House of Steph

Stuff to show...

I guess I'm in the middle of a bad week, but I can't help but think it's helping my creative energy. I'm staying up until 4 a.m. (regularly) and sewing and knitting as much as possible! So much that my wrist hurts (tendonitis??) from knitting and I'm trying to give it a rest. So much that I'm not doing regular life-type stuff like laundry or dishes (oh wait... Do I normally do that stuff?) Back when I first started knitting I thought I broke something or tore something in my wrist. Given what I was doing at the time, I figured I hurt it at work because I continued to hurt it at work--again and again and again.... Given the pain now, it must be the knitting. The more I hurt the more my brain is telling me to knit. Physically and mentally.

Good ol' sewing machine makes a timely appearance to stand in for the knitting hiatus... And it's a good thing! Check out this bag! (I'm decidedly not going to be modest about this one. I really like it.)
This pattern is my own hybrid--a modified version of Lotta Jansdotter's easy bag pattern with help from the Japanese quilting book and Amy Butler's Madison Bag pattern lining instructions. I love making these things! I like having them around. I had a plan for this one. Really, I did. I like it too much to give up! As usual. Sometimes I have a hard time letting go when I make bags and stuff from pants or other clothing I've cut apart for scraps. Plus, this bag is a reminder of the pieces I've cut for a new quilt. It's the stuff I got back when I visited mom and dad two times ago... Yep.

Mom got me the awesome Knitpicks interchangeable Addi-esque needle set for the ol' birthday! I promptly made a new case for them. The pink/white one was made last Tuesday night and the red/white one was made tonight. I went all-out on both the bag and the needle case--this time, using interfacing and piping. It made the pieces turn out so much better! I still hate working with interfacing, though.

I enclosed the needle cases in a zipper pouch. It's perfect for these needles! I might make another for my Denyse needle set.

Time for bed, now.

You made an apron? You don't even cook.

...I knew he would say that. It's a TOOL apron. Can't you see the gears?

I'll definitely be using the tool apron when we carve the pumpkins SOMEtime this week... I keep suggesting we carve them and the boys are too lazy and/or preoccupied with online poker/Sims/CounterStrike/somekind of computer whatnot. I guess I can't complain. Time spent NOT carving pumpkins gives me time to be in the man-cave.

I finished a second bebe dress for little Audrey!

Buttons, yes. Vintage. You've seen one of them before. This little dress pattern looks perfect on her!! It's made usingNew Look Pattern #6576
. So sweet when its made in Joel Dewberry fabrics! :) Definitely a new favorite fabric designer for me!

I hope she likes it! :)

Back to Work

It was a wonderful few days off--much needed stress relief. Alas, I must return to hell--oops, I meant work. My stash has doubled in the last week, and we managed to get my mom's house (somewhat) unpacked and mildly organized. It was a good week. (Minus the two rainy days I got when I returned to the Island in the Stinky South--I wanted to go to the damn beach, damnit!) Looking forward to my next day off, as always, and definitely looking forward to my next week off, which just so HAPPENS to be next month! Yeah.

Momma's got a brand new bag

For those who don't already know, I'm the Momma. Not momma as in mother, but momma as in "hot momma". I don't have kids, silly...

Despite the rain-out, Labor Day Weekend has been a very productive time for me. Yeah--all that rain in the Southeast they've been talking about on the Weather Channel--yep, that's me. Saturday, I stayed home...all...day...long! And for the most part, I stayed in the man-cave sewing and sewing and sewing until 6 a.m. Luckily, I didn't have to work on Sunday until 1 p.m. Oh, the wonderous stay at home day. I love it even better than, well, not staying at home. Productivity is very high this month. I hope to keep this run going.

So many things on the to-make list and so little time.

Oh yeah, the bag. It's the great bag pattern from the book, Bend the Rules Sewing, by Amy Karol. I actually have the same fabric that's pictured in the book, but what's the fun in that? I knew I had to have it the first time I opened the book. Such a great pattern. Thanks, Amy, whereever you are, for coming up with it. So here's the bag's first of many adventures to the beach. The fabric is from Amy Butler's Lotus line, and the grey stuff is some cotton twill I got at the bargain box (TWO YARDS OF 60" WIDE MEDIUM-WEIGHT COTTON TWILL FOR $1!!! I love thrifting!). Brian got the floral print at Purl Soho for me for my birthday back in March. It was a surprise and I love him for it. He approves of the fabric choice for the bag. I winged it on the free-motion quilting, as I have never done it before. The embroidery is the suggested pattern from the book. I think it works very well with the fabric colors. I free-handed it with a pencil. The buttons are vintage from mom's old stash. (Yes, mom, I did say vintage about your buttons. Sorry.) All told, the entire thing took about five hours or so from cut to embroidery to finish. I was very careful to ensure a good finished product.

