Knitty Batty

Started to show friends a new pair of shoes, but expanded to include updates on my knitting and important events, as well as ramblings on life, the universe, and everything. (If you can't see a picture, click on it to make it bigger!)

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Momma, we missed you!

Mr. Winks missed me a little, I think. He has been a super snugglesaurus since I got home Monday night. Lots of purring cuddles for me!

(Martin has been playing hard to get and is acting like nothing happened. Haha)
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Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Flying Away!

Well, I survived another year of Summer Camp (whew!) and I am actually going to GO on a vacation while I have some free time before school starts.  :)  So! I will be flying away to see my sister and we will take Texas by storm!  haHA!  That won't leave much time for blogging, but then again, you are used to not seeing me very much (I know, sad but true).  I will try to post some pictures if we have some down time and I will definitely reconnect once I get back.  Texas, here I come!   :)

And if you are concerned about my boys, wish them luck.  I am leaving John home with the kitties for over a week!  Hopefully they can feed themselves and no one gets hungry enough to eat somebody else.....

Sunday, July 17, 2011

I'm Impressing Myself

More Crafty Updates.  I must say, for as much as I am usually very slow about actually finishing projects, I am very proud of myself today.  I have been quite productive.    :)

1)  Over Memorial Day weekend, I bought fabric to make several skirts.  The shiny silver skirt was one project, but I also bought plain grey jersey knit to make a maxi skirt.  I usually don't cave to the whims of the fashion world (that's right, there are no skinny jeans in this girl's closet), but I keep seeing my coworkers in long dresses and skirts and they just look so comfortable!  I didn't get a pattern and planned on just making it up as I went along... when I eventually got around to it.  Well, I finally pulled the jersey out today, and after a little internet research, started sewing.  I got two yards of 56" wide jersey because I wasn't sure if I needed to insert gores to make the circumference bigger than 56" down at my ankles. It turns out, 56" is plenty big enough to walk comfortably in AND that meant there was enough leftover "tube" to make a shorter skirt.  Yay for options!

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Yes, I am standing on my chair to take a picture of my skirts in the bathroom mirror.  Don't judge.

I kept the longer version fuller and just gathered it in more at the waist.  I purposefully chose to slim down the shorter version. (Though if I had to do it over again, I would probably slim the maxi as well, but it doesn't bother me too much as it is now.)  I also wrapped elastic twice around the waist in the maxi version and only once in the short one; that's just due to the weight of the fabric in the maxi pulling downwards.  I definitely don't want my clothes falling off my body in the middle of the day!


2)  While I was feeling crafty and productive, I pulled out the 31 Purse Skirts that I have stashed away.  I feel like I did more work than what is showing in the Finished pile, but I did get two more slip covers done.  :)   It took my less than an hour to sew both of them!  Go me!  (Recognize that silver fabric?  Haha.  Waste not, want not!)

Thirty-One Skirt       Thirty-One Skirt

I also had a brainstorm that may save me space in the long run.  I am quickly amassing numerous covers for my purse, and I believe they may soon get out of control.  But!  If I start making them reversible, then two slip covers will take up the space of just one!  Genius!!

Thirty-One Skirt
The purple design in this picture is more true to color than the one above.

I say I did more work because I really DID do more work than what ended up in the pictures.  I went ahead and cut out all the fabric I had (enough for about 10 more, if I remember correctly), and then I ironed the fusible interfacing to them.  Now I have all my fabric cut and prepared for when I have a crafty mood but don't feel like running up to the ironing board.  :)  Winks may have helped me cut all the fabric.

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Sunday, July 10, 2011

More Finished Craftiness

This circle skirt has been sitting on my sewing table for a while.  I had to walk away from it for a bit because it was angering me.  First, why do patterns say "for a 36 inch hip, make size 14" ... only to have a size 14 be SUPER HUGE?! There was literally room for another person in the skirt with me when I first pieced it together. Made me angry to waste time repeatedly taking in the side seams to make it fit.  On top of that, the fabric was too slinky / silky / slippery for my skill level.  Hemming was a pain and I really need to iron it, but it's done now!  And I even remembered how to put in a zipper!  I still think it's a little long, but (again) I need to step away before I get angry and do something I'd regret.   :)   Apparently, anger fuels my craft projects.  Haha.

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Oh! I also put a pocket in my pajama pants so I can carry things on lazy days.  :)  I think it's working quite nicely so far today.

New Species of Bird

Several months ago, I put up a bird feeder in our backyard.  I mainly wanted to entertain the kitties, but it was spring and why not feed the birds (it's only tuppence a bag).  I covered all the bases and put up a finch feeder, a hummingbird feeder, a suet block, and a general "wild bird" feeder.  Well, since then, there has been a very fat something eating the wild bird seed very quickly.  I always thought we had a family of squirrels or raccoons eating in our backyard-- you know, the usual bird feeder guests.  Then, the other day I come home and happen to look out the window and see who had really been visiting us!!

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Now, my question is: are deer cute enough that I continue feeding it, or should I take steps to try to deter it from eating out of my bird feeder?