Can't Win Them All

Well, that didn't go very well.

I was feeling sort of badly about the fact that we use these disposable swiffer pads. In the past year we have all but eliminated paper towels from our home, we use reusable shopping bags all. the. time (seriously, i have gotten worlds better at remembering to bring them). But damn if we can find a way to make my best buddy the swiffer a little more kind to the environment.

Well guess what.

I thought i found it. I looked at a few tutorials, tried a few, winged it myself, and still- the right thing eludes me. It sucks, and i think it may also be because our floors desperately need to be refinished. Nonetheless, the only thing that makes mopping less fun is these towel swiffer pads. .

Fail, Fail, Fail, and more fail.

Have you made anything terrible and fail lately?

A Quilt Update

After some more cutting, measuring, improvising, and sewing I think I have the quilt situated just the way I want it.

Charlie thought otherwise.


We made a few adjustments, and now Charlie likes it just fine.
What do you think he will think of the finished product? I bet he will love warming his bald little tummy on it (don't make fun of him; he licks off all his fur, presumably because the dogs make him neurotic.)

Something New

In case there are not enough domestic pursuits at which I am fairly inept, I bring you:

this will become a quilt for our living room. Hopefully soon. Hopefully without tears. I am scared. Hold me.

I will say this. Although I am sort of scared to cut into all this pretty fabric, I have to say: getting under the house and fixing the duct work is now a success that all other efforts are measured against. Is that bad? I mean, anything I am sort of nervous about doing just doesn't feel that bad when I remember that I crawled through an OMG TINY space to get under my house, where there could have been spiders and boogie boogies, and I fixed (well, I was in more of what I call a supervisory role) the duct work.

So yeah. Quilt, you're going down. And you just might be taking some patchwork-y type pillows with you.

This Week In Sewing

Told ya I was sewing.

These are nothing to shout about, but they are made from materials on hand, useful, pretty, and appeal to the tiny part of me that thinks she's the Queen of England. they are reversible, so they feel good and think and heavy in your lap. And, during these times that feel like we are all on the Hades Express, all in this little hand basket bound for hell, it's nice to start your day with a pretty napkin, and a pretty place mat, and feel that there is still some sense of order and joy in simplicity to be had.

I'm still working on the place mats, although they should be done any time now. They are more time consuming than I thought they would be, but hey, what isn't?

Looky At What I Made!

Wow, this took a lot of time and effort (really only in the choosing of sweaters and the cutting of peices)! But it was Monday's installment of the Use Me Up Challenge. And oh, how do I love it.

So, I finished my knitting needle case, made entirely of recycled sweaters. Like I said, this came from the book Warm Fuzzies by Betz White. Okay, so here's the outside, all rolled up:
Here's the backside, all spread out. I love the pattern, and I am so glad I used this sweater, and left the shoulder shaping, collar, and bottom ribbing intact. It kind of shows more obviously what this case was in a former life, and I really like that.
Okay, now here it is opened, with various assorted things stuck in it, but the flap closed. Clever, huh? In the pic you can also see about half of my sewing table. It is clearly a hot mess, which I believe is a sign of my productivity. Back to the case. Anyhow, it was tricky sewing on those larger pockets. well, the only really hairy bit was the part where I was shoving three felted wool sweaters through the machine at once. I am happy to say my machine took it like a champ. The pattern calls for wool blend craft felt for that part but in keeping with the challenge, I just went for it. Not so bad.
Now here's a bit bigger picture with the flap lifted up. You may notice the crooked seams, and you may also notice that the green pocket is on a serious slant. I am very proud of myself, because my reaction to this makes me think that I am turning a corner here- I love it because of that stuff. It's sort of cartoonish, almost Seussian. I think that's pretty fun. I mean it's a stripey felted wool knitting needle case. For it to take itself too seriously, and try to be all perfect with straight lines and such- booooo-ring. I mean if you can sew straight lines, more power to you, but until I can (and if my drawing skills are a sign of things to come, this will never happen) I will just have to embrace and enjoy the delightful and semi-intentional wonkiness that is my finished projects. I'm beginning to thing of it as my personal style.

So, now all I have to do is go on a really long trip where I will need to knit like 6 different projects so I can use it! Can I come stay with you guys?

