Another selfish sew! Look at that face! That’s someone who was super excited about some more new clothes.
I found this snake fabric on Etsy a month ago and loved it. Only in hindsight I’m sure it’s kids fabric but still I love the colors and and how the design was. I love the weight of the jersey fabric too – generally jersey is pretty see-thru but this was so thick and not see-thru. Since it was sturdy material I didn’t even use my serger as there was no tension issue.
This was less than an hour project as I almost got thru 1 hour of the Roosevelt’s Doc from PBS. I love that documentary – I’ve seen it probably 4 times all together. I think I love it because it so radically changed my perspective on so much about that family. I especially love watching it now since our political climate has changed so severely.
I used this Pattern from McCall’s:
Specs on Time/Cost
Total Time: < 1 hour
Total Cost: $1.99 Pattern + $24 for 2 yards of jersey fabric on Etsy
Have you ever bought the wrong sized pattern? I did here lol whoops! But i just shorted the smallest size by 2inches and aimed for 10-12. I didn’t want this one to be skin tight since I wanted to wear it to work, so I think it worked out perfectly.
Pattern was super easy.
I’ll be making the V-neck and the long sleeves for sure.
This time my cousins Oli and Matt are expecting their first – a baby boy named Mateo! I just love that name. I can’t wait for him to be here. 🙂
Typically, I stick with pretty traditional quilting. Civil War quilts are my favorite, followed closely by The Farmer’s Wife (1930s). But, I just couldn’t see myself giving Matt and Oli’s son a traditional quilt. I decided to go for something bold, modern, and way out of my comfort zone. Pretty much the entire time I made this quilt I asked two questions 1) is there something with more contrast? 2) is there something bolder? I think I finally got the questions answered with ‘no’.
Again, I didn’t use a pattern and I just used jelly rolls. It will be the last time I use jelly rolls though. They just aren’t consistent! Im pretty sure it’s the one time that a human is more consistent than a machine – plus they cut them between 2 3/4 inch and 3in and it just makes no sense. trying to match them up with anything is a nightmare. If you look close you can see I used a lot of optical illusions on this quilt to adjust or the non-standard jelly roll strips. *shakes fist* never again jelly rolls! But I’m super happy with this quilt. It’s modern, fun, and super bold. It’s perfect.
Over a week ago I got to attend my friend Juanita’s baby shower for her upcoming daughter! It was such a beautiful baby shower – the food, location and decorations were perfect! Not to mention I got to see so many people I haven’t seen in probably 5 years!
I decided to make a second version of a quilt I made my niece last summer, because I just love the pattern. This time I didn’t measure a thing – which was really dumb. But it worked out! I also used jelly rolls – thinking it would speed up my time. The thing about jelly rolls is, they don’t save time because they aren’t identical. If I had cut these strips I would have been done a day sooner, I actually had to spend an hour at least readjusting the seams in the center once I got it all pieced. Jelly rolls just aren’t predictable. The time I saved not cutting I more than spend double in the end dealing with. Long story short, I used jelly rolls on another quilt after…. more to come on that.
But!
The quilt came out super adorable – I love it!
Goes to show the things that give you the most grief are always the best.
I have a fever and the only prescription is more quilting!
Okay corny jokes aside – I finally made the leap into quilting this month and it may or may not be why I haven’t been updating my blog. (Sorry I’m not sorry!)
I first made two no-piecing quilts and then I dove right in to something that was actually made with squares. I am having a blast. I can’t believe how much fun it was.
it’s always nice to see the things you make being usedtable runner for lois!
Yay! It’s time for Yarn Along the Rockies here in Colorado. Yarn Along the Rockies is a yarn crawl that takes place all over the front range here from Boulder down to Colorado Springs. There are a total of 23 shops on the map and at each shop there is a special pattern to celebrate! At each stop you also get a ‘passport’ stamped which shows where you have been. At every 6 shops (and the final 23rd shop) you receive a really cool stitch marker. It’s a great way to see some shops you normally would not go to, as well as connect with lots of knitters from all over the front range.
the map.
Lois, my Aunt Lori, and I hit the road on opening day and hit 13 out the 23 shops on the yarn crawl. The highlights for me were a wonderful shop in Boulder called Shuttles, Spindles, and Skeins and also LambShoppe and Fabric Bliss (which had some embroidery thangs as well as a lot of fabric).
