Tag: Sewing

Knitting

FO=Frustration Overload

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TODAY’S FO

Here’s something I bet you don’t know about me:  I want to be a seamstress – badly.  The only hitch in my get along is that I don’t really know how to sew.  I get these delusions of grandeur periodically, the most recent came upon me a few weeks ago.  So far, I’ve produced a skirt and a pair of pants and to my shock, they both are wearable.  So, with my confidence at an all time high, I started another skirt, navy blue with a pattern of white leaves, with a sort of flouncy bottom. The skirt bottom, not my bottom.  Cutting and sewing went well, boosting my confidence a little more, BUT, on trying it on, it’s too small.  Way too small.  Dang.  The pattern was the size I wear, seam allowances jibed.  Does my backside have delusions of grandeur all its own?  Do patterns run smaller than ready made?  Any answers from seamstresses?

RANDOM SNAPS

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Happy Easter!

Where there is great love, there are always miracles.  Willa Cather

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Knitting

Boho

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WHAT GOES AROUND…..

Wait a second!  How come no one bothered to tell my that my fashion sense has always been something called “Boho“, or that it’s very hip and one can drop megabucks on new stuff that looks just like the old stuff I wore all through high school and most of the stuff I wear now?  My son tells me I’m just an old hippie with an eyeroll when I thank him for the compliment.  Honestly, he says that like it’s a bad thing.  Whatever it is, I still love everything about Boho, even if I’m way past the belly and back baring stuff and am more into floaty and fringey nowadays.  And the jewelry!  And the bags!  And the Pinterest!

All that being said, I plan a fabric stash dive sometime today with the idea of making a patchwork bag.  I have several packs of fat quarters in colors I love, along with some decorator fabric someone passed on to me when their project was finished.  I plan to cut them into random squares/rectangles, then cut the pattern.  My sewing skills are, to put it politely, more than a little sketchy, but then, that’s the idea, it’s handmade, it’s BOHO, man.

PS

Look what I found in my closet!  I think this qualifies, don’t you??!!

Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working.  Pablo Picasso

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Knitting

Lost and Found

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FOUND!

Remember the set of Knitpicks cables I lost a few weeks ago?  They’re found now – right where I left them, in a interchangeable pocket thing I had whipped up on the sewing machine and was “test driving”.  Oh, of course, they were found a day AFTER the new cables I had given up and ordered arrived, but that’s about par for the course, I think.  Glad to have them back, no matter what!

SPIN CYCLE

Since my last post, this:

has transformed into this:

I’m thinking shawlette, maybe Hitchhiker, but haven’t made a final decision.  Suggestions welcome.

In every man’s heart there is a secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of beauty.  Christopher Darlington Morley

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Knitting

Completely Consumed

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WHERE’VE I BEEN?

Since getting the sewing machine up and running a couple of weeks ago, I’ve had a difficult time staying away from it.  There’s always a new project that beckons me to at least try it and once on that ride, I’m powerless to stop until I’ve a) mastered whatever it is or b) given up for the moment because I just. can’t. figure. it. out. and am frustrated nearly to tears.  All this means that I’ve let a couple of things go in the last week or so, mainly stuff like sweeping or vacuuming, washing dishes or unloading the dishwasher.  It’s now oozed over into blog time but I’m here this morning to change that.  With that said, here’s a look at my newest obsession hobby,

Up until now, all my sewing stuff was thrown into a plastic bin, which was to be avoided at all costs.  If I was to be serious about learning to sew, I needed to upgrade my kit and found these sweet baskets at Hobby Lobby yesterday.  With everything sorted and untangled, I feel like a real, live seamstress!

My first FO on the machine –

Just don’t ask how long it took.

POTS

Tomorrow’s Monday which means pottery class.  Yay!  Raku tomorrow!

If we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin.  Ivan Turgenev

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Knitting

What Happened to My Mojo?

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29 AND COUNTING

I can’t believe that my baby boy, Babydaddy, is 29 years old today. I can’t believe I’m old enough for my youngest to be 29. But I am and he is and life is good. Happy birthday, son, I love you!

BY THE BOOK

I spent the afternoon getting reacquainted with some old friends. I listened to S.E. Hinton‘s book, The Outsiders.  I loved it in high school and discovered I still love it.  It’s a little dated, with rumbles, the Greasers and the Soshes, but heck, it was dated back when I read it the first time, (ahem), back around 1974 or 1975.  Could I also be just a tiny bit dated?

FRUSTRATION IS NOT SOMETHING I DO WELL

Spent way too much time this morning trying to add some widgets to my blog.  I’m estimating it was at least an hour and a half of doing exactly the same thing over and over, with absolutely the same result over and over.  How hard could this be?  I followed directions and then some.  I just don’t get it.   I finally gave it up as a bad job and moved onto something else, something with a low potential for computer dropkicking.  Sewing.

