Monday, November 29, 2010

Evidence

 Howdy, folks!  Been a while, eh?  I've been a busy gal...working my buns off.  I'm working two jobs, so hopefully I'll be all caught upon expenses soon.  And you know what that means?  Craft store, here I come! Ha, actually I don't really need anything, but it's nice to know I can get it if I do need something.

I noticed something, even though I have the hobbies of an old lady and I'm often told I'm "mature" for my age, I still have my moments of childish behavior.  I have proof.

Given the choice, I will always go with the cartoon bandages.

 I still buy crayons.

I stashed the last Hershey's Bar, from Halloween, away in my crafting area.  For a moment of frustration, I suppose.  I'm happy to report it's still there.

So, yeah.  I guess no matter how old I am, part of me never seems to grow up.

P.S.  Need more proof?  I still shop for coloring books.  I want this one sooo bad!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Sewing Case Tutorial!

The little case I showed you guys last time is pretty easy to make, so now I'll show you how!  Oh, and I'll just go ahead and apologize right now for the terrible photos.  I'm not sure if my photography skills have improved in the last few months or it's the new camera we recently acquired, either way these shots aren't so hot.
 

Materials you'll need:
* Plastic container- this can really be any type of container.  Even the clear deli take-out kind will work, (although I have a different method for that kind, I'll share with you later.) you just have to be more conscious of your jump stitches.
*Embroidery Patterns-  I used Sublime Stitching's Dress Up patterns. I also used a photocopy since I would be chopping it up and writing on it.

*Embroidery Floss and normal stitching stuff like needles- Duh, you already knew that!

*Drill- with a 1/16 drill bit (teeny tiny!)

* Tape- for your pattern and reinforcing your container if it's on the flimsy side.

*Scissors

*Pen/Sharpie

Optional Stuff:
*Beads

*Rotary Tool- Sandpaper will probably work just as well.

*Transfer Paper

*Felt (with hot glue)

*Scrapbook Paper (with glue stick)


Let's get started!
I wrapped the whole jar with masking tape to reinforce it while I was drilling.  I wasn't sure if the plastic would take it well.  It was probably unnecessary, however, it also helped with the transfer method so it wasn't a total bust.  I also taped my lid down so it was more secure when drilling. 

To transfer the pattern I used a scrap of Saral Transfer Paper.  (Most of my fellow stitchers know how much I love this stuff.  I carry on about it in our forums all of the time!)  I tape the pattern onto it and traced it with a ballpoint pen.  Easy Peasy.
 

*Tip- If you have a particularly sturdy container or lack transfer paper, you can probably just tape your pattern to the jar and drill right through it.  I just like to plot out my holes first.  You'll see.... 

Okay, so at this point I plotted out where the hole for each stitch would go.  I find this part helpful so that I can make sure that two holes aren't to close together.  (Notice how I crossed one out?)  Plus, I would probably just start drilling, willy-nilly, that usually doesn't end well around here.

 Notice on this one, I had to adapt the pattern a wee bit based on what the plastic would allow.  Keep that in mind when you're plotting out your stitches.

Now it's time to drill, baby, drill.  (Ewwww, did I just quote Sarah Palin?  Gross.  I'm sorry, it won't happen again.)  I didn't take a picture of this step, but I think you can handle it ;)  Just be sure to be safe- wear those silly looking goggles!  Also, hold the container securely, taking special notice to the placement of your fingers so you don't drill yourself.  You want those fingers to be ready for stitching in just a few minutes.

Here's where the rotary tool comes in.  On the inside, where the holes are, there were lots of little plastic burrs.  I sanded them down with the rotary tool so that it wouldn't snag my floss.
  *Tip- if your container is completely clear or you don't have a rotary tool, snip the burrs as close as possible with sharp, pointy scissors.  I don't think the snags will actually cut your floss, just makes it irritating.

 Since my container was frosted, my sand marks on the inside were visible.  So I did the outside too.  It's most evident in this photo.

Now, stitch!  I used all six strands of floss for the designs and just knotted it at the end.  When it was time to finish off a color or design, I simply ran the needle with floss back through a few existing stitches on the inside.  Since I was using the back stitch there is enough floss in the back side to keep it nice and secure.

 As for the optional stuff, it's really just to gussy it up.  I added beads to some of the designs.

To cover the stitches, I added felt and scrapbook paper.  

For the paper, I just made 2 tubes, one with the design on the inside.  The other with the design on the outside.  (The outer one is so there is a pinkish tone showing through the frosted plastic.  It looked better with the sanding.)  I put one inside the other, squished it up and let it open back up once it was in the jar.  Since I didn't glue the paper into the jar itself, since the glue would have shown on the sides, I added a circle of felt at the bottom.  This keeps the paper from moving around too much.

That's it!  Lots of little steps, but pretty easy.  I hope that this tutorial is clear, if not, please let me know.  Don't hesitate to ask me questions, I don't mind at all.  

