Revisit

This year, I'm going to try to sew more. I had fun making all those goodies for my nieces and nephews that I want to sew more for me as well as others. AND make more bags! I've really missed it. I worked on a bag for a friend (hi Neha!) and while it turned out terrible (supposed to be a fashionable camera bag), I still have hope for it.

So to keep me motivated, I bought a few new patterns:



Lots of variations on the basic t-shirt. This pattern got great reviews and I really like Jalie's instructions.



And this one...well, look at how cute! I love that I can make one for Justin and Jules.

Now to go fabric shopping!

In the Mail

Now that they've been sent and hopefully opened, here are some of the projects I made for nieces and nephews this year:

Toddler Backpack. This was for a 2-year-old nephew. Really, he had so many other gifts that I don't even think he noticed it until the next morning when I said, "Hey, Reese, you can carry all your new cars with this!" and he proceeded to load it up and carry it around. It was cute.



Fleece Jacket with Hannah Montana accents. My niece LOVES Hannah Montana and LOVES pink. This is my standard fleece jacket pattern (Jalie 2679) that I've made many times. Works out great, but I see that Burda has one in their latest magazine. I might have to make that one to compare.


T-shirt turned backpack. One of my nephews loves Ed Hardy but I wasn't about to spend $100 on a t-shirt that I was gonna cut up. So I found a screen print kit at Joann's, a t-shirt at Saver's, and this pattern, and ended up with this:



I actually made another t-shirt backpack for another nephew. He was getting a guitar for Christmas and I found a t-shirt at Savers with a cool guitar and skull - it was perfect. And he really liked it too.

I've never ventured into doll making, but I decided to try a Wee Wonderful doll for another niece. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it'd be. Lots of hand sewing, but surprisingly, I didn't mind.


Now that all the gift sewing is done and my sewing area is cleaned, it's time to make stuff for me!

Babylegs Tutorial

While Justin thinks they are silly, he doesn't take them off Jules. I like babylegs because they are cute, easy to pull on and off, and can leave them on for diaper changes. They'll fit him through toddler-hood and can double as arm warmers on cool fall nights. Plus, they are SUPER easy to make. Here's what you'll need:

Socks - knee high (I got these in the woman's section at Target-2 for $3)
Scissors
pins
Sewing Machine
or
needle and thread



Cut off the heel and toe of the socks.

Don't these remind you of the socks your 70's dad would wear?


Take the foot part of the sock (minus the heel and toe) and fold it into itself so the right sides are facing out. This will be the new cuff.



Slide the new cuff over the cut end of the sock - right sides together. (You'll actually match the edges, I just went further so you can see.)



Match the edges and pin.



Using a med. zig-zag stitch (for stretch), sew about 1/4" from the edge or as close as you want making sure to catch all 3 layers. If you have a serger, use the knife for a trimmed edge.



Well done! You just saved yourself $10!


For some reason, I don't have pics of Jules wearing this pair, but here he is wearing another pair. Quite the outfit, eh?

D'Oh!

Soooo, I can't find my camera cord. And you'll want to see pictures to help you understand what I'm yapping about when it comes to making these babylegs.

So until I can find the cord - here's Jules all dressed up as a Chef for Halloween.



There, the cuteness should tide you over. (I made that hat thank you very much.)

Doing the Dance

He's a maniac MANIAC on the floor...



And he's dancing like he's never danced before.

You too can make cute little babylegs for your little one. Stay tuned, babylegs tutorial tomorrow!

Semi Wordless Wednesday

It's amazing what a little black can do.



Hide a belly! 19 weeks today. Belly has no where to go but out. Impressive, huh? Say "HI" Scully!



In preparation for a baby who we don't know the sex, I've started working on some clothes. I used Kwik Sew 3090 and tried it out on new niece, Natalie. (I don't know what happened with the snaps. It was all even at the leg.)



She's tiny. I'm sure it won't fit her until Spring. Justin practicing his football hold on Natalie. It was a reality check, apparently.

Leg Warmers Anyone?

If you're like me, you buy gifts for your pet during the Holiday's. She's part of the family and loves to get anything new. I could whip out a toy she hasn't seen in a year and she's totally happy and thrilled to have it back in her life.

