#43 Draped Cardigan

This was meant to fill out my conservative work wardrobe. The biggest pain in was the cutting. It was much easier to put together than I thought. I did substitute the double folded hems for a serged rolled hem.
I also shortened it as it was wicked long. This cut about a 2/3 of a yard from the required fabric. It is made from a very light rayon jersey of mid grade quality.

#44 Flowery tank

This is a basic recon of a ruched shirt I made a while back. The photos don't do the fabric justice as it is a pretty nice rayon jersey print.

Quick project... 45 min tops using the rolled hem feature on my serger.

#45 Exposed seam sweatshirt jacket

So I was looking for a stylish sweatshirt for those days when a coat is too much. I used a basic raglan sweatshirt pattern and a circle skirt and serged the seams and darts. I then installed a high collar inspired by many a sci-fi movie. Then installed an exposed zipper.  It was a pretty quick project and not expensive.

4 yards of fleece, 1 zipper
About 3.5 hours worth the work... mostly in drafting the pattern.

#46 "Shirt" Skirt

This is a recon of 3 men's shirts into a high waist-ed circle skirt. I left the seams exposed for a deconstructed look and then added a pop of color around the hem with appliqued yarn strands.

This project took about 4 hours including figure out how to do put it together.

#47 Vintage style wood tags

These little tags are for my mail organizer kept by my front door. It was created in an effort to avoid the mail avalanche that was building.

Click here to download the PDF.

Pop-up book project... crazy but good

This is a little project (and by little I mean huge and awesome) I am working on. There is an amazing crew of folks working on it. We are currently playing with scale models in order to troubleshoot before we are working with a 18 foot whatnot. It is cool. We submitted a proposal... I really really hope the folks at the burning man org decides we are worthy of funding. The crew is so cool... peeps who really follow through and are wicked fun to work with.

#48 Curly Scarfy in dark red wool

This is the project I finished this week. It is a dark red ribbed scarf done with Wool-Ease chunky yarn and a fat fat crochet needle. Anybody could do this scarf. I hadn't really done any crochet in *gasp* 20 years.

#49 McCall's 6127 Tunic

So this little tunic is part of McCall's Pattern M6127. I made a black ribbed rayon jersey one first in size 26 (the is the size on a pattern, not a commercial dress size). The first one that I don't have pictures of ;-( I made without altering the pattern at all. It was almost a dress it was sooooooo long. A mini dress at least... it was mid thigh on me and a little bit big in the armhole.

This second effort was shortened by 5 inches, but still turned out too big because I deviated from the recommended fabric type.

I had intended to wear this in layers so I rolled the dice and used a very stretchy light rayon jersey... it was too light and this garment ended up bigger (mostly) longer than I would have liked. I am still pretty happy with it though.

The pattern was a good one, easy to make. The green top took me one movie so about two hours start to finish. I will be making this top again for sure.

#50 Silly pop-up card

So this is a silly little card I made for my 15 year old son. I was made from scraps of junk mail. I heart re-use.

#51 Kindle Cover Prototype

So this is a little kindle cover I made out of felt scraps. I have been using it for the past several months and the design has held up... not so much the felt thought. This piece was hand sew and total work time was about 2 hours. If folks like the design I will post a tutorial and a pattern (PDF).

#52 A cool little database

Have you ever need to know the yardage of that pattern? While you were out shopping without the pattern? Me too.
I created little microsite for just these types of occasions. It is a database of resources I currently own. At the moment it is sewing patterns but in the future it may expand to fabric, art supplies, and collections of digital tools. While I created it basically as a mobile resource for my exclusive use, I am finding it helpful to share the information. Especially when it comes to renewable resources trading within my local community.

I used the Skaken Grid theme and Wordpress multisite to create the database site.

52 Pick-up: Reduex

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For the year of 2011, I had intend to complete 52 significant, worth a week projects and blog them. I succeeded in making the project but not so much with the documenting them. This year will be different. I am on it. For 2012 it is ON!

The criteria has not changed. Projects may be crafty. They may be arty. They may be just crazy-ass ideas all drawn out with plans. I will do my best to chronicle the process not only for entertainment purposes but also an effort to improve the quality of my endeavors. Many aspects from the 365 project still hold true.


*Ha! Fooled you. You thought of course I would include a image of cards from the old card trick. The main image for this post and this project is a 1952 pick up truck. I was tempted to use this image... for the sheer creepy factor. But the source material just squicked me pretty out though I dig the blog that posted it.

#47 Earrings, Rose Quartz

They are simple... but good. My wire works is improving.

#48 Half-naked Homerotic Firemen

This is a dress I made and then remade and then made again. Lesson: DON'T SEW WHEN DOG TIRED.

it still rocked... and in the end it was upside down despite the picture here.

