tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57778572148905598662024-03-13T00:48:37.212-07:00The Crooked BananaAnnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.comBlogger150125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-21020681076406038792015-12-01T10:39:00.000-07:002015-12-01T10:39:13.585-07:00A Return!Did anyone else have a crazy November? I don't know what happened to that whole month. It seems like I had an event of some sort planned every weekend and the time just flew right on by...<br />
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I was also participating in <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">National Novel Writing Month</a>. I've participated a few times now and won 3 of those. If you're not familiar with NaNoWriMo, "winning" means I wrote 50,000 words or more in 30 days. It's a lot. At the end of it I have a big, messy pile of words that will need to be heavily edited and rewritten before they really become anything, but it's a start. I did pretty good about writing in college, but when your grades depend upon whether or not you finish a poem or short story for workshop the next day, it's much easier to stay motivated. So I have been working this year on taking my writing more seriously and trying to develop daily habits instead of doing a mad dash once a year and then forgetting about it.<br />
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But somehow, I also had time for some crafts. Here's a short rundown.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXZbsEo6QgCuT8n4iXI05m6JufvvhN_SRnx5RYgtBzlFlhavdtmqFkQijOf3s1MLhRLi5aunqnYZGcqXSt8MsT-eX83ToFNc9R9s0tQQxsI3cwTvVWrxh8Qsha4X5glhczYuu81M5fQ4/s1600/20151130_200822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="giant churn dash quilting" border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXZbsEo6QgCuT8n4iXI05m6JufvvhN_SRnx5RYgtBzlFlhavdtmqFkQijOf3s1MLhRLi5aunqnYZGcqXSt8MsT-eX83ToFNc9R9s0tQQxsI3cwTvVWrxh8Qsha4X5glhczYuu81M5fQ4/s640/20151130_200822.jpg" title="giant churn dash quilting" width="640" /></a></div>
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I FINALLY finished this beast of a quilt last night. This picture shows how much I had left when I ran out of bobbin thread. OF COURSE. You may remember me starting this... in March of 2014! I know. It's shameful how long this has been in progress. Especially considering this was supposed to be a gift for my now-husband in 2014. But this is the year! It will finally be finished!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbKoArEpzJzALvTcao2KFb_dgT8LN1brDTRVDQFxm5iNLzc7NqvH5RGh7sQ7UtxiWn7X02WkRWBxjADk_jRe8T8Vf_WugG56dswgXnPSN-3qoaoPBXYnJvwHrjdUP3jpVf4pNe9Umo69g/s1600/20151104_172605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="vermonter manos del uruguay" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbKoArEpzJzALvTcao2KFb_dgT8LN1brDTRVDQFxm5iNLzc7NqvH5RGh7sQ7UtxiWn7X02WkRWBxjADk_jRe8T8Vf_WugG56dswgXnPSN-3qoaoPBXYnJvwHrjdUP3jpVf4pNe9Umo69g/s640/20151104_172605.jpg" title="vermonter manos del uruguay" width="480" /></a></div>
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I know this picture sucks, but this hat was a gift and I sent it off before I took any decent pictures. Sorry! But this is a <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-vermonter-2" target="_blank">Vermonter</a> made up in <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/manos-del-uruguay-franca" target="_blank">Manos Franca</a> yarn. It is lovely and soft and the colors are just gorgeous. I had to make some changes to the pattern to get it to fit, which you can find on my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/thecrookedbanana/the-vermonter" target="_blank">Ravelry page</a> if you're interested. I made this for a friend who lives in a much colder area than me. She's been going through some hard stuff, so I sent her a bit of warmth. Like you do.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEy78ujDAt-NjBrWEawWNlVSXIjSFYhIBlytE7ENeLd2IEEaiTJOLUPuLrYqM_pMksW-g2PQ0Ev4n3UBghxB8R_eENyXMDswd1rUkY6DthQqW1DyDdBqCXeF25P-MhUpnPT2hHB7eLI4/s1600/20151014_205959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="hermione's everyday socks" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEy78ujDAt-NjBrWEawWNlVSXIjSFYhIBlytE7ENeLd2IEEaiTJOLUPuLrYqM_pMksW-g2PQ0Ev4n3UBghxB8R_eENyXMDswd1rUkY6DthQqW1DyDdBqCXeF25P-MhUpnPT2hHB7eLI4/s640/20151014_205959.jpg" title="hermione's everyday socks" width="360" /></a></div>
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And this little beauty is my first <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hermiones-everyday-socks" target="_blank">Hermione Everyday Sock</a>! The other one is almost done. I've turned the heel, made the gusset, and now I just need to knit the foot. It got put on hold in favor of the Vermonter, but I will be returning to it soon!<br />
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There has been more stuff, but this is a little sampling. I plan to return to this space more often to share, so keep an eye out :)<br />
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Hope everyone had a lovely holiday!Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-27065351426592706762015-10-02T12:49:00.000-07:002015-10-02T12:49:34.260-07:00I Have Too Many HobbiesIt's true. Way too many hobbies. I knit, sew, crochet, run, read, write, play video games and sometimes cross stitch. And there isn't enough time to devote the amount of attention I would like to each of them. So I go in phases, sometimes week by week, sometimes month by month. But in a perfect world I wouldn't need to go to work every day and I could just rotate hobbies all day long...<br />
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Anyway, here are some things I've been working on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKOr7AptcQsNFVHThsgRY-pnVwSYsfuqo9rcG6TZU6G4KMHGWwBmxRe3Jzt6U_rsaBlwhyphenhyphen-fGTAo8L7isklQWj3A8D5iT2Wv8PhVRT3Qs7gWLcAHaBIVMEWfvTlkE9PkeqC6yfKxQIvVk/s1600/IMG_20150930_195924.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="tiny rainbow patchwork wedge bag" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKOr7AptcQsNFVHThsgRY-pnVwSYsfuqo9rcG6TZU6G4KMHGWwBmxRe3Jzt6U_rsaBlwhyphenhyphen-fGTAo8L7isklQWj3A8D5iT2Wv8PhVRT3Qs7gWLcAHaBIVMEWfvTlkE9PkeqC6yfKxQIvVk/s640/IMG_20150930_195924.jpg" title="tiny rainbow patchwork wedge bag" width="480" /></a></div>
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A teeny tiny version of the wedge bags I make for my Etsy store! Seriously adorable. I'm probably going to list them for sale soon :) I love tiny things!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXSPKQq4LCWUCz6IS__TEpPvzbmuO7Ttp4wZzvLSFIzVZFNKM5V4g0I1wsUum5ed2gip1VcuXbrr6G2rnFHvFOCjkcRLkYQ7mh6xUW7eJT4N3aW7HgElRtbylYC3q6B9-ZzcFjvbX9zo/s1600/20151001_120528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hermione's every day socks cast on" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXSPKQq4LCWUCz6IS__TEpPvzbmuO7Ttp4wZzvLSFIzVZFNKM5V4g0I1wsUum5ed2gip1VcuXbrr6G2rnFHvFOCjkcRLkYQ7mh6xUW7eJT4N3aW7HgElRtbylYC3q6B9-ZzcFjvbX9zo/s640/20151001_120528.jpg" title="Hermione's every day socks cast on" width="360" /></a></div>
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I cast on a sock! They will be <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hermiones-everyday-socks" target="_blank">Hermione's Everyday Socks</a> when they're finished. I forgot how much I enjoy sock knitting, so this one has been fun.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZmvbIru48ybBtzvkmvqq6x6YMoW57QbX2435wPp221DZuznjG7ZgTQwAuZo3ESNE7pLZ41SPSTL4CGyjy6NMrMJaFqQyTpVhSVevYqc8qID4zxs5R1FDzvbMWurBiCYxSXx24NyT-x4/s1600/IMG_20150927_123759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="rainbow patchwork knitting bags" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZmvbIru48ybBtzvkmvqq6x6YMoW57QbX2435wPp221DZuznjG7ZgTQwAuZo3ESNE7pLZ41SPSTL4CGyjy6NMrMJaFqQyTpVhSVevYqc8qID4zxs5R1FDzvbMWurBiCYxSXx24NyT-x4/s640/IMG_20150927_123759.jpg" title="rainbow patchwork knitting bags" width="480" /></a></div>
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A new bag for my Etsy shop- this one for needles and such. And a larger size wedge bag in black. I would also like to make a needle roll, but I need to design it first. I'll get to it eventually.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKt89OPJWu5Ly0W_pCuOJTnT9LJ84wkWDHErcItNfZhqdM27FY5NeHoPPctdTZ2gWT-N1V6kEVTaRAMNYGxcbcWuzVZ_gO8qYYCiRrYtDrsb9G6Zp-Sc4CPb77gZy_r89-S6PcLxGL34/s1600/IMG_20150928_061613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="tin can knits wheat scarf" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKt89OPJWu5Ly0W_pCuOJTnT9LJ84wkWDHErcItNfZhqdM27FY5NeHoPPctdTZ2gWT-N1V6kEVTaRAMNYGxcbcWuzVZ_gO8qYYCiRrYtDrsb9G6Zp-Sc4CPb77gZy_r89-S6PcLxGL34/s640/IMG_20150928_061613.jpg" title="tin can knits wheat scarf" width="480" /></a></div>
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I've been pretty steadily knitting this scarf. BUT THEN TRAGEDY. I can't for the life of me find the second ball of this yarn! It has disappeared completely. I know I bought two, though, because I had a specific pattern in mind when I bought it and it required two balls of yarn! So. I knit half of this and it is now set aside. I'm hoping time away from it will somehow magically make the other ball appear...</div>
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<br />Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-32444610315322622592015-09-23T07:54:00.001-07:002015-09-23T07:54:45.268-07:00A Staple DressHello once again!<br />
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September has been a crazy month. I had 2 weddings and a 10k to run, all on consecutive weekends. Crazy, right? I can't lie- I'm pretty exhausted from all of it. But do I get to rest this week? No, because I have something booked for myself to do after work every night this week. All fun things, don't worry, but man. I am going to sleeeeep this weekend!<br />
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But you came for pretty things, right? Hopefully this qualifies.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8HO5OIBkKfI/Vdpaa2Hr15I/AAAAAAAAb34/jO9eYYDV1FE/s1600/DSC_0034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="anna maria horner voile staple dress front" border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8HO5OIBkKfI/Vdpaa2Hr15I/AAAAAAAAb34/jO9eYYDV1FE/s640/DSC_0034.JPG" title="anna maria horner voile staple dress front" width="432" /></a></div>
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Yes, I made another dress! This time of the <a href="http://april-rhodes.com/products/the-staple-dress-pdf" target="_blank">Staple</a> variety. I picked up this Anna Maria Horner voile aaages ago and just now decided what I was going to make. It was a difficult decision. The fabric is just so pretty and I didn't buy enough to make anything terribly complicated. So this was really the perfect solution.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3dbshIc7eHs/VdpajgQVUSI/AAAAAAAAb4A/C5vxqb0KKfg/s1600/DSC_0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="anna maria horner voile staple dress back" border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3dbshIc7eHs/VdpajgQVUSI/AAAAAAAAb4A/C5vxqb0KKfg/s640/DSC_0036.JPG" title="anna maria horner voile staple dress back" width="404" /></a></div>
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I know everyone and their mom has made a Staple dress and so you have probably already heard how comfortable they are. Well, they are. Simple, comfortable, easy to wear. And the light voile made this a perfect late summer make. Not that I will have to stop wearing it in fall. Because Tucson.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--q359KKNJ2w/VdpavRmMbsI/AAAAAAAAb4I/FHHgAfYi3f8/s1600/DSC_0037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="anna maria horner voile staple dress" border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--q359KKNJ2w/VdpavRmMbsI/AAAAAAAAb4I/FHHgAfYi3f8/s640/DSC_0037.JPG" title="anna maria horner voile staple dress" width="382" /></a></div>
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I kind of love dresses with pockets, but I think this fabric is probably too light to make them very useful. If you put anything in them it drags the dress down in a rather unattractive way. So I don't use them much. Next time I will omit them if I'm using a similarly lightweight fabric.<br />
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I'm afraid I haven't finished much else this month, but next time I'll show you what I'm actually working on instead of waiting til the end. I'm not great at remembering to take progress shots, but I will try!<br />
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Happy first day of fall!!Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-1540929240964733352015-09-03T09:51:00.002-07:002015-09-03T09:51:55.334-07:00I made a hat!I finished some things! Yes, more than one thing! What a joyous occasion this is! Here's one of the things!<div>
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Right, so. I've been knitting tons of winter stuff. Because winters in Tucson are bitterly cold (obviously) and I just won't survive unless I'm covered head to toe in hand knits. Or I'm crazy and belong somewhere with a colder climate. That could be it, too.</div>
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Crazy is probably a good description.<br />
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The pattern is the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/capucine" target="_blank">Capucine Hat</a> and you may notice if you click through that link that my hat doesn't exactly look like hers. Well, let me tell you what happened.. This hat is written for both bulky and super bulky yarn. My yarn was bulky and I somehow misread the directions, which clearly state that the bulky directions are in [square brackets]. Ahem. So this was knit with the instruction intended for super bulky yarn, which means my hat ended up not so slouchy...<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-33Z1-Em0-x0/VdVCcYgBdXI/AAAAAAAAbwY/LlIpuYw7DA4/s1600/DSCN1016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="capucine hat side view" border="0" height="462" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-33Z1-Em0-x0/VdVCcYgBdXI/AAAAAAAAbwY/LlIpuYw7DA4/s640/DSCN1016.JPG" title="capucine hat side view" width="640" /></a></div>
