Unedible Cake!

Tomorrow is a baby shower for a friend of mine. I have seen these online and wanted to try one - it was SO much fun! I absolutely love how it turned out! It was fun to be shopping for a boy, not that I want to change my mind and find out!

Baby Stuff!

Last Spring, right around the time I found out I was pregnant, I ordered a serger, so I could sew with knits and finish off my handwovens better. It has sat in the box, under my loom (which also hasn't been touched) for the whole summer! The other day I decided I needed to be creative, so I took a women's t-shirt and made these for the little one. I am hoping they are neutral enough that I could use them for a boy or girl, but looking at them in the pics, they are pretty girly. I do love how they turned out though! For the pants, I took a pair of 0-3 mo. pants and made a pattern out of them. The hat pattern I found here. The shoe pattern I found here and then downsized it 80% to fit a smaller foot. We'll see how long they fit. Normally they are made with quilting cotton, so it was interesting sewing so many layers together in such a small space, but I really love how they turned out!

Lots more projects coming soon! I have a messload of fabrics and patterns to make stuff with. It really was a blessing in disguise for the Salvation Army to leave town - now instead of seeing all these clothes and coming up with stuff I could make from them and bringing them home, I actually have to start making them and using up my stash!

Will Be Back Soon.....

More posts are coming! We have been pretty busy lately, and our internet wasn't working yesterday. We have been working on refinishing the apartment next to us - it looks amazing now. I really wish we had taken before pictures. It ended up being almost too much to take on. When we said we would do it, Nate was working part time. Since then, his grandfather has gone in the hospital, resulting in him not being able to drive for the time being. I have been chauffering him around - being his "girlfriend". It's been fun, but we haven't been able to work on the house as much as we wanted to because Nate has also jumped to full time. Anyways, we ended up tearing up the disgusting carpet, painting all the walls, putting down wood laminate flooring (which by-the-way is tedious when working around an ornate staircase but a lot of fun) in the dining room and living room, making a pattern for the kitchen floor to cut out the vinyl and oops - going and getting more vinyl because the pattern was put right side up on vinyl that was wrong side up - giving us a perfect mirror image of the kitchen, but something that we couldn't use. The kitchen now looks so big and bright, where before it was small and dark. It's been fun practice for when we have a house of our own. It should all be cleaned up by Wednesday. Nate is putting down molding around the floors, while I am doing last minute touch ups.

I promised my sister in January that we could go ice skating, so we will be going on Wednesday. And Friday!!! Friday will be our Fourth Anniversary! I can't believe how fast it has gone by - and how fun! I swear, I am married to the most wonderful man ever!

More Stockings!

I was able to finish the apron yesterday, so I went back to my Christmas Stocking project today as the snow did arrive. I was able to complete the front and back of another stocking. I had a hard time with the back of the blue stocking, so I took a break on that one and changed my approach on the back of the second, and am really pleased with how it turned out. Two more stockings to go! I love the color schemes for all of them! Maybe they won't become gifts...lol! I am taking a break on them, I think and am making that baby dress tomorrow.

I LOVE Vintage Patterns!

I was looking online the other night for a pattern for some overalls. I found them! I looked for current patterns in Joann's and only found one pair that I really didn't like the style of. I have some really neat corduroy fabric that I found on clearance, and I would really like to wear them before the end of winter! In addition to the pants, I love the dress as well!

The plan today is to finish the apron, then go back to the stockings. If the expected snowstorm doesn't arrive, I may be traveling to Utica to find a book for Nate.

Necktie Stockings: Step 2

Sorry about the title - step 1 was done last year when I washed, opened and ironed the ties. Yesterday I had so much fun before I went to work sorting them into different colorways, that as soon as I got home, I went right to sewing.






It went together fairly well. I love my rotary cutter - so much so, that I will need a new mat soon. :) Anywhoo, this is what the front side looks like. The back is going to be crazy quilt-ish. The base is made from a king size flat sheet that I found at the thrift store.




Over 4 yards for $2. Not bad! It won't all be hidden in these stockings. Looking at it so much yesterday made me fall completely in love with it, and I want to make an apron and a baby dress from it too. Well actually, it distracted me, and the apron is almost done. :)

I am noticing a recurring theme with the cat feet - she has to be involved in everything!

Upcoming Projects

In cleaning out the weaving room, I was inspired once again! I found so many projects that made me smile - a tablecloth that my great-great-great grandmother crocheted that needs to be finished, a bunch of ties that I want to make Christmas stockings out of,



all my corduroy to make more bags, as well as a couple more wool sweaters that will meet the same fate. Inkle bookmarks on my Inkle loom - that remind my husband of playing cards, but I love the combination of red, black and white right now.



Two bolts of vintage fabric - one a pretty boring plaid, and the other, the most amazing upholstery weight stuff! Love, Love the colors in it!



Let's see, what else? Fabric - and lots of it for various projects - a couple of baby outfits, some great corduroy that I want to make overalls with - but need a pattern. (Anyone know of a good one?) Lots of yarn as well, for weaving, but lately I am in more of a sewing kick. There is a quilt for my husband too that is still in the planning stages, and can't wait for that to start. So much to do! Not enough time! It seems like the older I get, the faster time is flying by! I am enjoying it thoroughly, but I really wish it would slow down some!

