Opening Day!

Today is Opening Day for the Reds! Yay! It's like the official start of Spring here in Cincinnati :)  To celebrate I'm wearing a bunch of Reds crafts that I've made previously and I resized two t-shirts I got from the Reds Star Wars game last year!

These shirts were an Adult XL. I usually resize Adult L's so the resizing part was a little more than usual! On the t-shirt I moved the shoulder seams in and I made the sleeves skinnier.  On both the shirts I curved in the waist and cut off about 2 inches.  Today I'm wearing the t-shirt version but I bet the tank will get a lot of wear this summer since summers in Cincinnati tend to be very humid. :D

I previously made this headband, necklace and earrings.  The necklace and earrings were super simple to make with some clear red pony beads and baseball beads.  I strung them on white yarn haha.  The earrings are also strung on white yarn and I used paper clips to create the hook part!  The headband was just a knitted piece that I knit to a circle shape and then just duplicate stitched the red thread marks and the sloppy, "Reds" haha :)  I should really consider taking it apart and trying to make it look nicer.

You can see the earrings better in this picture.  Also I'm wearing a Reds Hoodie that I got at Victoria Secret's Pink store. :)

And what opening day would be complete without Cracker Jacks?  I left my house super early just so I could stop at Walgreens and pick up a bag.  That's dedication my friends haha.

I'm still working on making my first dress from a pattern.  It's not going as swimmingly as I had hoped.  I had finished cutting everything out and got the front and back bodice completely sewn with the liner and held it up.  It isn't even funny how much it doesn't fit.  Even with the pattern for a size 12 stating it would fit my bust it definitely did not.  After work today I'll be picking up some tissue paper so I can make my first FBA - full bust adjustment.  Just to reiterate how off this sizing was, this size 12 could only possibly fit maybe a B cup and I'm a DD.  So super off. :(  I still have lots of fabric left so I'm hoping it isn't going to be an issue.  I'll be making a mock top before cutting the fabric though.

*heart*

-Robin

So much crafting!

I have been crafting like crazy!!  In no particular order I have finished a sweater, re-webbed a lawn chair, sewed a skirt and painted shoes!  I'm also in the process of sewing my first dress from a pattern! I'm nervous about the dress, I'm going solo in my adventure.  I usually have my mom nearby to help out but now that I don't live with her I should probably learn to forge ahead on my own. :)

I finished the Miranda.  I liked the pattern but I wouldn't say that I loved it.  It's very possible that I didn't understand the sizing issue that transpired because this sweater is meant to have positive ease and adding like 2 inches to my chest area isn't really flattering.  The pattern is top down and has you do a series of short rows to elongate the back. I thought it was an interesting move the way it was set up.  The problem I had was it seemed that the upper chest, sleeves and back were going to be super large and I was going to have a very large armhole that would show my bra if I lifted my arm.  At some point before the pattern stated I was done and could start on the body (done knitting the arms) I decided I was done knitting the arms.  I was suppose to knit another 12 rows  which would have been ridiculous.  Again, this could have definitely been my error as I should have chosen a size under my measurement.  I ended up also adding in some waist shaping since the garment was going to have positive ease.  When it came time for the pocket I picked up stitches using this method. I just learned this method and I LOVE IT. It really made the pick up line quite invisible on the sweater.  Other knitters had a visible pick up line for their pockets and I was hoping mine would look seamless and it really does. :)  The only other thing to mention is that the fabric under the pocket that was knit in just stockinette tends to be kind of bunchy from the cables above it.  I don't know if something could have prevented that from happening other than not picking up as many stitches as were being worked the the cabling, and then increasing later to accommodate the larger pocket bottom.  I'd knit this top again but in a smaller size.  I also switched from knitting the Large to knitting the Medium after the arm situation. :)

Re-webbing a lawn chair sounds like I fun idea.  It surprisingly wasn't that bad, but did take some muscle! I followed this tutorial!  My chair had the clips so I got lucky and had to replace the webbing the harder way haha.  The removing of the straps wasn't hard as it was simply cutting them off.  Then I taped up the handles after giving them a good wash and spray painted the frame with Rustoleum's 2x spray paint in a chrome gray color.  I got my new webbing from ebay and I have to admit.  The after photo doesn't seem very impressive lol.  I mentioned that to my boyfriend and he said I didn't think lawn chairs really create a wow factor. haha, he might have a point but I might still paint the handles a mint green color to make it a little more wow for me :)

Before!

