Zafu Pinning and When Did I Start Getting Old

Today I finally got around to working on the zafu some more. After careful deliberation, I pretty much decided that the numbers and weirdness from the PDF pattern I had were worthless and decided to mostly wing it. Today I tried to start pinning the circles to the pleated sidewall bit. And broke my brain.
So, I started whimpering online. But, Alwen came to the rescue! Yay! I've got at least one of the damned circles pinned. I had to take a break as my back decided to start being all "Biznatch, I *know* you aren't going to make me stand up or sit and work after days of that stupid video game and walking." So, I made a cup of tea and settled back on the couch with heating pad after taking pictures of the pinned zafu and then loosing the camera and wandering around the apartment looking for it like a fool.


And then my Mom called from my nephew's graduation party. Who let him turn 18? He's joining the Army! And he sounds *just like my Dad*! Plus, he's huge - entirely too big to be taken down with a well-aimed cane swipe. What is this?!? I'm not grown up! Who let him be!?!


Anyway, pinning the zafu drove home an important point. A lot of things start to make a lot more sense once you actually start doing them than they do when you're staring at them and then at directions trying to make sense of them. It also drove home the important point that without the internet I would probably be in a corner covered in fabric and pins rocking back and forth in the fetal position.

And on a side note - that damn flying bird game on Wii Fit Plus can suck gangrenous donkey balls. And that stupid thing is going to say I'm 40 until I actually *am* 40. And my hips and back and shoulders hurt. Stupid freakin' being healthy...

Zafu Production

So, I finally got started on making my very own zafu (meditation cushion) tonight using these instructions.

All well and good except either I messed up or Michigan Buddhists are bad at math. I have my 59 inch strip of cloth. I made 3/4 inch pleates 3 inches apart from each other. I do not have 14 pleats. I have 11. For the time being, I'm inclined to say "so what" and keep on going, but I'm not working on it any more tonight anyway so if a reader who has better sewing or direction following skills than me can point out either how I'm stupid or how it doesn't really matter and everything is cool, that would be awesome.  Haven't ironed the pleats yet either, just in case I do need to re-do everything.

First Project with Francis Done!

So, I got my first project done with Francis (and there's a photo of her all set up too!) I wanted to put up little curtains around a plastic shelving unit we have in the kitchen to make things looks a little neater. So, I cut and hemmed 3 panels (one for the side, two for the front) and used Velcro strips to attach them - we found some that had one side sticky and the other side sew-on. Sewing the Velcro was a bit of a challenge, so the zig-zag around it wasn't in exactly straight lines, but that's hidden so no big deal.

I got notice that my spindle will ship today. I'm very excited. Mmmm, spindle...

Blogger has been being stupid (or I have been) which is why the photos may be a bit wonky. I gave up fighting with it.

Post-birthday awesomeness

First, thanks for all the wonderful birthday wishes, everyone.

Secondly, being 30 is pretty awesome so far.  I have my new sewing machine, which is awesome!  I set her up the other day and went through the manual and tested all the stitches on some scraps.  I even made my very first buttonhole.
I picked up reference book Sew Everything Workshop which has already come in handy for some basic tips and have started working on some curtain panels I've been meaning to make for 6 months.

We had a pajama party last night and an ice-cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery.  Mmmmmm, ice-cream cake.  We also tried teaching people to play Wii - that was hilarious in its own way.  Also, boxing is *exhausting.*  Lots of fun.  Also, I got chocolate and tea and a lovely gift card.  Sweet!

