Woe is me (and a little about embroidery)

My body is trying to get sick I think. I don't want to get sick, I hate being sick, I don't have time to be sick. Dammit.

I currently have 2 projects in progress. The first is a pair of embroidered pillowcases and I'm working on a knitted afghan. I'm mainly working on the pillowcases, since I know I'm giving those away as a gift. Not sure who's going to be getting them though. I'll try to get some progress pictures up tomorrow.

I'm glad that I started a new embroidery project. Since it was really the first craft that I learned, it kind of feels like home to me. Every time I put needle and thread to cloth I can picture my grandmother teaching me to make each stitch that summer I was nine years old. She always had scrap material on hand. The summer she taught me to embroider, she took a square of fabric and drew straight lines, curved lines, flowers, dots, etc. on it. Then she taught me the stem stitch, which I practiced until she deemed it perfect. Then she showed me how to do a lazy daisy chain stitch and then french knots and then how to put everything together. Then I got to work on my very own pillowcase. I remember it was three kittens. I think I still have that pillowcase somewhere.

Instructions for Food Carrier

2 wooden rods 8 1/2 -9 1/2 inches long
4 pieces fabric cut to 4x3 inches
2 pieces fabric 32x11 inches
1 towel, cut into 2 pieces 32x11 inches each
velcro (male and female) 5 inches
wooden board 1/2 inch thick, about 8x8 inches

Iron all fabric pieces.
Pin 1/2 inch hem on both long sides of each 4x3 inch piece. Iron the fold and sew.

Fold each piece in half and iron.

Pin 2 pieces together, right sides together. Pin the folded pieces between the 2 larger pieces with the unsewn edges at both ends about 1 ans 1/2 inches from the sides.

(You can see my dumb-assedness described in my post from yesterday. This shows wrong side up. Do not try this at home!)

Sew up all sides, leaving a gap on one of the long sides to turn it right side out.

Turn fabric right side out and sew along both sides about 1/4 of an inch in. This closes the gap that was left and it can be decorative.

Sew both long sides and one short end of towel pieces. Trim edges and corners and turn inside out. Sew up open end.

To attach velcor (I used an iron-on velcro) fold towel in thirds with one third folded up. Attach velcro to the outside of this piece and to the inside of top piece.

Place towel on top of fabric in the middle like a plus sign. Sew to the fabric on three sides, leaving an opening to insert the board.

The black lines show where you should sew.

Well, Dammit!

Sometimes, no matter how careful you think you're being, you end up doing something backwards.

I've been figuring out a project for a coworker for the past few weeks now. It's a carrier for hot bowls/pans. It's simple enough. 2 big pieces of fabric, wooden handle... Last night I deemed myself ready to work, so I got my husband to help measure and cut the fabric. He cut the fabric, then I ironed and pinned. As I was pinning, I had in my mind the last time I made anything. That time, I ended up pinning it together backwards and had to rip out the seams so I could correct it. I knew I was being much more careful and paying a lot more attention to what I was doing this time. There was no way I could have made any mistake with putting it together. Except that I wasn't and I did.

I placed everything just so and pinned it. Then I changed the thread in my sewing machine and got started. I sewed the bottom. I sewed over it again so it would be super secure. I sewed the side. And then I took a closer look at it. Instead of putting it together right sides together, I put it together right side down. I ended up wasting a good 15-20 minutes ripping out seams! So frustrating! Pay attention, Monica!!!!!

I must have been daydreaming about all the other projects I want to start.

I just hit the motherload!

I've been avoiding work today (shhhh!....don't tell anyone!) and stumbled upon a great, really great little website for embroidery patterns and tools: Sublime Stitching. It's definitely worth checking out. Unfortunately, I can't afford to buy anything right now. Well, not only that, but I don't have time.