Day Twenty-Three: ribbon frame

So these past three days I've been moving all my stuff to my new apartment, and I spent the majority of one afternoon washing all my dishes before I put them in cupboards. I don't have a dishwasher, but I do have a double-sink, so it was okay. However, there is a boring, empty expanse of wall above the sinks that I stared at the whole time, so I decided that I should make something to put there. My first thought was a mirror, because that's easy, but then I immediately nixed that for being too narcissistic, plus I might give myself a heart attack every once in a while. My mom suggested a bulletin board, which I then amended to one of those frames with the ribbon that you stick pictures and notes in. (I half-heartedly googled "ribbon frame" to find out the real name, but Google didn't know what I meant. The pictures will tell you what I mean. You've seen them before.)

Materials:
- largeish frame (Ikea)
- material (Value Village)
- ribbon (Precious Memories)
- thumbtacks (from my picture-hanging kit)
- good quality stapler
- needle-nosed pliers (optional)
- strong adhesive (optional)

I was excited about this project because I have a plethora of Ikea picture frames, but my taste is evolving in the way that I like my pictures to be in more interesting-looking frames, so I've got all these boring frames lying around. My first step was to remove the plastic from the frame, leaving only the frame itself and the cardboard backing.

Then I stretched fabric across it and stapled it to the frame. (I'm not sure if stapling was the best way to go about doing this, but I didn't consult any websites for advice since I can't remember what it's called, and a stapler was all I had.)

This was the only step which caused me any real trouble. I broke a nail pulling out a staple, wasted a lot of staples by not pushing hard enough, and broke my stapler for a bit. (I smashed it against the table a couple of times to fix it, and it worked! That never works!) My fingers look super weird in that picture, but that's because I had to push REALLY hard on the stapler to get anything to happen.

You have to do some fancy folding around the corners to keep the fabric tight, but I think it all worked pretty well. Then I got my ribbon, and stapled that to the outside edges of the frame.

Before I even began this thing I was worried I didn't have enough ribbon, and I ran out when I was 3/4 of the way finished. I had similar ribbon, but not identical, so two of the strands are more brownish than the others - I'm not sure if it looks okay, but I didn't want to go out and buy more ribbon. Also, I had to do some re-positioning on some after I'd finished them all, because I didn't measure or anything. Probably it would look better if you did, but I just made sure they were all perpendicular to each other.

Then I stabbed thumbtacks at each crossing point so they punctured the cardboard. My secret wish was that the cardboard would be enough to hold them in place, but some of them came popping off so I rooted through my dad's toolbox and found needlenosed pliers. With these I bent the backs of the thumbtacks to keep them from popping out. In the process I punched some holes in the back of the cardboard, so the thumbtacks popped out with their bent backs, so I found some Gorilla Glue in the laundry room and put some of that on the back of each thumbtack. (The instructions for the glue say you're supposed to dampen each thing you want to stick together, which I didn't, and then clamp it, which I also didn't. I also neglected to wear gloves, which you are supposed to, and I think I got some on my skin. Hopefully everything still works even though I blatantly disregarded every single instruction on the bottle.)

Then I waited for a million years for the glue to dry, which it did eventually, and then I stuck stuff in the ribbons, and now I am finished! I think I will also stick some small sewing pins on it to let me stick more stuff in it than just in the ribbons, because I want to cram it full of stuff.

I am so proud of this! I did it without even a plan in mind, or knowing what it was called! Sometimes I am so amazing.

Day Twenty-Three Highlights: coming up with a brilliant plan and succeeding, fixing things by smashing them, double-sinks.

Day Twenty-Three Lowlights: getting Gorilla Glue on my hands, waiting for things to dry, thumbtacks that pop out, running out of ribbon.

Tomorrow: I bought a pack of Menthos gum specifically so I could use the package for a pen holder to stick on my fridge, so probably I will make that tomorrow. If I can find somewhere to stick all the gum.