This Week In The Use Me Up Challenge

Well, i thought I would show you what I've been up to this week when I'm not obessessing over the state of Maya's crate and her anxiety and what not. One thing that has been surprising me this week is what all I have just sitting here waiting to be made into something. It says to me that this challenge is long overdue. It also is sort of scary in the amount of times I have been able to say to myself, "SEE! I KNEW there was a reason I kept this!"

Here's what I did on Monday. These little pillows are actually place mats that I bought for 50 cents each at the Habitat for Humanity thrift store. I bought them a while back, but just never did anything with them till now. And look at how well they go with the chair! I'm glad I started this challenge, because these things have been on my to-do list forever, like since I bought these.


This isn't anything too special, but I sure am enjoying it. Since I bought the dried lavender for this little eye pillow a while ago, I was finally able to get around to spending the 10 minutes that this took. I think it took me longer to choose the fabric. It's just a little pouch full of dried lavender and (uncooked) rice and it stays in the freezer. I take it out when my eyes feel tired and the hint of lavender is awesome. As a matter of fact, I used it last night while laying on the couch after my walk with the dog, and woke up 9 hours later with it laying on my chest. That's a pretty powerful eye pillow. Tuesday's effort:
On Wednesday I knitted. I worked on the scarf I showed you last week. Someone, make it stop. I'm tired of it. I just want to be done with it. but it just goes on and on and on and on and on an- you get it.

This is what I worked on Thursday AND Friday. And I am still only to the point of having the fabric cut and pinned. It is a knitting needle case from the book Warm Fuzzies and I think it's awfully clever. It took a while to choose all the peices, figure out where I wanted them, and cut them to as close to Just Right as I could get. I swear, cutting fabric is my favorite part of sewing, but I will be damned if I can cut a straight line, or actually cut the measurement I mean to cut. I use a ruler, a tape measure, a fabric soluble marker, a rotary cutter, and god knows what else, and I still cant seem to get it right. I swear, I thought i was going to have to call in NASA to cut some fucking sweaters. Nonetheless it's all ready to sew. I hope that my sewing machine is prepared to cope with sewing through three layers of felt. I hope that I am ready for it. Sewing on stretchy fabrics is still sort of tricky for me.

And here's today's effort. It's a little pouch made from the sleeve of the sweater that is the outside of the needle case. The back is the big band you see above with all the orange stripes. I thought it would be good to toss in the knitting bag too and hold all the little things that HAVE to come along with you when you take a knitting or stitching project somewhere. The fun thing of all this knitting accessorization is that both of these things match the bag that has just been designated my knitting bag. Amazing, huh? It's a wool camel colored tote with orange lining, and I love it. It was my Designated Carry On for a while, but now i have a bag I like better for that. I think that no matter how hard I try to quit them, bags just find a way into my life. I have loved them since I was a little girl, and I guess I just always will. I try to fight it once in a while and donate a box or two (!!!) of them, but if five leave the house, seven more show up in their place. It's maddening.


You know, I will tell you something else that is sort of amazing about this Use Me Up Challenge: my office and particularly sewing table are cleaner than ever now. Every day after I am done in here with what I am working on, I set a (imaginary) timer for 15 minutes and pick up. Huh. who would have thought- it doesn't even take 15 minutes to pick up after a small sewing project, so I just keep cleaning for the rest of the time. And then, when I come back the next day, I just grab my materials and get to work. Huh. Is this how other people make stuff? Is this how they actually find time to make things, cleaning up and getting ready for the next go round? If so, this Picking Up After Yourself and the people that do it are Visionaries. I'd like to meet such a person, that is, if they are even real.

A Checkbook Cover and a Challenge

Yikes. Between skipping lunch and the heroic effort it took to make this thing, I have the WORST headache. Even my eyebrows hurt. But- I finished it!

Here is my checkbook cover I made using this tutorial. I am sure for most people it was fun and easy. And for me, it has absolutely nothing to do with the pattern itself when I say this thing nearly fucking killed me to make. First of all, you have to baste every piece to every other piece. I realize the purpose behind this and I think it's nice. But for me from now on I will be going without. Basting is for the birds. It took me longer to get all the flipping basting stitches out than it did to do all the rest combined. Imagine the moment of panic I had when I thought I somehow made the damn thing like two inches too small, when it turned out I hadn't taken out the basting stitches. I am SUCH a dodo sometimes.

