This is Classic!

While researching what is actually done during a sewing machine tune-up this morning, I came across this add from the early 1960's. The writer added that due to inflation, $3.75 then would be about equal to $27 now. It costs $65 for a tune-up at Sew and Vac now. :)

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(click on the picture to view it larger and read the fine points of tune-up)

More Photography

Last week, I had the opportunity of doing a photo shoot for the Boutique with a couple friends of mine. Isn't Miss Iona a precious little model? As usual, you can see all the pictures in the Tiny Tiptoes Boutique Photobucket Album.

Thank you to my friend Anna-Rebekah for the gorgeous pictures! I can't wait to get some more yarn and be able use these in the Boutique soon! You can see more of Anna-Rebekah's work at her photography blog, Anna-Rebekah Photography.

Beautiful Randomness...

Weekend musings on the random and beautiful happenings in my life...

 I won a giveaway recently with Apple Valley Natural Soaps and chose their Chamomile and Orange Blossom Bar. I must add that their soaps are simply delightful and I find myself using this bar every time I shower.

We just got back on Wednesday evening from a lovely three-day camping trip in the mountains. This is a view of the lake from our campsite. Head on over to our family blog to keep updated with details about the trip.

One of my newest and most popular additions to the Boutique - a newborn froggie hat photo prop! At least for me, that's just waaayyy to cute!

Shop Banners

I was going to do a 'random and beautiful things' post today, but I've been far too busy to think about it this past week, so I thought I'd post some lovely banners friends have been making for my new shop. I couldn't get them to upload to blogger and display properly, so I've uploaded them to my photobucket album HERE. They aren't very large, but if you double-click, or download them, you can view them larger.  Aren't they cute?!

Thank you so much, Antoinette and Madison!

P.S. Per request of my sister, I've posted a slideshow gadget on my blog sidebar for my new shop, so you can now find both shops easily.

Tutorial Tuesday: Crocheted Flowers

As promised last Tuesday, I have compiled several of my favorite crocheted flower tutorials and some resources for lots, lots more. As a confession, I haven't actually tried any of these except a basic flower and the double layer flower shown last time. Here's a picture of the double-layer flower with the evenly spaced petals:

I came across this flower cluster tutorial recently, and though I haven't had time to try it yet, it looks very easy while giving such pretty results. I've just been swamped with orders in my new shop and have been crocheting...

 

coffee brown stripe earflap beanies...

Check out these two websites if you're interested in flower crocheting patterns. Not only do they have flowers, but also a selection of leaves and other botanical matter.

Crochet Flowers - a couple of my favorites here are the rose and the holly leaf...I have lots of ideas for these...

Crochet Pattern Central - Flowers - there are a lot of fun ideas here for yarn flower enthusiasts.

Tutorial Tuesday: Crocheted Infant Shell-Stitch Beanie Pattern

I found this free shell-stitch crochet beanie pattern out of the blue a little while back while searching for creative new ways to make crocheted flowers (which I'll share in my next Tutorial Tuesday). For being a free tutorial, I found the instructions fairly straightforward, and the results were disarmingly cute. :) This is one of my little models, Brynlee H. modeling the completed beanie, complete with a button-on layered flower.

The flower tutorial used is also a very easy pattern, but I ended up making my own variation before my sister corrected me.

Here's what I did:

When I turned the flower over to crochet the loops in the back spokes for the bottom layer of petals, I kept the flower turned over and worked in the back. This made the second layer of petals come out alternated with the first layer - a white petal in the space between two purple petals.

~another view of the adorable hat and adorable baby~

What I should have done was turned the flower back over after I was done making the loops in the spokes and worked it from the front, making the petals come out evenly layered, like this:

Either way, I think they're pretty. Next week, should nothing else come up, I'll be sharing a number of lovely variations I've found on a basic crocheted flower.

Lots of Cuteness!

Life has been busy... Camera problems, birthdays, church and community events, and much more have been keeping me busy lately. In spite of the busy-ness, I have been busy on the new shop and am in the process of getting a large number of adorable photos back from photographers.

If you'd like to keep up with what's new in the shop, I'm uploading all these pictures to my Boutique album on photobucket as I receive them. Check it out and let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you!