denim, denim and more denim

The sewing room was an organized mad house this morning while  I belted out project after project of alterations.  I don't think you can belt out work.  Songs, yes.  Work, no.  Maybe the phrase "git-r-done" is more suitable.  giggles.  I don't ever use that phrase, it sounds so gross and hillbilly.  There's a difference in being country and hillbilly.  If only but to me.  Although I do know plenty of people who still use the phrase "git-r-done" and that's alright too.  I still love 'em just the same.  I'm rambling...
 
In preparation for our upcoming road trip.  I wanted to check some things off my list.  Altering all things denim being one of them.  Here stands the leaning tower of denim...5 pairs of jeans, 2 skirts and a pair of jeans converted to skinnys.
 

 
I used this tutorial for the conversion and they were pretty simple to make.  I changed up a few things, but I still like to have something to go by so I don't mentally flip out because I've forgotten something or other.  My skinnys aren't skin-tight.  Close, but because I am over the age of 25 I don't even try to pull off those stunts!  I'm happy with the way they turned out.  They'll go perfectly with the new pairs of boots I've ordered. 
 

 
"Why", you ask, do I have so many jeans to alter?  Well, it goes a little something like this...I can buy jeans all day long that fit in the butt but, never fit in the waist or are long enough.  Flisa says I'm lucky like that because she inherited "the pancake butt".  I laugh and tell her she's crazy, ain't nothin wrong with her booty!  Anyway, I have a SUPER hard time finding jeans that fit right at all, but if they're long enough, I can work with 'em.  Guess I'm just a weird size, 5'9" and I'm not a 4 or a 6.  I'm in-between.  With that being said, I take in the waist and sometimes just a little bit through the leg and alls fine and dandy in the world again.
 
Here are a few examples, it's "seamingly" painless.  wink.
 

 

Taking in the leg isn't hard either.  With right sides facing out, find the two seams on the pant leg, figure out which one is less "decorative" and take in the other (which ended up being the seam facing outward on each leg.)

 

See this one?  Not so fancy...just a regular seam. 

 

 

Now, see this one?  That's a flat felled seam, friends, and I, for one, don't wanna will not touch that sucker with a ten foot pole.  It gives me the willies! 

 

 

Here's where you pick your stitch and stitch length...I chose a simple straight basting stitch.

 

Now, if you're impatient like me, you tend to ramp that sucker up and lengthen it out to get the most bang for your buck cuz time is precious baby!  See?  Now, it's at a stitch length of 4.5 instead of 2.5.  Ignore the rest, it's hogwash!  (OK, not really, just for this little project.)

 

***Now, before you start sewing ANYTHING, you want to try them on inside out and either pin or grab them up with your fingers and make a mental note of how much you need to take in.  Don't go crazy, you can always go back and take more without ripping out all the work you just did.  (It's actually easier that way, just stitch parallel to your previous go.)

 

I like to start just under the pocket (or below a grommet.)  (It's also possible to start up higher, I just didn't on this pair.)

 

 

Sew on down til you get maybe 6 inches or so from the bottom. 

Pardon me while I go lotion my crackly hands, thankyouverymuch.



 

Now, taper on over until you've met the original seam. (My machine ties knots, so I just hit the STOP & FIX buttons and I'm good to go.)

 

Once you've turned your pants right sides out, it may look a little wonky.  Don't worry, you're trusty ol' iron will do the trick.  You'll have to press the seam flat.  Now, try on your pants!  Woohoo!  You should be in business!

baby quilt, softie, and a scarf

This week I've almost tackled one (cheater!) baby "quilt" ...

 

I cut out the triangles and adhered Heat'n'Bond Lite to the wrong side using the tutorial from Made by Marzipan for the "Bye Baby Bunting Quilt".   I know, I promised to make my grandma's first, but wasn't sure I liked the backing I'd gotten.  So, I decided to give it time to grow on me or return it - whichever came first.

 

 
 
 I carefully arranged the triangles and pressed to adhere them to the fabric.
 

 
 
Pinned the top fabric, batting, and bottom together and using a zig zig stitch, sewed all three layers at once.
 

 
 
All that's left to do is sew on the binding (once I get some more fabric to make the bias tape - ugghhmmm!)
 

 

 

 

I conquered a softie doll, tutorial courtesy of 70 piggies.  It'd been a while and I was quickly reminded why I don't like these so well.  They're cute, I agree but, they're tedious.  Don't get me wrong, Nicole from 70 Piggies has a great tutorial!  It's just me.  I have issues like that.

 



 
 
And last but not least, "Ruby" is modeling a cowl neck scarf created from an old sweater - I am in love with both Ruby and the scarf!

 

 



Halloween Costumes for $12

Shiver me timbers!

They both decided to be pirates this year.

So, of course I made them matching outfits!

I spent less than $10 for the stripey red fabric and the gold used for sashes.

