Hey, not sew bad!

I don't have a crafting room, so most of my crochet projects are created in the living room.  Last year for Christmas my son gifted to me one of those "C Tables" that can slide over sofa cushions; this has come in real handy for when working on crochet patterns ... my only problem has been my new habit of leaving my prized crochet hooks that I'm currently working with on the laptop.  Not a good idea - I could damage a hook -- or my laptop that way!

I was over at Twitter a few days back when Joanns Fabric posted a link to an "Oval Needle Holder."  I don't have a lot of sewing experience, so I thought this project would be a good way to help me improve my sewing skills so I could eventually give making a zipbag a try. I also thought this would be a great way to store my "while in use" crochet hooks.

First, let me state it took longer than the single hour the project called for.  One must add in the time it takes to collect all the needed materials, including driving to the store to get what isn't already in our stashes: I needed to buy the hoop and the Phoomph bonding paper. [[If you are a CGOA member, be sure to sign up for Joann's VIP program to save 10% off your purchases!]]  I had a quilter's fabric kit in my fabric stash that I had already used the "giraffe theme" panels from (no surprise there).  My problem with the remaining panels was the time investing in trying this panel with that, and that panel with this, until finally settling on this combination:

I think just doing that took well over an hour! And I think it increased my appreciation in what quilters go through!! 

The next step was cutting all the pieces and pressing/ironing them.  I was really happy I didn't burn myself with the iron.  :)

Like I said, I don't have a lot of sewing experience so I was pretty nervous about sewing a straight line...but I think I did OK.  Next was putting the project on the hoop and tightening it.  Then cutting the edges off ...

 

Am I concerned about cutting those edges off?  Yes.  Should something come undone I won't be able to put it back on the hoop.  If I make this again I think I'll use some sort of glue to help the fabric bond to the hoop.

 

My local Joanns didn't have the hoop size needed for the project, so I went with one slightly smaller.  But I think it still looks good!  :)

 

 



Ta-Da!!  Look how happy my crochet hooks are all nice and snug in their new holder!  If you're wondering what is in my "tiny pocket," (the pattern says it is for scissors) that's my pocket-sized Ott-lite -- it clips onto just about anything and is a life-saver in the event of a power outage!  So what do you think?  Not sew bad, right?