Too soon?

Come on, people, there are just about two months until Christmas!! Let's get with the making!! I'm kidding. Right now two months seems a bazillion years away. But I do love seasonal themed fabrics of any kind, so I was having a good old time putting the finishing touches on this slightly-too-soon table runner.

I fell in love with this print when I saw it in Joann's. It is just the essence of Christmas--little red birds, holly leaves, a crisp wintery white. With candy cane binding. Yum.

I did an easy cross-hatch in a diamond shape. I used my hera marker to mark the lines evenly without worrying about those lines being left behind. I've said it multiple times--add one to your wish list if you like to quilt. It's a tremendously helpful piece of plastic.

I had the backing fabric in my stash for a while. I'm glad I hung onto it because it was waiting to be part of something so perfectly Christmassy. It's kind of hard to see but it's got wee little white pin dots all over it. I love the front soooo much, but I love the contrast of the binding with the backing.

I handstitched the binding down so this one is nice and reversible. I cannot justify keeping one more piece of Christmas in this house as there is already so much more than we know what to do with. So I've put this one in my shop in case you'd like to give it a new home. And if you don't want to give it a new home but would like to score some of that yummers candy cane bias tape (made by moi) I've got a listing for some of that too (I got a little carried away and made yards and yards of it because I was having such fun with the stripes. Yes. I know I'm a geek. Thank you :)

I am kind of saddened by the fact that tomorrow is Monday already. How can two stinkin' days go by so quickly?

A Few for Friday - #42

I haven't sewn a stitch this week. I have no idea what is wrong with me. I feel absolutely no desire to sew. Usually when I feel that way and force the issue and try to sew something I end up with a lot of frustration and a mess on my hands. I figure I'll wait until the weekend and give it a crack. If I could get the one remaining bag order out of the way I would be totally free to do whatever I want. I should force myself to get there as it's a lovely place to be.

Wanna see some pictures? They're of a little cutie-pie I know...

That kid loves the dog. Sometimes he loves him so much he tries to stand on him or squeeze the life out of him, but Charlie is so wonderful with him. Their favorite thing is looking out the front door and just watching...

 He's totally my nephew. One of his favorite toys is a cheap-o set of nesting dolls I picked up a few years ago. He will sit there for a long time, completely focused, pulling them apart and putting them back together. I'm not brave enough to share with him my other fancier sets that were gifts, but he's still occupied by this one so there's really no need for me to be too generous. I wouldn't want to spoil him.

 Reason #2 we're related. He will sneak away from everyone and sit and go through his books, 'reading' to himself by babbling out loud. It is one of the sweetest things.

 That face. Those stubby teeth. The eyes. I love it.

Lest you think I have forgotten my other favorite guy, he's a big guy now in sixth grade and he's just "really not interested in having his picture taken right now." 

I don't know how you parents get anything done. When the A-train is around I just want to sit and watch everything he does, and he's not even mine. I get all "Sewing? What's sewing? I can't sew anything. I'm watching a baby pretend a toy is eating his toes." Literally.

Betty Boo Bat

A couple months ago I won a gift certificate to the Heather Bailey store in a month-long series of giveaways she hosted. I got some fabric and some paper goods, a nifty gadget, and this cute little kit. I've hardly had any time at all for sewing and making lately, but I really wanted something fun and easy to do. The fact that it's seasonal made it even better, as I adore holiday crafts, especially when I'm limited on time. And it doesn't get much more whimsical than a sock bat, eh?

To be honest, if I had received a pair of socks instead of just one, I would have ditched the kit and worn the socks (I love novelty socks :) First you have to make these teeny tiny legs--I stuck them next to a pin for scale.

They may be the most difficult thing I have ever turned right side out (which is such a geeky sentence that I know will only make sense to other crafters). Stuffing them was super easy as with my gift cert I bought a stuffing fork. It looks like nothing, but it really makes all the difference in the world.

I don't know if it would make any difference for pillows or larger items, but for these tiny things it made stuffing effortless (and I haaaaate stuffing things). You know what was squiggly and annoying? Sewing a cheapo knit sock on a sewing machine. I was feeling really lazy and didn't want to do it by hand but I certainly should have. It all worked out, though. Pretty much.

So at this point it's a sock with a few pieces cut off and stitched back together to look like an armless body. My machine ate the remaining sock piece I needed to use for the ears, so I had to use the remaining felt to rig those up. They're kind of my favorite part--

And here's the whole shebang--

It was a little fiddly trying to sew the buttons and other pieces on to something after it was already stuffed, but the loose knit of the sock made it kind of easy. I love the little buttons on the dress, but they get lost in the busy-ness of the 'dress' fabric.

