Christmas Print 2015!

Every year for the last several (8?) years I have made a Christmas print. They often contain cats or snowy scenes. Generally they have the year as part of the print, and red, black, light blue are common colors I use.  Hopefully when we unpack I can find copies of the previous prints, and next year find a good way to display them at Christmas time, with room to add on.

They are generally block prints, but some years have been screen printed. Here is last years which was a screen print. (I hand painted the stencil).

2007 & 2008 block prints...

This year with my screen printing stuff packed up, I decided to go with block printing. I sketched many rough designs, trying to come up with a good idea. Three Little Kittens? A Loon? Owl? Elephant? A print with multiple ornaments? I had originally thought of a simple fireplace print. Then when we had more house drama and I thought we may never close on the house I gave up on the idea and then started trying to come up with others. Now that we officially got the house, I decided to stick with the fireplace. To add the usual Upsidedown Cat charm, I added a bear in a winter sweater and some Christmas decor on the mantle (Stay tuned for a later post.,,!)

Anyway. In the midst of deep cleaning the house, I knew I had to get this print done because we give it to family and friends as our Christmas card. So.. I started carving, and today with a free afternoon, I printed the red. This block was a little bigger than some cards I have made. It was a little bendy and my brayer is smaller than the block so I had to be more careful about inking the block to make it even.

Color two, the black layer, was hard to line up... I was feeling really frustrated with the first several prints (Hint: use your more messed up first layer prints as practice prints with the 2nd layer!). I traced around my block on a piece of white paper, cut out the rectangle and carefully used the paper frame as a pretty close guide of where to place my block, trying to match two corners as best I could before letting the block touch the paper. It worked well and I'm pleased that most of the prints turned out well. In printmaking you generally lose some prints with each new color/layer you have, and plan accordingly so hopefully you will end up with the amount you want. I did not count them yet, but I think I printed about 50.

Here is the final result:

Perhaps some day if I have free time (haha, so many quilts on my list), I may get inspired to make some cards to sell. Could be a cool Upsidedown Cat merch item and something I could maybe sell online. We'll see... It would be good if I did something related to printmaking, since I took a lot of classes, and it can be used in so many ways.

Decorating

Well. An update. Still no new house. Maybe by December 4th. It is hard to keep waiting but i am glad we got out of town this weekend to visit family and relax. 

Today we help my mother in law decorate for Christmas. This involves removing the thanksgiving/fall decorations. This year they have a new kitten and I will not be surprised if she tries to climb the tree. She is so active and playful. Anyway, I have been looking forward to helping with the decorations. It is always fun to arrange items and try to remember where things go. We are talking about like 6 or so giant tubs of stuff and other items too. 

They also are sending us home with some things for our new house. (Feels like early Christmas). I got a ton of vintage crocheted doilies and some pillows and picture frames and mirrors and some curtains and fabric. A main hobby of theirs is garage saleing. We also got a few rugs. So grateful to get stuff for our new house! It makes it seem more real. 

About the vintage doilies. I plan on using some around the house, and maybe some for an art project. I have seen curtains and and adding them to lampshades etc. There are lots of cool ideas online. 

I brought some knitting on this trip. A cowl for me. I barely had any bandwidth yesterday because of my cold. Feeling a little better today and hoping to get more done. I do have more Christmas presents to make but could not bring them because then family here might get an idea of what they are getting. 

Here is the cowl. It is called Vortex Cowl. The original pattern is for 4 colors but I am only doing two. I think I like how it is working out. I already have so much blue in my wardrobe but I hope it will go with lots of things. The colors are a little off. Navy stripe and variegated blue & purples. 

Stitch by stitch

So. The secret Christmas Present making continues. I got a lot of knitting done on a project when we went to see a movie and only had a few mistakes to fix the next morning. Since the pattern was simple it was easy to drop down 10 rows and fix the stitches. I love not wasting time and often knit in the car too, if I am not the driver.

