Faultlessly crisp gorgeous creases with Faultless Premium

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Faultless/Bon Ami Company    for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.


I remember my mother ironing her cotton dresses with Faultless Spray Starch when I was a kid. Those beautiful dresses always came out looking so crisp and gorgeous, the skirts were beautifully full with perfect pleats, the collars were smooth and sharp. She looked so gorgeous and made it look so effortless.

My daughter doesn't wear tailored cotton dresses, but she does wear button down shirts. She wants them just as crisp and clean though, with nice creases down the arms. The shirt above is a cotton sateen shirt that's dark enough that flakes would show if Faultless left flakes. It doesn't though. Check out this sleeve!


It's easy to use, keeps clothing looking new and sharp, it doesn't clog and it absolutely won't leave flakes on your clothing. Spray, press, and wear. The little bit of extra time to make sure your pleats are pleated and your creases are sharp and your clothes look their best helps you feel like you look great and you're ready to do your best to impress. It's also easy to find, fabric stores, drug stores, grocery stores, a lot of major retailers carry Faultless Premium.

Just gorgeous! It's really easy to use, and comes in convenient sizes, including a good travel size. The large can is the one I used, and it's lightly scented with a clean cotton scent. It's easy to find a store that carries Faultless Premium Spray Starch, and they have a coupon available to download- Faultless Premium Coupon 

Faultless Premium can also be used in crafts. One of my favorites is super quick, bright summery necklaces. All you need is some lace that can be cut into motifs, some jump rings, some cord and Faultless Premium.



Spray lightly, iron, flip, spray lightly, iron, flip, repeat a couple times. It won't get super stiff, it will get crisp. Attach a jump ring, then string it on a cord.


Faultless Premium Starch is giving away $1,000 along with a year’s supply of Faultless Premium! It's easy to enter to win  the Faultless Starch Giveaway  for this fantastic prize package. 

• Visit the Faultless Starch Giveaway  page
• Watch the video of Ironing Board Sam singing the “Wrinkle Blues”
• Enter your information
• Share this link with your friends: http://bit.ly/1FP5Up4

Follow Faultless on Facebook for lots of tips, tricks and ideas.

Is Faultless a part of your wardrobe routine? I love how my tailored clothes look when they are starched and like to starch my hair ribbons as well. I think they tie into bows better that way. My daughter likes having knife sharp creases for some of her shirts. How do you use Faultless Starch?
 

Small Crocheted Sachet Pattern

This sachet is very quick to stitch up, and because it's only lightly stuffed, stuffing with fabric scraps works out well to make it all cotton and completely machine washable if you decide to scent the cotton with essential or fragrance oils instead of putting plant matter into the stuffing.

If you use plant matter, it's better not to wash it, or to wash it by hand and make sure it's completely dry before stashing it anywhere. I like using lavender buds to scent these, and as the scent fades, adding lavender e.o for more scent. But in humid areas, plant material can start to decompose which makes essential oils a much better choice.

Finished size using size 10 crochet thread- just under 2.5 inches in diameter.
You will need:

• Size 6 steel crochet hook (1.6 mm)
• Size 10 crochet cotton thread
• cotton fabric- 5x5 inch piece (makes the fabric middle including stuffing)
• sewing thread
• sewing needle
• tapestry needle to weave in size 10 thread
• scissors- regular thread snips and pinking shears

Stitches used:

• sc= single crochet
• ch= chain stitch
• sl st= slip stitch
• dc= double crochet
• repeat ** means repeat the instructions between the asterisks

Pattern written in USA terminology- there is also an international crochet chart this time!

Make 2-

Medallions:

Ch 6, sl st to make ring.

Round 1: Ch 1 (does not count as first stitch), 8 sc in ring, sl st to first sc to join.

Round 2: Ch 5, *dc in next stitch, ch 2*, repeat ** around, then sl st to 3rd st in starting chain to join (8 spaces formed)

Round 3: Ch 1 (does not count as first stitch), sc in each stitch around, sl st to first sc to join (24 stitches)

Round 4: Ch 4 (counts as first dc and ch), *dc in next st, ch 1*, repeat ** around, sl st to 3rd ch in starting ch to join. (24 spaces)

Round 5: Ch 1 (does not count as first stitch), sc in each stitch around, sl st to first sc to join (48 stitches)

Round 6: Ch 4 (counts as first dc and ch), skip stitch, dc in next st, ch 2, *skip stitch, dc in next st, ch 1, skip stitch, dc in next st, ch 2*, repeat ** around, sl st in 3rd ch in starting ch to join. (24 spaces) 

Round 7: Ch 1 (does not count as first stitch), sc in each stitch around, sl st to first sc to join (60 stitches)

Break off thread.

With fabric:

Cut 2 circles 2 inches in diameter with the pinking shears. Hand sew 3/4s of the way around the fabric with wrong sides facing each other. Cut small strips of the remaining fabric and lightly stuff. You can also put in any aromatics at this point. Finish sewing around. 