After the abovementioned tearing of hair, I spent hours trying to get four pattern pieces to resemble something at least close to a pair of pants.  I ripped them out at least three times, but you know what?  I learned something every time.  Today, the legs, tomorrow the waistband.

After putting the sewing away, I returned to the continuing battle of entrelac knitting.  Again, I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, I’ve done entrelac patterns before without a problem, but not this time.  This project is in time out, maybe forever, maybe just until later this evening, but in time out all the same.

So, there you go.  Three projects, three fails; what happened to “third time’s a charm”?  Guess it didn’t get the memo.  Tomorrow is another day.

The Coveted Buttons

I have not failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.  Thomas A. Edison

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Knitting

Update, Ta-Dah and You Be The Judge

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JOSIE UPDATE

Much improved this morning, still limping, not putting much weight on that right back leg, but her appetite is back (no surprise there) and she is much perkier.  Still on doggy bedrest and I think she’s loving every minute.  We’re just happy she’s feeling better.

THE REVEAL

My first ever sewing project working from a real, live pattern, McCall’s 4400.

Working from a real pattern was very intimidating.  It seemed to be written in a different language, with symbols, arrows, lines, dotted lines and I almost got scared off, but I reminded myself how knitting was the same way at first and how comfortable I am with it now.  I’m very proud of my first sewing FO.

OFF THE NEEDLES

Mr. Iknead’s Wise Hilda Basic Ribbed Socks, which he was kind enough to model for a photo.

Fashion Forward or Fashion Victim? – You Be The Judge

ON THE NEEDLES

Hermione’s Everyday Socks, for yours truly

This is more of Premier Yarns Wool Free Sock, the color is Vegas Lights.  People are going to see me from a long way away with these.  I love the colors – sort of like a party on my needles!  Just between friends, I was getting really tired of blue/gray/black.  No offense Wise Hilda’s socks, I just needed a change.

I’m linking up with Frontier Dreams KCCO today.  Check it out.

You never achieve success unless you like what you are doing.  Dale Carnegie

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Knitting

Oh No and Oh No #2

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OH NO!

Backstory:  Babymama called last night in a near panic, she, Babydaddy and Babydiva were to leave this morning for a week at Orange Beach, AL and their dogsitter arrangements fell through.  Did I mention that this was about 12 hours before their scheduled leaving?   No, I didn’t think so.  So, Mr. Iknead and I said sure, we’d dogsit Bela, our granddog, no problem, glad to do it and we were.  Did I mention that our granddog, Bela, is a standard poodle?  No, I didn’t think so.  She’s an awesome dog, very smart and very active.  Think of having a gazelle in your living room.   Our pug, Josie, is just about as opposite Bela as you can get and still be considered a canine.   If Bela is a gazelle, Josie is a cross between a rhino and a sloth.  All was going pretty well, everyone was settling down and Mr. Iknead noticed that Josie was limping on her right back leg.  OK, we think, she’s had more exercise in the past hour than she has in probably six months, she’s tired.  She’ll be better in the morning.  She wasn’t better this morning, was not putting any weight on that leg so, of course, a visit to the vet was in order.  Because of this, we had to backtrack, had to hand Bela back off to Babydaddy and Babymama this morning and wait until the vet’s office opened before we called and got the ball rolling.   Thankfully, they were able to make alternate plans for Bela and it all worked out, but I felt AWFUL about the whole thing.  Awful because we had to renege on dogsitting and awful because Josie was limping around and maybe hurt and not just sore.

Poor Josie!

Beautiful Bela (before a haircut)

Long story short:  Josie has a right knee ACL tear, probably not complete, only partial and has to be on doggie bedrest for at least two weeks to allow it to heal and avoid a doggy ACL repair.  I decided not to mention to the vet that Josie lives her life on doggy bedrest, sleeping on various pieces of furniture and only moving around to go outside to potty and to get to her bowl when it’s time for to be fed.  OK, maybe I’m exaggerating a little, but in the summer especially, she moves only when it’s absolutely necessary or if someone in the vicinity is eating.  At which point, she gets up to investigate and stare until she’s given a bite.  So, our definition of doggy bedrest is lifting her on and off the furniture and the rest of the time, sleeping on a nice soft cushion that Mr. Iknead made for her out of an old sleeping bag with a broken zipper.  Hopefully, she has just a small tear or even better, just a sprain and will improve every day with anti-inflammatories and pain meds.  Until we know for sure, doggy bedrest it is.

I still feel awful.

