23 weeks till my birthday!

So, as you may have noticed, I'm new to the blog format and new to the structure and discipline it takes to actually do what I write about. Reasons for starting this thing in the first place. I wanted a forum that forced me to get some old stuff done. And so far, it hasn't really worked. Life got in the way and some of my projects were just too big. I've reevaluated the list and decided to scale down and be more realistic. I've taken off a few things that I want to save for the future (31 Before I turn 31 possibly...). I've also taken off a few things that I decided were not really worth my time. And two things that I did and did not document. doh! So here is the revised list. And as my title states, it is 23 weeks (counting this one) until my 30th birthday so there are still 23 projects to do. That is one or two projects per week, but I'm optimistic. I pared down the "wish list" and stuck to the things that I already have started or things that I need no new supplies for. I realized that some projects (like painting a 6 foot tall cabinet or reupholstering a chair) required money to finish and that I have none of! So here's hoping I can remember to take photos and can actually get things done! Hoorah!

1.  Repair Maxi Dress and Gold skirt

2.  T-shirt Quilt

3.  Grayson’s PJ Pants

4.  Yellow Seersucker Dress

5.  Polka dot hat

6.  Cowboy shirt

7.  Arthur's Hoodie

8.  Owl Quilt

9.  Gingham shirt

10. Cloth Diapers

11. Lyndsey’s MASH Pillow

12. Laura's Dress

13. 2 pairs green corduroy pants

14. Chiffon Shirt

15. Owl Softies and Monster Softie

16. Pizza Pincushions

17. Blue Plaid Cowboy Shirtdress

18. Turquoise Jacket

19. Black and White Dress and Navy polka dot skirt

20. Shopping Cart/High Chair cover

21. Corduroy Jacket Repair and Arthur’s Crib Sheet

22. Arthur's Embroidered Wall Art

23. Grayson's Diaper Bag

24. Dressing Robe

25. Coral Embroidery

26. 4 Purse repairs and Undies

27. Camel Halter top

p.s. the posts about #2 the T-Shirt Quilt and #20 The Shopping Cart Cover are coming. I'm just terrible at taking pictures in a timely fashion.  

Bean's Diapers

When G and I found out that we had a little Bean in the oven, we started all kinds of  discussions. Where to live, what to name the Bean, how we felt about "parenting", and how much rock 'n' roll was necessary to make sure a Bean listened to good music upon arrival. But one thing that we agreed upon very early on was the fact that we were going to use cloth diapers. I've always hated disposable diapers. When I was a babysitter - for a very short time when I was in junior high - I felt like no matter what, diapers always smelled. The diapers themselves just had this terrible smell when they came out of the package. And on top of that, they are so terrible for the environment, and for the babies that wear them. Here's just a few facts about that.....But! I think the most appealing thing about cloth diapers is that they are CHEAP! Especially for a seamstress. My Mom bought us a few of the Flip diapers, from BumGenius and they are simple and work for all sizes, 8-35 lbs. This system is basically a cover and an insert, and the inserts are just a big 15" square with some seams for folding. So, all I did was pick up some flannel sheets for $8, a couple of cute flannel receiving blankets for $1 a piece and some old towels and terrycloth yardage that was just laying around. Cut 2 squares of flannel and one of towel. Sandwich towel between flannel. Stitch two rows, 5" apart, then serge around the edges. So simple. I made a new stack of diapers for my little Bean to roam around in. It's actually kind of funny how much fuss we put into something that a little baby is going to poop in, but it's important none the less. I'm more concerned about absorbency and long lasting dryness, and less concerned about fit or "trimness". A baby is supposed to have the silly looking diaper butt ; )

I also bought a pattern for Little Half Moon diapers, which are the "fitted" style. They look just like a disposable diaper, but, obviously, are a bunch of layers of flannel and towel. These are a lot more complicated to make and take more materials, so I have fewer of them. They are also made up of less fabric, so I often opt for the other flat/folded ones because they can absorb more.

So here's some pictures of our diapers.

neatly stacked, ready for action.

The animals, stars and green stripes were receiving blankets, the solid blue and white stripes, flannel sheets. 

here is one, unfolded. you can see the two seams that act as fold lines. 

I decided I didn't care if they matched on both sides. Makes life a little more fun!

These are the fitted ones. I found this sock monkey flannel at the fabric store and flipped out. It's so cute and extra soft. Bean has possession of my sock monkey, Sheldon (after Big Bang Theory Sheldon) and I just love finding more sock monkeys for him.

You can see, these just velcro like a real diaper, and have elastic in the legs for leak protection. 

And lastly, these are our covers. I bought the for a little less then $15 each from amazon.com and they will last the whole time Bean is in diapers. We have 7 covers, 30 diapers and about 2 dozen cloth wipes and only have to do one extra load of laundry every 3rd day. It's so super simple. And you never run out! No emergency trips to the quicky mart, no $20 a week, nothing. Just a little extra laundry and done!

A New Start

Well, it seems that I've been pretty absent from this blog since February. FEBRUARY! Sheesh. I've been working around the clock to get things going with "the business", doing shows and making aprons. I am reevaluating my 30 before 30 project, I decided after months and months to abandon a few from the list and replace them with some more appropriate things that need to be done. I'm going to attempt to finish the T-Shirt Quilt this weekend...since I started it in February and all my projects are supposed to take two weeks, I guess I should finish it sometime soon! Ha! Life does get in the way of like sometimes doesn't it?

