WIP Wednesday

I've been working on my tea towel calendar while my sewing room has been hosting guests all month. It has been very relaxing to work on while watching Downtown Abbey on Netflix!

When looking at the towel, please remember that mine is a seconds version. A "real" version has much clearer lines! Get one here by Curious Doodles.

Smells Like Teen Spirit

Has it really been a week since I've posted anything? I actually have a sewing project completed, but I just have to take the photos off the camera and onto the internets. Until then I would like to show you an outfit fail. When I was getting dressed I decided to wear my comfy plaid cardigan (fun and practical!) plus actually style my hair! Too bad the nice waves turned into a krimped look.

The 90's called and they want their style back....

Wavy Hair = OK

Plaid Cardigan = OK

Wavy Hair + Plaid Cardigan = 1992

Well, not every outfit can turn out like planned. Hope this made you laugh (I know my coworkers did!)

Look Ma - I'm Knitting!

My grandmother was the first one to teach me to cast on and the knit stitch. So I started to create a scarf for my cousin/best friend/roommate at the time. But Grandma never taught me to stop knitting, so this scarf has been sitting unfinished for approximately six years...by far my longest running UFO (Unfinished Object).

One of my goals for 2012 was to learn to knit (and how to stop), so I signed up for Knit Lab at Craftsy during their Christmas sale. And let me tell you it was awesome!!

The course was easy to follow, and Stefanie Japel moved slowly enough for beginners to understand yet fast enough so that the course wasn't boring. It covered casting-on, knitting, purling, increases, decreases, finishing (yay!), and reading patterns. All in all the course was almost 7 hours long so it was a great deal. The crafty forum itself is amazing - not only can you watch the lessons wherever you have Internet, but you can also take your own notes and post questions which are then answered by Stefanie herself! Plus I rewatched many of the lessons over and over again. I can't wait to take another course!

To learn the basic techniques taught in the class you create the Lacey Keyhole Scarf. I finished blocking mine last Wednesday night (punch for the class) using a ball of yarn given to me from a coworker last year (punch for the stash and for the finished project).

Details of the Lace

While you can tell that it is a first knitting project, I really love how it turned out! I used it in it's headband form for some Fruit Ninja on the XBox. Stylin' and Slicin'!

While I was on a roll I went ahead and finished up the scarf I've been working on for the past six years.

Finally Done!!

 That's four punches in one post! 

Completed Card!

Now it may seem silly to include finishing a project as a punch, but honestly, I don't mind buying things if I'm actually going to use them. My current problem is that my crafting habits are all planning and no finishing. If you were to create a punch card/reward system what would you include?

Doh!

One day into Stash Punch! and I've already broken the rules! I just bought a 2012 Tea Towel embroidery kit for a friend, and I thought "What the heck. I'll get one too!" Only I don't have any cards to purchase it with.

http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/8456-Curious-Doodles-2012-Tea-Towel-Calendar-Embroidery-Kit

I actually bought a "seconds" version from Curious Doodles on Etsy, but if your interested Purl Soho said that they would get some back in stock soon.

Since the seconds version only cost $20 I only need one card, so maybe if I complete a card before it gets here it won't be considered cheating on my resolution. Right? Oh how I love making up the rules to my own games...I always win!

Stash Punch!

While I don't have a crazy, out-of-control stash yet, I really want to start using the supplies that I already have. So I've come up with a simple way of using what I have and really thinking through my future purchases. I've taken the idea from Lunch It, Punch It and I will be using the same type of cards to track my progress. For every four stash items used, I get to get a new item!




It's a Stash Punch (Card)!

 
The following items count as stash items:

• Patterns, Books & my Burda Magazines
• Craftsy Classes - I've signed up for 3 knitting classes and the bombshell dress class
• Fabric
• Yarn
• Finishing an Unfinished Object (UFO) or Work in Progress (WIP)
• Quilting Step (piecing the front; piecing the back; quilting and binding)
• Screen Printing
• Refashioning / Mending

Now onto the rewards! 
Since I want to control my craft spending, each completed card will "purchase" a maximum $25 of the following:

• Fabric or Yarn
• Books, patterns, magazines
• Classes

So for example, if I want to renew my subscription to Burda Magazine, I would need four completed cards to cover the subscription cost of $90.


Here's to controlling the stash in 2012!!
(it seems that phrase should be used by a razor advertisement...Gillette your welcome)

Hello Blogging World!

Welcome to Seams to Be Ripped!

This blog will be a record of the crafty exploits of me - Audie.

Hey I'm Audie! This is me with red hair...it has since returned to it's natural brown

 Why start this blog? Here are a few reasons:

1. I really want to join in on the AMAZING online crafting community
2. I want to sew more and I think that this blog will help me not only create more but finish more
3. I want to improve my writing skills
4. I want to learn to take amazing photos with my new-to-me camera

Let's get crafting!!