Fun Monday - Necessity is the Mother of Invention

When Karmyn first suggested her Fun Monday crafty challenge, I was sorry that I had nothing to offer. However, after looking around the house, I did find a variety of craft projects that I have finished. As a warning, many of my projects were not created with the motivation of generating beauty but with the intent to save money. The chair in the picture, was actually made by Daddy D's grandfather. I have reupholstered the chair twice, the fabric included here is a sturdy corduroy. My Aunt Cile made the pillow on the left, and my mother-in-law stitched the needlepoint pillow. (I am not crafty, but crafty people abound in my family and Daddy D's family.)


Although I am not a seamstress, I have sewn a variety of items throughout the 35 years in this house. When our sons were little, I created many Halloween costumes including a king outfit with a green poster board crown trimmed in gold and a kingly black robe with matching gold trim made from an old pair of my black velvet pants. Moreover, I made a Bat Robin costume, a fake fur bunny costume, and these two Stars Wars costumes among others. Being children of the seventies, our sons were avid fans of the trilogy. Luke is pictured in the Vader costume, and Dean is playing young Skywalker with the cool grappling hook, which was made by the creative Daddy D.

One year before Christmas when we were a one-salary family, I made a number of inexpensive plastic needlepoint items for gifts. Not only did I stitch the items, but I lovingly designed each gift to fit the recipient. Because the execution of the needlepoint is time-consuming but not at all challenging. I spent hours and hours watching daytime television. (Maybe in those days, Erica of All My Children was with husband number two. Was that Philip somebody?) Most of the presents were address book covers, but featured here are two tissue box covers. The one has an obvious space theme. The other features an apple tree with a different season on each panel. I am somewhat proud of my non-crafty self being able to make the French knots on that spring apple tree. Admittedly, the space box is a little dorky, but my parents appreciated this gift from their 28 year-old baby.

The table pictured here is one that I damaged by using the table to hold potted plants. I love this old school table that Daddy D and I purchased for a few dollars at a school auction in the early seventies. Those of you that actually are knowledgable about furniture and antiques might be alarmed that I used bleach as well has heavy gauge steel wool to remove the ugly black circles left by the aluminum pie pans that were used as drain pans for the potted plants. I do rather like the results. Since both Daddy D and I both teach in this school system, we treasure this table, which in one of the drawers has a former kindergarten teacher's name, Kemper, written in crayon.

Those are some my efforts at being a craftswoman. Hurry to Karmyn's Dreaming What Ifs... to see how the other participants rose to the challenge showing us their crafty side....by posting something that was handmade....junior high shop table, scrapbook pages, burnt meatloaf, knitting projects, muffins, whatever....