September TUSAL Update and I joined a sew along...

 September TUSAL!

Mr.Prickle Pants thinks he might go dressed as a "Floss Monster" for Halloween.

And I joined a sew along over at SewHappy It's week two and if you run over there now you might be able to snag the first week's pattern still. Otherwise you will only have a week to download the new patterns. 

 

I'm really enjoying it. Also am hoping I don't let myself get behind too far. As you can see I'm still working on week 1 and 2. But the patterns work up fast enough, I just have to do them!

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Things I really need to get done: BABY QUILT! 

August TUSAL

Ohhhnoooo This is what I get for attempting to update on a phone. Well I was out of town over the weekend at Dragon Con. SO worth going even if you think you aren't into all that "nerdy" stuff. Though it will make lots more sense to you. But I always enjoy the artists and seeing their creations.

I did go in costume Not an over the top one Just Sarah Connor as a waitress from Terminator the Sarah Connor Chronicles tv series. I didn't expect anyone to actually recognize me but they did! So I spent the week before leaving and my lack of an update freaking out over last minute sewing on that. Note to self 4 am sewing the day you leave...not a good plan! At least I was able to gather my harried sewing threads and toss them into my TUSAL jar...

"Is it soft enough to jump on yet?"

Second July Tusal

Posted in...August...LOL

Mr. Prickle-pants is symbolically drowning in all his projects :O

JULY Tusal

Mr. Prickly-pants is trying out the new quilt

Ah yes another month slightly late. It is becoming a worrying trend. I've been distracted by Summer in general, that quilt up there (my very first ever!) and The Parasol Protectorate series of novels. Which if you like steampunk and wonderfully witty repartee you should most certainly read.
Hoping to soon be done with the quilt to post proper pictures of it and to have it done before the intended recipient is ten!

June's TUSAL!

I keep having cool ideas for posts I could do. Unfortunatly those ideas usually come to me at work and I've often forgotten about them by the time I'm off.
I figure I'm doing a good job if I even remember to update my TUSAL posts :D

"No silly! That's not a beach blanket for you to lay on!"

TUSAL May!

This is now a TUSAL blog! Haha.

This here is a quiet blog. Not like all the craft blogs I stalk who have amazing designs and things I want to make. In fact I'm doing rather badly this year making anything. But I'm still plugging on with my TUSAL jar!
I was afraid it wouldn't have anything in it but it's slowly getting fuller; I'm happy to say.

"Mr. Pricklepants spies some stitching peeking out from behind the TUSAL jar!"

April TUSAL

Soooooo
1. I am not good at blogging and
2. I stitch waaaay less than I thought I did

BUT Here is April anyway!

"Mr Prickle Pants has taken up knitting and so has thrown in some unwound sweater yarn"

Also I have taken to making those steamed buns you occasionally find at Chinese Buffets. The recipe I use is ridiculously easy to make it just takes some time. This time I added in the middle red bean paste that I found at an Asian Grocery store already canned.
They turned out AMAZING If I do say so myself. This picture shows them slightly deflated but right out of the steamer they were so yummy and pretty looking.

TUSAL March

My mom has the camera so these are phone pics. AND these are even edited so maybe they don't look quite so crappy.

"SUCCESS! 

Mr.Prickly Pants's spines did the trick in catching some thread!"

Went out to feed the birds today and I'm in love with these grey tights. Well I'm in love with most tights but these were new!

Late update!

Okay so I'm doing rather badly so far on updating my TUSAL jar.
I was gone into the city this weekend to visit a friend and missed getting a pic.

"Mr. Prickle Pants hopes his spines will soon attract some thread"

This month and actually this whole year has been busy. Clearing out my Grandma's house and getting used to a new job hasn't left much time for crafting. 

I did sneak in a Valentine's day craft. I'm not sure where I got this idea I have a feeling it might have been "Family Fun" magazine? Toilet paper tube painted red with beads and string. I was all excited for some thread for my jar and ended up not having any left to throw in there :O Ah well, next month!

OH NOES I'm late!

TUSAL woefully late post up tomorrow as I was out of town

Totally Useless Stitch Along!

Okay so this is a day late. I hope it still counts! I blame losing my camera. *nods*

There is my jar! All fresh and empty...and maybe still dirty... I need to soak the label off. I have a couple other jars; I like to keep my origami stars in cool jar shapes But I think this one will work for my TUSAL  jar. Here's to hoping I have something in it next pic!

Mini Sweater Re-Do

I saw these hats at Target. They also had gloves and scarves in the same style. 