The handles were gross

This bar was starting to rust which is what lead me to want to spray paint the frames with some rustoleum!

Here they are after!  Like I said, not very impressive looking.  Also I messed up the webbing pattern on the back of the first chair so I did it intentionally on the second chair haha.  Also this webbing was 2.25" and before they were about 2.75"  But I did manage to get the webbing tight enough that they're still fairly comfortable to sit in!

The webbing is a pretty mint green and salmon color :)

Let's talk sewing next!  When spring and summer hit I really start to sew a lot!  I've done two simple t-shirt resizes, a dress recon, and made a skirt from a vintage bedsheet!

 For the t-shirts I simply laid a well fitting (already taken in by me) tshirt on top of these and cut them to the same shape, detaching and re-attached the sleeves to bring in the seams so they weren't off of my shoulders.

I love 90's church dresses!  I found this gem for only a few dollars and just loved the (daisy? dandelion?) print!  It even came with a matching belt!  I hacked off the top and sewed the open button top so it would never open again.  I then created a casing for some elastic for the top, used parts of the sleeves to create straps and shortened the hem!  I can't wait to wear this dress when it gets warmer!

 I'm really obsessed with the idea of making dresses and skirts out of thrifted bedsheets.  These just so happened to be bed sheets from when I was a kid!  They were super faded and very thin and 75% of the fabric isn't really usable.  There happened to be enough length left that must have always been tucked in at the bottom of my bed that could be salvaged.  I laid the fabric out flat and measured out 23" all across the bottom and basically had a very long rectangle after all the cutting was done.  Then I took some plain white fabric I had and did the same thing except I cut it at 22" to create a liner since the salvaged fabric was still a little thin.  Then I sewed those two pieces together, then I sewed the elastic waist band to the fabric and I was done!  It was a really simple maybe half hour project!  Now I just need to go to Disney World and show it off! My favorite part is Robin Hood will always be on my side!  This bedsheet features Alice in Wonderland, Robin Hood, Bambi, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Pluto!

Last but not least in my crafting frenzy, I painted some canvas shoes!!!  I used the advice that I found here.  For the primer I used Gesso that I found in the paint aisle (I was really lost on where to find Painting primer that wasn't at a hardware store)  Then I stenciled on my design with an HB pencil as lightly as I could and I started painting with acrylics!  I had to paint the yellow parts several times to get them that bright but the green and red barely needed a second go if at all.  The black outline is just sharpie and then I used a multi-purpose sealant, again found in the paint aisle at JoAnn's.

I did consider making a Batman and Robin pair but honestly Robin is my favorite.  I didn't want to take the focus away from that!  These shoes also were a gray color and did not start out white.  I couldn't find a pair of white shoes when I was out.  I found these shoes at Target in the boys section.  I wear a women's 7.5/8 so these boys (kids) size 6 worked well.  The size 5 also could have worked but honestly the opening was just a bit too tight but the length was great.  The length on these feel a little silly but the opening was the right size :)

As far as an update from my last post I'm still on the healthier/more active lifestyle and have lost between 11-13 pounds depending on the day :)  I keep plateau-ing but I figure if I keep at it everything will just keep moving along.  Beyond almost all of my clothes fitting (there's still one pair of pants that aren't cooperating!) I've had a good amount of energy.  I'm usually well rested and hydrated which is continuing to keep my skin looking really clear and glow-y.  I might even brave a bikini this summer because quite honestly I feel super confident and like a bad ass.  I mean, why not?

