Out of my funk. But still funky.

**disclaimer: I seriously typed "I'm back" into google image search and this was the first pic. I thought it was fitting.

I know you've all been eagerly awaiting my next post and it took FOREVER. I mentioned earlier that I was making the most boring scarf in the world. Well... It didn't end up being the most boring scarf in the world -- it's now a super freaking adorable earwarmer!

... I honestly did not have the patience to make it long enough for a scarf... or even a cowl. Man, I am lazy.

The way it all came about is that I was going about my cute little crochet business while watching movies and apparently I have very little ability to multitask effectively. I made about 30 rows and realized that somehow I had dropped 5-7 stitches, so the end was shorter than when I began. I was really really really disappointed because I finally had gotten into my groove and all my stitches were beginning to look really super awesome and even, and in the end it would not look good. So I shoved the partially completed scarf under our ottoman out of sight while I was disgusted with it.

I decided that it was definitely time to start cleaning the apartment, and you all know how cleaning goes -- you're always looking for a distraction! So I found again the yarn project and realized that I had just bought the most awesome box of buttons recently (Thanks, Gail!!!), and HAD to show them to you guys and the mother of pearl buckles might be an awesome addition to the scarf thing. 

So here are  my preciouses the buttons: 

OMG AREN'T THEY BEAUTIFUL!!! 

They will all become something wonderful :) And these are just the MoP ones!

 I realized today that I'm developing an obsession with real mother of pearl buttons so if you have any, I would definitely take them off of your hands to look at forever.

Anyway. I made this thing and I think I might actually wear it someday!

Wow, I'm so fancy and artsy and stuff I was going for "sullen teenager" in this shot. Also, I think it reads very clearly "took this myself and wish I had a photographer".

But really, I do like it. I might actually even use it. Absolutely not now, since it's 90 degrees outside, but I guess I had to finish it sometime. I am THE MASTER of procrastinating. 

Sneak peek...

http://instagram.com/p/X2lgXnlonI/
Hope this turns into a legitimately wearable garment. No failure hurts as bad as spending tons of time on something that you wouldn't even deem fit as pajamas.

Easter Craft Time! (Plus video bonus)

 I mentioned in my previous blog that my friends and I get together around Easter to do what we have named the "Easter Beer Hunt". Each year, we end up learning a little bit about how to play it and adjust the rules to make the game fair/give tips on how to have a successful Easter Beer Hunt. Last year, I thought up the idea to decorate my 6 pack case to show off my Easter "basket". It was wonderful. So this year -- I had to make it better, I had to make it stronger, I had to make it take more time to make! I also [due to poor planning] had to do it without a hot glue gun.

Rule # 1: the "basket" must be a six pack. I suggest choosing a drink that is not a type of beer that everyone else will bring. The majors (Miller, Bud, Coors, etc) may get mixed up with others. You can always decorate your specific beers, too (we thought of that as a "thing" this year).

Rule # 2: There may be some sort of theme. We will release a note about the "theme" of our Easter Beer Hunt a couple weeks before the event. This year, I chose to go with the traditional "basket" theme.

I found a bunch of pretty colored ribbons. That'll do for an "action" shot.

Rule # 3: Votes are accumulated via Facebook. The winner is awarded a ribbon. 

Here's a good shot of the front. I chose to leave the sides open for an unknown reason. I also put a glitter bunny on the front!

And the backside was a little too plain with just the woven fabric ribbon, so I gave it a pop of color :)

close-up of the actual weaving. It was a ton of work. I don't recommend it.

AND NOW FOR THE HUNTING RULES:

1. Someone else must hide your beers in the approved areas.

2. Flashlights are welcome and encouraged since we hide them at night. Subject to your discretion.

3. Try to remember where you hide the other person's beers.

4. First one to find all six of their own beers gets bragging rights!

5. HAVE SOME SILLY FUN!

6. Maybe tell the police that many adults will be wandering the street with flashlights and beer... Forgot to do that one this year...

So I ended up in 4th place for the basket decorating contest. I am confident that if people actually had to score the votes on effort that mine may have won. It looked super great in person. Want to see the other entries? OF COURSE YOU DO!

Winner[/cheater] -- 18 pack Beer Bunny from John & Heather

Second Place - Flamboyant Easter - Mike

Third Place - Pretty Princess on a Pedestal - Kim

Honorable mention - Lucky Cutesie - Jenna (check out the rabbit's foot! awesome!)

Dishonorable mention - NOT REALLY DECORATED - Kevin

And here's the whole shebang together :)

In addition to our evening of silly beer hunting, the husband and I went to our good friends' house and decided to do a Harlem Shake video with all the children. We are all Halloween costume people, so here's what you get when we decide to unite our costume powers!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn3qnyWLxwg

The 24 hour project!

I found this super amazing tutorial online and I have been dying to duplicate it!

View said super amazing tutorial here (click).

The hardest part is actually finding something like the pleated skirt she used (HEY MOM, CAN I STEAL YOUR PLEATED SKIRT FROM THE 80'S TO MAKE THIS????).

I have been to 3 separate goodwills, and they are not as easy to find as you would imagine. Goodwill #1 had nothing even remotely like it. Goodwill #2 had one in a teeny tiny size, and it would have been too short.