And I was like "That's just FairIsle backwards! How easy" 

I don't know what it is but there are an awful lot of winter accessories this year that are so simple a beginning knitter could do them. 

Maybe not this hat I mean but other things.

Anywaaaay I was digging through a pile of sweaters I had looking for another project and I found this one. It's wool and I've decided that I need to wear more wool because I'm always so cold.
SO Step 1 of what I did.
I turned it inside-out took, out the tag and folded the button placket over and sewed it down. This made the sides a little uneven but not much

Here is the inside of the sweater formally the right side and my crazy seams to make it fit better. The seam on the arm is tapered to the wrist ribbing. To even out the sides from the button placket I sewed one seam a little bigger than the other which evened the two sides back out so that the buttons sit centered. This is also known as 'me not measuring and it working out!'

And the finished sweater. It fits really well now. I didn't cut the excess off but because the arms of the sweater were so large to begin with the extra bulk doesn't bother me much. 

My mother claims it just looks like a sweater turned inside out But I really like it. I hope it doesn't look too badly?

Books for Christmas!

Some books I bought for myself for Christmas. Well I tell myself that everything I buy in the month of December is "for Christmas". The first book is actually one I bought with last year's gift card. Yes I hold on to those things for-ever! There are just so many books I'd like that I often have such a hard time picking one.
But I finally made a decision that I had to have this one after weeks of ogling it in the store!

Palm Sized Softies 

I'm really in love with small little softies lately. Especially with my dwindling supplies of fabric they are easy to whip up and to make lots of them in a pinch.
I haven't tried any of the patterns yet because I just got this yesterday but I'll try and remember to post some pics when I do.

The next book I got was Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Workshop.

I found it at this little used book store we have that seriously rivals the Library of Congress in how many books it has. This was at the very bottom of a large stack and I was so happy to find it. I've really been wanting to try her Heart Hat design for awhile now and that is in this book.

Free Vintage EmbroideryTransfers

I've had these for awhile just waiting for something to stitch them on. I just adore the strawberry pitchers.  And the cute fluffy poodle too.

Off to Germany!

Okay well I'm not off to Germany though that would be fun.
I finished up my package for a friend. It's an advent calendar as I mentioned last post but since it's being sent today...it's a wee bit late. I seriously need to start planning the package I send her every year in January!

 

So first off the advent calendar itself is something I made a few years ago and we alternate years by sending it back and forth to each other. I had one like this when I was little. I remember we would use up Halloween candy for it. Yes I was the kid that saved all her Halloween candy forever. This one that I made I added a bigger pocket to on the bottom for special gifts on Christmas.

I like to send something for my friend's Parents and Grandparents, but with overseas postage this can be difficult sometimes. This year I found an old kit for making beaded Christmas bells. (my thumbs are sore from the pin pushing!), Christmas Holiday CD's at Target only a dollar each yay! Also last year I found at Hallmark cards in German so they each get a card too.

I had trouble finding candy I thought would be fun to send so I supplemented small gifts instead.

random things:

• hot chocolate and tea bags
• socks also on clearance from Target
• origami stars kit
• lip balm
• small hedgehog stuffie

and for the pocket:
A pretty necklace, nerds, too big to tie on a day and a My Owl Barn printed calendar.

Sorry I took this photo late when I had wrapped most of it in a rush to get it sent today.
I feel like I did pretty well on budget. And I hope she enjoys the days of not just candy :)

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things I currently want: Wild Olive's Pattern Club. Must.find.way.to.justify getting this!

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Advent Calendar Soap

This is part of a gift I'm trying to get together for a friend of mine who lives in Germany. I'm actually sending an advent calendar so I should really be finishing it up not blogging. But I'm rather happy with this so I'm putting it up.

I get a chocolate advent calendar every year (yay! reliving childhood) And I always want to keep the little tray that the chocolates come in for something. So this year I decided I would make gift soaps with it.
It was really simple I just melted two cubes and added coloring and peppermint.
I like them being little. I think they would be really cute for guest soaps or one time use soaps.

ooh look at them all nice and shiny!

You can't really see in the pic the little designs on them but they turned out nicely. Now I just have to find a way to package them up.

I found this in a magazine from 1947. When I first saw this ad I was horrified by the combination. Seriously who would eat this?

The more I look at this though the more I want to try and see if it is terrible or not.

I have a growing love of Day towels. There was only one sheet left when I got these so I have only the patterns for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, and some other motifs for hot pads.