The past few days, especially when I've felt crappy otherwise, I've been shopping online.  I placed most of my orders today:
Some sock yarn (some for Tom and some for me), a chart keeper, some more stitch markers, needle protectors, and the book Respect the Spindle: Spin Infinite Yarns with One Amazing Tool  from Knit Picks (all their books are on sale for 40%, so it was actually less expensive than Amazon).
After much hemming and hawing and research and dithering, I decided to get a Schacht Hi-Lo 1.1 oz spindle and 8 oz of undyed wool roving from Paradise Fibers, half in Blue Faced Leicester and half Norwegian.  Both seem to be recommended for beginning drop spinners.  The Hi-Lo can be used as a high or low whorl which is also cool and is nice and light which seems to be a highly recommended feature as it allows spinning of finer gauges.  Interestingly, as I was looking into historic spinning techniques, it seems that the ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians preferred high whorls spindles while the Anatolians and Greeks tended to use low whirl and Levantine peoples, being in the middle, perhaps used either as it suited them.
Both types of roving are amenable to Kool-Aid dyeing, so I should be able to have some fun once I get the basic hang of things and play with color as well.  I am already drooling over other types of wool, other fibers, and various colors.
I also ordered  two skeins of  Super Kydd from Elann, one in red for a gift and one in green to make something for me.  The red is to make Wisp from Knitty as a first lace project and as a gift (yes, I know, using mohair may not be the best idea, but I'm planning to do some practice swatches/wash clothes with cotton before I jump in.  The dark green is to try Ice Queen, also from Knitty, for myself.

I think I should have plenty to do for the foreseeable future.  Now if I can get going on my motivational problems, I'll really be doing well.  :P

New Sewing Machine

Kenmore Drop-In Bobbin Sewing machine 74 Stitch functions

Went out and got my new machine last night at Sears (for far less money that the Amazon link, by the way).  She's very pretty - with red accents where the green in the photo above is.  Haven't played with her yet as I think Tom gave me his cold and I'm feeling pretty out of it.  I did do a basic test out of the box last night and she seems very fast and very quiet.
Still working on a name.

It also occurs to me that between the pearls and the sewing machine, I'm turning into a latter-day, foul-mouthed June Cleaver.  Awesome!

Also thinking of picking up a good intro to sewing book.  I have a few ideas, but if any of you clever readers have suggestions, I'd love to see them.

Today I failed as a woman

Today I woke up early, couldn't fall back asleep courtesy of someone small and fuzzy and barky, and finally got up and did home-makery things.  I mopped.  I folded laundry.  I cleaned the outside of the appliances in the kitchen.  That sort of stuff.  Oreo was very grumpy because, despite having kept my ass awake, he wanted to stay in the bed today.  When that didn't happen, he kept trying to herd me toward the bedroom.  Because he's a punk.
Then a friend came over to use Betsy (my vintage sewing machine) to hem some jeans.

I'm still a fairly novice sewer.  She hasn't used a machine since she was about 8.  There was much hilarity.  We had the tension wrong and the lower thread from the bobbin kept getting backed up and tangled and caught in the feed-dogs and just generally created a disaster.
This wouldn't have been so bad, except that we weren't the ones who figured out the problem.  Tom got home from work just as we were clearing the first thread jam.  Then we jammed it up again.  And again.  So, Tom sat down to look at it.  And fixed it.  Which was good.  Except, as my buddy pointed out, it probably means we fail as women.  :P
Anyway, she finally got her jeans hemmed.  They look wonderful.

Presents!

To the right you can see the product of my hard labor with the sewing machine: a laptop sleeve for Tom's new MacBook Pro. I used the really awesome pattern from Sew Mama Sew with a few modifications. I couldn't find fusible fleece, so I would up using double-sided sewable fusing to stick quilt batting to the appropriate pattern pieces. I used a cigar patterned quilting cotton for the lining and black twill for the exterior.

It's a nice, snug fit and pleasantly soft without being too fluffy.

For the motif on the exterior I found a photograph of a bannerstone, did a basic automated trace of it in Inkscape, printed it out, traced it onto half of a manilla file folder using graphite paper and then cut out the outline using an Xacto blade to make a stencil.

I stuck a good-sized book inside the finished case, put a washcloth over it just in case there was any bleeding from the paint, and then pinned the stencil to the case with a multitude of pins.

