Fabric Freeze Part 2

What is a gal who is not allowed to buy fabric to do when she needs fabric? Go out and buy fabric? NO! Go out and buy dye! Today I dyed white fabric. It went alright. There was only one casualty....our wooden spoon. I accidentally let it stay in the blue bath for too long and it got dyed. The packaging said to stir the water "CONSTATNLY" and I figured one little break couldn't hurt, but if you know me you know that a little break typically turns into a long break to read or watch TV or do some cleaning, or more likely do some sewing and then 30 minutes later poor old Lauren's got a blue wooden spoon to explain to her boyfriend when he gets home. But back to the dyeing.

I dyed used blue and green. I am working on a project that requires lots of tiny strips of fabric that are all sort of the same color but different by a little bit. I didn't want to buy lots of different colors of fabric just to use a little but, plus I am in a fabric freeze... I thought that dyeing would be a good alternative, and it kind of was. I wasn't sure about the varying colors, but decided to wait until the pieces were dry. And what's a gal without a dryer to do when it comes to drying fabric? Pay for a dryer? NO! Hang the pieces up like in the old days, and if it's raining, well then just hang them up in the bathroom:


Some of the pieces turned out great. On a whim I threw in some white flowery fabric to see what would happen and those pieces turned out best. I think because they are higher quality.


I left the pieces in the dye for varying amount of time but you can't really tell that they are very different unless you look closely, which is kind of a bummer. I think I will have to use a lot of techniques and different thread colors to get a good effect.

While I was not paying attention to my dyeing I was searching for other scraps for my project and I found enough; which means the fabric freeze can continue. Sadly, I cannot keep up with not using my debit card, or stay on a diet for more than 25 minutes, but I sure can stay on a fabric freeze.

Hopefully soon I will have something to show made out of dyed fabric.

Lauren

Sew N' Tell - A Skirt

This week I made myself a denim skirt.
I made the pattern myself using the "Design-it-Yourself Clothes" book I got for my birthday. It was pretty easy to make the pattern; what math was involved was simple, even for me, and as long as you have an idea it's pretty easy. The book doesn't include many directions for sewing the pieces together so I added some extra things, like an inside waist band:
And a not-so invisible zipper (this didn't involve going to the store to get an invisible zipper):

I have been trying to stop swearing, and I was amazed when I realized that I made this whole skirt without uttering a single curse word, but as usual I thought too soon. Putting on my brand new tights this morning to wear with the skirt what should happen? A big huge run that's what. I think that justifies a little swear. I just hate that! So my stylish outfit that went with my fancy tights was axed and I did some digging (through the laundry) and instead came up with this outfit:
And I accidentally cut my face out of the picture but didn't realize until I had gotten to school. Oh and those boots; I wear them about once a year, which is just enough time to forget how much pain they cause me.

Check out all the other Friday finishes at Amy's blog today!

Lauren

Something I Think is Cool and Want to Share

I am still training for the 21 mile race, sometimes it gets kind of boring and tiresome. But I recently found a website that makes me more excited about running. Dailymile.com is a site that you can keep track of your runs (or walks, or bikes). You can map your runs and find out exactly how long there are then put in your time and it will tell you your pace. The site also tells you how far you have gone in a week, how far you have gone since you began keeping track, and my favorite part, how many donuts you have burned. I love this site. I would recommend it to anyone who runs, bikes, walks, hikes, swims or does a combination of all of these.

Lauren

Life Updates

Yes, I am still alive. My break was glorious and relaxing and fun filled, and I even did some studying, although mostly I just read for fun.

1. I missed sewing while I was gone and have been working on several projects simultaneously. This involves the use of no fewer than 2 machines. It gets a little confusing when there are multiple pedals under the desk, in other words I press the pedal on the wrong machine and have a mini-stroke thinking that the machine is broken. I certainly need a bigger desk to spread out the machines and pedals, and therefore work on hundreds of projects at once.
   
2. Charlie got into grad school. He will be going to Plymouth State next year and getting his masters in teaching. This means that someday we will have summer vacations (once more), snow days, and school vacations off together. This also means that we will be moving.
3. Spring has sprung which means I can begin complaining about my neighbors again. I read an article in "The Week" that said that people who smoke score, on average, 7 point lower on an IQ test than people who do not smoke. This was 100% confirmed this weekend when I was peacefully reading a book on my porch and my neighbor turned on his obnoxiously loud techno music and began to smoke on his section of the porch. Once he had blown sufficient amounts of toxic carcinigenic smoke into my side he proceeded to cough up 1/3 of his lung and spit it over the ledge. I cannot wait to move.
   
4. Charleston was so fun! I had a great time seeing my friends, sightseeing, running over this awesome bridge, going to museums and of course going to Sonic. You can see my pictures on my Flickr page, if you care.
   
