The reluctant crafter

Moving!

2008-01-03T10:16:00.000-08:00

I've decided to move this blog to Wordpress. Blogger is fine, but Wordpress has better templates and more toys to play with. Come visit me!

Fun with circular needles

2008-01-03T09:47:00.000-08:00

Did I say fun? I meant it in the most sarcastic way possible. If I ever consider buying a set of Boye circular needles again, I give you permission to flog me with a carrot. The join between the needle and the cable isn't smooth, and there's a bump where the needle widens, so it is a fight to get the yarn onto the needle. It makes for slow, frustrating knitting, and I'm not enjoying it. I think I'll put them on ebay or something, because they're brand new and I can't use them. Only issue is that the one set I've tried doesn't have the size marked on them, and I tossed the package like a moron.

Anyway, I've heard good things about Knit Picks circular needles. Specifically the Options series, which is interchangeable. But then, the Options are more costly than just buying fixed circulars, so I ordered the fixed circulars in size 6, 7 & 8, which are the most common sizes in worsted weight projects. Hopefully I like them as much as others do! Shipping is reasonable too. Bonus!

If these don't work out (which I really hope they do!) I may buy a set of Addi Turbo needles on ebay. They're pretty expensive though.

Slippers

2008-01-02T14:53:00.000-08:00

Hubby has cold feet. So he asked me for some knitted slippers. I hunted high and low for free patterns, but couldn't find any that I liked, so I bought a pattern from Fiber Trends.

Anyway, I finished knitting them last night after a false start where I messed up and made them 9 rows too short on the soles (I misread the pattern) so I had to take them apart. Today I sewed the pieces together and felted them.

I've never felted before. It was fun. A bit scary, because if you screw up the felting, they are no good to you. And you can't take them apart again. I just about had a heart attack, because the washing machine had started the spin cycle and that can cause permanent creases, but no harm done (this time!).

Here they are, in all their fuzzy glory...

They have to dry still, and I doubt he'll be wearing them tonight considering how long it takes wool to dry. The wool is Lion Wool in "Ocean Blues".

As a new knitter, I am glad I used this pattern. It was well-written, and forced me to try some new techniques. I now know how to ssk, k2tog, m1, and pick up stitches, as well as how to felt.

Quilting update

2007-12-31T10:25:00.001-08:00

I finished my daughter's quilt on Christmas day. I had finished the hand quilting the night before, but still had to tie off all the loose ends on the back. She's thrilled with it.

My son's quilt isn't finished yet. I do have the entire quilt top pieced though.

The only problem is that when I put the quilt on my daughter's bed, I noticed that it is too short on the sides. Why is it that I am not smart enough to measure and make sure that the pattern will make a large enough quilt? I'm planning on adding a row of blocks on either side to make it wide enough. Unfortunately, that means I have to run out and buy more batting, but at least I have enough fabric. It will be easier to do on my son's quilt since I haven't put the layers together yet. At least when I start the quilt for the master bedroom I won't have to worry about it since I'll know better than to trust the pattern to make a big enough quilt!

I'm going to make my daughter a bedskirt to match, and both kids are getting matching cushions. Someday. First I need to modify her quilt and finish the boychild's quilt!

Shortbread

2007-12-10T16:26:00.000-08:00

More baking today! I made a double batch of shortbread.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups flour
½ cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup icing sugar

Directions:
Whisk the flour with the salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

In mixer bowl, cream butter until smooth, then add the sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Gently stir in the flour mixture until just mixed. Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350F with the rack in the middle of the oven. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to ¼ inch thick. Cut into shapes with a lightly floured cookie cutter. Place cookies on baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes. This helps the cookies to maintain their shape when baked. Sprinkle with coloured sugar. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookies are lightly brown.

Irish Cream Fudge

2007-12-07T12:02:00.000-08:00

Another recipe whose origins I don't recall. It may have been from a friend, though it is likely that I found it online. I've never tried it before, but I'll be making a batch tonight.

Ingredients:
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
¼ cup butter
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1 cup Irish cream liqueur
1½ cups chopped nuts (optional)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup white chocolate chips
4 tbsp Irish cream liqueur
2 tbsp butter

Directions:
Butter an 8x8" pan.

In the top half of a double boiler, melt the 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, 1 cup white chocolate chips and ¼ cup butter until soft enough to stir. Stir in the confectioner's sugar and Irish cream until mixture is smooth. Stir in nuts. Place mixture in the prepared pan and lay a sheet of plastic wrap over top; press and smooth top down.

In the top half of a double boiler, melt remaining chocolates until soft. Remove from heat and with a fork beat in the butter and Irish cream until smooth. Spread topping over cooled fudge with a knife. If a smooth top is important, place plastic wrap over the top. Refrigerate until firm, 1 to 2 hours at least. This fudge can be easily frozen.