Then I used white textile paint and a sponge brush and filled in the stencil and went over it with some pewter textile paint and a smaller sponge brush to get the look of veining in the stone.

I really enjoyed this project and am very happy that Tom likes it and it turned out so well.

The only major snags were the lack of a free arm on my sewing machine, which made stitching around the opening a huge pain and the fact that the basting spray I bought to stick the batting to the lining wound up not having a spray nozzle. I wound up with the double-sided fusible, though, and I think it worked out much better in the end.

For my presents, I got more sock monkey jammies and matching slipper socks (aren't they fabulous?) and one set of double pointed knitting needles with the instruction to buy a set of multiple sizes of my choosing. I went with these from Amazon. This means I'm a step closer to knitting socks!

I also have cash to do something with. I'm considering a new low-end sewing machine with a bit more funcitonality - buttonholes, more stitches, more presser foots, and a free arm. Nothing particularly fancy.

Oreo got some new treats that are supposed to be good for his joints and a rubber squid thing with long felt tentacles.

So, a wonderful Christmas all around.  I hope everyone else had as nice a day!

Oooh, the weather outside is frightful...

(And I accidentally it "Enter" after typing the title, resulting in a blank post...)

Should have grabbed some photos when we were out with Oreo earlier.  We got a few inches of snow yesterday and today has been snow, sleet, and rain.  The sidewalks are a lovely mess.  I broke out theYaktrax and my Ice Grip on the cane for the first time this winter.  I am very grateful for both when I have to be outside when it's slippery.
Poor Oreo may have had negative reinforcement for asking to go out.  I mean, we honestly expect him to walk in stuff that is not only wet, but cold, too?

I have been plugging along on Tom's present.  Oreo has been "helping" by keeping me company on his pillow near the sewing machine.

Progress and a Christmas Announcement

Well, I got all the fabric cut for Tom's Xmas present today.  Then I went to use my spray on adhesive basting spray and discovered that the aerosol can had no nozzle.  And no tube for the nozzle head.  Suckage.
So, Tom kindly took me on an emergency run to Michael's this evening where I acquired replacements for the stupid-ass basting spray that will probably be less annoying to use anyway.
We've also decided we're just going to send everyone their stuff for Little Christmas.  Long live the Irish and the Gregorian calendar.  Anyone who doesn't like it can suck it.  I haven't had a day below "moderate" on the pain scale in at least 10 days and most of the pain has been in my hands (which are sort of vital for crafting).  It's cold.  I'm exhausted.  Tom has a job and other things to do and Oreo has no thumbs.  So, Xmas presents will be late.  So will cards.

:P

Napkin Stamping

These were made as a wedding gift for some friends and I just finally finished and delivered them last week. They didn't turn out exactly as planned - stamping with textile paint on dark fabric is much, much harder than I had anticipated.

I made the napkins myself from a dark brown twill. I also carved the stamps - the ones you can see here are papyrus and lotus columns drawn from ancient Egyptian motifs. I also had adorable golden flies, but didn't get a photo.

For the green metallic paint I would up sponge-brushing the paint onto the stamp, which is why they're a bit blobby.

For the blue, which was not metallic, I cobbled together a stamp pad with some papertowels. This used quite a lot of paint and wasn't really saveable for future use, but worked resonably well.

Using a brayer didn't work at all. I'm not sure if that's because I have a cheap-ass brayer, if it wasn't suited to working with acrylic paint, or if I just suck.

For the golden flies (no photo) I sponge-brushed again.

I did discover that re-carving some lines helped with the blobbiness.

In the future I don't know that I'll do long, thin motifs, especially with long straight lines.
I will probably also stick to lighter colored fabrics in the immediate future as I've had much better results with them.

I also plan to get some screenprinting ink to experiment with to see if I can get a better result on a variety of colors.

The battery in our digital camera died, so unfortunately the only half-way decent picture we were able to get was with my phone. :P

It's Curtains for You

Well, actually it's curtains for me, but the cliche movie quote was sort of irresistable.