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At first I was sad. But then I realized when I put it on that what I had really just done was made myself a PONYTAIL BEANIE. Yes folks, that's right. I can wear my head up all winter and still keep my ears warm! What a revelation! So then I went from disappointed in myself for failing at instructions to EXCITED!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hj5RcECFf1g/VdVCvDNYYDI/AAAAAAAAbwo/4X8EV1jqI44/s1600/DSCN1045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="capucine hat thumbs up!" border="0" height="552" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hj5RcECFf1g/VdVCvDNYYDI/AAAAAAAAbwo/4X8EV1jqI44/s640/DSCN1045.JPG" title="capucine hat thumbs up!" width="640" /></a></div>
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So while the pattern didn't turn out as planned, it is still awesome and nice and toasty. Which may come in handy if I go anywhere cold this winter ;)</div>
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Isn't it nice when a mistake turns out to be just fine?</div>
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Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-47193100956879482522015-08-24T15:17:00.003-07:002015-08-24T15:17:46.381-07:00Adelaide DressI've been working on my clothes making skills lately. It is long overdue!<br />
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Have you heard of <a href="https://www.seamworkmag.com/" target="_blank">Seamwork</a>? It's a sewing e-magazine put out by the people behind Colette patterns. Every month there is a new issue with a bunch of articles from sewing techniques to fashion history to sewing resources online or in a particular city. That part of the magazine is free, but if you want all the patterns, it's $6/month. You can also buy each pattern on it's own for $7.<br />
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Anyway, that's where this pattern came from. I like button down dresses a lot and I thought this one would be a good place to start.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yyPJvQi3rlU/VdVBcR7zvsI/AAAAAAAAbxg/oJ16bGkqHiY/s1600/DSCN0997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="chambray seamwork adelaide dress front" border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yyPJvQi3rlU/VdVBcR7zvsI/AAAAAAAAbxg/oJ16bGkqHiY/s640/DSCN0997.JPG" title="chambray seamwork adelaide dress front" width="442" /></a></div>
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The only alterations I made to the pattern was to grade down a size on top, which is something I have to do fairly often. Three cheers for pear shapes! There is a little bagginess along the neckline still, though, so I might take a bit out next time and see if that fixes it. Still, I love how it turned out! I had to wait for my chartreuse snaps to come in (I got them from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CowgirlSnaps" target="_blank">Cowgirl Snaps</a> on Etsy), but it was so worth it to get something fun instead of just the boring white they sell at Joann...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_DUoR_6bFpM/VdpaDivIvkI/AAAAAAAAb3w/9QFAl3qwCcU/s1600/DSCN0988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="chambray seamwork adelaide dress back" border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_DUoR_6bFpM/VdpaDivIvkI/AAAAAAAAb3w/9QFAl3qwCcU/s640/DSCN0988.JPG" title="chambray seamwork adelaide dress back" width="454" /></a></div>
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Bit of an awkward pose. I was trying to listen for the sound of the camera. I can't find my remote so I've been having to use the self timer... :( Not nearly as convenient. Anyway, as you can see the back fits really quite well! The fabric is a chambray I picked up at <a href="http://imaginegnats.com/imagine-gnats-shop/" target="_blank">Imagine Gnats</a>. It wrinkles a bit, but that's expected. I still really like the way this fabric looks and feels.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJx_MYhQAH0lKaU_0jf1Hoo2SWeHRbP7Eq7zw3OaCAUNDUTv2JsFSz1r0ZV1NCjAcTdubvLgGKshFaajK6ac0pjezNUH11McGjJhqb5R4HGgwcjKzBnf8cuOCc2J1XWR4mQWfzDhy6TM/s1600/20150817_173649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="seamwork adelaide dress chambray snaps close up" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJx_MYhQAH0lKaU_0jf1Hoo2SWeHRbP7Eq7zw3OaCAUNDUTv2JsFSz1r0ZV1NCjAcTdubvLgGKshFaajK6ac0pjezNUH11McGjJhqb5R4HGgwcjKzBnf8cuOCc2J1XWR4mQWfzDhy6TM/s640/20150817_173649.jpg" title="seamwork adelaide dress chambray snaps close up" width="360" /></a></div>
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Close up of the snaps! I picked up a pair of snap/eyelet pliers at an estate sale for like $3- score! I hadn't really used it until now. But it works! It's a little annoying to get all the pieces lined up in the right spot on the fabric, but by the end I was starting to get the hang of it. In the end I only ruined one snap! And it was a backing piece, not a pretty front piece, so it was fine. I would definitely use them again :)<br />
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I'm pretty proud of this dress. It fits well and I took my time and followed the directions, no shortcuts. It's also the first dress I used my new serger on! Did I mention I bought a serger? Well, I did. It's very exciting. I'll have to take some pictures for you ;)Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-45098931617738301352015-08-11T14:54:00.003-07:002015-08-11T14:54:43.190-07:00Healed and back in action!Technically, I've been okay since about the last week of July. Technically. But there was so much knitting and sewing to catch up on that I've only just sat down now to tell you about it!<br />
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Let's see. First, I finished my blocks for Sarah of <a href="http://www.sewwhatsherlock.com/" target="_blank">Sew What Sherlock</a>. You *may* remember we started a bee a loooong time ago. But life got in the way for several of our members and so things fell by the wayside for a bit. But we're gathering momentum once again that will hopefully see us through to the end!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2CmKHcyZUZUN2dyLSAzHHlcovYgCYnFkAXTDPpIQDded7dGSacWmNmk2n3km-C36zepX65KpGQDmN6lt0sqTSeMGt66JKz6Ou8mVCun_WUvMqnlqWB60oPbTSDgmx-6Ilo60aatEWGKs/s1600/DSC_0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="sew what sherlock paper pieced arrows close" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2CmKHcyZUZUN2dyLSAzHHlcovYgCYnFkAXTDPpIQDded7dGSacWmNmk2n3km-C36zepX65KpGQDmN6lt0sqTSeMGt66JKz6Ou8mVCun_WUvMqnlqWB60oPbTSDgmx-6Ilo60aatEWGKs/s640/DSC_0019.JPG" title="sew what sherlock paper pieced arrows close" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sarah's quilt is going to have a bunch of paper pieced arrows (the pattern is her own design and <a href="http://www.sewwhatsherlock.com/shop/sew-sherlocks-paper-pieced-arrow/" target="_blank">available for purchase</a>) with low volume background blocks with a variety of shapes and patterns.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR9Ssdv1BB5OKTWp1x8NL2TRiXwoizjtCWpv982fSsdDSghQYNU0aQOoym5y0DO7jE0eyzdJ6CAsU_Byvd8AXz_vQMz9o9Yi0ZNFPyIW98eoT_-2lsZwrf6PVKQtCmfkyuZcm99Gijlh4/s1600/DSC_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="low volume quilt background" border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR9Ssdv1BB5OKTWp1x8NL2TRiXwoizjtCWpv982fSsdDSghQYNU0aQOoym5y0DO7jE0eyzdJ6CAsU_Byvd8AXz_vQMz9o9Yi0ZNFPyIW98eoT_-2lsZwrf6PVKQtCmfkyuZcm99Gijlh4/s640/DSC_0013.JPG" title="low volume quilt background" width="640" /></a></div>
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The whole this is very scrappy. It's going to be so lovely when it's all put together! Above are my background contributions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1N0Mkr2U4OFNLpxpDCTX8uUO-ZPjPbsDVq-Dd_4X6x0l7fxUqwdOs6VZ7Ecx0fkQHZ7t1DC5s2zksM1JrxAJqd2ZIpixhWa_ZWpyh-kH6E35ZxId9zt_PINEy5lPt_q6__eLVBa4NV0/s1600/20150726_180933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="sew what sherlock paper pieced arrows full" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1N0Mkr2U4OFNLpxpDCTX8uUO-ZPjPbsDVq-Dd_4X6x0l7fxUqwdOs6VZ7Ecx0fkQHZ7t1DC5s2zksM1JrxAJqd2ZIpixhWa_ZWpyh-kH6E35ZxId9zt_PINEy5lPt_q6__eLVBa4NV0/s640/20150726_180933.jpg" title="sew what sherlock paper pieced arrows full" width="360" /></a></div>
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A shot of the arrows in their entirety. Please excuse the feet ;)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGO6MPb3KnktQPpbI2IM8faBmKwoX6hd-w5s6zHYRwiTeX9C0owRfV-UfE5xCA3j7sq9lFkqi6GnF9RpXHxDszpvtqR5epTH4ZNJoGpukBabRtOI7BzX-jSaSNz3crtZFpK8TDiM78yg/s1600/DSC_0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="low volume pinwheel block" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGO6MPb3KnktQPpbI2IM8faBmKwoX6hd-w5s6zHYRwiTeX9C0owRfV-UfE5xCA3j7sq9lFkqi6GnF9RpXHxDszpvtqR5epTH4ZNJoGpukBabRtOI7BzX-jSaSNz3crtZFpK8TDiM78yg/s640/DSC_0015.JPG" title="low volume pinwheel block" width="640" /></a></div>
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And a sort of close up of my favorite block. I just love pinwheels.<br />
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I've been working on other stuff, too. Photos to come soooon! :D It feels so good to have 2 working arms again, I can't tell you...Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-38731378545823839922015-06-26T09:01:00.000-07:002015-06-26T09:01:08.701-07:00Dead StopLast week I pulled the right trapezius muscle in my shoulder while walking my dogs. The smaller one saw a quail family and wanted to eat it and jerked my arm harder than I thought possible. This has rendered me basically useless. I haven't been able to knit, sew, or really use the computer at all. I missed a couple of days of work because most of what I do all day involves the use of the computer and it just hurt too much. I'm still not 100%, but the muscle relaxants prescribed by the doctor along with heat packs and pain killers have been slowly helping me heal.<br />
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This has been driving me absolutely insane, of course. I hate not doing things. I don't even like watching TV usually unless I'm also working on something. But that's been my week. When I take the muscle relaxant I can't even read much because I just fall asleep. In other words, I have been soooo bored and all I want is for my shoulder to get better so I can do things that I like to do again!<br />
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But in the meantime... Here is a picture of the shawl I'm working on. Or will be working on again once my shoulder heals.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Onfw-IfhF80/VX3IR-L9BwI/AAAAAAAAP4Y/zBNnu158_1M/s1600/DSC_0064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Onfw-IfhF80/VX3IR-L9BwI/AAAAAAAAP4Y/zBNnu158_1M/s640/DSC_0064.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The pattern in <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/zilver" target="_blank">Zilver</a> and it's free on Ravelry. It's a fairly simple pattern and easy to memorize, which I like. It's a nice project to work on when I just want to relax. I love it so far! I might even be finished if it weren't for my shoulder! I chose a free pattern for my first shawl just in case I didn't like knitting it. But! I've found I like knitting shawls so far. I definitely see more in my future.<br />
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You may be wondering how I managed to type all this out if typing is agony. ONE HANDED. Yes, this was all painstakingly and slowly typed out with my left hand. Here's hoping there's only a few more days of this and then I can get back to doing thing with both hands. That will be a wonderful day...Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-16791059810660101592015-06-14T11:34:00.000-07:002015-06-14T11:34:31.363-07:00Knitting, knitting, knitting...Craft-wise, that's all I've been doing lately. But I've also been reading a lot of books. And thinking about trying to find balance between all the things I like to do instead of obsessively doing just one and neglecting all the others for large chunks of time. Not that I've actually figured out how to do that, but I've been thinking about it...<br />
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I'm making a sweater for Mario. I don't know if he'll like it or wear it, but he picked out the pattern and the color. I chose an acrylic yarn to make him more likely to wear it. Things I know about Mario: (1) if an article of clothing is too expensive, he won't want to wear it for fear of ruining it and (2) if he has to hand wash it, it won't get washed. So acrylic seemed the best way to go. If anyone is curious, it's Lion Brand Heartland in Black Canyon. The pictures aren't great (it's really hard to photograph black, I'm finding). It's really just black with some gray flecks in it. It looks much better in person, trust me!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1OwHJqhtcVg/VX3H6aUO3QI/AAAAAAAAP4I/5LBIM_2jr3s/s1600/DSC_0057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="knits men want henley black" border="0" height="398" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1OwHJqhtcVg/VX3H6aUO3QI/AAAAAAAAP4I/5LBIM_2jr3s/s640/DSC_0057.JPG" title="knits men want henley black" width="640" /></a></div>
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The pattern is from Knits Men Want. I think the title of the book is cheesey, but it was one of the few patterns I found that he actually liked. I showed him so many pictures of Ravelry! But this was THE ONE. So I bought the book and went to work.<br />
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I'm just about to put split the sleeves off on some scrap yarn and continue the torso. Exciting! The miles and miles of stockinette may not be incredibly entertaining, but it is meditative. Very enjoyable at the end of a long day. And it's helping me get faster with my continental knitting.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--N9epBBsZyY/VX3IB4KjvsI/AAAAAAAAP4Q/L_xU9UanNFA/s1600/DSC_0060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="knits men want henley black" border="0" height="474" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--N9epBBsZyY/VX3IB4KjvsI/AAAAAAAAP4Q/L_xU9UanNFA/s640/DSC_0060.JPG" title="knits men want henley black" width="640" /></a></div>