Final round of crochet- with the 2 medallions together working over the tail ends to conceal them, join in thread, and single crochet them together. When they are halfway joined, slip in the little fabric pillow and finish single crochet around. Slip stitch to join. Chain 15, and slip stitch in next stitch, then slip stitch back up the chain 15, and slip stitch to join. Break off and weave in tail.

The medallions:

Joining edge:

Black and White Printable Box

I was going to print out an example on Astroparche, because this would look great on a colored cardstock, but the weather here is INCREDIBLE - so I'm just posting, then going out to enjoy the sun and my garden!
Yes, I will post the top later as a mandala. But right now, the sun is calling me!

Here you go! I hope you like this box, click the image for a larger version, print on card stock, cut out, score folds, fold, glue!

Crochet Inspired Mandala redux

A while back I posted a crochet inspired mandala, and decided yesterday it was time for another one. I love crocheting doilies. I never have any place to put them when they are done so they usually wind up given to a friend. Building a doily in the round is a lot like making a mandala, and generally I work without a pattern, just playing with the thread to make simple designs. I'm also very bad at keeping notes while working on them, so generally don't share the patterns. I think I'll try to crochet one based off this mandala though, with notes!

Click on the images for larger versions to print and color.

Small JPG version:

Large transparent PNG version:

Printable Lace Box in 5 colors

I hope you enjoy this intricate lacy designed printable box. It's in 5 different colors: purple, pink, green, orange and blue. Click on the images for a larger version to print and assemble. Print on card stock, cut out, score fold lines, fold, glue!

Printable Lacy Boxes

I think this printable box would be good for bridal showers, tea parties and princess parties. It's in 4 colors but as usual with these sorts of designs, if there is a color you'd really like, let me know.
Click on the images for the larger versions, print, cut, score, fold, glue.

Flower and Lace Printable Boxes

I hope you enjoy this ditsy print floral printable box! I was also thinking of using it on some cookie sized boxes.
Click on the images for larger versions, print, cut, score, fold, glue.

My husband grilled for the first time recently. It was simple, just hamburgers, grilled over birch wood. But they tasted so good! 

Also, I posted instructions for a bracelet made with washers on Beadwork at BellaOnline. 

Crochet Inspired Mandala

This mandala was inspired by the geometry of crochet doilies, I hope you enjoy coloring it! Click on the images for larger versions.
Small JPG version:

Large transparent PNG version

If you read my post about Whitney Farms Organic Plant Food, there is new art at the bottom which includes a cute radish. I'm thinking of making labels for jars using the radish. There is also a recipe for using radish leaves to make furikake, which also works with dandelion leaves.

Eyelet Lace Decorated Printable Boxes

Printable cookie and 2x2x2 inch cube boxes with an eyelet lace theme. If you would like another color, or one of my other templates decorated to match, just let me know! Click for larger versions, print on card stock, cut, score, fold, glue.

Pink Trimmed Socks Pattern

This is another pattern from my old blog. I originally posted it in November 2005.

(and yes! Those are my legs and that's one of my tattoos!)

You will need:

• Size 4 steel crochet hook (1.75 mm)
• Size 10 cotton (bedspread weight)
• A pair of socks- I like the kind that fold down once.

American terminology throughout.
Abbreviations:

• ch= chain
• sc= single crochet
• sl st= slip stitch
• st= stitch
• dc= double crochet
• tr= treble

A treble is yarn over twice, insert hook in stitch, yo, slip two loops off the hook over the yarn over, yarn over, work off next two loops, yo, work off last 2 loops. 

Round 1: The hook is inserted into the socks for the first round. So start the thread as usual on the hook, then insert the hook into the sock, slip stitch, then make a single crochet in the same hole. Ch 3, sc into the top of the sock a little away from the first sc, repeat around for an odd number of ch 3 loops, then after the last sc, ch 1, dc into first sc to make an even number of loops. Mine had 32 loops total.

Round 2: ch 1, sc in top of the loop you're working in, chain 3, sc in next loop, repeat all the way around until the last loop, then ch 1, dc into first sc from rnd 2.

Round 3: Ch1, sc, chain 5, sc in next loop, repeat all the way around until the final loop space, ch 2, tr in first sc

Round 4: repeat rnd 3

Round 5: ch 1, sc, * 4 tr crochet, ch 2, 4 tr crochet in next ch 5 loop, sc in next ch 5 loop* repeat around until the last loop, 4 tr crochet, ch 2, 4 tr, slipstitch in first sc, end off, weave in ends.

Eyelet Lace Heart to Color

I hope you enjoy this eyelet lace decorated heart for Valentine's Day. Click on image for a larger version to color.

Favor Boxes

5 colors, 2 sizes. The 3x3x1 inch size and the 2x2x2 inch. I hope you like this set, I think it would be a good one for favors for a DIY wedding or wedding shower. If you really love the design, but need another color, let me know in comments. 

Click on the images for the full sized versions. 300 dpi and .png format for very clear colors.

If you like this set, you might like the circle dot boxes, in 100 ppi here, and 300 ppi here.