board pack, finished

Awhile ago, before Christmastime, the boy requested a handmade snowboard bag. I'm not sure why he thought that this sort of project was within my capabilities. It certainly would have been easier to just buy a nice one but I hate to back down from a challenge. You know, sewer's pride.

Anyhow, after placing a special order from the west coast for some 500 Denier Cordura & stocking up on heavy-duty zippers I took measurements and got to work. No pattern, just trying desperately to fit this stiff fabric around a snowboard in a pleasing way. Heavy duty needles, ultra-strong thread + a sewing machine that really gave its all as I fed this monster through it again and again. To be honest, I wasn't sure she could take it but my Singer really played like a champ.

This was a most frustrating project with mixed rewards. It was a pleasure to FINALLY sew something for the boy but it was a gaddamn BITCH to figure out proper dimensions and shape and it was a lesser, but nonetheless cranky, bitch to construct. I started it during the holidays and then after a certain amount of progress, got so fed up with it that I stuffed it in my closet for about a month. All in all though, I'm a proud little craftster. Most proud, in fact, that I was able to get some sweet pictures of the board pack in use. Those who know the subject will know how difficult this photo shoot could have been.

playing dominoes

Ok I love domino + the free bag they sent me awhile back with my subscription (while we're at it, I love that domino didn't PUNK OUT like some OTHER personal/home style magazine we know). But I hate hate hated the cheap-o looking straps on the bag. So after months of mixed feelings and inner turmoil, I ripped those 'em off + re-furbed the straps with more eye-friendly fabric.

Old + Tired (top)

New + Improved (bottom)

--------------------------------------------------

Quick tutorial for all of you domino free gift discontents. I know you're out there.

1. Carefully rip off the original straps with a seam ripper.
2. Cut (2) pieces of fabric 3.5" x 44".
3. Fold fabric in half lengthwise, right sides together and stitch a little less than 1/4" seam. Turn inside out + press flat.
4. Snake original strap through new fabric casing.
5. Attach new beautiful strap to bag, following original seam markings. Repeat steps 3-5 for other strap.
6. Work it.

button scarf

Using leftover fabric ("Mom's Couch" by Erin Michael for Moda) & heavy fleece.

I made the button scarf awhile ago, as a quick break from the country dress, but I never put the button on until today. I originally was thinking I'd use a dark brown toggle as some other crafty ladies did, but I decided not to steal ideas. After a little trip to the button store (Hi, my name is Joe and I work in a button factory...) I found two beauties that had some real possibility:


But I wasn't sure that people would "get the joke" with the one on the right and I questioned the funtionality of a star-shaped button, especially with cold hands or with warm hands covered in mittens.

So I just ripped off a seemingly unecessary button that was hidden underneath the collar of my winter coat and used it for the scarf. I would say that the button was originally just a fashion detail on the coat, but since it was completely obscured at all times it doesn't really serve any purpose. It didn't button anything together. So now, thanks to my incredible sense of haute couture high fashion (thanks Heidi), the accent on my button scarf perfectly complements my coat. Because I'm THAT good.

Re: the pattern. It's from Simple Gifts to Stitch by Jocelyn Worrall, which is the book for this year's version of the In Stitches Sew-Along, now lovingly renamed Finny & Donk's Sewing Adventures. The projects in the book don't WOW me but they really are simple and most of them probably would make lovely gifts. That being said, I returned the book to amazon after flipping through it and making some notes. Get off my back, I'm short on cash and this one just didn't cut it. Call me a dirty little cheater if you like, but then I'll just have to employ profanities and insults against you that would a grown man cry.

Valentine's Day, VDay, VD...

So I know that last year I set some pretty high standards for myself.

I just spent a few minutes trying to write a fake movie trailor narrative about last year's Valentine's Day crafting. I was going to set it up as an epic... a girl with her sewing machine, an unstoppable winter blizzard, a dream, a destiny. Something like that, but it didn't really pan out.

Speaking of things not working out...

These were supposed to be Irish shortbread cookies, which I was thinking of making into my "thing". Ya know, like:

"Oh Christine, won't you please bring a treat to the party? Like those precious Irish shortbread cookies that go so well with our double soy lattes blah blah?"

I think I need to work out a few bugs first.

A. These were shaped with a COOKIE CUTTER. Meaning they should be identical. Identical! That's the entire idea behind cookie cutters.

2. The kitchen smelled of buttery popcorn while these were baking. Which, to be sure, is a delicious aroma that is almost always welcome in my home. But generally only when I'm MAKING popcorn, not cookies.

D. The dough was good, the baked products are not.

Maybe I can still charm him with my fierce wit and a few bottles of wine. And anyway, I usually enjoy the sweets far more than he does. (I've recently learned that not all people were born with an insatiable sweet tooth. I know, it doesn't make any sense to me either.)

what to do with the flu

Project Organized Fabric Stash:

country dress

Told you I'd blog this thing out.

Here's the "country dress" I made using McCalls 2608. The pattern is actually a shirt pattern but I had enough fabric to add length and make it a little dress. It is not, in fact, the same Built by Wendy pattern that created this dress (which, as my friends can attest to, I have never actually worn out in public. The neckline chokes me a bit and it's shaped funny round the midsection.) I can see myself getting sick of it as a dress and cutting it back down to shirt size, but until then...

The fabric is this great tiny floral pattern (better picture of it here on flickr) that I never would have picked out myself, but was very glad to inherit when I started sewing. I kind of love getting fabric that I wouldn't normally choose, because I always end up loving it either way + it injects something different into my projects. So that I don't continually sew/crochet/buy things that are solid brown. Because, you know, solid brown is what I drift towards if left unsupervised.

And no no, if I were to even wear this thing out in our gloomy + chilly Northeast weather I would more appropriately cover the legs-- I'm no hussy.