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Other things that are difficult about sweater photography... I can't spread it out because my cable is too short :(<br />
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My goal is to have this be a wearable sweater by the end of the summer. The end of the summer in Tucson, of course, is pretty much mid-October, though, so I have plenty of time. I've made really good progress so far, so I'm very optimistic!<br />
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I'm also knitting a shawl, which is more interesting to look at. But I'll save that for another post :)Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-28315738728264415632015-05-27T12:40:00.001-07:002015-05-27T12:40:33.701-07:00A Finished Quilt!Yes, you read that right! I finished a quilt!<br />
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I made this on commission for a customer through my Etsy store. I don't really sell quilts there anymore- I'd like to focus on knitting/crochet accessories- but this customer bought a quilt from me last year and asked if I would be willing to make another. So of course I said yes!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW086cGM8diU9DU-n5MiObXhYb90YprcvnLBJf1U1ftGcB6a882c_FEchzCfLDORbSeMKx-AOOcJJTS_L2Bb9x4Rp-stsxQl4DkMLc423Wc3dquTuBsf2fMC4eBDux_K-SKBdYUASRjII/s1600/quilt+front.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rainbow star quilt front" border="0" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW086cGM8diU9DU-n5MiObXhYb90YprcvnLBJf1U1ftGcB6a882c_FEchzCfLDORbSeMKx-AOOcJJTS_L2Bb9x4Rp-stsxQl4DkMLc423Wc3dquTuBsf2fMC4eBDux_K-SKBdYUASRjII/s640/quilt+front.png" title="Rainbow star quilt front" width="640" /></a></div>
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I really love how this quilt turned out. I drew up the pattern myself, but it's fairly simple. I star in the center with flying geese radiating out from it on a background of low volume squares. It measures about 60" x 60" and I quilted it with an all over meander (for speed, mostly, but I just love the way this quilting pattern crinkles after it's washed!). I love it so much I'm just a little sad it's already sold. Maybe I'll have to make one for myself?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsR2OlYwrYCVvgijHt4Le2ulYnKiGcdwya2qykaRpl3Mt9I3D99TgwsUIg39-yY711daRmrgqaBQfdIx9IpLa7G93dZwa610PUty0WN8uCanZr3YKWSsZtDDC1NxbZWsMeUqaXA9R6VU/s1600/quilt+back.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rainbow star quilt back" border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsR2OlYwrYCVvgijHt4Le2ulYnKiGcdwya2qykaRpl3Mt9I3D99TgwsUIg39-yY711daRmrgqaBQfdIx9IpLa7G93dZwa610PUty0WN8uCanZr3YKWSsZtDDC1NxbZWsMeUqaXA9R6VU/s640/quilt+back.png" title="Rainbow star quilt back" width="640" /></a></div>
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As much as I love this quilt and as much fun that I had making it, I am glad that it's done! I have a couple of plans for more bags and maybe even a needle case and hook case for the shop that I want to get working on. Now I can start focusing on those :)<br />
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Hope you're all having a wonderful week!<br />
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<br />Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-84523566013703778332015-05-20T19:46:00.001-07:002015-05-20T19:46:38.774-07:00Rediscovering KnittingFirst of all, thank you for the encouraging comments! You guys are the best :)<br />
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There are a couple of posts around here about things that I knit. Such as this <a href="http://blog.thecrookedbanana.com/2013/05/yarn-and-things.html" target="_blank">Honey Cowl</a>, this <a href="http://blog.thecrookedbanana.com/2014/01/wow-2014.html" target="_blank">scarf </a>and this <a href="http://blog.thecrookedbanana.com/2014/01/wow-2014.html" target="_blank">sweater</a> (which I actually finished... even though it's a pretty sad/weird sweater). But then I kind of stopped knitting for a while. And crocheting. I was a one trick pony for a period and that trick was sewing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4HndhNpkI4bIxYx6etDesZ7qNlhwHTyOszvXLTfzjZm87ueNd0Di7Y_3bxgrvDCYMoN-QytBsi6UuKsQk2JrorSdyaKiCSE212EWyvYZ1i9DtOsNxnCjodFrOr9OCvOwCk-cCYlwktE/s1600/IMG_20150511_140529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="susie rogers reading mitts knitting in progress" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4HndhNpkI4bIxYx6etDesZ7qNlhwHTyOszvXLTfzjZm87ueNd0Di7Y_3bxgrvDCYMoN-QytBsi6UuKsQk2JrorSdyaKiCSE212EWyvYZ1i9DtOsNxnCjodFrOr9OCvOwCk-cCYlwktE/s640/IMG_20150511_140529.jpg" title="susie rogers reading mitts knitting in progress" width="480" /></a></div>
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But now I've picked it up again and I have to wonder.. Why did I ever stop? I have been enjoying it immensely and have been finding myself trying to sneak time in here and there just for one more row or a few more stitches. The result? Well. I finished the ugly sweater mentioned previously. It's ugly mostly because I didn't follow a pattern, had no idea what I was doing, and picked it up after setting it down for months and I couldn't remember anything about it. So, it was a little wonky. The arms are too long and the ribbing on the cuffs and bottom don't really match in tension (I think I must have used different sized needles or something). But it was DONE and I was SO HAPPY.<br />
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So then I decided to re-knit some <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/susie-rogers-reading-mitts" target="_blank">reading mitts</a>. I made one once, not sure if I ever posted about it. But I made the wrong size and had to frog the whole thing. I was so sad! After that, I just shoved the whole thing in a bin in my sewing room and forgot about them. That may have been the moment I gave up on knitting for a while. All that hard work! And for what?? (Never mind that this was all my fault and the heartache could have been avoided had I just <i>measured my hands</i>).<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LSa1IGelbds/VV1Ftsjt2hI/AAAAAAAAPtU/cJVWbNKZsAU/s1600/DSC_0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="susie rogers reading mitts knitting side view" border="0" height="324" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LSa1IGelbds/VV1Ftsjt2hI/AAAAAAAAPtU/cJVWbNKZsAU/s640/DSC_0010.JPG" title="susie rogers reading mitts knitting side view" width="640" /></a></div>
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But I decided to give them another shot, this time with the benefit of actually knowing how big my hands are so I could choose the right size (I know, seems like such an obvious thing, right?). And well, now they're done! Both of them! And they fit! And I LOVE THEM SO MUCH OMG. Seriously, guys. The other day while I was sitting in the car with Mario waiting to meet a guy from the internets about trading cars (yes, that's pretty much my life), I was wearing my pretty new mitts (even though it's May in Tucson and woolen mitts are really not necessary) and reading a book about dyeing yarn. I was the picture of yarny contentment.<br />
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I haven't really put down the yarn since then. Right now I'm working on a sweater for Mario and am eyeballing shawl patterns. I'm thinking something easy and free for my first every shawl. Like maybe <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/zilver" target="_blank">Zilver</a>? I'll keep you posted!<br />
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<br />Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-73637091049883926392015-05-18T10:11:00.001-07:002015-05-18T12:05:45.990-07:00The Dress and Starting AgainHere I am, over 6 weeks later making good on my promise to talk about the dress. I've spent the last weeks thinking about a lot of things craft related and who I am as a blogger, as a maker, as a person. I didn't intend to take time away from the blog, but I think it was good for me because it gave me a bit of perspective. I started this blog as a Quilter. I wanted to make quilts and read about quilts and quilting and fabric all the time. But more and more I found myself straying into other crafts. I love yarn, for example. I've been crocheting longer than quilting and now I've taken to knitting as well to the point that I think about yarn more than I think about quilting. I've also been experimenting with sewing clothes more and looking at other things I want to make or do as well. I'd love to figure out how to keep plants alive in a real garden, for instance. Or to dye yarn. The more I started learning new things, the less I felt like I could share them here. I felt like anything that was not to do with quilting had no place here. Sure, I mentioned my other projects once in a while, but quilting was supposed to be the Main Event. When that stopped being the case, the blogging dropped off.<br />
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But lately I've been thinking about how silly that is. I started this blog because I wanted to reach out and find other crazy people like me who think that spending 5, 10, 40 or even more hours on making something we could easily go buy in a store is worthwhile and even fun. Most of us crafty people don't just stick to one craft, after all. So why shouldn't my blog be about whatever I'm pursuing at the moment? So now I feel ready to return with less expectations and pressure on myself, with more of an attitude toward exploration and sharing those explorations with you.<br />
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So, in the spirit of all that, I'm going to talk about making my own wedding dress.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLl5yO63p6CCedw3llx5x2RUc41RiJ3tk1ZPit4gTebEAlXDk8ITxg2iXXVoQKKAuIwMBm6atTRE8bZn90INwKeASiBENpXxSFtWV8uEE4WqJOkmIa0GTuzqqAixv-hbzoMXZ9LEIkyrc/s1600/Family.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLl5yO63p6CCedw3llx5x2RUc41RiJ3tk1ZPit4gTebEAlXDk8ITxg2iXXVoQKKAuIwMBm6atTRE8bZn90INwKeASiBENpXxSFtWV8uEE4WqJOkmIa0GTuzqqAixv-hbzoMXZ9LEIkyrc/s640/Family.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my family. In case you're wondering, the older gentleman is not my grandfather, he is my father.</td></tr>
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First, a note about wedding dresses. I don't understand wanting to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a dress you're only going to wear once. I also don't understand the appeal of white dresses (so hard to keep clean!) and dislike the symbolism that has come to be associated with them, so I pretty much rejected the traditional expensive white wedding dress from the beginning. From the start I knew it would be hard to find a purple wedding dress. They just aren't a thing. So I figured I would have to make it myself if I didn't want to pay a huge amount of money for someone else to make me a custom dress or if I didn't want to choose from the cocktail dresses and prom dresses available in department stores. And that was totally fine with me- it would be cheaper this way, anyway and allow me total control of the dress.<br />
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In the spirit of that, my dress cost less than $100 to make. Really, including the price of the pattern, the thread that I didn't have on hand, and the sparkly belt I bought on Etsy, it was about $70.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjblXPkfTZgCNvz76QSd9_a0P8eDemptJdfNcONFH0L891REHs2F2lOtDTLvlf_tC0qvHnv394mhQfHAjTLeYMr3IdYVR_bRc5rCnHZeo7342DJiwum7GN8zlwDv-rIG0-V9NUPb1LRNLI/s1600/Mario+family.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjblXPkfTZgCNvz76QSd9_a0P8eDemptJdfNcONFH0L891REHs2F2lOtDTLvlf_tC0qvHnv394mhQfHAjTLeYMr3IdYVR_bRc5rCnHZeo7342DJiwum7GN8zlwDv-rIG0-V9NUPb1LRNLI/s640/Mario+family.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And Mario's family.</td></tr>
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The pattern is the <a href="http://byhandlondon.com/products/flora-dress" target="_blank">Flora Dress</a>. I only made a couple of alterations to it. I had to do a small bust adjustment, which went just fine, though I probably could have taken out another quarter inch or so. And I had to take a wedge out of the back on either side of the zipper so the straps wouldn't slide down my shoulders. Other than that, the pattern sewed up easily and more quickly than I expected. The dress was one of the first things I crossed off my list!<br />
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The fabric is a polyester satin with a crochet lace overlay. I picked both up at a local fabric shop for around $3/yard. They aren't super luxurious, but I love the way they look and I love the way the dress turned out. It has a great weight and swish to it that I really loved.<br />
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Originally I had this notion that I would construct this elaborate dress with layers and layers of chiffon cascading all around me (likely this came from too many hours browsing Pinterest for the perfect dress- it's dangerous!). But then I thought about what a headache that would be and how terrified I would be all night about getting it dirty or catching the floaty chiffon on a cactus or something and I threw that idea right out the window. This was a much more sensible dress and really, it's much more my style.<br />
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So, there you have it. A simple, homemade wedding dress for a simple, homemade wedding. I'm really excited to share all the other things I've been up to these past two months! It feels good to get back in this space.<br />
<br />Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-83795501347353508982015-03-27T09:50:00.000-07:002015-03-27T09:50:01.288-07:00The WeddingGuys! It's over! It's finally over!<br />
