 19, I still need to sew the strips together, and No. 20 might be the last one for my first blanket.

It would end up measuring 150 cm x 180 cm. 



I’m really curious to see what the blanket will look like when it’s finished.

I just discovered the I-cord maker online—it looks like three knitting machine needles or those latch hooks, just three side by side 🤔. It looks interesting.
That would also work for thinner yarn. On the other hand, my son could 3D-print the knitting mill for me and then adjust the size in the file. I’ll check out “his” platform to see what kind of nice files they have there 😉 

You can print a knitting loom????

I’m currently trying to sew a better cover for my vein pillow and am struggling due to a lack of expertise—the devil really is in the details.
  Let’s see what our sewing expert here has to say.
A total gap in the market: online sewing consultant—you make a video call and show your problem—boom, solved, back to work! 

....with a 3D printer, you can print almost anything made of “plastic”.... You just need the right file 😁 and the right material (filament)
I’ve already found one 😉.
There’s even food-safe filament, so you can print kitchen accessories, like cookie cutters, for example 

I’m totally surprised and speechless.

It would be great if you could show us your knitting dolly sometime.

We have toilet paper holders from the printer, but a knitting dolly—I’m curious

But you have to print single lines, and the crank has to be able to move. I just don’t get it. 

If you take a look at your crank, you’ll see various individual parts.... Some parts are glued together after printing; these are printed with snap-fit connections and then glued. And you can also print “moving parts.”
The little guy up there is printed in one piece, and after printing, he’s carefully made “movable”.... There are ball joints inside that connect the individual segments... 

Something to keep me busy this weekend....

I was at a household clearance sale today and found a great curtain. I’m going to turn it into tablecloths.

Before washing and sewing, I’ll have to remove the ribbon first

My first potholder—phew! 
What always looks so easy in the tutorials... whew. The corners! 😵‍💫 
And then sewing it so that the tape is caught on both sides. At first I wasn’t paying proper attention and didn’t fold the corners at right angles; you notice that when you can’t get around the corner. 🤯 So I had to rip it out again... 
Inside I used an old fleece blanket as filling, but it seems pretty thin to me. 🤔

I watched another tutorial—what do you all think about making your own bias tape? I found some gadgets for it; the reviews are good. Because sewing supplies are so expensive these days. You can actually get zippers cheaper than bias tape—pretty odd! 🙃


By the way, it’s made from an old curtain from my neighbor. I wanted to make her some potholders as a thank-you, but I still need to practice! 

Wow, you guys are hard at work again.
I crocheted a little Halloween doll using a free online pattern. The rest is my own creation. I’m still deciding whether to crochet some hair or leave it as is.

It turned out cute. Hair would definitely be a nice addition

I’d like some hair, too. 

OK, thank you.

I’ve been doing a little sewing and I’m totally frustrated. I want to sew a star-shaped pillow, but you have to sew 15 squares together and ugh..... In the tutorial, it looks so easy-peasy, but in real life, it’s like this: 
Sew the squares together like this and that… okay… hmpf, once again I put the right side together with the wrong side. Unpick it. Focus—the next square fits. But on the one after that, I wasn’t paying attention again and sewed pretty side to ugly side again. *snort*
After the third square, the sides no longer line up exactly—I’m stumped. Should I use the center as a guide, where all the seams will meet at the end, or can I be a bit more “lenient” toward the bottom edge? Spoiler: toward the seam, that’s a really bad idea, but toward the bottom too—huh, why doesn’t the seamstress in the video have this problem? The squares were all the same size; I just don’t get it.
Meanwhile, some of the little seams on my patchwork squares are coming undone, so I decide to run some of the new sewing machine’s cool decorative stitches over them. Stupid idea. It works great on the test fabric, but not on the patchwork, since it includes some slightly thinner fabrics too. Clatter, rumble, beeeep—the fabric got jammed in the feed mechanism. I undo the little screws (4 times in total!!!!!!), untangle it, put the screws back in, and I’m beyond annoyed; my neck is already complaining about the stupid head position from screwing, sewing, and unpicking again. On the fourth time, the needle won’t even go back up anymore, and the machine is making shrill noises—waaaahhhh. My blood pressure is rising, my pulse is pounding.
The needle plate won’t come off, everything is totally tangled up; I poke toward the fabric lump with the seam ripper and eventually get it loose. I’m done. 
Then I think, oh, it’s only a few more squares, watch the video again, see how she lays the squares together, and still don’t quite get it. What’s wrong with my eye-brain coordination? 