I have finished 3 projects (sewing, sewing & knitting), and am in the middle of 4. (They involve knitting, knitting, embroidery, and painting/glitter). Trying to keep a list so I keep everything straight.

One of the projects I finished used up some stash fabric and was pretty quick to make once I had all the pieces cut to the same shape. It felt great to be able to use stash as I have not been sewing much this summer, and a lot of my stash is smaller pieces. I am looking forward to my new craft room so much!

I love vintage sewing rooms: Here is a 60s/70s one. Main things I need: Lots of light, Storage ( I already have one big piece of storage furniture.) Ironing board (My husband is hoping to build one that comes down from the wall. I will need to locate a good chair I guess too.
I do hope someday to fix a few of my machines. I guess I have 4. Only one that works well. There is one I do not have cords for, one I'm not sure if I have cords for. One my dad got me at a yard sale that probably just needs a tune up. Hopefully someday I can take them in to a repair shop and see what we can do. I may not need 4 machines, but two might be good in case I need to lend one, or have a friend over sewing. I would love to get a surger someday too, I really don't know a whole lot about other machines.

Here is a West African beans and rice recipe we like. I made curry lentil soup last night because it is cold outside.

Next time I blog we may have our new house and be painting furiously!

Daylight or lack there of.

Started this post on 11/3/15 and realized tonight that I had not published it yet...

 My Pumpkin this year...


Daylight savings time was halloween night. Ever since then I seem to be tired at 9pm and wake up at 6:30? And once I am awake I start thinking about our move and the new house. We looked at carpet and paint colors last night. Everything seems so relative, color wise, and of course hard to tell in small rectangles. The carpet that is there does need to be replaced, since the previous owner smoked and it is 1970s carpet (that textured brown stuff so many houses had). We think we are going with a speckled style of carpet which we hope will wear well over the years. It is a neutral with flecks of red brown an gray green. We are planning on painting all the walls too. Trying to keep the house feeling light but also add some interest.

Anyway lots to think about. 

I am knitting a lot this week for Christmas. It is annoying because one of my thumbs is cracked and dry so I try to not do too much, but I really want to be knitting as much as I can. I bought some new yarn for two projects and already started one of them (it will be perfect lunchtime/keep in my purse knitting). I also started a different project that requires a little more attention to the pattern so I am making progress when I have light to see my work. It is a completely different style of project than I have done before and so it is fun to try something new. Today I am hoping to finish up a sewing project I was working on last week, and maybe finish up mike's big present which involves painting and stuff drying so I can hide it again. 

I need to be taking photos as I go to get everything documented for Ravelry etc. I generally handmake things for Christmas. Often it is just ornaments. This year I tried to start early and I am also doing some sewing projects which can be a little faster. So hopefully I will be able to finish things, since I know once we get the house we will be painting!!!! 

It is so so crazy to be getting our first house. I am really excited yet nervous and it will mean a lot of hard work. The good thing is besides painting and flooring the house doesn't need much else. We do need to reinvent the two garages to be a recording studio though! And budget it all, of course... 

More later. I will try to share photos of what I can so it doesn't become too boring. 

Almost November

Well. I am knitting and sewing as much as I can but don't want to get into too much detail because it is the Xmas season, and I am trying to work on presents. I guess I will just try to get good photos to put on Ravelry/the blog later. I can tell you I finished a cowl. I had previously knit a few lengths of scarf-like knitting, hoping to sew them together as a rug, etc. I then looked at them one day and decided to turn a few into cowls. Here is a not-great photo. I have been wearing it on my walks to work and on my days off. It has finally turned to Fall, after a long dry summer.

I also can tell you I finished a hat. A baby/kid hat for no one in particular yet. One of those single skein purchases because the yarn was so pretty. The pattern is from purl soho. I love their simple palate and get inspired when I look at their site. The yarn is Noro silk garden which was rough on my hands. I may think about sewing a lining in case it would feel rough to a kid. Of course, now i have left over yarn and no idea what to do with it.

