*Tap, Tap*... Is this thing on?

*insert feedback noise here*

So, it's been a while since I've last even thought about this blog, but you know, New Year, New Me! So I thought I'd post a bit of an update on my life since I've last posted, you know nearly three years ago. *sorry!*

I'm currently stationed in Cairo, Egypt with my gremlin of a cat, teaching middle school math. I've been doing more and more sewing and dipping my toes into other crafts to destress. I've made a few resolutions of a sort to be more serious about sewing and to document my makes a bit more frequently. So here's hoping that I can stick with it. *fingers crossed*

I did a bit of an introduction on my instagram, but I also wanted to do a little bit more here. I'll be posting a little about myself every of often, so here's a little bit for you. I've been sewing since I was... maybe 11 or 12, and consider myself a video/book taught crocheter and knitter. My mother likes to claim that I must have gotten all of the crafting genes that skipped her. I think her crafting genes are just... hidden... deeply. I used to use crafting as an escape from the world, staying up late, and working out all of my frustration of trying to be the kind of person that I want to be. But as I've been learning, and am continuing to learn, I find that crafting is my way of connecting with those out in the world! So hello world!

In the hopes of sticking to my resolutions, be on the lookout for my next post to hear the details about my reversible brocade Victoria blazer! Also, leave a comment and let me know if you have made any resolutions and then already broken them? Until then, enjoy my contribution to the cat tax, my foot warmer, the lovely gremlin herself...

 such a loaf!

Look at this face!! <3

Corner to Corner Crochet Convivial

Word of the Day: choragus [\kə-ˈrā-gəs\] noun. 1. The leader of a chorus or choir; broadly: the leader of any group or movement. 2. A leader of a dramatic chorus in ancient Greece

Can you tell that today's post is being brought to you by the letter C? I'm pretty sure I'm not using convivial correctly, but it's late enough that I don't really care. :)

This post is a bit of a placeholder until I can upload my corner to corner crochet process. I've been using/adapting patterns from Two-Hearts Crochet and I'm pretty proud of my progress so far. I've been sharing the pictures to my Instagram account as well as that is much easier for me to update. Feel free to send an add to my account if you know it and if you wish. I think I might be creating a new account just to post crafty things because it is kinda overwhelming my current page and I want to be able to have just crafty things on there. If I do, you will be the first informed. :) 

Night!

In which I've made a thing.

So as you can tell I make things. Some of these things are cute, some of these things are not functional, some of these things I give away, some of these things look like a drunken child made them. Sometimes I am super critical of the things I make, sometimes I'm happy that I've accomplished making a thing but super frustrated that I can see all of its flaws. I am really  proud of being able to make these things. For once, the flaws are minimal, the self criticism is silenced, and I don't feel uncomfortable saying, "Why yes, I did make this. I created it. I am a badass." 

Recently I've made a dress using Simplicity 1873 in a midnight blue sateen fabric with a lace back. I also made the coordinating necklace, earrings and hair combs to go with the dress. This was my first fancy dress I created, second dress in general. The lace back was a little tricky since the pattern originally requires the zipper to go down the side, but it was an easy enough modification. Making this dress was just one step towards my goal of creating more of my own wardrobe and tailoring things to fit my body and not the other way around.

Next step will either be the same dress pattern or a pair of Colette pattern Iris shorts. I haven't quite decided yet.  Let's see how this will go!

(Since I got changed at work, I had to depend on my coworkers for pictures! sorry not much more detail is included)

The lace back on the "red carpet"

I am incapable of taking a nice picture sometimes

Taken at home, please excuse the messy room!

Harry Potter Heels

I was inspired by these comic book heels I saw floating around on the interwebs here and was instantly intrigued by it. However, no offense to the original poster, but I am not the biggest fan of comic books. So I suppose one should go with what they know and what they love and so I went with Harry Potter!

I just went out and bought very basic heels [I went with black patent heels that had a bit of a platform to them, which was a total personal preference]. Then spent a couple of hours cutting up the pages of a Harry Potter book. I choose book 2 merely because I loved the quotes scattered throughout its pages and it was the only HP book that I had a copy of and was falling apart. I'm not going to list every step I took, that's why the link is posted if you so wish to make your own-although I must warn you... it is a very very long and tedious process... expect to spend the afternoon working on this.

I plan on making more of this style in whatever book crosses my fancy. :)

The shoe before it gets Harry Potter-fied

Make sure to place something down to protect
your work surface. Cleaning up glue on the floor is not easy.

The most tedious part is definitely wrapping
around the heels and curving the sides

But everything was definitely worth it!

Amount of time: 1/2 day [I kept getting distracted by the Olympic trials]
Willingness to repeat: absolutely yes!!

I can't wait to wear them!
Let me know if you would like me to make you a pair in your favorite book!! Shoot me an email and let me know or go to my etsy shop!

Every story has a beginning...

Mine begins right now. 

Graduation is fast approaching, and a lot of thought has been put into what exactly I will be doing once my schooling is completed. Travel the world? Get that all too necessary full time job? Laze about? Learn how to juggle? Or finally finish all of the craft projects that I've started?

The last option is one that I think will bring about the most sense of accomplishment in my life at the moment. But who knows? Juggling seems like it could be interesting.

I've set a few rules for myself while I complete my summer projects. Now by a few I really just mean one or two that I might update as time progresses. Amusingly enough these rules all boil down to the fact that I can't keep buying materials for projects that I will never start and/or finish.
       1. I can only buy fabric if I have a pattern [or concrete idea] that I can use it with. Likewise, I can only buy a pattern if I use fabric I already own.
-I saw this rule elsewhere on a sewing blog and thought that it was something that I needed to incorporate into my life.

       2. I can only buy yarn if I have run out in the pattern that I am currently doing.
-i.e. No more buying yarn because it's pretty without having a clue what I will use it for!

       3. I can only buy beads and beading materials if I have a pattern that I can use with it.
Well I think that is about it... Wish me luck!!

~ t