More than a Little Crazy

I saw a couple videos about the newest skates from Moxi, the Rainbow Riders. Those were sold out in most sizes the first day and by the time I got making the decision everything in my size was gone.

 

I searched high and low until I found a seller that had Moxi roller skates in stock, in my size.

It was no easy feat. When I looked the next day they had nothing in my size. 

My knee pads are here, my helmet is not. I may need some nicer weather, too. It rained all day. 

I'm more excited than I should be. Like a kid at Christmas. 

Halloween Masks

 And you thought the mask sewing was over with. 

Darling Husband has said more than once he wanted a mask that had more coverage than the fitted masks I made a couple months ago. I made a sample last month and he has already lost it. It was time to make some more. I pulled out some fun Halloween prints and got cutting. These are made using one of the 3D patterns out there. I used the adult size from this Martelli Notions YouTube. I don't use the Martelli system but they include the sizes on the video. I used the Wrights 4.5" Easy Angle ruler to cut the corners to get the right shape. 

Here are my units stitched, turned, and pressed for the first stitching. 

I stitch the top edge, bottom edge, then the two creases. I make these with the right side up. 

I used some ear elastics I received from a friend. You can find them easily on Amazon. I've included a link below for back and white sets. The colors are pretty easy to find from there. This was a nice quick project to get moving again after spending half a day tidying up. 

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):
Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle
Creative Grids 6.5" Square Ruler
Creative Grids 4.5" x 12.5" Rectangle Quilting Ruler
Fiskars Rotary Cutter
Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion
Fiskars 8-inch scissors
Juki TL-2010Q
Wrights 4.5" Easy Angle ruler
Mask Ear Elastic with beads

Creative Clutter

Since Aunt Betty dropped off al this fabric I have been a little stressed about my creative space. Too much fabric and not enough room for creativity. 

Bags of yarn, stacks of fabric everywhere!

This little bookshelf wasn't doing anything so I brought it upstairs and made room for it. 

I filled that little shelf rather quickly with fabrics I really like and think I will use. Other fabric was stacked up and put back into the trash bags in which it came. I can see when there is more fabric than I can possibly ever use. I really can. 

Now I just need to find a home for some of this fabric. 

Tools and Supplies (affiliate links):

Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
Fiskars Rotary Cutter
Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades
Creative Grids 4.5" x 12.5" Rectangle Quilting Ruler
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion
Fiskars 8-inch scissors
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron 

31 Days of Digital Art

You may have stumbled upon a thing called Inktober, or Drawtober, on social media this month. New art, like fall, is in the air. I love it. I've been following tutorials by BeeJayDel on YouTube and have been getting amazing results. 

He is presenting a new video every day in October. 

So many fun characters!

I'm learning how to use both Procreate and my Apple Pencil. 

Practice is how you get better. I'm getting better every drawing. And I'm loving the Halloween theme! Expect more of these before the month is out. Hopefully, long after that. 

Buy your own (affiliate links):

Apple iPad Mini (Wi-Fi, 64GB) - Space Gray
Apple Pencil
Fintie Case with Pencil Holder for iPad Mini 5

Wardrobe Wednesday

Welcome to another Wardrobe Wednesday! Another wearable sewing project brought to you by Aunt Betty. 

 

My goal on Saturday was to make this pile of cut knit fabric into a finished garment. 

It seems I am limited when it comes to green thread. I often mix and match with the looper thread, considering the leading needle (left-most needle) as the most important when it comes to colors. 

Sadly, by the end of the day on Saturday this is how far I managed to get. Any time I have to switch my serger from overlock to coverstitch I slow down. It isn't a difficult task but I do have to get out the quick reference guide so I know all the steps. 

Sunday morning I finally got to that point so I could hem the back of the sweater. Then a switch back to overlock to finish the sweater. 

This sweater has a generous, lined hood. 

This was a fun sew, even with the cover stitching on the back bottom hem. 

Check out other Ellie & Mac patterns on their website. 

Tools and Supplies (affiliate links):

Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
Fiskars Rotary Cutter
Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades
Creative Grids 4.5" x 12.5" Rectangle Quilting Ruler
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion
Fiskars 8-inch scissors
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron

Odds and Ends

 

I saw a fund video on YouTube from Bigger Bolder Baking and wanted to give it a try. These are hand-held apple pies made from mostly scratch (purchased pie dough). They are Devine when warmed in the microwave, broken into thirds, and served with a scoop of ice cream. 

Aunt Betty made another delivery. 

I will never manage to sew with all this fabric.

This time there was some yarn, too. I have so many ideas for this yarn. I'll be busy all winter. 

I worked on my Tunisian crochet shawl after dinner on Saturday while watching television. Even though this seems a slow project, I really like how it is turning out. 

Here is a pretty picture I took on my afternoon walk. This is within walking distance of my house. 

Don't forget, winter is coming and handmade items make great gifts. Check out my Etsy shop and see if you can find other creatives to help you shop for that difficult to shop for loved one. 

Etsy Shop Update

I did a big shop update a couple weeks ago and plenty of great things are still available. Socks and knitting project backs for that hand-knitter in your circle. 

This one is one of my favorites. 

These are lightweight, soft bags that close with a zipper. Wrist strap for easy carrying. 

There are also some great quilted bags. 

These have a little more substance and so great.  

I have three or four of these that are always drifting around with a new project inside. 

They aren't really bigger on the inside but I can dream.

Check out socks in my Etsy shop: Socks

Check out knit/crochet project bags: Project bags

Wardrobe Wednesday

There was supposed to be another fun garment sewing project here today. Sadly, there is only a partial post. 

