Spring Joke

April Tree

Spring has Sprung!!!

OOOH Boy Toy

You know those days where you cant tell up from down? I think BT was having one of those days. After running over to his apt from my place as I normally do on Mondays( a 3 mile run), he proceeded to tell me about his day. He surprised me by revealing he went running!!! Something he hates to do. So I asked "how far did you run?" He said "About 2 miles." I asked "Well where did you run to?" His reply "I ran from here to your place around the park and back." I sat there shocked and a little befuddled. I looked at him laughing saying "Boy Toy that isn't 2 miles its 5!" He then got that look. You know the look where the light bulb goes off in your head and said "So that's why it took so long". Sometimes I hate BT but then he goes and does something like this. Something he knows will make me happy (trying to get in shape) all the while having one of his "moments" which makes it even more enjoyable for myself.

Luv Ya BT...but next time map out run so you can walk the next day.

Double Take

Craft Fair

Well its official if you couldnt tell. I will be selling at the Indie Sac show on May 2nd! Yes a week before I reach my Mid 20's. I know what your thinking...you have nothing to complain about your too young. Well im not compaling yet atleast. I thought I would let a you in on what im working on for the fair. Not only will everything thats on my etsy site be there but I will also be introducing my embroidery machine skills to the world through some book bags. Here is a sneak peack at a few that are done and a few that are still in the process of being completed.

This one reverses into this pattern. Something I picked up at a thrift shop!

If your interested in purchasing these or something like this please contact me. I can always make more!

Olive

Here are some pic's out at work. The Olives are dropping and they are already cutting down stuff for Ag sales

101

Well its a momentous occasion I've reached 101 blog posts. No there not all that great or influential but I did it! So for my 101st post I've decided I would do a bit of a give away of my new items to be posted shortly on ETSY. New Book Marks which are made from old Library Cards from the Card Catalogue. They are from the UCDavis library I have machine embroidered letters on them and then covered them in plastic added a grommet and some ribbon! Just leave a comment and I will pick a winner at random (all entries must be received by Wednesday April 1 by 12 noon pacific time)! Winner will receive a book mark with the letter of there choosing and colors of ribbon. If you would like to custom order these contact me or purchase them on ETSY.

March Madness

Well it's that time of year again. For most of you that know me March is the month that I despise the most. March is the one month of they year I can count on not seeing Boy Toy for about 3 weeks due to March Madness. March Madness is probably one of the most efficient sporting events I've ever witnessed with a round robin style tournament (I could only wish for the regular season of sports to be so efficient). But it still consumes Boy Toy's life (who is writing a running diary of the event) and I'm left in the lurch. Every year I am forced (and I say forced because if BT wasn't around I wouldn't do it) to make a bracket. And every year my bracket disappoints me, but that's probably because my choices are not based on the team standings.



Last year my choices were based on matching up the mascots choosing which one would kill the other first if they had to fight. This year my choices were based upon website design. Boy Toy brought up each schools website which I rated to choose which one I liked best. This would correspond to them winning the tournament. After one weekend of seeing my philosophy at work I've come to a conclusion. Teams that were ranked lower have better website design because they have a harder time getting students to attend the school. Ive pretty much destroyed my brackets this year. I'm almost in last place out of our friends because I didn't "chalk" like one of our buddies who is sure to pass me up within the next few days.



Next years Team choices will probably based on some nonsensical idea like school population, graduation rates, schools physical size, Best Colors, or school ranking in general. What ever I choose will of course do the worst in the standings but at least I have fun figuring out how I'm going to choose since I don't follow sports nor do I understand ratings.



Don't get me wrong I love sports. I played soccer all my life I water skied in college and have always been active. I just hate watching them on TV. I also don't understand why men yell at the TV when the team isn't playing well, they cant hear you its not going to change anything. I guess id rather go play then sit and watch.

Why my Dealer is Better than yours!

Well the Embroidery machine saga is finally OVER! Its in a shop being "fixed". Although I do have to give some Props to my Dealer from the Sew and Vac in Long Beach SCOTT. He was pateint and even tried to help me fix it over the phone trouble shooting things with me. When all else failed he gave me the name of a dealer up in sacramento he knows. So now no embroidery for 5 days or so! What am I going to do with myself? OH well dont you worry your little heads I've got other projects to work on and 2 bday gifts that need to be done as well.

