Category: crochet

Zippy.

Posted by Caitlin Jane – 04/04/2011

Since learning how to make zipper pouches a couple weeks ago at the workroom, it’s pretty much all I do/think about. They are a fast, easy project and use up small bits of fabric that we all seem to have hanging around taking up precious crafting space. I know I have made more than this (one got accidentally left behind in Virginia but it’s being mailed back) so this is really just an idea of what I’ve been up to:

They all have stuff in them, yes.

Speaking of fabric scraps, I sorted all my small bits and pieces by colour today and actually tossed some of the smallest, least useful, pieces:

They went into three separate ziploc bags, red/orange/yellow, green/blue/purple and brown/black/grey/white. I know, even to me it seems funny to use plastic bags when I’m clearly obsessed on zipper pouches, but that’s the way of the crafter. Ziplocs are my friends, I use them constantly.

Ok, and before anyone asks, I won’t be posting instructions for your very own pouches here or anywhere. I paid Karyn to teach me how, I supported a local business and I got out and rubbed shoulders with other crafters and had lots of fun doing it. If you look I’m certain you will find similar patterns and instructions pretty much anywhere, but I won’t do it here. I don’t think she’d mind me selling pouches I made using her pattern though, but I will ask first.

In exciting mail news, I got my zipper order from etsy. I got a mix of colours in different lengths (and some small bits of cute fabric for small change purses) and I’m super happy!! The smallest ones are only 3″, so cute!

Sorry. I realize these pictures aren’t the greatest. I’ll try harder next time.

Picture free update.

Posted by Caitlin Jane – 06/03/2011

So it looks like it’s been 2 weeks since my last update, sorry. Where does the time go? Frankly, I don’t know. I mean, I have made 4 quilt tops (and finished one completely including binding), sewn 90 triangle flags for a bunting (they are 6″ across, 9″ long and not quite finished yet) had work meetings and seen a bunch of movies.

Ok. I loved Rango. I know I’ve been going on about it on twitter and Facebook, but for everyone else in the world? Go see it. Don’t worry about if you have a kid to go with or not, they won’t enjoy it as much as you anyway. I took Ari yesterday and practically gave myself a hernia I was laughing so hard. Maybe it was stress related, I don’t know, but I’m going to see it again, hopefully in the theatre. And it’s NOT in 3D! Woo!

And I also loved The Adjustment Bureau. It’s a smart movie about love. About waiting for love and being true.

We watch Bob’s Burgers each Sunday and I just said to Shannon how much I like it because it’s odd and funny and very silly. The voices are great, it’s a good show. Especially compared to the rest of the crap you get to watch on Sunday night. I haven’t enjoyed an episode of The Simpsons in at least 8 years. And I don’t like Family Guy and I loathe Cleveland. It’s awful.

I’m still going to the gym twice a week but I think I’ve lost the fever for it. My legs hurt when I use the treadmill and it makes the rest of my workout pointless. So yeah, I use the elliptical (or cross trainer as it were) and that hurts way less but still. And swimming is hard. I love the swimming part but I hate the wet hair afterwards part. And swimming caps don’t help. In fact, I don’t really know what a swimming cap is for.

Ok, so other than sewing like crazy (like, literally, CRAZY) I still do knit sometimes and I’m working on a couple other things.

I’ve also been enjoying cooking more lately, I often find myself thinking about how delicious roasted cauliflower is (very!) and what goes well with quinoa (almost anything). Shannon and I ate at Rawlicious last weekend while Ari was at her Oma’s house and I’ve been thinking about going back soon. I had this zuchetti thing, zucchini spiral shredded with tomato sauce all raw and I loved it. And then we shared a piece of ‘cheesecake’ and died and went to the moon. So very delicious, wow. So I’ve been thinking abut making that and then thinking that it’s the type of food best left to the professionals. Like sushi. And pad thai.

On top of everything I haven’t been sleeping much lately. Every night I go to bed and sleep for a couple hours then wake up at about 3:30 and stay awake for about 2 hours. Or longer. Then when I wake up for real for work or…sewing, I’m exhausted. I feel dead. I know why. But I feel more secure if I have my ipad in bed with me. RAH. It’s the IPAD’s FAULT!! But you know? When you’re like, ok, sleep time, good night pillow, good night duvet, good night ipad. Oh, what? Did someone tweet something witty? Is there an email for me? Grr.