Anyway, I know this thing looks a hot mess but it's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen at this moment.

Here's the inside, complete with wonky pocket placement (the OCD part of me that needs straight lines hates it but whatever) and strange things at the top that would have held the pages of the register up if they were actually functional. But since they aren't, I feel like it's a good thing I don't have a check register anyway.


Here's the full view of the back:


and here's what it looks like all folded up. Note the not even half assed attempt at top stitching. I just kinda said enough's enough, and there ya have it. So funny.


You gotta admit, the fabric combo is cute. This checkbook cover has that going for it.

So, I got to thinking while I was working on this checkbook. I have LOTS of supplies with which to make stuff. In fact, I have so many that I am starting to think that I don't like making stuff as much as I like gathering materials for stuff. So, I am challenging myself: I want to see how many days in a row I can Make Something without having to buy anything. I have so many things on various assorted lists in various stages of completion- I bet if I really used my head, I could make something every day for a while. Like 30 days or more. Maybe even 60! What marvelous things could I actually complete if I stopped focusing on what I don't have to make something else? How far out of the box could I think? How much money could I not spend? Would it give me new eyes with which to see the stash I have? Could it help me in my Resolution to try to free myself from the want and need for accumulating things?

I think this could be really fun. And this could be Blogging Gold, considering my propensity for Really Messing Things Up. Also, I believe that creativity can really flourish with limitations, so I am imposing a few rules:

• At least an hour a day goes into the making of something, or The Thing has to be completed, whichever comes first.
  
• Confession is on Sunday, where I tell what I really bought (sometimes you have to have thread and such). If I HAVE to buy something, I will keep it under $5 per week.
  
• No more than 1/3 of my time spent making something can be knitting. I can knit for longer than an hour, or as often as I want, but it can only be counted for the day's project every third day or the equivalent.
• Multiple days can be accounted for in a single entry. This isn't a cop out- as most of you know, blogging is really time consuming, and the whole point of this challenge is to actually do, rather than shop for or talk about.
  
• Pictures or it didn't happen. They may be shitty, but I promise to take them.
  
• Food does not count unless it is a recipe I devise all on my own out of things I already have on hand. Hey, it could happen, right? Probably not, but that's okay.
• Stealing and purchasing are not okay for materials, but any other method of acquisition is.
  

Now, what should I call this Challenge? My first thought was Make Something, Buy Nothing. But then I googled that and it looks like that is already something. Most of the entries on the first page went to a site called God Spot, or God Land, or God Something. I'm not going there, although I bet divine intervention could be helpful in this. Help me think of a name, seriously.

Never Let It Be Said That I Was Bested By A Hat.

Hello!

I hope you're all having a wonderful week. I know I sure am! A new President, a mind-blowing premiere of LOST, and some finished projects. I'm also throwing caution to the wind and eating some Peanut Butter Cup ice cream. I like to live dangerously, and I figure that if it's my time then there is no better way to go than in the arms of my lovers, Ben & Jerry.

Moving right along.

I re-covered my mouse pad this week, but figured that what with the dawning of new eras and Destiny Calling, it couldn't really carry a post of its own. So, here you have it, my mousepad. It coordinates with my wall tile pocket thing, and has cheered up my desk a good bit. All you need to do is use just a good spray adhesive and smack the fabric right on top. Mine is one of those soft topped mouse pads, and it was filthy, had been drawn on, and was provided by the Real Yellow Pages. Glad to say I spiffed it up. I also put a bit of Fray Check on the ends of the fabric after cutting the extra away. Not a bad way to use up some scraps. I plan to a few more desk spiffying things here soon- I'm loving the green and orange. I realize that the easiest thing to do would be to just clean it up, but what fun is that?

Now, I finished this hat last night while watching Lost. I was so enthralled in the whole crazyness of it all that I felt like I could have snapped those DPNs right in half at times. You may recall a few days ago that this hat didn't look so hot. Well, I guess I showed you, Hat! You're going on my head and you can't come down to my chin! So there! And just so you know I am serious, I am sewing a big green button to the side of you. Take THAT! The pic is pretty blurry because I was trying to take it of myself in the last few seconds of daylight. I also did not put on shoes or socks for this event, and was not pleased with the lack of preparation that went into this little photo shoot. But here you have it.

