New job

Where have I been you ask.....Well I got a new job as a seamstress WOO HOO!! I still have to stay at GE for the benefits but damn if I'm not happy. I started wed & I LOVE it. It's a great company & I really love the women I work with. I hope it just keeps getting better and better. The company just started but they are growing by leaps & bounds. I also splurged & bought a 80GB ipod. I've wanted one for forever. I'm really not in a blogging mood lately & I'm dead tired but thought I would give an update on my life.

Yard sale season

Oh how I love spring & yard sales. Yes I'm a thrift store & yard sale junkie. What can I say, I really hate seeing things end up in a landfill. I found a post on craigslist wed for a sale that had a bunch of craft supplies. So thurs before chuckles had to go to work we stopped by. It was only 5-10mins from the house. I actually got up early, duh shopping. Anyways they were selling crochet magazines for .10 each. I got 15 enough for myself, my future swap partner & chuckle's mom. They are from the early 90's so some of the sweaters are more humorous than useful but some of the doilies have some great stitches. I've already finished one I'm probably going to give it to my mom for mothers day. I also got a shoebox full of thread spools for $5. My new schedule starts next week so hopefully we will be able to hit more sales since we both have fridays off now. I'm hoping to score some cool vintage jewelry, my bead collection is seriously lacking lately.

A year in review sewing

Nintendo controller pillow for an x-mas gift. Machine & hand sewn.


Eyeball pincushion. Hand sewn, the eyelid came out bigger than expected but it was my first try. The bottom has a pop bottle cap inside.

Wood grain wallet. Machine sewed. I didn't want to sell it, I liked it so much.

Zombie swap package. The doll was from the dollar store. She has brains coming out of her head & a large gash on her thigh. Hand sewn. The wallet was sewn wonky to resemble human skin.

DPN knitting needle cases. Machine sewed. Ziplock bags to separate needles stitched into center of pouch.

Headbands, machine stitched. The center picture is the second side fabric for both of the 2 headbands.

I thought I would post some of the sewn items I have made within the last year I may or may not have listed on etsy or here. I think I just like posting pics. It always makes a blog more enjoyable. I also just finished a rockin new dress. I've already worn it once. I'm going to see how it holds up after washing before posting pics.

Banksy knitting art

I thought my fellow crafty chicks would get a kick out of this. I love graffiti especially when they make a political statement.

Dread headwrap

I just finished a new headwrap. It's made so you can adjust the fit to how you like to wear them exactly. Made from 100% recycled cotton. I also pulled out my other head model from cosmetology school. I had to give her some cornrows because her hair was out of control. Which lead to the headwrap idea. This was pretty easy to make. If it sells I may make some more. I have quite a few colors of recycled cotton. I really wish my sales would pick up on etsy. We really need the extra money I was pulling in from it. Even if it was a small amount it did pay a couple bills.

I would love to get another job, my current one seems to be sucking the life out of me. I've applied with the county a million times but the only one that showed any interest was for call center work. I can't do that again, especially with Job & family services. It's hard enough to give negative answers to the people I work with now, I couldn't do it if it was something like denying a mom food stamps.

Hand job

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extra wide headbands

These are 2 of the headbands I have been working on lately. Both are from recycled yarn. The brown is cotton with chenille swirls & the grey is wool. I really like them. If my hair was a long enough to put into a ponytail I would wear one. I'll probably be listing these on etsy within the next couple days.

I also finished up this adorable baby top. How cute did this come out. I found these t-shirts really cheap & bought the only 2 they had. The monkey head is made of felt & I came up with the pattern based on the ones already printed on the shirt. I only have it in an 18-24mos so not sure how many people will need that size. My thinking was if they are buying for a baby they can always buy a bigger size & they can grow into it

new wallets

Ok here is my first wallet from the fabric samples I mentioned in my last post. Please do not take this as my best sewing. I did these around 3am fast & dirty just because I wanted to play. I used one of the uglier samples to practice on & the interior fabric came in one of the bags, it matches perfectly. I like it so much it's now my everyday wallet. It has a secret hidden pocket. When I open my wallet there is a little upside down pocket in the front that allows me to keep things hidden. The idea came from some stash wallets I say at a head shop in Yellow Springs. At the time I was like wow that is a cool idea but what would I use it for. Mine is a larger version. I can hide a good chunk of my credit cards & if I am on the way to the bank I can stash large amounts of cash. I'm kinda paranoid about people scoping out my wallet when I go to pay for things at a store then mugging me after. So what you see in it is my checkbook, register, around 12 bills, my new card carrier & some change.