So my challenge for this one was really to find a skirt that will be large enough for me. I'm not going to sugar-coat it. I'm a bigger girl, I get it. So I was just about to give up at Goodwill #3 when I spotted it.

...

It is a skirt that someone had taken the time to make at home with their own tender loving care and then DONATED. It had an elastic waist band, was approximately a size 10, and an added bonus that I didn't notice until I started cutting: POCKETS!!! Unfortunately for me, the pockets are going to be wasted, unless you come by me sometime and put a tampon in the pockets that are currently located in my sleeves.

So first things first, I will address that it does sort of look like a shower curtain. Who knows? Maybe it was. I don't care. It's pretty understated, and I sort of like that about it... Alright, who am I kidding? I would NEVER have spent $12/yard at the fabric store to buy this. Ever. But it was only $4! AND THE BEST PART: It was half off red tags that day. So I bought it for $2.17 <------- winning!

It was most likely donated to Goodwill because it was boring. But maybe I can make it better. We'll just have to wait and see.

I started with the immediate removal of the gross old elastic. Put it on over your head and dance, sans arms like this.

And then I went to town with the scissors. I sliced up some arm holes and sewed some side seams and like magic, I have something that I will wear for a photo. Not sure that it will see the light of day aside from this, but it'll be on the internet, so I guess I probably could wear it in public.

And now for the great reveal. I will preface this with a photo describing my feelings about Andrew's photographer abilities: 

(sheer horror)

And this:

(absolute disapproval)

Without much further ado, and the best photos my husband is capable of, here is what I made!

I hate the whole finishing step, but if I hear that this dress is cute enough for public, I might take the time to do it. What do you guys think?

We're in a library. It makes us look smart.

So before you see these pictures and think, "what the hell is going on here and why are these pictures kind of weird", realize several things:

1. I am sorta/kinda weird.

2. I used a film camera without a flash

3. I did not feel like cleaning my apartment to take photos everywhere.

4. I am not a professional photographer and apparently do not give good direction.

So, knowing that, LOOK!

This FANCY. 

Want to see the dress on a real person!??? I knew you did :) 

More photos/witty commentary after the jump!

The "select-a-project" project.

So while everyone eagerly awaits photos of my completed dress project, I have to figure out what to do with my time.

This evening, I gathered up all this crap:

From top to bottom, left to right: miscellaneous fabric, a goodwill dress purchased for $4, one mens size XXXL camo jacket, t-shirts needing alterations to make for a lady (plug: ESPN1380 -- you're welcome, Corey ), calligraphy set, jeans needing mending, miscellaneous felt, more fabric, fabric paint, ribbon, Andrew's hoodie needing a hole mended, crochet hooks and yarn, and a stencil.

"What is the point of all this," you ask? Well, these are things that are readily available, and are just hanging out around my apartment needing various things done to them, and many haven't even the beginnings of ideas of what to make out of them. I am definitely taking suggestions.

Anyway, tonight I started with Andrew's hoodie. It's one of his staples, and he wears it all the time. He'd ripped a 2-3" hole in the side where the smocked bottom meets the left hip. I mended it by hand and was done in 15 minutes. That was uneventful...

I NEEDED MOAR PROJECTS!

So I took my favorite jeans and decided to mend the two holes in them. I wore through the thighs in the 3 years I've had these jeans, but I still feel like there's life left in them, so I got to work! (Lucky you! I remembered to take some pictures of my process for this one!)

I pinned the seam back together (for the most part) on the inside of the pants.

Then I pressed some sewable fusible interfacing over the hole, and ironed a piece of fabric (I used a piece of the goodwill dress since it's non-stretch and relatively thick so it'll reinforce that area)

Now that it's all stuck together, it's time to sew these pantalones!

I would have chosen a blue that matches my jeans better, but I didn't have any on hand, and I didn't feel like going to the fabric store. I zigzagged all along the rip, and (not pictured), trimmed my patch fabric closer to the stitching.

And here's my finished (not beautiful), functional repair job! I've been wearing them since I fixed them, and the dance I did to show the husband how impressed with myself will go down in history as the most smug dance in the entire world. I will definitely be wearing these to work tomorrow!

And the disappointing conclusion of my crafty-ass night:

I started chrocheting a scarf. It's cream in color, and very boring. I'm not excited about it, but I'll think of some way to jazz it up. ;) 

Project # 1 : nearing the end.

I realized today that I have absolutely no idea where my zipper foot has gone. I haven't searched very hard, but it wasn't where I expected it to be, so obviously it's off having a threesome with the dish and the spoon or something. It's safe to say that I did not attach the zipper like I had planned to tonight. There's always another day.

Here's a few pictures of the dress to this point, including a close-up of a super pretty seam where the cap sleeve meets the dress at the princess seam. Super impressed with my self atm.

Expect some pictures of my beautiful cousin in this dress at some point in the future. It'll be all glam-y and stuff if I have anything to do with it.

I'm going to take inventory of stuff I've saved for potential projects to see what I should do next. There are a bunch laying around.

Stay tuned for the next crafty post!