Friday, January 27, 2012

Making myself useful

When I go off and make something mostly frivolous (like my floor cushion), I occasionally get flack, since that usually means I’m ignoring a big pile of unfinished projects, or a pile of useful sewing that I keep promising myself and others that I’ll do.  And usually both.

It doesn’t normally bother me.  It’s my hobby here…at least I ended up with something.  But there comes a point when enough is enough, and I seem to go on a spree.  It started with altering a pair of my husband’s work pants and ended up growing from there.

Useful Sewing

A piece of flannel floating around my stash became a few more face wipes for a certain little man who enjoys playing with his food, a Kohl’s $5 dress became a much less dowdy length, a thrift store bathrobe was also hemmed for new-baby nursing this summer, and I found a much more attractive solution to the light from our bedroom stereo (previous solution was to drape whatever item of clothing was at hand over the display).

And there may even be more to come!  I’ve been cleaning up the basement, and created a “use it or lose it box” of clothes that I don’t wear anymore, or bought with the express purpose of refashioning, and just haven’t.  So, the hard deadline for this box is our move in the fall.  Whatever doesn’t make it into a more useful form, or back into the clothing rotation will go to the thrift store at that point.

Next up?  Some successful knitting, and some not-so-successful knitting.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Rest for the weary

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One of the Christmas presents I really wanted to make was one of these floor cushions from the tutorial at Living with Punks.  Ostensibly it’s for my son, though I must say that it has been getting much more use from my husband, who sits on it when he makes a fire in the fireplace.  And really, it was mostly for my own entertainment, because I think it’s just adorable (much more so than the two pillows whose stuffing I harvested).

I especially love the piping, though I must admit a shameful secret.  I was at JoAnn’s to buy the cording, but didn’t have the pattern, and I didn’t buy enough.  That’s not so bad until you realize that I’m the geeky math girl who at points in her life has had 50 digits of pi memorized (I just checked, and I now peter out at 36), and I knew what the diameter of the circle was.  Suffice it to say, I inserted flat piping for the handle.

I’m now looking forward to making Peter some green denim pants so he can be camouflaged on his cushion.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

I finished some Christmas stuff!

Earlier this week I was packing up some of our Christmas decorations, and I decided before I packed them all up, I should probably actually finish the boys’ stockings.

The stockings were hung

You’ll have to forgive the picture repeat.  I thought I took better individual pictures, but I can’t find them.  At any rate, A’s stocking (the crazy plaid one), and Peter’s stocking (on the far right) were new this year.  Because the stocking my mom made me (on the left) is the Platonic ideal of all stocking-foot-shapes, I traced it to make sure my boys would be guaranteed the same ideal form.

A’s is scraps from old flannel shirts.  His arms are long, so any time we try to be economical and buy him cheap shirts, they inevitably become too short in the arms after too many washes.

Peter’s stocking features a mini version of this elf from Wee Wonderfuls, and his name in a fun font (from Da Font).  A font which I have subsequently developed a semi-obsession with (see this video).

Now, for that May baby, all we have to do is meet him or her, name him or her, and then I can get cracking!

Friday, January 6, 2012

{pretty, happy, funny, real}: Epiphany

So, it’s been a while. But I’m still here! And I have lots to say! I thought I’d begin at the end, so to speak, and show you our celebrations of Twelfth Night.

{pretty}

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The Advent wreath’s last hurrah, the Three Wise Men, and arroz con pollo (my first attempt—burned, but edible).

{happy}

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Thanks for the bear Aunt Cindy and Uncle Andy! Tonight marked the final present exchange in our house. It might have included presents from us, had I not spent our time at home since Christmas sick, and not feeling the crafting mojo.

{funny}

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Peter has, for months, been frightened of our vacuum cleaner. Enough so that he runs away when he sees the green plastic emerge from the closet. Other peoples’ vacuums do not have to have the same effect. Today was the same story. Only, when I was done, instead of eyeing the machine suspiciously, he started wheeling it around. I have hopes that this implies a reconciliation.

{real}

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Okay, this has nothing to do with Epiphany, or anything (for that, I should have a picture of the burned dinner…), but this was just so cool, that I wanted to remember it. Our dishsoap developed snowflakes or crystals or something of the sort while we were gone for vacation. It sort of looked like frost on a window, but suspended in the bright blue liquid.



See more {pretty, happy, funny, real} posts at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
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