Technology will clearly be the death of me.

Ok. I love you all. I’ll post real pictures soon.

Secrets! Revealed!

Posted by Caitlin Jane – 14/02/2011

And other stuff too, I haven’t stopped being busy this week, not even once.

First, as we know, Ali had her baby, who goes by Baby Clay. Or Babby Clay. And because she refused to tell anyone the gender before he was born, I was hoping for a girl so I could pass on the pink/orange/black zigzag quilt I made a while ago. Well.  The good news is that she had him on a Monday, which is also my day off from work, so as soon as I got the good news, I got to work on a baby quilt. I had limited options but navy, green, black and grey seemed good for a boy.

There. Completely made in one day. It’s already been mailed and received.

Next up was my dear friend Libs’ birthday. I’d already made myself a pincushion using a block from knitty.com so I made a second and put a small quilt block on the back and called it good. This one is hers, front and back:

The yarn is mini mochi. It’s nice and soft and very cute. This one is mine, front and back:

Koigu yarn is the bomb. Ditto echino fabric. Delicious. And both were gifts from Libs!

Also, I made throw pillow covers to match my green quilt:

Made with scraps, mostly, a little new (the centre blocks) and the fabrics I’m using for binding (the orange pieces). The backs will be purple batik.

ALLLLLso, I made a couple toys out of an Aranzi Aronzo book, the middle 2 fellows:

Shannon got me thinking about toys and I’m glad I gave that book a second chance. I had to get new poly filler stuffing and I’m not in love with the new brand. I just don’t know where to get decent stuffing around here.

Valentine’s Day snuck up on me, so I hastily made a gift for my Valentine:

If you can’t tell, it’s a mini quilt, about 2′ by 3′,  of an 8 bit picture of him. We’d been very much enjoying 8 bit art by Andy Rash and so I used his formula as the starting point. I mostly used scraps I had laying around here, but also got a couple fat quarters from Walmart (the blue backgrounds and the beige sand, dark brown beard/hair).  I spent a lot of time looking at it and laughing my head off. And yelling at everyone to stop spying on me and my secret presents!

(Also an apology about flopping around and switching blog themes. I hate that,  I get all confused when a blog I frequent suddenly looks different. The one I used for about a day-almost exactly like this one but purple and green-I loved and wanted to stick with but it didn’t have categories or a blog roll so I switched back to this one. Yes, I’m sure there’s an easy way to add those to a theme but I’m too old to start learning tricky stuff like that).

Green quilt

Posted by Caitlin Jane – 05/02/2011

Well, I’ve been a busy bee, it’s true. And much busier and productive than I can post about. Here’s what’s poo, when you make something for someone as a gift and it’s finished and you’ve taken pictures but you can’t post them because they haven’t received them yet. Ali, I’m talking to you. And Libs. It’s torturous.

So between them and the shirts I’ve also put together a scrappy back for my green quilt. It’s not quite finished, I’m planning on getting some yardage tomorrow at the workroom to put a band at the bottom to fill it out to the right size. Or maybe a strip at the top and at the bottom, who knows. I’ve also made the binding for it, it’s also scrappy (surprise surprise!) different orange pattern fabrics.

The bottom edge has been evened out too. I’m very psyched for this quilt to be finished, then I can start thinking about my next big project.

I also organized my sewing area a little. There was peg board laying around here, in the laundry room, so I hung it up and Shannon got me a bunch of pegs and it’s fantastic. So nice to have easy access to thread and bobbins and everything useful.

Now I want more thread. MORE THREAD PLEASE!

On aging.

Posted by Caitlin Jane – 05/02/2011

I noticed the other day that if I lean my arm on my bent leg it squeezes the veins and makes my hand look scary/old. I was trying to pretend that it’s from lifting weights but even my imagination is limited.