The black felt we had on hand, an entire trash bag full!

It made vests, hats, and eye patches.

The ruffles are just strips of old t-shirt, gathered and sewn onto white felt

 that we pinned onto K's collared shirt.

We also had the lace and black tulle that trimmed her skirt.

The hook and sword came in sets from The Dollar Tree.

There you have it, Halloween on a budget.

pirate eye patch in seconds

In preparation of the party this weekend, I had "stuff" to make.  Eye patches being one of them 'cuz you'd be a scallywag of a pirate without one.  So, I had an example to go by, but you know me, I veered off on my own path for simplicity...

My supplies included...

• scissors
• black felt
• elastic "thread"
• cardboard stencil (shaped like a triangle with rounded corners)
• and of course, white thread

I got straight to work using my stencil with the black felt, just cutting around it...

I measured and cut 12 inches of elastic "thread" and tied a knot at each end.

Then, starting on the lower corner of the patch, I sewed a long stitch around to the upper corner...

This is when I laid my elastic thread down and sewed back and forth, back and forth over it a few times to insure it would stay put and continued on to the next corner where I attached the other end of the elastic thread, finally, sewing all the way around.

See how the thread has been secured?  And I've sewed all the way around?

Clean it up by snipping off any long threads and voila!  You have an eye patch or 16!

My apologies, my pirate wasn't present for modeling.

butterflies

We met teachers today and dropped off school supplies.  It's almost time!  I'm feeling jittery just thinking about it.  When K started going to preschool, I would drop her off and tears would fly, but they said she was fine once I left.   Still, it left me with that miserable feeling that sank deep into my bones.  I would go home and feel absolutely wretched!  I was so attached to her and she to me.  I really didn't know what to do with myself!

This man, he's different.  He loves me so, but he's a go-getter.  He's not the type to sit and watch from the sidelines.  Although, every once in a while, he needs an introduction because "I'm too shy, Mommy."  Once the meet and greet is over, it's all business and he plays his heart out.  Not to mention, I have since found things to do with my time and when my two head off to school on Wednesday, I am going to hit the roof I'll be so excited!  Just thinking of the things I'll be able to do without hearing "Mommy!", "Mommy, she's giving me a nasty look!", "Mommy, tell him there's no kicking and punching in wrestling!" every 5 seconds.  This may sound awful, but I am so excited to be able to sew, read, do housework where I can actually fully complete the task at hand without interruption or chaos I just don't know what to do with myself!

Maybe I'm just so ecstatic because my baby is dying to go.  He wanted to know if he could stay there today, in which I had to reply, "No, you'll go in 2 days."  Which then prompted an "Ol' maaaan!"  Over the summer, I have, at times, been sad that my littlest bird is leaving the nest, but he's just so ready and so thrilled.  He wandered around that room today with a sparkle in his eye, just in awe of all the new toys and new space.  He hugged Mrs. R good-bye and couldn't wait to go back.

Don't get me wrong, I will miss my babies, I will, but I am looking forward to some quiet time.  Am I the only one who feels like this?  I don't know, but I will not feel guilty for my new found freedom.  I will use it to the best of my abilities and something grand will come of it, I tell you.  Look!  My sewing list is lofty and I intend to tackle it. 

Not to mention, the baby gift I'm sorta working on.   Let's just say I cut the fabric.   So, there will be no "we interrupt your regularly scheduled program..." for fighting, bickering and name calling, hungry, tired, or needy children.   No sirree, I'll be as happy as a pig in mud!

But on those days when allergies flare up and we haven't gotten a bit of sleep from coughing or we've got a cold, I will cuddle fiercely, bask in the glow of an entire day's worth of TV and make all of the soup, grilled cheese and popsicles I possibly can until I burst.  I will love and dote on those babies with all my might.

core dump

To try and relinquish my mind of all its' junk, I'm putting it here...

I want one of these, but our garden is not expected to produce enough produce (ha ha) this year to justify putting 80 bucks into this.  My mind asks, would it be worth it to purchase it now or should I just wait?  Will they cost more next year?  In my trusty canning cookbook, it says, a deep pressure canner can double as a hot water bath canner (you just don't lock the lid.)  So, since the two hand-me-down hot water bath canners I've accumulated are not in the best of shape, should I buy one now?  What about for my birthday?  Or Christmas?  It would be dual purpose, right?

Next, why are the books I want to read always checked out or none of our frequented libraries carry them? 
The Help
Extraordinary Women: Discovering the Dream God Created for You
Let There Be Light, The Inspirational Achievements of a Man Born Blind
Men are Like Waffles, Women are Like Spaghetti
Safekeeping: Some True Stories from a Life
Swallow the Ocean: A Memoir

Why haven't I made time to hit the pool this summer?

Why can't I sew a straight line?  Really.  Is it that hard?