Yeah, sewing totally relaxes me. Not. 

Oh Anja, I totally get it....... Mixing up the left and right sides, placing a square on the wrong side.... I know that feeling. And unraveling isn’t really fun.

I’m really struggling with the triangles. I’m already on my 7th square, but I can’t figure out how many cm I need to cut to end up with xx cm. I can’t even use my Excel spreadsheet to calculate the triangles, so in the end I either have to trim some off or sew on an extra 1 cm.

I’m sticking with rectangles for now, and once I’ve mastered those, I’ll move on to other shapes.

Set it aside for two days, then take another look and get back to sewing.

Good luck! 



Dear Petra,
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who’s completely baffled.

I’ve finished the pillow now—one side looks chic, but the other looks kind of weirdly squashed because the seams just DON’T meet nicely in the middle. Of course, right in the middle of nowhere, another seam came undone, so I sewed it back together by hand.
Then I had another bout of “crafting dementia”—I forgot yet again how to do that old mattress stitch 🤪 and had to watch a tutorial once more—how did I ever manage without them?
By the way, I discovered this week that there are short videos on various topics here, too! I’d never noticed them before—is this new, or was I just blind to it?

The star pillow, by the way, gobbled up 5 tons of stuffing.
I actually wanted to make an even bigger one for the cat, but phew, goodbye stuffing. 🛸👽
But I’ll give it another shot.
First, though, I need to make that darn elastic cover for the vein pillow.

Otherwise, I’ll keep working on the crochet dress—it already goes past my butt, but it still needs to reach my ankles... sigh

It’s a handmade project—and it’s quilting/patchwork—so I think it’s okay if a seam is a little crooked. And we’re probably much more likely to notice the mistakes than the guest, who’s sure to love the pillow.

  I really like the star pillow.

I filled a big pumpkin I made with old sweaters—maybe that’ll work for your pillow too, then you can save on the stuffing. The orange one is as big as a soccer ball.

[Image removed]

Traritrara Dementia strikes again: the star pillow is called KRONENKISSEN 🫣🙄🤭😶‍🌫️

I still think it’s nice 😊 

Thanks, Steffi ♡

Anja, don’t be so hard on yourself: the pillow looks great!👍

Ho ho, the little stuffing St. Nicholas is here! 

I finally finished my second crocheted sweater, similar to the khaki-colored one, with small changes. 

That looks great on you 😍😍

I’ve got a “yarn mess” here 😁—I cut the threads for my macramé project yesterday and tied the first knots this morning.... It’s actually kind of fun.
  It’s so stiflingly hot up here right now that I actually turned on the fan, curled up in the living room, and am continuing to tie knots. Miss Senil, the cat (15), comes into the house meowing about every 15 minutes and needs something—she doesn’t really know what—and the dog is lying under the corner bench, snoozing.... 

A first photo.... 

Anja, your sweater looks great with all those different shades of green. Kudos for your perseverance.
It was worth it. I’m fiddling around here with some small crochet projects. I’ll post a picture later (I always take them with my phone). I’m writing this on my computer (it’s faster).

It’s so hot everywhere. No one can stand it.
Hope you’re all doing well.

Hugs, Andrea

I used to do macramé a long time ago. I really like it, but I’m not quite ready to start a new project yet. Steffi, I’m curious to see what you’ll come up with.

Anja, your sweater turned out great. The colors are so fresh—really pretty.

It rained again this morning here, but it’s still nice and warm, and the sun keeps peeking through now and then. 

I’m in the kitchen. I got a whole bunch of zucchini and green beans as a gift. They need to be used up. First, I’m making pickled zucchini, then I’ll tackle the green beans..... My husband is happy that we’re having green bean salad again—thank goodness 🤣


Mosaics and small coasters based on a video tutorial

Here is the new thread for the September projects. Please continue the discussion via the link. 
September Projects 2024: the Crazypatterns crafting group