Weekly craft check-in

Sunday! That means it's time to talk about what got made over the past week. (Woo, Craft or Bust!)

At first, on reviewing the past week, I thought I'd hadn't done anything creative or made anything at all. That'd be a great start to the new crafty year, right? ;) I did do a lot of cleaning, though; the Great Craft Room Rescue I've been blathering about for a while appears to finally be under way. (I'm not going to say it definitely is, though, as that might psych me out. ;) Let's just pretend it's like the economy. I won't officially declare the state of the craft room at a high or low point until enough time has passed that I can get a good perspective.)

So I thought I was going to have to say, "What'd I make this week? A mess! And then I cleaned it up."


Part of the aforementioned mess: Some of the tissue paper and wrapping paper I've collected over the years, spread out over the dining room floor so I can sort it and put it back into the craft room in some semblance of order.


A lot of my yarn is actually (gasp!) in fabric boxes now. No, not homemade ones like I wanted to make last year (and still want to make), but at least they're an improvement on random sizes of cardboard boxes. ;)
Then I realized that I took some photos of a vase of roses we have in the house at the moment, and according to my own rules, that counts as doing something creative. Ta-da! So I "made" photos. Win.


I also got my Very First roll of Swedish tracing paper in the mail this past week, which will hopefully encourage more crafty goodness to ensue. I've been wanting some of this stuff for years, as I've developed an aversion to cutting out paper pattern pieces: For one thing, pattern paper is generally wimpy and easy to tear, and for another thing, sewing patterns cost enough that I don't like the idea of only being able to use them once, in one size.

I also like to draft my own patterns, and while I don't mind doing the initial drafting on paper (usually newsprint, since it comes in large sheet sizes and is readily available at the craft store), I still don't like storing patterns permanently on normal paper, which insects like to chew on and which is more fragile than fabric-like Swedish tracing paper.

Plus, you can sew Swedish tracing paper. Like. How cool is it that you could theoretically use Swedish tracing paper for draping an item of clothing, then take it apart and use it as your permanent master pattern without having to transfer marks or cut anything else?

Anyway, now I'll be able to use the patterns that came with some of my sewing books without actually cutting the printed paper that came with the books. Ha-HA! Not that I really ever get rid of books, but it's nice to have the option of doing it ... and I'm probably not the only one who hates it when used craft books are missing crucial things like, oh, the patterns that you need to actually complete the projects inside the book. ;)


Yay! My first roll of Swedish tracing paper!
So that's what I did this week. What did you make this week, my cohorts in crafting? :D

Easy sewing projects and crafty babblage

Totally Stitchin' has some neat free projects -- I think I may try the off-the-shoulder top, the sarong wrap pants, and the tiered peasant skirt once I get my sewing stuff organized over here. They're easy enough that even if I don't feel like testing out the older sewing machine, I could make them by hand. Exciting. ;D

Currently estranged from the art stash, the jewelry stash, and part of the yarn and fiber stash; I made a forced move last week to make room for my replacement*, but didn't manage to rescue all my crafty things, so I'm suffering their absence rather ungracefully at the moment.

Brian's refinance is also pushing me around, but in a more productive way: The appraiser, after making up some nonsense about the answering machine not working (well, I suppose it's possible for the answering machine to successfully accept several messages a day except from the appraiser, against whom it has some kind of personal vendetta), deigns to inform us that he (she?) will honor us with his (her?) company on Saturday, unless we want to wait for the next available free space. Despite the World's claims on the middle bit of this Saturday (my father's company picnic, and a Cutthroat Entertainment's special-needs kids boat ride that I found out about yesterday), it seems like a good idea to just go ahead and let the appraiser take it over. The faster the refinance goes through, the better. ;D So Brian and I did some preparatory reorganization last night, and the closet in the craft room exists in a slightly less dubious state containing less empty space, less flotsam, and two more boxes of Christmas decorations. That means the thing-meant-to-be-a-linen-closet-but-nowhere-near-the-place-we-use-the-linens no longer contains said Christmas items and is ripe to be stuffed with something craftier; and since a portion (a sadly small portion, considering) of my fabric/clothing to alter stash is eating the condo at the moment, and fabric stacks better than fleeces or yarn, into the closet the fabric must go ... preferably today. Whee.

If I remember, I ought to stop by the scrapbooking store, too, and see if I can do something silly like picking up a single sheet (maybe two...) of card stock. ;) I only need to make a postcard, and possibly some ATCs, and I can do that much without the bulk of my arty things...

*Annoying reference to personal-life nonsense that no one needs to hear about. ;)