I can't wait to take it on my trip to Nashville next weekend!

Busy Busy

Overwhelmed with joy that her Cabo Halter actually fit, The Steph quickly began working on a second halter. Only this time, SANS ZIPPER. Who needs those damn things anyway? It's a shame that even though a certain someone is home, I have to take my own photos for my shameless self-promotion... (Online poker is a severe addiction in this household for some people...)

Anyway, here's my second Cabo Halter. I think I'll stop now. :) I LOVE this pattern!!

zippers...

Why don't they make these worth a damn??  Pisses me off.

Cabo Halter

From the moment I saw the Kaffe Fassett "fan flowers" fabric, I knew it was meant to be... Behold the Cabo Halter (pattern by Amy Butler). The fit is perfect! :) Let's go to the beach!

Finished Objects to Show

Evidence of sewing:  Baby quilt for B's friend Roach, new bag from Lotta Jansdotter's book, Simple Sewing, and a needle roll for Mom's friend Sally (she pre-ordered!!  Thanks, Sally!).  We also went to the beach today!  Dolphins and crabs and weddings (oh, my).  There's even a shot of my new cutting table from Pier 1 Imports.  It's counter-height so I don't eventually break my back by cutting out fabric. 

There has been knitting, too, but none to show right now. 

New and Old (and some Rambling)

There's such a thing as too much sometimes.  We all know it, yet we still resist.  It's called greed (aka stashing).  Knitters and other crafters let greed enter their lives when building a stash.  What the HELL do we really need all this yarn (or fabric) for??  Will we ever use it all?  What about the books that come with it?  Will there ever be an end?  The answer is no.  There will never be an end, and the collective 'we' will spend hours and hours fantasizing about and drooling over yarn (and fabric) with really nothing that will stop us from buying more and more and more.  We will organize and reorganize and buy new and look at the old, like, "Oh, that's really nice.  Gosh, why haven't I found something to make with this?"  It's truely a sickness with no cure.  The me three years ago would not understand.  Well, maybe...

Anyway, this is a fun sickness to have, I think.  It might keep a person up all night, but still, it's fun.  I got off work at 10:20, promptly came home (took Roosevelt for a walk) and dragged out a book I got a few months ago (keep in mind I just bought TWO new books and THREE new magazines) only to use a fabric from the very FIRST batch of non-Wal-Mart fabric I got (from Reprodepot.com) for a project from the book.  How strange is this, considering I just got loads of new fabric from B for the birthday?  In my life this is not a strange happening I guess.  Seems every time I get something new I bring out the old stuff (as practice?) so I don't 'ruin' the newer stuff.  Maybe the phenomenon can be described as "letting the goods have time to settle into the stash".  There's something strangely satisfying about that.  Or it could simply be that I want to stare at it and idol over it (the new stuff) for just long enough...  Who knows.  But I do this EVERY time I get new yarn or fabric.  Maybe it's not weird.  If it is weird, I like being weird. 

Enough talk.  Here's the latest:

I'm calling it the Amy Butler Stash Box.  The pattern is from her book, "In Stitches".  I don't think she meant it to be a stash box, but that's what it is for me.  And it fits right well into my little stash book shelf.   

If you look hard enough at the stash shelf pictured below, you'll see five balls of Blue Sky Alpaca Silk that once was the Somewhat Cowl from last year.  Yes, sadly, that Cowl has been frogged.  The new start date has yet to be named.  As a throw-back to my two-days-ago post, it just didn't fit.  And thus it got frogged.  I tell ya, that was MONTHS of knitting...some of it happened on the beach, which was fun...  But anyway.  Yeah.  The Somewhat Cowl has officially been frogged. 

But the shelf looks a lot more organized with my new stash box.  The funniest thing about the photos of the stash is that I get the best outcome when I use the 'cuisine' setting on the ol' camera!  Of course, those are not ALL of the books.  They are lurking about the house, mostly piled next to my nightstand.  Osmosis anyone? 

There are some little pin cushions I made a couple of months ago, too.  I don't think I shared those.  Fun stuff.  I must go to sleep now. 

I am Jack's total disappointment

Don't you just hate it when you spend careful time and energy on a project, painstakingly ironing--cutting--stitching--measuring--restitching, etc., only to find that it .does.not.fit!!  Exhibit a) demonstrates this utter disappointment : 

It just doesn't fit.  It's beautfully stitched and perfect, according to the pattern, but it just doesn't fit.  May I say it again?  It just does not fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!  The fabric comes from one of my gallant thrifting trips, as does the bias tape that finishes the edges of the facing (but you can't see that in the picture).  Total time, cut to finish took about two hours, which in the grand scheme of things is really not that long.  I just wanted it to work out, that's all.  It would be NICE if at least ONE thing would be wearable.  See?  This is why I do not make clothes for myself.  Maybe I'll just try a freakin' skirt for now.  Grrrrr...