Let's see what else can I mention. I am embroidering something secret. It is a fun Aunt Martha's  pattern and hopefully I can do another one. Just look at all of them online. Hard not to want to buy many more.
I am also sewing something which means currently I am hand sewing binding on. I always seem to end up hand sewing bindings, but it allows me to have more control. The binding is so thin to use pins that I have been using my extra Bobbie pins and it is working quite well. I hope to get a good deal of the binding done today if I can. 

I know when we close on this house I will not have much time for presents (besides the hour long lunch break I have at work) so I am trying to get what I can done now. 

There are some people I have no idea what to make for.. And some people that I have an idea for but wish I had started a long time ago. Like socks or something.

Anyway, we are getting excited about the house. We will be painting and replacing carpet and moving in. I kind of wish it was not going to be winter with all the cleaning/painting but I guess sooner is better than later. And maybe we can decorate for Christmas a little! 

Speaking of which, I need to find out what my pumpkin will be because it is this weekend. As far as costumes I think we may just do a low key year as our costumes are packed up, and we haven't been invited anywhere. I guess we are getting old, haha.

Oh! Just remembered the yearly Xmas print I do. Sigh. To get it done this year I guess I will have to pick a simple design/process. I generally screen print or block print. Maybe I can carve stamps? It is always the lining up that takes the longest. 

I may mention it every few posts - I am hoping one day to have a more streamlined blogging system. To get photos and links in correctly and in a timely way, I feel that the laptop is the best. (I have also tried my phone and ipad). I may just have to get in the habit of taking photos with my digital camera and transferring them at least once a week. It's amazing how much of a chore it seems, but I think it will be easy once I get it worked out. 

La la la

Trying to finish something. Anything. Starting to try to work on some Christmas presents but not feeling like I am making a ton of progress. Here are some cup cozies. Super quick, though not really sure how many I will realistically make. There is a pattern on Ravelry of course. I will have to link to it. Also trying to graft 2x2 ribbing on a hat. It is slow going and not looking as seamless as I was hoping. Working on another hat which I may rip out. Not sure what I really want to do with that yarn still.

Hoping to sew a few Christmas projects that I will keep secret. And making a secret present that includes painting and lots of glitter. Waiting for it to dry more before I hide it again. Anyway, not feeling like I am making much progress but my hands have been dry and cracking so I have been not doing quite as much knitting as I'd like. 

I was working on ornaments but made one and not sure I like it. I will invent some other kind of ornament with the pieces I cut if I have to. 

House news: Looks like we are going for it! And I am so excited to someday set up the craft room! I also hope to make some curtains and pillow covers. 

Excuse the iPad photo. Once we move I hope to have a better location to take photos/upload. 

Currently

Currently listening to: https://www.seamworkmag.com/radio So cool that Colette Patterns has a podcast. I am still secretly hoping to work for them one day, though I will have to learn to be a better sewer. I know I have great potential (haha), and a class or two might do me good!

I finished knitting the cabled brown hat, and I am just waiting for my husband to try it on and make sure it will fit him. I need to weave in the ends still, and take photos.

I also finished the little Stella sweater, I wove in the ends and just need to take photos.

Today working on this hat: http://www.purlbee.com/2014/01/23/lauras-loop-garter-ear-flap-hat/
It is in dark blue Noro Silk Garden Solo yarn. That yarn, and the brown yarn for the other hat, I believe are contributing to my right thumb getting quite rough and so I have been limiting my knitting somewhat. The blue Noro was an impulse 1 skein buy, and I like how it is knitting up for the hat, but I am not sure if I will have enough yarn when I am done that I will have wished I had made the next size up.

We placed an offer on a house, and will hopefully know soon if it is accepted. I have been researching the area a little and looking for yarn stores/groups. So far nothing in the immediate area but a few yarn stores about 15 mins away. The library looks like it may have a knitting group. It seems like a great way to meet women, and I guess it would just depend on the schedule, as I may be working.

I would love to host someday a some-what regular crafty get-together. (Every other month, 4 times a year?) I have had a few craft parties and they are always fun, even if not a lot of crafting gets done. It is mainly an excuse to hang out and talk. The cool thing about having a house some day is that there will be space to host parties.

