Catching up

A few things i have made over the last month or so: 

Socks for my dad! 

An apron i stencilled and later embellished with black ribbon. 

Pumpkins!

Embroidery for my hubby's recording studio Sound Ghost Studios. 

Our attempt at luring trick or treaters... we got zero :( 

Soon fall will be here

ISo honestly... I have found Instagram to be a great way to post projects and things I'm working on. I still love blogging but find it difficult to do on my phone sometimes even though that's where I'm taking most of my pictures these days. 

But here are some photos of recent things.

My mom's printer's drawer that I have always liked. I guess I will be filling it with dusty miniatures...

I have done just a few entries for #sewphotohop. This one was for essential kit. I have never really had a travel sewing kit so I was inspired by the challenge to make one. I recovered a jewelry box with bookbinding paper.

Here is the hat I started working on last night.  Quick Ombre Hat by Emily Dormier, a free pattern on Ravelry. My very very very first color work pattern. I have never really tried to do anything like this and it's been really fun even though I know it's a very simple design. Using up my stash as mostly I have small amounts of yarn in different colors. There is probably a way to make the row jump more pretty but oh well! My wrist does hurt so i am contemplating someday buying those compression gloves for crafters. 

The colors on this are kind of close... But I wanted to show off the socks I have been making for my dad off and on since January. Navy blue yarn from Black Trillium Fibres with a touch of I think it's Madeline Tosh at the toe. I am so happy they are done and blocking right now. I'm not really sure what else I will be working on coming up but I am trying to think ahead to Christmas and see if there's a project or two I can get started on so that I won't be so rushed right before then. I am feeling like I don't have a lot of money to spend on yarn this year. But I have lots and lots of quilting cotton so maybe I need to sew something for everybody.

OK so with the talk to text feature on, this blog post has taken a very short amount time and hopefully it will inspire me to keep on blogging! Have a good week!

@weareupsidedowncat

Summertime fun.

Making slippers in the summer! 

These are a pattern on Ravelry. Basic slipper pattern. 

I have more info on Ravelry, yarn type etc. the cool thing was i knit them on a long weekend, so a pretty quick knit! 

I also found some earrings i made a long time ago and actually put hooks on the fish ones. Today i ordered more hooks as i have several pairs of cheap-ish earrings that need the hooks replaced and i want to finish these!

I am also working on placemats! Almost done. I just have to sew up my short seam holes where i flipped them right-side out. These are reversible paisley/stars. They ended up a bit smaller than i had intended but they are fine. Can't wait to use them on our picnic table!  

And dreaming about a new embroidery project and about 10 other things!!

Green wallet

I made another wallet! And i took the time to figure out what i had done wrong with the last wallet. 

I may someday take apart my other wallet or perhaps just make a new one for fun! 

Ready to sew together!

Finished wallet! If i had left more space in the center it would fold a little bit better. 

I seem to always get the elastic too tight. Oh well. Tada!!!

This is for my friend, so i will wait to post this for a little while until i give it to her! 

Socks!

Tada!!! Socks for my brother in law! 

This is maybe not the best photo of the colors, but here they are!!!

Puppy and projects

I made a puppy! From the book Softies by Therese Laskey. 

It was really fun. If i made it again i would probably machine sew some of it. Also the belly fabric pattern was not really the right size and i had to trim that down. 

It is a birthday present. Fun to use up scraps!

Today i have been cleaning the craft room. I moved my light box and a sewing machine off of my other work table. Hopefully that will help me have more of a workspace to actually work on stuff! 

Currently i have projects laid out. It is so easy for me to start a new project and set other aside. 

(On the table are piles which represent: wallet, kleenex travel pouch, placemats, hexagon quilt pieces, yarn of the month knitting, and the big pile of fabric, some quilt triangles)

I recently got a lot of quilting fabric, smaller pieces and so yesterday i spent a few hours cutting out triangles. 

I think i will go with this arrow design. I am thinking i may frame each block with a border. We'll see! 

Not pictured: A dress i bought that i love but need to alter the shoulders since i am short. And another knitted present... Shh...

I also ordered these awesome labels!! Can't wait for upcoming projects to add these to! 

I recently signed up on Instagram. It is so inspiring to see crafty stuff and you can search quilting photos etc. I am tired of the negativity of Facebook and so far instagram has been fun!

Oh fabric...

Some things I found at the 50% off Salvation Army sale today. 

Awesome fabric book with potential to embroider etc. 

Giant bag of quilt scraps. It's not like i need more fabric. But i do have some quilt plans and this bag had a ton of variety and stuff i liked. So hopefully i can get some projects done! Somewhere i have missplaced my hexagons i had cut a while back. They are about 6 inches across. I think some of this new fabric will be hexagons! 

Currently blocking a knitting project. I also started a new project but am not sure if it is the right project for the yarn... 

Yarn of the month vl. 1

My awesome brother & sister in laws got me a yarn of the month subscription!

I got 2 yarn samples! I decided at least for these 2 to try seed stitch. I may not do all the squares that way but i like the looks of it so far! Good purse knitting! Assuming someday it will be part of a blanket! 

Sneak peek of a present for someone... :)

I need to block it still. Now that project is done I am back on the trusty blue-green

socks!

Wallet III and curtain hemming

Years ago Mike bought me a cloth wallet. It was probably made of bed sheets fabric, floral and pretty.   I loved it so much when it began to fall apart i took it apart and used it as a pattern to make a new one. 

A few months ago I noticed how my second wallet was very faded and worn. 

So today I ripped that wallet apart carefully and went about making a new one. I added more interfacing hoping the new one will maybe last a little longer. (It seems really thick now, maybe i did too much interfacing?)

After i had sewed it all together i realized i had made one mistake. When you have all the pieces seperate it can be hard to picture how to sew it back together and what order to sew things in. 

Preparing...

This is braided elastic. It is pulling too tight even with some interfacing but maybe it will relax someday? 

My mistake: The inside panels should go all the way to the top. Oops. I decided to just sew the top of them down, which creates the hidden side pockets under each side, the zipper and card pockets. Probably hard to picture that sorry! 

I guess i would say i am 90% happy. Like i feel rather than ripping it all out i should just make a few more with the scraps i have and maybe write down the directions clearer since i make them only every few years. 

The Original wallet was made by Jill Bliss who makes awesome drawings and stuff! http://jillbliss.com

While making it i listened to The Shop on Blossom Street, by Debbie Macomber which is a knitting shop drama. Ha. I have listened to two other books of that type and this one was a lot less cheesy. It held my attention. 

Here is a picture of our hemmed living room curtains which were originally to the floor since they are from Ikea. There is also a second set of white curtains hiding  behind them. 

Achoo!

Travel kleenex cozies, or whatever you call them! 

Today i figured out a better way to resolve the bias tape, carefully folding it under in a tricky way! They turned out good and i plan to give them as gifts! 

They take a very small amount of fabric. That pattern is from One Yard Wonders, available at your local library. 

I think this one is for my Grammie. :)

And! I spent last night, the eve of my 30th b-day making a mix cd, later watching Sense and Sensibility and knitting the toe of this sock. For the 2nd sock i picked up stitches last night. (I am just after the heel) It will probably bemy lunch  break knitting! I sort of feel like the cuff seems short. If i have leftovers I may try to lengthen it a bit.