FO: Sexy Red Dress

Project: See & Sew dress B5546
(a.k.a "Sexy Red Dress")
Start Date: June 22nd, 2012
Finish Date:  June 28th, 2012
Store: Joann Fabrics (pattern & fabric)
Fabric: Jersey knit
Yardage: 2 yards


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FO: Puerperium Cardigan

My husband's cousin just had her second baby, and what better thing to shower her with than this cute, masculine cardigan that was on the brink of being finished anyways. That's why it's great to knit baby things ahead of time (even without anyone in mind), because if you're like me...and you have startitis, it makes for a quick completion when you hear about a baby ready to be welcomed into the world. Soon.

Project: Puerperium Cardigan by Kelly Brooker
Baby Size: 0-3 months
Made for: Walter
Yarn: 1.25 skeins of Bernat Satin Sport Ombres, colorway "Seashore."

Needles: size US7 circular and dpns

Start date: February 22nd, 2012

Finish Date: June 25th, 2012

 

Although it's already summertime, restaurants and air conditioned homes make for chilly babies, and this should be perfect because it's just acrylic; it shouldn't be itchy or too warm.

Pretty cute, huh? I'll have to knit one of these again. An acquaintance of mine is at the beginning of her pregnancy...

FO: apron!

I'm so proud of my first real sewing project, I'm just gonna copy & paste my post from my new sewing blog, the Stitch Novice, instead of teasing you with one photo:

Done! I completed it yesterday, before dropping myself onto my bed in a vegetative mode to prop up my complaining foot (I had surgery on it to take out part of my outer bone, two weeks ago). I didn't have too many bumps on the road, but it wasn't all idiot-proof.

Project: Stitch 'n Save M6536 Apron
Start Date: June 17th, 2012
Finish Date:  June 19th, 2012
Store: Joann Fabrics (pattern & fabric)
Fabric: Cotton
Yardage: 1.5 yards- main color, 1 fabric quarter- contrast


When it came to doing the top of the apron, where the orange fabric is, I had to fudge it around so it fit correctly. Either I cut the pattern wrong in width, or maybe it was supposed to fit like that..who knows, but to me it seemed like a red-flag zone. I felt like it should be longer in height.

The tubing on the armpits also gave me some trouble. The instructions wasn't clear enough for a newbie like me. After sewing the wrong sides together and flipping it over...and then sewing it to the other side, the tubing was pretty narrow on the outer-most edges for the apron tie that had to be threaded through it.

Sewing the Pockets to the apron.

Stitching on the pockets: not so bad?

I decided not to do the rickrack ribbon and such embellishments that the pattern called for. I'm much too simple in taste for that. I just went plain-Jane and let the contrast fabric and one piece of orange ribbon do all of the talking. I think it looks a little more sophisticated that way, even in a cutesy fabric pattern.

Other alterations to the pattern were: going size Medium on the chest and size Large for the body of the apron, and also shortening this apron by around 2 inches (it's still pretty long). 

Rolled up Apron tie. Love it!

On to my next mission: that sexy red dress number!

The Stitch Novice

Hey gang,
While I've been couped up on the couch...not doing a whole lot besides reading "Mockingjay," "A Million Pieces," "Ash" and now "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan," (I haven't been inspired to pick up any of my WIPs lately, although a couple are on the brink of being finished--it's just too hot), I've been itching to try out sewing. I know how to thread the machine and sew simple things like pillowcases...but following patterns and making form-fitting things, well, I'm a newbie! I actually had both grandmothers over at one time, and we all decided to head out to Joann Fabrics with the twins (yeah, they really don't like the store. boys.) so I could pick out an easy pattern to start with. Yup, I crutched around the store. Boy did I start getting a Charlie-horse by the time I was waiting for the fabric to be cut.

Anyways, I picked out two patterns: an apron & a sexy red dress number. I'm starting with the apron first, of course, although both are supposedly easy. Supposedly.

I've started a side-blog, "the Stitch Novice" (www.thestitchnovice.blogspot.com) to document my adventures in sewing so I don't clutter this blog with too many non-knitting things. Come check it out in it's infancy...there's a few posts already.

Shawl Pins: green

Here's my preliminary adventure in the clay shawl pin world. I started out with a green-scape to match the shawl resting ever so nicely on "Victoria," my iron model.