Monday I managed to feel mostly up to going out shopping and Tom kindly took me out to the fabric stores.

I've decided to make some curtains for a plastic shelving unit we've put up in the kitchen to use as extra storage and counter space. We're using the lower shelves to store pots and pans and are planning on finding a board or piece of laminate or other object to put across the top to serve as counter space. I think the shelving unit is hideous, so I decided hiding it with curtains would be nice and that it might help keep dust and grease and things off the pots and pans when they aren't in use.

The plan is to cut and hem the blue and green striped fabric and attach a strip of hook and loop fastening to the top, the opposite strip to be glued to the upper edge of the shelving unit. Hopefully this will be as simple as I hope. It should also make it easy to pull down the curtain to wash when necessary, especially since the fabric is just basic quilting cotton.

The second photo is the fabric for the windows all through the apartment and the trim for at least some of them. We found some really nice unbleached muslin to use and a nice multi-colored braided trim. I'm planning to cut and hem and then probably use the glue gun to attach the trim. The basic unbleached muslin curtains will be in every room but I'm planning on changing up the trim. I just haven't found all the kinds I want yet. What's shown here is probably going to be going in the dining room/craft room/office.

I just have to get around to washing the fabric and setting up my sewing area and I can get down to work.

Crazy Awesome Dreams

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cesarastudillo/ / CC BY 2.0

I usually dream fairly vividly and remember a fair amount about my dreams the next day, though not always longer than that.

Last night, I dreamt about an antique sewing machine. I have no idea what context the sewing machine belonged in in the actual dream, but I remember the machine because it was AMAZING. It was one of the elaborately painted ones like the awesome Egyptian-themed one I found on Flickr featured above (the sphinxes are fabulous). But it was multicolored - most of the antique Singers I've seen tend to be black with shaded gold decoration. This one had metallics in all kinds of colors - green, blue, pink, red, purple. It was awesome. I can't really remember the motifs other than the sort of general vegetation-inspired scrollwork that seems to have been popular.

And the machine itself was still perfectly useable. Nifty.

I dream about crafty stuff fairly frequently now, which I find amusing. I rarely, if ever dream or dreamed about Egyptological stuff or archaeology. Knitting is a common thing as I'm drifting off, but it's supposed to be fairly common to visualize such things as one drifts off (or so I think I read somewhere, though I can't find the source now, dammit), especially if you've been doing it recently. I don't think I usually dream about the actual process of crocheting though - maybe because it doesn't involve both my hands quite so much? But finished projects or nearly finished projects pop up quite frequently - like the plan to decoupage and paint the dresser or bookshelves (a predominately pale-blue with brown diamonds or stripes seems to be what my brain prefers...), sewn dresses and napkins and curtains, and other things.

Just finished stage 1

I just finished stage 1 of the gift I've been making. Or is it stage 2? Well, a stage then. Only two more steps to go. The gift that technically was due last week, though supposedly I have up to a year. Trying very, very hard not to take that long. Photos will be posted eventually. :)

Sewing related injury

Somehow I managed to sprain or strain my left thumb using the lever for my presser foot on my sewing machine. It hurts. I'm icing it. That's pretty spectacularly pitiful, even for me. I was working on a hook case for my crochet hooks - I would up having to pick out a large portion of it anyway since at some point I let it drift off square. Sigh. Not my day for crafting. I did discover that having Oreo on my lap while I'm at the machine makes it easier for me to use the foot pedal. :P

My First Purse

Last night I finally got around to using the fat quarters I bought back at the end of March. I decided I wanted to make a little purse of some kind and dug around on the internet looking for something I liked. I finally settled on this tutorial. It worked out really well because rather than precise measurements and pattern pieces it was more of a make it up as you go along thing. Or at least that's how it was for me.

This is the first time I've fired up my sewing machine since February and there were a few problems. Primarily the new bobbins I had bought didn't fit correctly on the bobbin winder. Not because they were necessarily the incorrect size but because they were pieces of crap plastic.