The best part about buying pdf patterns is the instant gratification of getting that pattern in your inbox or downloading it. The not so great part of that is printing and assembling that pattern. This is another Ellie & Mac pattern. I love that designers now make patterns with layers so you can print only the size you need. Granted, this means if you want another size you have to print it again but that time is about the same as tracing it onto paper from a print with all the sizes. 

This is some of the brushed poly from Aunt Betty. I'm not sure how this fabric will drape but it sure feels nice. 

I wonder about the size of my cutting table when I do some of these projects. 

The only thing I have sewn so far are the cuffs. I expect this to be a sweater next week. 

Tools and Supplies (affiliate links):

Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
Fiskars Rotary Cutter
Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades
Creative Grids 4.5" x 12.5" Rectangle Quilting Ruler
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion
Fiskars 8-inch scissors
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron

Prudence Dissents

Blogger still hasn't gotten their crap together with this new tool. Geez. When the feedback form doesn't work you know they've got their best people working on the upgrade. 

Back to quilting. This past weekend I got back to work on this fun little quilt. You can read more about this project in my first post about Prudence. Admittedly, I got better at putting the units together as I went along. 

I got to this point and realized I needed to take another look at the lily. I sat down with Electric Quilt but just couldn't sort it out. I grabbed my printout and my erasable pen and got scribbling. 

I made some incorrect cuts while I worked on this block. Nothing tragic at these sizes. 

I think it came out pretty good considering I only used half-square triangle units. I used a couple half-rectangle units in the quilt but I'm not terribly good at them. I may need to do some research so I can get better at them.  

I think it worked out great!

I added the borders and put it back up on the design wall. I have grand ideas for the quilting but I'm not ready to talk that step yet. 

Get your own copy of Prudence Kitch - Notorious on Etsy. 

Remember, the patriarchy isn't going to smash itself. 

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):
Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle
Fiskars Rotary Cutter
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion
Fiskars 8-inch scissors
Juki TL-2010Q
Creative Grids 6.5" Square Ruler
Quilt design software: Electric Quilt

Prudence Dissents

For those of you who may get your knickers in a knot over something you perceive as political, you can skip this one. If you believe women's rights are human rights, you can stick around to see what this is about. 

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg served 27 years on the Supreme Court of the United States. She changed the world both as a litigator before the Supreme Court and as a Justice on the Court. She argued six gender discrimination cases before the Supreme Court between 1973 and 1976, winning five. My life as a mother, wife, and service-member was made possible because of the work she did to move gender equality forward. Her passing touched me in a way the passing of people of fame or power rarely does. I felt as though a life-long advocate for me had left the halls of power and I would not like the outcome of filling her seat on that high Court. 

PrudenceKitch is a cross stitch creator that says what she means. I love her snarky and powerful designs. I'm not much of a cross stitcher (I can cross stitch, but it isn't really my thing) but I am a quilter. I purchased her tribute design Prudence Kitch - Notorious and got to work making it into a mini quilt. 

Step one was to pull some fabrics. This is what I started with. Not likely all of this will make it into the quilt. I had some problems with some of colors not reading with enough contrast but this was a good first fabric pull. I used Electric Quilt to create my block design using Prudence Kitch's cross stitch pattern as a reference. Sam Hunter has a free tutorial on how to turn a cross stitch pattern into a pattern for quilting. Check it out along with the other great stuff Sam has on her site. 

This was the first block. I made some errors in pulling it together and had one partial seam. I'll be planning the next blocks more carefully. 

It still worked out fine. How big are these tiny blocks? you might ask. Those are 1" finished squares. I thought about using smaller units but I just couldn't do it. The finished quilt will be around 37" by 42". A largish wall-hanging. 

For her iconic lace collar I found this great print in my collection of fabric. I decided the only way to get what I wanted out the fat-quarter was to fussy-cut that collar. 

Here is the next block. This quilt will take a while to work through all the units. I really do love how it is turning out after just one finished block. I'll try to update again soon. As always, follow my Instagram (@beccascrazyprojects) for more regular updates about what I'm making. 

Get your own copy of Prudence Kitch - Notorious on Etsy. 

Remember, the patriarchy isn't going to smash itself. 

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):
Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle
Fiskars Rotary Cutter
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion
Fiskars 8-inch scissors
Juki TL-2010Q
Creative Grids 6.5" Square Ruler
Quilt design software: Electric Quilt

Wardrobe Wednesday

I may have an unnatural relationship with this raglan pattern (link below). This time paired a fun stripe with a navy solid. 

This time I added side seam pockets. Half the fun of making your own clothes is adding details you really like. I like pockets. Pockets big enough for my hands. Pockets big enough to hold my mobile phone. You know, appropriately sized pockets. If you don't know about pocket inequality, you should do some reading. This article from Medium is a good place to start. It just scratches the surface. I'm sure you could find more out there with a simple Google search. 

Here's my finish. Tip: spread your garment sewing across several days: read and prepare pattern on day one, press and cut fabric on day two, assemble and sew on day three, wear on day four. Doing it all in a single day can seem daunting. Take your time. You aren't just sewing to have a garment that fits, you're sewing to be part of the garment construction process. Slow down.  

The pattern is the Going Home Sweater by Ellie & Mac with a few modifications. Your mileage may vary. Read my full post about my experience with this pattern in my Going Home Sweater post. 

Tools and Supplies (affiliate links):

Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
Fiskars Rotary Cutter
Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades
Creative Grids 4.5" x 12.5" Rectangle Quilting Ruler
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion
Fiskars 8-inch scissors
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron