Making your own Labels

I order two rubber stamps to make my own labels...one for general crafting/sewing/cardmaking and one for knitting.

Good thing I got the serger, right? LOL

New Toy

After helping a co-worker to get the threading right on her Singer UltraLock yesterday, I asked myself, why did I get rid of my Singer serger years ago...about 10 or more years past? Well, it was tempermental, a pain, nothing like my Bernina 1630, collecting dust and taking up space.

I sold it for about the price of purchase, having only tried to use it a handful of times. Who knows if the lady that purchased it did the same.

Well, yesterday, watching Marj go zippity-do-dah on her machine had me driving right down to JoAnn's to see the sales person in the sewing center (seperate entity from JoAnn's by the way).

I was going to put a serger on my wish list for next year's Christmas holiday and give to my darling hubby. After talking to her about the difference, say from this White Serger at $199.00 and the Huskvarna at $499, I took the White. What was the difference, besides color? One came with lessons, one did not. Hmmm. She said that they pretty much all thread the same way, some a bit temper inducing, others not.

I brought it home, set it on my craft table and headed out to the garden for two hours. About 6 pm, I sat down to thread it up and wha-la. In a short amount of time, I had made an apron and five two-sided cloth napkins for a friend and her new place.

It was worth the purchase...I'm a happy seamstress now!

Another Amy Butler Pattern Project Done

From the book, "In Stitches" by Amy Butler. I present:

Project Stats:
Pattern: Oversized Laundry Bag from In Stitches by Amy Butler
Fabrics: Amy Butler and misc. pieces used from my stash of cotton fabrics
Date of project: January 22, 2007
Sewing Time: 3 hours, start to finish
Notes: I didn't add the canvas as suggested. It was a stablizer for the outside of the bag. I didn't have enough of any scraps to use so I skipped that portion. I did add the lining and some very stiff Pellon Peltex, pretty close to the Timetex called for in the instructions.

I adore this book and plan on completeing some more projects from it.

2nd Amy Butler Arts & Crafts Tote

Project:
Pattern: Amy Butler's Arts & Crafts Tote & Matching Needlecase
Fabric: Home Decor fabrics, heavy weight
Started: 1/21/07, 11:10 a.m.
Finished: 1/21/07, 7:00 p.m.
Where did first tote go? To DD#1.


Back side. I didn't have much in it to weigh it down while taking the picture. I am very happy with the end result.


Here's the front veiw. I decided not to do the tool/needle holder this time. I didn't use it on the first bag. Pockets are always a plus.


The new needlecase to go with the new bag. Stripes are awesome for sewing the needle channels.

Cowgirl Slipper Socks, yeehaw!

Project:
Pattern: Cowgirl Slipper Socks design by Ann Budd, Interweave Knits, Winter 2006, Page 132
Yarn: Heirloom Easy Care 8 Ply, Shade 706, Dyelot 19 (Cocoa Brown), 98 meteres approx., two skeins purchased from The Wool Station, Bellingham, WA, 12-15-06
Needle Size: US 7 dpn’s to Cast On, US 6 dpn’s for remainer of sock
Started: January 13, 2007
Finished: January 16, 2007
What else are snow days for!

Tweed Beret

Cute, fast and done!
The photo didn't pick it up, but it was snowing again when I took this picture. This is a great little knit that is quick and uses just one skein. Check out the stats:

Project Stats:
Pattern: Tweed Beret, Interweave Knits Winter 2006, Page 134
Yarn: Peace Fleece Dye Lot # 7951, Siberian Midnight (30% mohair/70% wool)
Needle Size: US 6 - DPNS & Circulars in 16" & 20 " lengths
Started: January 11, 2007
Finished: January 13, 2007

I'm Boggie'd out

Project Stats:
Pattern: Boogie (vest) from knitty.com, Spring 2004 issue
Yarn: Elann Peruvian Highland Chunky
Start Date: December 26, 2006
Finish Date: January 10, 2007
Needle Size: US 10
Notes: Not totally happy with neckline of pattern. Very easy to knit...only two evenings for back, rest of time was a little knitting here and a little knitting there on the front section.

New Shoes...

and I don't mean the musical group. Does any one remember the video to the one top hit song by New Shoes from the 80's. A bit of a groggy picture, but you get the gest, right? I purchased a pair of LLBean garden shoes a few years back and have been so happy with them that when their winter sale brought these up, I jumped at the chance. Pretty funky, functional but fun. I'll keep my older ones for mowing the grass and chicken coop duty.

Also, check out Project Spectrum for 2007 -------------------->
What a colorful world just waiting for us to explore.

New Year = 2007

Any quilters out there? Any one interested in a "barter" of five inch cotton fabric squares for handmade/handstamped cards you can use? I'm in the "spend less" mode of my New Years resolution. I also have to put on 500 miles on my new bike to make it worth the purchase, and to get in shape to ride with Shelley to a winery someday. I wonder if riding along with wine bottles in my bike basket would be considered "riding while under the influence"? :-)

Back to work today. 110 student school days left, barring any more days we have to make up due to inclement weather. I know, I'm an odd one. I have to have something to look forward to. I can't just get up, go to work, come home, start all over the next day. I have to have something that gets me from one day to the next. I would think most folks are like that, with i.e. vacation, wedding, babies, etc.

The rain is here, the snow is gone and the weekend will hold for me some garden rearranging, come rain or more rain. No shine in the forecast.

Knitting news: Nope, didn't finish Ms. Marigold...it still waits for me. But I did start the Boogie Vest from knitty.com. The back was completed in two evenings, I'm about 1/3 done on the front cable portion.

Sewing News: I decided, after a good year or two of staring at my hexagon quilt stamp template, to get going on my large "grandmother's garden" quilt. This could be a life long journey as it is all hand-pieced. Again, I hear some "tsk, tsk" out there in blog land. I am sane, I promise. I love handwork. Like handquilting vs. machine quilting. Hand embroidery vs. machine embroidery. I think you get the picture. Besides, taking hand sewing to work is rewarding, relaxing and compact to carry.


Diet News: No, seriously, do not laugh. I gave up Weight Watchers, I can say I lost, maybe five pounds, total, for the two or three times I have joined. Well, I started a new food intake program. <----Doesn't that sound alot better than the word "diet"? The Sonoma Diet. I haven't fainted and I haven't physically hurt anyone yet, with not having any chocolate to eat. Pretty proud of myself. The salads and chicken wraps I have made the past two days have been nummy. The salads are full of things, esp. color, like chicken, tomatoes, peppers, red onions, garbonzo beans, mushrooms, feta cheese. The wrap was really good tonight, a whole wheat tortilla with a mayo/roasted garlic spread topped with greens, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, chicken, moz. cheese. Tasty. Though I do feel the celery/peanut butter snack callilng my name. Possibly a cup of Nighty Night tea too.

Until the next post, Happy New Year!