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I know that may not sound like the nicest reaction to having gotten married, but that's how I feel! Don't get me wrong, the wedding was lovely and fun and everything I wanted it to be. But I am so happy to be back to my regular life that does not involve guests lists, catering appointments, or agonizing over whether or not we bought enough booze to keep my thirsty friends and family happy (we did).<br />
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So how about some pictures?? These were all taken by my lovely mother. We haven't gotten the photos back from the photographer yet.<br />
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This was the ceremony. In my backyard. Most of the decorations are homemade. Remember I showed you a picture of all those paper flowers I made? Here they are, hanging in all their glory! It was a lovely, short ceremony. Maybe 5 minutes total. That was exactly what we wanted. Short and sweet and to the point :)<br />
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Yes, my dress is purple and yes I made it. I'll do a whole post about the dress later, I promise!<br />
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Just after the ceremony picture :) We smiled a lot that day!</div>
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My lovely bridesmaids/sisters. On the left is my sister and on the right is Mario's. Love them!</div>
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Here we are with Mario's parents :)</div>
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And the whole wedding party. Yes, I am short. </div>
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See that crown of flowers on my head? Mario's youngest sister (not pictures) made it for me. Those flower are made of clay and attached to a bark covered wire crown. Isn't it lovely? She's so talented!<br />
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I'll leave you with this one, which pretty much sums up the day. In spite of all the stress, everything went perfectly and everyone had a great time. I'm so happy I've found such a wonderful partner and have such wonderful friends and family. I feel so lucky :)<br />
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<br />Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-18392568371178873002015-02-13T08:31:00.003-07:002015-02-13T08:31:58.703-07:00Lately...OMG WHERE HAVE I BEEN??<br />
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Guys. Planning a wedding takes so much more time than I thought it would. Naive on my part? Yes, probably. But seriously, between appointments with caterers, making endless phone calls, meetings with parents and siblings and bridesmaids and decoration making... I have had almost no time for anything else. Including sewing, knitting, embroidery, etc... :(<br />
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But I did throw a fun party where we made a ton of paper flowers! There was cheese and wine and shenanigans. And look at all the fun puff balls we made!<br />
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What else has been going on? Well, I finally got on Goodreads (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/39889937-anna" target="_blank">come find me!</a>) and set myself a challenge to read a book a week this year. I thought it was a stretch, but I figured I could catch up after the wedding. But you know what? I've already read 11 (ELEVEN) books this year. That's INSANE. But you know what else? It doesn't feel that fast to me. I've always been an avid reader, I just never tracked anything before. And my pace also ebbs and flows throughout the year. Maybe one week I'll read 4 or 5 books by the same author because I'm obsessed, but then I won't read anything for the next two weeks. It's kind of nice to see how much and how quickly I read stuff, though. I don't know why I never joined before!<br />
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I think really I've been reading more than anything else lately because I can fit it in in small chunks between doing other things. Waiting 15 minutes for Mario to pick me up for a wedding related appointment? Read. Waiting for a meeting to start at work? Read. Waiting on hold? Read. Also my sewing room is a DISASTER right now and I can't motivate myself to sew when everything is in such a state. This weekend I'm going to get it fit for human habitation again.<br />
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Speaking of sewing... I did do a little bit! I participated in the #bitchesgetstitchesswap on Instagram. And, in typical ME fashion, I took no pictures of what I sent... UGH. But I did get this amazing package from my swap partner!<br />
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Isn't it fantastic?? I love it so much! I haven't hung anything up yet because... well.. sewing room, disaster, etc. But I can't WAIT to!! Here is my partner's IG post of what I sent her:<br />
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This was such a fun swap :) There are so many great ones on IG that I want to join! But I was really good and didn't join any that would have me sewing right before the wedding. I didn't want to stress myself out too bad... But it was hard. There was a Studio Ghibli swap! And a Gilmore Girls swap!! There will be more. At least, that's what I keep telling myself.<br />
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And last but not least... I've decided to start running. Specifically, training to run a race with my friend in May O.O I've never run a race before, but I've always wanted to give it a shot. So, HERE WE GO. I have the option of a half marathon or a 10k. My friend is opting for the half marathon, but I'm reserving judgment for a few weeks at least. I know I could do the 10k without too much trouble, but the half marathon kind of scares me. But isn't that a good reason to give it a shot? I don't know yet. Right now I'm training as if I am planning to run the half marathon, so I guess we'll see how it goes!<br />
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So, as you can see.. I've been super busy. I miss my blog, though. Even if it isn't always sewing stuff, I aim to keep you all up to date on stuff. And hopefully as soon as the wedding is over life will go back to normal enough that I can spend a lot more time behind my sewing machine!!Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-42444823548558179002015-01-02T10:44:00.001-07:002015-01-02T10:44:40.217-07:00Welcome to 2015Hey there, long time no seeeeee. I know, but December is always a crazy month, isn't it?<br />
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First: some good news. After 2 surgeries, Charlie the white husky's lab results came back CLEAN and we will not have to look at other possible treatment options. My poor little Charles. He is really pathetic after surgery. See below for doped up post-surgery Charlie face:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2lzKX4FU5-g4_S8kmox4CRjbxsSnEXZ-lAVw3X-fMSvVf65e-JOadgrJPiI-OtObfcpq6ryGiLNEhBTaHIFGfZiQik2P-RzSTRbQhXylzQCNZpsy6Qiuip5-yI9Ns_Shs9vNwIZfNpO4/s1600/IMG_20141209_160832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="doped up dog" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2lzKX4FU5-g4_S8kmox4CRjbxsSnEXZ-lAVw3X-fMSvVf65e-JOadgrJPiI-OtObfcpq6ryGiLNEhBTaHIFGfZiQik2P-RzSTRbQhXylzQCNZpsy6Qiuip5-yI9Ns_Shs9vNwIZfNpO4/s1600/IMG_20141209_160832.jpg" height="640" title="doped up dog" width="480" /></a></div>
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There were illnesses and awfulness in December, but I still somehow managed to make a lot of Christmas presents, some of which I didn't actually photograph before gifting. Please forgive me. Some of them were still in progress on Christmas Eve! It was totally down to the wire...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipsBnVvzMuADBfDXmbSZUDbTjQ58Xquic2FWbguHl2XAZioBkyjH0pdWkOCs6AOEZfeVa1ZEEEeRlGdI-coYupOBsjfIdPdg1LFder9EjNmXnWNZCffcLTJMqtD_sUF-Ka5gUy5W1bBqw/s1600/IMG_20141217_181537:nopm:.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="embroidered felt heart ornament" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipsBnVvzMuADBfDXmbSZUDbTjQ58Xquic2FWbguHl2XAZioBkyjH0pdWkOCs6AOEZfeVa1ZEEEeRlGdI-coYupOBsjfIdPdg1LFder9EjNmXnWNZCffcLTJMqtD_sUF-Ka5gUy5W1bBqw/s1600/IMG_20141217_181537:nopm:.jpg" height="640" title="embroidered felt heart ornament" width="480" /></a></div>
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I made two of these sweet little felt hearts, stuffed them, and added a hanging ribbon to make them ornaments.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYnJY3rTyVw1ek2SF_HtTsSbYTc7wxyJ9HZdcN6Q56B43wa3AUGJdxXweng5oukpLqeeDcpeM7oIqJwy-NcaRjv0AA0tyy4_oDc3nXC6tCpIkpYthgPTyICPmQDDupx4LroMllU-tQEI/s1600/IMG_20141219_200928:nopm:.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="embroidered t-rex ornament" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYnJY3rTyVw1ek2SF_HtTsSbYTc7wxyJ9HZdcN6Q56B43wa3AUGJdxXweng5oukpLqeeDcpeM7oIqJwy-NcaRjv0AA0tyy4_oDc3nXC6tCpIkpYthgPTyICPmQDDupx4LroMllU-tQEI/s1600/IMG_20141219_200928:nopm:.jpg" height="640" title="embroidered t-rex ornament" width="480" /></a></div>
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This is probably my favorite ornament. I made it for my sister, who love T-Rex in all his awkward glory.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxMh4tM8tWH2d6CjLFlnSlsKV3tducvZc0BGT9K1jbpQ47yVxI22Ufafq-nb__xzGvPXf3S1zbPg2eiIgvGFwOHlgDXaT5QrukPjzIq_jowbQuR413PwxatYrM5H34dRMYOzB4P7aXl8/s1600/IMG_20141221_175605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="screen printed boston terrier" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxMh4tM8tWH2d6CjLFlnSlsKV3tducvZc0BGT9K1jbpQ47yVxI22Ufafq-nb__xzGvPXf3S1zbPg2eiIgvGFwOHlgDXaT5QrukPjzIq_jowbQuR413PwxatYrM5H34dRMYOzB4P7aXl8/s1600/IMG_20141221_175605.jpg" height="640" title="screen printed boston terrier" width="480" /></a></div>
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Mario got me a screen printing kit as a Christmas present, which I opened early and used to make more Christmas presents! This is the first one we made. Mario has a vinyl cutter, so we cut out stencils on that and then printed this on felt. It was so fun! We printed all sorts of things for Christmas. If I can find pictures of the other little things, I'll post them later. I'm missing pictures of 3 really cute ornaments! Tragedy :( This one was for my aunt, a boston terrier lover.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfzEBFFXSJBrGJzC9WBmJaO9mP0iOuCJpTkvLVfS-nedicJ243fWy-R-UrxoIAS2i3NANU_YAtuJymfqYGOjyKPp-PkuVMQW5piMinFc28Dij5QEPrm_o45_yyL-4CommHPB15Ooovug/s1600/IMG_20141221_175647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="screen printed boston terrier" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfzEBFFXSJBrGJzC9WBmJaO9mP0iOuCJpTkvLVfS-nedicJ243fWy-R-UrxoIAS2i3NANU_YAtuJymfqYGOjyKPp-PkuVMQW5piMinFc28Dij5QEPrm_o45_yyL-4CommHPB15Ooovug/s1600/IMG_20141221_175647.jpg" height="640" title="screen printed boston terrier" width="480" /></a></div>
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This is what the screen looked like after printing. Note the super high-tech newspaper we used to block out the back!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAnEAqJCkZsAOVl7T-WRoiqE-pQKVSbC5HOzqqfs2mEpk1KltTvNjAmdbsWM3Z0D_HlHj3XO4Ug64dbLE3E5xX4nC5u9w302Ax3qXZt7EIaQ9HPpMDcCwoHiAFdRQ8vHrY5GZUT5rW7Ew/s1600/IMG_20141230_111653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="screen printed hipster sheep" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAnEAqJCkZsAOVl7T-WRoiqE-pQKVSbC5HOzqqfs2mEpk1KltTvNjAmdbsWM3Z0D_HlHj3XO4Ug64dbLE3E5xX4nC5u9w302Ax3qXZt7EIaQ9HPpMDcCwoHiAFdRQ8vHrY5GZUT5rW7Ew/s1600/IMG_20141230_111653.jpg" height="640" title="screen printed hipster sheep" width="480" /></a></div>
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This silly sheep design is one I plan on printing on some totes and drawstring knitting bags for my shop. I'll post a picture of the finished product soon!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBQAhq_XnNOeviCLXlCJYdIB-6kl6vUt8XDh1L3i-hSBVs0u9XywajoMadSPKGplH7h-SDQehb7SKjHuMcoajw2oG5jCb_ahHvUxDfssVkYFy9cwbl1nPtLFOPH05mhqFUJyIoY6zG5M/s1600/IMG_20141231_130113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="screen printed t-shirt set phasers to dance star trek" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBQAhq_XnNOeviCLXlCJYdIB-6kl6vUt8XDh1L3i-hSBVs0u9XywajoMadSPKGplH7h-SDQehb7SKjHuMcoajw2oG5jCb_ahHvUxDfssVkYFy9cwbl1nPtLFOPH05mhqFUJyIoY6zG5M/s1600/IMG_20141231_130113.jpg" height="640" title="screen printed t-shirt set phasers to dance star trek" width="480" /></a></div>
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This is a t-shirt we made for a Star Trek loving friend. I love how this one turned out!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAsbPOEyqggQwuP2PfC4_4hW1X-01xXMpHcyesBX50jBwiTLlBP2p97n6VohKsNi4rFZ5o82kMkp_T_rssgBdB54K0q4J_twSGAvrht3KbRvP-wDkuIh4kPw30AJIRevNHatI4unrLANI/s1600/IMG_20141231_130250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="screen printed t-shirt snake plissken " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAsbPOEyqggQwuP2PfC4_4hW1X-01xXMpHcyesBX50jBwiTLlBP2p97n6VohKsNi4rFZ5o82kMkp_T_rssgBdB54K0q4J_twSGAvrht3KbRvP-wDkuIh4kPw30AJIRevNHatI4unrLANI/s1600/IMG_20141231_130250.jpg" height="640" title="screen printed t-shirt snake plissken screen printing" width="480" /></a></div>
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And for a Metal Gear Solid fan :)</div>
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All in all, 2014 was a pretty damn good year. I made a lot of stuff, opened an Etsy store (that has been sadly neglected these past couple of months), bought a house, got engaged, got a promotion, and somehow still managed to read some books! </div>
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My goals for 2015 include:</div>
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<li>Get married. Which includes surviving the wedding planning phase of things. UGH.</li>
<li>Spend more time on my Etsy shop</li>
<li>Screen print ALL THE THINGS.</li>
<li>Finish all my sad, neglected unfinished quilt tops</li>