And I finished this purse FINALLY. I swear, this stupid little bag was all knit up in about one movie and two episodes of Deadliest Catch. But damn if the finishing didn't take forever. This is the Christine Bag and I used Lion Ease Thick n Quick that I already had on hand. Go me, using what I got! So, I did buy the handles, but whatever. I sewed a liner, and once again used what I had on hand. Then I stitched the liner to the bag body, sewed up the sides, stitched the handles to the bag, added the ribbon, some Fray Check, and it was done. Just like that. Only the finishing took about as long as the bag itself did. I'm still very glad that I took the time to line it though.
I think it's so cute. It really makes me miss my black wool peacoat that lost last year. Damn, I miss that coat. It would be so cute with this bag. This bag is almost gag inducing, it's so cute. So not like me at all, but in the unlikely event that I want to go out, it will be nice to have this. It's also the project that made me realise that I really enjoy hand sewing. I stitched the lining to the bag and it was really relaxing (when I wasn't furiously impatient). It's got me thinking that I would like to do some stitching some time. I can't even decide where to start, so that idea will just have to go into the One Day I'll Do That file. Right next to laundry.

And lastly, here's some yarn that I photographed to stash on Ravelry. It's going to be bunny slippers. I have been trying to be more monogamous with my projects, and finish what I already have going on, but it will not be long (like about 10 seconds after I hit Publish Post) before I start these slippers. I am dying to wear them, especially since they will be made out of Malabrigo, the Crack Cocaine of the Yarn World. It's so flipping soft and wonderful.

Anyway, I hope to be back soon with more finished things, dubiously photographed. Or more Shelter News. Oh! I checked the website yesterday and Schroder has been adopted! I'm so happy. I am so glad he has a home now, and really glad that he has a home for some reason other than I couldn't bear it anymore and adopted him. But lo and behold, there are two new little hounds, just dying to come home with me. Geez.

A New Bed

Who knew that a perusal of Curbly, namely this post, and four dollars would get your doggie a nice comfy place to sleep? I didn't. Well, I didn't till I perused Curbly, found this post, and spent $4 on a yard of fleece. Add two of my old pillows and the doggie is snug like a bug with a squishy soft place to sleep. The white of the pillows shows through the ends because someone likes to untie them occasionally when no one is looking.

So here she is, all curled up on her new bed. Sometimes during the day she stretches out on her bed, sometimes she sits on it like a person with all her weight resting on her behind and not her back feet, and sometimes she curls up in a little ball and snores. Either way, she loves it.

I'm a nice dog mommy.

In Which I Am Not Totally Selfish

I love to give things I make as gifts. I always feel sort of nervous doing it though- will it fall apart or burst into flames in the recipients' hands because I am a hack? Will they hate it? Am I deluding myself to think it's better than, say, one of those pine cones made to look like owls via googly eyes and pipe cleaner beaks from the 80's?

The scarf above was made for a very dear friend of mine, so dear I think of her more like a sister than a friend. She hasn't had the best of years this year, and I wanted to be able to give her something special this year. If you will remember my moaning and wailing from a few months ago, I am limited on my budget this year. Real estate is not that most lucrative of fields right now, but that's not the point. The point is that I still feel that I accomplished a special gift with limited resources, and that carries a sense of accomplishment with it. I mean, I didn't build a replica of the Vatican with toothpicks or anything, but it's still a comfy scarf that I know she will be able to use. All around I would call it a Powder Blue Triumph. Yes, I am that pretentious.

First of all, it was a $4 cashmere sweater scored at the Goodwill. I wanted to keep it for myself because it was so so so so incredibly soft. Disarmingly soft and squishy, and it only got better when I washed it a few times on the hot cycle. So, then I cut it up, which was a victory in and of itself, because I have a tendency to hoard materials I love, waiting for the absolute perfect project, which I can never readily identify. I know she will love it- good color for her, and there is something about cashmere that is a fantastic band-aid for any metaphorical bullet wounds. I don't care for many of the finer things in life, which is good because I cannot afford them either. But, cashmere is one of those things that I believe has magical feel good powers for the wearer, and this gal gets that. Finally, this is a triumph because I sewed it and managed not to break the machine in a million pieces and I am still in awe of when I can say that I finished a sewing project, it went well, and the house is still standing.

