We bought a house!
So my extra time has been spent cleaning, painting, packing and moving. No blogging on that list.
Soon.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Make Something Monday: Freezer Paper T-Shirts
I'd love to be consistent enough in my projects to keep up a weekly post about them. Of course, there is more to my life than just bringing my ideas to completion, so I'm not going to commit. I do have a few things in the coffer, (yep, I just used the word coffer) so we'll keep it up for a little while.
My niece just turned six. She's in first grade and has more toys than a lot of kids dream of having. For her birthday I wanted to give her something fun that she could wear to school.
I've been experimenting with fabric paint this summer, which I know sounds kind of scary. I was a little nervous at first too. My last venture into fabric paint was 1985 and I was decorating a pair of Keds. Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it was the 80's and puffy paint t-shirts were sort-of popular. (I'll admit, I wore one of my t-shirt paint creations as a PE shirt for part of middle school. There may or may not have been a teddy bear on it.) But the fabric paint I've been using is nothing like that. I guess it's the same stuff, but the way I'm using it is VERY different. There is a technique of making fabric stencils using freezer paper. (There's a great tutorial here.) So far I've made Graham a shirt for watching the Dallas Cowboys and shirt for watching the Denver Broncos.
It's a really easy project, and I'm kind of addicted. I decided to give my niece something with a graphic picture and maybe add a little fabric for something different. Ohh, look at me trying something new! I picked an owl since they are popular right now and planned for my little owl friend to perch on a pretty, little branch.
There were a few flaws in the stencil, but it adds to the charm, right? Plus, even stuff you buy at the store isn't perfect all the time. I did sew around the edge of the branch to make it look a little more professional. I really like how it turned out.
Who needs just one shirt? Certainly not a stylish little girl! So I made her another one. I saw this pillow on pinterest and thought it was cute.
I drew a few little birdies and cut them out as a pattern, ironed on my Wonder-Under, and soon I had a happy little flock. I stitched a wire perch for them and debated sewing around each one, but in the end I opted to leave them as they were. The little birds would have been more secure through washing and drying if I had stitched around them, but my sewing skills aren't that great. And after sewing the branch on the other shirt, I wasn't willing to tackle 12 tiny birds. The final product is pretty adorable, if you ask me.
It's been fun working on a few projects here and there. I love being able to share them with others, and it's fun to make things for a little girl.
So...it's Monday, go make something!
My niece just turned six. She's in first grade and has more toys than a lot of kids dream of having. For her birthday I wanted to give her something fun that she could wear to school.
I've been experimenting with fabric paint this summer, which I know sounds kind of scary. I was a little nervous at first too. My last venture into fabric paint was 1985 and I was decorating a pair of Keds. Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it was the 80's and puffy paint t-shirts were sort-of popular. (I'll admit, I wore one of my t-shirt paint creations as a PE shirt for part of middle school. There may or may not have been a teddy bear on it.) But the fabric paint I've been using is nothing like that. I guess it's the same stuff, but the way I'm using it is VERY different. There is a technique of making fabric stencils using freezer paper. (There's a great tutorial here.) So far I've made Graham a shirt for watching the Dallas Cowboys and shirt for watching the Denver Broncos.
It's a really easy project, and I'm kind of addicted. I decided to give my niece something with a graphic picture and maybe add a little fabric for something different. Ohh, look at me trying something new! I picked an owl since they are popular right now and planned for my little owl friend to perch on a pretty, little branch.
There were a few flaws in the stencil, but it adds to the charm, right? Plus, even stuff you buy at the store isn't perfect all the time. I did sew around the edge of the branch to make it look a little more professional. I really like how it turned out.
Who needs just one shirt? Certainly not a stylish little girl! So I made her another one. I saw this pillow on pinterest and thought it was cute.
I drew a few little birdies and cut them out as a pattern, ironed on my Wonder-Under, and soon I had a happy little flock. I stitched a wire perch for them and debated sewing around each one, but in the end I opted to leave them as they were. The little birds would have been more secure through washing and drying if I had stitched around them, but my sewing skills aren't that great. And after sewing the branch on the other shirt, I wasn't willing to tackle 12 tiny birds. The final product is pretty adorable, if you ask me.