Irish Cream

2007-12-07T11:57:00.000-08:00

I love Bailey's Irish Cream. Okay, all Irish Cream. But I can't justify the cost of it, so when I stumbled across a recipe for homemade Irish Cream, I squealed like a schoolgirl. I don't remember where I got the recipe.

I made a double batch today. I want to drink some tonight, but it tastes funny the first day, so I'll wait until tomorrow night.

Ingredients:
1 cup light cream
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 2/3 cups whiskey
1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 drops almond extract

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a large bottle. Shake to blend and refrigerate 24 hours. Serve over ice, or use in recipes.

Holiday baking

2007-12-06T11:25:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year. My waistline isn't too fond of it though! I went grocery shopping for the ingredients for my 2007 Holiday Bakeathon, and aside from a couple of things that are cheaper at Costco (butter & eggs, in particular) I'm all set.

I have been frustrated at how hard it is to find dragees in stores here. They really serve no purpose except to look pretty on your cookies, but holiday baking just isn't the same without them. So I bought them on ebay. 2 oz each of gold and silver. Enough for probably 2-3 years of holiday baking. Nobody in California sells them anymore, as I found out today, thanks to a fellow named Mark Pollock. Here's an article to read if you're interested.

At any rate, in spite of Mr. Pollock, I'm getting my dragees. And my cookies will be pretty and festive. I rather agree with this post on Slashfood, particularly the last paragraph.

On the menu this year...

Shortbread
Gingerbread men (yes men, not people! No politically correct gingerbread in my house)
Star Anise Thins
Irish Cream Fudge
Brown Sugar Fudge
Caramel Pecan Brownies
English Toffee
Coffee Sponge Toffee
Nanaimo Bars
Butter Tarts
Maple Shortbread Squares
Lemon Squares
Butter Pecan Wafers

I think I will have to go on a serious diet in the new year. I'm sure I will gain weight since I cannot resist holiday baking. I don't seem to have any problem resisting temptation at any other time of year.

Adventures in quilting - part 10 (daughter's quilt)

2007-12-03T13:48:00.000-08:00

I started the hand quilting last night, and will work on it again tonight. I was planning on knotting it, but I really didn't like how it looked, so after 45 minutes I decided to take the knots out and do a criss-cross pattern on the 9 patch blocks. I'll leave the striped blocks as is, I think. I'll post a pic tomorrow .

Adventures in quilting - version 2 part 3 (son's quilt)

2007-11-29T11:16:00.000-08:00

Update on my son's quilt. I started sewing 9 patch squares today...

I was worried it would be really dark, but with the lighter striped squares, it brightens it up a bit. I think it is going to look really good when it is done.

Adventures in quilting - part 9 (daughter's quilt)

2007-11-28T11:02:00.000-08:00

Forgot to update about what I did over the weekend. I didn't get nearly as much done on my quilt as I thought I would. I pinned the binding and hand sewed 1/2 of one long edge, and that was all I got done. I have all of the strips cut and ready for piecing on my son's quilt though, and plan on working on it today while my daughter is at school. I can't really work on hers even though she's not home, because my son will want to climb on it and it is full of pins.

I realized last week that I need a quilting hoop to do the hand quilting, so we ran all over town on Saturday looking for one. I'm pretty annoyed with the fabric store I usually go to. Not only are the staff not particularly pleasant or helpful, they're closing the location that is most convenient for me (it is near the kids' doctor), so now I will have no choice but to rely on my husband to drive me to the fabric store on weekends if I need anything since the other location is in an area I never go to. We really need more fabric stores in this city. There's one near my house, but it is more of a clearance place and it is hard to shop there since there are no prices on anything and the store is totally disorganized. They don't sell thread, patterns, or notions either. Very irritating.

At any rate, I got my hoop, and embroidery floss to do the hand quilting on both quilts, as well as thread and more quilting pins and another blade for my rotary cutter which has a dull spot (very annoying since it was brand new when I started cutting my daughter's quilt and it has been giving me problems since the first time I used it).

As of last night, I'm more than 1/2 way finished handsewing the binding on my daughter's quilt. I figure I'll be done with it by tomorrow night, then I can start the hand quilting. I'm not 100% sure if I'm going to knot it or sew a pattern. Decisions, decisions..............

Adventures in quilting - part 8 (daughter's quilt)

2007-11-24T08:19:00.000-08:00

I sewed on the binding last night, and pinned it in preparation of hand sewing. I figure it will probably take me the rest of my life to do the hand sewing!

Adventures in quilting - version 2 part 2 (son's quilt)

2007-11-23T15:47:00.000-08:00

The sewing bug is still making me itchy, so I decided I may as well sew strips for my son's quilt. I sewed all of them together! Now I have to press them and cut them into pieces to make the blocks.

And I even made my seam allowances the right size. Aren't you proud of me?

I can't believe how quickly his quilt is coming together. Hopefully there will be no hiccups along the way like I had with my daughter's quilt!

