TANGLED THREADS - January Mitten Tree Project

Okay... as I type this, the pictures are side by side. When I post they come out one above the other. LOL
Interesting.

I have completed FIVE sets for the Mitten Tree Project. The picture on the right shows a complete set. I purchased the hat and gloves so all I had to do was crochet the scarf. I used a simple single crochet rib stitch (only crocheting on the front loop) and added the fringe.

I have 11 or 12 sets of hat/ gloves to work with. I need to count the number of orange gloves I have. I decided since we live in 'hunting' country, I'm going to get safety orange hats to match those gloves. The color will be a slight variation but the safety orange hats are required when hunting and many kids do youth hunt in the fall.

I still need to print the bag tags for these and find a 'holding' bag. I'd like to find a red collapseable laundry basket. I stamp the front of the tag with a snowman and 'Warm Winter Wishes' then 1 hat/ 1 scarf/ 1 pair of gloves is printed on the back.

I'll finish the 3 remaining black sets then move on to a new color.

Warm Winter Wishes!

Handy Manny Headboard

My granddaughter is a Handy Manny fan. If you don't know who Handy Manny is, check out the DisneyChannel. This is an animated daily show on Disney. Manny is a handy man in the little town of SheetRock Hills. His 'talking' tools - Phillipe (phillips head screwdriver), Turner (flat head screwdriver), Dusty (hand saw), Pat (hammer), Rusty (pipe wrench), Squeeze (pliers), Stretch (tape measure), Flicker (flashlight), and Fix It (robotic dog made from various parts around the shop). The show has a Latin American flavor teaching basic words in Spanish as well as life lessons. If you watch, you can see traits in each of the tools that will remind you of kids you probably went to school with. Some of the voice-overs are provided by characters from our own past. Remember Mrs. Cunningham? (Richie Cunningham's mom on Happy Days)She provides the voice for Mrs. Lopard (her son owns the candy store).

As my granddaughter prepares to leave the nest she's occupied for the past 16 months, she'll be leaving her crib behind for a 'big girl' toddler bed at her mommy's. The bed is a white wrought iron with open grilling. I decided it needed a little comfort. So with nothing except a full size comforter for Handy Manny bedding to be found, I created a headboard and side rail covers.

My initial intent was to use the center panel from the comfortor for the headboard but Manny's head wouldn't even fit, let alone all the tools. So I bought a coloring book at WM and inlarged one of the pages to fit. Using a light box and a quilter's iron-on pencil, I transfered the image to white broadcloth. Then I colored it with Crayola crayons, and heat set it with an iron. Once the front panel was complete, I quilted it a backing fabric sandwiched with 4 layers of cotton batting. After creating a band and a back panel, I handed it off to my husband to place 5 sturdy gold flathead snaps to the bottom edge. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.