Why do my gifts/skills seem like nothing to me when everyone else things they're so grand?  I feel like C when he says, "I'm a jack of all trades, a master of none."  It does feel good to hear others marvel over my talents, but I don't make a big deal about it because I don't like being the center of attention.

That also leads to C's complaint, why can't I ever take a compliment without off-setting it with "Well, I thought it could've been better if I'd have..."?

Why am I dying to go camping at Jellystone?  I like camping without the crowd.  I know why, it's the waterslide.  Definitely.  Also, I dread going camping at a campground when you have to make reservations.  It just takes the fun out of it somehow.

Why did I sign up to take a quilting class tomorrow?  I want to learn to quilt.  Correctly.  Just not this week.  Maybe I'll cancel.

Why didn't I remember to sketch Mary's top last week during Bible Study.  I really wanted to duplicate it.  Oh, yeah, that's right, I'm too busy doing what I should be doing.  Bible Study!

Why haven't I started on the other top that I'm dying to make?  Oh yeah, life calls, you can't sew all the time. 

And why didn't I buy the rest of that bolster of fabric that was on clearance for $1.50/yd.  Oh, yeah, we have a budget to live by!

Our anniversary is coming up in a couple of weeks, wondering what we should do for that?

Why can't I get my butt to town this week to drop off stuff at the thrift shop, return my library book, and pick up some groceries?

Why can't we live without a government, since the one we have is crap?

Why don't they just fire the Board of Supervisors since they suck?!

Am I the only one who's burdened by my own mind on odd days/weeks?

There's more, it's just stuck in a web right now.  This mind of mine runs at a million miles an hour nearly 24/7.  What is wrong with me?

Are you feeling crazy now too?  I surely hope not.

our week in review

I know I haven't been here in awhile,

so I feel the need to do some catch-up.

Sunday, we shipped K off to 4-H Camp.

Monday's mild weather ushered us out for some target practice.

'Cuz he knew his sissy was doing this very same thing at camp, too.

It was just the two of us.

Daisy-Boo serenaded us with her complaints.

Mama and her babies graced us with their presence.

She's so beautiful with her white speckles.

We're missing 3 hens now.

Not-so Fantastic Mr. Fox and a friend were spotted in the field behind the house.

They're dead meat!

Last week, I took a canning class.

Previously, I knew nothing about canning and up until recently,

I'd never had the desire to sew, garden, can.

Anything absurdly domesticated.

Monday night, we made mulberry jam.

'Cuz we're drowning in mulberries here.

 This morning, I was weeding in the garden and the UPS man drove by.

He went to the next house, so I didn't think anything of it.

Then, he came to our driveway and because the dogs were making such a ruckus,

he honked the horn and I ran through the yard, muck boots and all, to get my package.

I knew it!  It was my canning cookbook!...

Now, check out this quilted table runner I'm working on.

I'm gonna hand stitch some glass beads on to it,

hoping to give it a little extra.

I've never, ever quilted anything.

So, I started with the simplest of patterns.

How can you go wrong with four triangles to form a square?

Answer:  you cannot

Boring, but simple

Sometimes, I really like simple.

Also, it's totally wrinkled because K wore it on the first day at camp

and it hasn't made it to the washer yet,

but she got lots of compliments.  So, I just had to add it! 

It was a plain white tank top/undershirt that was now too short,

but otherwise, it still fit just fine.

Will try to make a tutorial soon 'cuz a friend of K's wants one too

and K has one more top to chop!

Lastly, while weeding our garden, we found some seriously large caterpillars.

So, the kids put them in a bug catcher, immediately they made chrysalises and today,

K noticed that they had hatched.

So they fought over who would hold them.

Oh, for the love of pop rocks...(and some sewing too)

This has been a lovely Friday. 

I did some sewing this morning,

trying to finish up our friend J's banner for her new room. 

Choices, choices, choices...

I decided we own way too many buttons. 

The man and I had this little heart full of 'em but,

we narrowed it down to these...

We made our final decision and hit the gas.

Voila!  We're done!

(except say, for some decorative stitching

'cuz it looks like it's missing something, hmm?)

Then, we ate some lunch.

And the highlight of my day...

Oh yes, pop rocks, my friend.

We ate some, laughing all the while at the way they popped in our mouths.

We joked and I told the man he sounded like a "Fry Daddy".

Then, remembering that he is only four,

I had to explain exactly what that was.

My mom owned one of these back in the day and the name always tickled me.

What's the story there?  With the name, I mean.

Who came up with this name exactly?

And what were they thinking when they named it?

giggles.  more giggles.

Next thing we knew,

we were feeding them to Dan, the rat terrier.

Imagine this, because I was laughing too hard

to get the camera and get these images photographed.

We laughed so hard, it was ridiculous!

How old am I, you ask?

I'll never tell.

Nonetheless, it's been a great Friday.

Have a great weekend!