Baby presents!

My close friend at Hopkins is going to have a little boy!!!! Since I love her so dearly and I am sure that I will love her little one so dearly, I made her a baby present. I had the time and the total cost was $26.00. The pattern for the cardigan is from knitty.com but I changed a lot of it. Mainly the collar, but it came out really well. I already had made a sweater for my sweetie nephew 4 months ago with a snake on it (check out www.sewdivadiane.blogspot.com) which I really liked and I didn't want to get bored with this project so modifications came in to keep me interested.

Oh but the $26.00 was not on yarn or buttons, here are the cutie onesies and burp cloths I made her too!

The fabric was too cute I couldn't resist!!! I just varied the placement of the fusible web patches I made (that little one is on the bottom!) and button hole stitched around them by hand to give them a finished look. The little ducky only has a few stars that hold him on, but the fusible web is pretty strong after ironing and how long will these actually last? (one spit-up per wearing) haha

The burp cloths were done the same way with a button hole stitch along the edges of the fused panels. I also left some space at the end to fold the fabric over to leave a clean edge. They are so cute!!!!!!! (and soo easy!)

Don't you just love babies?!

Recycle this!

Something new from something old. A tutorial of what to do with all of those old jeans if you are sick of making handbags with back pockets on them. This is a different take on a braided basket but it is a little more sturdy and recycles!

Step One: Cut off the legs from a pair of dearly loved jeans making sure not to use the pockets or intricate top seams. Cut off the bottom hems, but don't worry about the thick side seams, they braid in well.

Step Two: Cut/Rip leg open so you have a flat pieces of material and cut/rip 1-2" strips. The ripping is easy to do because jeans are usually sewn on grain and the noise that it makes is fun!

Step Three: This is unnecessary if you love jean strip spaghetti, but it took 5 pairs of jeans to make this basket so I wound them into a ball. I did have about 1 leg of strips left over when I was done so I find the ball is easy to store in my yarn basket.

Step Four: Take three strips and whip stitch them together to hold and start braiding. If you find that you are braiding a little too loosely, stretch the braid and it will tighten it up. I added strips as I needed them but you could just make one super long braid and then coil your basket. I simply grabbed another strip and braided it in when I ran out, but you could whip stitch the ends together if you wanted. It held really well and it wasn't a lot of trouble not sewing each strip together.

Step Five: THE COILING. I started with a super tight coil in the bottom of the basket and then kept coiling around until my base was as big as I wanted it. At the start of the coil, I sewed through all of the layers with a strong needle, a thimble and a gripper. This was pretty grueling, but as I worked in the circle I simply went through one strip of the braid with thread and it was sturdy and much easier than actually poking through the layers.

Step Six: Building up the sides was easy! I was actually surprised how the curve happened itself with positioning and sewing as I went. Keep working up the sides until you are happy with how tall the basket is. You can very easily stop when you are done, but I put handles on mine...

Step 7: To make my handles I kept sewing the braid to the basket, but then left a gap about as big as my grip and sewed through all of the layers so that the handle would be really reinforced, Make each handle about the same size and about half way around the circle from each other. You know what I mean, don't put two handles right next to each other. (How would you carry that?) Anyways, I then took one more row around the top to make the grip of the handle a little bit wider and to just finish off the top.

Step 8: Finishing. I hated it but again I sewed through all of the layers of the braid to the last row with my thimble, gripper and strong needle, but spread out the strips of the braid so that it would be a tiny bit easier, but now my basket is all done!

I have to be completely honest when I say I wasn't planning on having a different color for the handles or top part but I love how the shades of the jeans did that! Stuff your basket and enjoy!!!

Yipee for chalk!

It's already been a month since school started, and I was longing for the nostalgia of the smell of erasers and chalk but unfortunately I don't have to go to school right now. (Isn't it funny how you spend 20 years trying to get out of school and then all you want to do is go back?)
To feed my craving for school without all of the homework, I decided that I would like a message center. An original chalkboard, not a wipe off board, or a cork board, a real live chalkboard. These are hard to find unless you are a teacher in the market and don't have an instant gratification problem like I do. It was time for me to get crafty.

So I am recalling the hours of craft tv and I think "wait, don't they have chalkboards in a can?" Yes! Now I don't know if it is ok for me to plug this product in here but it's exactly what I used. Rust-O-Leum green chalkboard spray.








Now prepare your area and yourself... No really prepare yourself to turn completely green. There is a reason that the can says to use outdoors in a well ventilated area and not in your one bedroom apartment ON YOUR WALL! We thought the paper would be enough....
NOPE it was everywhere, well the powder was... but here are the work in progress pictures. One more thing, don't start this at 9pm. The clean up will keep you up and delirious until 3am but the fun never stops.