Day Twenty: laptop bag

You guys!!!!!! I totally finished the stupid laptop bag today!!!!! I'll admit, I wasn't going to. But I didn't have work or anything today, and I figured it would take me a lot of time to finish, so today would be a good day. So I dragged out the sewing machine and the unfinished laptop bag and set to work. For materials, see here.

First, I made sure that the material hadn't shrunken and my laptop hadn't grown by sizing them up together again. (One of the major problems with my first attempt was that the bag ended up being too small, so I went the opposite way here and made it really large.)

Then I hand-sewed the corners of the soft stuff to the fabric to anchor them. (Another problem I had originally was that I made the soft stuff and the material the same size, so the whole thing was lined - I realized that only the part covering the laptop needed to have the soft stuff in it, not the seams or the lid flap.)

Then I folded it over and pinned the sides (another lesson learned: USE PINS FOR EVERYTHING), then sewed the edges using a sewing machine. I did this a few times, because after I sewed it the first time I realized that it was too big.

I wanted it to be snug around my laptop, not loose. I folded, sewed, and cut a few times to make it fit properly.

At this point, I turned it all right-side out like you are supposed to, and unfortunately it looked like crap because of a bunch of other stuff that was going on. So I turned it inside out again, and decided that the seams showing was going to be an artistic statement! I am starting a new trend here, people, like visible zippers. I bet that was a mistake too! Some designer finished the dress and realized, "Oh crap! The zipper is showing!" but they were on a deadline, so they said, "I'm starting a new trend! Visible zippers!" That's how these things start. (Although I don't like visible zippers.)

Then I added velcro to the lid flap with my sewing machine, only it was the crappiest velcro of all time. It's supposed to be self-adhesive, which I didn't realize until after I sewed on the first two velcroes, so I sewed on the removable strip along with the rest of the velcro. Whoops. Then I hand-sewed the other velcroes by hand, because I couldn't figure out how to stick the large pocket-part (the part that holds the laptop... note to self: learn appropriate terminology for stuff) in the sewing machine without sewing the whole thing shut.

Here is where the stupid velcro showed me how stupid it was: because of the self-adhesiveness, every time I put the needle through the velcro the needle would adopt some stickiness. By the time I'd finished attaching the velcro, the needle was sticking to my fingers and the thread was sticking to the needle, which made the whole thing a very irritating, cumbersome process. STUPID VELCRO.

I persevered, however; no matter how annoyed I was, I didn't want to put this thing away unfinished AGAIN. So I finished all the velcroes, stuck my laptop inside, and shut the lid.

IT'S FINISHED! And not too bad looking, if I do say so myself. I can't believe I actually finished this. I expect applause and confetti.

Day Twenty Highlights: FINISHING MY LAPTOP BAG, and also the fabric - I'd forgotten how much I liked this fabric.

Day Twenty Lowlights: stupid self-adhesive velcro, sticky needles.

Tomorrow: I'm at a wedding for most of the day, so it might end up being something like my scarf.

Day Fifteen: laptop bag redux

So I decided that I'm going to redo the laptop bag. It's something that I really want to use, and my first attempt was kind of shoddy. Sorry this is not a riveting new idea... what with all the reduxes and give-ups, I'm not accomplishing very much at all. But holy crap, you guys, I'm halfway done!

Materials:
- material (same stuff as last time, still from Value Village)
- ruler
- sewing machine
- some kind of insulator/protector soft stuff (I found mine in my garage)
- velcro

VERY IMPORTANT STEP ONE: iron everything. That Martha Stewart knows what she's talking about. Even though this project was not her idea, I am following her lead on the importance of ironing. (Speaking of Martha Stewart, I found out what stupid notching is. It's making little cuts in the fabric, from the edge of the fabric to the seam, so that when you turn it right-side-out the curvy bits are allowed to be curvy, instead of being restricted by the material. GENIUS.)

The next step, which is more important than I initially realized, is to make sure you have TONS of fabric. In my first attempt I only added a few centimeters to the measurements of my laptop, which made it a very snug fit when everything was finished. This time it's going to be roomier.

