A DIY Weekend
Between last weekend, which was spent almost entirely in the comfort of our apartment and our pajamas, and Drew being crazy busy with his classes this week (he has four tests, poor guy), I've had plenty of time to work on some of those WIPs I mentioned before. This time of year makes me quite homey (but hopefully not too homely); I really just want to sit around in my sweats, wrapped up in my favorite blanket with a cup of something warm and apple flavored. It also makes me more inclined to "nest" - not in a preparing for baby way, but in a preparing for home-based, family-centered, happy holidays way. And the persistent wet, cold, and dreary weather here lately has.not.helped. So, I've channeled this fall-induced desire for warm, happy, comfortable things into...
...a plum purple skirt. Its production required less than $3 in bargain bin fabric and less than an hour of time. It was super cheap, easy, and fast, not to mention incredibly comfy and a fun color.
...a baby blanket. It practically designed itself. While cleaning out our closet, I put a floral shirt and pair of pink cotton shorts in the "don't want" pile that complimented each other really well. [It's really hard for me to throw out or give away things made of soft, colorful, useful fabric; it's not trash, it's raw material with potential. Apparently, this process of turning discarded items into new and better things has a name: upcycling.] I had some remnant grey squares left over from a blanket I made for a girl at church, and with a spare piece of fuzzy backing from my stash, the different fabrics just needed to be quilted together. Voila. I doubt this blanket will sit around too terribly long; we usually know someone with a little one on the way.
...and a yarn wreath. These were the thing to do last year, so I'm a little behind the curve, but ours was created to add a little warmth to our front door, not be stylish per se. The yarn is definitely harvest yellow, but the black feathers and red, purple, and black rosettes are a little more Halloween-ish. The more I look at it, I don't think it's Fall or Halloween themed, which means I can leave it up all year if I feel like it. It's actually hanging on the inside of our door right now, partly because it's been so rainy outside, and I'm not sure how well the yarn and straw interior will endure the moisture, and partly because I kind of like getting to look at it more than the once or twice a day I come through the door.
Thus are the products of my calm, yet restless fall energy so far. Now I'm off to channel my creative energies into a paper on cultural competency in public health. I don't think the comfort level of our apartment will be greatly enhanced by this next endeavor, but we can hope that my mind will be.
...a plum purple skirt. Its production required less than $3 in bargain bin fabric and less than an hour of time. It was super cheap, easy, and fast, not to mention incredibly comfy and a fun color.
...a baby blanket. It practically designed itself. While cleaning out our closet, I put a floral shirt and pair of pink cotton shorts in the "don't want" pile that complimented each other really well. [It's really hard for me to throw out or give away things made of soft, colorful, useful fabric; it's not trash, it's raw material with potential. Apparently, this process of turning discarded items into new and better things has a name: upcycling.] I had some remnant grey squares left over from a blanket I made for a girl at church, and with a spare piece of fuzzy backing from my stash, the different fabrics just needed to be quilted together. Voila. I doubt this blanket will sit around too terribly long; we usually know someone with a little one on the way.
...and a yarn wreath. These were the thing to do last year, so I'm a little behind the curve, but ours was created to add a little warmth to our front door, not be stylish per se. The yarn is definitely harvest yellow, but the black feathers and red, purple, and black rosettes are a little more Halloween-ish. The more I look at it, I don't think it's Fall or Halloween themed, which means I can leave it up all year if I feel like it. It's actually hanging on the inside of our door right now, partly because it's been so rainy outside, and I'm not sure how well the yarn and straw interior will endure the moisture, and partly because I kind of like getting to look at it more than the once or twice a day I come through the door.
Thus are the products of my calm, yet restless fall energy so far. Now I'm off to channel my creative energies into a paper on cultural competency in public health. I don't think the comfort level of our apartment will be greatly enhanced by this next endeavor, but we can hope that my mind will be.
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