When Your Son's a Music Major

This is what happens when you have a son who is embarking on a music degree....You should've seen the living room the day I allowed him to record the drum track...

Pass the aspirin, please.

Knitter's, I Need Help!

My daughter, the piano player, visited London and then embarked on a cruise in the Baltic Sea.  There she played piano for the choral group on the ship and in six different countries.  Her luggage was packed to the hilt, so I said "don't bring me any souvenirs unless it's yarn"  knowing full well she would not find any.  She was most proud to present me with a package of yarn on her return!  She said I would love Estonia - "there are sheep everywhere!"  She ventured into a yarn shop and didn't have the slightest clue as to what to purchase.  So she got me three skeins of the Baby Alpaca and two skeins of this Evilla Preyarn.

I have two skeins of the Preyarn.  Each has approximately 600 yards.  It is an unspun yarn which pulls apart very easily.  There are quite a few projects on Ravelry using this yarn - everything from shawls to sweaters to felted mittens.  Some of the notes reflect how easily the yarn breaks but that, once knitted, the end result is strong.

That's where my knitting and spinning friends come in.  Can you tell me how I should work with this yarn?  Do you recommend a specific type of project?  Some knitters used two strands.  Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated!

I finally started my second swirl sock and recently cast on for an a-line baby sweater for my nephew and his wife's expected baby girl.  The pattern is like the bottom center one in the book above.  It is not listed as a pattern on Ravelry, but is similar to this pattern by Debbie Bliss.

I picked up the latest Knitscene from the grocery store.  I haven't purchased a magazine for a while, but I was excited about some of the hats.

Despite the old-fashioned, hot, hot, hot summer we are having, the promise of fall is around the corner.  It's time to also get back to work on my vest and cardigan and, perhaps, some of these smaller projects.

A Bag for Camo Boy and Speaking Of....

My son, camo boy, had worn out a pair of cargo pants.  They were too small to turn into shorts, so I used a wonderful tutorial over at Noodlehead to make a messenger bag.  This tutorial makes a nice size bag for an adult, but I resized it to make the bag for my son.

Speaking of boys, I came across this interesting web site about ties.  The author has an interesting collection of tie cakes on this post.  That is one area of repurposing that I haven't tried yet - making something out of old ties.

Speaking of repurposing, Implausible Yarn was part of a discussion on Ravelry about Bella's quilt.  I haven't seen the movie, so I was not aware that Bella receives a T-Shirt quilt.  Don't you want to make one now???  Now that it's cool to have a T-Shirt quilt!  (I'm really not into the movies.  I did not read the books and only saw the first movie.  I don't love any of the characters - or the actors, for that matter.  I know, I know, I'm weird!)

Speaking of making things, Sari used my Oversized Beach Tote Tutorial to make this adorable bag.  She added pockets for cell phones, sun screen, etc.

Here's a look at the inside.

Speaking of bags, here's the latest ones in my shop.

Speaking of books (we weren't speaking of books?) I just finished "The Girl With the Pearl Earring" and I'm currently reading "The Book Thief."

Speaking of speaking, I do it WAY too much!  Wish I could talk to you all in person!

CSN Review - Ironing Board Cover and Cord Minder

Some time ago CSN sponsored a giveaway on my blog.  Recently, they offered me an opportunity to review some of their products.  Although I'd really love a new crock pot (mine is 21 years old and too small for a family of six) I thought sewing-related items might be more appropriate for my blog.  So I explored their web site and selected two items for my ironing board.

The first item is an ironing board cover.  As you may have noticed from my tutorials, my cover was very dirty. 

I selected a Polder Replacement Pad & Cover.  It is one piece, has a heavy duty cotton cover, a double thick fiber pad and a bungee cord for a tight fit.  Although it was a little difficult stretching the pad over my board, the final result was a snug fit.  There were no strings to pull and tie and the extra bit of thickness of the pad is nice.

The replacement pad and cover comes with a 10 year guarantee and is designed for moderate use (for ironing at least once a week.)  It's hard to say if I'm a moderate user.  I rarely iron shirts or other clothes.  I mainly use my board for pressing while sewing.  It sees heavy use when I am making a T-shirt quilt.  But I am very satisfied with this product and would recommend it.

The second item I selected is a Polder Cordminder.  When I iron, especially when I'm trying to press the back of my quilts, the cord gets in my way.  During this past year I searched for cord holders on the internet and purchased one from Amazon.  When it arrived, I was disappointed at the quality of the product.  It had a very week coil at the top which immediately broke.  I sent it back to the seller, at my expense, and had to argue for credit for the product price.  I am standing up for quality in my purchases.  (I cannot tell you how many major appliances broke within the first year of purchase in my house - when all the others had lasted 20 years or so....)

So I was hopeful that this product from CSN would meet my expectations.

This product does not have a review yet on their web site, but I will add mine.  My first disappointment was learning that the iron holder attachment is not included with the product.  Although the iron holder is not included in the product description, its inclusion in the photo led me to believe that it was.

The second problem is that the holder is designed for flat cords.  I have never seen an iron with a flat cord, so perhaps this is more common on European products.  I had to squeeze my cord into the holders but most of the time it popped out.

One feature that I found attractive is that the cord minder could be rotated so that the ironing board could be folded up.  However, this very design feature hampered the original purpose of the minder.

When I used the iron, the weight of the cord pulled on the cord minder so strongly that it caused the entire unit to turn into the folding position.