OH NO #2

Today, I started a real, live sewing project using a real, live pattern.  Going along, everything running smoothly, patting myself on the back for trying something new and doing a good job to boot.  Then, last thing, ready to sew up and put on the straps and I realize that no matter how I laid the pattern piece on the interfacing (I think that’s what it’s called), I didn’t have enough, which meant another trip to Hobby Lobby to get more, postponing the big finish.  I know, in the grand scheme of things, putting off finishing for 12 hours is small potatoes, but still……

I’ll post it tomorrow, for sure.

What you see depends on what you’re looking for.

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Knitting

Look What I Made!!!

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NEWEST OBSESSION

My new-to-me sewing machine is finally up and running and LOOK LOOK LOOK what I made!

Some saw a table runner, I saw a purse!

and

I originally had plans for a reversible bag but then remembered that I’m just learning to sew and really, I couldn’t wrap my brain around how to actually make something reversible.  Scaled back my plan and I love it!

Not too shabby for my first ever sewing projects.  I’m liking it.

ADVENTURES IN DYEING, PART 3

The yarn is I Love This Wool from Hobby Lobby, the color is Kool-aid Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade.

Meh.  It’s OK, I guess.

Another trip through the land of Kool-aid, this time watermelon.

Now that’s what I’m talking about!

I’ll post it again when it’s dry and wound.

WANTS ON THE NEEDLES

Remember this?

It’s about to become something entrelac, not sure what, but entrelac for sure.

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.  T.S. Elliot

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Knitting

A Jump, Rule Change, Sad Plate

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GETTING A JUMP

I’ve decided to try to get a jump on Mondays by getting a few things accomplished on Sunday night.   Mondays have metamorphosed into a way crazy day – class from 9 to 12 in the mornings (which you can bet on winding up around 1 instead), laundry, errands that should have been taken care of over the weekend but didn’t and then the miscellaneous stuff that catches you by surprise – like trips to the vet, Hobby Lobby (which technically is a fun trip), phone calls, service calls, etc.  Then you count the time that I spend totally obsessed with whatever I’m obsessing about on that particular day.  Yesterday was the sewing machine.  Got my little pocketbook made, all it needs is a shoulder strap and lining; will post when totally complete.  As an aside – I think I’m going to really like this sewing thing.  I plan to check out some patterns for crafty things on my next HL run.

MEANWHILE

I’m a little embarrassed that it has taken me three days to complete this post.  I’ve made a decision to totally consign Mondays as Get Absolutely, Positively, Nothing Done Day.  With pottery class really from 8:30 to 1:00, there’s just not a whole lot of day left to tackle anything larger than maybe loading and/or unloading the dishwasher or doing a load or two of laundry.  This means I’m letting myself off the hook for things that can wait until another day or maybe even be scrubbed from the to-do list that I always have going.  I think I’m going to reinstitute a rule I had when my kids were growing up, the rule that says unless there’s blood or vomit involved, I don’t want to know about it.  Yes, there are exceptions, but that’s pretty much how it always went down.  And ya know what?  My kids survived and even thrived.

GOING POTTY

I’m calling this poor, sad, not round and not even oval, plate “The Plate Only A Mother Could Love”.

I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion.  These three are your greatest treasures.  Lao Tzu

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Knitting

Impulse Buy, Just Grands

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REPURPOSE

I bought this table runner a few days ago at Hobby Lobby for 66% off, mostly because when I saw it, I didn’t see a table runner, I saw a purse.  I love its colors and at $5.00 (give or take a quarter or two), I couldn’t pass it up.  In my head, a seam up each side would make a really cool pocketbook and the flap can be trimmed with the already existing fringe, with enough fabric left over to make a strap.  Super cool, super easy, right?  Pay no attention to the fact that I don’t know how to sew, it’s two seams, how hard could it be?  Right?  Bigmommy is bringing a portable sewing machine when she comes to visit tonight and knowing me, I’ll be up all night, trying to make a purse from a table runner, using up all my best swear words in the process.  Oooh, another trip to HL for purple thread, which I’ll need for the side seams that may be my Waterloo.

THE GRANDS

Mr. Iknead and I had some oh so precious one on one time with the Stuttgart grands last night, when they stayed with us overnight so Bigmommy and Bigdaddy could also have some precious one on one time with each other.  These babies are pure gold, went down for the night without a whimper, slept through and I woke up to sweet snuggles this morning.

Pensive Papoose

Sprout and Pawpaw

Then, when I thought it couldn’t be any sweeter, I had some serious one on one time with the Sprout, while everyone else went to lunch.  These special times seem few and far between, so we made the most of them.  I fed her lunch – bananas and oatmeal if you’re interested – gave her a dry diaper, followed closely with a bottle and then put her down for a nap.  So precious!

Copeland, if this dish looks familiar, it is, I have Aunt Veda’s dishes and use them every day.  We’ve eaten a lot of beans and cornbread off these, haven’t we?

The Sprout

Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.  Carl Jung

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