Cassidy told to me to pose. 

Infinity Dress self portrait

So I have not posted in forever...partly because I have two followers...Hi Mom! I have finished a few projects though and I will post a couple of photo's...I am hoping the weather cooperates and I can get some out door pics of some of what I have done. I totally suck at taking pictures...my house is so small and dark, it's so rare that I get something I am happy with. I live a short distance from a beautiful park and need to walk over and get some shots of what I have done. In the meantime here are a couple of things I got done. I didn't know that I don't have a chin. Huh, the things you learn! Anyway horrid pics..no make up or contacts...lucky I was wearing undergarments! Anyway I totally LOVE the infinite dress. I got the pattern and instructions from here and here. I am "planning" on making a dedicated post to it. With better photos of course. 


I also did an adorable dress for Cassidy using Simplicity 7146. The original pattern called for a shift dress with an adorable jacket...Well, Miss Cassidy didn't want the jacket and wanted sleeves instead so she could wear it to school (which by the way she has 2x!) With out the jacket the dress was pretty plain. I surprisingly didn't have any rickrack or ribbon in my stash, so I appliquéd a bow to the front. I got one picture of her before she ran off. 

Told ya..not good with pics!

I also made a GORGEOUS princess dress, that I plan on wearing tomorrow and hope to get some pictures of and 
get posted...along with a review. 


I am also going to get my Danielle done. I have loved this pattern...and its FREE! (except it prints on 29 pages!) I made a necklace that is my color inspiration. I can't wait to finish it and get the pictures up on Burda


Update on the vintage pattern. My denim 'muslin' is too small..I didn't have enough fabric...the same with My fabric from my pants. I am a half inch shy....so it's in the UFO pile for now. 

drooling

OMG! That is all I have to say! 

This is where I found it. Total inspiration!

Hiatus (or not)

Well not really a hiatus...life happened...as usual. Have had a bunch of stuff get in the way for any crafting. I forced myself to take an hour today to make something. I made the "muslin" for my pencil skirt, out of an old pair of jeans. The bad news is that I won't be able to use my old pants to make the skirt...I am literally a half inch short on the material...or I could use it when I loose another dress size.

I also made my first pair of undies. I used this pattern, and used an old tank top. The pattern was super easy. The fabric from the tank wasn't stretchy enough, it was a "muslin" also.

I plan on getting more appropriate fabric for my skirt soon so I will post pics then. On a final note, planning on making a dress dummy next weekend. This is the tutorial I plan on using.  

Deconstruction update

I found out what to do with the way too big pants...I found a vintage pattern today. PENCIL SKIRTS!!! I will definitely use the brown plaid slacks for the skirt. I think I am going to do it in denim too. I am not much for the Jackie O jacket, but I wanted a nice flattering pencil skirt.

Operation: Destruction Part Una

So, just like the rest of us, I am itching for spring...I long for short airy dresses and open toe wedges...but alas Mother Nature has decided to keep spring at bay. I am totally sick of my clothes and I am too broke to buy anything new. Up-cycling is the plan for me. Over the past 2 years I have lost about 100 pounds, and still have a lot of my clothes left. Yes, I should have given them away...but I REALLY REALLY like them. I spent so many years holding on to clothes, mostly because I had a hard time finding stuff that fit and was fairly fashionable. Each weekend I plan on taking them to a charity...and don't. With my perpetual goal of being honest with myself, I decided to recycle and up (or in my case down) cycle my clothes. I have started with a pair of slacks that are made from a fabulous Cotton/Lycra blend. Also I discovered that the best way to learn to make something is to tear it apart first. I got up and close with waistbands and pocket...two things I have a hard time with....I can't wait to try them now! I hope to have some pictures posted of this adventure soon.

Spring fever

Used to be a tablecloth...and I haven't figured out how to take nice pictures...just mugshots, minus the mug

This is the most she has moved in years

Mal was trying to help

He kept making me nervous trying to catch the scissors 

Not liking it

I am having a heck of a time knitting. Here in the northwest we had a few days of gorgeous almost spring like weather and it woke the fever...I want to wear open toed shoes and dresses...not boots and leggings. This the fever has turned me to sewing. That and I am SOOOO tired of all my clothes. I have a couple of bins filled with fabric and enough patterns to do me for awhile....but I have lost all my straight pins over the winter. (Don't ask!) Anyway I whipped up a tunic that I am totally unhappy with. Unhappy maybe because there was no pattern and no dressmaker dummy to put it on. I love the fabric and enjoyed the lesson. I also made a mini dress out of an old tablecloth. I don't usually wear short dresses, but hey there is always a first time.

