Doggone!*

I'm happy to report that the tin experiment worked.

I measured the size of the picture of the dog on the lid, worked out the curved corners were the exact size of a 5 cent piece (excellent), opened Word, inserted the photo I wanted to print, enlarged it until it covered the page and printed it out onto photo paper.

Then I decided which bit of the photo I liked the most, cut it out to the correct size then pasted it to the top of the tin using spray adhesive (making sure I masked off the white edges so they wouldn't get sticky.) finally, I pulled off the masking tape, covered the photo with waxed paper and used a roller to make sure it was flat.

Simple as that. Now I want to go find more old tins to play with!Since I was on a crafting roll this afternoon I finally tackled the Christmas stockings I've been wanting to make for Mum and Dad using the piece of blanket you can see on the top of the pile of frugalled goodies here. Ironic, really, that I bought it for $NZ3 at Salvos on Taranaki Street Wellington, lugged it all the way home to Australia, made it into stockings which I will be taking back to a spot not 10 kilometres from where I got the blanket bit from!

I wanted to use the blanket fringe for the top, so folded the piece in half (one half for each stocking) then in half again with the fringe at the top. I then cut a piece of paper to that size and drew a stocking shape on it, making sure to leave space round the outside for the seam allowance. When I was happy with the shape of the pattern I cut it out and pinned it to the blanket, leaving the fold over fringed bit sticking out the top.

Without cutting anything out I sewed round the stocking around the outside of the pattern then cut round it with my birthday pinking shears. I then sewed the fold down on the opposite side so when it was folded over at the top it was pinked side out to match the stocking (confused yet?)

I top stitched a length of single fold bias binding for the hanger, making sure it was long enough to fit over a door handle, then folded it in half, right side out and attached it to the inside of the stocking on the back seam.And finally I made initials out of shrinky dinks and tied them on. So Santa won't get mixed up!

I'm feeling pretty chuffed all round and wondering if I should quit while I'm ahead or leap into the next project....

(*I was tossing up between this title and Rin Tin Tin)