I still have the entire front of the sweater without the sleeves. I am thinking another neckwarmer could be in order. Cashmere, buttons- all we are missing is a pincushion and I could really work myself into a lather here. I swear, it really is the silliest things that turn my crank.

Baby steps, people. Baby steps.

Sewing Fail

Listening to music is really always fun. But since I am kicking soooooooo much ass on the Things To Make bookmark folder, I thought, "Why stop?" So I didn't. And here you have it- my ipod cover, made following, you guessed it, this tutorial. Except for one thing. I failed to pay attention when I measured, and then I did okay, but I forgot to sew in half of the ribbon. Well that ended up not mattering because I forgot that the sides needed to be able to meet. They just weren't big enough.

No big deal. I still have enough fabric to do make another, and the felt was super cheap at the fabric store down the road. and so I try again another day. Live and learn. the good thing is that I am over my fear of sewing fail. I now embrace it, and encourage you to do the same.

Behold, my fail iPod pouchy thing:
the weird thing holding the pocket down is a mouse shaped laser pointer thing. It is for the cat to play with. He must chase it 15 minutes a day- he is F-A-T. That is fine with me, and I find it cute. But he's also not getting enough exercise, and that is bad. He's also bored, and taking to licking the fur off his tummy. Also bad. Anyway, that's what that is, so no need to be alarmed there.

Ironing Is More Attractive Now

Well, I did it. I sewed something. I told you I was over my fear of sewing. And using this tutorial, I was able to make a terribly attractive place to iron. No more excuses for looking like I crawled out of a hamper.

Before:

After:

YAY!

Where I Sleep: A Massive Undertaking

Okay, well it's finally time to unveil the secret sewing project from like a month ago. It's also the reason I am no longer scared of my sewing machine.

So I guess that with the exception of Maya's crate, my whole room is handmade or upcycled in some way. Here's my bed, in all it's glory. The colors are most accurate in this pic, so apply them to the remaining photos.


Mom and I upholstered the headboard ourselves. We made the duvet cover and the dust ruffle by ourselves. Well, mostly her, but I helped. I can report that I picked out all of the fabric myself, which is proof that I do have good taste on occasion. Mom brought me the night table, and she made the little cover out of the same stuff as the headboard, cause she's clever.

Here it is, still restful and comfy and warm and on lifts. I love climbing into bed at night, because I actually have to climb. It's fun. All the pic is missing is the rotten kitty who usually sleeps on the bed all day and all night. My animals are really lazy.

And here's a detail of the dustruffle (sort of). This was an epic battle. I can't even begin to explain.

Secret Sewing Project

the pic you see above is the beginnings of a HUGE sewing project. I am nervous about it, but I think that it will be good practice for me. It is nothing but sewing straight lines, but I am a bit worried about it nonetheless. Hopefully it turns out okay, and I will share the results when I am done, which the deadline for that is this week. Wish me luck.

Oh and you will be happy to know that I was dismissed (along with everyone else) today from jury duty! Yay! Turns out all the cases were either settled or continued becuase of various assorted scheduling conflicts. So I decided to play hooky for the rest of the day. We were released at 11, but I came home instead of going to work. I ate a nice lunch on the couch, knitted for a bit, and then took a two hour nap with the dog. After that I did my first but of yarn dyeing ever! Hooray! I will show the process pics in a different post though. Those deserve their own post all to themselves. I think the results will be really nice, but I can't even hang it to dry till tomorrow. I may cheat and take it out of the dye pot after dinner and then have it soaking and what not so that I can hang it to dry outside before bed.

Now I am off to upcycle the dog and repurpose her as a clean pet. That should be swell.

My Couch Got a Facelift!

You know I love a good before and after.

Here's the before, but it's a pic you've already seen- just thought you would like to remember the couch as it was- a lovely purple during the Reagan Administration, now a color I like to call Eyesore Mauve. Please ignore the sullen foxhound in a dress and focus on the sadness of the couch.



And NOW! Feast your eyes on the fun and excitement that is my new cushions! I am still tweaking the cover, and handsewing the top cushions shut so it's a bit of a work in progress. But, it is a million percent better.