I am trying to think ahead about knitting or sewing some gifts, with this house-buying we are trying to do, I need to get creative for Christmas presents. I might make a few mug cozies, and then see what else I can come up with. For now though, I think I need to take a knitting break so my thumb can heal a little. Besides this blue hat, which is currently for no one in particular, I think I will try to work exclusively on present ideas (even though I am dying to start a cowl for myself that I already have yarn for). Ha.

2015!

Well. It is 2015. Crazy.

I'm not the best at resolutions (and keeping them) but here goes... Not in any order:
- I got a Wii U Fit and have been doing a small amount of exercise (vs almost none before) and I want to keep it up. It also  has a pedometer which is fun to see how many steps I am taking!

- I would like to do more music. I would also like to be more active looking for new bands. (I used to spend a lot of time looking up obscure norwegian myspace bands etc.)

- I would like to read my Bible more.

- It may be less of a year of sewing because I am losing my sewing space, but I hope to make up for it by knitting more and possibly sewing smaller projects. I have a friend who wants to learn to sew better, and I look forward to helping. I did get some sewing tools/fabric $ and I do hope to keep up with it.

- Learn to cook better for my husbands food allergies. A recent success: Homemade Brown Rice Tortillas. We have been missing tortillas for so long.

- Maybe to learn to type better/faster. It would be helpful for my job and I have never taken typing classes and could be much better at it.

Okay six is probably too many. So I will stop there for now. And of course I would hope to blog more/take better photos/do updates that actually show the progression of projects.. but who knows if that will ever happen.

Here are a Few Christmas gifts: (photographed in our dark apartment...

 A Joy tea towel for my mom. Just look at alll that stitching!

  A Day of the Dead themed tea towel for Liz. Picture the sculls right side up.

 A cabbage patch themed ornament. I guess I probably failed to get photos of all of the awesome ornaments I did.

 Our Radio-Cat themed Xmas card that I silk screen printed (Hand-painted stencil)

1. 

 And I made a few bunnies. Super cute and not too hard to make. I made a cream one also, and am halfway through the 3rd one. I made them have four legs instead of two.

 I also hope at some point to upload photos from my digital camera and perhaps will unearth more project photos from the past.

Holiday Making

Every year I hope/try to make gifts for family and friends. For many years I have made a Christmas print, usually cat themed. (I of course have not yet figured out this years print.)
Some years I have more sucess. Often I have too many ideas and they do not all get finished. Here are some fingerless mitts for my friend. I also have a knitting project started, embroidery project started and some ornaments in the future. There are some people of course I will buy things for. But I do love making presents and also trying to be resourceful. Currently I am trying to use yarn and fabric I already have, only buying new stuff if I need something specific to finish something.

Speaking of using things up... I am losing my sewing studio space soon. Honestly the amount of hours I spent there is probably not a lot over the last year or so. Life has been busy and I prefer to do handwork at home if I can. But, it was an amazing floorspace. I finished 2 quilts in that space and did some other smaller projects and day dreamed about being better at sewing. I do need to sort through everything and see what I can pass on to people/use up. Also I do not know where my furniture will go.

There is change once again in the air and I just have to trust that things will turn out well. Mike's studio will either move soon or be put in storage for a while... we just have to be grateful for the time we had and be more creative/ save up for paying rent somewhere else.

Anyway, I have to get back to crafting or I will never finish!

PS: Here is a photo from our beach trip.

The New Year

Well... I have been meaning to post pictures of projects and keep everyone updated.
But, there will be no pictures just yet. Sorry.
Here's what I have been working on:

- I made a lot for Christmas (ornaments to sell, PJ pants for my sister (halfway done right now), I knitted 3 cowls, made felted pot holders with yarn from my stash, started this super cute Giraffe for my cousin's baby (which is now about halfway done), and I think I made more things, but I can't remember right now.

