Bike Barstool

I found the designer, Andy Gregg while surfing the web.  He creates furniture out of old bikes.  I really like this barstool he made.  He makes tables, chairs and stools with recycled steel and aluminum bicycle rims, handlebars and rims.  It is definitely unique and edgy.

Crayon Art

 Here is a fun project that I did with my daughter a couple of weeks ago.

Materials:
Wax Paper
Crayon Shavings
Iron
Pencil
Scissors


Instructions:

1.  Shave some crayons into small pieces.
2.  Trace a shape on two pieces of wax paper.
3.  Let the kids decorate one side of the wax paper with the crayon shavings.
4.  Place the other piece of wax paper on top and your ready for ironing.
5.  Put the iron on a low setting (I had mine on high, which might be why the wax paper crinkled) and then
     place a piece of paper between the iron and the wax paper art.
6.  Iron and then cut out the shape.
7.  You can then punch a hole into it and hang.

My Road Trip Craft

We thought it was a good idea to drive our kids 14 hours one way to my brother's wedding.  We found out that my son hates the car just as much as our daughter did when she was a baby.  I'm thinking road trips might be put on hold until he can at least be forward facing in his carseat.  The wedding was fabulous!  You'll see the beautiful outfits my mom made for my kids in an upcoming post.  ADORABLE!  
On to what I made in the car...... I decided on a knitting project.  I love that knitting is so portable and you can seriously bring it anywhere with you.  I actually get a bunch of my knitting done in the car.  Don't worry I'm always in the passenger seat while I'm knitting.  I think it helped with my sanity while I was in the car.  While I was feeling like this.....

I just kept knitting.  I made a princess hat.  It doesn't really look like one now, but it will be felted and then stand up on it's own.  I'll post what it looks like after it is felted.

 

Split Seat

My furniture find for Friday is called the Split Seat. It is made from sheets of leather and then a honeycomb pattern is cut out from the leather.  Then, it is stretched over a mold and put in boiling water.  The split seat will dry in that shape and take on a rigid form.  The designer of the Split Seat is Isao Takezawa. 

Kid's Kitchen

I really love the kids kitchens made of wood and enlisted my husband and dad to build my daughter one.  We found the plans for a fridge, sink and oven here.  It turned out so nice.  She absolutely loves it and her friends enjoy coming over to play with it.

Another Apron

I made up another apron for a birthday present.  I really like this apple and pear fabric.  It makes a great apron. I used the same pattern as I did for the previous apron.  Here's the apron, minus my little model.  She was already asleep for the night.

Peppered

Peppered is an outdoor table designed by Charlie Davidson.  The base of the table is made from metal that has been laser cut with dots punched out.  Charlie is a talented furniture designer based in Sweden.  His philosophy is "Design is simply, make it beautifully and be sure it's necessary."  To see more of his work click here.

Unique Wedding Gift

My brother and future sister in-law are getting married in the next few weeks and I made a personalized gift for them.  I've been looking at the wooden letters at the craft store for awhile now and have been trying to figure out what I could do with them to make a unique wedding gift.  If you look closely I put their wedding date in the letter. 
First, I painted the letter and after it dried I used sandpaper to make the letter appear old.  Next, I took a paddle bit and drilled a hole into the letter to inset the number.  The rest of the letter is embellished with a few buttons, a bead, a wood circle, and metal wire.  It was a fun project and I think I might have to make one for myself.  

Waffle Knit

I tried out a new knitting pattern this weekend, a waffle knit dishcloth.  I really like how it turned out and see myself making up more of these in the future.  I found the pattern here.

Child's Apron

This past week I decided to sew up a little apron for a birthday present.  I found the pattern here.  I embellished it a bit by adding a ruffle to the bottom and front pockets.  It was pretty quick to sew up and turned out super cute.  Here's a picture of my daughter modeling the apron.  Notice her matching cherry socks.  She came up with that on her own.

Orator Coffee Table

Last week I ran out of time and missed my usual Friday furniture post.  I almost skipped it this week, but I really like finding cool furniture so here it is.  It is a called the Orator Coffee Table.  The designer is Toby Howes, a talented U.K. furniture designer. The coffee table has 3 pieces that can be removed with each one becoming a side table.  This leaves behind a sculptural piece that has pops of color.  Very cool.

Felted Wallet

My latest knitting project is a cute felted wallet. I haven't ever felted anything before, but it turned out really neat and I can't wait to knit up something else to felt. Felting works the best when you knit with a 100% wool yarn.  After you;re done knitting you throw it in the washing machine with some towels on hot. Let the piece air dry.  I added the button and used a blanket stitch to embellish the wallet.  Next time I'll remember to take some before shots so you can see how felting changes the piece.

Smocked Dresses

My mom makes the most exquisite smocked dresses.  I've been so lucky that she's made them for my daughter.  She taught me how to smock and I have to say that I have a greater appreciation for the work it takes to make one of these lovely dresses.  It is pretty tedious, but when it is complete you have a great sense of satisfaction. Here is a recent dress that she made for my daughter and niece.

Top Number Two

I was so pleased with how my first top turned out that I thought I'd make another ruffly top for myself.  I used a different pattern for this top.  I planned on using this fabric on the first top I made, but I didn't read the pattern and it was intended for knits only.  That will teach me not to read the recommended fabrics for the pattern.  Luckily, I did find another ruffly top pattern that I could use this cotton fabric. I plan on making a few more before the summer is over.