I'll be sharing over the rest of our "HANDMADE HOME Celebration" days together, a few of my favorite projects from the book.
I hope when you start sewing from HANDMADE HOME, you'll take a moment to photograph and share what you've made in the HANDMADE HOME Flickr group. I would LOVE to see what you're making!(the Portrait Bookmarks already in that group are all so wonderful! Is there anything better than kids' art? I think not).
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Today...I bring you one of my very favorite craft projects EVER (even though I say that every time -this time I really mean it). The original (below) was made way back in the day - actually July 2006, my blog tells me. Since then, there have been so many more made. It's become my favorite wedding present to give, too (more fun than buying a toaster). All of the patterns in HANDMADE HOME give recommendations for "Using What You Have", as well as dimensions for new fabrics if that's the way you prefer to go. I always make these out of bedsheets - it's such an economical use of fabric, the weight is perfect for such a project, and I love the vintage prints so much.
My own family's versions of these blankets have been everywhere with us - one sits by the door and another in the back of the car. - all rolled up, tied and ready to go. Beaches, picnics, baseball games, fairs, festivals, hiking, backyard stories, camping....oh, they've gone everywhere. And on them has occurred all sorts of feasting, celebrating, sleeping, snuggling and living. I'm fairly certain there is no textile that appears in more of our family photographs than these blankets as a background. I treasure so dearly the memories they evoke for me...lots of sand, baby toes (belonging to several babies), and food ground right on into the blanket. Good stuff.
Through the years...
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As a special treat today, I have a Beach Blanket To-Go all ready to go....to you! This little bundle includes everything you need to make the blanket yourself, and the instructions for doing so, found in a copy of HANDMADE HOME, of course! To enter, just leave a comment in this post. I'll close comments and announce the winner sometime Saturday evening.
Until then...Happy Weekending, friends! I'm hoping for a little bit of Beach Blanket action myself...