An Unwritten Rule

It is an unwritten rule in an apartment community, if you have an item to get rid of and it is still a good item, place it by the dumpster so someone else may see it and make a claim on it.  Of course, there are times people do not get trash into the dumpster and it is not something to give away.  This week T found some china by the dumpster.  It is not a complete set.  I don't know anything about it, but it is very old.  Look at all of the butter pats.  How often do you see them with today's china?
I had a  discussion with a friend about butter pats, bone dishes, and salt dips. These three items along with vinegar cruets are no longer on most tables.  My friend said he was the paper and plastic kind of guy and he didn't know what butter pats, bone dishes, and salt dips were. LOL 

If you would like to read about the Northeastern Poultry Congress and see some beautiful and unusual chickens, go to :
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2014/01/virtual-poultry-show-day-at.html

I am still placing items on my Etsy store.  You are able to view the store at:
http://www.custercottage.etsy.com

How is your week going?  Today was hump day............................Thank you for viewing!  Dawnie

Push Them In, Pull Them Out, Stick Them All About

New Pin Cushions Visuals

 http://www.custercottage.com
 http://www.etsy.com/shop/CusterCottage

 

Thank you for viewing my blog!  Dawnie

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My personal pin cushion.  I collect cottages and a cottage is on my teacup.  The saucer to this teacup is missing and there is a crack down the side of the cup.  Even though flaws are in my cup, it just makes it more dear to me. 

Hidden Gem

I was sorting through some things the other day and I came across a tea cozy all completed except for the lining.  I handspun the yarn for the cozy and I crocheted it.  I wonder how many projects I have which are almost finished???  LOL   A few years ago, the basement flooded.  My craft studio was in the basement.  We had to pull out the wet carpet and toss a lot of items that were water logged.  When we were doing the clean up, we stacked things on top of each other with little organization .  I am grateful for placing this tea cozy in a plastic bag, because I have a feeling I put it aside to do the flood clean up and I forgot about it.  I am also grateful that I put a tag on the cozy identifying the fibers in the handspun yarn.  I have many different types of wool and I like to keep track of which breed of sheep, or if it is mohair from an angora goat, or if it is angora from an angora rabbit, or if I added sparkle or other fun things to the yarn.  This cozy has a little sparkle in it, but the camera does not pick that up.  Here are photos of the tea cozy without the lining.  I will be completing the lining soon.  Really.

 

New project I am working on.  The stitches are small and the yarn is dark, so it goes slow.  

I saw a lady with the most beautiful white/silver hair.  She was not that old, but her hair went white when she was younger than most.  I decided to let my hair go gray/white/silver and not color the natural high-lights.  I earned every one of them!  I am old enough to be a grandmother, even though I do not want to admit it.  This is my new hair cut, but the gray is not showing on the picture as much as it does in my mirror.  LOL

Most of the gray is around the ears and right on top.

I hope you had a wonderful day.  Stay c o z y warm tomorrow, it is to be a very cold day here.

  Dawnie

What's Up?

I broke my camera again, so I haven't blogged for a couple of weeks.  You may have thought I had the flu.  So many people have the flu around here and it lasts for 3-4 weeks! I am allergic to the flu shot, so I hope it does not land at our home.  How have you been?  I bought me something special last month and it finally came.  It is a Black Americana pot holder. Isn't she adorable?  I will be attempting to make some like her so I can use them and I will be able to keep the vintage one. 

As I was placing labels on some of my projects, I decided to make a pin cushion out of a ball jar so I can keep my labels, embroidery floss for sewing on the labels, a little pair of scissors, the labels, pins and needles all together.  This is what I came up with.   I just happened to find a plastic canning ring from way back when I made cross stitch tops for canning jars.  OK, it is probably 20 years old by now.  LOL

I made several baby bibs.  Many have been given away since several people I know have new babies.  I am also placing several on Etsy and my website.          
https://www.etsy.com/shop/CusterCottage
and
http://www.custercottage.com

 

 

Another new chicken pot holder.  This one is made with gray tweed and beige acrylic yarn.  The eye  is made with a rhinestone button.  A swirl of beige yarn goes from the center outward on this large chicken.

Thank you for viewing!  Keep well!  Dawnie

Little Bro Visit

My brother visited at Christmas.  I don't get to see him very often and I was thrilled that I got to see him.  I hope you were able to be with your friends and family over the holidays.  Dawnie

Snaps

I purchased one of those new gadgets to use for putting snaps on clothing and other odds and ends.  I am addicted.  I originally purchased the gadget for putting snaps on the back of baby bibs.  I ordered the gadget first and then I made several bibs, experimenting with the size and shape.  I waited for the item to arrive.  It came rather quickly, but the snaps took another couple weeks to arrive.  I had to order more colors this weekend because I am addicted to the fun!  I gave away some of the bibs, but here are the results:

I purchased the tool for attaching snaps at:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251393933125?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
I purchased the snaps at:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/400248725165?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
The best bib pattern is here:
http://www.craftaholicsanonymous.net/free-bib-pattern-for-all-skill-levels

I made a few changes in the shape and I placed snaps on the bottom so there could be a pocket.  As you see, the pocket goes out a little.  The placement of the upper snaps is 1/4" in so it would help the pocket poke out and work better.  The bib can be unsnapped for washing.  I used cotton quilting fabric for the top and flannel for the back.  After experimenting with one piece of flannel and one piece of quilting fabric, I thought they should have 2 pieces of flannel and one piece of quilting fabric for the top.  One piece of flannel didn't seem thick enough for catching spills.  I tried fleece and other backings, but they did sew as smoothly as flannel.

The snaps are easy to put on.  I only had one that did not quite stay on right.  I am sure that I had the tool over too far, or something like that.  If you are wondering about purchasing a snap setting tool, you can get them at local fabric stores.  I do a lot of purchases on line so I ordered mine on-line.  I hope my projects were inspirations for you.  If you have any comments or questions, please let me know.  Thank you for looking at my blog!  Dawnie

Oddity

I have viewed pictures of odd looking chicken eggs on the Internet, but my chickens have not laid any of these oddities, until now.  I finally have one.  It has shrunk a little over the day.  Instead of it laid and left in the nesting boxes, it was on the floor of the coop.  Maybe the hen knew it was not up to normal standards.  LOL

 New chicken pot holder.  I sell my pot holders in my web store at:  http://www.custercottage.com

Thank you for viewing!  Happy New Year!  Dawnie