Finishing up

I am way too stressed to even think about writing (which would, ironically enough, probably lower my stress levels...go figure), so I'm working on a few different craft-type projects this week.  Most of them finishing things I'd started, some of them planning the next project.  

My sister's in a different hospital, getting different care.  So far, it's been better, but I don't know more than that--she forgot her phone charger, and the one I tried to arrange for her (hospital's an hour and a half from me)...didn't fit her phone.  

So I'm working on projects when and as I can, trying to distract myself (yes, I need to clean up after myself--including sweeping--since I've left fabric and batting fragments where the cats can get their paws on them for play-time).  

Last week, I made two potholders (all the ones I'd had were in really sad shape), and an apron.  Designed and made the apron.  Here: 

I'm actually...not terribly disappointed by the apron.  I had a cute little half apron made from the seat of a pair of jeans, a strip of fabric as a belt around the waist, and eyelet lace trim around the outer edges.  I'd use it more often, but my tits catch a lot of mess when I'm cooking, and I need an apron that covers those...as much as possible, at least.  (WHY won't they shrink as I lose weight???)  So, I had...three or four pair of worn-out jeans, and a couple of worn-out flannel shirts.  I decided to try making a version I'd be happier with.  I started with the worst worn on both flannel fabric, and jeans-butt. 

It's not perfect, but I think I can fix the things about it I'm less than happy with, and I learned a lot for the next project.  I have one more shirt, and two more seats. 

I'll definitely know better than to use single-fold bias tape, too.  I'm...not THAT good at sewing, and I wound up having to go back over several places where I missed catching the outer edge on the wrong side of the project.  

This week, I'm planning to finish the quilt I'd started for my own amusement that was promptly claimed by my imp because he liked the colors.  I finished the quilt top a couple of weeks ago, when my sister went into the hospital the first time, and I was waiting on news on tests ordered by a gastric specialist...that turned out to be a dick.  

The quilt top is twin-sized.  The plaid is from an old sheet that I'd cut part out of to make another apron from, a month or so ago (still needs finished--I need to scotch-guard it for my other half).  The navy blue is from a shirt Odysseus had ripped at the elbow, and the green and burgundy are from dollar-each fat quarters from Walmart.  The border's made of muslin, also sourced from Walmart.  There's a twin-sized tan cotton sheet as the bottom layer, and a twin-sized piece of cotton batting in the sandwich.  

I need the kids' help to pin the sandwich together, this afternoon.  And then I will need their help getting it situated so that I can start sewing the sandwich together.  

Yes, I am planning another quilt.  I had a lot of fun putting this one together.  It may be one for the pixie, or it might be one for me.  I haven't decided yet.  

One of the things I'd decided I needed was more bobbins.  And at least one more bobbin shuttle.  My sewing machine had two shuttles with it, and five bobbins.  One of the bobbins...won't work with the bobbin winder.  The poor little thing is about an eighth of an inch too short.  Which left me with four bobbins.  

So, I ordered from Amazon, and got another shuttle and five bobbins.  And all five are the right length.  I've checked all of them against the bobbin winder, and just used one of the new bobbins (loaded with upholstery thread) and the new shuttle (to test to make sure it actually works with my 124 year old Singer...and it does) to mend the flap of my messenger bag/purse.  The zipper'd turned loose of the fabric a while back, and I now have that sewn back down.  Was a massive pain maneuvering the purse, but it's done.  And I'm pretty happy with it.  

Now for the projects on the planning board:

Last weekend, Odysseus took the imp to Walmart, and found...the perfect flannel for a pair of pajama pants for the kid.  Bright, hunter's safety orange.  Got three yards (I need just over two, so there will be extra flannel left over for other projects...).  Got thread to go with it, too.  The imp wants those pants like four weeks ago, but has graciously agreed that it would be better to finish his quilt, first.  I'm going to make the kid help me with his pants--he's going to help me trim the extra fabric off the end of the folded up piece waiting with my sewing machine, and he's going to help me pin the pattern pieces to the fabric (no, I won't be letting him cut).  

I had a friend ask me if I was still knitting, along with the sewing.  Yes.  Yes, I am.  I've got two projects on needles right now--a purple scarf in moss stitch, and a shrug in bright turquoise.  I can carry the shrug project around, at the moment, but the scarf...is getting kind of big for that.  

As for projects in planning stages...I've got a lot of yarn to use up, too: enough in burgundy wool blended with acrylic for a sweater for me, and enough in a sort of light gray for a sweater for Odysseus.  I've got enough in various other colors for smaller projects like ear-warmer headbands or wrist-and-hand warmers (not gloves--I refuse to try to knit fingers with worsted weight yarn). 

I have a ton of partial skeins of yarn in acrylic yarns that I'm planning on doing stripe-afghans with.  The kids actually really like bundling up in afghans on the couch when they're cold, and they keep swiping the ones I try to make for my library.  I figured if I make enough for them in the family room, they might leave mine alone. 

Might.  

No guarantees.