October is finally here!

I'm so excited for the new month and Halloween. Almost every year, I am asked by friends and family to make Halloween costumes, cakes or decorations.

I made a few wreaths from fabric pieces. I found some cute decorations to make the wreath that much better.

 

Another favorite is making cakes. I've only done two pumpkin cakes but I love both.

 These cakes were done for a photo shoot for a catalog company I worked for. I'll be doing another post which features those cakes.

Last but not least, we have the costumes. I've crocheted and sewed these items.

 

This year is no different. I have been tasked with creating a family costume themed around Cinderella. The dad will be Prince Charming. The mom will be the Fairy Godmother. The oldest daughter will be Cinderella. The younger daughter will be a mouse. We went to the thrift store last week and purchased a few items for me to transform into these costumes. This is what I have to start with:

Crocheting... a lost art?!

I went to a local store the other day to purchase some sewing supplies. The cashier was an older gentleman. He mentioned that not many people from my generation know how to crochet or sew. I would tend to agree with him. I'm surprised at how many of my friends don't know these basic skills. I love crocheting. My mom, grandma and aunt taught me to crochet. I've learned new techniques from various people in my life, including my great grandma. I have made many different items from flowers to dresses. Lately, I do smaller projects since my hands hurt after too long.


My cousin had boy girl twins a few years ago. I made hats for each of them.

When my cousin's granddaughter was blessed, I was able to make her headband. Her dress was made by my aunt.

Yes, I know the flowers are insanely HUGE but that's what the mama wanted.

Grocery shopping yields HUNDREDS of plastic bags. My grandma has cut bags into strips and crocheted bags. I decided to try this myself. 

I cut the bags into 1 1/2 - 2 inch strips. 

I then weaved them together to make my "yarn". 

I wound it up into a large ball. 

I could now start my crochet project. In this case, I made a pool bag. We got season passes for a water park and I knew that we'd be carrying wet clothes. I chose to make the plastic crochet bag for this since it was sturdy and would be the perfect material to get wet.

My love of Crochet

In my family, crocheting is a common thing. My grandma is known for her beautiful baby dresses. My mom has followed in her footsteps and also makes these dresses for family and close friends. Both my mom and grandma tried to teach me but were unsuccessful since I was left handed and they were right. My Aunt Cheryl is who taught me to crochet. As a child, she would always send crocheted gifts for the holidays. She took the time to teach me this craft. I'm so grateful for my knowledge. Once I learned, my mom and grandma were able to help me try their baby dress pattern. As my mom and grandma age (sorry, ladies) I realize that this tradition will fall to me. I guess I need to brush up on my dress making skills. 

In the mean time, I like to crochet other stuff which is not so time consuming. My recent favorite is headbands and flowers. Flowers are great since you can use scrap yarn.

I have used my knowledge of the baby dress pattern that my mom and grandma make and decided to make a skirt instead. This skirt is still in progress. The bottom is just about done and I still need to add another ruffle.

 

I made a headband for my cousin's grand-daughters baby blessing. This beautiful dress was made by my Aunt Cheryl.

And finally, storage for my crochet hooks, needle, and a pair of scissors. I repurposed my old Mary Kay brush holder. I used embroidery floss to make the pockets smaller for my hooks. I think it turned out pretty good. I am thinking I may re-do it with pink though.