I made some things (Lazy “Sunday” update #3)

Despite the (here comes the whining again) crap weather, I am still making things.  A thing a day.  We’re in month 5 of 2013, and I’ve not yet missed a day.  

Yeah, I’ve doubled up one day and carried over to another, but remember that this game is MY game, so I make the rules.  And doubling up is legit.  Encouraged.  Commendable even.

I just found this image online when I googled “my game my rules”.  I don’t know why, but I think that someone is trying to tell me something and I hear you, whoever you are.  

Let’s get real.  Everyday is Katie is Awesome Day.

So, where’d we leave off?  Oh right.  There.  

On Sunday, I did some more crocheting on my ripple blanket.  That thing is a beast now, but I’m still not even halfway done, five months into the project.  Its gonna be a big blanket, y’all.

On Monday, I did some gardening.  While gardening may not technically be making something, it is.  I mean, in a couple weeks, there will be flowers there.  Flowers that I MADE.

Well, alright, the soil and the nutrients and the biological interactions and mother nature all made them.  But still.  I ENABLED that to happen.  So, it counts.  

On Tuesday, I made some Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies.  I made these partly for my dad, who was going to be coming for the weekend to help me with some yard/house projects, but since he didn’t end up coming (stupid weather), I ate them.  And I didn’t take a picture of them.  

You can probably use your imagination though.  You know, yellow cookies.  Black dots.  That’s about it.

On Wednesday, I made this test tube flower rack.  I am missing a test tube, you’ll notice, because one of the 6 I ordered shattered.  Maybe I can convince my friends in the chemistry department to lend me one from their stores.

I made those flowers, too, but a long time ago.  I’m going to paint the test tube rack also, but I can’t decide between pink and yellow.  

I’m in the middle of re-doing my bathroom, so there are a lot of little crafts you’ll be seeing, in those colors.  And turquoise.  Yellow, pink, and turquoise.  

On Thursday, I framed this turquoise fabric, which I’ve had forever and is PERFECT in my bathroom.  The aforementioned color motif, along with the dandelion print that matches the print on the Scentsy burnder directly below it.  

Not even planned, that.

Again, this isn’t completely done.  I’m thinking about painting the frames (there are actually two of these in the room) pink.  Or yellow?  I don’t know.

On Friday, I made Almond Spice Cookies.  They were okay.  I’m just not all that into almond stuff.   Not even almond butter, which, I know.  Blasphemy, huh?

On Saturday,  I made Caribbean Corn Sauce which is every bit as awesome (probably even more so) than it sounds.

I went to the local meat market shop in town to get some brats for grilling and I hit the mother lode of discounted spices and jarred goods.  I scored gems such as Zesty Pickled Garlic, Hot Horseradish Mustard, Mesquite BBQ Spice Rub, and Celestial Seasonings Spicy Caribbean Spice blend.

Who knew Celestial Seasonings made spices?!  

Let me know if you want the recipe for this.  I’m sure it would work with any Caribbean Spice blend or even with a Jerk seasoning.

While this was pretty tasty sauce,something even more noteowrthy happened on Saturday.  I bought a new mountain bike!!

I’ve been debating this purchase for at least a year now, but got really serious about it when my friend Megan got a new bike a couple weeks ago.  (Nothing like keeping up with the Jones’, huh?)  My old mountain bike, which was awesome back in its heyday, is going on 16 years old now, so it was long overdue for an upgrade.

As soon as this snow is gone (and the pedals come in the mail….and I finish teaching…), I’ve got some biking to do!  

And because I’m a day late with this update, you get an extra day!  Lucky you.

On Sunday, I made a new flavor of sunflower seed butter: Cinnamon Chilli.  I think it was one of you who recommended a Cinnamon Chipotle nut butter, but I’m out of chipotle chilli powder.  The regular stuff is pretty great though.

I could have put more in it though.  It’s spicy, but this girl likes some KICK.

What have you been making/doing/eating/buying?  Links are welcomed and encouraged!

What color should I paint the test tube rack and the picture frames?  I truly cannot decide…

PJ pants (I’ll wear them all day if I want to)

Remember I said I was teaching that sewing class?

It turns out that being in a room with 8 people sewing up a storm for three hours at a time is really motivating. In terms of sewing, that is.

I made a couple tote bags along with my students on Saturday morning and the few minutes spent sitting at a sewing machine got my sewing mojo revving (does mojo rev? what does mojo do?). So, Sunday morning, with a couple hours to kill, I decided to whip up a pair of pajama pants that I’ve been wanting to make for a while.

I saw this tutorial for making pajama pants right around the time when my favorite flannel pjs shit the bed. I’d been wearing them since getting them for Christmas about 5 years ago, and it was really only a matter of time.

They were frayed at the bottom, had stains everywhere, and the ribbon waist tie was shredded. Eventually the ribbon broke and sure, I could have fixed them, but I think 5 years for a pair of Old Navy flannel pants is pretty decent.

Instead, I ordered a bunch of flannel from Joann’s the last time I ordered yarn (free shipping, you know) and when it came last week, I couldn’t wait to get these started.

Of course I went with birds.

Normally, I’m a lazy sewer and I don’t like to bother with the whole washing and ironing fabric first, but I’ve been burned with that a couple times lately and I didn’t want to spend hours making these only to have them shrink in the dryer.

Turns out, it wouldn’t have been a big deal, because I finished this pair in under 2 hours (super simple!) and I have enough fabric leftover to make another pair (should I have needed to, which I don’t.)

I know what you’re thinking – two hours is a long damn time for a pair of flannel pants that you can buy at Old Navy for $10, Katie!

BUT. Can you find this adorable owl pattern there? No.

Which I will be thinking about all day today, as I work from home wearing them from sunrise to sunset. Believe it. I may even exercise in them. I’m wild and crazy.

The tutorial (found here) is really well-written and very easy to follow. There’s no need to make a pattern even – I just used my old pair of pants, folded in half, and cut them out in the same size, with a little extra room for seam allowances.

The waist is just a drawstring, but to make it I had to learn how to use my machines buttonhole foot, which probably added on another 30 minutes of time to the overall process. So really? These are an hour long project. Not bad, I say.

Side note: My machine’s buttonhole foot feature is super slick, once you learn how to use it. It’s one of those cases where the machine seems smarter than you are, but eventually you figure it out and smack yourself on the head for not doing it sooner. I mean really?! I can’t believe I haven’t used it yet!

So yeah, they take a little bit of time, BUT! No slave labor was used to make these. Well, none except my own. And my own labor, slave or otherwise, makes these pants that much sweeter.

But that’s the thing with homemade stuff. It is usually way more expensive to make this kind of thing (hand knit sweaters and blankets fall into this same category), but oh so much more satisfying.

Which, again, I will be thinking about as I sit at my computer working, wearing comfy flannel owl pjs, sipping my homemade tea (made yesterday – first time I ever made my own tea!) from an equally adorable owl mug.

What handmade items do you make or buy that you think are worth the extra price? What should I do with the rest of my owl flannel? Anyone else spending the whole day in pjs today?

And seriously with the someecards? Why are they all so damn funny?!?!