1. Tape and paper the surface you want to be your chalkboard. In fact, tape and paper your entire living space. (Can you tell this made a mess in my apartment?)

2. Spray the surface, clean your whole house, allow to dry for 24 hours and then look at your nice new chalboard. That isn't even the funnest part!

3. The surface has to be roughed up. But with the only thing that it should be roughed up with, CHALK!!!!

4. Then you get to clean it off and make out your message center. Mine is in the form of days of the week. But you could really do it for the whole month or just make it way fun and draw whatever you want on it.

On tuesday, I have to work on my helmet hair. Either you get it or you don't. I totally enjoyed this project despite all of the mess and I would definitely do it again. I would also recommend it to anyone who needs a chalkboard or just would like a fun way to decorate every day!

Something new from something old!

So it's been a LONG time since I wrote anything and today I woke up feeling crafty. I have been thinking of my friend who is becoming "moderately rocking" with T-shirts. It's hard for an old dog to learn new tricks but with each tee he puts on he gets a little cooler. I am a big fan of tees and jeans but it was time that I learned some new tricks myself.

Enter the T-SHIRT CONVERSION!!

This is my favorite Led Zeppelin.

It's soft and perfectly worn in all of the perfect spots (Yes those are pit stains), but it is a boy's tee and so the sleeves are long and the neck is too tight. So I got a bullet and some whiskey, bit my lip and....

I cut into it!!!! First to go were the sleeves, I lined up the shirt, pressed it and cut straight up from the side "seam" press. Then I measured 1.5inches from the top logo and cut across. The 1.5 wasn't arbitrary, 1/4inch for the first roll of the seam casing and then 1 inch for the actual casing.

NO TURNING BACK NOW!

Now the way this tee was designed, the logo was higher than the armpits so those have to be sewed up so that you don't have huge vents while you wear it as a cool new tube top. This could have potentially looked bad, but it ends up making these decorative darts (totally by luck)

Now for the casing I mentioned earlier. I turned over 1/4 inch and then 1 inch and top stitched the casing. This only took a long time because I pinned and pressed and sewed slowly. I am an instant gratitude kind of person, but I really wanted this to come out well.

Casing done, now for the elastic. I had some non-roll 1/4 inch hanging around so I fed it through the casing sewed it together and sewed the hole closed. Be careful not to let the elastic twist, that would make you crazy. How long do you make the elastic? Duh, put it around your chest about where you want the top of your new crazy tube to fall. that's how much. if your tee fits you fine without the elastic then great, but for me with boobies, I had to make it a little gathered.

I then noticed I had way more gathers than I thought I would have so I positioned them in the back and smoothed out the front. I didn't want it to look like a pregnancy tube top. I straightened the front and sewed through the casing at the sides so I would still have a little pull in the front, but I could throw it into the washer and not have to restraighten the whole thing. So here is my new Zeppelin tube top. I am way psyched!

Not too bad. And can I mention how smart I was to take this picture myself in the mirror? I was pretty impressed. I'm gong to wear it to a good show we are going to go to in Washington D.C at DC9. One am radio. It's only gonna cost $8! Can you believe that! So cheap for such a good band? So convert your own favorite tee and go see a show yourself. More to come!

Yea for presents!! Christmas in July

What's better than listening to music?? Making CDs for your friends! And while your being all crafty creating the ultimate playlist, get crafty with the case. Here's the problem, regular jewel cases only hold what two discs?
Well when you are a music enthusist like I am, you have to be able to give about 10 cds to your friend because "he has to listen to them all!!" Enter the woven construction paper case. This is quite durable and yes, I did get all 10 cds in! Just cut thin strips and then cut strips in a piece of paper, but don't go all the way to the end, it helps to hold everything together. maybe 15 minutes? But memorable for your friends!

I guess I will put my music recommendations here, basically the cds I made for him. (some of the artists I put all of the albums I have by them so it adds up to 10):
1. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists- they are so awesome
2. Mastadon- they open up for TOOL they kick ass if you are feeling you need some metal in your life
3. Le Tigre-including a remix of their album "This Island"
4. The Rapture- this gets stuck in your head
5. Mates of State- I can't even comment they are so good
6. Pedro the Lion- I like them so they must be good.
And maybe a couple of other ones, but it's hard to keep track.

Wait, that's not all, I have been on vacation for two weeks now and I went and got a TV thing so that now I can burn DVDs on my computer. Well to catch up all my friends with no cable, how about some DVDs and cases of the best show ever? THE FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS!
You're still not watching it? maybe I'll make you a DVD then.... but check out the cases.


















