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! 

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. 

Bears

Bruhn blockprint. Making postcards as an awesome addition to the cd. Some people prepaid extra so they get some extra demos and 4 postcards. This is one of them, the only one that is being hand printed. 

Level 1. I listened to the audio book of the king's speech while printing! 

Next Level! I think they turned out well and i am going to trim them to postcard size today. Only downfall.. Not too waterproof. 

My first attempt at a tissue holder from the book One-Yard Wonders. It is part of a travel set including a bag tag and passport cover. With allergies etc i generally carry tissues with me but find them unused yet crumpled etc in my purse. The bias tape  was a little tricky. There must be a better way to get the corners straight! Practice will help. I plan to make a few to give away. It uses 7.25x6.25in fabric so useful for stash busting!

Ducks!

I finally made our bathroom curtains! Ducks! 

I was trying to line up stripes but with the fraying and trying to get the right length for the window I didn't really have enough. 

So happy they are done! 

80 degrees in April?

Busy times lately. I have been knitting some socks (got past the heel- a regular heel flap & turn) and the purple shawl but not a whole lot else. 

Yesterday got inspired while cleaning the craft room. I have been thinking a lot about earring holders. I have made 2 attempts of holders in the past. One of them i used window screen. This one has larger holes which helps solve the problem becasuse i use earring backs on my earrings. They can easy slip in and out without having to take the backs off. Yay!

Another thing I need to work on is postcards for the bruhn album. Bruhn.bandcamp.com They did a preorder thing online and one of the extra options was to get aome bruhn postcards. We have 2 bear ideas from the past and i am designing two more. 

This guy is spposed to be a chainsaw carved bear. Hopefully that will come through by the time i am finished with the design. I may embroider it? Not sure yet. 

Other things: hosting my first craft party (first at our new house) this weekend! Yay. I have a great longing to craft with people as i think about crafts almost 24/7 when not thinking about other stuff like work etc. I have been doing a little research trying to see if i should take a sewing class or join a knitting group. There are some things by our house but a lot are when i am at work or when i would be commuting home. So. I'll just start with a craft party and i do have craftsy classes i could work on or finish a skirt i have already cut and just need to sew. 

While cleaning the craft room I found so many clothes I want to alter. Dresses to cut into skirts, etc. A goal I have had for a long time is to make more of my own clothes. Fast fashion is just a bad idea. I'd like to make more of my own clothes and/or buy vintage or used clothes again. I used to be much more deliberate about that. So I am hoping to reevaluate my wardrobe and also see what I can alter that I already have. I have never been a part of Me Made May or Self Stitched September but I think it is a cool challenge to try to see what you've made and what else you could make before the next time you participate. I recently tried on some dresses that I made in collage to see what still fits.  I may need to alter some of those too. I really haven't sewn many clothes for about two years since I didn't have space but it is my hope and goal to start thinking about that more. That's all for now!

PS: having fun doing the little bit of gardening i have done. Pulling weeds. Mowed the lawn! (Mike has done several times already) planted Sweet Pea seeds, planted a Heather plant. Trying to see if my succulants i seperated will take root and grow! 

Dark to light

3/21/16

Working on a project...

I am learning how much exactness I need to make things line up right... Carefully trimming things before I sew. It is slow going but rewarding when I get a good corner! 

I have collected and saved (and cut out) black & whites for several years hoping to make a quilt from the book Worth Doing Twice, where women reworked old quilt tops. That pattern basically relied on having 4 values. I got so tired laying it out because the colors were so relative. Put a dark gray here and now the light gray doesnt pop as much as it did before.. Etc. 

Lately I thought a chevron pattern might be more the way to go. http://dustyandmarlina.com/rainbow-chevron-quilt/ there's an example of the style. 

A few months ago when I found out that my brother in law was marrying his awesome girlfriend, I realized these quilt triangles were perfect! To personalize them a little more I embroidered some, created a hand printed fabric about their dog, Chili. Got some chili pepper and St Patricks Day fabric. I got a fabric pen and drew a duck square and a killer whale square. 

More pictures later. I am saving this as a draft and will share this after the wedding!   I do not yet have a backing fabric. It is very true I doubt the whole project will be done before the wedding, but I must try! It was delayed enough by us moving to our new house etc. 

catching up on podcasts while i work! 

3/29

Sewing the last of the quilt top this morning. I bought backing fabric,  batting, binding and thread last night. Hoping to get as far as I can today. I am now wondering if it is still small for a twin size. Sigh! 

Final product! I did go with a border! Bias tape for the binding. 

Here is the back. I bought just enough so had to expand with the gray fabric. 

Close up! So fun! 

They have now received their gift so now I can share photos!

Knitting Project Bag

I made a knitting bag today! I really only have one sewn project bag that my mom made for me. It is pretty small. Good for socks etc. i have been working on my vortex cowl which means 2 balls of yarn. I have been keeping it in a paper bag which keeps ripping as you might imagine. So i made this free pattern by very shannon. www.veryshannon.com/blog/2013/04/free-tutorial-reversible-sock-knitting.html

Here is the lining. I like that you can use scraps. I also added a pocket which may not be super functional, but oh well.

I'm so happy it turned out so well! The outer fabric is a batik I got at fabric depot. I cant wait to make more and already have some fabric cut for the next one but I do not have any interfacing and im not sure how floppy it would be.  I bought yarn today for two upcoming sock projects. I will need lots of project bags! 

Hopefully tomorrow I will get some curtains finished for our house. 

Curtains!!

Howdy, I have not posted about christmas gifts I made... Maybe someday I will get to that. 

I have a new-to-me phone! So better picture taking is in my future! Hopefully this will help my blog look better and i may even post a little more frequently. We'll see!

This is just a quick post about curtains I am making for our new house. 

Check out these ducks. We plan to put these in the master bathroom. Found this at JoAnns.

A sweet pattern to go in our teal & cream room. (Two of the bedrooms have molding halfway up the wall). From Fabric Depot.

This is a small print to go in the Lincoln Lattice Green room (green on the bottom, a light gray is on the upper wall of that room.) From Fabric Depot.

I am ironing and hopefully starting to sew today. This morning we went shopping for bedroom curtain fabric but only brought home a few samples: 

Our bedroom walls are a light green.

A note about curtain rods- a lot are ugly or spendy. I got these small ones on sale at Jo Ann fabrics and we got some basic white ones from Ikea. We hope to do double rod -sheers & regular curtains on our two larger windows. 

Okay. Time to get sewing!

PS: Living room curtains??? Hard decisions to make!

Clothespins

A very quick project I made this afternoon. It is spring and currently sunny and 63 degrees. I decided to put some sheets and things out on the line. Last summer I managed to get some of my clothes pins mildewy by leaving them outside. Oops. So I bought some bamboo ones and kept the ones that were best from last year. I hope to keep good habits and always bring them inside. Here is the tutorial I used though I modified the size just by a few inches. And I basted the top over the hanger rather than making button holes. I know I will probably be washing it and so I sewed it in big stitches in a contrast color. tutorial

Clothes on the line. The sun has passed but I assume everything will dry fully over the next few hours. 

It is so satisfying doing a very quick project, especially for something I needed.

Just a note, my grandma gave me the clothes line "tree". And I believe she told me it was my great grandmas. In the summer I probably dry 3/4 of our clothes outside. My work clothes I usually dry in the dryer.