But if you're not sure what to get your furry friends for Christmas, here are a few inexpensive suggestions:

For your cat, here's a simple tutorial (from craftershock) to make cat-nip toys. Looks easy and super cute! What a great way to use up felt scraps.

Don't forget your dogs legs when it's 10 degrees out. These leg warmers can go from your tot, to your dog. I suggest a wash between uses, though.

You can't go wrong with homemade dog treats! Here's an easy recipe from sugarlaws. (Tons of other human recipes too!)

Not necessarily for the dog, but it could make your life a little easier on walks: the dog leash bag.

Or just give them the gift of love and life (by making sure they are fed and not eating tree tinsel. Do they still make that stuff? No? Good, then Merry Christmas furry ones!).

Call It What You Will, It's a Post

It's a Christmas miracle! I got my Burda magazine yesterday, December 1st. I normally get it at the end of the month. And there are some awesome items that are calling my name to be made.

Justin admits he's Passive Aggressive. I'm here to tell you, he is. And in honor of his personality trait (I know who from), I found this site that you might enjoy. I think it's hilarious because I think we all have some passive aggressiveness towards people.

Cause I'm a Sucker That's Why

My first 30-day challenge starts today. I'm dumb. But, I needed a way to keep up with blogging/journaling/telling no one about crap in my life because it's good therapy. (I really need an anonymous blog for the real stuff.)

I got all of my purse supplies out of storage and had good intentions of working on some new things over the Holiday weekend. But food, shopping, and napping got in the way. But, I'm still hopeful.

Time to get crafty because people!!! We have like three weeks til Christmas. Three!!! Then life will be boring again, but with snow on the ground.

Storage

We have officially packed up Summer in the Foell house. The older Foell's did it months ago because they are pros. Justin and I were in denial until this weekend when we realized we couldn't wear our sandals, shorts and tanks for the next 5 months. So off to the storage unit they went. In their place we pulled out our "Winter" coats. (Which really are Las Vegas Winter coats. Actually, I have a nice Winter coat, I just have to layer to make it suitable for Minnesota. And Justin's is from Old Navy. And after he wore it once in Kansas City, he deemed it suitable for a Minnesota Winter. We'll see. Good thing his new job barely requires him to get dressed.)

Oh, yeah, Justin got a job. Working from home, telemarketing.

I kid! Telecommuting. Computer stuff. Website stuff. He's excited. I'm excited he's home to entertain Scully and let her out as necessary instead of kenneling her. We were mean parents. It also means that we can go down to one car and put the Silly Car in storage, where it will not see snow, ice, or salt. (Although it has totally seen ice, the Silly Car does well heating up quick for being, like 16 years old. But still, family rule: Silly Car sees NO snow.)

Something else that made it out of storage: my purse supplies! I had a request from a friend who wants some goods. So I thought, it's been a very long time since I updated my etsy shop. I think it's time to get my ass in gear. Plus, I've got the time, so why not. And since many buy homemade items for Christmas, I'll keep prices very low during this crap-tacular economic downturn so you get what you want. Speaking of, if you want something specific, just let me know.

How weird is this? My Grandpa's 80th Birthday is Wednesday. His Mother-in-Law (my Great-Grandma) is 91. WTH? Things would have been so different if he had married her instead of my granny. I told him this, but I don't think he was impressed with my observation or my math skills.

Apparently, I'm on a "one post a week" rut right now. But there's so much to talk about. Maybe after Thanksgiving, I'll ramp up the posts. Who cares, right? Most people come here looking for this post anyway.
Lime

Oh, before I go, if you're looking for a great movie to see this Holiday weekend, check out Slumdog Millionaire. It was beyond great. It got great reviews here in Minneapolis and everyone I was with agreed. If you see it, let me know what you think. We loved it. Rotten Tomatoes agrees with me.

Shave the Alamo!

We like to think our costumes were a success. Justin did say all weekend that he thought it was the best idea yet. I do have to agree, even though some people at the party were like, "Sweeny Todd? Never seen it."



I whipped mine up in a few hours. I didn't hem it because, seriously, it's a Halloween costume. I used a burn out stretchy fabric for the bodice and just wore a black shirt underneath. The party was in the hosts garage so it was a bit too cold for me (still not getting use to Minnesota. I know, I know, the winters will be nothing compared to this) so I had my jacket on all night. Except for pictures.