Hoping my next post will be soon and will contain my adventure in sewing a dress from vintage bedsheets following a pattern!!! *Crosses fingers*

*heart*

-Robin

New Year, New Place, New crafts

This year is going to be a great year for me.  It's my last six months of my twenties and come June, BOOM! I'll be flirty thirty.  I've got some great goals lining up too.  My main squeeze and I just bought our first house together and while I found myself purging A LOT of stuff (lots of yarn and fabric, it had to be done) now I get to buy and make a whole new round of stuff!  We've already updated the bathroom and it looks so much better!  Pictures and details later though, this is a goals post.

I know it seems cliche to say that I'm going to lose weight as a resolution but lucky me I started my "become a healthier Robin" journey back on December 19!  I've already found that with increased movement (just walking) and decreased caloric intake (no more bags of chips) I have already lost 6 pounds.  It's hardly been a demanding lifestyle change.  And while I feel that age and weight are only numbers and that they don't defy you, it hurt when my doctor's office labeled me 'obese' because I refuse to believe that I am.  When according to the wack bmi scale I truly am.  But so many great things will come from this.  And already have.  I've increased my sleeping and water intake too and my energy levels are crazy high, and my skin looks great.  So I plan on sharing links and recipes that I'm finding I'm in love with.

I'm assuming with losing the amount I want to lose (about 30 pounds?) that some of my sweaters might become too large.  This makes me a bit sad, but it means that I can start to knit smaller sweaters which will require less yarn and will be cheaper to make! Bwhahaha!  I already have yarn in hand ready to knit Miranda.  I bought it (Berroco Vintage) on a short day trip to Louisville at Sophia's Fine Yarn Shoppe.  If you find yourself in the area, I highly recommend it because it's filled with wonderful yarn!  A great variety :)  I also bought some neon yellow Plymouth yarn to make my dad a hazard hat. haha  He's an electrician and while I'm not sure he'll actually wear it I'm going to love knitting it.  I also visited A Yarn Crossing, a brand new, just opened store in Louisville.  It's smaller than Sophia's but it's loaded with charm and helpful staff. I bought a lovely skein that will become a hat to match my current wip, "How Cold Is It?" mittens.

Another goal that I really hope to accomplish this year - become fluent in French.  I've been learning French for over ten years.  I took two years in high school, loved it, but then went to a vocational school where it wasn't offered.  I've been dipping my toes in here and there but never jumped all in.  I finally broke down and bought Rosetta Stone.  I saw a Groupon that I couldn't pass up, my arm was hardly being twisted haha. I've gotten through the first lesson and I'm almost done with the second.  My review so far?  It's great.  I remembered a few of the words and phrases from before but it's taught me so much more and I already feel like I'm excelling. :)

So I really kinda jumbled this whole post up but to summarize, Goals: Become a healthier weight, Knit more sweaters, hats and gloves, and become fluent in French.  OH and I didn't really mention it but a lot of my walls are blank in my new home so probably getting some great artwork up. :)

Wish me luck!

Sweaters & Sweatshirts from 2011- 2013!

As promised!! I'm trying to post them in completion order.  Here's the first one that didn't get added in my 2011 updates.

I made this with Loops and Threads (Michaels brand) Charisma.  It's 100% Acrylic and super soft.  The sweater pattern is called "Oatmeal Pullover" and can be found on Ravelry.  I love this sweater, it's really warm.  I wear it when I know I'm going to be cold.  It isn't for a mild fall or spring day. :)

Again, made with Charisma.  I made this to look like Phineas' shirt that he wears in Phineas and Ferb.  One of the best cartoons on tv!!!  Also used the Oatmeal pullover pattern again :)

Ok, Ok, I know but I really love the Oatmeal Pullover pattern and the Charisma yarn.  I timed how long it took me to make this.  12 hours. BOOM.  I like how I finally strayed from striping - which the pattern is all one color haha.

Bergen Street Cardigan (pattern on ravelry)  This one turned out a little big in the body and I remember struggling with the pattern at times but in the end I think it turned out great! :)  Made with Alpaca!  And my cat specializes in hugs.

