Useful, Craft-y Tools

Pom Pom Maker
Mine is from Lion. It was three concentric rings that snap together, so you can combine them indifferent ways to create different sizes and densities of poms. Also, there is a little bit of a ridge on the outside edge of the rings, which makes it really easy to cut only where you intend to.

Pointed Tweezers
I've used these a lot in the last few days on a sewing project I've been working on (more on that later). I'm not very good at sewing. Often, I 'forget' to remove the pins until I've sewed right up to that pin. If I sew over the pen, I may break the needle; to remove the pin by hand I need to lift the foot, which could misalign the (already misaligned--sh!!) seam. The tweezers were the perfect size and offered the right precision.

Rotary Cutter
I can't cut straight lines in fabric without one. Since I am without one, I just can't sew straight lines in fabric, period.

Christmas Decorating pt 2

As promised, a look at the Christmas Corner:

The stockings:
I started the pair in January, from the Falling Snow pattern by Jennifer Hoel. It was my first time making any kind of sock, and turning the heel was not as complicated as I had feared. I finished knitting them in February, I think, and then they sat in the closet for a long time. I needed to line them before actually using them, which I should have researched better. The blue one is mine, because I did it first, and so it isn't as good. For both linings, I just traced the outline of the knitted stocking, and then added an inch for the seam allowance. I then sewed and hemmed the woven fabric stockings. For the first one, I sewed the lining to the stocking by hand, in the same way you first learned how to sew. The result didn't meld. Before joining the second lining to the second stocking, I read some Techknitter. Specifically, this post on attaching linings using the overcast stitch. Best thing ever! Compared to the first stocking, it was easier, it is more flexible, and the stocking hangs better. I will probably end up ripping out the first lining and re-sewing it with the overcast stitch before putting them away for the season.

The tree:
As mentioned before, a wedding themed tree courtesy of my future in-laws.

The presents:
The ones wrapped in Justin Bieber are from my fiancé. He found the paper at Target and thought it was hilarious. It will be especially hilarious when used to wrap a birthday present.

The ones in the white and silver snowflake paper are mine. I decorated them with poms made from the leftover stocking yarn. I'm doing the same with the rest of the gifts we're giving. I like my gifts to look pretty, and to look pretty as an ensemble. Am I a bit obsessive? Probably. I taught Ben to make the poms tonight. He was unsure of the first, having fun by the third, and bored by the fourth. It was cool seeing him so excited about something he made, though. I may be able to get him to make a few more yet...

Christmas Decorating 2011 Pt 1

I decided to move the Christmas tree off the dining table, so that we can dine at the table. However, because it is a small tree and because we have a dog who likes eating things he shouldn't eat, we can't put it on the ground. Solution: put it on top of his crate. And then I had to make Christmas really hit that corner. I wish I took a before picture.

A picture that I hate but my fiancé loves is in that corner. It's bright orange and green, and has a quote from Camus on it. Normally, it escapes my notice because it's in an out of the way corner; until that same corner became Christmas Central. So, I found a simple, non-permanent way to make it fit: cover it with fabric!

Materials:
Transparent tape
Straight pins
Framed picture/image/art piece
Enough fabric to cover your art with at least 2 inches overlap. I used 1 yard for a piece roughly 18" x 18"

Make a note of how your piece is hung. Mine is hung by a wire, so I needed to secure the fabric in a way that would not impede the wire. If your piece is hung differently, adjust accordingly.

Please note: the apparent right side in this photo is actually the top. 

Lay your fabric down, wrong side facing you. Center the art piece on top of it, wrong side facing you. Fold the top of the fabric over the art, smooth, and secure with transparent tape. Repeat on the bottom. The tape is circled in the picture at right.









Fold one side of the fabric over the art. Using straight pin, pin folded fabric to the fabric on the top edge. Repeat at bottom. The pin is circled in the picture at left. At this point, you will have excess fabric at the edges. Repeat on the other side.












Gently pull and fold that excess fabric diagonally, in such a way to minimize the bulk. Pin in place. This pin is circled at left. Repeat at each corner.





 Hang and admire.

 More details about the mini-transformation to come!

Surprise Christmas!

Last night, I came home to find...

a surprise, wedding-themed Christmas tree! Courtesy of my future in-laws. Now it feels like Christmas has reached our little corner of the world. Next up, finishing that last darn stocking, cleaning, and present wrapping. Not necessarily in that order.

Knitting away

I got a late start on my Christmas knitting this year--as in, I started last week. Last year, I started my Christmas knitting in September. Luckily, I'm planning fewer knitted gifts this year due to the lateness, but it has prevented other projects from moving forward.

The yarn for a cardigan I'm working on (mentioned here) is still unavailable. It was supposed to be coming December 22, but that has now been delayed to mid-January due to issues with the manufacturer. Luckily this project isn't a Christmas gift, so there is no hard and fast deadline; however, I had hoped to be able to wear it Christmas day.

The purple vest (also mentioned here) is finished. I am in the process of sizing the pattern, which I haven't done before. I'm stumbling my way through, but it can be hard to force myself to sit down and work on this difficult thing instead of knitting a relatively-simple secret project.

My FMIL's birthday is tomorrow. It crept up on me, and my go-to gift for her (chocolate) is out, since I don't want to sabotage her efforts to lose weight. I wandered around the bookstore for an hour, but nothing quite seemed to fit. Late last night, I got an idea for a personalized, home made gift; cross-my-fingers it will turn out and be done on time...