Look at our brave pups "Saving the Alamo!" More like, "Protecting our Pumpkins!"



Davie "Skye" Crockett and (this is totally not politically correct but there was no other way around it) her enemy in real life "Scully" Mexican Soldier. Really she's supposed to be part of General Santa Ana's army, but we based the whole costume around her hat.

Scully ready for action with her bullets. Good thing we didn't give her a gun too.


Skye hated the hat. I guess it reminds her of the bunnies she's always chasing in the yard.




They both lost the war protecting our pumpkins. They were stolen and smashed down the street. Minnesota hoodlums.
grape

I Do Make Stuff

Halloween. We finished the costumes for Scully and Skye last night. But not before we had to break up a dog fight (apparently the 2nd one for the day). Not sure what's going on, but poor Scully had a bad day with Skye, ending up in her mouth again or shoved under the couch trying to hide from her. Skye can be mean sometimes.

But they looked so cute all dressed up! Scully loves Justin dressing her. Perhaps it's just her loving him paying attention to her? Who knows, but she just loves it.

Skye knows how to take the hat off. I'll have to make it tighter.

Justin actually did some hand sewing last night. That's how serious we are about Halloween people. Justin sewing.

I've got my costume cut out but not sewn. I suck, I know. The party is tomorrow, so I'll be up late sewing. I can't imagine it taking me long mostly because, it's a Halloween costume, I'm not going make it fancy and follow directions. It's not daily wear, it's not fashion. It's just an ugly dress (supposed to be ugly). I need to put more effort into my hair than this dress.

Photos of all Halloween participants coming soon.

Heather, I haven't forgotten about your prize. One half is done and ready to mail. The other half (the "I have to make it vegan?") is still in the works.
raspberry

Hot Tip #6 Recycling

(It's been a while since my last Hot Tip but Justin and I are in full force recycling.)

There are many ways you can incorporate recycling into your life. And it's not just plastics and pop cans, there are many other ways to recycle. Here are some of the easy one's that we've done.

First, see if your local waste management company (your garbage peeps) offer recycling bins for weekly pick-up. Most cities now have them for free. Some offer just one bin. Others will give you different bins for different items (one for paper, one for glass, one for aluminum) to make sorting easier.

Paper - We read the newspaper every day. We get junk mail, bills, and magazine every day. This stuff piles up, seriously. Create a designated place to collect the paper. In Las Vegas, we got bins from Ikea and they fit perfectly in our pantry. Here in Minnesota, we've got what looks like a cedar chest (but isn't) with a lid. It looks like a piece of furniture (and sometimes we use it as such) but it holds 2 weeks worth of recycling.

Don't forget you can recycle your shredded bills and important documents (shred them first).

Plastics - All plastics have a designated number on the bottom of them. In Las Vegas and here, they only recycle numbers one and two. Anything else we have to throw away. But you don't have to just toss them. You can reuse them for simple storage ideas (hair ties, sewing supplies, yo-yo parts, etc.). Water bottles will take up less space if they are collapsed. Always remove the lids when recycling them. Or better yet, just stop using plastic water bottles all together. Get one of these. Just make sure it's BPA free. Oh, and not buying cases of bottled water will save you money too. Don't forget that!

Aluminum - Or known up here as "pop cans" or in Texas "coke cans". Whatever you call it, cans are the easiest thing to recycle. Just crush them up and toss them... into a designated box, bag (paper works great), or bin. Some recycling centers take soup cans too. Las Vegas did, Minnesota doesn't. Too bad. If your area does, just make sure you rinse out your smelly tuna cans.

Once a month we have used motor oil pick up and once a year they pick up left-over household cleaners and solvents that you really shouldn't dump down drains. Don't do it. Just set them out in the garage for that pick up day.

Ok, those are the easy and obvious ones. There are other ways to recycle. Buy second hand instead of something new. Stores like Savers, Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Deseret Industries all get gently used clothing. A store like Savers is a "for profit" so some of their stuff is actually from department stores. Justin and I have scored some great fall clothes there. Jeans, pants, sweaters all for $30. Seriously.

