New project

Well, here's what I made with the new colors of fabric I got. I tried making what's called a "mug rug", which is bigger than a coaster and smaller than a placemat, something the right size for a coffee mug. I wanted to do a sunset on one side and a sunrise on the other, so one side can be used for morning, and one side can be used in the evening. I think I'm going to try this again later on. I liked how part of it came out, but there are parts I didn't like - especially how the binding came together on the sunrise side (which was the back side when I was working). But I learned a lot, which was the whole point. And at least you can probably tell that they're palm trees, even if they didn't turn out the way I had hoped. So here's how it came out:

New Fabric

At least this was pre-ironing.

Twenty bucks! I love sales. And just for my own memory in case I need more at some point, the colors from bottom to top are: Kona tangerine, orange, papaya, buttercup, chartreuse, tarragon, mint, candy blue, copen, marine, purple, berry, pomegranate, bright pink, and medium pink.

More color advice

There are some big fabric sales going on this weekend (40% off solid colors, plus an extra 25% off coupon...it's so hard to resist!), so I decided to plan out some future projects and stock up on fabric while it's on sale. One idea I have is for a pretty small project, not like the baby blankets that are lining up (seriously, how many babies are due this summer?), but again, I'd like some more advice. This project will have a sunrise and sunset theme. I'd like to know, which color group do you like best for a sunrise, and which color group do you like best for a sunset? Or are there different colors you would like better? Or a different order? I have other color ideas as well, but putting up pictures of more choices than these got a little crazy. Of course, what I actually get will depend on what's in stock - but I'd like to plan everything out ahead of time so I don't walk out with a crazy amount of fabric. For once I'd like to stick to my list when I get in the store!

Yay!

Well, after testing tension on multiple scraps, ripping out 5 seams, rewinding the bobbin, and wasting so much thread that I had to run to the store to buy a new spool, I finally got it right! And finished it! I still have to go over it with a lint brush to get rid of all the cat fur, check for any more claw marks, iron it, and clip some loose threads, but it's almost ready to mail! Yay!

Tension

I was hoping to post a photo of the finished blanket today, but I've run into some tension problems. I'm so close to being done! But I've decided to take a break before I drive myself crazy with the tension dial. Instead, I'm posting a picture of Little Kitty's decision to nap UNDER the blanket instead of on top of it. At least this meant I could get some work done on it. But I don't know why he decided to sleep underneath a blanket when it was 80 degrees in my apartment. I also had to lighten the photo because a dark kitty + shadows = hard to see.

Sewing Dreams

I think I might have spent too much time at the sewing machine this past week. I've started having dreams about sewing. I'm not good at remembering my dreams really well, but I'm pretty sure that my last one was about someone asking me to make a purse out of jeans. Which is not something I'm even interested in trying. So I'm not sure why that made it into my dreams.

Anyway, I didn't have time to make much progress on the blanket today - I spent all day prepping for classes. I can't believe spring break is over already! It feels like it went by so quickly. I'm sure my students will feel the same way when I have to remind them they have an exam in three days.

Color Advice

I didn't do much work on the blanket today, I was checking over thesis data to help a friend who's finishing up her master's right now. But I did start planning the baby girl blanket I'm hoping to work on next. I found these really cute fabrics online, called Central Park, and I bought a pack of the squares for $8.50. It was nice because I'm able to get different fabrics that are color coordinated without having to pay for a whole bunch of individual yards. So I'm planning on doing something similar to the patriotic blanket, but much more organized and with plain solid colors in-between the larger squares so it won't look as busy or as random. I separated out the squares into different color groups, and will be keeping colors together in the larger squares. The colors I like for the blanket are the pink, blue, and yellow squares, although there are some that are light green and orange that I'm not using here. Maybe for some fabric Easter eggs? But anyway, my question is, what color should I use between the blocks? I like the idea of white, but not for a household with a baby and a toddler. Too easy to get dirty. Maybe light gray? I like how light gray looks with blue and pink. Let me know if you have any ideas! Here are the colors that will be in the blanket. The back will be more of the top middle square in the blue block - the one with little blue and purple flowers.

Uh-oh

This morning, I found a rip in one of the fabrics. A kitty claw-sized rip. More specifically, a Little Kitty claw-sized rip. This matches other holes/rips around my apartment done by Little Kitty - in my sheets, the shower curtain, even a pair of my pants (done while I was wearing them). He's much more destructive than Big Kitty was. Well, maybe not, just destructive in different ways. Anyway, it's too late to swap out this fabric with another one, so I think I'm going to hand-sew it closed so it doesn't rip more, and I'm grateful that he did it on one of the white pieces so the white batting doesn't show through too much. I'm also glad this blanket is going to a household with cats, so they'll understand, and it probably will have other claw marks in its future anyway. If it was for anyone else, I'd be more worried about it. It's hard to see unless you're really trying to look for it, and even then it was hard for me to find again to take a picture of it, so I don't think it will be too awful. But it's just one more thing to worry about in the whole process.

Trying this out

I thought I would try using a blog to chronicle my adventures trying to sew with two cats. Really, it's because constantly emailing these photos to my parents takes up too much space. Today I'm trying to work on a blanket for a friend, while watching March Madness on TV. Love the last-second baskets - I just wish more of them were from the teams in my bracket, but it's still exciting to watch. Here is Little Kitty helping me attach the batting and backing to the blanket, and then apparently it was too much work for him and he decided to take a nap. Maybe it means it's a good and comfy blanket. I guess I'll just have to focus my attention to basketball until he wakes up....