Anyway, once I decided to just stitch with white thread which I already had a good metal bobbin wound for that problem was solved.

Next up was cutting the fabric. My first experience using a rotary cutter was...interesting. I still have all my fingers, never fear.

Anyway, I learned quite a bit from this project:

1. I really need a quilters rule or similar large clear plastic ruler thingie. Cutting things with the rotary cutter is exciting enough with shaking hands - not having something to guide the cutter makes it suck waaaaay more.
2. I need to learn to take frequent breaks. My back and knees are still killing me from sitting too long without sufficient back support.
3. Ball-topped pins melt if you iron over them. Eww.
4. My iron is a piece of crap and needs to be replaced.
5. Don't cheap-out on bobbins.
6. My bias tape maker may or may not be a piece of crap. I need to try it with a really nicely cut piece of fabric before I make a final judgement. I'm leaning toward crap though.
7. Fusible interfacing is pretty fun.
8. I seriously need to quit with the "I must finish all of this now!" crap - it just wears me out and makes me hurt more, shake more, and is generally stupid.
9. I can actually sew. Not really well yet, but I can do it. Yay!

Anyway, the next project is on hold until I get a quilters rule. I need to be able to make straight lines.

Here is the purse. I love this fabric. Must fine more/similar.

I carried it today and it was a nice little bag - enough for my wallet, phone, iPod, keys, and some tissue.

Tiring but good day

I didn't sleep very well last night and had to be up this morning for an appointment, but today still managed to be a good day.  My dear friend took me out to do a bit of shopping, including a visit to Vogue Fabrics.  Drool!!!!!  We spent a generous amount of time rummaging through the remnants and I got a great haul of stuff.

Going through some of their other lovely stuff has also reinforced my need to get sewing again and build up some skills so that I can go back and buy some of their lovely silks, for example, to make clothes.

As it is, I have some wonderful cottons to work with for bags and for table linens.  Enough, in fact, that I'm looking around as we speak for some basic accounting tools in order to take the next step toward starting a little product line for sale on Etsy.  

I know myself well enough to know that I need to start keeping books from the get-go, even if the whole thing fizzles.  Otherwise, I may wind up in a mess of receipts and papers and no clue what is going on.

I also need to figure out a few other "business-y" things - like tax stuff.  Groan.  Anyone with any resources to share, I will be immensely grateful.

I am now exhausted, though, and probably need to stop with the thinky stuff for now before I get thoroughly confused and frustrated.

Shopping IS Therapy, Dammit

Today I slept most of the day due to the exhaustion of the most recent skirmish in the mouse wars.  I had actually set an alarm for 11 AM, figuring that would give me more than enough sleep.  I woke up, was still really stiff and hurty, and so decided to read and stretch a bit in bed before getting up.  The next thing I knew, Oreo was barking and wagging his tail in my face because Tom was home from work.  Sigh...

Anyway, I had been wanting some fusible interfacing for some projects I want to work on and Tom had wanted to go to a Home Depot to poke around, so we set off.

I scored my fusible interfacing (at a discount, because the instruction sheet had left marks on the interfacing) drooled over fabric, grabbed some canvas tape, and a bias tape maker.  Serious fabric drooling.  I should just get over my cheapness in not being willing to pay $8/yard for pretty quilting cottons, but then again, if I did that, we'd be even more poor than we are and be buried in fat quarters or single yards fabric useful only for making bags and pillows and stuff. Mmm, bags...

Ahem.

Anyway, we also dropped by a Best Buy, because the stupid vermin had chewed through the cord on the motion sensor for the Wii.  Shows you how much Wii we've been playing.  We also (after much wandering and annoyance) discovered that Lego Indiana Jones has finally dropped in price.  Sweet!!!!  As it seems to also be good for my motor skills, all the better!