Zip top bags can be replaced with fabric bags with velcro closures (for food storage). A great way to use up small fabric pieces and use less zip top bags.

Another way to use of fabric is to make a grocery tote. (which I've actually made).

There are many other ways to recycle and it might save you money too. Let me know what you are doing to recycle or if there's anything I've missed that you are doing.

The Craftyness Continues

I was driving to school when I first heard about it. My infant and maternal nutrition instructor said, "don't worry about what's going on, I'm sure it was an accident." Accident my ass lady.

Justin and I are so sad with our running. Justin is fast and I'm slow as usual. We only ran 2km yesterday. Seriously nothing compared to what we were doing a year ago at this time. But our goal is only 5km so I shouldn't feel so bad. At least I'm running again.

I'm working on 2 projects but I keep putting them down when I get frustrated. One is Amy Butler's Kimberly Bag and the other is a pair of pants. The pants are called "Amazing Fit" so far, they are close. Surprisingly I haven't had really any problems it's just a little time consuming when I'm trying to make them look really good. The fabric color I picked isn't the best on me so I'm not sure I'll wear them a lot.

I'm altering the Amy Butler bag a bit. I want the handles longer and I don't want the bag 18" long. I shortened it down to 16" and I'm omitting the zipper. The fabric I picked is suede so hopefully it'll cooperate. I picked up the pattern at Crafty Planet. I finally went there on Saturday with Justin. He thought it was a cool place and ended up picking a magazine for himself.

Ike is heading towards home. My parents live in one of the mandatory evacuation areas. After all the years living there, I think I've only lived through 2 hurricane's, and even then they were very weak. Let's hope this one is weak too.

Wii Fit Instructor!

I totally made my Wii Fit instructor fleece jacket. It's so soft, subby, and stylish! I used Jalie 2679 and it went together pretty easy. I did have a hard time sewing multiple layers of fleece, but I went slow and it turned pretty good.

Justin really liked it. He determined that it was a stylish pattern (how all the pieces make look "ready-to-wear") instead of it being just a boring looking jacket.

I actually finished my New Look shirt and it looks good too, but I haven't taken any photos of it yet.

On to a new project, just in time for the 3-day weekend!

Guess where I'm going tomorrow. The State Fair! After all these years of hearing Justin say, "We NEED to go." We're finally going, and I'm so excited. I don't think my belly will be excited but hey, I just signed up for a 5k so I'll just run it off :)

Have a great weekend everyone.

Super Sunday Savings!

I don't usually go to Hancock's for anything even though I am a "preferred card member," whatever that means. But I got a flier in the mail last week about a "Grand Opening" of a remodeled store not too far from me. It had patterns on sale for 99 cents, 50% off notions and a bunch of other coupons. I did need a few things so I decided to go on Sunday.

On the way up, I noticed that they were giving away gift cards to the first 100 people. Cool, but I wasn't worried if I didn't get one. We ended up getting two! I walked in first, they handed me a $5 gift card, then Justin walked in shortly after me and he got one too. Score $10!

So here's what I got:
Zipper for a hoodie I'm going to make
2 spools of Maxi-lock thread
Tracing wheel
3 patterns

All for $3! I actually could have used both $5 gift cards and got money BACK from Hancock's but I figured I could use it next week since the sale continues. (And they are giving out more gift cards Saturday and Sunday at this location.)

Something else I saved.... My New Look shirt. I had the collar attached and had just finished attaching the sleeves when it just didn't look right on me. I determined I needed a shoulder adjustment but of course I had to rip out the collar and sleeves to fix the shoulder. So I think I solved the bunchy problem. We'll see today when I attach everything.

Justin's super savings: Have you heard of this store, Aldi? I've seen ads for it in the Sunday paper but have never gone. Justin wanted to stop there after my score at Hancock's. It's a little weird that they make you pay a quarter to get a shopping cart but I think it makes up for all the deals you can score there. Here's what we got:

Bag of trail mix
Pringles
Bread
Tortilla's
Cheese
3-bacon wrapped filet's
energy drinks

All for $18! I told Justin to look at the dates on everything and they were all fine. Has anyone else shopped at that store? It's small but if you have a big family it'd be worth it to check it out.

But, no matter how much we saved, it all went out the window when we had to fill up Justin's car with gas. So much for Sunday savings.