<li>Make more of my own clothes</li>
<li>Blog at least once a week!</li>
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Sounds doable, right? RIGHT? I am looking forward to this year. I think it's going to be fantastic. And I will be making an active effort to spend more time in this space, interacting with the rest of you lovelies out in blog land. </div>
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What are your goals for the year?? I will leave you with this wonderful picture of it SNOWING in TUCSON, ARIZONA just before midnight on New Year's Eve. Pictured is my friend Kate, who is from Phoenix and had never before stood in falling snow. Magical, right?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiq6YKhaOsLVyXPAf0hM8BDgFlc589zA1aeSWlolRoryMdA1TQqBN3WL3sThLsdSlqCh4jeL0hTKZBwA30_-Gx_ODpo6xJikfVKMPaZfPrM7lgZ_OxL_dmZw8Mc55ptzqhyphenhyphen-1tzLU8jWg/s1600/IMG_20141231_233922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiq6YKhaOsLVyXPAf0hM8BDgFlc589zA1aeSWlolRoryMdA1TQqBN3WL3sThLsdSlqCh4jeL0hTKZBwA30_-Gx_ODpo6xJikfVKMPaZfPrM7lgZ_OxL_dmZw8Mc55ptzqhyphenhyphen-1tzLU8jWg/s1600/IMG_20141231_233922.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<br />Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-59854162219071717112014-11-26T12:37:00.001-07:002014-11-26T12:37:29.479-07:00November...November was supposed to be a better month for blogging, wasn't it? That's what I remember thinking at the beginning of November.<br />
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Then a series of THINGS happened. First, I got a promotion at work (YAY!). This, of course, is wonderful news that means a modest pay bump and an end to working Saturdays (OMG SO HAPPY ABOUT THAT). But it also meant the first two weeks or so in November were full of a mad scramble to get everything in order for my old position- training my back-up to do the work full time, making sure I wasn't leaving her with a huge mess, etc. Those were looooong days, after which I didn't want to do anything but watch Gilmore Girls and cuddle with my dogs.<br />
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Which leads me to the next THING. My silly white husky, Charles, AKA Charlie, AKA that white fuzzball who is forever photo bombing pictures for this blog, had a lump on his chest sort of near his armpit. Or legpit? I don't know what to call it on dogs since you know... they don't have arms. So that required vet trips, biopsies, lab analyses, you know. And come to find out it's a mast cell tumor and needs to be removed. So he is scheduled for surgery after the holiday. The vet is very confident that we will remove all the cancerous cells on the first run-through so I'm trying really hard not to worry. And being grateful that I have to check my dogs so regularly for tics (I swear we have super tics here that just don't care about drops or collars or any other preventive measure) because otherwise it may have gone unnoticed<br />
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THEN. This past weekend I had a family member in the hospital! Everyone is now okay, but my goodness. November has thrown me for a loop and ruined all my plans...<br />
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But you deserve something. So here is all I have managed this month.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4bQ_1UY_cqE/VGtdfSny7MI/AAAAAAAANDs/GjqBaAP49Is/s1600/DSC_0541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="embroidered elephant and fox coin purses" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4bQ_1UY_cqE/VGtdfSny7MI/AAAAAAAANDs/GjqBaAP49Is/s1600/DSC_0541.JPG" height="428" title="embroidered elephant and fox coin purses" width="640" /></a></div>
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Two cute little coin purses. Already listed on Etsy. It's not much to show for a month, is it? UGH.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlPnbigNjIBEfXkl39icSi6RW4DBTKDAgrbonoYwcZu6bybcQQn57MmIIqW7GoDzyRzhqBZbdkzlvNx76PvDgBdLLG60yXdhwCp3oVILv4GyXQdkKVQyh2tKtPWxUfwySEQod_AHXz3Q/s1600/DSC_0540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="embroidered elephant coin purse" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlPnbigNjIBEfXkl39icSi6RW4DBTKDAgrbonoYwcZu6bybcQQn57MmIIqW7GoDzyRzhqBZbdkzlvNx76PvDgBdLLG60yXdhwCp3oVILv4GyXQdkKVQyh2tKtPWxUfwySEQod_AHXz3Q/s1600/DSC_0540.JPG" height="422" title="embroidered elephant coin purse" width="640" /></a></div>
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But at least they're cute...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pC4MB_98fhU/VGtdv1bxhoI/AAAAAAAANFE/wkgD6YdSeew/s1600/DSC_0521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="embroidered fox coin purse" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pC4MB_98fhU/VGtdv1bxhoI/AAAAAAAANFE/wkgD6YdSeew/s1600/DSC_0521.JPG" height="440" title="embroidered fox coin purse" width="640" /></a></div>
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December has to be better than November, right? I have stacks of fabrics just staring me in the face every time I go into my sewing room. It's getting ridiculous. But tonight is the beginning of a looooong weekend and I intend to get a lot done. THERE WILL BE UPDATES.<br />
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How has November been for you? Ready to scarf down some turkey tomorrow? BECAUSE OH GAWD I SO AM. That is all.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-49052813684860090072014-10-31T11:45:00.001-07:002014-10-31T11:45:38.911-07:00More Yarny ThingsOn my hiatus from sewing, I found myself spending a lot more time with my yarn stash. I'm trying to get a jump on some Christmas presents, so you'll excuse me if I don't say who these items will be for ;)<br />
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First up, some nice, simple pot holders. In my kitchen, these ones are my favorite. My quilted ones just don't insulate as well as the two layers of cotton yarn, even though I added both cotton batting and Insulbrite to the middle. Ah well. At least those ones are still pretty, right? These will be a Christmas gift. I might make a couple more sets as well. I think they'll make good little add-ons and they're quick to make! <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/crochet-folded-potholder" target="_blank">Pattern here</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hLczozTbRXg/VFOYSJJARGI/AAAAAAAAMvI/W9L1dSBnDJE/s1600/DSC_0516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="finished crochet cotton pot holders" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hLczozTbRXg/VFOYSJJARGI/AAAAAAAAMvI/W9L1dSBnDJE/s1600/DSC_0516.JPG" height="596" title="finished crochet cotton pot holders" width="640" /></a></div>
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Next up. Some fingerless mitts. For these I used the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/firecracker-gloves" target="_blank">Firecracker Gloves</a> pattern.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZNZbzsog64PTUzk9xhJRqhSIeUGoPKA-4WGX8AtVx36x288QVaArmbLLgpH4fUnPYskIAREsuRyByFea_ldTybOLachyphenhyphen9xAw1zM2_jT9_aDWJdDEmVyqpNyfg9sav9veKXBPZA7ISTs/s1600/DSC_0494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="firecracker gloves progress" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZNZbzsog64PTUzk9xhJRqhSIeUGoPKA-4WGX8AtVx36x288QVaArmbLLgpH4fUnPYskIAREsuRyByFea_ldTybOLachyphenhyphen9xAw1zM2_jT9_aDWJdDEmVyqpNyfg9sav9veKXBPZA7ISTs/s1600/DSC_0494.JPG" height="640" title="firecracker gloves progress" width="496" /></a></div>
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I love the herringbone HDC stitch used for these, but they are a bit on the snug side. The pattern says they are for 3" to 4" wide hands. Mine fall into that range (albeit on the high end) and I checked my gauge, but they're still a bit of a struggle to get on. I was making these as a gift, but I don't want to give ones that may be too small. I think I will make them up again a little larger instead.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ru8uqEAEGxmpC3nR4juW92DYMQS9TYn21aKwKEKMOfiNnqVoV1dYcgo3PrQacKYTy6TF8K3zzv0ozLWuxdACNZB3FqJXoSdIfpqw2GtMvrHlxZGuCcmhxgw_nksBLkzBv3zdAIi6VJk/s1600/IMG_20141026_125639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="finished firecracker gloves" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ru8uqEAEGxmpC3nR4juW92DYMQS9TYn21aKwKEKMOfiNnqVoV1dYcgo3PrQacKYTy6TF8K3zzv0ozLWuxdACNZB3FqJXoSdIfpqw2GtMvrHlxZGuCcmhxgw_nksBLkzBv3zdAIi6VJk/s1600/IMG_20141026_125639.jpg" height="640" title="finished firecracker gloves" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also experimented with these on different starting methods. The glove on the bottom uses a regular chain to start and then a row of SC into it as the foundation. It's kind of ugly and wavy, probably partially because I'm not used to crocheting with fingering weight yarn. But the one on top uses a row of foundation single crochet. Look how nice and neat! It was really quick, too. I will definitely be using this method in the future.<br />
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And last but not least, sock progress! I have been working on these way too long. I gave up because I just didn't like doing 2 at once. Too much fiddling with each strand of yarn and turning and making sure your yarn doesn't get tangled.. Plus I just felt like I was treading water all the time. So! I took one toe off the needles and will finish them one at a time. I don't think these will be a Christmas present, though, as I started them in my own size ;)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUhRs9j0Uupr_C6J3WceJYnrK6PUNQQ7ztwYILFra8CijylM-hGqor39i1hs7HF9iUVaI4ScB1js2pvrtBrwCkuyP7suAwPO3PUvfm3tF8HncNcH-0e3TTzDSuwi8qeQPGS9Zxemc44M/s1600/DSC_0502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="purple hand knit sock progress" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUhRs9j0Uupr_C6J3WceJYnrK6PUNQQ7ztwYILFra8CijylM-hGqor39i1hs7HF9iUVaI4ScB1js2pvrtBrwCkuyP7suAwPO3PUvfm3tF8HncNcH-0e3TTzDSuwi8qeQPGS9Zxemc44M/s1600/DSC_0502.JPG" height="558" title="purple hand knit sock progress" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was nice to revisit my yarny projects! I will definitely be making more time for yarn in the winter months. There is just something so appealing about drinking a hot cup of tea while knitting in the dead of winter, you know? Not that Arizona gets much winter, but still. I can pretend!Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-72159978863499759652014-10-24T13:39:00.000-07:002014-10-24T13:39:14.373-07:00Blogger's Quilt FestivalYes, it is that time of year again. I have made appallingly few quilts this year. 3 to be exact, and one was less than 2' x 2'! I really must finish more quilts. But that's the problem with having so many hobbies, isn't it? There's never enough time for all of them!<br />
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Anyway, this time around I'm entering the <a href="http://the-crooked-banana.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-wedding-quilt.html" target="_blank">Wedding Quilt</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ahQcARIj_nU/VBGy0uTJpaI/AAAAAAAALwY/6lBkmKNOqIk/s1600/DSC_0647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="star in star scrappy quilt" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ahQcARIj_nU/VBGy0uTJpaI/AAAAAAAALwY/6lBkmKNOqIk/s1600/DSC_0647.JPG" height="536" title="star in star scrappy quilt" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is a quilt I made for my very good friend AND future sister in law's wedding. She's a very special lady, so needed a very special quilt!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FrnBuj3qBto/VBGy9XyX0MI/AAAAAAAALwg/hQgLkApbTbM/s1600/DSC_0645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="star in star scrappy quilt close" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FrnBuj3qBto/VBGy9XyX0MI/AAAAAAAALwg/hQgLkApbTbM/s1600/DSC_0645.JPG" height="448" title="star in star scrappy quilt close" width="640" /></a></div>
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This pattern was self-drafted. I specifically made it so that the largest points of the stars could be cut from fat quarters. Of course, only the dotty fabric in the outer points was actually a fat quarter, but I had originally planned on using more, promise!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CIaPy9vscvA/VBGytEUqcEI/AAAAAAAALwQ/apnL9GjMk5g/s1600/DSC_0644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="star in star scrappy quilt " border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CIaPy9vscvA/VBGytEUqcEI/AAAAAAAALwQ/apnL9GjMk5g/s1600/DSC_0644.JPG" height="562" title="star in star scrappy quilt " width="640" /></a></div>
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I know, the pictures aren't fabulous. These were taken the morning of the wedding. I was scrambling, okay?<br />
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It measures at about 85"x 85". I used various scraps for the most part and the background is Kona Sky. I quilted it on my home machine in an all over stipple pattern. Mostly because I was pressed for time. I really wanted to try something fun and different in the quilting for this, but such is life.<br />
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This quilt could fit into a few categories... it's big enough to be considered a "large" quilt, it's made of scraps other than the background, and it's a self-drafted pattern (though I am wary of calling it "original"!). But Scrappy is where I'm happiest, so that is the category it will be entered in :)<br />