It's been fun working on a few projects here and there. I love being able to share them with others, and it's fun to make things for a little girl.
So...it's Monday, go make something!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Sinful Man
Here's a snapshot of this morning:
I'm sitting at the table eating cinnamon LIFE and checking my email. Graham is playing on the floor by the TV. He has a stack of DVD's there that I let him look at and re-stack. Behind our TV is a tall, potted plant that I use to mask (sort-of) the jumble of cords. G is NOT allowed to mess with the plant.
1. I hear Graham banging on the metal planter.
2. I peek over the edge of the table to see him stick his hand in the dirt.
3. I say, "Graham! NO SIR!" loudly.
4. He is startled and jumps.
5. He starts digging faster because he knows I'm coming to get him.
Anyone who says one year olds are too young to discipline are sorely mistaken! G-man knows exactly when he's doing something he's been told not to do. Sometimes it's so frustrating to correct the same behavior over and over and over. Sometimes it's just hilarious how he tries to get his plant digging in really fast before I can stop him. I know we're just at the tip of the iceberg in discipline and I'm not looking forward to tackling the bigger issues. I'd be happy to stick with "no touching the DVD buttons" and "we don't play with the trash can," but we've already ventured into "we never hit Mommy" territory.
It's amazing how kids just know how to be deceptive or manipulative or selfish or aggressive without being taught. It's just part of our human wiring. And I know there are a lot of people out there who would disagree and say that kids aren't the problem, we're the ones who taint their perfection. I wish that were true, but sadly, it's not. And that's why I look forward to the day when this broken world will be made right and there will be no need for discipline. Until then, though, I'll just do my best to teach Graham to be kind and gentle and gracious. And to keep his hands out of the plants!
I'm sitting at the table eating cinnamon LIFE and checking my email. Graham is playing on the floor by the TV. He has a stack of DVD's there that I let him look at and re-stack. Behind our TV is a tall, potted plant that I use to mask (sort-of) the jumble of cords. G is NOT allowed to mess with the plant.
1. I hear Graham banging on the metal planter.
2. I peek over the edge of the table to see him stick his hand in the dirt.
3. I say, "Graham! NO SIR!" loudly.
4. He is startled and jumps.
5. He starts digging faster because he knows I'm coming to get him.
Anyone who says one year olds are too young to discipline are sorely mistaken! G-man knows exactly when he's doing something he's been told not to do. Sometimes it's so frustrating to correct the same behavior over and over and over. Sometimes it's just hilarious how he tries to get his plant digging in really fast before I can stop him. I know we're just at the tip of the iceberg in discipline and I'm not looking forward to tackling the bigger issues. I'd be happy to stick with "no touching the DVD buttons" and "we don't play with the trash can," but we've already ventured into "we never hit Mommy" territory.
It's amazing how kids just know how to be deceptive or manipulative or selfish or aggressive without being taught. It's just part of our human wiring. And I know there are a lot of people out there who would disagree and say that kids aren't the problem, we're the ones who taint their perfection. I wish that were true, but sadly, it's not. And that's why I look forward to the day when this broken world will be made right and there will be no need for discipline. Until then, though, I'll just do my best to teach Graham to be kind and gentle and gracious. And to keep his hands out of the plants!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
A Little Trip
We took a vacation. It was wonderful. I literally took two pictures. I'm horrible at documenting things. After a couple of days with no pics, I decided I didn't want to mess with the camera. Instead I just enjoyed food, conversation, and time with family. It was worth it. Sorry. No one gets to tag along on this trip.
Let me just say that the mountains are my favorite. Followed closely by mountain towns. And vast valleys surrounded by mountains.
Also, I can say I have been in South Park. Yep, the place where all those crude little cartoon kids live.
Let me just say that the mountains are my favorite. Followed closely by mountain towns. And vast valleys surrounded by mountains.
