Merry Christmas

Believe it or Not I am done with Christmas Presents. And even more shocking then that I have them all wrapped too!!! This has never really happened to me before. I'm a bit bewildered. Now before you think I'm really good, I'm not. When I say I'm done, it means I have something for everyone on my list, even if it wasn't what I originally planned for. (And yes the thought that I've forgotten something has very much occurred to me, but at least I have three days to remember)

This is go great, cause in December's past it's been Christmas eve, family is around and I'm desperately trying to finish up a project while fooling myself that the recipient hasn't really notice what I'm working on. And now I've gotten everything done in time that HOPEFULLY, (for the most part) no one's got a clue.

What this also means is other items get to come up in priority. Tonight, it's reclaiming the guest bedroom before said guest show up. Since the projects are done then the boxes, tools, and fabrics, yarns and "stuff" can get put away.

Also, I have a sugar cookie recipe I want to try out. And because there really isn't any hope for me, I've got some projects/ideas, I want to work on. (I said the guest room gets clear, but my room .. well that's an entirely different story) With that, I have designated the next couple of weeks as "guilt-free" project zone. No projects I HAVE to work on, only those I WANT to work on, ...for the shear fun of creating and only if I feel like it.

Pictures of how well this year's Christmas gift goal went will be posted after Christmas morning. Now I wasn't able to give ALL homemade but I must say I did pretty good considering.

Merry Christmas and good wishes for your holiday.

A New Scarf

Third time's the charm, Right?
I think so!
I would like to introduce you to the current love in my life.
(Silly way to phrase it but golly gee I love this scarf. )

The color was love at first sight, and the feel sealed the deal.
The design had been there in my head since I finished my first knitted scarf.
Last week I had my doubts when I tried casting on.
Thursday was really scary when I alternated between larger needles/hooks, knitting and then crocheting.
And when the yarn broke, oh such growling that ensued. But I was not going to be beat, so with a large crochet hook and a determination to not do anything fancy I began again.
At the end of the evening I had two rows and all I could think was
60's/70's/avocado green/retro
????
(a look I don't really see myself as).
Friday evening brought calm, and then a growing excitement
as I finished and stood up to try it on.
And then there was Saturday when I had a reason to wear it somewhere
(something I didn't do with the other two, they were just finished, admired, photographed and then folded away, while my eyes & mind wondered to the next possibility in the way of scarves, shameless I know)

So from the personal collection of Amy A, I introduce you to:
Long & Skinny
(NO smart alec remarks about how it's the opposite of me: short and ... you know not skinny;)
Now with most scarves, their width folds over while sitting on my shoulders/neck. This double thickness pushes my head forward and I feel like I am always staring at the ground.
What a kink in the neck!
And If I dare wrap the scarf around my neck to keep warm, it makes me claustrophobic and I'm even more "chin to the chest".

Now with Long and Skinny, I can wrap that scarf around me, creating a cowl look. My head stays up straight, unless the winds blowing then everyone is ducking their head. I'm warm, can breath and feel oh so stylish!


For those interested in the Pattern:
(It's really simple and the idea came from here - Laughing Purple Goldfish)
Using a size N crochet hook, chain a LONG chain (measure the length you personally want for yourself - mine almost touched the floor ... standing!!!)
Once you get your length, 1st row: sc in 2nd stitch from hook and sc to end of chain.
2nd row: chain 1, sc to end
repeat until you have the width you want, mine turned out to be 8 rows.
Optional fringe: you can add it after you finish the scarf
OR like me (lazy) : at the end of each row leave a tail before beginning the next row. When you're done, cut the loops, tie together and there you have it.

What's really cool, I only used 1 skein of yarn!!!!
And I got it done before the first Snow Fall (and boy is the snow falling now!)

(FYI: While knitting the first scarf, I had the thought to see if I could get it done before it snowed. So you can image my excitement at getting three done before it snowed.)

It's Done IT's Done IT'S DONE

It's done oh done three months later done but oh so nice you see because it's finally done!

In fact this dress has been done for a whole week. I just haven't posted it cause it wasn't picked up until Saturday, and I figured you would like to see it actually being worn. Sorry about the picture quality. I'm a lousy photographer.

So when did it get done? Tuesday night. In fact I had finished my last stitch on the hem when Michelle (Biggest Loser) got up on the scale and blew the other contestants out of the water. So I screamed double loud; 1st for me and 2nd for Michelle.

So LS I hope you like it.
I think you look great, in spite of your photographer.

A New Hat

Just so you don't think I've given up on crochet; this last weekend I whipped up a cute hat. I found the pattern for this "newsboy" cap on Knit and Crochet Today , a T.V show I ran across last Thursday. It is from Season Two; show 201.

I'm not one for the knitted cap look, but I liked the design so much I thought I would give it a try. The flower didn't turn out as big as the one shown on the webpage, which was a good thing. I was a bit skeptical about having that huge a flower so I'm very happy with the size of this one. I also thought their brim was a bit short so I added two more rows to mine.