Later on I will have to take a pic of it with it's friend The Armchair. the armchair was finished in April, I think(?). So obviously the couch is happy to be just as snazzy. But I didn't feel like cleaning up the living room enough to show you it.

Love it!

Another Mail Call

I haven't checked the mail in a while. I don't know why I have this aversion to it, I just do. And I have been doing a bit of (okay fine, a TON of) online shopping lately, so I thought I would share the bounty.

Here's some fabric from J. Caroline Creative, and I realized when I opened the package that I was then attacked by a moment of premature senility. I bought the one fabric that clearly does not go with the others to make a simple skirt. The others? I think I wanted to make an ironing board cover with one, but I don't know which. the rest, I think I was gonna make either a purse or some fabric boxy type things. I have no fucking idea.
Next is something I am quite proud of. It is a destashing of yarn made from frogged sweaters! I bought it on Etsy, and I feel like it was a steal of a deal. It is like a pound and a quarter of wool. Neato!
Well the colors of the above yarn do not do one single thing for me, (well the dark green is okay and so is one skein of the dark purple you can't really see), and I had money burning a hole in my PayPal and I have REEEEEEEALLY been wanting to learn how to dye yarn, so I bought this:
Then I bought these two fat quarter sets and also this scrap pack. I thought the FQ sets would be fun for aprons, or maybe placemats, or something fun and small. The scraps too. Plus it was a fun way to try out some fabrics that I just don't have access to here in my sometimes style-deprived little town.

And look! A kitty! He didn't really come in the mail, sillies.

Sewing Update

In case you were wondering, yes I have played with my sewing machine.

It has been interesting to say the very least. I have an incredibly huge amount of stuff to learn, and I think that I may break my long held tradition of teaching myself to do everything and I may just suck it up and sign up for a class. It has become terribly apparent to me that I am not naturally good at this, and also that I really want to be. Further I have learned that I love nice fabrics, and that I want to not waste a bunch of money and time learning how to do things.

Therefore, I am online looking at my county's community ed site. Holy smokes. the good thing I can say about it is that it is apparent that the cost of classes does not go to upkeep of the website. Wow. I have also accomplished a great many things while looking at it, or attempting to. I re-started the laundry I left in the wash two days ago (I hate when I do that) and I also started dinner and wrote the drafts of like three blog posts- all while waiting to see if there is a sewing class to take somewhere. I sure hope so. For god's sake the only class that has loaded so far is beginning floral design.

Okay it finally loaded and YAY! There is a class and it starts in October. Hmmmm. Perhaps I will check somewhere else. I don't wanna wait a month to learn how to use my sewing machine. I could teach myself by then.

Happy Happy Happy Day!

Wow, this never happens to me, EVER. Today i got non-paycheck related MONEY!

Yay!

I got a bonus at work today. Apparently it was a thank you for the trying summer we have had. I was not aware that it was even that trying, and that is a bonus in and of itself. Throw in some cash, and now you are really speaking my language.

What does one do with unexpected money? I mentally slaved over this idea. First of all, some of it had to be spent on a plane ticket for the beginning of October. I am going to MSG's sister's wedding with him, so that took care of that. Otherwise, I would have had to save save save this whole month, and that would have sucked. Plus, with my luck I would have saved based on what the price was when I last checked (about 2 weeks ago) and then it would have gone up something awful like $100 or something. So, I got that out of the way and that is nice. Well, that leaves a pretty decent sum of money. What to do with it? Give it to the credit card company? No, that's no fun. I decided that in an attempt to thwart the early (okay fine, well-entrenched to semi-advanced, you asshole) stages of Dimple Butt, I would buy a new pair of sneakers. Mine are in way past awful condition. Okay, so that leaves what I decided would be money for clothes. Or a haircut. Or a steam clean for my car's interior (billable to Maya, of course). Or various assorted home things, like storage bins and those fun canvas bins that I have admired from afar. Or tons of knitting shit, including yarn so fancy and expensive it must be made from the pubes of angels. Or hell, I could start dying my own! But no. I decided that today was the day that I would make something happen that I have wanted for well over a year now:

Yep, I finally bought myself a sewing machine. And because I was a smarty britches, I bought it on Overstock.com and paid like 60% less than retail. We all know how i love a good deal. Well I got one. With a nice little sum to stick in savings just because I can.

What a happy day this is.