Pretty, eh? Pretty SCARY. I am almost 40. And no, if you wondered, that’s not the hand that was injured. Although, at this point, they do look remarkably similar. Not a scar in sight.

The last couple days I have been hacking and slashing at tshirts. I own a shit-ton of tshirts and I wish I liked them more but I’ve finally admitted that I don’t. The best ones, the ones with a cool silkscreen on the front, are always tight and binding and they ride up on my gut and drive me crazy.  I was saying to Shannon how much I wished that all those shirt printing guys did them on tank tops so he suggested I cut a couple tshirts up and see what happens.

So this is what happens:

Yes. I suck at self portraits.

It’s a Threadless shirt, I think I got it for $5. And I love the print (“I’ve wanted this for so long”) and I love it even more now.  I used an existing tank top I like for a pattern and literally just laid it on top and snipped around the edges. And then I let down the hem, which adds about half an inch, and voila! I think I’ve done this to 6 shits so far.

Ooh, and if you’re in Toronto, City of Craft is having their third annual Love and Rummage Trunk Show at The Workroom tomorrow. It’s also the last day of a 4 day sale on fabrics, so I’m checking that out too. (I’m at a birthday party in the late morning and will try to get to the wr by 2pm. And I mean it when I say let’s have coffee if you go and you know me and all that jazz). I’ll be wearing my snakeskin leggings.

I grow weary of this world

Posted by Caitlin Jane – 30/01/2011

What a productive week I’ve had. I got my arm finished-that only took 1 year of procrastination-dealt with internet thievery and finished my new quilt top. Ooh, and I got a shower radio for $5.

Here’s the top, in situ:

It’s not finished, not even close. I need to make the back (which will be pieced with leftovers from the top plus whatever extra I need), quilt it, then the binding and a label on the back. So, I’m halfway there.

People have been super nice-it’s funny how the internet has this awful reputation for trolls, I guess they don’t read my blog-about all my work lately. I really appreciate positive comments and feedback, it does stoke the fire. I’ve also heard a lot of “I wish I could do that” type stuff. Honestly it’s not that hard. I was thinking about what advice I wish I’d had coming into quilting so I will share with you what I’ve learned.

1-it’s not cheap. You need decent scissors, rotary cutter, mats, rulers, iron and ironing board, pins, thread, fabric and a sewing machine. Fabric is crazy expensive. So far, on this project alone, I figure I’ve spent at least $100, and I still need to get batting and fabric for binding and the back, another $100 probably. It’s big, right now it measures approximately 80″ square, so that’s a lot of material, but still.

2-Space. Man, you need space to sew. I have a shit-ton of it here and I could still do with more. I’d love to have a project wall, like a giant pin board to tack fabric or blocks onto, to figure out how to arrange them. Yes, I can use the floor but more often than not it’s super dusty in the main room and no matter how well I sweep and mop, it’s dirty. I dread leaving this space for that very reason (although I am eagerly anticipating it for every other reason).

3-Energy and momentum. My problem is putting projects down. When I injured my hand in December it stopped me from finishing the 2 quilts that I’d started for my parents (both completely done now, last hand finishes just a couple days ago). Well, that was my excuse (legitimately!) but worse was that I’d lost the momentum on them. I’d finished the fun part, picking fabrics, cutting, piecing, organizing and sewing the tops, but the drudgery, the sandwich and pinning and quilting and binding, ugh. I basically sewed this green top completely yesterday, including cutting the green strips that go between each block. That took a couple coffees and Coke Zeros.

4. Practice. I’ve fiddled with my new sewing machine a lot so I’m pretty confident about how it works and what it can do. This quilt is my 6th project and I do feel like I’m starting to figure it all out. I’m certainly not an Outlier, I’m no where near 40, 000 hours, but practice makes perfect. For everything.

That’s all. I mean, I reserve the right to add to this list as I need to, but those are my basic tips.