Adventures in quilting - part 7 (daughter's quilt)

2007-11-22T23:22:00.000-08:00

I am so freaking excited... I want to stay up all night sewing, but I can't!!! I put my layers together tonight. It looks fantastic!!! I need to pin on the binding still, which I'll do tomorrow night since my back is killing me from crawling around on the floor for the last hour and a half.

I realized I'm not as smart as I thought... I laid down the quilt top, then put the batting on top of that, and realized I had no way of knowing if the quilt top was flat before trimming the excess batting. Duh. I had to start over, putting the batting down first, then the quilt top, smoothed everything out with probably 75 pins, and trimmed the batting. Then my husband & I flipped it over and I repeated the process with the backing.

I am so close to being finished that I can TASTE IT.

Dang, I need a hoop in order to do the hand quilting. I don't have one. Crapola. Maybe I can sweet-talk my hubby into a trip to the fabric store on Saturday to pick up a hoop. I need more thread for my son's quilt anyway. I'm not smart enough to realize just how much thread a project this big will take!!!

Ravelry

2007-11-22T15:56:00.000-08:00

I may have found a new obsession. I read about Ravelry on a web community I belong to, and signed up. It is invitation-only since it is still in beta testing, but it only took 2 weeks to get my invitation. It looks to be a wonderful resource. I spent a couple of hours playing yesterday, adding people I know to my friend list, and adding patterns I have bookmarked into my queue. I'm sure I'll be adding dozens more patterns as I browse the site more, since there's plenty of inspiration there! Heck, maybe I'll even learn to crochet!

If you are a member there, or become a member, my username is kimberlily. Feel free to add me to your friend list!

Adventures in quilting - version 2, part 1 (son's quilt)

2007-11-22T15:53:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm getting ahead of myself, but I wanted to work on quilting today and couldn't do anything on my daughter's quilt since I don't want her to see it. Instead, I decided to cut fabric for my son's quilt.

I'm nearly done cutting. I have to do the solid strips (17 of them) and then it will be done. I figure it will take me about 30 minutes.

I came up with a rather clever idea for measuring while cutting. I wish I'd thought of it while cutting my daughter's quilt. I took a business card, drew a line on it at 2.75" (the width of my strips) and use that to measure the width while I cut instead of marking the fabric. It makes it go twice as fast, and it is just as accurate.

Skincare - cleanser recipe

2007-11-22T11:09:00.000-08:00

I made myself a new facial cleanser today. I've been using natural soap bars that I buy online, but they aren't doing much for me anymore, and I want something cheaper anyway. I prefer a liquid cleanser with some exfoliating power.

Castile & honey cleanser

1 tsp citric acid (exfoliant)
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (exfoliant)
1/4 cup distilled water
1 tsp vitamin E
2 tsp vegetable glycerine
1 oz grapeseed oil
4 oz castile soap

Heat the water, and add the citric acid. Stir until dissolved. Add all other ingredients and pour into a sterilized 8 oz bottle.

Adventures in quilting - part 6 (daughter's quilt)

2007-11-22T07:11:00.000-08:00

All strips are sewn and the borders are on...

I'm putting the backing on and binding the edges today, and will hand quilt it over the weekend.

Adventures in quiliting - part 5 (daughter's quilt)

2007-11-20T10:01:00.000-08:00

I've sewn 10 of the 14 strips together. 4 more to go, then I can do the borders, batt and back it, and quilt it! I figure I should be done by this weekend.

Adventures in quilting - part 4 (daughter's quilt)

2007-11-15T11:46:00.000-08:00

Well, scratch that. I measured my fabric and no, I didn't buy enough for queen sized quilts. But dummy bought batting for queens. Whatever. The kids don't need giant quilts on their twin sized beds anyway!

Progress is being made. I've sewn 4 of the strips together, and it is starting to look like something. I have 10 more, which I'll sew tonight. Pictures will follow.

Adventures in quilting - part 3 (daughter's quilt)

2007-11-12T12:25:00.000-08:00

I said some bad words over the weekend. I'm a dummy. I sewed my seams closer to 3/8" instead of 1/4" because I was lazy and used the standard foot on my machine instead of hunting down the piecing foot. So now the quilt won't be the size it is supposed to be. I had to cut down the big squares by 1/2" to make them the same size as the 9-patch squares. Grr. Now finishing the quilt will be a bit more convoluted, because I have to fuss with it. I think I might just do a wider binding to make up the difference.

Also, the instructions only tell you how many strips to cut for a twin sized quilt, but I'm making a queen, so now I have to cut more strips. Oh well, what do you do.

Adventures in quilting - part 2 (daughter's quilt)

2007-11-08T15:14:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe this handful of fabric will become the top of a full/Queen sized quilt!

I am going to start sewing tonight, but for now I need to take a break and do some housework... I will likely update tomorrow!

Adventures in quilting - part 1 (daughter's quilt)

2007-11-08T11:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, here I go! I'm going to start cutting my daughter's quilt today!