To jazz it up I attached the two buttons. I really like how they work with the design. The one on top looks just like a button on a regular newsboy cap. Of course when you put it on, it's more of a 1920's Cloche hat, which makes me love it even more.

I did take a couple of pictures with it being worn, but decided not to post them. Sorry the "model" was looking a little scary and I didn't want that to affect your opinion of the hat.

Now all I need a good place to wear it, it's more of an outside cap so wearing it where you're going inside a lot isn't really the best. If we would ever get some snow, sledding would be perfect.

Dress Pictures as Requested

Skirt Attached
Up close
Trim pinned and ready to be sewn - hand sewn that is.

Knitting

My first knitting project

I used a Forest Green wool yarn and size 8 needles.

I bought two skeins of yarn but wanted to only use one. Well I got to the end and the scarf was still too short. So I ended up using 1 1/3 skeins of yarn for this scarf.

Challenge: Learn to knit!!! Hold needles, Hold yarn and get a good tension, cast on stitches, knit stitch, cast off stitches (Officially called bind off stitches ;)
Now my mom did show me how to work a purl stitch, but I figured just getting the above down would be challenge enough.
Instructions: Cast on 27 stitches; Knit stitch until desired length; Bind Off stitches



Optional: Add Tassels if so desired

2nd Knitting Project (Yes, there is another)
Challenge: Use the Purl stitch and learn to read a Pattern

The day before Thanksgiving found me in Hancock Fabrics looking for material. I came across some skeins of yarn in a Clearance bin discounted 30%. What caught my eye was this Olive Suede yarn. I'm not sure how well the picture shows it but it's quite the green and I liked it.

While digging around, I came across a beautiful Navy Cashmere yarn. I couldn't resist, so I bought two skeins of the Olive and two of the Navy. Now to find a pattern. I didn't have to look far for a pattern. It was right there wrapped around the Navy yarn. The label had a model wearing a scarf with a basketweave pattern.
I pulled off the label and looked at the instructions on the back.
Requires 2 balls of yarn (Check)
Instructions: Cast on 20 Stitches (Can do & I liked the idea of a thinner scarf then the last one)
Rows 1, 3, 5: Knit 4 Purl 4 Knit 4 across
Rows 2, 4: Purl 4 Knit 4 Purl 4 across
Repeat until you've got your length
Pretty basic, this was perfect.

As excited as I was about the Olive, I chose to go with the Navy for this scarf.
Now the note book is to demonstrate that this wasn't an easy knit. I'm still learning to distinguish a knit stitch from a purl and rows from each other. So I made a mark every time I finished a row, that way I would know which number of row I was on. Trust me, I had a good start on this scarf before I found the necessity of this tracking system and had to undo 10 rows ( I think it was 10) to get back on track. And after all that, I still don't think it's easy to undo a knitting mistake. Hopefully with practice I'll be better able to recognize where I'm at in a project.
Here's a rather poor picture of the pattern. Sorry if it's hard to see. Just image what a basket weave pattern is and there you have this scarf. This only took me 6 days to complete, only because it was Thanksgiving Break and I wasn't feeling well for Saturday and Sunday. And when all you can do is sit, hand projects like knitting is the perfect thing to work on.
Side Note: This is the first time I worked with cashmere and boy is it nice. So soft it makes regular yarn feel rough in comparison. Just for the heck of it, I googled the cost of cashmere scarves. We talking $40 - $100.
And mine .... try $5.40 TOTAL So cool.....

Now what to do with the Suede yarn?

"The Gentle Art of Domesticity" Jane Brocket

I usually read a book rather quickly. But with this one, I took it a little slower, finishing it three weeks after beginning it. In the previous post I tried explaining it and didn't do a good job so here I am taking another shot at it.

First in Jane's Words:
" I was wondering how to explain what I believe is the key to the gentle art of domesticity. For me it is recognition - recognition of the worth of homemaking, of overlooked skills, of ordinary things. Above all it is the recognition of the small but significant moments that all too often go unnoticed in the general speed and melee of daily life. In order to enjoy domesticity, we need to cultivate a habit of stepping back every so often to pause and observe and enjoy, and allow these moments to crystalize .... " pg. 274

Just one example of recognizing Domesticity:
While reading Jane's book, I realized why I love Grace Livingston Hill's books so much. After all these years, they still draw me in but not for the same reason. They are packed with the "gentle art of domesticity". This last month I was in the middle of one, when I looked up and told my mother and grandmother (who was visiting at the time) that I needed a "workbasket". My mother looked at me like I had lost it and said "Workbasket? what are you talking about?" I then explained how in the book, the characters were moving into a house and were "setting up housekeeping"(making me envious). GLH described everything about what they were shopping for and how they were arranging everything, even down to the maid's room ... which included a workbasket. Now this made me realize it wasn't the first time GLH mentioned workbaskets. Now workbaskets don't play any role in the story but act more as background kind of like the furniture and set for plays. The mother figure will pick up her knitting that's sitting by chair (in her workbasket) and patiently work on it while entertaining a rather irritating visitor. And since I'm learning to knit ... I need a workbasket!!! They are also handy for holding sewing, mending ...

