rostitchery

creativity: percentages

"invention, my dear friends, is ninety-three percent perspiration, six percent electricity, four percent evaporation, and two percent butterscotch ripple."

willy wonka, candy maker, inventor, dreamer of dreams

creativity: what you get

" if i don't put effort toward creating what i want, i have to put effort toward coping with what i get."

--unknown

frugal gifts for the graduate

this is for my local cyberfriend meredith at like merchant ships, who asked about frugal gifts for graduates.  (i tried to post this in your comments, meredith, but i kept getting an error).

last spring one of our neighbors graduated high school.  this was huge to us, we had known her since she was just a child in grade school, and we wanted to congratulate her on such an important acheivement (which, honestly, we weren't sure would happen for her).  having more stash than money, and almost no time, i came up with this handmade washcloth and soap, which i call a pampering gift set.

the great thing about this washcloth is that it took only 15 minutes to make!  i knitted it on the ultimate sweater machine from joanns.  five minutes of back-and-forth, 10 minutes of crochet around, and it was done.  ella made the soap (with supervision, of course), and the thing that took longest was waiting for the soap to harden.  when i give these as gifts, i present them on pretty thrift saucers that can serve as a soap dish.

if i were making this for a man, i'd use a more masculine color of yarn (maybe even some of the cool camo stripe yarn), a soap on a rope, and i'd present them in a mug or maybe even a toy sailboat.

the pattern i used is the knitting machine dishcloth pattern by magic pixie knitter, but instead of her scalloped edging i used a shell edge.  since first knitting this pattern i have tried lots of other edgings, and i've adjusted it to use on other machines--if you use fingering weight yarn on a standard gauge machine, you get very soft, light washcloths, just right for newborn babies.

this has become one of my most popular gifts, one which people actually request over and over.  when i have time i do prefer to knit washcloths and dishcloths by hand--not because hand knitting is better, but because i enjoy it and i can carry that kind of project around in my purse.   however, when time is short and money is tight, there is nothing like running up a nice gift at the last minute to make me feel like super present lady.

i am learning more and more about using my knitting machines, and i hope this summer to put them to use making more than just rectangles.  and again, to answer the question i get nearly any time i mention knitting machines:  no, knitting by machine is not cheating.  i use a sewing machine too, you know.  :)

apron cheat 2--speed round

this is for my friend julie, who asked how to make a full-body apron.

just like with the first apron cheat, start with a skirt but this time choose a longer one--when i was a teenager we called these "midi's"--a skirt that is mid-calf length.  this one came from the thrift store on half price day, it was way too small for me but i couldn't leave this cute kid cowboy fabric behind.

lay the skirt as before with the center front on the right, the center back on the left, and the side seams, stacked, in the middle. 

slice the skirt up the side seam--i actually choose to use a seam ripper this time--i like to mix it up every now and then.  you might want to slice your skirt closer to center front or center back, depending on how big it is and how much you like your aprons to wrap around your body. just use your best judgement--its an apron--save your perfectionism for your wedding gown.  reserve the back of the skirt for later.

 

then make a diagonal cut near the top of the side seam--i can't tell you exactly the size and angle you should make because it depends partly on the size of your bust--a bigger bust needs a steeper angle, a smaller bust needs a flatter angle.  don't go crazy on the first cut--you can always cut it more later if needed.

finish the side seams--i turned and top stitched, but you should use whatever finish you like.  then fold the angled edge under about 1" and stitch it in place to make a casing.

now just run a ribbon thru the casings, with the ends hanging out at the sides and a big loop at the top.  (if you don't have any ribbon, just cut some strips from the remainder of the skirt and sew them together to make one long tie). 

slip the loop over your head, wrap the ties around your body, and you're done! 

on my full-body aprons i like longer ties that i can wrap around to the front so i have a place to hang a towel.  i recommend cutting your ties long and then trimming them after you've worn your apron a bit.

you can use the back of the skirt to make pockets if you wish, or to trim a dishcloth to go with your apron, or to make a new oven mitt. 

this apron cheat was even quicker than the first one--it would have only taken about 10 minutes but i kept stopping to take pictures.  isn't ella becoming a good photographer?  she makes me look, in the words of a friend, "smokin' and sleek ".  who doesn't want to look like a smokin' and sleek?  and all it took was an apron. 

if you'd rather not just wing it when cutting your skirt, there are lots of great free apron instructions online--this one at j caroline creative has a diagram for cutting an apron very similar to this apron cheat. 

nursery rhyme teacher gifts

 

it is totally illogical, but ella is in kindergarten and preschool.  :D  in tennessee, children are eligible to start kindergarten when they reach age 5, but are not required to attend until age 6.  since we are homeschooling, we went ahead and started kindergarten this year, but we kept her in her preschool three mornings a week because she is also still eligible to stay there until she is 6.  (and we LOVE her preschool--seriously love it, will grieve when she has to leave it).

this year the theme for ella's preschool has been nursery rhymes.  last friday night was the school's spring art show and program in which the kids performed a selection of nursery rhymes for their adoring (and rightly so) parents and family members. 

to thank the teachers for their work in getting the kids ready, i made each of them a humpty dumpty dishcloth--i'm so glad i "found" this pattern!--and ella made them each a little soap.  then she drew a picture of humpty dumpty for each teacher, i reduced the pictures on the computer and made wrappers for the cloths.

