342nd-sew

Today I did a lot on my sewing project and boy amy I glad I didn't try making a tutorial. Unless I wanted to show 100 ways to mess up. I seriously could not stop making mistakes on the "simple" romper. But I assure that it doesn't stop here. I will try until I succeed and then perhaps even make a tutorail. I know one thing for sure, that to know something right, you must also know it wrong. (I just finished a samurai movie, had to add some wisdom speech.)

So, for todays work this is where I'm at:

I love love love the look of it, but only one problem: It doesn't fit. It's become one of those projects wher you alter a little here a little there and still getting nowhere. My butt is far too large and no matter how much I try to make it fit, It keeps getting more awkward and less fun. (I even added lace to the side so it would stretch more, and it still wont fit) It's quite frustrating.
So, what should I do? start over? or is it possible to make this work?

BTW: this is some nice memory fabric for those who know me. It's sort of funny seeing my shirts all cut up and altered.

good night.

343rd-sew

When you catch me with three spoons, baby powder, and goo-gone, I can only be doing one thing: Changing my bike tube. Call it upside down and backwards but it's really the simplest way to do it.
It has been 33 days since I've set foot on my bike and that is far too long in my book. So this morning, I cut to it and fixed my bike. And boy was that a really great idea!

Along with changing the tube, I went ahead and scrubbed the gunk. That was actually the hard part ( a lot of gunk) and that is also what the Goo-gone was for. After about an hour of quality time with sr.Giant, I decided to take it for a ride. 

I went to town just for one thing. (ok two, counting coffee and a cupcake which was delicious)

The one thing was a really ugly shirt with lots and lots of lace!! $1.50 booya! and you know what that means! a romper iza coming!

344th-sew

One thing I've learned for the three weeks of this blog is that I'm not in the same mood every day. Now it's not always such a drastic change but it means I'm not always in the mood to sew or to craft. Through writing each post I realize I'm not always inspired. Now, I could give you a list of "reasons" or "excuses" for not feeling creative or motivated but there would be no use. It would change my desire. What I can say is that through this blog, I have learned how to channel a self-motive each and every day (through thick and thin) to get up and do the things I know I like, even if I don't "feel" like it.
It's really hard for me to know where I'm going to take this blog, or where it's going to take me, but I do know that it has only been doing good things...even if I stay up late just to finish a post.

On another note, while blog surfing, I ran into my next project:

A romper. Always wanter one. Now I get to make one!

Now, knowing me, I'm going to want to make it with the smallest budget possible. AKA using fabric I own, or thrifting it up. Now, lucky for me, I already have a bunch of un-used jersey T's, but what I'm missing is some lace. Without the lace, there's nothing special or feminine about the romper. What I've learned over the years is this: Its ok to use old shirts/fabric for a sewing project, but if you want it to look nice, classy, and new, you need finishing touch. weather it be buttons, silk, hemming, or lace, it needs to be there. 

So, for the romper, Imma get me some lace!

345th-sew

I finished these last night!

347th-sew

This is what I did today:

It's cold, rainy, and a season for cutting your sweater? yes...and then making it into leg warmers! Though, today, I just cut up my sweater. I guess I just didn't get to finishing it with ALL the lazy sitting I had to instead. (day off, cough cough)

I also got pretty excited taking pictures of it too. What an ugly sweater. I got it for $3 at the thrift shop. 

Well, the real news for today is my camera's disfunction =[. If you haven't noticed already, my blog is lacking the beauty of a DSLR (I've replaced it with Photobooth and the internet) because my battery is dead. You may be thinking "why don't I charge it?" and that's what I thought too, but it's been charging for three days... cut to the case, it's a goner =[ sooo, I'll be getting a new one soon (hopefully) and until then, I'll do my best.

348-sew

Fail! Today was the first post I was late for. by 30 minutes! Therefore I'm a day off!. which is kind of a big deal!

But I guess what's a bigger deal is the rest of the things I did up till 12:00 am

I did laundry

got coffee

I went thrift shopping

bought two sweaters

broke my glasses

fixed my glasses

patched my pants

watched "how I met your mother"

Yeah, you could say that my sweater it a bit of a "ugly christmas sweater" but you could also say its Legend....wait for it...dary!

yeah, pretty much. 

Patching my pants was a pain in the arse!

I looked online for techniques but found only "invisible patching" using a sewing machine. I knew my matching couldn't take such tough fabric (after breaking two needles) so I had to come up with more of an old fashion hand-sewn technique. 

I used:

leather cut into two identical squares

needle

thread

It took me about an hour because of the toughness of the leather (and using only a normal needle). But, the patch held up, and now I can wear a belt once more.

btw: I ripped my belt loop at work (only two days after I bought my pants) while running out the door and my pants caught onto the handle almost throwing off of my feet. Man, I was not happy about that. 