Mom's response: "Well then, you've already got plenty of workbaskets"

Mine: "No, I've got work plastic bags, and work filing boxes, and even work piles but no real "work basket". Then for backup and to prove that I wasn't completely making this up, I asked my grandmother if she knew what I was talking about, "Oh, ya, growing up we had our workbasket". Of course she didn't go into further description, which I wish she had; but my point was made.

Long example I know, but being able to recognize and even define "the gentle art of domesticity" for yourself adds so much richness to your life as it has done for mine (such as the value as something as ordinary as a basket). After every chapter, I would just sit and savor the thoughts and images she presented and what I could add from my own experience. I highly recommend reading this book, maybe then you're be able to do a better job of describing it's merits then I have.

PS: Hey I just notice my picture illustrates my example perfectly, see the box, plastic bag and pile. Oh how I need a basket!!! The funny thing is as I've been in different stores with my mom, we have begun looking at baskets and discussing the different aspects that need to make up the proper "work basket". Haven't found the right one yet. ;)

Skirts, Books, Socks, and Secrets, Oh My!

As usual I've been busy since last I posted.

Skirt

Step 6 is complete!!!! The skirt has been attached to the bodice and it really looks cool. And if the camera would work, you could see how cool. Oh well. So now Zipper, Hem, Lace, Zipper Hem Lace, ... That's all that's left .... I hope!

Books

"The Gentle Art of Domesticity - Stitching, Baking, Nature, Art & the Comforts of Home"
by Jane Brocket

I have a number of sewing/craft blogs I like to read and had created quite a list of books that were recommended. Well at the first of November, I treated myself one night to a trip to Borders. After a 1/2 hour of browsing, picking up, wondering and placing backing down ,I had pretty much decided there wasn't anything I really wanted to buy. Then I happened to remember a couple of the books on that list and went looking. I found two and that's when the deliberation began. You see this one was $10 more then the other one which was still $10 more then I "budgeted". And it looked more like a coffee table type of book. You know the ones, great to look out but no one actually reads all the way through. The second choice looked shorter and was specifically about sewing. Well with time short, I handed the second choice to my mom to browse through while I looked this one over. What can I say I'm very particular about 1) money I spend on books, 2) time I spend reading books and 3) whether they are worth it. I have a thing about books collecting dust especially brand new books. After flipping through and reading in several different locations I was hooked. She wrote how I felt but never knew how to put into words. Even now as I try to explain I can't seem to say it the way I want to. Except in Jane Brocket, I found someone who shares similar views of baking, sewing, crocheting, that I've always felt. This isn't a book about sewing or crocheting or baking bread but more the joy and satisfaction that comes discovering a part of you that so many put down as beneath you, or a waste of your intellectual faculties or ..... (Do you ever come across something that feels you so full of thoughts and feelings and ideas that you just can't express it in words. Well that is how I feel about the "gentle art of domesticity". So I will stop right here and save the rest for a later post.)

Socks

My mother taught me how to crochet when I was 8/9/ or 10 years old. I don't remember the age, but I do remember the place. And I have loved crocheting all these years. Even now when the leaves start turning colors and the weather gets nippy, and fall is felt and smelled and breathed, I want to pull out my crochet hooks, look over my yarn stash and start creating a blanket that grows warm as the days grow cold. But in all those years I have never had any desire to learn to knit, ... that is until now. In anticipation for my 31st birthday coming up in a few months and the official entry into "old maid-em", I felt now was the time to learn. Just kidding. Actually, Stripy socks are the real culprit. I want to make stripy socks! Not buy them, but make them. So one Friday during my lunch hour, I went into an awesome yarn shop we have here and asked for a sock pattern. Of course I did mention I had no idea how to knit, so I was shown the most basic pattern, bought it, and that evening I went to Jo Ann's (a little less expensive then the yarn shop) and bought me a "teach yourself how to knit" kit and two skeins of green wool. Then I went to my mom and asked her to teach me. (Yes I'm the type who over prepares rather then under prepares.) The first week was filled with several attempts and unraveling of those attempts. My grandmother who was visiting at the time kept asking me if I had made it to an inch yet. Not exactly, but it was interesting week of dropped stitches, too tight stitches and the patience and laughter of my instructor. (Hey if you're going to tax the patience of someone, you do it in such a way that they laugh at you rather then growl. At least that's my philosophy.) By the first of the second week I finally had an inch of the scarf I am trying to make. It's straight knit stitches, so I only need to know how to cast on, knit, and cast off (I'm not sure that is the right term but hey it works for me.)

Now I'm making good progress at learning to knit but how long before I can take on socks? It doesn't bode well when your "instructor" who has been knitting for years doesn't quite understand the "basic" sock pattern you bought. But I still hope, and to add to that, I bought a set of 4 different size sock needles. Now I've got the needles, and the pattern, I just need the skill and the yarn. And I do love knitting now that I've got the hang of it. It's really quite fun, and relaxing.