Here we are in the HUGE Shuttles, Spindles, and Skeins. I really loved that shop because they had such a variety of yarns – every price range Patons to local artisan blah blah blah. Plus, the women working there were just so nice and took the time to chat with us and help us even though it was extremely busy.
Here is a silly little cat face from Mew Mew’s Yarn Shop in Lafayette. That shop has some really interesting yarn art.
Here we are outside of Tea for Ewe in the Tennyson neighborhood (which used to be total dump so I’m still shocked it’s like hipsters in paradise up there now).
It was a fun day! We bought some awesome yarns. I have to say I was really stunned at how much the yarn and knitting/croche/fiber arts scene has grown in Colorado. It makes me happy to see so many people joining such a fun community. However, I’m also pretty much over the whole ‘custom/hand dyed/hand held/kissed/bathed with’ whatever the hell people are doing to justify $30-$50 for a skein of yarn. Here’s my point of view… So you spend let’s say ~$100+ on any kind of garment – worse is when you spend ~$50 on a goddamn cowl! Then okay so if you keep your knitted item you live in fear of wearing it, washing it, or even looking at it because 1. you just spent a month making this damn thing, 2. it’s made of $100+ yarn that could be ruined with any daring coffee sip, and 3. let’s face it you can really only wear most of these things for a select time of the year. Wow! that sounded like a major hater here, but I’m over it. I know buying big brands like Lion Brand, Red Heart, Patons and even the queen of gameshows Vanna White’s brands might not be the ‘snob-tastic’ way to knit/crochet – but goddamnit it’s the only way you can actually partake in this expensive ass hobby/lifestyle and not have credit card debt or eat the cat food you buy for your cats to save money.
I don’t know I’m just over spending ~$80 on average for supplies for usually an accessory when most often the person you are making this gift for does not even know how to take care of the item. (I will reference when someone machine washes something totally ignoring the tag – or when the hand made item is wadded up in the bottom of the closet – GEE I’M SO GLAD I SPENT 40 HOURS MAKING THAT FOR YOU!!)
Okay rant over, here is my perspective. I am very happy that so many people are interested in my same hobbies – it makes for a much more rich and interesting community to try things out it, look at other people’s successes, and generally have a wonderful selection to begin in terms of yarns, patterns, and tools. HOWEVER, I do not support the knitting snobs – not at all. I was so lucky in Chicago to find a group of crafters that were in love with crafting and not the labels. Those women inspired me more than any posh knitting store yarn circle would. And I guess I’m just at a point where I LOVE the hobby and I don’t need to quantify my skill, my love, or my productivity with how much money I spent on fiber.
Also, I think we can all agree that we knit/crochet/sew because we enjoy it. I hope that as this community hopefully grows even larger we can all share that love of the hobby itself instead of trying to one up each other in terms of labels.
We will finish our crawl on Friday and I am very excited to see the remaining 10 shops as well as have a chance to enter into the grand prize drawing (hey, I didn’t say I am opposed to specialty yarns – I’m just over the yarn snob stigma).
Anyways, I hope this comes across as me being an advocate for everyone who enjoys fiber hobbies – I realize a huge part of this is also hand making the supplies that is wonderful also, but I am really tired of the stigma and the ‘prejudice’ that revolves around ‘artisan fiber’.
With fall here and the holidays right around the corner, let me make your custom items/gifts! Pretty much anything you see knit/sewn/crochet I can make for you! My pricing is very affordable and I work hard to get you exactly what you dreamed!
I have done custom embroidery orders, scarf/cowl, baby bibs, kleenex coozies, crochet people/objects, dresses, skirts, blouses! Don’t forget about the pets either – I can make any costume idea or fun accessory for them too!
ghostfaceknitter one of khalessi’s dragons
carnival set of towelsembroidered tea-towel for my Grandma’s birthday.Baby B likes his sweater.Amy Bulter Pillow well received.new pj shorts for the STAKBE club.
It’s no surprise that I LOVE my bike. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m in a relationship with my bike. I commute to work everyday on it, choose to ride long distances because it’s just so fun, and prefer to take a ride on my bike rather than use the car. From Memorial Day to Labor Day I managed to hit 1000 miles, despite one nasty crash (sprained the membrane between my ulna and radius), a car wreck, and three flats. Here are some funny/nice/awesome moments of my first summer cycling in Chicago.
BICYCLE RIIIIIIIGHTS.
Me and Yoshi right after reaching 1000 miles on 8/29/2014.
