Project 1 - Version 1

Day One of The Challenge!
I mentioned in my last post that I started the first project of my challenge.  I created a t-shirt for Ellie and it's finished! (well sort of) Here's the deal...

I used the pattern from this amazing blog - Made You really need to check it out!!! She has these easy to follow tutorials that are very creative and unique.  I also followed her tutorial on how to make a pattern, and now I understand the process much better.  The one thing I have found very interesting with this project is that I'm really looking at the structure of how clothing is made.  I'm turning everything inside out and looking at the seams, thinking, "oooh, that goes there and then they sewed here..."
So anyway, the shirt - she calls it the 90 Minute Shirt and even for the sewing novice that I am when it comes to anything that isn't a straight line, she isn't far off.  I used a shirt (12 months) that fits Ellie well and this turned out o.k. - for a first draft.

Overall, the sewing of the shirt went pretty well.  I don't have a Serger or an expensive sewing machine for that matter, but I think I made up for that with the creative stitch I used to sew the white edge on the shirt.  I really enjoyed making the pattern and sewing the edges on.  When I got to sewing the sleeves on I got a little frustrated, (wondered vaguely if the 'wife beater' look would be cute on a one year old) but powered through and sewed them on.  I think it might be a case of getting easier once you've done it a few times.

There are/were two major mistakes.

1.  When sewing the sleeves, I didn't tuck the end of the shirt under the sleeves.  Now it's just flopping out and looks unfinished.





2.  Then, remember the post about not sewing when you are tired? I screwed up when sewing the W on the front.  I'm embarrassed to say I sewed the front of the shirt to the back.

Yeah - that's embarrassing!

So tonight I ripped out the W mistake and finished it up and I'll show you one more time the end result.

This project for the challenge is not finished yet, because I'm not 100% happy with the result.  (this is a new rule I'm adding to the challenge)

I'm thinking about changing the design of the shirt a little and not having the overlapping onesie look for the neckline.  Mostly because I hate sewing the sleeves on the way the tutorial explains.  If you read my "about Sarah" page, you will know that I don't always follow crafting directions to a T.

When Not to Sew

Don't sew when you are tired...
or drunk
or angry
or... I don't know, I'm out... As I've implied, I'm tired... but I may have tried all in the past with varying degrees of failure.  :)  Tonight was no different.

Today was the last day of school with students.  We have to go back tomorrow for a full day of grading, and cleaning, and celebrating, but tonight I felt crafty.  I wanted to get a start on a project for The Challenge.  My mistake was simple, I pushed it too far.  I should have stopped but thought, oh, I'll just do one more thing...  that one last thing was a big mistake I'll have to rip apart tomorrow.

Oh well!  I'm just excited that summer is almost here!  I'm going to miss many of my students but I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with themselves!  AND... I do believe The Challenge begins in two days!!!

11 in the Summer of 11 Challenge

In the summer of 2011
(defined as June 11th - August 29th because that is the true time a teacher has off - interestingly enough roughly 11 weeks)

I will - Create, Document, and Blog - about
11 Different Crafts from my Crafting Bucket List

Here is my list in no particular order:
1. One T-shirt for Ellie
2. One dress for Ellie
3. A summer skirt for me
4. Painted dresser - Zebra print and it will be so cool
5. I've wanted a headboard for my king size master bed for 5 years.  I will make something awesome!
6. Stuffed pie making pretend play toys I saw at the children's museum.  (they are cooler than I can explain)
7. A rug - crochet or braided
8. I will master a salsa recipe and canning process for my garden produce
9. Homemade Hummus and homemade pita chips
10. Knit produce bags
11. I'm leaving this up to whatever moves me - it could be baby booties or something for my husband.  His suggestion (other than the ones he had that were not appropriate for the bloggosphere) was a cowboy hat made from an old beer case.  Who knows, that might make the cut!  :)


All made items will be from recycled or re-purposed materials and a very meager budget.  Ideas may come from other blogs or from the crevices of my brain.  
The picture of the booties above is of past work done to demonstrate I can create something snazzy.  I got the wonderful pattern at http://stardustshoes.blogspot.com/2006/10/cloth-shoe-pattern.html before I even got this crazy idea for this crazy blog!

The First Weekend of June

My Challenge of 11 in the Summer of 2011 hasn't started yet, because school isn't officially out until next Friday. Regardless, this weekend we were wonderfully busy while staying at home - for the most part!

Saturday - We finished planting the garden!!! Seriously glad to get that in the ground.  Went a little simpler than usual this year, just roma tomatoes, jalapeños, green and yellow beans, zucchini, and zinnas.  I want to try my Salsa Garden one last time (perhaps one of my 11 projects?) and I just love beans and zinnas.  I'm looking for a great salsa canning recipe that is easy.
Something I've wanted to do for TWO years got done on Saturday! Chris painted the trellis my dad built me and we planted Clematis.  (Love the flower but giggle like a high school student when I say it, I'm sorry, it sounds like as STD).

Sunday - Got up early and Ellie and I took these pictures of my flower beds.  They are looking fiiiiiiiine!  Jack the dog tagged along.  We also went to the mall, did some returns, went grocery shopping, and did a little flower transplanting!  A great day and weekend all around.

Productive!

Well I feel entirely productive tonight!  I have...
1. figured out how to add pages and edit my blog, created info, bucket list, and inspiration pages
2. created a logo - for now
3. determined my summer goal / hook for the blog.

wait for it...
11 in 2011
Yup, I'm going to create and post 11 projects during the summer of 2011!

O.k - so it's not the most creative idea but I'm pretty happy with it!
Now to decide what I want my eleven project to be... oh the possibilities...

Now I think I'll have a bowl of ice cream to celebrate!

Inspiration Blogs

Others Doing What I Would Like to Be...


http://www.dana-made-it.com/
http://2littlehooligans.blogspot.com/
http://theivycottageblog.blogspot.com/
http://love2sisters.blogspot.com/
http://2littlehooligans.blogspot.com/
http://simplydesigning.blogspot.com/
http://cometogetherkids.blogspot.com/

How is it 9pm already?

O.k, I'm really going to do this. This blog was really started as a joke. Well a joke and an experiment. Really I was just playing around with blogger to use as an example for class. Now, two and a half years later... I'm BAAAACK! Things have changed. I'm still a full time teacher, I'm still economicly challenged (but who isn't?), I'm still married to a great fella, and I'm still into trying out some neato crafts. But now I'm a mother. Ellie, my beautiful and sweet daughter turned one last yesterday.

In the last few weeks I have really been turned on to these amazing blogs and I've been thinking, I can totally do this! I think it might be a perfect way to combine my creativity, love of marketing, and limitless opinions. I'm writing this down so I'll actually do it.

Here are my reservations:

1. Will I write clever enough?

2. Time? Who's got it?

3. wouldn't it be funny if this is my last post for another 2 1/2 years?

Here are my observations:

1. I'm pretty brutal with these blogs - they have to hook me in pretty quick

2. Although I'm a fan of Jesus, seems like everyone in the craft blogging world is a HUGE fan of him.

3. Everyone seems to have a hook, like the Julie / Julia project, or the Red Paper clip - a gimick for their posts - a theme or an overarching concept. My idea - can I make and document 10 things this year? doesn't seem very ambitious.

hmmmmm - off to bed.