Secrets

Christmas is coming fast and I've been planning all kinds of surprises. So I can't tell you particulars, only my theme seems to be "homemade". Which may not be anything new, except with my reading, and learning to knit, and sewing, I think I want to put all my little "skills" to work and make it a diverse "homemade" Christmas. So crocheting, cross-stitching, sewing, maybe some embroidery. Knitting, I'm not so sure of because I've just begun to learn and I'm not so keen on giving away my very first project. We shall see. Most of my ideas get narrowed down drastically by the time Christmas comes, but I'm showing some good progress. Along with getting that dress completed, I hope to finish one batch of gifts or at least 2/3 of it before December even starts.

Here's hoping!

Hey Look at ME! I've got Sleeves

So what ever happened with the dress?

Well two weeks ago, (the Saturday before Halloween), I had a 5 hour sewing session and felt really good with the progress I made. These were the steps in my head when I started Saturday Morning:

1. Sew together bodice
2. Sew together lining
3. Sew lining and bodice together
   
4. Put together sleeves with flounces
5. Sew sleeves to bodice
6. Gather and sew skirt to bodice
7. Attach zipper (Mom's department - I don't know how to sew hidden zippers, not yet at least)
   
8. Sew/Attach ribbon decoration to dress
   
9. Measure and sew hem.
   

My aim was to get to step five, hey it would be really great to have the skirt attached by the end of Saturday. That would only leave steps 7-9, which could so be done by Thursday, Saturday at the very latest. I even figured one hour for the bodice, one hour for the lining, and 2 hours for the sleeves, leaving about 2 hours for the skirt. Well that sounds good in theory. And it did work out that way, sort of.

I got the bodice sewn together. The lace on the center panel was my idea. The pattern calls for ribbons, to make bows. In the original discussion of this, we decided .... well I'm not entirely sure what we decided, because as I looked at it further and further, the ribbon step needed to be done before the bodice was shown together, and we were thinking it would be done at the end with the other ribbon decoration.

Honestly I didn't want to a) make ribbon from the fabric or b) go to the store and try to decide which ribbon to choose. When I'm at this kind of a crossroads, I usually do a lot of staring at the fabric and the pattern and whatever supplies I might have on had and then back to the fabric. Yes, sometimes this involves chewing nails, and running fingers through my hair. Which makes this a good spot to make sewing confession number 2:

When I sew I play music. And the music of choice is classical, preferably opera. I've tried county/rock/ etc, but it doesn't work for me. That type of music actually makes me more irritated and shuts the brain down. So it's classical and what's really great is if there are lyrics involved, (yes I sing). So most of the time I have The Marriage of Figaro playing loudly, but for some reason I couldn't find it so I had to settle for Julia Andrews and her singing of some famous musicals and the Messiah. Both were good, although after a week of the musicals, I had such phrases like "just you wait Henry Higgins, just you wait" repeating over and over in my head. I really need to find Figaro.

The music really helps me focus and ignore everything but the task at hand while opening me up to creative inspiration. And honestly it worked, cause I'm really liking how the lace looks and think it will really pull together the dress. I believe when the skirt is gathered and attached to the dress, the panels will line up and look so awesome.

So here is the finished bodice.

And the finished skirt with the lining on top to the side.

At this point I determined step 3 - sew lining to the bodice was dumb. I understand the pattern's reasoning but I think I know better. Of course I won't really know if I know better until the end. I just think the lining should not be done until the sleeves are attached, skirt attached and zipper is in. This way, the lining will hid all the unfinished seams (including zipper, sleeves, and skirt) and make it really nice and finished. The pattern figures you can just hold the lining out of the way when you sew the zipper or skirt on. And of course I beg to differ.

Now sleeves - that's where my nice little time schedule got off. The sleeves took about three hours and that was just to get them assembled. It was the lace flounces that ate up the time, of course here again was where I ignored the pattern's instructions and I was right to. For the lace hem, I sewed a thin white ribbon along the edge, then I used French seams instead of regular seams. French seams look so awesome, and with the transparency of lace, they hide the raw edges really well. Now there are two flounces per sleeve and the instructions say to gather them separately. I don't think so! Can you image the swearing that would have come from such a task? I put the two together and treated it as one. Three rows of gathering stitches (instead of 6), gathering once (instead of twice) and sewing once (instead of twice). Repeat for second sleeve.
Oh so nice and so much better. Don't they look awesome?

Six hours sewing, with three hours on those sleeves and I still had to attach them to the bodice, I was beat. So I called it quits for the day.

Well it seems it was quits for the next two weeks, cause that's where those sleeves sat till last night. I do have good reasons, at least for not doing anything last week, it was a headache week, meaning headaches everyday. So a rest was needed.

But last night I finally sat down and attached those sleeves to the bodice.
Now .... doesn't the bodice look awesome?

I can't wait to see how the skirt looks when it's finally attached. I can't say how soon, cause the skirt has 5 seams that need to be finished. If they aren't finished, the fabric will ravel like crazy. I don't have to worry about the seams on the bodice, cause it's lined, but the skirt isn't. I would love to serge them, but the serger is at the repair shop. So I either wait for the serger or I use another method. Makes me wish I had thought of French seams before I had sewn the skirt together. Oh well I'll figure something out.

