31 December 2018

Snowflake Monday


White Christmas by Celtic Woman

We didn't get a white Christmas, but we got a tiny bit of snow on Boxing Day, and my white picotee amaryllis fully opened on Christmas Eve!

Because today's pattern is my 600th, I wanted it to be something spectacular and memorable. I've been saving snowflake inspiration from photographers Don Komarechka and Alexey Kljatov, but I just haven't had time to sit down and really study the photographic detail of my favorite flakes.

Don's second snowflake in this year's December Snowflake-a-Day really caught my attention, and I've been visually imagining stitches to recreate it in thread ever since December 2. Today's pattern is a result of visualizing the flake but not looking at the actual photograph.


I hope to one day create another snowflake patterned more precisely after this snowflake, but today's pattern didn't turn out too bad, in my opinion. The smaller versions of it (fewer rounds) also will make terrific tiny appliques for my Moda Blockheads quilt top when I am able to get back to that (hopefully soon, now that the new year is almost here and work demands may go back to normal within a few days).

Mini New Year's Eve Snowflakes

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You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!


Finished Size: 2.5 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 7 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, water soluble school glue or desired stiffener, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

New Year's Eve Snowflake Instructions

Foundation Round: [Ch 6, sl st in 5th ch from hook] 5 times; ch 1, loosely sl st in starting ch to complete Round; ch 2, 1 tr in gap between last 2 sl st, catching at least 2 threads, to form 6th ch 5 loop of Round.

Round 1: 3 sc over post of tr directly below, [5 sc in next ch 5 loop] 5 times; 2 sc in next ch 5 loop; sl st in starting sc.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 2: 2 sc in same sc as sl st, [ch 3, sk next 4 sc, 3 sc in next sc] 5 times; ch 3, sk next 4 sc, 1 sc in next sc; sl st in starting sc.

Round 3: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc and ch 1), 3 dc in next sc, [sk next ch 3 sp, 3 dc in next sc, ch 1, 1 dc in next sc, ch 1, 3 dc in next sc] 5 times; sk next ch 3 sp, 3 dc in next sc, ch 1, sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 1.

Round 4: [3 sc in next ch 1 sp, 1 sc in each of next 2 dc, sl st in gap between 3/dc shells, 1 sc in each of next 3 dc, 3 dc in next ch 1 sp] 6 times; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.

If using glue, mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture or desired stiffener. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

27 December 2018

Back to the Grind


How does Grandma force her way back to the sewing machine after three full months of day job overtime, not near enough sleep, and not much else???

Wear the Christmas sweatshirt she made with granddaughter's mommy when mommy was still single digits in age. We don't know what ever became of the kid sweatshirts we made back in about 1996ish, but Grandma still has and wears hers every December.




Grandbaby LOVED the shirt, especially the reindeer button, so Grandma powered through an applique session in a single afternoon following a tedious game of hide and seek with tiny stash Christmas ornaments small enough to be included on a three-year-old's shirt!




Grandma couldn't find plain, un-cartooned kid sweatshirts in any of the local stores, so she had to settle for a long-sleeved T-shirt. Most of the ornaments in her stash are not washable, so Grandma attached them with safety pins so mommy can remove the decorations for washing. A stern warning about keeping the removal and redecorating process secret until grandbaby gets a bit bigger was delivered before said package was sent.

The shirt was mailed the following day. Included was a snowflake ring (a topping from a cake at work last year) Grandma has been saving for grandbaby.


Three days later, Grandma got photos and a movie of grandbaby with her new shirt!




Grandma has since ordered an assortment of Christmas buttons... washable!!! Christmas sweatshirts (to be ordered in advance) may make the perfect gift for the rest of the grandkids next December!!!


Linking up with Busy Hands Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

24 December 2018

Snowflake Monday


Last year, I found out my little neighbor was tracking Santa on Christmas Eve, so what better day than today to share the story of how NORAD got involved with Christmas?

We are not expecting any real snow here until Boxing Day, but my white picotee amaryllis is trying hard to give me a different kind of White Christmas…




You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!


Finished Size: 6 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 7 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, school glue (make sure it is water soluble), water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

Norad Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: [2 sc in ring, ch 3] 5 times, 2 sc in ring, ch 1, 1 dc in starting sc to form 6th ch 3 sp of Round. Don’t pull magic ring too tight.

Round 2: 1 sc over post of dc directly below, [ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp] 5 times; ch 1, 1 dc in starting sc to form 6th ch 3 sp of Round.

Round 3: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 hdc and 1 sc over post of dc directly below, [in next ch 3 sp work (1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, ch 3, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc)] 5 times; in next ch 3 sp work 1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 tip of Round.

Round 4: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of dc directly below, [ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook (picot made), in next ch 3 tip work (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc)] 5 times; ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, 3 dc in next ch 3 tip; ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 sp of Round.

Round 5: Ch 3 (counts as 1 tr), 3 tr over post of dc directly below, [ch 3, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook (sc picot made), in next ch 3 tip work (4 tr, ch 3, 4 tr)] 5 times; ch 3, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook, 4 tr in next ch 3 tip; ch 1, 1 dc in 3rd ch of starting ch 3 to form 6th ch 3 sp of Round.

Round 6: Ch 4 (counts as 1 dtr), 4 dtr over post of dc directly below, [ch 7, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook and in each of next 2 ch, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 sc in next ch, in next ch 3 tip work (5 dtr, ch 7, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, 1 sc in next ch, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 dc in next ch, 1 tr in next ch, 5 dtr)] 6 times, omitting last 5 dtr of final repeat; sl st in 4th ch of starting ch 4; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.

Mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.









21 December 2018

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