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If you'd like to read a little more about this quilt and see some progress shots, see <a href="http://the-crooked-banana.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-wedding-quilt.html" target="_blank">here</a>. If you'd like to see the awesome bridesmaid dresses I made for the same wedding and hear more about the event, see <a href="http://the-crooked-banana.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-bridesmaid-dresses.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Thanks for taking a look! <a href="http://amyscreativeside.com/2014/10/24/bloggers-quilt-festival-fall-2014-edition/" target="_blank">Blogger's Quilt Festival</a> is always so much fun! I hope you'll take a look at all the other beautiful entries!Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-48936248277042734622014-10-20T14:38:00.000-07:002014-10-20T14:38:02.549-07:00Burn OutYes, again, it has been two weeks. And you know what? I haven't sewed a stitch. I have been feeling completely burnt out these last couple of weeks and in my spare time I have been binge watching Gilmore Girls, crocheting, and playing Wind Waker. Even the thought of stepping into my sewing room was enough to induce a small panic attack. I know I have a lot of stuff I need to do, need to work on. And that's exactly why I have been avoiding it. It's just too much!<br />
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So I took a couple of weeks away from sewing. It has been kind of fun, really. Rediscovering how much I love knitting and crochet, for example. Allowing myself to *just* watch TV. That's right, not TV while I sew or TV while I knit. Just TV for the sake of itself. I don't remember the last time I did that. And that seems kind of insane, doesn't it?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Wemxdnf390/VDc9k3fInTI/AAAAAAAAMZw/sZHYvlrlUFw/s1600/DSCN0942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="hand embroidered drawstring knitting bag" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Wemxdnf390/VDc9k3fInTI/AAAAAAAAMZw/sZHYvlrlUFw/s1600/DSCN0942.JPG" height="480" title="hand embroidered drawstring knitting bag" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the last thing I sewed. Isn't it cute?</td></tr>
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I think part of it is that I have just reached the end of my rope with this nonsense schedule Mario and I are one. We only really see each other 1 day a week and I can't stand it. Not only do I just miss him all the time, but that means we never get anything done on the weekends because we don't want to waste our precious time together doing something lame like pulling weeds or repainting the pergola.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFMP9SDNZmCBPDsbDBjCd7AuFMrSqMWomuNDe2WiRlZXLzehVQIg4zRtQ-8nuokhRR3xnzC5Lf8LLa2cp7unjQzLQzH1ID3jK7yQCorA6vzXkyTC-P0YW5_QzjP_qofXf_jkNF2EspUAY/s1600/DSCN0948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="hand embroidered drawstring knitting bag- inside" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFMP9SDNZmCBPDsbDBjCd7AuFMrSqMWomuNDe2WiRlZXLzehVQIg4zRtQ-8nuokhRR3xnzC5Lf8LLa2cp7unjQzLQzH1ID3jK7yQCorA6vzXkyTC-P0YW5_QzjP_qofXf_jkNF2EspUAY/s1600/DSCN0948.JPG" height="460" title="hand embroidered drawstring knitting bag- inside" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It even has a zippy pocket! This was such a fun little bag :) </td></tr>
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I need to find a better balance. I have developed a habit of having to be constantly productive. I always have to be making something, reading something, doing something. I haven't been giving myself any time to just sit back, relax, and do what I actually want to do instead of what I feel like I have to do.<br />
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So in case you've been wondering, that's where I have been these past couple of weeks. Reassessing my priorities and trying to teach myself how to relax again. I'll keep you posted with how that goes. And maybe show you some of the non-sewing things I've been working on in my time away :)Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-74248771877842409492014-10-07T17:35:00.000-07:002014-10-07T17:35:22.951-07:00A Chiffon Staple DressFor my next adventure in clothes making I give you a chiffon <a href="http://april-rhodes.com/collections/patternshop/products/the-staple-dress-pdf" target="_blank">Staple Dress</a>!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eajfIyOyAUs/VC6yNXGA86I/AAAAAAAAMNw/x372sE5R_SM/s1600/DSC_0489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="chiffon staple dress no head" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eajfIyOyAUs/VC6yNXGA86I/AAAAAAAAMNw/x372sE5R_SM/s1600/DSC_0489.JPG" height="640" title="chiffon staple dress no head" width="432" /></a></div>
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Yes, my head is cut off. Yes, this is the same photo shoot as the last one. My camera is a little too heavy for the little tripod I have and it was getting tired...<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vUDr80QBhbg/VC6yC13Q5AI/AAAAAAAAMNo/7jlPZQ_hBK8/s1600/DSC_0482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="chiffon staple dress" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vUDr80QBhbg/VC6yC13Q5AI/AAAAAAAAMNo/7jlPZQ_hBK8/s1600/DSC_0482.JPG" height="640" title="chiffon staple dress" width="328" /></a></div>
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There we go. I made this out of a polyester chiffon I got at a local discount fabric store. It went surprisingly well for my first experience with chiffon! I did a straight size small and opted for the drop hem version. I had a little bit of trouble on the sleeves... my machine decided to try to eat one of them while I was hemming :( So I rolled them again and added extra stitching over the slightly mangled area. Then I added a line of shirring to hide the mangled-ness. Because of course that couldn't happen down near the armpit. Had to be where everyone would seeee. But I kind of like how they look all scrunched up! I might do this again in the future. In case you haven't heard, this was a lovely, easy pattern to follow. I made it up in an afternoon, mangled sleeve rescue and all. Definitely recommend for beginners!<br />
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I wasn't sure I would like this pattern on me, but I was pleasantly surprised! It's comfy and flattering and light, which is wonderful. I wish it wasn't almost winter so I could make all the summer dresses... Although, I could just wear leggings under EVERYTHING. Hmmm.<br />
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Yes, this part of the shoot is lacking in photos. Because the dogs were getting sick of me and doing this:<br />
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I know you can't see my face, but trust me. It was not amused. </div>
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OH. One last thing. In case you don't follow me on Instagram, I kinda got engaged this weekend! Well, officially engaged. Mario and I have really been planning our wedding for quite a long time but we wanted to do things like finish school and buy a house before bothering with a wedding. But we've done that and now we're bothering! Look how sparkly! </div>
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Mario does have the best taste :) </div>
Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-31810989842138782672014-10-03T07:56:00.004-07:002014-10-03T13:32:43.909-07:00More clothes! Sorbetto and Sew Simple LeggingsI know, I expected this post to come sooner, too. My only excuse is that I ran out of time to have a photo shoot over the weekend! And by ran out of time... I mean totally forgot I needed to do that until the sun was gone. Inside pictures at night don't look good. Trust me.<br />
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But anyway... Lately I have decided I want to make more clothes for myself. It's fun and challenging and results in some awesome stuff for me to wear. But where to begin? I have sewn a few clothing items in the past, but I am definitely still a beginner. So I started with some beginner things: <a href="https://indiesew.com/products/so-sew-easy-sew-simple-leggings" target="_blank">Leggings </a>and the <a href="https://www.colettepatterns.com/sewing/sorbetto" target="_blank">Sorbetto top</a>.<br />
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Now, I don't wear these together out in the world. I prefer to wear leggings with long tunics or dresses in the winter. But for the sake of ease in my photo shoot, I am wearing them together!<br />
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Okay. You see how my dog is smelling me? Yeah, that was going on pretty much the entire time. But I couldn't lock them inside because they'd whine and wake up my boyfriend, who works nights so he sleeps really late. Dilemma! SO I guess you guys get some ridiculous pictures of me modeling with my dogs being like "Mom! What are you doing? What's on your legs? What making that beeping sound (the camera)?" WEEE!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VqgmLB7tP0A/VC6xTvW7TgI/AAAAAAAAMNI/Lbx8OVnCke4/s1600/DSC_0476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="sniff in sorbetto and sew simple leggings" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VqgmLB7tP0A/VC6xTvW7TgI/AAAAAAAAMNI/Lbx8OVnCke4/s1600/DSC_0476.JPG" height="640" title="sniff in sorbetto and sew simple leggings" width="540" /></a></div>
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Charlie found the leggings fascinating. I found them to be incredibly easy to sew. The ones I'm wearing here were my first pair. I read somewhere that lowering the rise would probably be a good idea if I don't like leggings to go all the way up to my natural waist (which I don't) so I took off 3 inches right from the start. That's the only alteration I made to this pair and they fit great! They ended up just slightly long (because I'm short) so in the next 2 pairs I made (yes, I made 3), I took out an inch from the bottom. I don't have any pictures of those because they're in the dirty laundry basket ;)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EnD_R5MpgXQ/VC6xb5rOJnI/AAAAAAAAMNQ/cBCtZmav9_k/s1600/DSC_0477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="resigned in sorbetto and sew simple leggings" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EnD_R5MpgXQ/VC6xb5rOJnI/AAAAAAAAMNQ/cBCtZmav9_k/s1600/DSC_0477.JPG" height="640" title="resigned in sorbetto and sew simple leggings" width="548" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my "Resigned to my Fate" face</td></tr>
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The top is the second Sorbetto I've made. The <a href="http://the-crooked-banana.blogspot.com/2014/06/making-clothes.html" target="_blank">first one</a> I found to be a little too short, so I added an inch in length. I also decided not to do the pleat all the way down the front. I saw a few like this around the internet and really liked it, so I decided to copy the inverted pleat look. I think this would be great lengthened into a dress with a belt around the waist! Maybe someday I'll do that.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dSy8gxuQ2qU/VC6xkPLVetI/AAAAAAAAMNg/5vglRFbkhcU/s1600/DSC_0480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Butt in sorbetto and sew simple leggings" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dSy8gxuQ2qU/VC6xkPLVetI/AAAAAAAAMNg/5vglRFbkhcU/s1600/DSC_0480.JPG" height="640" title=" Butt in sorbetto and sew simple leggings" width="620" /></a></div>
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Look! It's my butt! And you can see Charlie's pretty eyes. Aren't they pretty? Ahem. Right. I really like this version of the Sobetto and am planning on making another when I find some suitable fabric. This floral fabric is rayon and it's super soft and light and wonderful while still being opaque enough that I don't have to wear an undershirt. A really good summer shirt! I know it's October now... But it's still getting up to the 90s here. So I will still get some wear out of it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5-XApUeMqZY/VC6xewSLMyI/AAAAAAAAMNY/Nswolxy7FKY/s1600/DSC_0478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="petting the dog in sorbetto and sew simple leggings" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5-XApUeMqZY/VC6xewSLMyI/AAAAAAAAMNY/Nswolxy7FKY/s1600/DSC_0478.JPG" height="640" title="petting the dog in sorbetto and sew simple leggings" width="592" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me having a very stern talk with Charlie while scratching his head. I don't think he got it...</td></tr>
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As I said, I made 3 pairs of these leggings! I definitely recommend the pattern. I know there are awesome tutorials online on how to measure yourself and make a custom leggings pattern... but I'm lazy. And this was $3. So worth it. And they're so quick to make! These take less than 2 hours a piece from start to finish. Awesome! I want to make like 5 more!<br />
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What have you been working on? I will have more clothes to share next week! Linking up to Finish it Up Friday at <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Crazy Mom Quilts</a>!<br />
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ALSO! Just a note- I have had a couple of requests for a tutorial or at least cutting directions for my <a href="http://the-crooked-banana.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-wedding-quilt.html" target="_blank">Wedding/Star in star quilt</a>. I am at least going to get the cutting directions written up for you guys and posted next week :) <br />
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Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-54398786206588778392014-09-19T15:21:00.002-07:002014-09-19T15:21:59.726-07:00The Bridesmaid DressesAt long last! Pictures!<br />
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So I made some bridesmaid dresses for my best friend's wedding. They were super simple infinity dresses. Took about 2 hours each to make. But I love how they turned out! We all got so many compliments. If you would like to make one of your own, I used <a href="http://seecatecreate.com/the-infinity-wrap-dress-this-will-blow-your-mind/" target="_blank">this tutorial</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Frmo4WVjICQ/VBxCZRTFWJI/AAAAAAAAL_Q/GHWe_teLa5A/s1600/Bridesmaids.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="infinity dress bridesmaids " border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Frmo4WVjICQ/VBxCZRTFWJI/AAAAAAAAL_Q/GHWe_teLa5A/s1600/Bridesmaids.JPG" height="488" title="infinity dress bridesmaids " width="640" /></a></div>