Now you're up-to-date on where I'm at with the dress. Sorry for the long post, but what can I say, I love this stuff!!!

Thoughts from some people I've come to Admire

Last night I was looking through some boxes and came across a notebook where I had written some quotes I really liked. When I'm reading I like to take note of passages that speak to me and then I write them down, usually on any piece of paper I come across. So in this little notebook I found the following:

Madame Curie by Eve Curie (Marie Curie's daughter)
Marie Curie stated:
"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing at whatever cost, must be attained"

On the same page I have written: 1 Corin. 2:9
"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

Exploring with Byrd (Admiral Richard E. Byrd - I've read a few things on and written by him)
(While in the academy, he was seriously injured and finished his courses from the hospital bed)
"The struggle I had made to graduate taught me a great lesson - that it is by struggle that we progress. I learned concentration during that time I never thought I possessed"

Washington Irving said:
"For my part, I endeavor to take things as they come: with cheerfulness, and when I cannot get a dinner to suit my taste, I endeavor to get a taste to suit my dinner."

Hope you guys are having a good day.

Tagged

For what it's worth:

8 Things I am looking forward to:
- Finishing the Marie Antoinette Dress
- Finishing Rachel's quilt
- The return of a more cheerful attitude (I've been such a grouch this weekend)
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8 Things on my wish list
- See item #3 on last list, if I could get that back, I could answer this.
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8 T.V shows I like to watch
- Exteme Makeover - Home Edition
- The Biggest Loser
- MacGyver
- A-Team
- Mission Impossible
Have I aged myself yet?
- 30 Minute Meals
Honestly, the first two are the only ones I watch consistently, I'm more of a movie watcher then a T.V. Show watcher

8 Things that happened yesterday
- Woke-up
- 30 - 45 minute tangent on a subject that I am highly allergic to and why I should see someone about that
- Read
- Showered and got dressed for church
- Reviewed the Sunday School lesson (just in case the teacher who's suppose to teach today doesn't show)
- Convinced my anxiety ridden personality to leave the SS lesson manual home. "Give me a break sister, he's always shown up to teach his lesson. Will you just chill out!!!!!"
- Went to church and enjoyed it immensely
- Chill pill wore off and ended the day on another tirade (shaking head, some people!!! - ie:ME)

Now I'm suppose to "tag" 8 additional people, but having forced you to read such a bad attitude tag post, I will just end with a sincerely apologize that I didn't just erase my entries and say Hi.

(Sheesh, this is what happens when some people don't stay in their room where they grounded themselves)

Sewing Update:

Ok, just so you don't think I haven't been sewing this week, I have. Actually last night would be the only night I haven't touched the project. I had enrichment to prepare for and go to. So there's my excuse. Tuesday night was spent cutting out the last remaining pattern pieces and fabrics. Wednesday was a lesson in underlining and overlay. Attaching the underlining to the bodice pieces, and then overlaying the lace pieces to the skirt and bodice. Fun Fun. Lace is such a delicate fabric, it's always interesting to see how well it can stay in place. I do like how it looks against the satin. Very cool.

After attaching the different fabric pieces, I sewed the skirt seams together. I figured with limited time, the skirt would give me a fast win. Let me just tell you, that is alot of skirt. Oh boy is it going to be fun to gather.

I don't have pictures cause I don't have a camera anymore. Sorry, it's being borrowed by a photographer who needs it up for some mountain pictures. Hopefully I get it back in time for the finished product.

So how are we doing? Well I'm not entirely sure. It's quick and simple in theory, but the actually doing? Well their is just so many little steps you have to take to insure it looks nice. So who knows. I don't think I'm aiming for Halloween. Mainly because just looking at the different pieces, even if I finish in time for Halloween, the dress will need a professional pressing job. Talk about wrinkled!

Oh well, just taking it one step at a time and really trying not to dread the steps still left to do.

Day Two

A Sewing Confession:
Now the first confession was I'm a terrible project procrastinator. Now the second confession is when I sew, I like to wear a baseball cap backwards. It keeps my hair out of my face and helps me focus. It's not the most attractive look, but I always feel in the sewing/designing groove when I place the cap on.

It's Monday Night and after making a couple of alterations to the pattern (only needed 1" of length, not two, and shortened the shoulder length a little.) I began cutting out the fabrics. First the lace, then the satin. I had to cut the bodice pieces twice - one for the fabric and the other for the lining. I still have a third time, cause it requires underlining.

Now it may not look like it, but cutting out the pattern pieces takes a long time.

I'm getting kind of tired, but I still have the skirt pieces.

Oh, boy. What do you do when the pattern piece is so big, not all of it fits on the table?
Start pinning one side and roll as you go.

Another question: How do you know when it's time to quit?

When you run out of pins?

Guess Not

How about when there is definitely no room on the cutting table for the last skirt pattern?

