Spring Cleaning Sale

Just a quick post to let everyone know that through May 1st Freckled Crafts will be holding a sale. 15% off everything! Lets make room for new items!!!

Harry Potter Trunk Swap: What I sent

More recently I've been getting into craft swaps again. I used to do them in college but now instagram has turned into a great place to find swaps. I did the Halloween Basket Swap last September, the Downton Abbey Swap a few months ago and just wrapped up the Harry Potter Swap last week.

I think what makes a swap truly successful is a good organizer. Mari-Ann, aka Rockislander on instagram does some of the best swaps! This one was no different and I had tons of fun putting together this 'trunk' full of goodies for both Susie, aka lillaluise and her sweet daughter Jamie.

 

Susie mentioned in her swap details that she loved the wizard candy and Honeydukes and that's one of my favorite aspects of the wizard world too! So I decided to make a Honeydukes themed package and fill it with 'American' candy as Susie is from Germany and I thought that would be fun to get to try all the candies we get all the time.

 I pulled out some photo transfer paper from ages ago and found some fun pictures of the Honeydukes at the Wizarding World at Disney. The colors of the whole place are pink and mint so I found a solid mint to piece around the photos and set to work making the basket.

 I used the tutorial from the Birch Fabrics blog, which I used for the Halloween swap as well. I made the largest size and interfaced it with canvas. Did I mention my mom stretches her own canvases and gives me all the scraps, seriously awesome!! I like the canvas because it gives it a nice sturdy weight but is also totally compressible.

 I used some pink banner fabric from my stash for the fold over brim and lined it with the perfect candy fabric from my stash. Although my piecing did not turn out quite as well as I'd hoped I'm really happy with how this basket turned out and it was a little hard to part with.

 

I saw a post of Susie's from a yarn shop. I immediately emailed Mari-Ann to ask if she knew if Susie knit. She got back to me with Susie's response that she knits mostly shawls and loves handpaints and kettle dyed. Perfect! I sent her a skein of my bff Julie's Happy-Go-Lucky yarn.

 

 I also knit up a pair of fingerless mittens in her house colors. They remind me of something Mrs. Weasley would make! I designed this pattern on the fly and am currently working on getting it finished up for my first pattern. I also made a Gryffindor necklace to match. I made a little siren pouch for Jamie and filled it with some little goodies, including a Care of Magical Creatures necklace with I'm told he loves and has worn nonstop since.

 I also added some planner goodies in a little box I modpodged with an Advanced Potions Making cover. At the last minute I added a mug rug with the candy fabric.

Putting this package together was tons of fun and a good exercise in making things with a theme. I love that about swaps, you make things you wouldn't normally do on your own and really stretch your creative muscles.

Michelle.
 

TV Junkie knitting bags

This update was slightly delayed but it's here! I had fun playing with all of these fabrics related to some of my favorite shows (and an extra just because). Really these bags were just an excuse for me to buy all these fun fabrics, I'd never be able to think up enough things to make for myself out of these fabrics but I thought they'd make fun knitting bags.

 

 

 

I had fun making more drawstring bags. It's a nice change from all those zippers.

 And here are all the sizes I made for the update. I love them all!

  Michelle