I tried resolving this issue by moving the cord minder to the short end of my ironing board.  However, it simply tipped to the side again rendering the cord minder useless.

In conclusion, I would recommend the ironing board cover, but I would NOT recommend the cord minder.  I will continue my quest for a good, quality cord minder.  My husband and I, as engineers,  have discussed the design features that I need and potential ideas to meet those needs.  If you have a cord minder and are happy with it, please let me know about it!

Annie's in a Clutch

Success!  I am thrilled that Annie (my 14 year-old daughter) has had her first real sale on Etsy.  Her shop is The Pink Paintbrush.  Many relatives and friends have supported her talents by ordering custom bags.  But a bona fide customer from Texas ordered a clutch - and she isn't even a relative!  Thanks for supporting handmade!

The clutches are interfaced for stability, have magnetic closures and are lined with fun fabrics.

Her newest creations include a strap.

 Annie, keep on sewing!

Quick Placemat Bag

A simple project.  I loved the colors on these place mats and thought they'd make a cute tote.  Annie pulled the weaving apart on one and we braided the strands to make a handle.

Tucked inside is a journal for a friend who had an unexpected turn after a routine surgery.  I've been around hospitals too much the past few years to not feel her pain, but am happy that she is now home and on the mends.

Summer life is in full throttle.  My daughter returned from a 12-day cruise in the Baltic Sea with the local choral group.  Now she is working two jobs - a theater camp in the day and a theater production in the evening - playing piano for both.  So I'm driving a lot more now and my sewing and knitting time will be even more compressed.  I haven't even managed to cast on the second swirl sock!

We just had an 80th family reunion and next week is another 50+ family reunion at the beach.  Many fond memories continue to be made at both.

I hope your summer is going well!

I'm Dreaming....

....of a complete day to sew....from start to finish.

If I had such a day, I'd like to tackle:

1.  These Amazing Fit patterns from Simplicity.  I am working on improving my fit and I'd love to make my own pair of pants.  I do not have a body that fits into today's current styles.  In other words, I still have a waist that is above my belly button and do not wish to expose the general public to anything below that.  (Why do I still try on pants at Target?  They never look good on me.)  I have very strong opinions on today's pants and how awful they look except on the most fit teens and women....but that's a post for another day.

2.  These dresses.  I like simple lines and love the color-blocked sheath dress.  I would probably make these with a sleeve because, well, see #1, the same applies to my arms.  Plus, I will look like Audrey Hepburn if I make the one on the left and the sophisticated model on the right - right?

3.  A classic shirt dress and a classic trench coat.  I think the coat could update my look instantly.

4.  I love to sew coats.  I picked up this pattern for daughters, but I would make it without the flounce for myself.

5.  My nephew is expecting a baby, so I thought a little gift sewing was in order.  I want to make bibs out of his old t-shirts (plus a t-shirt quilt for the baby!)

6.  The rest of these are for my oldest daughter - some potentially for her concert.

I would have to modify the v-neck on this one!

A girl can dream, can't she?

Annie's Painted Squares

This kept Annie busy for hours.  She painted tiles, purchased from JoAnn, with acrylic paints.

We plan to hang them separated for a mod look.

Graduation Round Up and a Party Banner

As you know, my oldest graduated from high school this year.  (You can read my "letting go" post here if you missed it.)  The ceremony itself was lovely, filled with pomp and circumstance and the utmost dignity.  We celebrated with a party the next day and since then have attended many graduation parties!  I'm happy to say that the last two are this coming weekend.

I wish I was more creative when it comes to parties and holidays.  I decorate very simply (or not at all.)  I know that party banners are all the rage, so when I stumbled upon the fabulous Etsy shop Modern June, I was inspired to try my own.

I used 15 pennants on one to accommodate (H A P P Y  B I R T H D A Y ) and 10 on the other.  I figured I could write "Congrats" or even "Congratulations" and then my son's name on the second banner.  I fused fabric scraps to the back of chalk cloth and sewed them to a ribbon.

 
With our house floor plan and the unpredictable Cleveland weather, we had to set up our party in the garage.  The weather cooperated, the kids and adults played in the backyard and the folks gathered in the garage to eat and visit.  The close quarters actually enhanced the mingling, I think.

In the garage I displayed my son's quilt (of course!)

Our dear friends supplied the photo cake!

Annie did a fantastic job of creating a memory board with some other mementos.  She even made a lovely DVD with photos of my son throughout the years.

The tape ball, a 30 pound mass of masking tape, the crowning achievement of my son's 8th grade year, had a place of honor....

I was really inspired by a priest once who spoke about how we all have been given things in life and that we should be grateful for those things.  (For example, the people who built our schools or our libraries or museums....how those who go before us continue to give.)  To convey that idea, I selected a quote by Alfred North Whitehead:  "No one who achieves success does so without the help of others."  I made a banner of the quote and then surrounded it with photos, artifacts and notes thanking all the people who attended the party for what they did for my son.  For example, we thanked our neighbor for giving my son his old ties to wear to school and thanked Grandpa for all the $2 bills over the years, Grandma for "Blue Doritos"....

On the other wall we displayed on old uniform pant and his signed shirt.

It was a fun party.  My son and his girlfriend played jazz music during dinner and my daughter played music and sang later in the evening.  My brother-in-law entertained on the button box.

I finished two more quilts for two more parties.  I'm happy to have a little break from quilting now!