Nope, just keep rolling.
(By the way, my sewing professor taught me to never let the fabric hang over the table when I am trying to cut out pattern pieces. Oops, well I've already broken my #1 rule about not sewing after 7p.m. What's another one?)

So when do you stop?

Well, when you get to the top of the last pattern needing pinning and find you're 1 1/2 inches short of fabric and will have to unpin the whole thing and re-adjust everything.

Ya, that's when it's time to walk away girl
just let it go and go to bed.

Two weeks till Halloween ... So do you think I'll make it .. I've got my doubts

I'm not entirely sure, but I believe my first mistake was opening up the envelope and pulling out the instructions. Labor Day weekend, my Aunt and Uncle brought their daughter up to BYU. And with them came 20 yards of fabric and request to make a costume for my cousin. She's always wanted a dress in this style. (think Marie Antoinette) and they got an awesome deal on the fabric. So would I? Now in all fairness, I was forewarned before they arrived and I thought, there is no way I can sew a costume at this time, every Saturday in September is booked. I'm really busy. And when I was shown the pattern (not the one shown in picture) I really knew I couldn't do it. It called for 20 yards of fabric, and it had huge "walk through doors sideways" hips. You know the style. And the instructions didn't make sense at all, Hook and eyes in the front and laces in the back?? Ok, going for authentic are we? Can you start to see how I got pulled into it. Yep, I started analzing how it could be done differently and easily and ... I should of known I was getting into trouble when I went online and found a McCalls pattern that was the same style but so much simpler.
Now I only have two weeks left, I knew if I didn't get it started today, I would never make it by Halloween. Even now, with two weeks, it's a big question mark. I knew my cousin was long in the torso so I added 2" to the length of the bodice pieces. I wanted to make sure the bodice fit, and also to make sure the neckline wasn't too low. So I cut the bodice pieces out of muslim to make a fitting shell.


As I was sewing this together, I kept saying, it's a costume, it's a costume, don't over anaylze, or try to make it completely perfect. It's a costume, it's ok if it's not completely perfect. So I'm posting today's results. Not very far, considering what I have ahead of me. Oh, well she knows I may not get it done in time for Halloween, so I shouldn't be stressed for time. Except having it around for a month already, I don't want to have it hanging over my head for another month. I'll try to keep you updated with the process. Hopefully it will make me stay on track.

Anyway, getting the bodice done will be the hardest part, right??? it has the most details, the rest should be pretty straight forward ..... I hope

Oh why didn't I stick to my "no" answer, I'm sure I said "there wasn't any possible way" at least 5 or 6 times. The problem was I was saying it to them, next time I should say it to myself and then DON'T OPEN THE ENVEOPLE!!!!!

A Little Purse for a Little Miss

I tried out a new crochet pattern a couple of weeks ago. I worked this up in a couple of hours. It was fun, although I expected it to turn out bigger then it did. It's size is about perfect for a 2-4 year old girl. It reminds me of a strawberry.

The Last Post for the evening, I promice....

See what happens when a person decides to wait on posting about all the interesting things happening. She stays up late trying to catch up before she forgets everything. So just one more tidbit and then I'm off to bed.

Last week, my boss asked if I would be willing to be interviewed by a reporter from KSL radio. Of course, I looked at him like he was nuts and asked why would a reporter be interested in talking to me. Well it seems, he was coming to talk to my boss about credit card debt and was wanting stories of people who paid off their credit card debt.

So there you go, pay off your credit cards and you may just find yourself not only being published but also interviewed by a news reporter. Me? well, I just hope I didn't sound too stupid. Sadly I was too nervous to remember to ask when the interview might be broadcast, so I can't even tell you if it was or wasn't. Oh, well so much for my 15 seconds of fame.

A Whirlwind Creative Binge

Now I bet you are thinking this is going to be another sewing post? Well, considering who's doing the writing, it would be a pretty good guess but not this post. I had plans to attack a couple of sewing projects with an October deadline, but instead I went a little crazy in the kitchen.

It all started with the shopping trip to the grocery store when I was hungry. I had to pick up a couple of items for a dessert I was going to make for dinner on Sunday. When I got home I had groceries for homemade spring rolls, fried rice, trifle, and tarts. And I almost got all of it done too. The Trifle was for Sunday's dessert, so the cake and pudding got made first. I then started on the fried rice. While the rice was cooking, I chopped up all the ingredients for the spring roll filling. Two hours later, I had quite a dinner prepared. Now if only I had someone to eat it with. Turns out that night I was all on my own. Oh well, it was fun getting out my Japaneses dishes and setting the table. Sorry no chop sticks, I couldn't use them if I had any.


I hadn't gotten around to starting the tarts, so after dinner I mixed up some pie crust. About this time, I was exhausted. The filling, which was going to be lemon, wasn't doing so well, and I couldn't get any energy up to fix it. So I wrapped up the pie crust and put it in the frig and threw the filling out, (trust me there was no saving it). Then I crashed on the couch and ended up going to bed at 8:00 p.m. cause I was soooo tired.