I used Sculpey's Granitex "Polymer Clay" to shape them similar to the wooden shawl pins that are (outrageously) expensive. Not that the craftsmen/women don't deserve their pay...but I'm not willing to fork it up.

I picked a few colors: grey, light and dark green. I rolled each into a long coil and then rolled them all together. I shaped it into a ball, pressed it flat and carved out the middle. The hardest part was smoothing the edges out without distorting the color.

Check out the Eskimimi Makes website for better tutorial instructions & photos. That's where I got inspired in the first place. (Hers looks better anyways. I think I'll use wooden sticks next time.) Let me know how yours turns out though. I'm hoping to make other colorways in the near future.

I made an oval and a round version. I didn't use a toilet paper roll like Eskimimi, but I did use the handle of a metal whisk! lol.

I baked it for 15 minutes according to the instructions of the Polymer Clay, and after it cooled I brushed on a Polymer Clay glaze that just air-dries. 

Update

An update on what's going on since the surgery:
I just learned yesterday that my surgery's outcome is due to nurse malpractice. My surgeon couldn't figure out why the bone anchor went all the way through the hole he drilled instead of staying directly in the middle of the bone....until he realized that the nurse's "strict protocol" at the hospital was not followed. The nurse handed him a bone anchor with a gauge too small, which made it go farther than he intended. I don't know if I'll still be fine (up for grabs), but it's awful thinking I may have to go through this again (even putting all this stress on family helping me almost around the clock when Joe isn't home) for another 5 or more weeks if this doesn't pan out. The doctor seemed really worried about me sueing...because he's been going well out of his way to help me. He wasn't supposed to be in the office yesterday, but he made the 40 minute trip to explain about the surgery for me. I told him I was feeling short of breath and anemic/fainty, he wrote up a referral to go to a blood lab place that will tell me the results within a couple of hours..and he later called me up to highly suggest me going to the ER (which I did end up taking his advice) because he was worried about a blood clot if I'm out of breath. I don't have one, but they did find a minor infection. He called me when I got home from the hospital to check up on me and said he would call in a couple of days to see how I'm doing even though my next visit with him isn't until the 17th. He is a very nice doctor/surgeon...and I don't believe this was his fault. He trusted the nurse on good faith that she was handing him the right tool (which I'm sure he will now double check on his own). I told him the only thing I ask for, is the hospital putting a note in my file that if I have to go through surgery again to fix this, they are taking care of the bill.

Anyways, today I still feel out of breath, and I almost fainted this morning and had a heat-rush and nausea as if I had the flu. I hope it's nothing serious still.

I'll leave you with one of the cutest videos of my children this week...

Just a slice

Hey gang,

Yesterday, I had my foot surgery. I've been walking on a non-union fracture for about 4 years, and even with a "bone-growth" stimulator and wearing a boot for 6 weeks 3.5 years ago, my doctor says that it was all for naught because when he went in to remove the outer metatarsal bone yesterday...it was just hanging there, not connected to anything but half of the tendon running next to it. Yeah, doing nothing put pulling on that tendon. The good news was just that though. It was an easy removal. He anchored the tendon to the good bone with a bone anchor and patched me back up.

...But, I have 19 month old twins, and it's hard just sitting there. I mean, half of the time they are getting into trouble: standing on top of chair recliners, couches, tables, etc. We planned it so that my MIL (whose a teacher finally off for the summer) could babysit during the day while I was off-duty.It's really lucky that she was able to help. My mother just found out several days ago that she has shingles!! Talk about joining the pain-club.

I was having trouble sleeping, again, and of course my brain was firing wild with new ideas...how to embellish a tanktop with knitting/crocheting for the 4th of July...making shawl pins...or how to make a home-made table weaving loom! I really, really am excited to get a head start on those, but oh yeah..I can't walk. Le sigh. However, I am working on a baby toy that was dreamt in my head a while ago, and It's half way into production. No photos yet on that, but I will take some soon of the building process.

The baby sweater has been put on hold for a bit. I think I'll pick it up again in couple of days. I was hurrying up to finish the Host, and the books Catching Fire and MockingJay that was due at the library today. How was your Mother's Day? or Memorial Day? I know I've been a little quiet after the pooping-out of my laptop (We haven't taken it to Best Buy yet to get fixed--hopefully fixed!). Ours was nice...visiting family, and..uh, buying a Kindle Fire for myself! :)