1 post tagged “housewares”

Oof. It's been too long, eh? Truth is, I hit sort of a period of funk in which I didn't want to do much at all, let alone craft. Such are the perils of depression. It's easing up a bit with a long run of grey-and-rainy weather, so now I feel all creative again.

Anyway, I'm getting back into the swing of creating things again. Today, I put together a new duvet cover for the bedroom, using a cheap sheet from WalMart and a "tapestry" from Target. Total price (not including labour): $26. Pictures forthcoming when I find the cable for my digicam.

I liked the faux tapestry so much I went back and purchased another one to make pillowcases to match the cover. I'm thinking there should be just enough left over to make a summer skirt, the pattern for which I will be taking from a cute little cotton number I picked up also at Target (I am a Target junkie, have I mentioned this? I practically have tummy flutters when they have season-end clearance sales. I love me some Target).

I've also managed to: cover two video game rockers with fleece, make matching cushions from the scraps, make a couple of cushions for the sofa (working on getting in some colours other than blue), and decoupage a shelf for my sewing nook. Not too shabby, but the pile of "to do" outweighs the pile of "done" by a large margin right now.

I'm also still knitting. Currently on the needles are:

1. The Banff sweater from Knitty.com. Bone bulky-weight cotton yarn. I have been working on this off and on since last summer. Maybe I will get to wear it this fall. I only have to finish one sleeve and knit the other. And then sew.

2. The Tempting top, also from Knitty. Caramel bulky-weight wool yarn. I have most of the body and most of one sleeve finished. One more sleeve to make, then join and knit the yoke. I picked out a chocolate brown and pale blue striped grosgrain ribbon instead of the suggested velvet ribbon (hurray for the $1 bin at Michael's Crafts!)

3. The origami cardigan from Interweave Knits Spring 07. Taupe wool/acrylic blend. I may have to face facts: the border pattern is totally eluding me. I'm going to rip back and try a Trinity stitch instead of the berry basket stitch, but if that doesn't work, time to scrap the project for a while.

4. Widdershins socks from Knitty.com. Willdfoote yarn in a bright red/deep purple combo. Almost ready to turn the heel on the second sock. Still need to fix some short row holes on the first sock. Not bad for my first pair, though.

And that's where knitting stands for now.

Then there's the personal sewing. I have one dress cut out; it's s fun adaptation of a Duro dress in Matrix-green dots on pale green cotton print, with all the contrasting tgrim work done in digital camoflage with clear spangles. It should be most splendid when finished. After that's done, I have plans for a sleeveless Duro in red and black tribal print edged with black.

A funny thing about that tribal print. When I bought it, it was red with a black and gold print. According to the label directions, the fabric should be washed in cold water on gentle, and tumbled dry on low.

Don't believe printed directions. They lie. I washed the beautiful fabric as directed, and ended up with a piece of fabric with a black and red print, and about four cups of gold grit inside my washing machine. Yup. All the pretty gold paint washed right off.

After a couple of hours of swearing, more fabric washing (to get off the rest of the gold paint), and washing out the machine, I decided to just buy some gold fabric paint and have done with it. I'm currently so annoyed I haven't even cut out the pattern pieces yet.

This past Monday was my birthday (no numbers!), and Himself took me out for a splendid Japanese dinner and an even more splendid bookstore trip (money's not exactly tight, but we're trying to be frugal, which means no book orgies. Or not very often.). I nabbed Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing: patterns and how-to for 24 fresh and easy projects, Amy Karol's Bend-the-Rules Sewing: the essential guide to a whole new way to sew, and Jenny Hart's Sublime Stitching: hundreds of hip embroidery patterns and how-to. It all goes to my Grand Plan.

Grand Plan? Why yes! I have set up an Etsy Shop. It's not much right now, but you can see my new banner and store front at Tattycat Designs. I'm planning to sell an assortment of crafty things, both knitted and sewn/embroidered, and I hope to have some items listed by the end of summer.

And now, off to consider making some red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Why yes, I am Southern. how did you gues?