Hopefully in the next day or so I'll have pictures of pie tarts. I will say that recipe I used for the spring rolls certainly make up a lot. Three days, three meals and it looks like I still have enough left for one for meal.

My Very First Sewing Machine

A week ago, my dear friend, Danyelle came to visit and after dinner on Friday night, we went over to JoAnns Fabric Store to look at sewing machines. I had told her that I had been seriously thinking of getting one, so she convinced me to go in and take a look at the Vikings. Now I'm a lousy shopper. I really don't like talking to sales people, mainly cause I never know what to ask them. I just like to look around, see if they have what I'm looking for and then buy or not depending on if it's worth it to me. Lucky, Danyelle isn't that way, so with her nudging occasionally, I was able to find out about one of the machines. Now since I had been thinking about it for awhile, I had a pretty good idea of what type of machine I was looking for. So after talking, we left, I liked the machine, but I knew of another store that was having a super sale on their machines and the one I had my eye on was $200 dollars less, not as many functions, but enough for me. So Saturday afternoon, instead of driving up to the store, I decided to first call and see if it was really what I wanted. And it was a good thing, cause they had sold the one I was interested in. So after more deliberation and my mom assuring me that I wasn't a spendthrift, (she's my sounding board for this type of purchases) we went down to the store.

It a mechanical sewing machine rather then a computerized. I did not want computerized. I wanted straightforward and simple. I do a lot of sewing but use very few stitches outside of straight and zig zag so I knew I didn't need all the bells and whistles. Along with that I didn't want to keep track of a lot of fancy feet. That's why this model works so well for me. It only had about 8 different feet, including the three I always use. What really sold me was it's one step buttonhole. I prefer basic techniques but when it comes to button holes, the easier and less steps involved is what I like. That would probably be my one luxury item.

Once I got home, I pulled out the owners manual, reviewed it and immediately pulled out a project to sew.


It's a Crochet hook carrier, made from a place mat. Really nifty and now I have a place to put my crochet needles.


So there it is, after years of sewing and at least 5 years of serious sewing, I finally have my very own sewing machine. I keep joking about naming it but can't come up with any Viking names I like. The closest female name is Vilhelmiina. What do you think? ;)

Twins!!!!

My mom's serger cover was looking pretty shabby, basically it had a big whole in the top and was doing little to protect the serger from dust. The sewing machine didn't even have a cover, it just had a towel that was put over it. So one night I decided to see what I could come up with. The sewing machine pattern was one I found on the Internet and the serger pattern, well I just pulled the old one apart and used it as a pattern. Not too bad, even if it is a little pink. Does a better job then the old ones. As you can tell from the patchwork, I like different fabrics, colors and prints. I thought it looked more interesting with three different fabrics then it did with just one or two.

I'm a reader not a blogger

Sorry guys, just not very good at blogging, even though I look at everyone elses blogs on a daily basis. I'm going to try to do better. I've been doing some sewing so I just need to get pictures. You know, I think if I would blog more I would realize I am not so boring as I seem to think I'm these days. Just a thought that came to me. So this is to let you know I am think of being more communicable (now that doesn't sound good, more like I have a nice cold to pass around) ;) My nose has been a little stuffy these days ....... just kidding

Catching up.....

So how does one explain not posting anything for over a month? All I can say is, I've been working so hard that I haven't had the energy to sit down and say anything. I've finished working my part time job. It's such a relief to be back to one job, only 40 hours a week, and Saturdays free to do as I choose.

Finishing out August with the second job was a real struggle. Every week, I would look at the calendar and feel like September would never get here. But it did, and it was worth it. I met all the financial goals I had set for myself, last January. Because of the rap New Year's resolutions get, I decided that of all my goals I wanted to accomplish, I would choose just one that I wanted to accomplish in 2008. I wouldn't worry about any of the the rest, if I succeeded at meeting them then they would just be icing but paying off all my debts except my student loans was what I really wanted to accomplish. And I did. Funny thing, I'm not sure how I feel about it. I felt more when I paid off my last credit card in July. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy about it but in a calmer, less emotional way. Of course, I'm not letting this milestone go uncelebrated. How did I celebrate? Well I spent three hours at the spa being pampered and generally de-stressed. All those knots I spent the last 8 months putting into my neck and shoulders... All gone!!!!!

Now with other news:

Labor Day Weekend was spent fighting a sore throat virus. Thankfully I caught it in time so it didn't knock me out too much. I watched a lot of movies and worked a lot on a couple of projects.. which was my plans anyway, I just wanted to do it with more energy. ;)

One of the projects was an embroidery design I created myself. I read an article about using snapshots to create custom embroidery. My sister-in-law had taken a cute picture of her boys and sent it to me a few months back. I really liked it and thought of it when I read this article. So I decided to try my hand at it. I really like how it turned out. It's just basic but still really cool. Her birthday was in August so I figured it would make a good birthday present. ... Tired of all the talk yet? Want to see what it looks like?
Brothers Reading is what I'm affectionately call it. The real question is how long before I start another one for myself?