Then we went to Home Depot and wandered around the nurseries.  We now have baby sweet basil, mint, rosemary, lavender, and Italian parsley nestled happily in a trough planter and smelling delicious.  The aloe has been replanted in the pseudo-Predynastic pot.  And our seedlings of oregano, curly parsley, and lavender seem to be doing well despite early depredations by the vermin.  The papyrus plant seems to be doing okay as well.

I am very excited by our little garden - I've never done much with plants before, so I'm having fun pestering Tom with questions.  I'm also looking for either  some better options or tricks in iCal for reminders so I will remember watering and other household chores (this has become a major problem for me).  And I'm looking forward to cooking with fresh herbs, figuring out good drying methods, and making sachets.  

Therefore, I am in an extra good mood this evening, despite the lateness of this post. Tomorrow I get to go for a haircut, which will make life even better as I'm currently getting uncomfortably close to a mullet in the back (I cannot stand hair on my neck anymore).   Better, a friend is taking me, thus sparing Tom from having to hang around a girly salon for an hour. He gets to stay home and play Wii.  :P

This entry is useless without pics

Despite having been fairly productive on the craft front the past week, I can't post pictures today.  It's been nasty and rainy and dark all day, so decent photos aren't happening.  Maybe tomorrow.  I will, however, tantalize you all by telling you that I painted a flower-pot in imitation of Predynastic Egyptian white cross-lined ware.  And I finished making a brain slug for a friend.  It's being presented this evening, and I hope to get a photo.  I also finished my gift for my mom for Mother's Day.  Yes, I know it was last week.  Still have to take a picture of it and get it in the mail.   So, with luck, there will be some photos posted this weekend.

I also have to decide which fiber project to start next: 

• Amigurumi for some friends (not saying what exactly as some of them read this and I'll be all grumpy if I ruin the surprise)
  
• Amigurumi of my parents for their 30th anniversary next month
• Amigurumi with Egyptian themes for some professors of mine
• My very first knitting project.  I have to actually decide WHAT to make.  I'm not that inclined to make a scarf, I know it's the typical thing, but it seems sort of...bleh.  Maybe a hat?  Suggestions are welcome.  My preference is for something that isn't a huge undertaking at the moment and, preferably, doesn't require a large quantity of yarn (I'm running out of storage space, despite concerted attempts to use up my stash)

And I have the following things I want/need to do:

• Design and carve some lino blocks for fabric printing/stamping
• Sew some tea towels and table linens
• Sew the pajamas and dress I have fabric and patterns for that have been hanging around since January
• Sew a (or possibly multiple) hook and needle cases
• Sew a bag or purse of some kind with the sweet fat quarters I have
• Start playing with watercolor painting, if only for the hilarity of how craptastic my paintings will be

And, I have some research to do in the next few weeks to see if I'm going to climb back into the academic saddle.  I suspect there will be chafing.

Nest Decorating & Designs by Tamar: Duvet Tutorial and some more new work

Nest Decorating & Designs by Tamar: Duvet Tutorial and some more new work

I love this tutorial for making duvet covers from flat sheets - usually much, much less expensive than buying a ready-made cover and a good way to use or re-use vintage, thrifted, or older sheets.  It would be super simple to add your own decorative touches with appliques, borders, ribbons, buttons, etc.  I adore my down comforter and refuse to part with it, but duvet covers are a must and being able to customize is always appealing.

Via Craft

Little Mi (hot water bottle & doll set)

Little Mi (hot water bottle & doll set)
Originally uploaded by Fröken Skicklig

This hot water bottle plus lovely gently scented doll is such a lovely thought for days in bed or on the couch feeling poorly. Hot water bottles are not all that common in the US, but I think are greatly under-appreciated. They're certainly a good way to keep toes warm in the winter without raising the thermostat and a good way to comfort achy spots without worrying about an electric heating pad.
Fröken Skicklig has a lovely selection on her blog. They've sold out of her etsy shop, but there's no harm in having the address handy for her future productions. :)