WIP Wednesday: An ooolllddd crochet project

Here is another installment of WIP Wednesday! This one features a very simple striped crochet blanket I made way back in 2006/07. Pretty sure it was my first crochet project, though I could find another one on my unpacking travels. It's just a basic stripe using 2 colours, blue and orange, with a bit of a fancy embellishment - see the heart? I figured out how to do that all by myself! Not that I could tell you how I did it now.

It was just a throw rug/blanket but the cats have claimed it as their own. This thing has been through the washing machine so many times I'm surprised it hasn't fallen to pieces yet.

Anyway, it's been a WIP for pretty much 6 years now and I finally finished it one day! All I wanted to do was this:

Edge the damn thing! It looks SO much better and I can't believe I put it off for 6 years. I did it over two days but it probably only took up an hour of my time. It's just two rows of single crochet stitch all the way around, then I did a slip stitch around the heart to make it stand out. Now it's nicer to look at on the couch, and it should last many more runs through the washing machine now there's no raw edges.

I've also finished two of my curtains:

The first one took forever to do because I hemmed the patterned material and the backing fabric before sewing them together THEN top stitching. (That one is on the left - it's a bit wonky and it has way too much ugly stitching).

This time I've just done ONE hem all the way around up front with a little bit of reinforcing at each tab. Worked way better, it isn't as wonky (thought still a tiny bit!) and took about 1/4 of the time to finish.

Now I can do the third one knowing it isn't going to take me all week...

WIP Wednesday!

I have sorta kinda maybe always wanted to do something like this but never bothered. Theresa over at the Tropical Vegan reminded me of it, and this time I actually have some works in progress! I'm hoping posting about them for give me the kick up the butt I need to finish some, and in turn more inspiration to start new ones too.

I am currently making some curtains for our bedroom. Some nice, bright, kind of ugly curtains to brighten up our doomy gloomy bedroom.

Doomy gloomy bedroom.

We went to Spotlight and spent friggin hours trying to find the perfect material. I found lots I liked but Nadine was 'meh' about everything, until we found this (kind of absurdly expensive) 70's retro style print. Burnt orange? Yes please! Will match our tablecloth :)

I am making simple tab curtains, but decided to make it hard for myself by turning them into blackout curtains. We are sooks and can't stand the slightest glint of light. We got the blackout stuff at Spotlight too, though I can't remember what it's actually called. You can get it in single thickness or triple though. We went for single because we are broke cheap.

So far I've made all the tabs for all 3 curtains (7 for each).

Just thought I'd take some crafty photos along the way.

I've also hemmed the top and bottom of one curtain and am currently attempting to join the blackout material to it somehow. I accidentally cut it too short for this one, but I shall remember it for next time!

Obligatory 2011 resolution post?

I never make New Years resolutions. Well, I lie, I make half hearted suggestions to myself and immediately forget them!

Every year since I can remember I've said 'This year I'll go to the beach to swim more'. And every year since I can remember I'll go to the beach once, remember why I don't like it very much, get sore ears and sand up my bum and come home and don't go again until the next December. So I think that's a pretty useless goal isn't it? Haha. Maybe if I don't tell myself to go, I'll actually go more often? I do like the beach, I just have to remember to get out of the water as soon as my ears start hurting, and learn to ignore the sand. It's kind of unavoidable. (Though in Nice the beach was made of round rocks and pebbles – brilliant idea, France!).

Going to the beach is hard from where I leave. Though we are in a coastal city, the nice beaches are an hour's drive away, no matter which direction I choose. (I generally choose North – we went on a short holiday to Noosa beach at the beginning of last December [2010] and it was fantastic even though it rained everyday. Queensland also seems to have turned the beach showers back on so the sand can go away sooner now ;)).

So, this entry isn't about the beach, funnily enough. I've decided to make a few goals for myself for 2011. I'm older and have more self control now, so maybe it'll work out well :)

• This one seems to be popping up everywhere. Spend less money. I don't really spend that much money (or I thought I didn't) but my savings account has whittled down to zero too many times that I really need to not spend. Seems obvious doesn't it? Besides, big things to buy will be coming up soon. Car. House, maybe one day. If I have no money then that won't happen will it?
• I aim to cook more of my own recipes this year, so I can post actual recipes on this blog for people. How boring is it when you just see a picture of someone's lunch? This isn't a food diary! I don't particularly want readers to think I have some sort of eating disorder.
• This one ties in with the first, make more of my own clothes, and try to only buy second hand materials and other supplies. Vintage fabrics can be very expensive (I just blew $70 on two fantastic curtains from the 70's!! I have been looking at them for months, and still wanted it, so I think I can validate that purchase*) but recycling is very important to me. Most of my clothes now are from op-shops or vintage stores and I like them. What's the point of making my own clothes out of new, expensive, probably sweat-shopped fabrics? I have vast amounts of fabrics in my sewing room now anyway. Use that before I buy more!
• This one is more of a joint goal since we both share house responsibilities. Keep on top of dishes! And cleaning! We don't want our home to be turned into an episode of How clean is your house? We aren't dirty people, but with a tiny kitchen sink from the 50's, dishes do tend to pile up and take over the country, you know?
• Another one that pops up all over is to get more exercise. This doesn't apply to me as my job is pretty much 8 hours of movement (ie. Exercise). So getting more exercise in a 40 hour gym week is useless. However since I am moving so much my muscles – legs, back, arms, neck, you name it – need help. So yoga is this years goal. I used to do yoga 6 days a week before I crashed my bike and hurt my wrist and leg, and even though they have been fine for a number of weeks now I haven't bothered to pick it back up. (Which is silly because now is when I need it most!) I fully intend on paying for a weekly yoga class to help me along. Most places seem to do Saturday sessions, which will fit in perfectly.

So that's it. I think that's doable. We'll see next January, huh.

I'll leave this blathering entry with my favourite picture from 2010!

Every year is a new start!

*The curtains are two different patterns. One is going to continue to live as a curtain in our living room, and the other is turning into an awesome dress when I can find appropriate patterns :)

Hand made drawstring bag for storage of various items...

I made this drawstring bag out of a hideous old skirt and scraps of red fabric from a pillowcase I made ages ago. I'm trying to use up lots of my scraps :) Mainly because I don't have enough room to store it all! This bag could be used to store said scraps of fabric, knitting needles (I'm sure I've got hundreds of them laying somewhere...), as a pyjama bag...the list goes on. If I'd made it slightly bigger it could be a handy book bag for when I borrow out millions of textbooks from my school library...well, there's still more of that hideous skirt to use so maybe I just will.

I haven't been posting much new food lately because it hasn't been made...I've just been making old staple recipes over again. We've used up our money this week! Lots of lentil stews and the like. Easy stuff that doesn't require me to buy anything!

Next week Nadine is working lots of mornings so she shall be cooking often! I'm looking forward to whatever interesting things she finds/comes up with.