That time I wore this white Nike top and there was a surprise downpour on the way home….. AWKWARD.
Giant Bike Packs. Gotta be prepared I guess.
One Year exactly. 8.26.2013 vs 8.26.2014. HUZZAH.
On the ride air pumps. This was the first of 3 flats I encountered – all within the same week too!
Gorgeous view from my long University of Chicago Campus rides – total distance that day 35 miles.
Work is nice enough to have an indoor bike rack. Yoshi never has to brave the elements without me.
The aftermath of Yoshi vs. Car. Twisted handlebars… thank goodness no other damage was done.
Sorry for my butt… about a week after my first crash. It took two months for that bruise to totally disappear.
On the road with Yoshi and Leopold. If only that squirrelly little pug would sit in a basket… sigh.
Happy Monday. I hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine was very nice aside from my normal GMAT angst. I’m sadly just not doing well in the practice exams anymore. I excel and make huge progress in the practice questions every night when I study for 2-3 hours, but not on the exams I take Saturday. I think, and I know it may sound like I’m ‘opting-out’, but that I may just stop taking the full length practice exams now that there is 1 month till my test. They do not help me confidence wise nor do they help me focus on my ‘weaknesses’ I seem to do poorly/strongly in a new subject each week – making it so nothing is consistent. I’m gonna try for this approach since my 8 weeks of weekly CAT exams have not seemed to help me. I realize that I am rushing, because once I ‘get it over with’ I can actually enjoy my weekend. Honestly, it’s going to come down to that day of the test. All I can do is keep practicing out of my OG book 2-3 hours a day and pray to God and to all the underdog stories of all time that I will pull a decent score out of my ass on May 31. But, worst case scenario I take a formal course with Manhattan in the late summer.
le sigh. Aside from that I had a really nice reflective weekend. I have to marvel at how much I have grown in the past 9+ months mentally and physically. I am able to do things and experience emotions I would have never thought I would work through and make work for me. Mentally, I concurred my anxiety and overcame the insecurities that plagued me for most of my adult life. I am able to accept my faults and to gain strength from my successes. I’ve kicked the negativity to the curb along with all the people that facilitate negative thoughts and actions for me. Living a life without being brought down by others is marvelous. I have never been so free in losing myself in what I love. I finally have found what true security and self-love means.
Plus, I am so lucky to have a strong support group, that only wants to support me and see me succeed. Likewise, I have found immense happiness in inspiring others and trying to infuse a positive support system from myself to anyone I talk to. That doesn’t mean I still don’t have emo or bad days, but I sure as hell snap out of them more quickly and find myself engaging in more meaningful ways of coping with ‘the blues.’ I do have a hard time with expectations, but honestly my core group of friends and family always exceed any expectations that I would have. I’m truly blessed to have people that genuinely care for me and want to see me succeed and be happy. On the physical side of things, I have never been more strong and motivated. I can run like the wind! Well an 8-10 mile an hour breeze, but still that’s GREAT! I also have achieved my handstand goals and now can do unassisted handstands for 30seconds – 1 minute. I’m working on movement poses, but with a curious unnamed kitten – being upside down and trying to switch pose positions is quite difficult. I have to say I really enjoy knowing that I am strong from the inside – humble confidence radiates out of me these days.
I also made this ADORABLE geisha girl from Benartex Panel Prints. I got mine here and it actually took about 2-3 days to receive her! I had a blast putting her together at my friend’s house (duel sewing machines!) and then hand stitching at home (which I still need A LOT of work on).
Last weekend I decided to plant some kitchen herbs and I was so excited to see that 3/4 have already germinated! I’ll have Basil (pictured), Oregano (still waiting on it to germinate), Cilantro, and Rosemary in a few weeks! I also bought an organic Mint plant from Wal-Mart on Saturday and made virgin-zero calorie-full fun juleps/mockjitos with some lemon-lime soda water and stevia. 🙂
I attempted to ‘sun-proof’ and thus heat-proof my living room this weekend also. I used some of those emergency thermal blankets, as I read a HOW TO HERE. Boris was the foreman for this job and inspected my work. I don’t know if this is gonna last/work. The crinkly noise is kind of annoying. TBD. If this <$5 experiment does not work I may splurge and get these real thermal black out drapes. Or I’ll buy those car window black-out foam things and suspend them… God things are getting weird at my house.
ghostfaceknitter.com 