VERY IMPORTANT NEXT STEP: pin everything. That way it doesn't slide around all over the place when you are sewing. Probably this is common sense to most people, but I often don't get stuff until I've messed it up once or twice.

I didn't take a picture of the next part, but I sewed two of the corners of the soft stuff to the fabric. I decided that I'm not going to have the soft stuff in the lid-flap of the bag, just the body part to protect the actual laptop, so I'm not using a piece of soft stuff the same size as my fabric, as I did last time. Did that make sense? It makes sense in my head, and you can kind of see from where I pinned it in the picture above what I am talking about.

Then, in my final step for today, I sewed around three of the sides. I'm going to leave the last side until tomorrow, when I am also going to hand sew the rest of the corners of the soft stuff to the fabric.

I labelled it for you so you can see, because the thread is not neon and doesn't show up in the picture. Tomorrow I'm going to fold it up and attempt to sew it into a bag. Wish me luck!


Day Fifteen Highlights: almost done!, ironed fabric.

Day Fifteen Lowlights: being too lazy to finish this project today, having to start stuff over because it looked stupid before.

Tomorrow: laptop bag AGAIN. Hopefully for the last time.

Day Twelve: laptop bag

Hey guys, I know this is a day late; I did this yesterday, on actual Day Twelve, but right before I finished there was a bit of an emergency (non-craft related) and I was with someone at the hospital for quite some time. Everything's okay, but we had to wait around for 8 HOURS for tests. Boo hospitals. One of the ambulance ladies we passed whilst wandering the halls commented that Surrey Memorial is the slowest hospital of all time, which does not instill confidence when I think about where I would end up if I had an emergency. It was actually quite an interesting experience, capped off with a girl in handcuffs and her police escort, but you'll have to check my other blog for the details. :)

ANYWAY. So, laptop case. Previously, I've made fun of people who kept that little plastic sheet on their laptops to protect them, because I thought they looked nerdy. However, when I got my tiny laptop, and it came with a little plastic sheet, I left it on... and naturally got made fun of by all the people I had made fun of before. I didn't want it to get scratched when I shoved it in my purse with my keys! And then I realized that I should have something more to protect it, especially when I brought it to Whistler and my dad crammed it in the trunk because he forgot it was there even though I told him. So I am going to create a laptop case!

I saw plans for this on the internet somewhere, but when I got to thinking about it, how hard could it really be? It's just a rectangle, I don't need instructions. 

Materials:

- fabric (Value Village)

- foamy stuff I found in my garage that my dad uses to wrap his framed pictures in

- sewing machine

- ruler and pen to mark fabric (see, I've learned stuff! No more sharpie!)

The first thing I did was measure my teeny tiny laptop, to make sure I got the dimensions right. Then I drew a rectangle out on the fabric, and THEN I put my laptop on that rectangle and folded it over, just to make sure it would fit. 

Then I folded over the fabric and cut out one long rectangular piece - I was going to cut out two separate pieces, one for each side of the case, but thought I would have to do less sewing if I just made it a long piece, folded it over, and sewed up the edges. Does that make sense? Anyway, you'll see from the pictures.

I layered the fabric and the foamy stuff I found in my garage, with hopes that the foamy stuff would protect my laptop from various attacks. I pinned the three layers together in a few places, but I suggest you pin them together in LOTS of places, because my sewing ended up a little bit crooked and the fabric bunched up in some places. And also iron the fabric.

Then, I think because I was sewing too fast (as this machine is wont to do), the thread mysteriously disappeared and my mother had to come find it for me. And then, I accidentally sewed way off on an angle, so much so that my laptop would not be able to fit in the case anymore. So I had to yank it all out. Boo.

Then I sewed it properly, in a rectangle, but I made sure to leave space at the top to overlap the laptop, like a lid. I searched for a long time in my room for snaps I KNOW I bought a while ago, but I couldn't find them, so I think I'm going to close it with velcro. That'll be easier, anyway, for a lazy person such as myself. 