349th-sew

Today I started my pajama pants project. There was apart of me that wanted to post a tutorial, how I did it, good techniques, but what I really should say is how hard it was for me to even follow the pattern instructions. This has actually been my first go at following a patten. I got it free at sewing 101 and printed about 20 sheets for the pattern (which took about 30 min 'cause of my slow printer) and the taped it all together (which took about another 30 min). The rest was history.
What I really enjoyed about using a pattern is that it's real simple to backtrack using the guide to see where a mistake could have been made. I'm used to making mistakes and only finding in the end where I realize the entire project was a mistake. Hence My cupcake air freshener take one. 
I still have yet to finished my pants, but I have around 15 min left. I wore them last night anyways. I used one of our throw blankets for the fabric because I wanted something warm and well, they're toasty!

350th-sew

Today (tonight) I started sewing pajama pants. Now it has been a long long long day (starting at 7:30 am) and it is far past my bedtime. I have no photos to show any remarks about my progress. I do apologies about the streak of short posts, but I promise this isn't permanent. and hey, I did craft today and that's a jumpstart for Wednesday.

364th-sew

I was up all night tossing and turning. Thinking about "what did I get myself into?" and "what am I supposed to do next?" All the ideas I though I had just floated away as though all my creative juice just disappeared. And of course, that got me really thinking. I needed to think of something, and it would have to be fast. Then, out of nowhere at all, I decided I was going to make a lavender scented air freshener for my car; a cupcake air freshener. Now, this did not at all help with my insomnia because instead I stayed up running ideas exactly how to make one, but it did calm me down a bit.
Today, I woke up late, around 9:30 and I still limped to the bathroom. My foot was still sore which means another day with no run. This puts me in a crabby mood but I make a french press hoping I'll get over that soon. And I did. But honestly it wasn't the coffee. I knew exactly what stitch I would have on my cupcake!
a few days ago I found this Blog and have been reading it ever since. but more on that later, Gertie wrote a small post on Pintucking and it just stuck in the back of my head fr sometime until about 3:00 Am this morning I knew it was the right tim e to try this.
Flashforward from this morning, I step out the door after a doing laundry and minor housekeep for work at The River Cafe From 11:30-7:30. You can imagine it's been a long day already but that hasn't stopped my excitement from this post! I even drew sketches at work and wrote some notes for this blog.

Now, here I am in front of my mac ready to guide         

you through my creation of the day!

First the fabrics

The Pattern 

I used an image from Martha Stewart's cupcakes book!

Here's befor the snipping began

An then... the sad out come.

Does it even look like a cupcake to you??? I was soo disapointed I wanted to rip it all apart and start over again. Well first I wanted to cry, but then rip it all apart. I sat infront of my sewing machine and wondered where I went wrong. I sighed and looked at the time. It was nearly 12:00!! duh, I was running on limited brain cells. 

In the end, I learned my mistake. I can't expect to be perfect the first time around. This could have been a simple project, with lots of fun, but it turned out to be more stressful and overwhelming. I was putting too much on my plate all at once. And well, this is the life of a college student. long days, late nights, and making Lots of mistakes. This is how we learn, and throughout we still need make the best of it.
Even though this isn't the prettiest cupcake (or a cupcake at all in that matter) I am proud that I did it!
(and it smells like lavender!)

Day 2 of 365 accomplished!

365th-sew

Today, January 1st 2012, is what I'd like to call my fresh start. The sun is low in the sky, music is playing, and coffee is brewing... All clues of a new beginning.

But this morning may not be as great as it seems, My boyfriend lying in bed with a skateboarding accident and I'm limping to the kitchen with a running injury. But what I've learn in the past 19 years of my life, it's not what happens to you that makes your day, rather its what you do with what you have.

So, I look in my cupboards for exactly that...hmmm oatmeal, oreos, and popcorn. What's for breakfast?  I'll think of something.

This year, I'm starting with a blog. Somewhere where I can present my photography through, crafting, cooking, and running. A 365 day project to prevent me from procrastination. 

DAY 365-Sew

I finished my first skirt last night at 6:00, a few hours before new years out of left-over fabric I had left over from a christmas stuffed monkey head I made for my 7-year-old nephew. I tore my head to pieces trying figure out my new and "amazing" $49 sewing machine I bought myself over the summer. It likes to fall apart, run out of thread, and jam up whenever it pleases. And well... this leaves me without control.

But, at the end of the day, I have a skirt for New Years eve and a big fat smile on my face. So, how "bad" can it really be? Though the journey was tough, I made it through alive...and so did my sewing machine.

But, minutes after, I drive my boyfriend to the hospital to get x-rays of his foot. We leave with a $200 co-pay and a pair of crutches. Both injured, we wobble into bed and listen to the fireworks going off as the clock passes midnight. With each other in our arms, we smile and kiss. This is our seal to our first year together and the beginning of our next to come. With many things to overcome ( starting with healing from our injured feet) we know that we're in it together.

My spring skirt for winter:

two different fabrics

three different threads

two buttons

one sewing machine 

Front

 Side

 Close up

Thank you for reading. Any questions &/or comments, please feel free to ask =]