Made a Shrug!!  My shrug making skills still needs work, but this is from 1 skein of red heart super saver - it was a birthday present so I felt like making a shrug from it :)

"I heart Aran" sweater.  I put a lot of work into this one.  It's another one I love!  It has hearts and x's and o's in the cables :)  The only thing I'd do different, which i might eventually go back and fix, is make it about an inch or two longer, it feels just a bit short in the front.   Made with Cascade 220.

This sweatshirt was just a bit too wide and the arms too baggy so I just took it in. Sorry no before picture but I really like it now that it has a more feminine baggy sweatshirt fit. :)

Made in less than 2 weeks this is "Rotation" found on ravelry, I think for free.  Side notes about this.  The pattern description did not specify to repeat the set of rounds, say it gave a pattern of 5 rows, it didn't say to repeat that 5 times.  It should have.  I had the yoke done and I had to take it apart to get it to match the pictures.  I'm glad I did, it looks fantastic!  Also, I did the alternate colors in the bottom ribbing too, the pattern didn't call for that.  The pictures on the right are color accurate.

"Aidez"  found it on Ravelry but I think it was a yarn company's pattern.  I ended up changing all the cables and adding a seed stitch. lol talk about heavily modified.  I also added the wide collar and buttons.  I really love how this turned out especially considering all the changes I made, I've never strayed so far from a pattern in knitting when it involved a sweater!  The yarn is upcycled from a store bought - but purchased at the thrift store blanket.  It's 100% acrylic. And super super warm!  I tell people it's like wearing a blanket! Because I am!

I couldn't find the original, but the sweatshirt in the picture was created entirely out of two non hooded sweatshirts.  I also added the "The Crew" logo by hand with fabric markers :)

This was a super baggy sweatshirt that I took in, really simple and took maybe 7 minutes. :)

And now a before and after with a look at how I do it!

Ok so the problem with this sweatshirt is really only that the sleeves are too big.  The body of the sweater fit really well, even without waist shaping. (taking it in at the natural waist)

Using white thread so you can see, and because I was too lazy to change it, you can see that I simply sewed in enough to get rid of the excess fabric that I didn't need in the sleeve, then because the body fit so well, I kept the seam really close to the side.  I could have stopped at the seam of the sleeve to the body but I thought it would look better if there were a matching seam down the side of the body.

You can see that the sleeves are more fitted and the body is still the same, fitted body.

 Hopefully tomorrow I can keep up the trend of catching up and share my headwear and t-shirt surgeries?

Dresses! I'm so ready for summer!

I have been very busy crafting since I last updated!  And to not make a huge post to catch up over probably 200 projects I'll just post and share as I see fit.  The last month or so I've been re-working a lot of dresses.  I'm itching for summertime so it's currently my only outlet because the summer sweater I'm working on is taking forever.  It's a beautiful sea foam cotton and I'm working Kate Davie's (Get off) My Cloud sweater. :D

This dress I bought from the thrift store for 29 cents.  It was see through and had shoulder pads and was just super ugly.  I hacked off the top right underneath the top button you see, seam ripped the bottom of the sleeves to create what became the new straps, I created a casing at the top of the dress for elastic to go through, and added a wide ribbon for a belt/band.  Then since it was see through I took a twin sized bedsheet and cut it up to use as a liner and sewed it in using the same sewing line as the one that created the casing for the elastic.  I love this dress so much.  It really transformed and now it's the dress it deserves to be!

I made the majority of the dress 2-3 summers ago for the Fourth of July.  It was just the bottom part and the triangle tops.  The picture of the back is what was added this time around. The fabric is an old bedsheet.  I really liked this dress for what it was - a summer, I'm at the pool/beach dress, but I wasn't really finding myself at the beach or pool and decided it was time to either get rid of it or make it work for more of a daily wear.  So I added the top section and decided I liked it underneath the triangle tops.  I had planned on getting rid of the triangle top entirely but then it seemed like more work than it was worth especially because I liked the new top underneath.  I drafted the pattern for the new top by looking at a fancy dress I had :)

I had started this dress around 4 years ago, thought I was done and asked my boyfriend at the time what he thought, I remember being disappointed by whatever his answer was and decided to scrap the dress entirely and I put it away with my fabric.  I randomly found it last month and put it on just for the 'hey' of it and I wasn't sure what he had made me hate it for.  I literally only added the halter strap that goes into down and across my back and around to the front for a bow and I love it.  The dress you see now use to be the bottom skirt part of a very amish looking dress.  It had a collar and sleeves and was very unattractive.  Now it's scandalous!

