Moving

I'm just not getting enough readers for all the time this daily blog is taking, so I'm going to move over to writingup.com and continue over there. Here's the new url: http://www.writingup.com/user/create_a_craft_a_day

Sew your heart out.

Many of us have addictions. Mine happens to be sewing. So today I went to Joanne's and found out they had Simplicity patterns on sale and you could get up to 10 for a mere .99 a piece.Compare that to the $15.95 retail price.Did I need patterns? No. Did I want patterns? Absolutely. I've been waiting for a sale for a month. So if you don't sew, you'll probably want to move on now while I describe the patterns I got.Keep in mind they are all Simplicity.

4017 A tunic style top with long sleeves. I think this one would even make a passable SCA T-tunic.T-tunics are very comfortable, even if they are 70's retro revamped for 2006.

4022 A lady's blouse described as a tunic, but it doesn't look like a tunic to me. It has a band under the bustline and a gathered yoke with set in sleeve that start out in a tube shape but end up with a fluttery sleeve on the bottom. It's a version of a peasant blouse methinks, and would look adorable in a small calico or batik print. The 3/4 length sleeves will make it the right warmth for fall and winter in S. Calif.

4317 A sexy little blouse with a V-shaped hem and neckline. It has a sleeved and sleeveless version. This one also has a band under the bustline. This one would be fun on the dance floor and would look pretty make out of eyelet. The neckband and under the ribs banding make it a good candidate for patchwork or embroidery artists.

5461 An old style teddy bear pattern. I make patchwork teddy bears (or at least I did 10 years ago) and have no idea where that pattern got off to, so I needed a new pattern to replace it. Also, I met a 70 year old crafter at the fabric store, and she says she made the cutest bear with recycled denim, and since I just wound up with a bunch of denim scraps after making a case for my mandolin, I'll have to give that a try as well.

4134 A kimono style wrap around blouse/dress that would be ideal in silkie fabrics or batiked drapey fabrics. It's a June Colburn Design. It looks very artsy to me and the artsy/offbeat seamstress would find a lot of ways to embellish it.

4050 The dress-a-day blog calls this a DURO. They've talked about it so much I had to have it. Didn't we already do this one in the 70's? At any rate, it lends itself well to pattern mixing, such as using a few different Asian prints. This pattern uses a zipper, but others have made these w/o zippers so they could just toss them over their heads. Sounds good to me. This is one of the few patterns I've actually seen that goes up to 32W in sizing. So it will be a blessing to those who haven't seen the size 16 in sixteen years.

4219 A unisex poet's shirt. You can use this for SCA or pirate garb, or even vampire wear for your next vampire poetry night. Shown only in muslin white, but why not make it in black or saffron or some of the other heraldry colors?

4046 If your idea of a sexy costume is pirate wench meets Playboy bunny, this is the one for you. It's a corsetlette with a peplum and a lacy underskirt. With Halloween around the corner, I couldn't resist adding it to my costume archives. The ideas shown are Little Bo Peep, Pirate wench, Witch, Fairy and Santa's helper, or is it Santa's hooker? Too fun!

4528 Another T-tunic, but this one has the coolest over the hip slash with embroidery around it. It has a pretty artistic neckline and would also make a great bikini cover-up in sheer fabric. It would be great for the stay at home mom because it fits loose enough to pick up kids, and is pretty enough to wear out to the PTA meeting.And it's way more feminine that schlepping around in T-shirts and sweats.

4646 Do you have handbag fever? This pattern features 6 handbags that look very polished with buckles and trim. A great look for back to school or back to work. And its big enough for essentials yet small enough to not ruin your posture.

Well, that's all for now. Happy Sewing!

Mouse

My theme of the day is mice, so I'm making an amigurumi mousie. I started at the nose and I'm about half done.

Etsy is being remodeled.

Things have been busy on Etsy.com. They are working on a version 2 and that means they'll be raising their listing fees, so the race is on to post as much for sale as I can before the fees go up. Also, I may be running around the area soon, which means I'll need the income from those sales, and the more I list the better the odds someone will buy something. Partly that is because Christmas is just around the corner.

More about Kitchen Witch Project

I got the Kitchen W itch pamphlet I ordered on Ebay. It has 18 different kitchen witches. I won't use any of them per se, I got it for inspiration. I might just knit one or something. I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for good accessories like tiny brooms or black cats or pointy hats for my future kitchen witch creations.
If you've made one please share tips about it.

Y necklace & fun fur shoes

Yesterday I made a Y-necklace. I used some great monkey head beads I got at Law's Hobby Center in San Luis Obispo, CA. When I get home from my trip I'll post a photo.

Also, I only took 2 pairs of shoes with me, and by Monday morning I had a lot of blisters. So it was a blessing when I spotted a pair of thongs for $2.50 at Longs Drugstore. I found some Lion Fun Fur at Michael's and had just about finished my 2nd shoe when the bus came. So I hopped on the bus wearing one shoe and finished the other one before the next stop.

SLO CA

On the 20th I had the day off to enjoy San Luis Obispo, CA. I worked on my monkey bead necklace, saw a movie with my younger daughter and her new hubby, ate too much at the Blue Sky Cafe and had a blast. My camera refused to work however, so instead I'll post a photo of the train station in Anaheim where I have to return to on Monday afternoon.

Face Painting event

Today was the company picnic where I did face-painting with my 2 daughters from 11 to 4. I was happy to get out of the S. CA heat. We had a cool breeze all day and made many many kids happy. I wish I got paid to do facepainting every weekend.