First attempt at writing a pattern

Ribbed Legwarmers

Material needed:

Small round Knifty Knitter loom (24 pegs)

Knitting hook

Approximately one half skein of yarn of your choice. (sample was made with worsted weight yarn from my stash...no labels sorry)

Crochet hook

Stitches used: E-wrap knit nit and purl, cast-on, cast-off.

I used two balls of yarn on the same. One was an amethyst and the other was a variegated sport weight yarn colors included purple, blue, fuchsia and green.

Gauge is going to depend on the yarn used, but it's not really important in this pattern.

These legwarmer fit my 9 year old daughter.

e-wrap cast on all 24 pegs

Row 1-5: k2p2 (Knit 2 pegs Purl 2 pegs) for a ribbed edge (this is the bottom part of the legwarmer)

Row 6-31: E-wrap knit (31 rows are perfect for my daughter, so you can increase and decrease the number of rows as needed)

Row 32-40: k2p2 (Knit 2 pegs Purl 2 pegs)

Row 41: purl

Cast off using crochet hook.

This makes the top part a little tighter than the bottom, this helps them stay up.

Finished!

Gage loves his new camo hat!

Miss Cassidy is equally pleased with her tam

Updating on the finishing thing

Pretty purple scarf: Finished! I am really happy...I plan on posting some pics here soon with the pattern. I am waiting for my days off so I can use natural daylight.

The arm-warmer? DONE!!! I started them on Christmas eve...so they are reminiscent of peppermint...My son says he likes them...but I don't think he is to happy with the colors. The round small (blue) knifty knitter is too big to make mittens and arm warmers for us so I knitted in a flat panel and sewed them up. I used a cable cast on, then knit one round and purled one round..then knit 2 rounds and purled one round till I got to the desired length (approx 6 inches) then I did a rib stitch for 6 rounds. sewed up the side left a hole for the thumb...I am definitely going to play with this now that I know some extra stitches.

The beret...sadly that's the 1/3 that I haven't finished...

But there are a couple of projects that I started and finished this week...A hat for my hubby..he has been "hinting" that I haven't knitted him anything...forgetting about the slippers...any way I whipped up a hat for him...I did a rib stitch for about an inch and a half then for about 27 rounds I did a moss stitch. (round 1 k1p1 round 2 p1k1) My knitting buddy said it looked like a hippie hat...Again will post pics soon.

Current project...and last till my beret is done...is a very similar to a marine DBU cap. (totally didn't know what it was called until today) for my youngest son. I am using red heart camo yarn. I am really excited about it and can't wait to finish and take some pics...I am going to have to take my time so I can get some pics of it before I give it to him. I will post the pattern when I am done.

Current Events

Nope, not the news...don't want to go there. My New Year resolutions are finishing things (i.e. projects) and organization. Working on both! I currently have 3 projects in process...The beret (see previous posts), arm warmers, and a scarf to match my lovely mock cable hat. I have the day off today, so I am finishing the scarf and hope to finish the arm warmers. I have finally (I think) decided how to finish my beret...Also I made a how-to video for my mom and I think I enjoyed it so I may do some more...perhaps post them here. Who knows.

Mock Cable Hat

I broke down and actually bought a knitting book. Loom Knitting Primer by Isela Phelps (here is her blog) This is my first project from her book.

My lovely daughter Cassidy is the model

Projects

I have attempted several times to make berets and tams on my loom, but haven't been happy with the results...so I decided to make it up as I go. I am currently hung up because I don't have enough yard to finish...I have scoured the local shops to find the yarn to no avail...so I need to figure out a complimentary color to finish it with.  

The color is a light/dusty blue...reminds me of blue china.

First

Happy 2011!

Current project is a mock cable hat. (about halfway done)

This is my first post...to be honest I have given the blog thing a thought several times but dismissed it. I decided, after two of my good friends started their own blogs, to give it a go...and thus, unwound....

Other than the mundane life type stuff, my goal is to post my current project; how-to's, pattern's and the like.