On the off-chance you thought it was all-knitting-all-the-time around here

I have proof that I have been doing Things Other Than Knitting:

It's a new bathmat, made from old t-shirts we've been collecting for a few years.  We seem to developing a habit of making stuff out of my husband's old clothes...

Dust, begone

I have two Labrador Retrievers.  Who consider it their duty to shed.  A duty which they take very seriously.  No, really.  It's everywhere (even in places I can't mention in polite society).

Something had to be done.

I had an old pair of wool pants that had pretty much kicked the bucket and had been hanging on to them for a while in the hopes that I could salvage some of the fabric.

I cut the legs off (they had worn out in the *ahem* crotch area), and trimmed them into nice, square-angled rectangles.  Then I lined them up at the hems and sewed up the sides and at the top.

I topstitched all the way around and then pleated the top (and topstitched the pleats in place) in two spots near the middle.  Then I added two narrow straps and velcro:

...and made myself a sewing machine cover.

And then, because my old pincushion died (and more importantly, because sewing with this gray-and-coral combo is a slippery slope - consider yourselves warned), I made myself a new one.

It goes on around the whatchamacallit (the vertical part of the machine - you know what I mean, right?) and the little elastic/toggle combo keeps it snug.

Only, I discovered that I had no batting to stuff it with, so I spent 20 minutes tearing the house apart trying to find something suitable and guess what!  Yarn.  That's what I used.  And guess what!  It's the best little pincushion I've ever had.  Who knew?

(Sorry for the lack of step-by-step instructions.  I didn't think that any of this would actually work, so I neglected to take any photos or even measure anything.  Because I'm a bad person.  But I'll make it up to - if there's enough interest, I'll do up a pattern for both items, k?)

Baby Gifting Update

You'll recall that my cousin is having a baby.

I've taken all your suggestions, whittled them down to the achievable (for now) and came up with this package to send her (she's due in March):


1) Bibs (free pattern here):

2) Itty bitty legwarmers (I invented this pattern - I tried to make them funky and gender-neutral-ish, but I only had these colours in my stash):

3) Some little terry cloth rags for stuffing in a diaper bag (just in case, you know)(these were a little freebie - I made them out of the leftover terry from the bibs...even if they never get used, I won't care):

4) Nursing Covers (free pattern here):

Uh, hi.  Take a closer look at the gorgeous fabric I found (and I insist that you swoon, 'cause it wasn't cheap):

And I thought I didn't have enough fabric leftover but surprise! I do, so she's getting a market bag made from these two fabrics, too:

(That's my project for this weekend.)

When she pops and we all find out whether it's a boy or a girl (I'm voting for either one, 'cause as long as all its parts are accounted for, I really don't care whether the little one has an innie or an outie), I'm going to plan for a zip-up-in-the-back hoodie (that idea still astounds me!) and a meathead hat and some other fun stuff.  Not that I'll be knitting stuff all in pink if it's a girl or anything, but you know what I mean.

Proof of Life

Been knittin'.

 The damn thing is so big that I actually had to use a stepladder to get far enough away from it to fit it in the frame.

Been sewin'.

 Making a new pair of twill pants using the same pattern I used for these jeans a million years ago.

Been workin' on a new tutorial... stay tuned.

Baby Stuff

I mentioned a few posts back that I recently spent some time with my "little" cousin (who is actually 26 and very much a grown up... it's just that I refuse to accept it).  She's pregnant for the first time and I don't know if I can express how excited that makes me feel.

See, I don't want kids.  I like kids just fine.  There a even a few that I love.  I spent years babysitting (e.g. the aforementioned cousin) and really enjoyed it, for the most part.  I just don't want any of my own.  And neither does my stepsister.  And my brother is disabled so he won't be having any.  And I have another stepsister who lives a continent away and I don't have a relationship with.

So what I'm saying is: I kinda feel like my cousin's baby is going to make me an aunt.  You know what I mean?  This particular cousin is the closest female to me in age in the family (my step-sisters came after she was born, so they don't count for the purposes of my explanation) and I was absolutely smitten with her when she was born.  My uncle and mother get along very well, so we spent a lot of time together when she was little.  I see her as a little sister.  And I know she sees me as a big sister.