Happy Green Day!

Happy Green Day! Well St. Pat's day...I made a shirt I'll post pictures soon. Things have been quite crazy around here over the past few days. My mom came to visit this weekend so that was of course Wild and Crazy. I even got out the Embroidery machine and helped her create some gifts for Mothers Day. Then yesterday my embroidery machine decided it was done with me and is now doing some funky thing. I'm trying to figure out the problem but its not going anywhere so I'll be calling the dealer today to see what my next steps are! Besides that I've been working on Towels Towels and more Towels as a donation for the Water Ski team. Hopefully can pull through this and get them done soon. What else is there to report. Oh I went wake boarding (kinda sorta) last Friday! The water was soo warm at 54 degree's. Okay it was freezing I had to hold my hands above head to keep them "warm". I know us Nor Cal folk are crazy the weather gets above 65 and were ready to jump in the water thinking its the middle of summer.

BT took the picture said it was a good one and then I uploaded them to find this...

Mending March

March is mend month (according to numerous craftsites I visit). So I was fiddling around in the apt trying to find stuff to mend when I cam across some material that reminded me of bath mats (someone had given me a pile of fabric). And well although I didn't mend anything I did make myself a nifty rug for my apartment! This tutorial can be used to mend rugs towels and other items that the edges may be fraying on (my beach towels will be next whenever I get some time for Me projects). Its also a good way to add some flair to a rug or a towel.

Rug Tutorial

Supplies
Rug material (this can be heavy woven furniture fabric/decor fabric)
Binding material (any kind of cotton fabric will do)
Scissors
Sewing Machine
Iron and Ironing board.
Ruler
Thread (you will need two spools one that matches the binding the other that matches the rug)
Rotary Cutter (optional)

Note on materials. The amount of binding material will depend on how large of a rug you are planning to make. Mine took less than a 1/2 a yard of binding fabric to finish.

1. Cut your rug into the desired shape Squares and Rectangles are the easiest

2. Measure the edges of your rug (this will determine the amount of binding that will be needed)

3. Set rug aside set up iron and iron binding material. Next you want to cut strips which are 5 inches wide and as long as you can get them. you will need to cut enough to go around the edge of your rug plus 16 inches.




4. Next you want to prepare the binding. I cant take the credit of this Heather Bailey has a great binding tutorial that I used and think is really good so use her's if you like! Now you have you strips prepped you want to sew them together by making an L shape with the right sides together (too bad I didn't use fabric that had a very distinct wrong and right side hu?) This would be Step A and B of Heather's Tutorial. See the picture below as well. Next you are going to sew a diagonal from one edge to the other. In the picture I have drawn the diagonal to sew along.


5. you should now have a very very long strip of fabric. you will want to cut off the excess fabric from where you made your diagonal stitch and iron it flat
Right Side
Wrong Side Ironed

6. Now you need to fold the binding in half wrong sides together and iron it flat. Now you should have your binding done and we need to sew it on to your rug.


(finished edge is the fold line)

7. Now here is where Heather comes to help follow her directions to step L. I left about a 5 inch tail which is used in her tutorial to connect the binding all the way around the rug. USE A 1/2 inch seam allowance from the edge and the thread which matches the binding!

8. Once you done you want to re-thread your machine in the thread which matches the rug color.

9. Now you should be ready to flip the edge of your binding over to the back side of the rug. I start at the center of one side of the rug and fold the binding back it over to the back side. I fold under as I stitch the edges.

10. With the rug facing up you want to put the needle right at the edge of the binding but you don't want to sew the top binding down. The binding should be long enough on the back side so you are stitching it down and in place. Start sewing along the edge.


11. Corners. Now with the corner you will need to do a little back stitching. So stitch all the way to the corner on the edge you have folded under then back stitch about an inch. Next fold the edge you will be turning onto over and stitch forward to the corner again. Pivot and start to stitch down the new edge. Repeat for all 4 corners!




Fold the fabric under on the next edge (ie where my hand is)



12. cut threads and your done new rug or mended whichever you picked!