The pattern is from Better Homes & Gardens "Quilt Lovers' Favourites" and is called the "Convent Quilt". I chose it because it is a very basic pattern.

These are the fabrics for my daughter's quilt:

And these are the fabrics for my son's quilt (which will be discussed in a separate set of posts):

I'm doing my daughter's quilt first because I THINK the colours will be a bit more forgiving of mistakes... but I could be wrong!

I think I figured out today why I've been anxious about this project. Partly because of the size of a quilt - it has been a long time since I last sewed something so substantial. But mostly because quilting is an art, and I definitely don't see myself as an artist. Sure, I'm crafty, but I'm not an artist.

Maybe I will discover a new passion. And my inner artist.

Choli pattern modifications

2007-11-08T10:49:00.000-08:00

I had an inquiry about how I modified the choli pattern, so here goes nothing...

Save all pattern pieces to your computer, and resize them until each square on the grid measures 1"x1". Print them out, and tape the pieces together. Take your back piece and tape some extra paper toward the center back. Extend the bottom line as far as you like (I made it about 12" longer but had some extra that I ended up cutting off). Make the strap about 1.5" wide, and draw a shallow curve to smooth the transition from the backless area to the strap. You should end up with a pattern piece that looks like this:

Sew according to directions, omitting the steps involving the straps. You do not need a neck tie. Keep in mind that you will probably need a little more than one package of bias tape. You can either tie the back (which will allow your bra back to show, so not ideal) or button/hook it at the side seams. One side will hook on the inside, and the other side will hook on the outside.

Choli...

2007-11-06T15:34:00.000-08:00

Well, I did it. I made myself a choli. Now all I need is a bellydance skirt and I'm all set! Not that I'm interested in performing, but it is more fun with the proper clothes instead of just wearing a tank top and tights.

I used Annabella's choli pattern, but modified it a little. I like her backless choli, but that would mean I couldn't wear a bra, which isn't my style, so I made a crossover back. It covers my bra completely, and hooks at the side seams.

Pardon the odd expression on my face. I am not very good at taking pictures of myself!

It was very fast to make. Including layout, cutting and modifying the pattern, it took me about 2 hours to complete. Now I just need to get shimmying!

Crafts waiting to be started

2007-11-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

I have a LOT of crafts waiting in the wings. Here's a quick list of what I hope to accomplish by the end of the year (okay, by Christmas, actually).

1. Choli for bellydance.
2. Two twin-sized quilts for the kids.
3. Four pairs of PJ's (one for each kid to open on Christmas Eve, and one each for Christmas Day).
4. Two calorimetries.

It may not be a long list, but the quilts are big projects, so they'll be very time consuming. Especially since I've never made a quilt before. If I was smart (and I'm NOT) I would make a table runner or wall hanging first. But no. I am jumping in with both feet and making quilts for my children. In the spring, I plan on buying fabric to make a King-sized quilt for our bed. I also have other sewing projects I want to tackle after the holidays are done and over with, including a bellydance skirt.

Adventures in knitting

2007-11-06T08:57:00.001-08:00

I have done a fair bit of knitting lately. Not only did I finish my daughter's shawl, but I have made a couple of calorimetries. They're fabulous headwarmers if you want to wear your hair up or just don't want to frizz your hair by wearing a hat. Plus, they keep your ears toasty warm. I made one for my friend Marge who lives in Michigan, and another for my friend Angie, who lives in California. I'm working on a sage green one for another Californian friend, and the next one (hopefully the last for a while) will be for me. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of the two that I've made recently, but I'll make sure to post a picture of Vanessa's calorimetry (aka knitted headwarmer thingamabob) when it is done.

I've been attempting to learn to knit Continental style, but I think I'm going to throw in the towel. It looks so easy, and is supposed to be faster, but I just can't get the hang of it. My grandmother, who taught me to knit in my early teens, didn't knit Continental. She was what is often referred to as a "thrower", meaning that instead of holding the yarn in the left (inactive) hand and passing it back and forth using the index finger (Continental style), you hold it in your right hand and "throw" the yarn across as you knit. It is slower, but given that when I knit Continental, my stitches are all twisted and it doesn't feel natural to me, I find it faster than Continental. I gave it a shot. And it just didn't work out for me. Not a big deal. I have more control of my tension if I throw, and I learned it that way. My grandmother was not a slow knitter, so in time, I'll be the fastest thrower in the west *LOL*

I haven't started my knitting bag yet. I hate the circular needles I bought since the yarn gets hung up on the joins and makes me cuss and swear. I'm hoping to get a set of KnitPicks Options. They're pricey, but I'd never need to buy needles again since they have all the different sizes in the set. I've heard nothing but good things about them.

Updates

2007-11-06T08:47:00.000-08:00

Okay. It's been a while. So I'm going to flood my craft blog with recent projects!

First. I promised pics of my daughter's finished shawl.