#49 My playa coat in black and blue

I have plans for this diddy... it is really fun and mega cozy. It turned out bigger than I expected or really desired but was good all in all. I will modify this one down and definately use the pattern I created in the future.

Sewn from scratch with a  huge amount of cozy soft anti pill fleece.

#50 Pizza servant costume

This ditty was a quickly for the playa... It is a one size fit's all number that can be worn several ways due to the magic of rope... my beloved beloved rope.

#51 Mane...

Things like this will go to a sisters head. Was totally thrilling to draw something out and then have someone fabricate it right on the spot (thanks Felix). Wow... what fun!

#52 Spicy Pickeled Mexican veg and my inability to post regularly

Long time no post. I know. Silly. I just lost my will to polish and post content. The good news is that I have been generating content and I am gonna get off my ass and post it! And if I can figure this out at all I am gonna integrate this blog with my wordpress creative site, too. But enough of this.


I pickled this weekend... unlike other weekend were I just got pickled.

This is a combination of Jalapenos, red onions, carrots, and garlic pickled with vinegar and lime juice and spice. Yummy. 12 pint recipe will follow shortly and be edited into this post.

And Now the recipe
8 red onions, sliced in thin half rings
38 jalapeños, topped, halved and deseeded
2 C garlic, whole peeled cloves
14 bay leaves
1 lb Carrots, in large thin angled slices
15 C rice vinegar
1.5 C lime juice, fresh only (about 10 - 12 limes)
8 Tbl Salt
.5 C sugar

12 Pint jars with lids and rings (about $8.99 at the hardware store)

Mix veggies well in a large non-reactive bowl or container.
In a large pot bring vinegar, salt and sugar to a boil. Stir until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Add the lime juice and bring back up to just to a boiling (you don't want to over-boil the lime as it kills the flavor... but you do want to get it to boiling for about a min.)
Pour over the veggies and set aside to cool
In the bottom of each (washed) jar add 1 large bay leaf ( or two small ones).
Once the veggie mixture has cooled for about an hour or two, use your hand to evenly divide the veggies into the jars — packing them in is okay! I like to make the jars kinda pretty by showing the nice veggies on the outside. Then poor the vinegar mixture into the jars until very VERY full. This part is messy. It will spill when you put the lids on. The idea is to get rid of as much air as you can and keep those veggies submerged. Add tops and tighten down... then place in the fridge... you can dig into these in three days but I like them in one week. If kept continuously cold they will stay good for some time (several months).

If you want to hot seal them check out the directions here for canning pickels: http://www.pickyourown.org/makingpickles.htm

52 Pick Up

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For the year of 2011, I intend to complete 52 significant, worth a week projects. They may be crafty. They may be arty. They may be just crazy-ass ideas all drawn out with plans. I will do my best to chronicle the process not only for entertainment purposes but also an effort to improve the quality of my endeavors. Many aspects from the 365 project still hold true.













*Ha! Fooled you. You thought of course I would include a image of cards from the old card trick. The main image for this post and this project is a 1952 pick up truck. I was tempted to use this image... for the sheer creepy factor. But the source material just squicked me pretty out though I dig the blog that posted it.

Blogging is hard work

So it has been almost 2 months since the close of 2011 and the 365 project. I learned a few things. 1, it is insane to plan a project a day and have a full time job and be a parent and friend. If I ever do that again, I am gonna have to ditch one of those things. (Guess which one it would ditch... come on, guess ;)

As I closed the 365 project I only completed about 100 projects. I didn't even get to blogging them all. I learned a few things one if which is it takes time to photograph and write and illustrate stuff. Who knew. I find that despite that I still like doing it. And I love thinking about projects and then actually doing it. I plum adore the whole process.I also learned that have a goal, a structure and making that structure know to the world was immensely helpful. It gave me drive not only to complete my ideas and project but also a greater sense of "rightness" about recording ideas in books, blogs and journals regardless of if I ever brought them to life.

I also learned to accept and embrace the fact I will always be one of those people with a million ideas. An Ex once said to me (in a not very nice way) that "you always have a million ideas but I only see you doing one or two... you have all these dreams and you aren't doing them." That was painful to hear not only because he was saying to be mean and belittle me but also because well it was true. And years later, after removing him and adding some of those dreams I figured out... well that it is okay not to see each and every idea, dream, half baked notion to the light of day. The first step is to think it or dream it... so job done there.

So I will be starting a new project ( i sorta already did) for 2011. One that respects the time it takes to write, image and otherwise communicate the whole dealio. I will call this project 52 Pick Up. After the card game. Pick Up as in I am picking everything back up after a right crap holiday season. And the 52 comes from one a week. I have a bunch of blogging to do from projects started and completed since the first. Stay tuned.