I got this one from a thrift store for $4.99.  I found out last week it's being sold new right now at a local department store for $20.00  I have to admit, I like my after version way more.  There's some shirring that use to be in the middle, I cut off the top to make the shirring be the top and I left enough room to create a casing so I could run elastic through the top of it.  I took the elastic from the sleeves for this.  The straps are what's leftover of the sleeves and the band/belt came from the top of the top section which had been elastic'd. Now it's that perfect tea length dress we all love in the summer time! :)

And I just created this today! It was a $2.99 dress from the thrift store.  I took about 3 inches off the top and then 6 inches off the bottom.  With the bottom section I cut off both ends enough fabric to create puffy sleeves and then left the rest to be part of the sash belt.  I also obviously lowered the neckline :)  This one and the purple one are contending for my favorite.  ALSO this is a bright peach, my bathroom lighting and my camera just weren't jiving tonight. :)

And lastly I think I'll share my Cincinnati Red's headband because tomorrow is opening day and I'll be wearing it proudly and eating peanuts, cracker jacks and big league chew! :)

It was pretty simple to make.  I'm going to make more for my sister so when I do that I'll make sure to write down how I did it :)  Go Reds!

Hopefully I'll be able to get on tomorrow and share sweatshirts and sweaters I've knitted/sewn!

How do they do it?

I've been laid off for about a month, and with that time I have looked and looked and looked for a new job, finally have one and will be starting next week (yay!!) and I've managed to create a tumblr, and start Nerd Wars on Ravelry AND begin to make items to be sold in my etsy store that I've had for like 3 years. All of this said, how do these crafty gurus online do it all? How do they have a pristine blog, website, and etsy selling accounts?! Being laid off hasn't seemed to give me that much more time for knitting and the such.

And I'm off to get ready to pick up my packet from City BBQ for Run Like Hell.

I will make a massive update with all my updated 100 projects thus far - I believe I'm like on project 79. So I haven't kept up with updating the world... One day I will be the internet crafting guru like these other crafty people.

Paper Droids!

What a month!  I finished paper dolls or should I say Paper Droids! And I've started and about half way through my robot backpack. :)  I'm excited.  I'm not excited however at my growing list of my car needs this as opposed to my growing list of I want these needles.  *sigh.  And with Boston quickly approaching and not everything being paid for yet, I'm feeling slightly frazzled.  I have to remind myself that it isn't entirely my fault as to why things have ended up this way, I didn't know/plan for my car to need a new battery, and for VW to take a week to figure that out.  I should have gotten new tires a long time ago but I haven't yet, I hope they can last another month, because I won't have any money for them.  THAT or I'll be sleeping in a car instead of in a hotel.  That could prove to be interesting. *sigh sigh sigh.  It's all I do.  I'm also finally home after not being here for what has felt like weeks.  Tomorrow  I will do laundry and then I've promised myself the whole weekend to get things done.  AND AND AND The Phineas and Ferb movie is Friday.  I'm so excited :) I'm going to make sugar cookies in celebration!  AND I'm overwhelmingly poor so I will have a feast of romen noodles - or Robin noodles as I like to refer to them - and popcorn for the next month.  Good thing my mother feeds me lunch throughout the week.  She's the best. :)  I might even decided to stay at my parents place  - planned not unplanned like it's been - to save on some gas since they're like a mile from work. :)

I have complete faith that everything in my life that I'm feeling unsure about will work out. Some things already have. :)

This is an accurate color picture, but before blocking and before adding buttons to C3PO's chest. :)  Doesn't it look great?

And after blocking!  I'll take better pictures and update on my 100 projects later, I need to get back to cleaning but I wanted to update about this! :)