She wears it a lot, and even brought it for show & tell at school. I guess Mommy did good :)

Second. Finished Renaissance garb.

Cute felted witch hat

2007-09-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

I want to make this soooooo badly...

The pattern can be found on the Lion Brand yarn website. Too bad I don't know how to crochet yet. I know how to chain stitch, but that's it. I guess it would be a good beginner's project.

They also have a cute pattern for leaf and petal masks featured in their newsletter, but I don't see myself ever wearing one.

More Ren Garb

2007-09-21T22:36:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd update on my sewing progress. My chemise is done, and I'm pretty happy with it. It is a very simple chemise, and took about an hour to sew. I've been working on the bodice all night, and decided to give my sewing machine a break. I'm not sure how well the ruffle on the bottom (called a peplum) will sit since I used a stiffer fabric than the pattern called for. I'll probably be able to post a pic on Monday since I'm hoping to have it finished in time to wear for Mabon (Autumn Equinox).

My son's tunic will be quick to make. That'll be done early next week. I am thinking about putting a facing on it since I don't have any trim left from my daughter's dress. I also have to put belt loops on the dress, since the girl has no hips!

Abacus bracelet

2007-09-21T22:31:00.000-07:00

I'm a dummy. I promised pictures of the abacus bracelet and stitch markers. Here they are! I made the bracelet on Beadalon wire, and used Czech glass beads that were sitting in my stash.

The AB beads are for counting 10's, and the plain are for counting single rows. I will find this bracelet handy very soon, when I start my Booga bag.

My daughter the maiden

2007-09-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

My family is going to a Renaissance Festival at the end of the month. I still have to make a tunic for our son, and my husband has yet to decide if he wants to dress for the festival or not, but our daughter jumped on the opportunity to wear garb.

Here she is, in all her glory.

I made her dress in wine coloured broadcloth, using this pattern. It took me about an hour to draft the pattern, and another hour to sew the dress, plus about half an hour to put on the trim. I love that braided gimp doesn't show your stitches. I also made her a very simple chain belt. I'll braid her hair, and put in some flowers if I can find any.

I am also making myself some new things to wear. I finished my cream coloured chemise last night, and I'm making a new bodice since the first one I made is a tad too big. The new one is a plain brown fabric, which is more period accurate anyway.

The tunic for DS will take no time at all, and will be green. I'm not making him breeches though. I'll cheat and put him in PJ pants!

Shawl - completed

2007-09-02T06:58:00.000-07:00

I finished my daughter's shawl last night. Bound it off, put the fringe on, and waited patiently for morning so I could give it to her. In retrospect, I should probably have made it a tad bigger, because it barely fits. I was worried I wouldn't have enough yarn for the fringe though, so I stopped a bit early. No matter, I'll just put a button on it and she can wear it more like a shrug. She really likes it. I'll post some pictures later.

Today I'm going to Michael's to take advantage of their Labour Day sale. They have Lion Homespun and Wool Ease on sale, so I want to pick up yarn for a felted knitting bag and another shawl. I also have a 50% off coupon, so I'll use it on something as well. I'm hoping to find a set of needles since so far all I have are size 7's.

I'm also planning on making myself an abacus bracelet and some stitch markers. If I want to do anything more complicated than this shawl, I'm going to need them. I'll post pics of them in a later post.

Knitting bag

2007-08-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

I need a knitting bag. I've been keeping my knitting in a big plastic salad bowl, but it isn't very portable. I'd like to be able to take it with me... to the park, in the car. You know. To keep my hands busy so that my mouth doesn't get me into trouble!

I'm compiling a list of bag patterns here.

Felted Basket - Bag with Bobbles
Knitting tote
Stripey Strap Bag

More knitting

2007-08-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

I decided to test-drive the shawl pattern I am doing next. I had two skeins of brightly coloured boucle that I bought to make SOMETHING for my daughter, and I thought it would make an adorable shawl. She doesn't know I'm knitting for her - so far, I've given all my knitting away.

This is the result of about an hour of knitting. It is big enough that I could finish it off and turn it into a knitted kerchief for her, but I want to make the shawl, so I'll keep going.

I alluded to a problem with my beautiful handpainted yarn yesterday. Well, here's a picture...

The background is the yarn I got originally, knit into the prayer shawl. It is hard to see the problem in this picture, so bear with me for a moment... The original yarn contains grey, green, and maroon. The new yarn is grey, green and a much lighter shade of maroon. It also has some rusty orange in it. I have to say I'm disappointed. I knew I was taking a chance on the dye lots being different, but I didn't expect the yarn to be so far off the original. The yarn is still lovely, but I'm changing my plan. Hopefully the shawl I want to knit will only take the original 3 skeins, and I can use the other 2 for something else.