Well those are the highlights. There are a ton of other stuff, I just can't remember them right now. Oh well. Have a good weekend.

More Bags and Some Embroidery

Just so you don't think I have been neglecting my sewing habit, here a few small items I've been working on. The red bag is a small drawstring clutch. It works perfectly for Sundays when I don't want to carry a large purse along with everything else I have to take with me. It fits the essentials just great too.
It's called a Japanese Origami Style Purse. It's made from a square and then folded and sewn into it's current style. Just a hint though - make sure your square is a true square when you sew the two pieces together. Otherwise you've got to get creative, and fudge a little. I actually like the strip of lining that shows on the side ;)
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/sew-along/233248-sewalong-japanese-origami-style-purse.html


I've been really interested in embroidery lately and have wanted to get back into it. It's been years since I've done any of it. so I found this cute pattern on www.patternbee.com . Now I just have to figure out what I'm going to make out of it. A pillow, a tote bag, a wall hanging, a quilt ...????? I just don't know. Any ideas?





Now it's kind of hard to see, but this is a nice little zipper bag. I made it up last night and it was so easy and quick. I used a rectangular piece of linen. I really love how it turned out.
I got this idea from Amy Karol's book "Bend the Rules Sewing" http://angrychicken.typepad.com/angry_chicken/ She has some cute ideas and great advice. Although I did use some "Lazy Girl Design" sewing techniques from Joan Hawley at www.lazygirldesigns.com

I've been collecting so many ideas and patterns lately, that I've decided to challenge myself to work through them on a weekly (ok, it may be more like monthly) basis and see what I can come up with.

Flowers

These are what greet me every morning and evening when I'm leaving and coming from work.

I especially love this patch of the flower garden. I love how all the flowers are mixed in with each other and you just have this explosion of shapes, sizes and color.

Storage Storage Storage

Well I feel very boring these days. I keep looking at my post and silently yelling in my head, "What? nothing new! Come on Amy you've got to have something you can post" Well here is what I've got, ... for what it's worth.

I have a ton of sewing stuff, as many of you know. I also am a licensed cosmetologist and keep all my supplies in a large plastic tub. This gets pulled out every time I have to do a perm. I have to dig through so much that for a while I've been keeping my eye out for a better storage container. A few years ago around Christmas, my mom asked what I would like and being frustrated with the current arrange of my perming rods, I told her, "Storage drawers to hold my hair supplies. I'm tired of digging into this tub every time I need something". And being the wonderful mother that she is, I got myself a wonderful set of drawers,- two narrow on top with two huge on bottom. It was perfect ..... for my sewing supplies and fabric ;) Mom's response, "Hey, didn't I get that so you could use it for your perm rods, curling irons, coloring ... stuff?"

"Yes, but see it's so much more perfect for patterns, sewing doodads, odds and ends and fabric ... stuff."

So once again both of us began keeping an eye open for a better storage solution. Well, two weeks ago I came across a 5- drawer cart at Big Lots. And it looked perfect. The drawers were just the right size to separate perm rod sizes. So of course, .. I walked away. It wasn't part of the budget... blah blah blah.. Anyway, I would have to think about it and really decide if I needed it.

Last Saturday after work, I finally decided I was going to buy it and stop thinking so much ... if it was still there. So I did and it was and then it happened. After I brought it in to the house, I made the mistake of setting it down next to a pile of fabric and sewing doodads. (shaking head now) Thankfully, I didn't have time to do anything but put a few sewing items in one of the drawers. I went to visit with family and eat dinner. Later that evening after everyone had gone, I came in and the injustice of the last "sewing storage drawer steal" was so strong that I pulled everything out and got the hair supplies, and proceeded to fill the drawers with perm rods, end papers, bobby pins, etc. And it really looked good, so good that the pile of sewing stuff was told it would just have to wait and be content with file boxes.

Now that's not all. Being in a organizing frame of mind, I showed my mom and she told me of a storage cart that she had seen at Costco that may work for me. So Monday after work, both of us went and I stared at it and wondered and decided "What the the hey" let's just see how it works." So two storage carts in 3 days. This one had a metal frame work and small plastic drawers that were different colors - blue, red, orange, purple, white, and green. cool huh! So of course that could only mean one use - color coordinate my scraps and put them in each drawer. And the design was better suited for my sewing stuff, because the metal frame work matched a shelving unit I have for my boxes of fabric, yarn, and patterns.

Now we shall see if I can get some pictures to work. Now these aren't the exact units I got, but close enough. Right?

Top Unit - drawer sizes are more close to the hair supply drawers

Middle Unit - Arrange and general look, just visualize 5 drawers the same size as the first picture - Now when I set up my hair cutting corner I have a cart to wheel around for working with.

Last Unit (Sewing)- same brand - mine has ten drawers instead of twenty. Although now that I've seen this one, it's mighty tempting because with the size of those drawers, it won't take long for my scraps to push out of them. But at $80.00 I can just sew more and organize less. (My 10 drawer version only cost $20.00, I might just go back for a second one... of course where either one is going to fit is another question) Ya, sew more, organize less.... good plan