(As a juicy aside: her father - my uncle - had a little fling when he was 18 or so and fathered a daughter that was put up for adoption.  None of us knew anything about it and a few years ago, they were put in contact with each other for the first time.  How cool is that?  Just like that, I got another cousin!  Yay!  And it means that, out of 5 children, my uncle had 4 daughters.  That's crazy town.)

But I digress (REALLY? YOU DON'T SAY!).

So now I need something from you all: ideas for handmade baby gifts.

I have made her some bibs and a few little washcloths.  I'm also making her a market bag to use for whatever.

I know those little legwarmers thingies are the best thing evar, so I'm making some of them, too.  They're teal and they're going to have lighter teal and mustard stripes.  I am so smitten that want to make myself a pair.

So what else?  She's due in March, so I gotta get crackin'!

Viewer Discretion is Advised

The reason for the disclaimer is that I'm finally ready to show what I got for my birthday (back in July...so much for promptness).  I hinted at it a few times, but I only wanted to unveil it when it was ready.

So, without further ado, I present to you the newest member of my family:

She's a foam body form made by a company called Uniquely You.  I bought it online and the way it works is that you tailor the canvas cover it comes with to fit you EXACTLY (more on that in a minute).  Once that's done, you wrestle the canvas cover over the foam form (emphasis on the "wrestle"... I actually have blisters on my knuckles from body slamming this thing into submission this afternoon).

I'm obviously a little shorter than the norm, because you can see the strip of foam poking out the bottom there.  Oh well.

And can I just take a moment to marvel at just how curvy I am?  I hate photos of myself (I am truly the least photogenic person on the planet) so standing next to this thing is the best sense I've gotten of my body's proportions ever.  I have got me some junk in the trunk.  Who knew?

Right, so you're dying to ask me if this thing works.  Well, so far, I would have to give you a resounding YES.  Oh, it gave me some trouble: it was hellish to get the stupid cover right.  You can see a whole whack of loose threads poking out there, right?  After the fourth fifth third hour of altering, I got lazy and stopped trimming the ends.  And holy cow, when the instructions say that the cover has to be SKIN TIGHT, they don't kid.  I could barely breathe in it.  The current incarnation you see above is actually the second version.  I spent a whole day altering the first time around only to discover that it didn't match my measurements when I got it all assembled.  My reaction when I discovered that is best kept under wraps.  It was not pretty, folks.

But, this weekend I had a bit of a burst of productivity and started to de-stash my fabric/sewing project collection.  (I know, crazy!)  I have been finding it difficult to get motivated re: sewing, lately.  Which is really dumb because it just sits on the edge of my desk all the time - it's not like I need to assemble it every time or anything.  Once that sewing machine gets set up, I find it much easier to just keep going.  Sigh.

So anyway, once I got this baby set up and measured it again (this time it was spot on, yay!), I took out a few projects that I started last fall (they've been sitting in the drawer languishing for a year OH FOR SHAME!).  One is a pair of pants and the other is a button-down shirt.  The laziness vis-à-vis the shirt, I can forgive, I guess.  (Have you ever figured out how to alter darts on the back of a shirt when you're the one it's being fitted on and you're alone trying to fit it?  Yeah, me neither.  Yoga will only get you so far: it can't help you grow eyes on the back of your head.  Hence why I needed the dress form.)  The laziness re: the pants is kind of ridiculous.  I mean, a whole 12 months they've been collecting dust?  Sheesh.  But the shirt got fitted this afternoon and holy crap, it was so EASY!  I actually foresee myself making more of them (which I never thought I'd "hear" myself say).  Dresses are going to be a breeze (I wish I could accurately convey the excitement I feel at being able to write that... but I can't, so you'll just have to use your imaginations, ok?).

Mwahahahahaha, I am now a sewing force to be reckoned with!

Or whatever.

Spring Wardrobe

It looks as though mother nature may have finally gotten the memo that it's spring (allegedly).

No, those temperatures are not fantastic, but you may have noticed the big yellow spiky circly thing in the middle of those icons, yes?  We haven't seen that sparkly doodad in quite a while.  I'll take the 10C as a trade for some vitamin D.

