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!

   

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!)

     

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!!

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.

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.

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!!

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?

Trying to Finish things!

While I had the long weekend, I have tried to knock out some projects that have been lingering.  I FINALLY blocked the Foamy Scarf, officially putting it in the "Finished" category.  :D   I also have to note that this is the first proejct I have ever blocked.  (GASP!)  I know, I know. I have been knitting for HOW long without ever blocking anything?  What have I been doing?!  Well, I knit a lot of hats and smaller things that don't need blocking.  I've only knit a few sweaters.... and I just never did anything to them.  Mom unofficially blocks the sweater I made for her when she washes it; you know, lay it out while wet and make sure it dries in the shape you want.  That counts, right?

   

Well, this scarf had some lace, dropped stitches, and "bubble" accents.  I could no longer avoid blocking it.  I just got a set of blocking wires the last time I was home to visit my preferred Yarn Shop, so I bit the bullet and blocked my scarf.  I think it looks pretty good, yeah?   :)

    

The other project I am READY to put into the "Finished" pile is a sun hat I have been wrestling with for a very long time!  I really wanted a "movie star" hat that will keep my nose from burning this summer, but my head is too darn big for commercially bought hats so I decided to whip something up myself.  I couldn't find a pattern that I liked, but I found a "recipe" for a sun hat that sounded good enough.  They called it a recipe because they told you how to turn a doily pattern into a sun hat, but didn't give specifics for sizing or lace patterns or anything.  Well, next time I will use a pattern! I think I have pulled this hat out 400 times trying to get the right amount of brim while still staying true to the lace... THEN came trying to find the right gauge wire to attached to the edge.  18 gauge was too flimsy, the wire from a pop-up hamper was way too rigid.  (John calls it my Goldilocks hat, as I look for a wire that is juuuuust right.) We finally settled on the wire from some car sun shades, you know the kind that can twist back on itself?  I'm not sure it's 100% what I was looking for, but I am sick of trying different things! I want to wear this hat before the summer is over!  I am so tired of fiddling with this hat!!

Yes, observant reader, the hat is not totally complete yet.  I still have to put elastic in the headband and I have to weave in ends.  But I want this hat to be done!  I call it done!  So there!  (I also noticed after the fact that my "no dye lot written on the label" yarn was lying to me, as you can tell by the stripe through the brim.  Grrrr... hat from hell... mutter mutter)