Also, I can say I have been in South Park. Yep, the place where all those crude little cartoon kids live.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Call Me G-Money
My son is kind of skinny. We have a hard time finding pants that aren't huge in the waist. In fact, after buying three different swim suits, I finally had to sew a makeshift casing into the waistband of one and add a drawstring. Poor kid, pants just fall off him.
I like to think he's practicing for a future as a rap artist.
Introducing G-Money.
I like to think he's practicing for a future as a rap artist.
Introducing G-Money.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Dressing Myself
I made myself another piece of clothing. Actually I made this one first, but didn't totally finish it until last week. I'm a slacker sometimes. But back to the subject. I made myself a summer dress. Although it sounds like an ambitious project, it was really pretty easy.
I have realized that I sew like I cook, without a recipe. My mom is just the opposite in sewing and cooking. I know now that's why we always fought in the kitchen. She wanted me to do things a certain way and I liked to wing it. That's also why, I think, I had zero interest when she tried to teach me to sew. There was too much terminology and too many instructions.
I visited one sewing class in 4-H too. (Yes, I was in 4-H. Yes, I was in 4-H for 10 years. I have a very nice pen and pencil set to prove it.) I didn't like it. There was a lot of pressure. We practiced sewing straight lines on a piece of paper. Then someone checked our stitching. Once you were deemed proficient enough on the paper, you could start sewing a project, usually a draw-string laundry bag. Seams were checked for uniformity, and then ripped out and done again. Blech. Of course, those girls are probably sewing up all sorts of fabulous things now and I'm still just learning. And some people do well in that kind of environment, but I sometimes like a little more freedom.
And freedom it was as I made my first dress. And by made I mean, MADE, as in, made the pattern and sewed it up. It wasn't as hard as it sounds, but I'm still really proud of myself.
Let's start at the beginning. I found some fabric at the thrift store for $0.75. It was, in the words of my friend, "the ugliest fabric I've ever seen," but for some reason I just really liked it. There was something about the color combination that I loved. I bought it. I brought it home and looked at it a lot trying to decide what to make. Finally I landed on a summer dress. I had a vision in my mind of what it would look like, so I headed off to find a pattern. No luck. Pattern makers really need to update their inventory. It was settled then, I was going to attempt to make my own pattern.
First I gathered some supplies. Brown paper (That kept rolling up. Annoying. So I weighted the corners with magazines.) A pencil and a cutting mat to use for straight edges.
I took my measurements to ensure a good fit and then added a few inches to allow for seams and so the dress was kind of loose. I was going to add elastic to the top and I wanted it to gather up some.
After drawing and cutting out my pattern, I laid out my fabric. Eek! This was where I started to get nervous.
I pinned on the pattern and it was time to cut! No turning back now!
This is where I stopped taking pictures. Lame-o. But here's the run down of what I did to create the finished, and wearable I might add, product. After cutting out the pattern I had an identical front and back. First I stitched up both sides. Then I folded down a casing at the top for the elastic. I measured the elastic around myself and threaded it through the casing. I pinned the elastic and tried it on. Too big. Why does elastic always end up being a little big? I don't get it. Anyway, I adjusted the elastic and stitched it all up. I planned to tie a sash around the dress as a belt so the top would be "blousey." Messing with a sash to ensure even "blousey-ness" can be annoying so I decided to add some elastic to the waist too. No casing here because I already started the project. Uh-oh! Not to worry, a few online tutorials later, I was stitching thin elastic directly to the dress. And it worked! Ok, I did have to rip it out once because, again, it was too big. Seriously, how does that happen?
At this point I had a strapless A-line dress that was totally wearable. I wore it to a picnic with a black sash and found myself nervous that it was slipping down the whole night. Plus, I hadn't hemmed it at all and it was an unflattering length. (I made sure the bottom edge was the selvage, so it wasn't a totally raw edge.)
The dress was cute but needed straps. So I added some. And found some fabric to make a turquoise sash, which I liked much better. Then, after putting it off and putting it off, I finally did the hem. It's hard to hem a dress by yourself. Lots of pinning and trying on involved.