- In the last week or two, I have worked more on the Giraffe, also started a Shrug . It is pink and red and the yarn is a lot thinner than in the photo. I'm not sure quite yet if it will be the right size, but I hope it will be okay.

- I've also been working on a huge sewing project for many months, it's a gift, so I shouldn't really mention it yet, but tonight I worked on it for many hours and I feel like it is well on its way to being done.

- I mended a wool shirt for Mike, and I have another one that I need to put patches over the elbows which have holes.

- earlier this week I spent a morning dying fabric and some clothes I have, they turned out pretty well.

- My very exciting Christmas present from my family was an adjustable dress form. I'm soo excited!

I have really been having fun knitting this winter, I have a lot of projects yet to do. I'm really hoping for 2012 to not buy much in the way of yarn or fabric. I have fabric for a dress, I have a vintage skirt to alter, I have fabric for pajama pants for myself (with super cute cats on it!), I may have mentioned but I have black and white triangles to make a quilt top (I already have the back of the quilt done), I have a wool quilt top to patch and find a back for, I have enough denim to make a quilt or two, and I have rectangles cut for a shirt of my favorite high school T-shirts, but I will have to interface each piece.

I also have pre-cut pieces for rag rugs, and so much more fabric to use up! I'm also hoping to make another purse. I'm also hoping to find fabric to use with these awesome vintage bird embroidery patterns - I think for pillowcases or perhaps dishtowels. I also really want to knit this dishtowel. I think it's really cool and vintage. I am pretty obsessed with Ravelry.

Anyway, This year I really want to continue learning to make clothing for myself. I also want to work more on music, as I have been ignoring that part of my life for too long.

Ornaments again

 Polar Pup

 Owl

 Polar (my dad bought this one)

 Scraggly tree

 Star bright

Red bird

There is a lot I'm working on...but some are presents, so I can't tell you. anyway... I feel too busy to blog or read other people's blogs. I'm also hoping to work on music more soon. I just sold a CD to Canada, so that is exciting! And I sold 6 ornaments already at Knack in Multnomah Village Portland.

 New ornaments I took to Knack today! They are $8. I also can make custom ones if you are interested.

 This cat is fuzzy.

 Blue koala.

 Pink beaded one....ha.

 Fishies in the sea.

Hearts!

Holiday Ornaments!

 The first batch! Available at Knack in Multnomah Village.

 Still in progress.

 Shell side.

 Tummy side.

T'is the season for Upsidedown Cat to make Christmas ornaments. I had a lot of fun making them last year for family, friends, Knack customers, and a few other people.

This year I was invited to make them again for Knack. It is so fun, because each is different, and besides making animal ones, I am making more experimental ones this year. I'm not sure if all the experimental ones are working, but... we'll see if they sell. Yay! Also this year it is different, because I do have a job. The money is of course welcome, but there's less stress about making so many of them, etc. Anyway, Here are pictures, some finished, some still need work! If you're interested in a custom one, let me know! :)

Peach Pineapple Pie

I am in the middle of too many projects, as always. How do I get myself into this stuff?
Haha.

As Fall is here, I begin to think about Christmas gifts to make, and new gloves to knit for myself, etc, etc.
I have been trying to finish projects before I start new ones, but... It's been hard.
I am making headway on the gray blanket, but it is a big blanket. I'm not sure if I will have enough yarn to get it to the size I want. 
I have been ignoring the Green Socks. Slowly working on a secret sewing project. I'm really excited about it, but I can't show pictures for a few months till I give it to someone.

My newest project is making Christmas ornaments to sell. Last year I made several and sold them in a local shop. I cut out some circle shapes a few nights ago, and now comes the hard part, sewing the animals, and making them cute! It's really fun to make them, but I feel like I'm starting late... I'll let you know if they are available soon!

I'm also still hoping to make a quilt or two this winter, finish some clothes sewing projects, and... I haven't figured out everyone's presents yet, but I'm hoping to hand make a lot of them.
So... We'll see what happens, and I will try to post pictures of finished projects, etc.