 

 

"humpty dumpty sat on a cloth".  this cracks ella up, she thinks it is her own personal pun.

on the back each one says "with love to <teacher's name> from" and ella signed her name.  she calls it her inscription.

and check out the font--it is ella's handwriting!  i found an online font generator that lets you print out a template, fill it in with your own handwriting, then you scan and upload it and it turns it into a truetype font you can use on your computer.  i originally used this to work on another project (can't tell you yet!  it is ella's secret) and it has come in handy on so many occasions, like in the header of my ELLA echo blog.

the teachers loved their gifts!  i posted pictures to facebook the day of the program so some of the other teachers at the school saw them before the recipients did, and they were all waiting to see them in person when we got there.  ella was so proud to give out her handmade presents, and it was a joy to see how much pleasure she got from her teachers' genuine appreciation for her handiwork.  that is certainly a nice way to go thru life because, in case you haven't heard, she's a maker.

creativity: free play

"Creative work is play. It is free speculation using materials of one's chosen form."

Stephen Nachmanovitch, musician, author, computer artist, and educator

open mic weekend: spring cleaning the sewing/crafting area

it's your turn again!  you are invited to discuss this month's topic in the comments section of this post.  please feel free to share links, offer advice, or just commiserate.  :)

since it's may and spring has sprung (at least in nashville), this month's topic is spring cleaning the sewing/crafting area.  i've started by taking one thing each day this week from the "pending" box and dealing with it.  so far, i've made an apron from a skirt, cut some nice soft shirt fabric into hankies, and cut up some old t-shirts into cleaning rags.  admittedly, the last two are not that impressive but the stack of stuff by the sewing machine is shorter and that makes me feel better.

i also took apart my sewing machines and cleaned them inside and out--they smell fresh as a daisy.  :D

what are you doing to spring clean your sewing or crafting area?  what do you need help with?  i'll be looking for ideas so please don't by shy.

comments will be open until monday morning.  i look forward to talking with you!

apron cheat

hey, y'all, it's national wear your apron day! 

did you forget to make a new apron? 

me too.

so, no biggie, just grab an old skirt--you know, the one in the back of the closet that you've been saving because you like it too much to give it away but it doesn't fit (or as in my case, the zipper broke and i am too lazy to fix it).

lay the skirt with the center front on the right, the center back on the left, and the side seams (stacked) in the center. 

slice the skirt one inch away from the side seam (to allow for finishing the edge).

then slice off two more pieces, wide enough to make ties.  since the skirt is folded, you'll have a total of four tie pieces.  discard the section with the center back seam (or save it for scraps, if you like).

 

stitch two tie strips together to make one long tie, repeat with the remaining two strips, then finish the cut edges of the skirt and the ties (i used the serger to make a rolled edge, but you could also turn and stitch--bind--narrow hem--etc--your choice).

stitch on your ties--and wear your apron!  this apron is so quick, i made mine while the rice was cooking for lunch.  notice what a great picture ella took!

if the skirt you've been hording is from fabric that is a little less "busy" than mine, you can add an applique or some trim or a pocket--stamp a design, or let your kids put their little hand prints on it--take it to your coffee klatch and have everybody sign it--you get the idea.  i think i might add some rick-rack to mine, but not today, because today i'm wearing it.

bonus:  here's the way i finish my tie ends:  i fold the ties lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch along the short edge.  when you turn this right side out, it creates a neat little point, automagically!

 

do you like apron patterns?  need instant gratification?  then i highly recommend emailed vintage patterns ebooks "21 retro aprons" and "make MORE retro aprons".  each ebook comes complete with patterns for all the aprons (reduced on a grid so you can enlarge them to any size), detailed instructions for sewing them, and lots of great vintage images to inspire you to new designs.

order both, and you can get "10 all-american NOVEL APRONS" free!  just place your order and tell them you want this book free.

i have ordered many, many patterns and ebooks from emailed vintage patterns and have never been disappointed.  i have no affiliation except that i am a great fan of their products and would love to see more people enjoy them too.

 

creativity: originality

"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe."

carl sagan, astronomer, astrochemist, author

friday favorites, mother's day edition

we lost our network thursday so this week's friday favorites are a day late.

tomorrow is mother's day in america (and apparently in lots of other countries too), so what better time to feature like mother, like daughter, a team blog written by a mother, her four daughters, and their grandmother.  like mother, like daughter is a place where you can learn to make a new lining for your leather gloves, convert a clementine box into a storage unit, or just partake of their collective, multi-generational wisdom.

just look at this beautiful room!

check out the frugal gardening!

and do not miss all the lovely, lovely quilts!

i wish a very happy mother's day to each and every mother, wherever you are--may it be the best mother's day yet!

*do you have or know of a site that deserves to be featured?  post the link in the comments and i will make sure to include it in a future friday favorite!

we have a winner! AND a new project

congratulations to denise from knitting without needles, the random number generator selected your comment for the holiday fabric giveaway!  send me an email with your mailing address and a package will be on its way to you this week.  i want to extend a big thank you to everybody for leaving such great comments--i truly enjoyed getting to know that little part of each of you that connects us thru our love of sewing.

as for those three big bags of fabric:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

i did it--i weeded thru it all, kept what i really, honestly, authentically loved and knew i'd use, and gave the rest away.  [julie, i saved one special piece for you--i'm holding it hostage so you have an excuse to get together with me ;)  ] 

inbetween going thru the fabric and getting it out of the house, i joined the wardrobe refashion project for a 2 month term.  if you're not familiar with this group, please click the button on my sidebar and check it out, they were green before being green was cool.  :)  i participated in the WR a few years ago for a 4 month term but i haven't felt that i could make the same commitment again until now.

while sorting thru my fabric i found the piece i will use for my first WR project--a wonderful black-&-white novelty fabric that my friend lisa from wild ginger brought all the way back from hawaii for me--and a big piece of black eyelet--BLACK EYELET, PEOPLE!--that i've been saving to go with it.  this is going to be a special outfit--i'm making it from rectangles only.   my goal is to finish it in time to wear this weekend, so stay tuned to see the final result!