How awesome are those? HaHa that's David Bowie on the inside of that one. You have to watch it to get the joke. Just your basic third grade collage from magazines and scraps of paper, but YOU MADE IT!

One more present, remember my momo's socks... They are done! I loved working with this yarn from Woolworks. It's 100% superwash Merino wool hand dyed in "lilypad." One skein makes one pair of socks, but I do have a little bit of yarn left over. I did splurge and go back and buy another color "desert sand" but you will have to wait for those ones. This is also my first pattern that was a lacy design and I am way psyched about how they came out. Enjoy momo!

I guess I put those pictures up pretty messy, but I only have 3 more days off so I have plenty more to do besides arranging pictures. And look how selfless I was with all of those presents. (that was pretty selfish to say huh?) Bike still in progress, this is a long project.... Did you go to a concert yet?

Bike in Progress...

Wow, it's been a while and you know why? Stupid moving! I HATE MOVING! It was a lot of work, and of course, I procrastinated as much as possible. Including a trip to Charlotte, NC, taking not one but two bikes apart and not stopping even though my apartment was in boxes. And since it's my blog can I just say I hate the monopoly company for cable in Baltimore Comcast, which I will now be calling "ComCastration." But enough about that, here's something crafty that I have been working on....



Yep, that is a three speed bike!!! Rock on! Veggie Liz found it for me on Craig's list and we picked up this bike <-

for this part ->














So the whole thing will make a DREAM MACHINE on this bike frame! How awesome is this going to be?





So I must send out props to my local bike shop that got all of the pieces off for me that I couldn't muscle myself. http://www.broadwaybike.com They totally deserve it!! And Veggie Liz because only we can get into these projects together!!
If you like to bike, then you should definitely build your own dream machine. It's very gratifying and way fun!
Now for some recommendations: Wait! we should have a meeting....Let's take attendance:
Beauty? Present. Ok now for the meeting....
That brings me to the first item on the agenda:
The Flight of the Conchords.
If you are not watching this..Why?? It's hysterical. I love Jemaine and Brett.
Second item on the agenda:
Go to a concert this summer. You must have a day off that you can just go see a band, a local band, a huge band, a guy in the park with a banjo, just go.
I guess that's it for now. Not a whole lot today but more bike porn to come and maybe some artsy-fartsy stuff later.
Momo, I promise I'm working on your socks!

Jump into SOCKS!!

My first knitted pair of socks!! It was really just getting over the fear and horror stories of others that was the hardest. I taught myself to knit on two circular needles from Cat Bordhi's book Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles. Picking up the gusset stitches was a little confusing, but God bless your local yarn store and all of the people who work there. (This is the plug for my Baltimore store Woolworks and their website is www.woolworksbaltimore.com). These are the basic socks and after I got the first one done, it was just a matter of sitting down to do the second, and now I'm hooked! Check out how I even got the self-striping yarn to line up (a little obsessiveness on my part).And if you don't know how to knit on two circulars, I highly recommend learning to do so because I am never going to do any sort of tube any other way. I'm not giving up my dpns yet, but this it is so fast to knit on two circulars.

I have a zillion projects in the works too. Quilts and fabric all over the place, beads rolling all over, and did I mention I'm moving? What better time to start a million things so then I have to pack them up mid project?

On a different note here are the CDs you should listen to RIGHT NOW! Ok maybe not right now but here are some June recommendations: I am a little behind as far as recommending them when they were released but this will be a comprehensive list.
1. Neon Bible -The Arcade Fire
2. Year Zero -Nine Inch Nails
3. We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank -Modest Mouse
4. American Doll Posse -Tori Amos
5. Fear of a Blank Planet -Porcupine Tree
6. Houses of the Holy -Led Zeppelin.
It has been a bit since I have gone to the record store so I am sure there will be another list to come. That Arcade Fire CD though.... yum. It's quite profound. And the Mighty Zep, well you should be listening to at least one album every day.
And speaking of music, how funny is this? Last night, veggie Liz and I saw the best local band Gunwife Gone (I think that is the name) they kicked ass, but I met the guy who produced or promoted, I can't remember, that song that goes...."DAMN, I wish I was your lover...."You know the one. I think that singer's name is Sophie or something? and I feel horrible I can't remember his name, super nice guy, the promoter or whatever he did, not the singer.

So I think that is it for this one, I have some "in the works pictures" but I will save them until I finish the projects and since you know the song I am talking about now that will be stuck in your head for a day at least. It was way catchy.