So now that you know the secrets, I hope that you can find even more stuff to stitch around your house.  This ability is especially helpful when you're broke...trust me.   If you make something with the tips I've shared, I'd love to see.  Crafty geeks....unite!

Enjoy a craftastic day!  And don't forget to recycle :)

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Upcycled Sewing Case

Hey there, guys!  Remember the other day when I said I was at least a month behind with sharing projects with you?  Well, holy smokes, I just found something from all the way back in June!  Shameful.  Well, despite being little bit behind the times, I think that you will like this project.  A little bit of everything went into it- stitching, upcycling, felt, pretty paper, beads, power tools!  Fun all around.

You guys know that I love to recycle.  So when I find a product that I like and it also has nice, sturdy packaging, it's like a bonus!  Silly, I know, but something has to excite me.  (Fun Fact:  I hoard glass jars...it's true.)  Over the summer, before we went camping, I decided I need a little something to store my embroidery projects in.  I whipped up a little case made from the packaging of face wash wipes.

TA DA!!
 It's pretty big too, considering the jar was excessively large for the product.  (Sorry, Aveeno, it's true.  I love you, but you went overboard on this one.)  Which is one of the main reasons I decided to reuse it instead of just tossing it in the recycling.

The inside of the lid and jar.  That had to be pretty too!

Want to see more photos of it?









You'll noticed I used a set of Sublime Stitching patterns and of course, metallic floss.  (I'm an addict.)  It's certainly not my prettiest stitching but I'm happy with it.  And I think Mother Earth would be too.  
What do you think? If anyone is interested I can throw together a tutorial.  Just let me know.  Hope you are having a craftastic day!


Friday, November 5, 2010

Remember What's Important...

Every once in a while, I get into a funk.  Everything turns into, "I hate this...and I hate that..." I have to stop and reevaluate what's really important.  And I realize I'm just being silly.
A little girl that used to live across the street drew this on the sidewalk this summer.  I got to see it on my daily jaunt over to the big, blue mailbox on the corner.  For some reason, it's really stuck with me.  I think I'm going to get one printed so that I can hang it somewhere as a daily reminder. 

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Day Off

I'm kind of a boring person but I'm ok with it.  On my day's off I rarely have big plans unless my guy has the day off too.  However, this time of year his Sunday's are spend cuddled with the pup, watching football.  And since I have a funky schedule too, I've just been doing my own thing lately.

My day off tends to revolve around drinking warm beverages from cheesy cups.  (Occasionally, obliging when said cup is branded with the Kahlua logo.)

Later I eat lots of yummy soup.  With TONS of fresh cracked pepper.  I'm a soup junkie.

I'll also do some cleaning, some stitching, and some dog walking.  Perhaps take in a bit of guilty pleasure television.

And if I'm lucky, I'll be doing all of this while wearing my favorite sweater.  My Freddy Krueger sweater!!  The only picture I have is terrible, want to see it?!  I think Dillon must have yelled, "Jackson!" right before he snapped this one.  I seem to look a bit confused.
(Oh yeah, and this was last year.  I've already mentioned our tragic lack of pumpkins this season.) 
I pulled my trusty, old Freddy sweater out for the first time this season, despite the fact it's pretty nice outside.  It's November, it should be sweater time.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say, is I'm a creature of habit.  If I was an old wiseguy, I'd be easy to whack.

How about you?  Are you a homebody or always on the go on your day's off?  Whether you're out and about or cozy at home, I hope that your day is craftastic!

Monday, November 1, 2010

I love the Candyman!

So, want to hear about my super uneventful Halloween?  I bet you do!  After work I was determined to have a scary movie marathon under a blankie on the couch.  However, the guy was writing a paper in the living room.  So rather than sit there and bug him, I decided to catch up on house stuff.  Yep, I'm the boring person who got to celebrate by scrubbing my bathroom and doing the dishes.  We suck, we didn't even carve pumpkins this year.  I was so bummed about that.

One thing that did cheer me up about my less than festive holiday?  I could enjoy a fat free trick or treat bag!   I won this sweet little prize on Kym's blog.
Isn't it cute?  And guess what?! It fits in the palm of my hand.  You guys know my love of tiny things.  

Good thing that's fat free, because this certainly isn't-
 We are left with a ridiculous amount of candy because we didn't even get one trick-or-treater.  (Well, one but since she was a friend of ours who's in her 30s, that doesn't really count.)  I just think that is crazy!  It's not like we live out in the cuts, we have the corner house in a family neighborhood.  Weird, I think.

And just because I have this song in my head all of the time.  Especially when I think of candy.

 

I hope that you had enjoyed a fun, safe holiday!  Did you dress up or do anything fun?  Manage to catch the premier of The Walking Dead?  I caught a few minutes here and there, but not enough of it to register some sort of opinion.  Hoping to see the whole thing soon.

Have a craftastic evening!  Until next time, my lovelies...