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Here we are with the lovely bride. This was a very handmade wedding. Bride's dress? Handmade by the bride. Her beautiful crown of flowers? Handmade by her sister (standing to the Bride's right if you couldn't tell from their amazing resemblance!). There were handmade decorations, our bouquets were also put together by her sister. It was pretty damn fantastic.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWVUGkYBM93hdx762JT5TN2CxJa9oUL-_1V31wP5i67L0SJ9jl-unvuv7raPYSeKPyp91k3PoNqVD6YAx87Bm4feDIQD8sJhbJWXsYZnPLrPz-FPj_o85PscH9GuNIaAcSVdres5TILo/s1600/Outtake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="infinity dress bridesmaids fun" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWVUGkYBM93hdx762JT5TN2CxJa9oUL-_1V31wP5i67L0SJ9jl-unvuv7raPYSeKPyp91k3PoNqVD6YAx87Bm4feDIQD8sJhbJWXsYZnPLrPz-FPj_o85PscH9GuNIaAcSVdres5TILo/s1600/Outtake.JPG" height="462" title="infinity dress bridesmaids fun" width="640" /></a></div>
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We all styled our dresses differently, which was really fun. They were light and comfy, too. The fabric I used was a rayon/lycra blend I bought at fabric.com. Perfect for an outdoor, late summer wedding. I think my favorite compliment of the day was from someone who didn't know all our dresses were handmade who said how amazing it was to have dresses that looked awesome that we will actually wear again. So true! These can be dressed up or dressed down pretty easily- I hope the other bridesmaids wear theirs again!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qX-q60r2VDg/VBxChGJfk3I/AAAAAAAAL_g/Y-pJDsp6S2g/s1600/Smooch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="infinity dress bridal party smooch" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qX-q60r2VDg/VBxChGJfk3I/AAAAAAAAL_g/Y-pJDsp6S2g/s1600/Smooch.JPG" height="394" title="infinity dress bridal party smooch" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's the whole bridal party. Aren't we cute?? It was a very special wedding. I've known the bride and groom separately for years and it was me who introduced them! Isn't that awesome? Plus, Sofia (the bride) is also my future sister in law! I know, my life is like an awesome fairytale. I am going to have a best friend/sister in law. And I'm super excited about it!<br />
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Next week I'll have more clothes to share, so stay tuned! I wanted to share more this week, but it was cloudy every single day, so no good pictures were taken. Next week I am counting on the desert to produce some sunshine!<br />
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What have you all been working in?Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-35827313146404038852014-09-15T09:00:00.000-07:002014-09-15T09:00:01.395-07:00Around the World Blog HopSo. The lovely and talented Audrey of Hot Pink Quilts tagged me to join this crazy chain of bloggers answering questions about themselves. I'm really not sure where this started, but it's so fun to see how many people are participating! Seriously, just google Around the World Blog Hop and maybe add quilting and tons of results will pop up! Isn't it amazing just how many of us are tied together in this online quilting and sewing community? I think so! So without further ado...<br />
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1. What am I working on?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ar8jeoUMK5w/UwWHko4CViI/AAAAAAAAG9g/feT4f-jZMWA/s1600/DSC_0024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="rainbow catvent quilt" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ar8jeoUMK5w/UwWHko4CViI/AAAAAAAAG9g/feT4f-jZMWA/s1600/DSC_0024.JPG" height="512" title="rainbow catvent quilt" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Catvent Quilt Along top from last Christmas... Yeah. It's still just a top.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mLE4qhp4Wis/U1Han-dYzLI/AAAAAAAAJYE/-zE5ptXzaHc/s1600/DSC_0218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="giant churn dash quilt" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mLE4qhp4Wis/U1Han-dYzLI/AAAAAAAAJYE/-zE5ptXzaHc/s1600/DSC_0218.JPG" height="640" title="giant churn dash quilt" width="612" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mario's quilt also really needs quilting. I still don't even have a backing for it. Definitely need to finish this by Christmas.</td></tr>
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Nothing major right now. I have 2 quilt tops I need to finish and turn into quilts. Aiming for the end of the year on those. I've also been working on making more clothes for myself, so expect to see more posts about that in the future. Really, right now I'm coming down from a month of intense, deadline-driven sewing, so I'm taking it a little easy. Just sewing what I want to sew, catching up on bee blocks, and planning for the future. So far, I am enjoying September very much! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvr2HYxZYmK0Wl5XNciltpPdmfuSgb9UV76liF-H_ArI1ONer7ztK9Kb91pEJIzNRFAyWBCYlV-WrV1m1-CasAYqf2t9fLglWSDhNO934OcXW45hxXk-2GjIouMI-ONxLb3Z1_ZNfb2Rk/s1600/IMG_20140911_204401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="sew simple leggings" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvr2HYxZYmK0Wl5XNciltpPdmfuSgb9UV76liF-H_ArI1ONer7ztK9Kb91pEJIzNRFAyWBCYlV-WrV1m1-CasAYqf2t9fLglWSDhNO934OcXW45hxXk-2GjIouMI-ONxLb3Z1_ZNfb2Rk/s1600/IMG_20140911_204401.jpg" height="640" title="sew simple leggings" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some leggings I finished this week.</td></tr>
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2. How does my work differ from others in its genre?<br />
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Hmmm. That's a tough one. I have a tendency to do what I want and not care about things like what the pattern tells me to do or worrying about trendy color combos. I try to just make what makes me happy (or what will make the intended recipient happy!) and not worry about anything else. I don't know if that really makes what I do different, but it definitely makes me happy! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O1L-aYEZCCQ/U1-4Lp0qd8I/AAAAAAAAIQg/g_rwRqNsYik/s1600/DSC_0316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="elephant swoon blocks" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O1L-aYEZCCQ/U1-4Lp0qd8I/AAAAAAAAIQg/g_rwRqNsYik/s1600/DSC_0316.JPG" height="392" title="elephant swoon blocks" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swoon blocks... still waiting to be sewn together...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uJZfFCp3i74/U22kTSFkaXI/AAAAAAAAIn0/eqFmMipQ8Hc/s1600/DSC_0354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="mother day dumpling bag gifts" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uJZfFCp3i74/U22kTSFkaXI/AAAAAAAAIn0/eqFmMipQ8Hc/s1600/DSC_0354.JPG" height="310" title="mother day dumpling bag gifts" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mother Day Dumpling bags</td></tr>
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3. Why do I write/create what I do?<br />
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I create to fill a need. I don't do well with idleness and I find I am the calmest and most satisfied with my life when I am actively working on creating something. What I create can vary widely- I love crafts of all kinds, but I also love writing. Little known fact about me- I studied English and Creative Writing in my undergrad career with an emphasis in poetry. And those poetry workshops were the best classes I took in college. I've loved writing since I was really young. I still have the first book I ever wrote, laminated and spiral bound for the Young Authors program in Washington. Lately my writing hasn't been so regular, but I'm working on that!<br />
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So I guess long story short, I create because I love it, because I need to, because it's fun and fulfilling in a way that nothing else is. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HRkTyc8oAA0/Uinv5Oz-qbI/AAAAAAAAF8c/zvxb4DMXQ8g/s1600/DSC_0207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="stitch and flip wonky quilt" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HRkTyc8oAA0/Uinv5Oz-qbI/AAAAAAAAF8c/zvxb4DMXQ8g/s1600/DSC_0207.JPG" height="428" title="stitch and flip wonky quilt" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A wonky wedding quilt I made for a friend</td></tr>
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4. How does my writing/creating process work? <br />
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I think this one is even harder because it really isn't a standard thing. Sometimes I have an idea that I need to make or write RIGHT NOW or the WORLD WILL END. And I get started as soon as I possibly can, taking breaks only for my day job and sleep. But sometimes I have no idea what I want to do, so I just wander around my sewing room or doodle in my journal until I figure something out. Sometimes I work on something a little at a time, sometimes I focus on one thing to completion, sometimes I jump around from project to project. I guess my creative process is just really flexible and sometimes unpredictable. Which suits me just fine.<br />
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So now it's my turn. I suppose I will get the other ladies of the Fierce Quilters Bee in on this action- <a href="http://lifeofcouch.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kitty</a>, <a href="http://sewintomy20s.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Allison</a>, and <a href="http://www.sewwhatsherlock.com/" target="_blank">Sarah</a>. TELL ME STUFF, GUYS. :D<br />
<br />Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-55885395133847163092014-09-12T10:38:00.000-07:002014-09-12T15:15:51.918-07:00The Wedding QuiltOkay, guys, I finally have something awesome to show you. Are you ready? Let's pretend I took really awesome pictures and wasn't totally rushing 10 minutes before I had to get ready to leave, okay??<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ahQcARIj_nU/VBGy0uTJpaI/AAAAAAAALwY/6lBkmKNOqIk/s1600/DSC_0647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="star in star wedding quilt" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ahQcARIj_nU/VBGy0uTJpaI/AAAAAAAALwY/6lBkmKNOqIk/s1600/DSC_0647.JPG" height="536" title="star in star wedding quilt" width="640" /></a></div>
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BAM. Star in a star in a star, self-drafted pattern. Then I added the fun border to make it a little bigger. It finished at about 85x85.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CIaPy9vscvA/VBGytEUqcEI/AAAAAAAALwQ/apnL9GjMk5g/s1600/DSC_0644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="star in star wedding quilt" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CIaPy9vscvA/VBGytEUqcEI/AAAAAAAALwQ/apnL9GjMk5g/s1600/DSC_0644.JPG" height="562" title="star in star wedding quilt" width="640" /></a></div>
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Look, a slightly different angle! I couldn't stand back far enough to get a straight on shot of the whole thing without the sun glaring off the camera lens... *sigh*<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FrnBuj3qBto/VBGy9XyX0MI/AAAAAAAALwg/hQgLkApbTbM/s1600/DSC_0645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="star in star wedding quilt close" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FrnBuj3qBto/VBGy9XyX0MI/AAAAAAAALwg/hQgLkApbTbM/s1600/DSC_0645.JPG" height="448" title="star in star wedding quilt close" width="640" /></a></div>
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See the glare?? And I was standing pretty close! I don't know if you can see it, but I quilted it with an all-over FMQ stipple. I need to start getting braver with my FMQ, man. I'm getting a little tired of the stipple!<br />
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This quilt was for my future sister-in-law's wedding, so it was very special! She also happens to be one of my best friends who I have know almost 10 years. I introduced her to her now husband, who I had known for several years, just about two and a half years ago. They're such a great couple! Their wedding was lovely and fun and everything a wedding is supposed to be :) And the quilt was well received!<br />
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Here are some progress shots of the quilt, just for funsies:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6B0lAuUlONiwCzcywz3jKXir76QB5PFmKGVThdGvJymOJZHNCLxWMT4H_cWhAIfY60grhWQVtWvqtZaapjKRNveC9wuXWBGyYlBt_xvhkyrbd8oFOpnguhZs87ExbxOsSM-D0OW3zj4I/s1600/IMG_20140729_072247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="star in star wedding quilt progress 1" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6B0lAuUlONiwCzcywz3jKXir76QB5PFmKGVThdGvJymOJZHNCLxWMT4H_cWhAIfY60grhWQVtWvqtZaapjKRNveC9wuXWBGyYlBt_xvhkyrbd8oFOpnguhZs87ExbxOsSM-D0OW3zj4I/s1600/IMG_20140729_072247.jpg" height="640" title="star in star wedding quilt progress 1" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvZ2FKoFH3Qse3tTu5vlZGIdgkDDeoRSrMACsgLrvsgF8dyVrq7iSK4REcAJ3p0qi8iyZpi522Rv7zEJ9USL1IFLsLzcnQwf-QsZaj6Kr6BK5tVlsclBtIgayI7jWFJFX4Dd92v-vepc/s1600/IMG_20140728_111017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="star in star wedding quilt progress 2" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvZ2FKoFH3Qse3tTu5vlZGIdgkDDeoRSrMACsgLrvsgF8dyVrq7iSK4REcAJ3p0qi8iyZpi522Rv7zEJ9USL1IFLsLzcnQwf-QsZaj6Kr6BK5tVlsclBtIgayI7jWFJFX4Dd92v-vepc/s1600/IMG_20140728_111017.jpg" height="640" title="star in star wedding quilt progress 2" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieh-pjf-aAMhGnb3rAcUECJUwvuRtx3vFqA2Mo-zfN-tvGTj3fSAs2APDSRbXIyAYHTyBHZYAttwTbl_j9lKj12QZ9kMFE0eAgPubB7psykjwOZCViRuRfG0LbGakLx4QQFKwiflwezUg/s1600/IMG_20140706_131459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="star in star wedding quilt progress 3" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieh-pjf-aAMhGnb3rAcUECJUwvuRtx3vFqA2Mo-zfN-tvGTj3fSAs2APDSRbXIyAYHTyBHZYAttwTbl_j9lKj12QZ9kMFE0eAgPubB7psykjwOZCViRuRfG0LbGakLx4QQFKwiflwezUg/s1600/IMG_20140706_131459.jpg" height="640" title="star in star wedding quilt progress 3" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also made the bridesmaid dresses- I will post pictures of those AND the awesome bathing suit I made for our little vacation following the wedding next week! August was a super busy sewing month, even though I didn't blog almost at all. But now I have plenty of fodder to keep this space busy for a couple of weeks! Stay tuned!<br />
