Year of Making Stuff: Week 23

A quickie for a short week, but Week 23 is a little embellishment on this $3 dollar shirt I got at Old Navy.  I was considering doing some sort of red embroidery on the yoke or maybe collar, but it might be one of those things that is cooler in my head than in real life.  That sort of shit happens all the time. This shirt has been worn and washed, so I think it does hold up pretty well.

Chicago photos are up on flickr!

Chicago Birthday Weekend

So it was a little rainy and chilly, but we had a fantastic weekend in Chicago in part for Tim’s birthday and in part for the hell of it.  Andrew flew in to meet us and we went to the aquarium, the lake front, Millennium Park, Blues Fest, Cubs game, shopped on Michigan Ave., architecture cruise and in general had a blast.  It was really nice to get away.

I had big plans to upload all my photos this morning, but our power was out for a little bit, so I am behind.

I also have my Week 23 finished item around here somewhere….and I am busy on Week 24, but that will have to be a surprise for a little bit (even though it is already late for a May birthday).  Pictures hopefully will follow tomorrow.

Year of Making Stuff: Week 22

The story of a quilt:  I signed up at my quilt guild to make a twin sized quilt for the new Middle Way House that is opening in the old Coca-Cola bottling facility in October.  I had fabrics picked out (Thiên, some of them should look familiar!) and a pattern in mind.  But I forgot the pattern at work on the evening that I decided to start cutting the fabric.  A prudent person would have either a)gone and gotten the pattern (I only live one mile from work) or b) waited until the next day.  But I am not a prudent person.  So what did I do?  I started cutting from memory.  Ha!  Of course I remembered incorrectly and have added one tiny piece to each block.  Instead of each 4″ block being made up from 5 pieces, each block is now made up of 6 pieces.  This doesn’t seem like a lot, but once you consider that I have to make 360 4″ blocks, it does.  At 6 pieces each, I have to cut 2,160 pieces.  I could have saved cutting 360 pieces!  I will never include 1″ pieces in a twin sized quilt again.  It just takes too damn many of them.

On the other hand, this is a quilt going to a facility for women to sleep under who may have left a bad situation in the middle of the night with their children and the clothes on their back.  Women who  hopefully can find little pieces here and there and put their lives back together again.  Maybe it only seems like a little tiny piece, but the idea of picking up the pieces really does make sense.  It is a quilter’s metaphor dream come true.  I can only hope that sleeping safely for the first time in a long time under a hand made quilt would be one of those tiny pieces that they can use to rebuild.

So internet, it isn’t completed.  But I finished cutting the remaining 2,160 pieces today and I am calling that finished for this week.  I also put together 4 of the 360 blocks so you can see what it looks like.  4 down, 356 to go.

Year of Making Stuff: Week 21

By late fall I would like to have 4 more hats to donate to the Quilt Guild for distribution to the Olcott Cancer Center and other organizations in our community.  Quilting isn’t easy to take on the road, but I think I need to remember to just take some knitting with me, as you never know when you’ll have a good opportunity.  Part of this hat was knit at Tim’s softball game.

Had a great weekend, but now looking a a few ugly days at work.  June starts tomorrow!

Year of Making Stuff: Week 20

I decided to make a flash tattoo t-shirt after being inspired by someone at work.  I originally had other plans in my head, but I am happy with the results and would like to play around with this a little more.  I didn’t have tracing paper (my favorite marking tool wouldn’t show up on the black) or stabilizer for embroidering on a tshirt, but think the “winging it” method actually worked best. Swallow tattoos are traditional for sailors (no really!) indicating both long voyages and returning home.

Memorial Day weekend starts early for me, but I will be interrupted with work on Sunday.  Tomorrow, though it is off to Bedford!  Yes, because we are fancy.

Year of Making Stuff: Week 19

From the book Zakka Sewing: 25 Japanese Projects for the Household by Therese Laskey, Chika Mori, and Yoko Inoue, a Christmas gift from Thiên.  Due to space constraints, we don’t have night stands, but some cube shelves that do hold books, alarms, water glasses and whatnot.  It is the whatnot that was looking a little messy.  This fabric basket came together in about an hour and was really easy to make.  It is really deep, so I may play around with the dimensions in the future, but is just right for my little space!

Tim and I bought plants today to fill in the rest of the garden.  Sunshine is in the forecast for tomorrow!

Reflection

Me in sunnier days last weekend in Louisville.

I am thrilled with the amount of lush greenery around these parts, but really?  With all the rain?  I could use some sunshine.  I don’t want to use the phrase brick wall, but I am needing some inspiration for new things for the Year of Making Stuff.  Maybe its time to pull out the craft books and the post-its.  Or maybe I should make a list of things I want to make.  I also have a hard time sometimes thinking that people want handmade stuff.  Anyone want anything?  (well, you know within reason)

Year of Making Stuff: Week 18

I was probably 10 when I read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes and wanted to make my own origami paper cranes.  I never learned.  Fast forward 20+ years, I finally founds some instructions that made sense in a book (go figure!) and now I am a wicked paper crane maker.  These doorways lead to my sewing room and Tim’s office and until earlier today still had a snowflake garland hanging up.  Spring is here, and it was time for new decor.  It took a few tries to figure out best how to hang these suckers (fishing line, finally), but they look colorful and well, spring like.  Week 18: Paper Crane garland.

Also, for week 16:  A bookmark for Regina, complete with her favorite Simpson’s quote.

Tim and I also got to visit Ashley and  her sister in Louisville on Saturday which was a great little road trip after Tim finished his finals on Friday.  The students have (mostly) left and I am in love with Bloomington all over again.  I think it was that first summer I lived here that I truly loved this town.  And tonight a meeting about a new craft group…details to come, but I am really excited!

Also?  My sewing machine cozy ended up on the Sublime Stitching blog…check me out!

Happy Mother’s Day too!

Year of Making Stuff: Week 17

I have a great sewing desk, and leave my sewing machine out all of the time.  Unfortunately when I do sew, the bulky plastic cover gets in the way in my small little space.  The room is really dusty what with all the fiber and kitty fluff flying around, so some sort of cover is necessary.  Enter Sewing Maching Cozy!  I found this pattern in Sew Darn Cute by Jenny Ryan that I checked out from the library. The embroidery patterns are Kurt Halsey’s artist series from Sublime Stitching, a xmas gift from Thiên.  The old plastic cover is now going to live in the basement and I am happy with how this turned out.  Its something I’ve been meaning to make for awhile!

Year of Making Stuff: Week 16 No Photo Yet

I skipped making anything last week due to work and leaving town, but will make up for it this week by making TWO things.  Item for Week 16 (last week) is finished, but will be in a surprise package that will be shipped at the end of this week.  Photos to follow early next week.  Item for Week 17 (this week) is in process and will also be done this week despite having to cut the main fabric part 4 TIMES.

Savannah is a beautiful city, and I was so happy to be there for Regina’s party.  A beautiful city, perfect weather, homemade southern cooking, good company and some sweet-ass sweet tea are the perfect ingredients for a long weekend get away.  I really needed it.

Schoko-Bananen is a banana flavored candy covered in dark chocolate that a co-worker brought back from Germany specially for me!  I adore it, AND its fun to say.  I think the world would be a better place if there was more banana candy and all beauty products smelled like grapefruit.

Tim is in the final stretch for his papers for the semester.  Send good thoughts.