As a result of this monumental turn of events, my mind started turning to spring wardrobes and oh-crap-what-am-I-going-to-wear-this-summer?  I lost a fair bit of weight last summer/fall (15 lbs, actually) and then gained a bit of it back (that's ok, I knew that would happen when I started to recover from my malady).  The result of this seesawing is that I have no idea what fits and what doesn't.  Plus, I am due for some new clothes.  Some of my summer wardrobe is over 7 years old.  Don't get me wrong - I take really good care of my clothing, so it sure doesn't look that old.  But, I'm getting tired of it, you know?

So.  I went fabric shopping.  I spent an OBSCENE amount of money.  Money we don't really have.  Money that I'm trying REALLY HARD to feel guilty about spending, but to no avail.

 Some beautiful poplin in several (this was not all of it) colours, for pants and capris:

Some really gorgeous rayon/cotton knit in a shimmery taupe colour:

I have plans for this knit (the black one on the right):

Image courtesy of Burda

I also got completely blindsided by this fabric:

I know, right?  I just about fell to my knees before it in the store.  They had to pry the bolt out of my hands to cut the length I needed.  It's a beautiful crisp (almost crinkly) batiste and the background colour is the softest lilacy rose colour.  You almost can't tell.  Gah, I'm so in love.

{Don't worry, I bought lots of discount cotton fabric to make a muslin of this dress before I cut into the batiste.  I've learned that lesson well over the years.}

The gorgeous stuff is going to become this (if I have anything to say about it, anyway):

Both images courtesy of Burda

There is just something about the long version, isn't there?  I don't have enough fabric for that one, but mine will definitely be longer than the first version.  I don't do "above the knee".  No way, Jose.  No can do.  Me and my "athletic" legs are staying firmly under wraps.

Other than that, I bought some very serviceable cotton for the hubbie (shorts) and some new needles and thread (boring but necessary).  Plus, I renewed my membership to the special club (woot, an automatic 20% off every fabric purchase, yeeeeehaw).  If you're getting into sewing your own clothing and your local store has a rewards program, I strongly recommend that you look into it.  It has been very beneficial for me.

I'll touch base again when I've got some of it finished - show and tell time!

Have a great holiday weekend, if you're in Canada!

The Quilting Fairies

Dudes, I have no idea how it happened.

Or when.

Or who did it (quilting fairies? gnomes? elves?).

But the quilt top is done:

(I know, those two last strips at the head of the bed weren't attached to the rest when I took this photo; I've since sewed the whole thing together, but the light was gone, so this is the photo you're getting.  Also, please ignore the deplorably un-finished state of our home.  It's a work in progress.  Those floors are going to get painted this summer and hopefully, I will get off my arse and put the trim back up around the windows at some point this decade.)

The quilt is made entirely of scraps of fabric from my husband's old button-down work shirts, sheets, remnants from my stash and other little odds and sods.  I used a technique called "foundation piecing", which I learned from Denyse Schmidt's book "Quilts".  That means that the quilt top is made up of two layers of fabric and has a wonderful, sturdy, weighty feeling to it.  I was inspired by our winter landscape:

I recently learned that my local yarn mill actually has a long-arm quilting machine and they've tentatively agreed to quilt this sucker up for me, which means I won't have to spend 40 years trying to get it done with my little machine.  I may have to do some sweet-talking to convince Hazel to do it for me, but I'm down wit' dat.

Ok, Wood.  You win.  I'm keeping it.

So, apparently, there are other things in life besides knitting.

I have finished the Hemlock Ring Blanket for my grandma:

This thing took the concept of blocking to a whole new level.  I didn't think I would ever get the blocking done.  And I know I didn't do a great job with the edges, but I couldn't add any more pins BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE ANY MORE!

The blocking of this wiped me out of straight pins.

And it also represented the last of the w.i.p.'s I had going.  I found myself at a loss.  What to do?  I am waiting for my order of KnitPicks needles to arrive so that I can start Ruth and Kenny's socks and my new pullover.  Obviously, they are still in transit.

So, I whined and moped for about 2 minutes and then pulled out the quilt.  Yes, that quilt:

 For the past day and a half, I have been sewing, listening to podcasts, skulking around on Ravelry and sewing.  Which has been a little tricky today, given the shortage of pins around here.  I have exactly 2.5 new strips of quilt to show for it, which is a little pitiful.  Except that I refuse to do the whole craft-guilt thing.

The fact that it took me a whole day to get all the dishes done and I still haven't lifted a finger to vacuum the place?  Yes, that I will allow myself to feel a little guilty about.