So here's to new beginnings, again! And for your time, here are a couple of photos from my latest craft show, fEASTival Nashville 2012.

 My booth all set up and waiting for customers! The dress on the dressform is one of my new "designs". I have a collection of vintage clothing patterns, and I've recently decided to pull them out and actually make the adorable dresses and pants and jumpsuits using the vintage sheets I've found for my aprons. This blue and green one turned out AMAZING. I'll post more about it at a future date.

Here are a few of the aprons made out of shirts hanging on their little clothes line, gently blowing in the wind...

And the lovely jewels made by Mrs. Natalia for Sadovina Jewelry. She ever so kindly came out to keep me and my booth company durning fEASTival.

And of course. The best lunch ever. The famous East Nasty from Biscuit Love, the best biscuit food truck ever. So, so good.

That's all the news for now. Check back soon for more updates and projects and aprons!

Pizza Pincushions

So, this whole 30 Before 30 project is about finishing things that have been unfinished for years. And training myself to blog and sew regularly. So here is my first, let's face it, easy project to get everything started. I made a pair of pajama pants in college with this fabric. I kept seeing it in the fabric store and when it finally went on sale I couldn't wait to get it home and make some comfy sleep jams out of it! But there were all these oddly shaped leftovers that I couldn't figure out what to do with. Inspiration hit in the form of cutting out the little pizza slices and making them into pincushions! Here's how I did it:

left over pizza fabric

I cut out all the pizza shapes and coordinating felt backs

lay right sides together and stitch, leaving a small opening

trim seams and snip corners

turn!

stuff!

(back view)

hand stitch top closed

PIZZA!

finished pin cushion!

Ta-dah! Aren't they adorable? I have about 15 of them, so I think I'll just take them to the next craft show and sell 'em for $2. Get out of my house! Get out of my crazy stash of craziness! Au Revoir!

Next: T-Shirt Quilt.

The Beginning

This is a new year and a new beginning for me and my "blogging". I haven't been as committed as I would have liked over the past year, so I figured, new year, new start.

I'm starting to think about my age...i actually started when i turned 27. That just seemed like such a difference from 25 and 26. And then I started thinking about what I want to accomplish before I turn 30...not that I'm freaked out about my age or THIRTY or anything like that. It just seems like a landmark age where people reconsider their lives or reevaluate their life plans. So. Here's where we are at almost 29:

Living in Nashville. I like it. I like the city, I like the proximity to my family and I can deal with the weather...sort of...plus great friends, decent food and lovely cheap housing.

Great partner! G is wonderful. And he's been really supportive and encouraging when it comes to my business ideas and crafty goals. Plus he's more driven then I am and can get me off my ass when necessary.

New baby! Bean is the best I could have ever asked for. He's inspiring and lovable and fun the squish on...I love him to bits. He makes me want to make miniature things...

Business: Getting off the ground, sort of. I have so many ideas in my head and in piles on little slips of paper that it's been taking a long time for me to focus and start something solid. So i just picked something and I think it's already really rewarding. It's called McLoud9 and I make aprons and kitchen accessories (pot holders, coasters, napkins, placemats...) out of reclaimed and vintage fabrics. I'm actually a semi-crazy recycling nerd, so repurposing fabrics makes me feel really good - like I'm doing something for me, for others and for the greater good. I feel like a lot of our problems as a nation and as a world could be served, if not fixed, by moving away from a disposable lifestyle. Buying local foods, repurposing things we buy, recycling things we can, and simply not purchasing things we don't need or that can't be repurposed or recycled could change, in my opinion, the world.

So!

In an effort to pare down and live up to my new standards of less is more, I'm cleaning out the ole fabric stash and To Do box. My newest goal is what I call my 30 Before 30. 30 projects that I already started and never finished or projects that I purchased all the supplies for and never started. Believe me. There are more than 30 of these projects. I just picked the best ones ; )

Here's the complete list:

1. Reupholster Vintage Chair
2. T-shirt Quilt
3. Coat
4. Yellow Seersucker Dress
5. Purple Jacket
6. Cowboy shirt
7. Arthur's Hoodie
8. Owl Quilt
9. New Personal Slopers
10. Cloth Diapers
11. Knit Rug
12. Earring/Jewelry Repairs
13. Laura's Dress
14. Plaid skirt-into-dress redo
15. Hallway Cabinet
16. Chiffon Shirt
17. Owl Softies
18. Pizza Pincushions
19. Mom's Shirt/Slopers
20. Blue Plaid Cowboy Shirtdress
21. Turquoise Jacket
22. Black and White Dress
23. Shopping Cart/High Chair cover
24. Cloth Napkins/Paper Towels
25. Bib T-Shirt
26. Arthur's Embroidered Wall Art
27. Learn to Crochet
28. Grayson's Diaper Bag
29. Dressing Robe
30. Coral Embroidery

There. Now, each project is supposed to take 2 weeks. Some are much more difficult and time consuming than others, and some of them are almost done. But I get two weeks! I will do an entry for each one with plenty of pictures and history on why I chose the project and how long it's just been sitting in my craft room...and how many times I've packed it up and moved it from one state to another, haha. There are at least 4 more projects that I found that almost made the list, plus innumerable other projects that are not sewing based that will probably sneak in here...so we'll see how the next year goes and how crazy i feel afterwards! I hope to feel a great sense of relief and pride on how clean my craft room is and how padded my wardrobe ends up.

Technically I only have until the 14th to finish my first project from this list...better get started!