I was so pleased with myself that I tied a perfect little bow that I didn't want to risk messing it up by stitching it on. So even though it was midnight I hauled out the glue gun and tacked it down just so.

The teeth aren't particularly fangy, but I dig the bushy eyebrows I didn't even realize were happening as I stitched them. While this may not be the neatest bit of stitchery that ever existed, I feel that 'sock bat' is more in keeping with terms like 'crooked wings' and 'stubby fangs' than it is with words like 'neat' and 'perfection' anyway.

OH! Any of you watching the new season of American Horror Story? What do you think? I'm kind of liking it...

A Few for Friday - #41

This year is really winding down, eh? Recent weeks have been flying by. My brain still has it as being September, so every time I look at a calendar I feel a little jolt of panic that October is nearly half gone. Our weather isn't helping, either. We were in the eighties with high humidity at the start of the week, and today I wore one of my coziest cardigans it was so chilly. Plus I've been under the weather for almost two weeks (which is highly unusual for me) so hardly anything has gotten done. I do feel quite proud that I cut out the fabric for two shirts tonight, and nearly a third (I didn't realize that the cutting counter shorted me until now so I have to buy enough fabric to make some sleeves tomorrow). Anyhoodle, I've got a couple pictures to share-

I saw this big crow at work the other day and wanted a pic as it was quite large. Of course the stupid thing kept hopping and walking and moving, so I'm blocking a lane into work trying to get a picture, completely oblivious to the fact that cars are trying to get around me. As I have quite the noticeable sort of car (it's a Mini) I'm sure many co-workers were cursing me. And to top it off I forgot to roll the window down so the picture looks weird.

 We're getting into my favorite sunset season, the one where I pull over on the way home from work to take pictures before the sun completely sinks.

So that's that. I've got thirty out of 150 granny squares made for Z-man's blanket with ends woven in (woot!) and it's progressing quite nicely. I'm hoping to whip these shirts together this weekend so I can have more time to work on that. And finish the quilt I've been working on since spring. And sew up a new autumn wristlet for my mumsy. And work on a custom order for a wedding. And so on and so forth. I need to find myself a husband with the means to let me stay home and sew and sew and sew all day....

Brit Kit

Ahoy ahoy! Remember a few months ago I had shared (here and here) my thoughts on the subscription box service I had signed up for? After being less than enamored with it, I cancelled it and signed up for another. Due to the timing of it all, I didn't receive it until mid-September, and just used it this weekend. This time I signed up for the Brit Kit. Every month you receive a craft kit of who knows what--it might be jewelry making, it might be home decor, who knows.

I had thought this particular craft would be something I could do with Z-man, but Sundays are now for football, and it's some kind of rule that "you can't do arts and crafts when football is on because you have to keep your eye on the stats." So I went ahead and did this one myself. Now, a good blogger would have remembered to take a photo of the kit before they made the craft, so you'll have to imagine a few things---

In addition to the above I received three different air plants as well as a square piece of fancy-edged wood.

The point of this craft was to hammer those nails into the board into whatever layout you wanted. I am not imaginative, so I did a grid. I tried to bother everyone as much as possible while I was hammering. I scared the dog, I made my sisters roll their eyes, my mother cringed, and my neighbor turned off her radio. I then handed the miniature bed of nails to Alicia and asked her to do the hemp wrapping for me. Some things I just feel really unmotivated to do, and all that hammering was tiring.

I had put the air plants in water to soak before I started so they were ready to place. I did absolutely no research on air plants, so I have no idea what they are. They look like desert plants that don't really have perceivable roots, but are quite succulent and suck up the water quite swiftly. You don't need to plant them or water them much--once a week you stick them in some water and place them back on your string art.

This is kind of just sitting on the windowsill right now as I don't really know what to do with it. I'm not much of a plant person, and I feel a board with randomly hammered nails isn't the safest idea ever concocted. I'm actually kind of glad I didn't do this with Z, as he would have lost interest in about two seconds flat.

Although I wasn't jumping for joy with the craft itself I did like this box much better. I have a lot of nails and hemp left over for other stuff I may want to nail and wrap. But even if I hadn't made this craft the supplies I received would have been useful for other stuff. I am quite eager to see what I get in my next box, which should be arriving next week. I really do like the surprise element of it, and I'm happier I switched to a craft box instead of the frou-frou pamper yourself in sample sizes kind of stuff. So much more me.