Finally the dress was finished and ready to wear for a date night with Adam. Of course, we had to stop by a friend's house on the way to dinner so she could take some pictures for the blog. Ha ha! (She's painting her dining room that awesome shade of blue, so that's why there's paper taped on the floor. Also don't mind that I'm standing so awkwardly.)
I love how it turned out. It's comfortable to wear and super fun for summer. Plus the cost of the whole thing was less than $5.00!
I have realized that I sew like I cook, without a recipe. My mom is just the opposite in sewing and cooking. I know now that's why we always fought in the kitchen. She wanted me to do things a certain way and I liked to wing it. That's also why, I think, I had zero interest when she tried to teach me to sew. There was too much terminology and too many instructions.
I visited one sewing class in 4-H too. (Yes, I was in 4-H. Yes, I was in 4-H for 10 years. I have a very nice pen and pencil set to prove it.) I didn't like it. There was a lot of pressure. We practiced sewing straight lines on a piece of paper. Then someone checked our stitching. Once you were deemed proficient enough on the paper, you could start sewing a project, usually a draw-string laundry bag. Seams were checked for uniformity, and then ripped out and done again. Blech. Of course, those girls are probably sewing up all sorts of fabulous things now and I'm still just learning. And some people do well in that kind of environment, but I sometimes like a little more freedom.
And freedom it was as I made my first dress. And by made I mean, MADE, as in, made the pattern and sewed it up. It wasn't as hard as it sounds, but I'm still really proud of myself.
Let's start at the beginning. I found some fabric at the thrift store for $0.75. It was, in the words of my friend, "the ugliest fabric I've ever seen," but for some reason I just really liked it. There was something about the color combination that I loved. I bought it. I brought it home and looked at it a lot trying to decide what to make. Finally I landed on a summer dress. I had a vision in my mind of what it would look like, so I headed off to find a pattern. No luck. Pattern makers really need to update their inventory. It was settled then, I was going to attempt to make my own pattern.
First I gathered some supplies. Brown paper (That kept rolling up. Annoying. So I weighted the corners with magazines.) A pencil and a cutting mat to use for straight edges.
After drawing and cutting out my pattern, I laid out my fabric. Eek! This was where I started to get nervous.
I pinned on the pattern and it was time to cut! No turning back now!
This is where I stopped taking pictures. Lame-o. But here's the run down of what I did to create the finished, and wearable I might add, product. After cutting out the pattern I had an identical front and back. First I stitched up both sides. Then I folded down a casing at the top for the elastic. I measured the elastic around myself and threaded it through the casing. I pinned the elastic and tried it on. Too big. Why does elastic always end up being a little big? I don't get it. Anyway, I adjusted the elastic and stitched it all up. I planned to tie a sash around the dress as a belt so the top would be "blousey." Messing with a sash to ensure even "blousey-ness" can be annoying so I decided to add some elastic to the waist too. No casing here because I already started the project. Uh-oh! Not to worry, a few online tutorials later, I was stitching thin elastic directly to the dress. And it worked! Ok, I did have to rip it out once because, again, it was too big. Seriously, how does that happen?
At this point I had a strapless A-line dress that was totally wearable. I wore it to a picnic with a black sash and found myself nervous that it was slipping down the whole night. Plus, I hadn't hemmed it at all and it was an unflattering length. (I made sure the bottom edge was the selvage, so it wasn't a totally raw edge.)
The dress was cute but needed straps. So I added some. And found some fabric to make a turquoise sash, which I liked much better. Then, after putting it off and putting it off, I finally did the hem. It's hard to hem a dress by yourself. Lots of pinning and trying on involved.
Finally the dress was finished and ready to wear for a date night with Adam. Of course, we had to stop by a friend's house on the way to dinner so she could take some pictures for the blog. Ha ha! (She's painting her dining room that awesome shade of blue, so that's why there's paper taped on the floor. Also don't mind that I'm standing so awkwardly.)
I love how it turned out. It's comfortable to wear and super fun for summer. Plus the cost of the whole thing was less than $5.00!
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