The little card carrier is also from fabric samples. These were attached in threes to a larger coordinating sample. I didn't get as many of these, I'm going to be spreading them out more by using the samples on the outside & regular fabric for the lining since you really can't see it that well. The lighter one is for myself & the darker was for chuckles. The sides were already surged like that, I didn't do the wonky sewing. They are leather so I didn't want to rip out the surging because it would have left little holes. I don't think it is too noticeable in person.

Thrift store SCORE!!

I totally love when I find great things at the thrift store. I went to 3 today looking for crochet pattern books & accessories for the hookers only swap I joined. I only found 1 pattern book, but man did I score in the fabric department. One of the stores I went to was selling fabric bags for $2.99, think tall kitchen bag size. I noticed a bunch of upholstery remnants in 2 of them so I bought them. OMG I got a shit load of Todd Oldham fabric samples. They are the ones they usually use for samples at furniture stores. Most are fairly large like 12in x 12in. I'm thinking of making some cute little wristlets & checkbook covers. I may even list the extras on etsy. I am so tickled pink. Then I got a bunch of funky vintage napkins. I've started buying up 70's napkins in browns & oranges, preferably with butterflies. I'm planning on stitching them all together for a funky little patchwork hippy dress. They are all surged already on the edges so I won't have to do that.



I just finished a green paisley long hippy dress that I am uber happy with. I wore it all day & LOVE it. It's made with a poly stretch fabric on the outside & a light cotton lining. Both fabrics are see thru alone. I wanted something for the festivals we go to. I needed something light for the days but I wanted it to be long so if we stayed for the fireworks my legs wouldn't be munched on by mosquitoes.



I also finished a couple wide cotton headbands I'm planning on listing soon. Very easy pattern but they came out really cute. I got some shell place mats from the thrift store a couple weeks ago. They were filthy. I washed them with a brush before taking them apart, but they were still greasy feeling. After getting all the beads apart I soaked them in a mixture of dish detergent & Oxi-clean. They finally came clean, I'm using them in a bunch of projects now. The holes in them are drilled like regular shirt buttons which is really cool. I kinda want to list some on etsy since I have a bunch but then again I don't want to give them up, I want to use them on everything

White trash garlic bread

Super easy garlic bread recipe. It's YUMMY.

Hot dog buns-honey is better
butter
garlic salt
shredded mozzarella

Open the hot dog bun. Spread butter on both sides. Sprinkle on garlic salt then shredded cheese. Bake at 250 for about 15mins or until the cheese is melted.

Big bottom square bag

I finished up the last little touches of my new purse pattern. I'm really happy with how it turned out. The bag can be made with less than 1 skein of the bottom color & less than 3/4 of a skein of the top color.

Working with a worsted weight yarn:

12in wide at the bottom

8.5in wide at the top

10in tall

4.5in wide handle hole

This pattern can be worked with a thicker or thinner yarn for a smaller or larger bag. The stitch is very dense & you do not need to line it if you do not wish to.

You will need to know how to do the following for this pattern:

chain

working down both sides of a chain

slip stitch

single crochet

double crochet

change colors (optional)

working in the round

join a new yarn

This pattern is a 1 page .pdf file. The email will be sent to you within 24 hours of purchase. I will send to the email address listed on your paypal account unless another is stated in the note to seller section of your transaction.

Conditions of use:

you are able to sell the completed items everywhere EXCEPT online

please do not copy and distribute this pattern including via email

please do not resell

please do not try to say that this is your original pattern it is copy written

please do not post it in public forums or places like blogs

All pattern sales are final.

Thank you for looking.

$4 USD

new bag pattern on the way

I've got a new pattern in the works for a big bottom square bag. I've been working on it over the last couple days off & on while watching tv. It's really cute. I hope to take some pics & have it up within the next couple days.

Nothing major to report. We watched the remake of Day of the Dead tonight. I was pleasantly surprised. Not a classic, but not to bad. Granted the whole super zombies crawling across ceilings thing was a touch much but I would recommend it for the zombie fans out there. Oh & there was a cute little vegetarian zombie in it....who can resist that

Boobies!!!!!

Ok the title is kinda childish but I'm feeling silly today. I just finished a new item for the shop. A breast shaped pincushion. How funny is this thing. I thought it might go over well since my boobie pillows are such a big hit when I give them as gifts. They are pretty quick to make. The body is knitted & the nipple is crochet. I'm hoping to list more skin tones if they sell.

