3.23.2014

It's really not that easy

Hello!

As a crafter-sewing-knitting-person, I have to find some inspiration somewhere.

That's what I use as an excuse when I spend hours looking through various social media at things people have made.

What I've noticed while browsing through blogs, Pinterest, Tumblr, you name it, is that there are a lot of projects that are two steps long or something and say "You can do this really quickly and easily."

NO. You can't.

I thought I'd give it a go anyway, because I needed a quick and easy but cute craft for my friend's birthday. I knew she loved Mason jars and I thought "Who else loves Mason jars? Oh that's right, most of the Internet." So off we go.

I found this idea for a hot chocolate mix that I really liked and decided to follow it. So we begin. I will write here an accurate instruction for this project.

Ingredients/materials:

  1. Unsweetened baking cocoa (2 cups)
  2. Sugar ( 3/4 cups)
  3. Chocolate chips (more rather than less)
  4. Mason jar
  5. Marshmallows
  6. Ribbon
  7. A paper tag


1. Gather your ingredients. And by that I mean, have your mom drive you to various stores because you can't drive and none of them are within decent walking distance. Find Mason jars. Go to next store. Spend ages finding unsweetened baking cocoa. Also grab extra chocolate chips because you didn't check if you had enough at home. You're pretty sure you have sugar at home, so you don't get any. Luckily you do have some.



2. Mix cocoa, sugar and chocolate chips. Promise your brother some when you're finished. Try not to get it all over the windowsill. Did I mention you have to do this around 5 o'clock when the lighting is starting to fade away slowly but surely?


3. Move to the kitchen counter for added precaution. Realize that you are hopelessly clumsy and decide that making a funnel out of printer paper is a good idea to avoid getting chocolate mix all over the counter as you pour it into the jar. You are wrong. The counter will be coated in a beautiful dusting of chocolate within 20 seconds of beginning this operation. When this is done, you realize that you said you would give some to your brother, so you scoop some out of the jar. Then you realize that  it only fills about half the jar, so you close it and ponder possible solutions.




4. The next day, get marshmallows at the local market when you get off the bus after school. Hurry home before the light fades and you can't take anymore decent pictures. Get mini marshmallows because you'll be able to put more in the jar and also you'll feel less guilty if you eat more, because they're smaller right? Stuff the marshmallows in the jar to the brim. Decide to wait until the next day to finish decorating the jar and to take pictures.



5. Add two ribbons to the lid. This step went relatively well.



6. Realize you should probably add a tag to the jar. Remove ribbons and write nice message on a paper tag before tying the ribbon up again.



7. Admire your finished product.

So you see? All the blogs and pictures that makes little projects seem really easy are hiding the real aspect of doing any kind of craft. It takes time, forethought and also a driving license. Although you can manage just fine without one, but it does help.

In the end, this was fun project to do and the taste was approve by my brother, so it must be good. Also, I do really love Mason jars. I bought one for myself, I don't really know what I want to do with it. I keep seeing recipes that have salads or desserts in Mason jars and I kind of want to try it. I'll keep you up to date.

I will be taking something of a break from sewing for a while, due to the fact that I stuck a sewing needle in my knee, that I made a dress two sizes too big and that I will have neither the time nor the patience for sewing in the next few weeks. However, I can't ever not do anything, so we'll see what happens. Stay tuned for more Blue Cat misadventures!

(PS. Tell me what you think of the bigger pictures! I kind of like them, I might stick with them.)

3.21.2014

Mishaps and lost cords

Hello!

I made a shirt a while ago.

Why?

Because it's part of the Wardrobe 2.0 project. I didn't call it Wardrobe 2.0 in my previous post, but it's a catchy name so I'm going to keep it. Anyway, moving on.

I made a shirt.


In fact, you can make this shirt too. Using this pattern here. It's very easy, I'm not gonna lie, but since I made it there were obviously a few screw-ups.



The first occurred with the fabric. It's very pretty, I love it. The main body is a dark gray with white and lime green polka-dots. The one for the sleeves, I have used before and I will use again because I adore it, is lime green with creamy-white polka dots. But see here's the thing. I got basically twice as much of the gray fabric as I need. Why. Why does this always happen? I din't think I've ever bought the right amount of fabric. I don' know how I do it, but I always follow the pattern's instructions as well, which is why I don't understand why I never get the right amount.

As it turns out however, it's probably a good thing that I got too much, because I screwed up again.


(And yes, I realize all these pictures are basically selfies. It's okay.)

I made this shirt too small. 

Yup.

It's less obvious in these pictures, but it is very small on me. I have to wear a tank-top underneath it because it's too short. Which was fine, I can deal with that.

But then I washed it. (Well my mom washed it, but the story is that it got washed.)

Now it's much too small for me. Much too small. 

Because I am an idiot and I didn't wash the fabric beforehand. 

So, moral of the story.

  • Always wash your fabric before cutting and sewing pieces into it.
  • Double check your measurements. "It's fine" is not fine. (All my sewing projects have the words "it's fine" somewhere in them. Learn from my mistakes.)
  • Use bias tape for the sleeves and collar. Trust me, just do. Unless you're good at sewing or something, but bias tape will save your life.
  • The pattern is great, I'll be doing it again, probably in the same fabric, but I would go one more size than you would think you need, and also I will be adding 2 inches to the bottom hem for a little more length.
There you go.

And as for the obligatory apology for the lack of posts, I don't owe you one, but I do have excuses. Well, one excuse. I lost the cord that connects my camera to my laptop and while I have several posts lined up for you guys, I don't have any pictures, which takes away from the whole point. Also, I have had very little time because my last show of the year is coming up and I am in charge of a whole costume, which is a little very stressful and time-consuming. So there you are, excuses. 


Hope you enjoyed! (I swear I have better pictures of this shirt, but they're all on my camera; I took these ones before I lost the cord.)