june at noon

I’ve been trying to set aside time once a month to do a page or two of art journaling. For me this really amounts to doodling and writing notes about things that took place that month.

I’m hoping some day I might find the creative energy to take it a little further, but the idea for now is just to keep exercising the creative parts of my brain. I’d like to eventually journal more frequently, too, but given my track record as a horrible journaler, I think this is a fair start.

There are also a couple of wood blocks ready to be turned into stamp mounts. (Thanks to the Huz and our neighbor’s saw for turning some inexpensive unfinished blocks into mounts for me.) Can’t wait until I can show you these stamps!

Boogie on over to Kirsty’s for more creative spaces!

Some of you asked me to show you the “refashioned” summer wardrobe that I decided to attempt just days before we left for our summer vacation. Since I’m currently working on some Christmas gifts, which means no photos for you until January, I thought I’d get on with it and grant your request.

Let’s start with the things that went well. (And please excuse the not-so-great photo lighting.) The first thing I made was an incredibly simple design involving a men’s T-shirt turned halter tank.

It was very easy to do, although I am dubious about the underarm fat that shows in certain poses. I especially like the rope-style straps. Pop over here to see the inspiring tutorial.

I made the sundress version for my daughter, too.

(It’s very cute on her, but very hard to get a good photo of her these days.)

The next thing I made was a skirt out of vintage fabric that was given to me by my sister. I used some matching jersey knit to make a waistband. This one was a quick job of measuring myself and sewing tubes, with some gathering thrown in.

And then I made a tote bag out of a cheap beach towel, inspired by this tutorial. (This was done in the very latest hours the night before we left and was totally unnecessary, but I really like it anyway.)

I didn’t want to spend the extra cash on multiple towels, although I love the patchwork look of the original, so instead I used the striped ends of the towel to add some extra interest. I was also able to use leftover pieces to create an outside pocket and two inside pockets. It’s nothing special, but it might be my favorite thing that I made.

So, that’s it for the successful part of that undertaking. Next week I’ll share the not-so-successful projects and the resulting philosophical musings. And now I’d best get back to those Christmas gifts!

My last commission project was also for my photographer friend. She recently got an iPad (which is incredibly useful for viewing and selecting photo proofs) and asked me to make a cover for it.

She didn’t want the pocket type that most people have but instead wanted something similar to the laptop cover I made for myself. So I chose some nice, sturdy felt, constructed an iPad mockup out of layers of foam board and elastic, and went to work.

(Oooh, I really should get to those wrinkles! Pretend they’re not there, ok?)

I hate the beginning steps of cutting a project like this because I’m always worried I won’t get the measurements right and have to scrap the whole thing. Fortunately, when I finally stopped procrastinating and went for it, it all went according to plan.

The part I thought would be easy, however, did not go so well when my sewing machine started doing funny things. I experimented with tension and whatnot and couldn’t find a solution, so I ended up fixing the issue by hand. I was glad I could do that, but not so glad about how much extra work that was. Sigh. Isn’t this always how it goes?

Despite the extra labor, I’m really pleased with this piece. It has a nice, sturdy feel and, if I do say so myself, it looks pretty sharp.

I don’t have an iPad, but I think I might need to use the leftover felt to make a cover for my mockup, just so I can carry it around!