I've also been experimenting with different animals made from silk ties, like my owls. I came up with this cute little penguin. I totally love him & don't really want to give him up but I know I never wear pins. I also made a cute little bird but I haven't finished attaching the pin so he isn't finished yet. I'm thinking of trying a peacock shape. I was telling a guy I work with about the different pins I am making & he was like do you want some more ties I have a bunch at home I don't wear anymore. I was like hell yeah bring them in I would love them. So hopefully tomorrow when I go into work I will have some ties waiting for me on my desk. I totally love getting craft supplies from people who were going to throw them out.

hooty hoot

Owls owls everywhere I see owls. So I just finished a custom order for 8 of my silk tie owls. They are going to have a new home being resold at a local shop in KS by a fellow etsyian. It took me longer than expected to finish them due to the flue bug but I'm pretty happy with the variety.

I've also been obsessed with making scrap yarn hats in various colors. This is the only one I have pics of so far but I just finished a brown one & a green one. They are made on a knifty knitter so it comes out really loose & stretchy. The brim is crocheted.

sorry

I'm sorry to everyone who reads my blog. Although there may not even be that many of you out there. Chuckles & I were struck by the flu bug for about a week. Since I have left my parents house & haven't been forced to get flue shots I really only get minor colds once in a while but this one really kicked my ass. I had this whole inner ear thing going w/o any ear/nose congestion which made me extremely dizzy. It was so weird, we both were coughing like we were 50yr old smokers but we had no lung congestion. I was even taking a shower on one of my worst days & closed my eyes, when I opened them back up I couldn't see. It freaked me out. So the last couple days I have been crafting up a storm when I have down time. It's so weird to not have energy to even sit up. I got a request from a customer on etsy for 8 of my owl pins, she wants to sell them in her local shop. How cool is that....... I will hopefully be done with them within the next day. I have also listed some mini skein yarn samples in my shop. I thought it was a great way to de-stash some of the yummy yarn I don't really have a bunch of & to make a little $ to help with bills. I have also been making scrap yarn hats in specific color, like all browns or all blues. They are coming out really cute & I'm hoping to have them listed within the next couple days.



In weight loss news my flu actually did some good because I lost about 3-4lbs while I was sick which means I am under the 260 mark. I haven't been under 260 in longer than I can remember. I think that must be my cap "natural" weight.



Right before I was sick last week I had to go to urgent care because I was having this horrible pain in my lower back that was making it hard to move. I am really suseptible to UTI's & have even had kidney infections so when I get back pain that is really really bad I go get it checked out. turns out I was having muscle spazms. Totally not fun BUT he gave me an anti-inflamitory & it was killer for my jacked up arm. I was like wow I love these little pills. I also got some muscle relaxers. Which to me wern't really a big deal. They made the pain stop enough so I could sleep & boy did they knock me out fast. I really don't get how people can become perscription drug addicts, I mean how fun is it to just pass out. If you are going to do something that is like a drug wouldn't the purpose be to get a buzz or something off of it. Just passing out & drooling on yourself doesn't really strike me as a good time. But then again I'm not an addict so I don't get most of those things.

How to recycle a sweater for the yarn

So a few people have asked how to do this. This is a great tutorial with step by step instructions. After you recycle a couple sweaters you will get the basic idea. FYI invest in a yarn ball winder if you plan on doing this more than twice it is well worth it.

http://neauveau.com/recycledyarn.html

valentines day

yeah ok so we are the biggest lamers of all time. We didn't do anything for valentines day. I got the boi a cute little zombie valentines card from here http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=7260004 If you know us then you know how appropriate it was. And I'm ordering a cute little ninja shirt from etsy. That was it. We were both like ehhh I don't want to go out it's too cold. Yes I know lame, but hey we love each other that's what the holiday is about not overpriced roses that will die in a couple days. We went to walmart & I was like just buy me a book I don't really need/want anything. We do our dinner & movie date night every week so a strict holiday doesn't really mean much to me.

My etsy shop has been rockin, I sold 6 items in the last 3 days.

I have a couple people testing new patterns for me so I may have a few new ones to list in my shop pretty soon. I have one for the market bag & the one I had for the yarn ball holder I'm thinking of listing.

I'm totally peeved I missed the first new episode of Jericho. I was saying all week set it up on your tivo you know you will forget. And what do I do, miss the first 15mins. ARGHH so I'll have to find it online. I made myself not watch it so I can know what's going on.