Knitting project madness

2007-08-29T15:24:00.000-07:00

I admit, I'm a new knitter. It's been less than a year since I picked up the needles, but I've found a love for yarn and sitting with my husband with the TV on and knitting in my lap. It is a portable craft, so it is great to take along with you on holiday.

So far, I've done fairly simple projects. A baby blanket. A headscarf. I'm working on a prayer shawl that is destined to be torn apart (more on that in a later post).

Things I've fallen in love with...

2 hour wrap
Easy triangle shawl
Another easy triangle shawl
So right sarong
Butterfly shawl

Why shawls? I've just always loved them. I get cold at night, even indoors in summertime, but sometimes a sweater is too much. And there's something cozy yet feminine about a shawl, especially one that has a fringe or some openwork. I am planning on doing the first triangle shawl I posted as my next knitting project. I can have it done in time to wear it this fall/winter, I think.

As an added bonus, Michael's is having a sale this weekend. They've got Lion Homespun on special. Methinks I'll be buying my yarn on Monday. My rayon boucle shawl can wait since it is more of a summer shawl and summer is drawing to a close, even in California. The weather here gets weird. Mildly hot, then really hot for a short time, then it cools right off. Nights are always cool. Anyway, I can knit the rayon boucle over the winter.

Shiny and new

2007-08-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

I'm resurrecting this blog. I've been doing a lot of crafting, and not a whole lot of writing about it, so I figured I'd give the ol blog a facelift in hopes that I'd get off my behind and write about my crafting pursuits!

I found a really cool blog today... The Anticraft. There are lots of cool, witchy projects there, which I'd love to try, but unfortunately, I have lots of other crafts to finish first.

Oh, and I finally finished my skirt.

Thoughts about Isara Creations

2007-06-06T10:55:00.001-07:00

I've had my own home-based jewelry business (Isara Creations) for 6 years now. For the first two years, business was great. I got lots of orders - so many that I could hardly keep up. My husband used to complain that he was a bead widow.

Then I got pregnant with our daughter, who was born in the middle of my busiest season, so I had to take a break. It put a cramp in my reliable word of mouth advertising. I've tried advertising in bridal magazines, link exchanges, online advertising, signature links on message boards. I get the odd order, mostly coming from friends, which is nice, but not enough to keep me afloat. And of course, without money coming in, I can't even entertain the notion of paying for advertising, which was a bust the last time I tried it.

The long and the short of it is that I'm seriously considering closing my doors. I've got an order I'm working on right now, for a friend, and really, my heart isn't in it like it usually is. I miss the days that I made jewelry just for the sake of doing something with my hands. I wish I knew why I'm not into it as much as I once was.

I have lots of reasons for considering shutting things down...

Can't afford advertising to bring in new customers
You need customers if you want word of mouth advertising
Most free advertising is not successful
Can't afford supplies to make new exciting stuff if nobody is buying
I'm not as interested in making jewelry as I used to be
I have to order all my supplies online - somehow going to a bead store and seeing all those gorgeous beads sparkling in front of me is inspiring, unlike online shopping
I'm more interested in sewing and making hair sticks right now
If I do get big orders, I have a hard time finding the time to do them with two kids underfoot

I'll come back and edit this list as I think of things. My mind is mush right now.

I'm thinking about putting EVERYTHING up on Etsy and clearing out my samples. I have photos of everything if someone DOES order something, so I know how I made it. I have oodles of beads that I have no use for that I want to unload on eBay too, and will do that as soon as we get back from our holiday next month. I won't unload my Swarovski stash though, because I know I'll probably go back to making jewelry someday. In fact, I'll just leave the website alone. If people find it, great. If not, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. I'm just not going to worry about it, I think. A domain name is cheap.

I've been pondering this for quite some time. Maybe doing more one of a kind items will be good for me instead of reproducing things over and over and over and over. It was working well for me, being able to make a necklace in whatever colour the customer wanted, but nobody knows about me anymore since I don't have a successful advertising campaign. I'm planning on opening a second Etsy store for more pagan goodies, and will post about that when it is done. For now though, I'm going to concentrate on sewing my quilts for the kids so that they are done in time for Yule/Christmas.

Another dress

2007-05-30T15:33:00.001-07:00

I had originally cut the red fabric for this dress for my friend's daughter's flowergirl dress, but the bride decided on the champagne dragonfly fabric instead. So that means my daughter gets another dress out of the deal! Not that she minds, of course.

The black embroidered fabric on the bottom was originally purchased for a project I was going to make for myself, but it was so long ago that I don't even remember what it was for. It makes a nice accent to the wine coloured broadcloth. The buttons are a bit fancier than I usually use on her clothes. You can't really see it in the picture, but they are knots.

I preshrunk the fabric for my skirts, so I will try to cut them out tonight or maybe tomorrow night. I need to press all of the fabric first though, so it will probably be tomorrow.