Ok. And about internet thievery-that’s an exaggeration. Someone I used to be friends with took one of my recipes, changed it a bit and published it as her own. And by published I don’t mean on their blog, but in an actual newsletter that goes out to people who will think that it’s an original. Now, I know we’re not friends any longer, I can live with that, but giving credit where it’s due is only fair. Even if it’s just a small nothing credit (“I adapted this recipe from an old friend”), it’s still meaningful. Obviously it’s time for me to update my google reader subscription feed and dump her blog to avoid any further upsets (and forced, unpleasant contact). After 2 years, I know I should. But I guess I’ve been hopeful for some sort of reconciliation.  And because I was there throughout her pregnancy and the first two years her kids were alive, I’m still interested in their growth and development. How very selfish of me.

Watch out where the huskies go!

Posted by Caitlin Jane – 17/01/2011

And don’t you eat that yellow icicle. Seriously, don’t eat it. I wouldn’t even walk too close to it, there’s a good chance it will fall onto you and kill you to death. And no one would ever know how you died because the ice would melt and the evidence would disappear.

Holy big, right? I couldn’t even fit it into the whole picture, it’s so big.

Tilt your head 45 degrees to the right, that’s a 2 story icicle, son. It kicks your baby icicle’s ass. It’s an FBI: a Fucking Big Icicle! Super cool.

Got lots of work done today, I have only 6 more quilt blocks to sew. AND I took out 4 enormous bags of recycling that have been sitting around since last year. You read correctly:  LAST YEAR.

OH, and I started a wee knitting project too. So there! (Gosh, I love Knitty! KISS ME KNITTY!)

A sore back can only mean one thing…

Posted by Caitlin Jane – 15/01/2011

I’m done cutting my blocks! Woo! It took 2 days and 2 rotary cutter blades and lots of swear words but I did it. I’m doing a basic 9 patch because, frankly, I like it’s simplicity. It’s classic and it looks great, especially with nice fabrics that deserve showcasing. Each block will have 2 6.5″ squares and 2 2.5″x9 squares. Because I’m using the heart block I already made for the centre, I needed 24 different fabrics, a little math and voila, nothing is repeated!

So, I don’t know if you can tell right away, but I labeled each block with a number/letter, then went through them and shifted everything by 1 twice (oh, how can this already be confusing?) so block A has A, B, C in it, block B is B, C, D, block C is C, D, E and so on to the end where block X goes back to X, A, B.

Now does it make more sense? I might even start sewing tomorrow, we’ll see how I feel.

In gaming news, I’m in the middle of Lego Harry Potter on DS (it’s not great, Batman and Indiana Jones were way better), Lego Batman on PS3 (love it!) and the latest Mystery Case Files on this, my laptop. I subscribe to the emails so when I found out the latest case had been released, I sucked it up and threw it onto PayPal. It was awesome, unsurprisingly, and I finished it in record time. Then I somehow erased it, BOO!

I made something today

Posted by Caitlin Jane – 09/01/2011

It will be the centre block of my future quilt.

The pattern is by Anna Maria Horner (that’s a pdf file, fyi). It was hard, I mean, each square was so twonky, such a stupid shape, I had to trim trim trim to make them even vaguely square, then I zigged the heart on top, then trimmed some more. Then I ironed it onto some fusable stuff to make it stay. Ugh. Whatever, it will look amazing once everything is put together.

I’ll also hand embroider our initials on it.

Ya know? If I’d had any idea that sewing with someone’s retired boxer shorts would be so difficult, I might not have done it at all!

Practice makes perfect

Posted by Caitlin Jane – 02/01/2011

I don’t have basting pins (or I don’t until tomorrow when I head to DFO) so I’ve finished sewing the backs of both parental quilts, but haven’t started the quilting process yet. It will happen, I’m feeling motivated.

Until then, I’ve been drooling over amazing quilts on flickr to try to figure out how to piece my own quilt. I think I’ve kind of figured it out, at least for now, here’s my mock up, using scraps I had.

The largest square is 6″, mid size are 4″ and smallest are 2″. It makes a 10″ square (duh). Plus seam allowance, 1/4″ per side. Then I am planning on 2″ sashing between each block. I think I can get away with making 36 blocks, then the sashing, then a 4″ border, then binding, it should be big enough to snuggle with Shannon under.

And, unless it’s not super obvious, I’m using fabrics previously blogged. And a couple more rarities I found and bought on etsy last night. Oops!