Crafty Planet around the Corner

Seriously, I had no idea this was like 3 miles from my house. Oh my garage I'm so excited! We went for dinner on Johnson street last night and I saw it and was totally like, "No way!!!"

Because my luck is so incredible, the restaurant took so freaking long for dinner that the store closed before we even got our food. Boooo. And I'm going out of town tomorrow so I won't be able to go this weekend. Double boooo. But it will be there for me when I get back.

And for your weekend enjoyment, I love me some good roommate miscommunication.


Mmmm I'm craving some Chicken Makhani!

Many updates or post with no direction

Update on the house situation: It'll be a while. I don't want to jinx it so I'm not going to post about it. But I do want to say, that I'll have my own sewing room if we get it! (this sucker has 4 bedrooms, and last time I counted, there's only 2 of us.)

Update on the hair situation: It's still long even though I did entertain Mike's idea of a fro for about 3 seconds. I swear my hair was thick when I was little. What the hell happened? It's all nice and straight and thinned out. Any suggestions on getting thickness back? No? Won't happen? I knew it. I think I'll let it grow another couple inches and then chop it off. Maybe something between a fro and what I have now.

Update on transportation issues: My a/c sucks in the silly car. But I'm not too worried now because I think the summer heat waves are gone here in Minnesota. The bus, however, is another story. They keep it freaking freezing. I purposely leave work late so I can walk fast to the bus stop just so I'm warm getting on. By the time we get to my stop (the last stop) I'm good. But in the morning, that's a whole different story.

This morning I saw a chick, probably younger than me, get on the bus at my stop. Her tongue was sticking out. Like her lips were too big to keep that thing in. I kept trying to sneak-a-peak to see if maybe she was just licking her lips or trying to cool her tongue off. Nope. I'm sure it's nothing medical cause when she talks her lips close. What's that all about? So weird.

Update on the sewing front: I'm almost done with my New Look shirt. I've never done a shirt with a collar before. It was interesting but I got it to work. Now I just have to attach the sleeves, buttons and hem it up.

I've actually got a good setup in the basement right now. I'm sure the in-laws hate the fact that I've used their pool table for tracing patterns. But I haven't damaged it and don't plan to. It's just convenient.

Update on DCI: It's this weekend. I can't wait. Regiment just might pull off a win this year. Oh, and I AM SPARTACUS!

Summer Projects

I realized my serger mistake after thinking about it on the way home from work. Needles. I need new needles. I knew I had 2 left so I ordered more. But I was able to finish my knit top until 1 of my needles broke (I rule again). So before I can do my coverstich, I have to wait for my new needles to come in.

But I did finish this 2 weeks ago:



It makes these muggy Minnesota summer's easier with the silkiness of the fabric. Oh, and trying to hem it was a pain but I did it very carefully. I entered it in this Sew-Along.

Up next on the sewing front: New Look 6407
It's been done many times, with positive results, so I figure it's pretty good.

I went to the dentist today and not only did I get my teeth cleaned and thoroughly examined, I also got a paraffin hand treatment. I need one of these at home! I'm sure I looked funny with my hands in mittens to keep the wax on, protective glasses, with my mouth wide open. Good news: she had nothing to clean, my mouth was perfect (I rule). Bad news: I have to make up the 3 hours I lost.

Let's hope this works

I guess we could have spared ourselves about 2 months of house hunting and just gone with the first house we agreed to. Lucky for us, it was still on the market so we put an offer in on Saturday. Unfortunately, it's in foreclosure so this could take a while.

In the mean time, I decided to whip out my serger. I wasn't going to use it at all but thought why not. Of course, since it had been many, many months since I last used it, the instructions had to come out too. I had this knit top all cut out before we moved so I wanted to finish it last night. I threaded it and all was well until I had to change the stitch - it didn't like what I did so I gave up before I screamed. And I was almost done too. I suck.

I've actually completed more clothing projects while living here than in Las Vegas. Well, a lot of my projects in Vegas were totes, purses, and bags, none of which I've done here. It's easy to come home after liking your job and want to work on a fun project. In Vegas, my job sucked the life out of me at home and I didn't want to do anything. So the way I see it, the move was worth it.