Quilting adventures and new skirts

2007-05-29T16:28:00.000-07:00

I have decided that the kids will be getting quilts for Christmas/Yule. Call me nuts, I know I have too much to do already and too many sewing projects waiting to be sewn (including one more dress for DD that will only take a couple of hours), but they both need new quilts. DD has an old comforter of mine on her bed right now, and DS doesn't have one yet. Besides that, I have fond memories of the quilt my grandmother made me. Anyway, I've got a pattern for what should be a good beginner quilt. It is called a Convent Quilt (laugh if you must, a Pagan making a Convent quilt) and it is just two different sizes of squares, laid out in a pattern. What makes it the perfect beginner quilt is that it is sized to be on a bed, so I don't have to fuss with it.

This is for DD's quilt. I bought enough of the floral paisley and striped fabrics to make accent curtains for either side of her window. No matter where we end up living, we can use them, since we have blinds here and in our house back home, and will likely have blinds at any other house we live in.

This is for DS's quilt. I looked at some really cute blue and green dump truck fabric but thought better of it since it is costing a lot to do the quilts and I want him to be able to use it into his teens if it lasts that long (and I think it ought to). I didn't want to go so dark, and I wanted to do a blue & green colour scheme, but I think this scheme will be more suitable when he's older anyway. The dark fabric isn't black... it is a dark maroon.

I also got a cutting mat and rotary cutter for half price, and it seems to be a good quality set so it ought to last me a long time. Stocked up on thread too, since I have some fabrics at home that I have no thread to match.

I am making myself some skirts before I do the quilts though. I am making two of the skirt shown on the model. I love peasant skirts.

I got these fabrics for the skirts. The striped fabrics are for the sections of the skirt that are shown with the tan floral, and I'm not doing the contrasting waistband.

My daughter's birthday dress

2007-05-29T16:24:00.000-07:00

My daughter turned 5 yesterday, so I made her a birthday dress. It was a bit of stress at first, because it turned out I didn't add in the extra fabric for the back ruffles when I purchased the fabric, so I had to find something to match. Here is the pattern.

And here is the fabric.

And the finished product.

More recent projects

2007-05-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

I made this dress for the same child as I made the fleece pants for. It is a flowergirl dress for a beach wedding.

In dire need of an update

2007-05-29T15:34:00.001-07:00

Well. I'm a bad blogger, aren't I? I suppose I ought to update this more often, especially since I've been crafting up a storm!

Some of my recent projects.

Swarovski & pearl hairpin.

Fleece pants for one of my daughter's friends.

Another pair of fleece pants for the same friend.

I made three of these nighties for my daughter, all in different fabrics.

My new machines

2007-01-03T12:04:00.000-08:00

I think I am in love....................... these machines rock! I haven't used many features yet, but the verdict so far is that they're pretty darned good!

Photos of holiday crafts

2007-01-02T15:41:00.000-08:00

I know I promised photos and I finally was able to upload them from the camera. For some reason, it wasn't working right so I uninstalled the software and started afresh.

My tree skirt. Pattern is from http://www.about.com. It was really easy, but I omitted the ruffle and did a band of coordinating fabric instead. The fabric has little pointsettias on it.

Here are the stockings I made for my husband and myself. The pattern is from http://www.about.com. He just HAD to be different and wanted this neat gold fabric for the top. The bottom has pinecones on it. Mine has snowflakes.

This picture is of the stockings I made for my kids. My daughter's has little snowmen on it, and my son's has stars and swirls.

Lastly, here's the wreath I made for my girlfriend and her husband. They came over for Christmas dinner, and I thought it would be nice to give them a little something.

Holiday crafting & new machines

2006-12-28T09:48:00.000-08:00

I was a busy little elf in preparation for Yule & Christmas. My girlfriend Leslie brought her daughter over so our girls could play and we could have a "craft day". I made cookies while teaching her how to sew pants. We both made pants for the girls, out of rainbow patterned fleece. I'll put up a picture next time we get together since we want to take a photo of both girls in their rainbow pants.

I also made 4 stockings for my family. We went to the fabric store and each picked out fabric we liked. The same day, I bought fabric to make a tree skirt, which I'm really happy with, and supplies to make a new wreath for the front door. I have pictures that I will post later.

Then I made one pair of jammies for Risa. I got the fabric a while ago, but got busy with holiday baking and such so didn't get to make them until December 23... since she was going to wear new PJ's on Christmas Eve. She was so happy to have them!

Hubby asked me a couple of weeks before Christmas if I wanted a romantic gift or a practical gift... I asked him what kind of practical gift he might mean, and he said he knows I really want a serger. Right away, I opted for the practical gift. After all, my birthday and anniversary are coming up next summer, so I can use the serger while I wait for the romantic gift, right? *LOL* We did some research, and found a package deal on a White Quilter's Star 1780 and 2000ATS serger. I received them on Monday, and watched the instructional videos that night. I was so excited to get new machines I could burst! I used them both for the first time yesterday, making a second nightie for Risa. It looks SO MUCH BETTER than the first one. The gathers are more even, the stitching is tight and perfect, the buttonhole is beautiful, and the seams are sturdy and sure not to fray. I have one more nightie to make then I'm going to make something for myself. I can see myself doing a LOT more sewing now that I have these two beauties! The only downside is that the machine doesn't fit in my sewing machine cabinet, so I'll have to replace it.

