Spry as a hen??? NOT August 20, 2006

 

Ok, so I inherited a pincushion kit.  A chicken pincushion kit.  A 70’s pincushion kit. 

And for some reason I liked it..so I sat down with the intention of making the kit, until I took the fabric out….GROSS.

So I set about finding some scrap in my room that would make this into something cute, and maybe a little more modern. 

Then…I started really looking at the pattern, and decided I wanted to really bring it up to date if I could.

 

So here it is…the original pattern, then what I turned her into….

She has been modernized with new fabric, I took away her glasses and the hangy thing under her chin….Plus a total update on the chickun butt embroidery. 

 

Hope you like 🙂

 

 

More SEWING! August 19, 2006

Thats right, dropped the hooks for a couple of days and look what happens…

 

DD has a new shirt 🙂 Pattern is Butterick 4274.  Turned out VERY cute if I do say so myself…sorry about pics, went lazy and just took cell phone pics.

 

But this just totally justifies my gripes about patterns these days….it isn’t really any secret that while I can sew…construction is not my thing, I really need a little handholding at various steps.  This pattern was marked easy, so I figured I would get said handholding….NOT.  I guess I should have more confidence in my ability, still…

 

Example:  Make buttonhole where marked on pattern…only it IS NOT marked on the pattern and besides, what SIZE buttonhole….

 

Anyway, I could go on, but why when the results were so darn cute… I may even make this one again 🙂 

 

 

 

The Great Craft Room Clean Up August 16, 2006

OK, I know a lot of us crafty types are afflicted with disorganization.  But seriously I take the cake.  I have a whole room for my crafts, but still get the rest of my family mad as my crafts seep from room to room.  Bags of yarn, fabric pieces, and craft books lay in my wake.  As my family says, you can always tell where mom has been.

 

Now I had not intended to blog about this due to the potentially embarrasing content, however I must post photos, and albums do not work the same way as blog pictures, that or I am becoming technically inept…

 

So, I am spilling my guts and letting it all hang out. 

 

The urge to clean has been here for a while, it just had not nudged me into action, what did was this thread on craftster: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=112209.0;topicseen

 

So I am abliged to post pictures there. 

 

Might as well blab about this a bit, since I am airing it allllll out.

 

See before pictures? can you say scary? I can.  Essentially I had done nothing in my crafto room for months expect dig stuff out and not put it away.  The reasons are many, not the least of which, I got a new sewing machine and my room was not set up to give me anywhere to work….plus my old machine was still up down there. TO make a long story short, I just stored my new machine in my bedroom and sewed at the kitchen table, which worked OK until dinnertime 🙂  Plus I had a tendency to burn dinner while sewing that last seam or what not….

 

THen I realized what a horrid thing I had been doing, rifling through my craft room for that bit of elastic, or that one color yarn and not putting a damn thing away, becasue I was NEVER in that room!

 

When I saw the craftster thread, I just knew I had to reclaim my sanctuary, so I attacked it head on.  Y’all would be proud….I threw away my bunches of flowers with no flowers, donated my inherited WIPS, sorted my patterns and just cleaned an organized the heck out of everything, and now I have it back.

 

Seriously if you feel you must, click the pics.  I promise this is the only room in my house like this, don’t judge the crafty lest they gift you with tacky things…….

 

Max and Ruby….

Woohoo, made a really fun shirt or my son, his all time favorite books are the Max and RUby books by Rosemary Wells, plus he has discovered the TV show based on the books……

 

Anyway, this is done in sharpie and crayon, although I recommend finding another medium besides sharpie, they can tend to run sometimes…..

 

Crayon is done by coloring areas you want colored in small bits, then ironing over them with paper towels over the area to absorb the wax.  It is very cool, and quite colorfast, plus it is so easy to make things look nice 🙂

 

He snagged the shirt as soon as it was done, so this was my best photo opp….

 

Ah well… photos now I guess….

Ahhhh….much better. August 7, 2006

 

Well for one, I have my car back!!!!!!!! And it is soooo happy. 

 

AND I finished the baby blanket! (see pics below) I am SOOOOOOOO happy with how this turned out, I am sure it could be better, It is pretty much my own improvised pattern (although I suspect that anyone who has used a crochet hook more than once or twice could do the same thing…) but I really like this.  For once I am very happy with my color choices….I sometimes wonder if I have any taste at all, but realize it is more of a patience issue than a taste issue.  How often have I grabbed whatever caught my eye first and didn’t really think about it?  BUT when I take the time to think about it, well I do much better. 

Not that I am ever unhappy with my results, but they certainly are more professional when I take my time. 

 

Plus the kids and I did theis great marbled paper this weekend with shaving cream and food colors…..it was SOOO fun and how can you not love the results 🙂

 

Anyway…just to stay on my toes I have started an afghan that I hope to have done before christmas…….It is a two yarn together with a N hook ripple type, so really, this should be no problem.   The pattern is fro Leisure Arts, Quick and Cozy Afghans….FOr some reason I had a pathetic time getting the ripple pattern started.  No matter what I did I was off a stitch or seven or eight.  I ripped that stupid row like 6 times.  Now I hate to blame this on the pattern, becasue it does not have any errors, but the way this pattern was written confused me.  Anyway, I have it now, and am up a few rows and think it will turn out GORGEOUS 🙂

 

Next time I will post pictures of my fill in projects….the things I pick up to do when I can’t stand the big project.  They are all impromptu, usually with no plans and yarn I have on hand, so do not judge them too harshly 🙂

 

Also on the bright side, the kids are almost ready for school…..DD has orientation this week(it will take all week for her to remember how to get into her locker) , and DS has his the day before he starts, but really how much orientation can preschool take.  I am terrified for DD, because she has my organizational skills.  I have truly cursed her.