Window shopping in San Luis Obispo

On the 18th I went to my favorite SLO craft stores. I looked at a big selection of knitting and crocheting books at Barnes and Noble. We are truly having a fiber arts renaissance. I bought some black yarn to finish my wizard hat (see photo on other entry). And I also working on another crocheted stockinette cap in yellow and black in a bumblebee striped design.

Witch/Wizard's hat in crochet.

I'm going to have to fudge a few days because I was traveling and didn't have a computer with me. But I will post what I did on those days that is craft related.
On the 17th I was on the Amtrak surfliner going to the central coast to do a company picnic. So I crocheted a hat to wear at the picnic. Here's a photo of it.

Kitchen Witches

I ordered a book about Kitchen Witches from Ebay, and that is the next project I'd like to dive into. I was hoping it would come today but no luck so far. People give them as gifts all year long, but it's nice to be making them in time for Halloween.

Children's Mailbox

What kid doesn't love to get mail? What better way to encourage kids to practice their reading and writing skills.
I'm going to hang up a mailbox for the neighborhood kids and see if I can encourage them to start writing to each other.

patchwork house

patchwork house
Originally uploaded by fyrefantasy.

I think next time I'll put a plainer fabric around the stained glass windows, or simpler windows next to the sunflowers. I think they fight each other too much.

Facepainting

Facepainting
Originally uploaded by fyrefantasy.

So many events, so many looks.

Another quilting block

I thought I'd try making a patchwork house design. It's a little askew but it was a lot of fun and I'm sure the next one will be better.

chainmail headpiece

chainmail headpiece
Originally uploaded by fyrefantasy.

The first piece I ever bought.

Chainmaille

I've been bitten again by the chainmaile bug. Whether you spell it Chainmail, Chainmaile, or Chainmaille, it's addicting once you get the hang of it. I used to have two Yahoo groups called Chix in Chainmaile. I closed them because I wasn't doing much with Yahoo anymore. But then I met a lady at the Gem Faire with a giant chainmaille group on yahoo called the chain maille ring and so I find myself back on yahoo anywho. HA.

Keeping track of projects

At first what I visualized was a giant binder with an index and a page for each project. But I realized the problem with binders is I tend to lose them. So I kept the idea, only I did it on microsoft word. That way I can easily add photos too, without the cost of colored printing ink.
Also, typically I have seperate notebooks for each craft. When you are as eclectic as I am, that becomes problematic as well. So on the MASTER PROJECT LIST all the projects will be in numerical order, no matter what genre they are. Later I will code them or catagorize them, but for now, at least I'll have them all on one list. I feel better already.

spinning star 1

spinning star 1
Originally uploaded by fyrefantasy.

This was the first one I made, and I really like it.

spinning star 2

spinning star 2
Originally uploaded by fyrefantasy.

This didn't quite come out like I'd planned so I'm going to make another one.

Saving a mistake.

I didn't like the way the crocheted sock monkey was coming out. The yarn was too bulky and the hook was too small, so I turned it into a preemie hat/ doll hat instead.

Crocheted Sock Monkey

This morning I started crocheting a sock monkey out of varigated black/white/gray yarn. There is no pattern. I am visualizing what my favorite sock monkey looks like and going from there. I know I can do it, and if it's a little funky, then all the better.

Quilting

I have been neglecting my quilting and I am now looking for a new quilting project, though I really should finish one I aleady started that has a lot of tiny hearts.

mandolin case

mandolin case
Originally uploaded by fyrefantasy.

I bought this mandolin on Ebay a few years ago, and it came in a semi-crushed cardboard box. I didn't want to take it out of the house without a case, and I wanted to make something out of denim, so the funkilicious denim mando case was born.

mandolin case

mandolin case
Originally uploaded by fyrefantasy.

The gold is gold webbing spray.

mandolin case

mandolin case
Originally uploaded by fyrefantasy.

The little pocket on the front is for pics.

gourd vase top

gourd vase top
Originally uploaded by fyrefantasy.

More here: http://www.etsy.com/view_item.php?listing_id=358839

Perfect for dried flowers or artificial arrangements.

gourd vase

gourd vase
Originally uploaded by fyrefantasy.

You can make a gourd vase in a weekend.

Ribbon Embroidery

I was talking to someone in Etsy chat about embroidery. I suggested they learn ribbon embroidery. Another chatter said, "Oh, that stuff little old ladies have on their sweaters? I don't think I'd like that." I hate to tell all you teens this, but there is nothing new under the sun. Every craft you are doing now that you think is so hot and trendy was and is being done by little old ladies somewhere. I remember crocheting something when I was in fifth grade and thinking "I'm already acting like a little old lady, (and that was in the late 60's)." I was going to join a spinning group once when I was about 25, and everyone else there was 40 or 50. I didn't really fell comfortable so I figured I'd go back in 20 years. It's a shame we have so many misconceptions about aging. I'm living for the day when someone says, "Hey, let's go skydiving," and someone else says, "Oh, you mean like little old ladies do?"

Anyway, if you'd like to learn ribbon embroidery, it's typically done with silk ribbons. You can make many types of flower designs. It works up quicker than regular embroidery because it covers more space with each pass.

Gem Faire

I'm going to the Gem Faire in Costa Mesa this weekend. This time I'm going to look for seed beads for my loom beading projects. It's also the best place I know of to find bargains on gemstones, pearls, and tools. If you live in CA you can get info about future faires at www.gemfaire.com or info@gemfaire.com.
I will probably go on Friday and beat the crowds and have the best choices.