This is what I meant by folding it over. And also the previous folding over, at the bottom, so I only had to sew the sides. There's all sorts of bits sticking out on the edges, so I trimmed them, but I wasn't too worried because the next step is to flip the whole thing inside-out and stick a laptop inside!

So basically it's perfect. I'm amazing! Except that the top looks a bit rough, so before I buy the velcro, I'm going to sew on another layer of the same fabric to make it look more tidy. And, on the one side there's a bit of fabric that didn't quite make it in the sewing machine, but I'm either going to glue or hand-sew that part. Hey guys, I made a laptop case!

Day Twelve Highlights: success! and wonderful fabric I got for super cheap.

Day Twelve Lowlights: long waits at the hospital, losing thread in the sewing machine, untidy edges.

Tomorrow (which is actually today): adding a topper and velcro

Day Five: menswear bunny (pt. 1)

I am attempting a sewing project today! Except, no sewing until tomorrow. I went to the eye doctor this morning and got those lovely drops that make everything super bright and blurry, so I don't want to try anything that requires sharp vision. (That is my excuse. It's legit, I swear.) This is supposed to be a sewing project for kids, so I hope I can manage.

Materials:
- 2 pieces of fabric (purple for the body, yellow for the ears) (Wal-Mart)
- stuffing (Wal-Mart)
- thread (my closet)
- sewing machine (also my closet)
- bunny pattern (Martha Stewart)

The first thing I did was print out the template for the bunny, which good ol' Martha Stewart explains is on more than one page, so she put a symbol in the middle to help you connect them. I don't see why it had to span four pages - it easily could have fit on one. So thanks for wasting paper, Martha Stewart.


Then I traced each part onto the material - I didn't have any menswear, like she suggests, so I just picked out fabric that I thought would be fun. Initially it was going to be a yellow bunny with purple ears, but since purple is my favourite colour, I changed it around. However, I haven't yet read the instructions, so all the pieces are purple, and I'm pretty sure something is supposed to be yellow. I'll figure that out tomorrow, when my pupils return to their normal size.

So far this project has not been difficult! Although, I noticed that I should not have used Sharpie to trace the pattern onto the fabric, because in some places it shows through. Probably there's a special pen for that, or I've seen it on t.v. where they use chalk? But I was in a bit of a rush. So I apologize if today doesn't feel like a REAL day of creativity to you; I blame it on my eyes.

Day Five Highlights: not screwing up so far, stuffed bunnies, purple fabric

Day Five Lowlights: saving the hard part for tomorrow instead of getting it over with, giant dilated pupils

Tomorrow: menswear bunny pt. 2! (Although I guess I can't really call it menswear, since it's just regular fabric from Wal-Mart.)

Day Four: magnets redux

Today was relatively uneventful in the realm of crafts. I am afraid to try something new, based on my terrible failure yesterday, so I made some more magnets. Today I created series of red ones for my mom, plus a green one for me. (I think I am addicted to making magnets now.) If I could find some sort of career that requires me to leaf through magazines and rip out pages, I would be a happy clam.


I also ventured to Value Village today, to search for fabric for my miscellaneous sewing projects that I may attempt once I get my crafting confidence back. On that list is a tool bag, a reversible purse, a clutch bag, a laptop case, and maybe a stash bag - so I need a lot of fabric. Only two caught my eye, because the selection is obviously limited; I may venture to the actual fabric store for one of the smaller projects. But today I chose second hand, and let me warn you: do not go to Value Village on a Tuesday. It's 30% off day for seniors, so I stood in line, clutching my two items, for half an hour waiting while old people haggled with salespeople. I have nothing against old people, I just wish they would have a separate line-up for non-seniors on this day. Or I should have been smarter and waited until tomorrow.


Sorry for the picture quality - my camera is a piece of junk. The clear photos you have seen previously are from my mom's camera, but she has it with her right now.

Day Four Highlights: ripping pages from magazines, magnets, cheap fabric

Day Four Lowlights: not being a senior on 30% off day for seniors, long lineups, junky cameras

Tomorrow: probably a writing thing. Or maybe a purse! But probably not a purse.