So that's that for now. See you soon!

Light Bulb Pumpkins: aka Thanks for Never Throwing Anything Away

You know those plastic candles with the night-light bulbs people stick in their windows at Christmas? When I was little I remember that we had a huge box of orange light bulbs that came with those things that my parents immediately switched out for the more sedate white frosted bulbs. I was the kid who wanted them to use the orange and red bulbs, but was soundly shut down in that desire. For some reason, they kept the bulbs. I know this because I knocked the box over in the attic last week and smashed a few. And in that instant I remembered something I had pinned I don't even remember when.

I don't have a picture of them unadorned, but a few weeks ago I found these branches in the floral section at AC Moore that looked like bare tree branches that had...I don't know what it was but it was kind of like flocking but a bit grittier...on them. They had different colors but I went with tan for a natural look. They were entirely too bare, and I've been looking for something to hang from them, so I set too with a sharpie, some yarn, and the old light bulbs. Actually, my sister set to with the sharpie as I can't draw worth a lick.

Once the faces were drawn on, I used some scrap yarn to wind around the sockets and create little hangers.

After the yarn was wound around how I wanted, I used a yarn needle to weave the end through for security and create the hanging loop. I pulled super tight to make sure they were secured, and fully expected to break a few bulbs (but I didn't, in case you were wondering).

As though she hadn't helped me enough I cajoled Alicia into helping me wrap the yarn. Rachel was watching us and suggested using the same idea for carrots for Easter. Which....I'm thinking of how I'm going to do that as they are very carroty.

The yarn was being a pain in the rear going over the branches so I had to use paper clips to hook them on (because who knows where the ornament hooks are when it's only October?).

I love the way it came out. The silly little faces, the green beehive-inspired hairdos, the pops of color that brighten it up just the right amount--it's like they're a bunch of demented pumpkin ghosts. It would be a lot more fun if I could figure out a way to make them light up independently of any electrical source, but science isn't quite there yet (I think....I don't know where they are on that particular issue).

I put this drunk-looking pumpkin at the bottom to give the effect that he fell out of the tree. So of course the photo is blurry making it look like I  fell out of the tree.

These were easy, quick, and fun to whip up. Plus totally free. And now my dad doesn't have to worry about knocking over a box of old orange light bulbs. You're welcome, Dad.

I'll be linking up here:

Sundays: Sunday Showcase, Think Pink Sunday,  Submarine Sunday

Monday: CraftOManiac Monday, Making Monday Marvelous, Market Yourself Monday, Made By You Mondays, 

Tuesdays: Take-a-Look Tuesday, Show Me What Ya Got, Homework

Wednesdays: Your Whims Wednesday, We did it Wednesday, Whatever Goes Wednesday

Thursdays:  Catch a Glimpse, Craftionary

Friday: Link Party Palooza, Frugal Friday, Weekend Bloggy Reading

Saturdays: Show and Tell Saturdays

A Few for Friday - Week #40

Hey guys? You know those big cans of mixed nuts that Planters sells? Just so you know--they're manufactured on equipment that processes nuts. Who'da thunk it? I wonder who proofreads some of the labels that are on products. I sure would like to know the reason behind the "do not use hair dryer in the shower" warning because I would really like to believe that's a big typo instead of an actual person dumb enough to have done that and sued for such a warning... Anyway, pictures. I've got some crappy ones this week as they're all from my phone and I'm the only person alive who still can't take a decent picture on my phone...

Making progress on Z-man's afghan. I know, the purple might be making you think "What the...?" but it needs to be there. I've finished twenty squares out of 150. But two ends per square to weave in? Easy peasy. 

 I've been fighting off a cold all week so I've been loading up on OJ. I do see the straw hole there, but I couldn't get the stupid thing to poke through so I had to open it like a milk container. See at the top left where it says 'Open?'

Once you start to open it you see the above direction. By the time I see this I've already got the container open. Again, with the label-checking.

 "Aiden, wanna take a nap?"

"Pwease."

I almost felt my heart liquify as it melted.

We're having a spell of Indian summer here, as the temps have jumped up again. I've been jonesin' for sweater weather for two months now, so I'm not pleased. But I suppose it can hang on a little longer if it needs to as I still haven't sewn up those tops for myself that I've been planning on making... They're going to carve "When I get a minute..." on my tombstone.