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Linking up to Finish it Up Friday at <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Crazy Mom Quilts</a>!Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-61030784963122088482014-08-16T09:25:00.004-07:002014-08-16T09:25:42.832-07:00Busy, busy, busy!Just wanted to drop in and say hi!<br />
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I've been spending most of my free time frantically sewing things for the upcoming wedding. I haven't had much time to think about other fun things like blogging or my Etsy store or, you know, anything! I promise a full reveal post for the wedding quilt and the bridesmaid dresses, but here are some previews from Instagram:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PM2DYE6zYWqVn_1P8n2DagEk77-P1TeYZO4Fiy1d_YbU_c-CylPicaR-MjlhfHVhyYEB6ztaaSujb8jIEWwZd_cZkru-u35it2Xsz1wJKfgHu8wWpAJpQPMdpJqh5-ihN70xpuppses/s1600/IMG_20140810_134220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="convertible infinity bridesmaid dress" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PM2DYE6zYWqVn_1P8n2DagEk77-P1TeYZO4Fiy1d_YbU_c-CylPicaR-MjlhfHVhyYEB6ztaaSujb8jIEWwZd_cZkru-u35it2Xsz1wJKfgHu8wWpAJpQPMdpJqh5-ihN70xpuppses/s1600/IMG_20140810_134220.jpg" height="640" title="convertible infinity bridesmaid dress" width="480" /></a></div>
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Please excuse the messy surroundings. We have not yet decided on a home for our records... Also, this one is a little big on top because it is for one of the *ahem* bustier bridesmaids. But I was so excited to finish it that I had to get a picture!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4M_njLwuaNEAD9wEbPmfPuJl31uLSLmNsWB6b7mWl4mcwYyR6S8qUKDjEIbDLDjLOfniMpZJtu0iVbictyJwCFiZUhdISJFIxVP28Odxa2kiDyhoEfqKmyNWYolqJsVy_e0AK6iBjSA/s1600/IMG_20140810_134309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="convertible infinity bridesmaid dress back" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4M_njLwuaNEAD9wEbPmfPuJl31uLSLmNsWB6b7mWl4mcwYyR6S8qUKDjEIbDLDjLOfniMpZJtu0iVbictyJwCFiZUhdISJFIxVP28Odxa2kiDyhoEfqKmyNWYolqJsVy_e0AK6iBjSA/s1600/IMG_20140810_134309.jpg" height="640" title="convertible infinity bridesmaid dress back" width="472" /></a></div>
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Infinity dresses are the best! We're going to look so fierce! (And don't worry, I won't be wearing a bra that shows to the actual event!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQijQLulCulv6-UgVaYP2xgq-vwoeDQGcvicgEUjRMMIcjyPB6A19r6EqKfgpfrfOe996PrR_hQJwdNyvvA34Jq4rapc10K-t2Vk_89CD1Fyxqxvjkl1jUgoETqJLv5pteqgf-xlzxBQ/s1600/IMG_20140729_072247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="star in star wedding quilt" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQijQLulCulv6-UgVaYP2xgq-vwoeDQGcvicgEUjRMMIcjyPB6A19r6EqKfgpfrfOe996PrR_hQJwdNyvvA34Jq4rapc10K-t2Vk_89CD1Fyxqxvjkl1jUgoETqJLv5pteqgf-xlzxBQ/s1600/IMG_20140729_072247.jpg" height="640" title="star in star wedding quilt" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here is the center of the quilt. It is actually almost done now! I finished the top last weekend and started quilting this week. I'm hoping to finish it up this weekend and then figure out something awesome for a label :D<br />
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How has August been for the rest of you? My energy is flagging for sure. Looking forward to September!Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777857214890559866.post-43978335958881051372014-07-31T10:46:00.001-07:002014-07-31T10:48:46.144-07:00At long last... A Clutch Tutorial!OKAY! Guys. I did it. And I have new found respect for everyone who has every written a pattern or tutorial. It's a lot of work.<br />
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So without further ado... The Just the Essentials Clutch Tutorial!<br />
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<b>Supplies:</b><br />
A fat quarter or regular quarter yard of main (really you need a rectangle about 13x10.5 or two rectangles 6.5x10.5)<br />
At least a fat quarter of lining fabric<br />
Interfacing (I use Pellon SF101 for the inside and Pellon TP971F for the outside)<br />
Narrow contrast strip for the wrist strap<br />
Zipper at least 11" in length<br />
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Optional: D-ring and lobster clasp if you want the strap to be removable<br />
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<b>FIRST. Cut your stuff!</b><br />
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2- 6.5" x 10.5" rectangles for the outside. These can be plain, patchwork, quilt as you go, appliqued, whatever you want! Get creative with it!<br />
1- 6.25" x 10.25" piece for one lining wall<br />
1- 8.5" x 10.25" piece for divider pocket<br />
1- 13" x 10.25" piece for card slots<br />
1- 2" x 14" piece for wrist strap OR TEST WRIST STRAP REMOVABLENESS<br />
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Interfacing:<br />
TP971F (Thicker stuff): <br />
2- 6.25 x 10.25 pieces for outside (I cut mine a little smaller than the outside to reduce a little bulk in the seams)<br />
SF101 (Thinner stuff):<br />
1- 6.25" x 10.25" piece for one lining wall<br />
1- 8.5" x 10.25" piece for divider pocket<br />
1- 13" x 10.25" piece for card slots<br />
1- 2" x 14" piece for wrist strap<br />
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OKAY. Is everything cut out now? Good! Let's move on. <br />
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<b>SECOND. Fuse your interfacing to your fabric pieces according to manufacturer's directions.</b><br />
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<b>THIRD. Make your card slots.</b><br />
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1. Lay your 13 x 10.25 piece on your table and get out a ruler that is close in size to your piece. I like to use my 9.5" square.<br />
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2. Line the ruler up at 3" from the bottom on the wrong side.<br />
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3. Fold the fabric over the ruler, making sure it's straight.<br />
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4. Slide the ruler out and finger press the fold. You can use clips or pins to old the fold if you like.<br />
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5. Lay the ruler on top of the piece again, this time lining it up at 1.5" from the top of the fold.<br />
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6. Fold the fabric up over the ruler, making sure it's straight before sliding it out. Finger press the crease and pin/clip in place if you like.<br />
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7. Line up the ruler again (here is where having a slightly smaller ruler comes in handy, especially if you're using wonder clips!) at 2.5" from the fold. Make sure you're lining it up at the fold and not at the bottom!!<br />
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8. Fold the fabric down over the ruler and make sure it's straight before sliding it out and finger pressing the crease.<br />
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9. Are you ready! Last fold! Line up your ruler at 1.5" from the fold and fold the fabric up over the ruler. Finger press your crease and clip in place. After turning the piece over, it should look like this:<br />
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10. At this point you'll want to measure your piece and make sure it's 6.25" tall. Sometimes mine are spot on and sometimes they end up a little big. If it's a little big, you can trim off a little bit from the top or bottom to make it the right size.<br />
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11. Now you want to iron those folds so they're nice and crisp. Then top stitch them in place. Make sure you fold back the pockets so you're only sewing through each fold and not through all the layers! Otherwise you'll just sew your pockets shut and that's no fun! After top stitching, it looks like this (I know this picture is terrible. I'm not sure what happened! Please forgive me):<br />
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12. Now you can sew the lines to make the actual slots! YAY! First, mark the center line (should be 5 1/8" from the side). Then make 3.5" on either side of the center line. Make sure you are only marking the actual pockets because that's where you will sew. You don't need to sew all the way up (though I suppose you could if you wanted to). They are very faint in my picture... My pen was dying.<br />
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13. Now top stitch on those lines, being sure to reinforce the top of the pocket by backstitching. I usually leave my tails long on this side so I can pull them through to the back and knot them for extra security. When you're done it should look like this but less blurry (seriously, guys, I might get my fake photography license revoked for this):<br />
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YAY! Card slots are done!!<br />
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<b>FOURTH. Make your divider pocket.</b><br />
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14. Fold your 8.5x10.25 piece in half and iron that crease. Then topstitch! That's it! Easy peasy.<br />
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See how nice the topstitching looks? :)<br />
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<b>FIFTH. Make your strap.</b><br />
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15. Fold your strap piece in half and iron it. Like you're making a quilt binding! I know my ironing board isn't much to look at...<br />
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16. Open it up and fold the two side in to meet at the center. Iron these, too.<br />
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17. Fold your creased strap piece in half so the raw edges are inside the fold. Then stitch the two folded edges together. I also like to add a line of stitching to the other side so it matches. It should look like this when you're finished:<br />
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YAY! All your pieces are ready to go! Now we can get to the really fun part! <br />
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<b>SIXTH. Assemble your bag.</b><br />
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18. We're going to make a little sandwich. First, lay down your outside piece face up. Then lay the zipper on top of it face down. Line up those top edges!<br />
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19. Lay your lining piece down on top of the zipper, face down, lining up the top edges and centering the lining over the outside piece. Pin or clip in place!<br />
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20. Sew the layers together with about a 1/4" seam allowance. I like to use my walking foot for this. When you're done you'll have a nice little sandwich.<br />
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21. Fold the pieces back and press with your iron. Be careful not to melt your zipper!! Then you'll topstitch next to the zipper. Remember this picture? YAY TOPSTITCHING!<br />
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22. Okay, now we're going to do the same thing on the other side. BUT FIRST. Baste your divider pocket to your remaining lining piece along the bottom so you don't forget to add it in the final phase. Not that I have ever done that... ahem...<br />
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Yay! Almost there!<br />
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23. Now we are going to sew it all together! First, pin or clip your strap in place. I like to put mine a couple of inches down from the zipper. I don't usually measure. But I like it above the middle for sure. I also leave a little sticking out so that I can easily see where it is while I'm sewing so I'm not surprised by the bulk!<br />
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24. Now fold your outer pieces together and line them up so they are right sides together. Do the same with your lining pieces. It should look like this:<br />
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25. At this point, you will want to make sure you unzip your zipper about 3/4 of the way. Add a copious amount of clips or pins. Make sure your zipper is folded with the teeth facing the lining. This will make sure your corners are neat and tidy. <br />
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26. I'm sorry. I failed to get a picture of this step because I was so excited about getting it done! But now you will sew all around the outside of your bag, leaving a few inches in the bottom of the lining for turning. I like to go over the strap at least twice for security.<br />
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27. Seriously failing at pictures. Now you can clip off the extra bits of zipper ends and strap ends, clip your corners a little to reduce bulk, and turn your bag right side out! It's basically done! All you have to do now is sew the hole in the lining closed (I do it by hand with a <a href="http://www.positivelysplendid.com/2013/02/sew-a-pillow-closed-by-hand-blind-ladder-stitch.html" target="_blank">ladder stitch</a>). <br />
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WOW. Done! Aren't you proud?? You should be! HIGH FIVE!<br />
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If you make a bag, I'd love to see pictures! Just shoot me an email or tag me on Instagram (@crookedbanana). Let me know if you have any trouble with the tutorial or if you see any mistakes! My eyes are going all funny and crossed from staring at it so much.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331572509609932355noreply@blogger.com3