5. There are only 137 days until I graduate. Here is a short list of things I must do before then (in no particular order):
   

• Take the Praxis.
• Take Comprehensive Exams.
• Finish my semester On-Campus (a.k.a dark hole)
• Do an 8 week off-Campus placement.
• Run the Wapack trail race.
• Buy/ make 2 dresses.
• Make Sammy and Keith a wedding present.
• Make Charlie a B-day present.
• Go see Taylor Swift.
• Find job.
• Find apartment (with non-smoking neighbors.)
• Move.
  

I am exhausted just thinking about it, good thing I have 137 days left.

I hope this satisfies all of my followers (Mum) who need to know what I have been up to. More to come once I finish up one of my many projects.

Lauren!

Sew N' Tell - Little Purse Part 2

Tonight I am going to South Carolina. I figured that this is the last "Spring Break" I will have ever so I might as well enjoy it. And my friends, Zeke and Shannon, live in Charleston SC and invited me to stay with them, and I am not one to pass up a free place to stay and a good time. So off I go for a whole week to relax and have fun with my old friends.

Shannon is always saying nice things about the things I make so I decided to make her a little something for letting me stay with them, and also because her birthday was earlier this week. It is the same pattern as the one I made last week, I love that pattern, it's so cute. I couldn't find any fabric that matched the purple. I tried to bleach/ distress a scrap of the purple a while ago so there would be some contrast, but it didn't seem to fit, so to jazz it up I added some white pipping. I also realized once it was done that the polka dots on the top aren't angled like the ones on the bottom and I think that makes the two pieces of fabric, although they are the same, look a little different. I wish I could say I planned that but it was just a happy accident.


Part of me wishes I had made it like a wristlet, with a strap. Maybe next time! I hope Shannon likes it (and didn't read this post before I got there, like I told her to!) I realized that we have no wrapping paper/ tissue paper that doesn't have snowmen or Santas on it so I made this little pouch out of parchment paper. Pretty cute huh?

Check out all the other finishes at Amy's blog, they are all excellent!

Lauren!

Quilt Tying...

It is a lot faster than the hand-stitching that I usually do, but my fingers still feel like bloody stubs. At least that feeling won't continue for the next month. Here are some close ups of the results.
I was able to get the inside all finished last night while watching LOST. Charlie seemed happy that I was doing something that didn't involve making a racket with the sewing machine (Although the machine has been fine tuned/ fixed and should not make such god awful noises anymore. Thanks Mum!)
Now I just have to figure out how to tie or otherwise finish off the border, but that can wait for a time when the weather isn't so nice and I don't have friends to go visit (and Powerball tickets to buy)!

Enjoy the sunshine!
Lauren

Friday Sew N Tell, Pillow

Last night I posted about the Fabric Freeze- no buying fabric until I use what I have, which will take a while. We just got a new duvet cover (thanks to a link from Amylouwho!) and it came with two very large pillow cases, which I turned into one very small round pillow:

It's reversible. I tried sewing a button on it but I think I would need a much longer needle than I have, and it would also make the patterned side look warped and I didn't want that. Maybe I will just sew a button onto the striped side, we'll see.


I can also post what I was going to post last week, but we didn't have power for 4 days so I was unable to. It's a little clutch (from an Amy Buttler pattern) that I made for my friend Sam. I went to see her dive in her last meet ever and I wanted to give her something special, besides cookies, which I give to her at every meet, because she loves them so much. I think the colors (and hint of glitter) fit her personality very well.


This weekend I am going to Maine to see my Mum and I will be able to baste my quilt since her house is a little bit bigger than 500 square feet and has a little bit more floor space.

Be sure to check out the other finishes this week!

Lauren!

Fabric Freeze

Two weeks ago I decided I would not use my debit card. I decided to do this when I looked at my online bank statement and realized how much money was being sucked out by fabric stores (and TJ Maxx, and Target, but that's another story). That and also a rather embarrassing/ humbling call to my dad to request some money. Oh, and also after getting this check in the mail:
I can take a hint. So I gave up my debit card, and also decided that I should not buy fabric, because my dad said so, and also because I realized how much I already have. I am now in a Fabric Freeze! But luckily have supplies. My friend Jill read my post last month about using flat sheets instead of fabric from the fabric store and her boss gave her a really cute sheet, and she gave it to me. It has elephants, my favorite:

I am thinking this would make the cutest PJ pants ever. I also have now stored and organized all of my fabric in our "coffee table". There is a lot in there:

And lastly, for Valentine's Day Charlie bought a new duvet cover, I promised to pay him half, when I get my first pay check. It came with two huge pillow cases. I think Charlie is thinking "Who needs a pillow case so large that they could be used in a potato sack race?"

We certainly don't. But isn't it pretty? Come back tomorrow to see what I made out of this huge pillow case, after Charlie and I potato sack raced around the apartment of course!

Lauren!