Happy crafting! I have some bracelets to make today so my hubby can take them to work tomorrow.

Hairstick update and Yuletide crafting

2006-12-15T10:30:00.000-08:00

Well, the hairsticks are coming along. I haven't touched them in a week or so because, big surprise, I've got some other projects on the go right now. Since the holidays are coming (okay, they're here) we decided to ditch some of our old decorations and make new ones we would be happy to see every year. We went to the fabric store and bought fabric for stockings and a tree skirt. Everyone picked out their own stocking fabric (except for our son, who isn't even 2 yet), and I got two different colours of the same pattern fabric for the tree skirt.

We also bought stuff to make a wreath for the front door. I finished it that night. I've seen wreaths like this for around $40 or more, but this only cost me about $15 to make. Granted, a lot of the stuff was 50% off, but I'd have to say it turned out nicely. There were also some deep red hydrangeas that I wanted to include, but somehow they got paid for but didn't make it into the car. I was pretty disappointed about that, because they were so pretty and it would have been nice to have a few flowers here and there on the wreath. My hubby was really impressed with the finished wreath, and I have to say I'm pretty happy with it too. It took me about an hour to put together, and I'll be happy to see it every year! I also bought some glittery twigs, but they didn't seem to fit in, so I don't know what I'm going to do with those.

I also have one more project to do... I have to make a skirt tonight for my friend's 5 year old daughter. It is her Yule gift. I meant to do it all this week, but I'm sick with a really awful cold so I haven't gotten around to it yet. I need to make it tonight though, because they're coming over to do crafts tomorrow, and I won't see them again before Yule! Uh oh!

Wah!

2006-12-04T18:59:00.000-08:00

I got a couple of jewelry orders this week. One small, one big. Well, I just spoke to the customer of the big order, and it turns out that instead of 9 bracelets, she only wants 3. Hopefully I can revise my supply orders before they're shipped tomorrow, otherwise I'm going to be out a couple hundred bucks. The supplies aren't cheap, after all!

Handmade Hairsticks

2006-11-29T14:37:00.000-08:00

My current project. Okay, one of them! I bought some dowel rods, cut them into 6" lengths, made one end pointy, and sanded the dickens out of them. These are drying with a single coat of polyurethane to seal the wood, and will be painted. Once they're painted, I'll be adding beaded toppers to them. The sticks will be going up for sale in my Etsy store, though I will keep some for myself. More soon!

Jewelry set

2006-11-28T14:46:00.000-08:00

I made this bracelet and earring set as part of a gift exchange I did with some friends last Christmas. It is made of sterling silver findings, Labradorite beads and freshwater coin pearls.

Beaded hairsticks

2006-11-28T14:44:00.000-08:00

I get these beautiful corkscrew hairsticks from www.ketylo.com. I beaded them myself of course.

Tinted lip balm

2006-11-28T14:39:00.000-08:00

I love lip balm. I'm addicted to it, actually. I made this with coconut oil, shea butter & red/gold mica. It smells heavenly and makes my lips really soft. I made a big batch of it to give away as gifts, and have been considering selling it on www.etsy.com :)

Medieval Garb

2006-11-28T14:33:00.000-08:00

I finished this project in September. I used McCalls M4090 for the skirt and M4107 for the corset. The white shift is from another pattern I made years ago, also from McCalls, but I can't find the pattern number. The skirt is made of broadcloth, and the corset is made from drapery/upholstery fabric.

Welcome to the reluctant crafter

2006-11-28T14:14:00.000-08:00

Hi. I'm Kim. I'm a crafter. Nice to see you!

Why do I call this blog "the reluctant crafter"? Well, let's just say I have a tendency to start a craft project then abandon it. I can't say how many times I've done it. It is a little embarassing, to be honest! I have boxes of half-finished sewing projects in my closet that I have no interest in finishing anymore.

Hopefully by blogging about my craft pursuits, I will see more of my projects through to the end :)

I'm always working on more than one thing at a time. Right now, I'm working on a webpage for a friend's business which will be launched December 1, I'm making a batch of hairsticks that I will be putting on my jewelry website ( www.isara-creations.com ), and I am making nightgowns for my daughter who would live in dresses 24/7 if I let her.

What do my craft pursuits include? Well, not all of my creative ventures involve crafting, but here's a list of what I like to do... writing poetry/short fiction/articles, sewing, beadwork, cooking, web design, and I'm sure that as I move on in life I will add more to the list. I used to do a fair bit of painting but I haven't been doing it for some time.

I'll be posting pictures of my craft projects as I go along. I hope you enjoy the ride!