On a more positive note, I had a GREAAAT find at the thrift shop today.  Exhibits b), c), d), e), and f) demonstrate 75 cents worth of thrifting fabric.  :)  Yeah, that one with the blue and white flowers is seersucker!  There's about a (fat) quarter-yard of each one, and even more of the cute red and blue flowers.  The red and tan one has MONKEYS!!  I see the pastel one in the back becoming part of an oven mit, for SURE....

Maybe next time I post there will be some magical finished garment or something... 

In the meantime, if there are any sticks out there needing a no-dart, no-shape camisole, please be my guest!

Putting Good Presents to Work

I started a new quilt last week with the birthday fabric from B.  He basically designed it and I'm just doing the work.  A collaborative piece, if you will... 

  Obviously, it's not completely finished but I couldn't resist the temptation to post a progress shot. 

Happy Birthday to my cousin, Jennifer, today!  Miss you!

What I failed to mention

The first thing B did when he got home:  BROKE MY DAMN IPOD.  Can you believe it??  Here's how it went: 

...in the car on the way back from the airport: 

B to steph as he unplugs my ipod from the car hook-up:  "I'm gonna plug in my ipod now.  I have better music than you do, anyway."

Steph:  (rolls eyes) and we just drive home

When we arrive home and B washes his clothes....

(LOUD BANGING NOISE COMING FROM THE DRYER...)

B to Steph and Steph to B:  "What the fuck is that??" in unison.

B:  "Oh no, Steph.  Oh No."  He knew exactly what it was.

And yes, what did I pull from the dryer?  The brand-new, just received from repair/replacement, newly engraved so sweetly by Apple, IPOD.  The screen was full of water and it wouldn't turn on.  Seems he put it in his pocket as he so rudely removed it from the plug-n-play car thingy "so it wouldn't get scratched"!  SO it WOULDN'T get SCRATCHED??? 

Lucky for him I'm a slight genius when it comes to these things.  I plugged it in the JBL On Stage speaker thingy that I got a while back to charge it and possibly heat the insides to dry the water out.  It works now and the screen's not even screwed up anymore.  Thanks (pats self on back).  He is lucky. 

P.S.  This is why I have my birthday present early.  (Smart man.)

Looking back, the event is actually funny.  The best part is the music it chose to play at random.  It's almost as if the damn thing was thinking!  Here's the first few songs:  1.  "Live Forever" by Oasis, 2. "Soak up the Sun" by Sheryl Crow (main lyrics:  gonna soak up the sun, before it goes out on me...and also: maybe something's wrong with you that makes you act the way you do...) 3.  "Sadness" by Porno for Pyros (the first line of the song is "I've got the devil in me")  4.  "Fired" by Armchair Martian (main lyric:  "if I'd only last that long...") 5.  "What Jail is Like" by Afghan Whigs, 6.  "Rainy Streets" by Superchunck.  So ironic we just laughed and we're just a wee bit worried the thing's posessed.  Really.

Oh yeah, the fabric from Superbuzzy came yesterday, too.  I made the robot canvas bag today.  :)  This time I added pockets to the inside.  Now I'm going to start making the new quilt with the awesome birthday fabric shown in the previous post.

 

How can he really be this good??

I love asking B to pick out fabric for me.  I sent him on a mission to Purl before his trip home.  My instructions were brief but specific:  a) pick out enough fat quarter pieces to make a quilt, or (mind you--I did say "or" not "and") b) pick out two yards of a great shirting fabric.  Item b) requires additional specs:  1.) it has to be a SMALL print and not too busy, 2.) it has to have some type of geometric pattern for the print, not just all over the place, and 3.) it has to be a color I wold actually wear.  He definitely receives an A+ today.  (He got both!)  Such a good man.

First:  the quarters.  Not only did he pick stuff I don't already have, but he also took the time to find a unified group that vastly exceeds my expectations!  (I'm sure the people working in the shop had some fine dialogue about why this guy was in a quilting shop taking so much time picking out fabric for his girlfriend!  haha  He said they were staring at him...and they even asked what he was making!) 

Second:  the shirt fabric.  I mean, you can't dream this up!  SMALL pink flowers on a grey-brown ground?  SIGH.....  I can't wait to start on this!  Might have to do a practice shirt to ensure I don't screw up this awesome fabric!

Third:  A surprise!  And what a good surprise it is!  I haven't actually seen the Amy Butler Lotus line in person yet, and just on instinct he picked out the exact one I wanted!  (Excuse me, I think I just drooled a little bit.)

It's supposed to rain all day tomorrow.  Can you guess what I might be doing?  (Get your heads out of the gutter--I meant SEWING!!)  But for now, I think I might go watch some high stakes poker with my dear man.  Am I lucky or what?  Happy birthday to me (early)!