One Defeated Monster Down.....

I finally did it! It may have taken two weeks, but it's done. My weaving room has gone from this:



To this:



Now such an inviting place to work!



Here is one wall - I have found this shelving at Lowe's - I love it! I have fish tanks on it downstairs. The totes are a hodgepodge of different ones picked up through the years. Thankfully, they last a long time, so as they are needed, I can pick up more - but gasp! - I have 3 big empty ones left over! Now to get more stuff! Lol, not really. After seeing how many projects I have all the materials for, I promised Nate that I won't be getting anything else, until I decrease my stash.



Here is the other wall. Notice the mouldy gourds up top - they are drying for Christmas gifts - one of my favorite projects.



I love it now - everything has it's most logical place and is clearly labeled! Even Nate can go in and find something if he wants it!

Homemade Centerpiece

Rosehips


This fall I decided that I wanted to make my own wreaths. Before winter really sank in, on a cold and rainy day, I went out and hauled some grapevines off trees growing on our relative's property. While they were damp, I wrapped them up into wreaths, 2 small and 2 large. Earlier in the month, Nate had gone out and picked me some rose hips and pinecones - you can ask him what kind of trees they came from! :) Anyways, when they were dry, I made a wreath. The rosehips are wrapped around the wreath with wire, and the dried oranges and pinecones are placed on top - so they do fall off once in awhile! I love how it turned out! It is still on our table and will probably stay there for awhile! I didn't get a chance to make up the others, so those will be this coming year's project. Things got a little postponed trying to finish a commission by Christmas! More on that one later, though. Psyche entertains herself by biting the rosehips off their branches and watching them go flying! What a darling little MONSTER!






I love the light it gives off at night when the candle is lit!

Thrifted Sweater

Wednesdays are my favorite day of the work week. Not only does it mean that my work is half way over until the weekend, but it is also half off day at the Salvation Army here in town. I go in for work clothes which need to be replaced at a scary pace, and also to find items that I have another purpose for. My coworker and shopping buddy thinks I am nuts! I wish I had a before picture of this as a sweater, but I don't. Oh well. This was an Old Navy sweater that had already been partially felted. Not very good for wearing, but it turned out awesome with this bag! It was so much fun throwing it in the washer, having been taught that wool NEVER goes in on the regular cycle. The pockets are made from one sleeve and also the neckline. Because it is felted, they don't fray. It could use some way to close it - a magnetic snap would be perfect, but it's a little late for that! I think I may make a tab closure for it, but as it is already in use, I'm not so sure it will happen. If you want instructions for it, let me know!

A Few Of My Favorite Things

The Stole Project

I had the wife of our local Methodist minister commission me in the fall to make her husband a liturgical stole. She loved the patterns and texture of my inkle bookmarks, so we worked from that idea. The color he needed most was for Ordinary Time - green. After discussing which greens he liked and didn't like, we decided that an emerald green would be best, with some other colors for interest. I couldn't find a green that I thought would work very well, so I decided to hand dye the yarn. (I will come up with any excuse to turn my kitchen into a dyeing station!) What fun! I have finally come up with a good (for me) system to do my dyeing, as my kitchen is a little small, and we rent, so permanent dye on the floor or walls is not a good thing! My husband laughs at my adult-style finger painting! I digress. I played with different greens within the emerald, then weaving them into bookmarks. Here are the resulting bookmarks:







When these were finished, I took them in to show her, and she decided on the last one. The finished result needed to be 5 inches wide, so with a little more tweaking on the colors, I came up with this:




I love it! I tried to make enough for two stoles, but I didn't dye enough yarn... So
- I now have about a yard of this 4.5" wide sturdy fabric, and am trying to figure out what to do with it. Any ideas?

Wow! I just found this looking through my posts! It never published!

Mary's Bag

I promised pictures of this bag over a month ago. Oops! Life has been busy with the Holidays, but very pleasant! Anyways, here are the finished pictures:







With it, I included a little wallet made from the same fabrics. I loved how it turned out!








She really likes it, but feedback that I've gotten makes me think she needs an organizer for inside of it. I've been told she keeps losing stuff in it - it may be more of a Mary Poppins type bag!

On another thought, I am going to be updating this more frequently. I am still getting used to Blogger's formatting, so bear with me please! Thanks!

Sewing vs. Weaving

My passion is weaving. However, lately, sewing has been more popular lately. A friend of mine asked me to make her a black messenger bag. She wanted it made with corduroy and satin - so I went to Salvation Army (here, Wednesday is half-off day) and found two pairs of black corduroy mens pants, a lovely satin skirt, and a corduroy shirt that I couldn't resist that is black with grey paisley. It has been so much fun! I love having projects requested because it makes me step out of my normal boundaries. M - pictures will be up soon!

My Dyes Have Arrived!!!

I got home from work today, and there on the porch was a box from Dharma - my dyes are here! One of my projects has been to weave shawls, twist the fringe, and then dye 2 of them. They are now woven and twisted, and dyeing them remains. I am making myself wait to open the box until later tonight. Now I must study, go to class, and then back to work again for Trivia Night!