She’s crafty…

I’m still at the conference. Still phoning in my posts (aka – publishing completely unedited re-posts from back when I wasn’t phoning it in.)

I’m still busy, in other words. I’ll be back live and in the flesh next week (or as much “in the flesh” as one can be on the internet anyway), but until then, enjoy another post from my old blog.

This post originally written and posted as a round-up of the crafts I made in 2010. I like to think I’m even more crafty now, but….I’ll let you be the judge of that.

….she gets around. She’s crafty…

I get a lot of comments on my craft posts from people saying that they wish they could knit and/or sew and/or whatever it is I was yammering about. But here’s the thing: these hobbbies are more intimidating than hard.

Because trust me, if they weren’t, I’d not be doing them. I’m not one to spend hours learning how to do something; not with my need for instant gratification.

If you can read and follow pictures, you can sew and/or knit.

While a lot of people are reflecting back on how well they accomplished their 2010 resolutions/goals/whatever word you use, I am going to reflect on my 2010 craft-ocity. These “reflections” will come in the form of pictures. Today, you get a post from me without (many) words.

Don’t get used to it.

I present to you: Katie’s crafts of 2010

1. Yoga mat bag (photo above) I mean TWO yoga mats.

2. Wine bags (and more wine bags)

3. Sundress

4. Fingerless mittens

5. Potholder and oven mitts

6. Two really cute handbags

7. The first of many kids aprons (here’s another one)

8. Insulated lunchbag

9. A crap-ton of half-aprons (for my failed – boo hoo – etsy shop) – These were my two favorites.

10. More handbags (several were made in this style)

11. Embroidered produce bags (I even sewed the bags!)

12. Fleecy, flannely baby blankets

I made several of these this year, as they are my go-to “you’re having a baby!” present. My cousin (the recipient of one a few years ago) told me on Christmas that she now makes them as her go to gift because her son loved his so much. *Warm fuzzies*

13. Summer sundress (This one fits me…unlike the other one I had to give my niece.)

14. My favorite wrap skirt (I’ve made a ton of these too.)

15. Embroidered bird patches (which are still just patches…I need to figure out what to do with them…)

16. Kids’ sundress

17. Little zippered pouch

18. Full size aprons (quite a few of these too)

19. Nightie shirt

20. My first (and last and only) stuffed animal

21. Messenger bag

22. Knit coffee mug cozy

23. Nerdy hat

24. A cupcake hat!!

25. A blanket (in progress….Hey, it counts!)

I know there was more, but I am both too lazy to dig around in my archives anymore and too tired to care. I know I made a couple other dresses and a bunch of handbags. Some craftiness does occur that doesn’t get blogged.

Crazy right? And here you thought I told you everything. I hope we can we still be friends?

Notice the trend – as the days got colder, knitting became my craft of choice and the sewing machine took a back burner. Now that I am all stocked up on new fabric (not that my dresser full of fabric at home doesn’t count as “fully stocked”), you can expect to see some more sewing.

At least I hope. That’s my intention.

What’s your craft? Or, what do you wish you could craft (and what’s stopping you)?

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?!?!