I didn't post about this before but I thought a few would be interested. I have been getting (ok maybe trying to get) really eco-friendly lately. Chuckles was laying on the couch one night while we were watching a movie & said wow I feel a lot of air coming thru this window. Our house is 110yrs old, but they did put in storm windows. I was like hmmmm lets see. I had some old tab top drapes from an old apt I lived in that had huge windows I was keeping for who knows why. I hung them up. They match ok & one panel is short so I put it over by where the cat like to look out. Then I was thinking about the back porch. we keep the door closed because it isn't heated, the windows out there aren't sealed so it just sucks the heat out of the house. I had put down my old rugs over the wood floor because it basically sits right on the foundation. Then I unhooked the dryer vent from going outside. I put a knee high pantyhose over the vent tube. We all have tried this at one time living in an apt. Anyways we keep the back door open when they dryer is on to keep the moisture on the porch down. Our heat bill has went down by $30 last month & the static electricity is gone with all that moisture. I'll post about it next month to see if the bill stays down or if it was a fluke.

waves wrist warmer pattern

You will need to know how to do the following for this pattern:

chain

slip stitch

half double crochet

work in the back or front of a stitch

change colors (optional)

seam up two pieces

join a new yarn

This pattern is a 1 page .pdf file. The email will be sent to you within 24 hours of purchase. I will send to the email address listed on your paypal account unless another is stated in the note to seller section of your transaction.The pattern includes instructions for the 2 different sizes shown, long and short. It includes instructions if you would like to make it in 2 colors, as well as 2 sizes. This is for an adult size wrist warmer.c

Conditions of use:

you are able to sell the completed items everywhere EXCEPT online

please do not copy and distribute this pattern including via email

please do not resell

please do not try to say that this is your original pattern it is copy written

please do not post it in public forums or places like blogs

If you have an questions feel free to ask.

All pattern sales are final.

$3.50 USD

bottom up shawl w/o point pattern

I really really love shawls/wraps, but I have a big problem with the triangle shaped ones. I love them because they are bottom up so you can make them as big as you want, but for someone like me who is almost 6ft tall by the time the shawl is wide enough for my arms it's point is dragging the floor. So I decided to come up with a shawl w/o a point. It makes a great cowl style scarf also.

yarn & hook size doesnt matter. This is a simple stitch so it is great for a busy yarn.
The picture shown is with a worsted weight recycled boucle & a K hook
Depending on if you want a shawl size or a scarf determines your base number. The below pattern is for a shawl size. Do more chains for a scarf size.
Beginning chain is multiples of 4 + 3

Round 1: ch 31, dc in 4th ch from hook, 1 dc in next 2 st, *ch1, skip next ch, 1 dc in next 3 stitches* repeat across, end with ch1 & 1 tr in last stitch
Round 2: ch4 (counts as dc ch1), turn, 3 dc in same ch1 space, ch1,* 3dc in next ch1 space, ch1* across to last space, tc in last space with last 3dcs
Repeat round 2 till desired length.

Some movie reviews

Work is extremely slow tonight WOOO HOO so I thought I would give some reviews for the movies we saw within the last 2 weeks. I have spoilers so don't read if you don't like that.

Cloverfield
Ok so the big huge monster nobody has seen for millions of years because it lives so far down in the ocean, but miraculously it can breathe air & now feels the need to come ashore. For what? food? uhhh hello how many fish are in the sea to snack on. And his little parasites can breathe air also...Plus all fo them can see in light. Fish that live that far under water are like nocturnal animals their eyes have adapted to the dark. Ok so maybe it's an alien....umm ok where is the HUMONGOUS ship it would have had to take. Ok so I got past the unlikely monster because if I sat there & thought about it I would have a headache. The human characters were great. It had a very 9/11 apocalypse feel to it which I really dig. I think they should have done something like this with zombies. I liked it but I love those neighbor against neighbor end of the world fighting for your life movies. I would wait for video or cheap seat & if you see it in the theatre sit in the back so you wont get motion sickness.

The Eye
Ok totally not scary...ok well the creepy no-face floating guy in the elevator gave me the heebie geebies but otherwise I kept thinking ok what the hell is going on. I like Jessica Alba ever since she did Dark Angel & this was better than the Fan4 but it was kinda cheesie. She did play a good blind girl thought very convincing. Don't go expecting to be scared. I say wait for the video.