Valentine Theme Week-Day 4

Today’s project is another classic Valentine gift.  Well, technically, it is a classic gift for most occasions.  After all, who doesn’t like a darling little teddy bear?

He was originally going to be bigger and somewhat different, but he kinda morphed himself into what he wanted to be. 

He is made from stretchy velvety material that used to be a shirt!

I was, also, going to make him like the Mad Hatter, but then Travis mentioned how much he looks like a mouse, so instead I made him into the inebriated mouse from the tea party.

Tea Party Mouse VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

What a big mistake!  He has gotten completely out of hand!  He’s been partying to all hours!  I tried to have a talk with him about it, but he just scurried off in a spiral, and passed out! 

Valentine Theme Week-Day 3

Well, my ADD took over again!  LOL  I did finish 2 projects for days 2 & 3, but one of them is not what I started yesterday!  Let’s start with the one I did start yesterday:

Valen-time Capsule VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I am limited on time for me to work on surprises for Travis.  It is hard to hide works in progress from Travis and our destructive cat at the same time!  Technically, it wasn’t finished by the time I took the photo.  I am waiting for the development of old photos that we hadn’t seen in a while.  Once they are in, There will be a ribbon around the top.  Not everything in it was photographed.  Most of the stuff wouldn’t make sense to anyone but us.  To everyone else these things are senseless trash, but for us, these things are treasures from different points of time in our history together.  I have:

• a dated broken pool stick tip
• a dated red-orange golf ball
• a fuse
• a paper football
• an old car key to a car we don’t even have anymore
• a little plastic pirate coin
• old tickets and wristbands
• and lots more priceless, crazy treasures!

Also included is the second thing I finished today:

What better for a bass guitar player that works in construction/restoration, than a trio of guitar picks made from a sample of Formica?!

Since he plays bass guitar, I should have known that the sushi guitar picks would be too thin for the thicker strings.  He played til he broke them!  LOL  So now these are thicker, stronger, and less feminine.

If you are wondering how the picks fit the theme:  They are handmade Valentine’s gifts that were made with love!

PS:  Most of the graphics can be found on the Graphics Fairy blog!

Valentine Theme Week-Day 2

As I said I would make something every day this week;  I have in fact been a busy bee today.  Two halves do make one whole, right?

I won’t give away too much, but I will give a sneak peek into “day 2’s” & “day 3’s” projects that were both started on day 2, and will both be finished on day 3.

You may be asking yourself why I started the second project before finishing the first, today.  I started with the sewing project and my back got sore from all the hunching over while sewing, so I had to stop.  Well, half a project wasn’t good enough for me.  So I figured:  two halves make a whole! 

 

 

To be honest, much of my problems today revolved around poor time management.  That seems to be an ongoing problem with me. 

 

 

I don’t regret all of it, but I do feel really bad that I caused my best friend to miss a lecture he really wanted to attend.  We bought him dinner to say sorry, tho.

 

 

However, we wouldn’t have found these cool masks or paper valentine’s dresses if we were on target. 

Valentine Theme Week-Day 1

I decided to make up for missing week #4 by making something every day for this week’s theme!  I begin with a small project.  Just some hair clips I made from the flower decorations from my unbirthday party. 

I only took a pic of one of each, but both of them have a matching pair.  I thought in my poorly lit house, that taking a pick of just one at a time would make it easier to see them.

Aren’t they cute, tho?  I thought they looked too cute to just waste them, and a classic Valentine’s gift for ladies are flowers.  The pink ones are actually backed with flowers I got off a lei that I’ve had for a long time.  (I’ve gained quite the collection of leis.)  The petals don’t look even because they are curled, but they are even.  The beads in the centers were in a pencil sharpener I found.  Weird things are often left in weird places.  LOL

Week 5? What Happened?!

The theme this week applies to the garment as well as the missing week #4.

In case you are wondering.  My un-birthday went so-so.  But the week prior and week since has been hell!  (I’ll spare you the details.)

I would start this post off by showing you my “failed” Alice dress for week #4, but I only failed in time constraint.  However the dress itself is still on the right track and will be finished and presented later, so I don’t want to spoil the surprise!  But there will be a make up garment soon for the missed week #4.

So this week’s garment was actually not what I was planning on refashioning this week.  This one is less of a “refashion” and more of a “save from a landfill!”

My sis gave me a bag of clothes for fixing, refashioning, and some she just didn’t know what to do with.  One of the garments was a knitted top that had many popped stitches and large runs.  I wasn’t sure I could fix it, but I set to work….

I surprised myself with how well I did at recovering all the damage!  I thought it looked better with the belt than just thick and boxy like before.  Like my new earrings?  (It was a birthday present-so I still haven’t used ANY of the $260 USD budget!)

For those that have “liked” Henthorne Handmade on Facebook:  More gifts will be posted tomorrow!  Sorry for the delay!  The PC’s and handmade gift sign ups are still open!  Check previous posts &/or the “Discussions” area on our Facebook fan page! 

Week 3: Wishful Thinking

Although I love the cold weather, I do wish now could be spring!  I’m preparing plantings and looking at all the seed packets with all the beautiful colors.  I keep thinking of all the pretty dresses I want to wear this year since I’m not bedridden or wheelchair bound this year!  (Knock on wood!!!)

I am drawn to a different color every year.  I don’t know why.  I just am.  This year I can’t stop thinking about the color of most of the pansies that I am seeing all over the place.  I wish I had some!  I never thought of myself as a purple kinda gal, but this year I just can’t seem to get enough of it!

This week I captured a bit of that in this dress.  I know I should’ve had a better shot, but I was so busy goofing off in it that almost all the pictures came out blurry.  I like the dress.  I do need to tighten under the arms a bit, but otherwise I am very happy with it!    Sorry, no previous picture.  It was just a plain broom skirt.  Isn’t the umpire waist awesome?

I bought some red dye, too.  I probably should have done a purple project during the Amethyst month and a red project during the Garnet month.  Oh well! 

Week 2: Couch Potato

I’m a little later than I wanted to be in posting this week’s refashion tonight.  Travis’ pdaNet quit working.  So we had to go find Wi-Fi to post.

This week has been pretty chaotic, and yet, I bit off a huge chunk of a challenge!  (Almost too ambitious for this week!)

And here it is:

My new leather jacket!  And it was refashioned from this:

Forgive the crappy jacket picture.  The pile was photographed in the daylight, and the jacket was at night.  I don’t know why part is absorbing the light and part is reflecting it.  Maybe it is the way I have my arms.  I saw a jacket in a magazine that was one of those “not supposed to close” kinds, and I loved it.  However, I’m not as excited about my version.  I have more leather left, so I will probably be RE-refashioning this one.  I think I like how the cuffs tie.  I might keep that.

Overall:  Not bad for an experimental pattern used on leather that used to be a COUCH!  (The title makes more sense now, huh?  LOL)

The leather cost me nothing since it was given to me some time ago by a friend of mine whom repairs furniture.  Therefore, my $260 for the year has remained untouched! 

Week 1: Comfort the Sickies

Here we are.  At the start of a 52 week long project of refashioning frenzy.  Thank you to anyone who has joined my support team.  And thank you to those that have helped me thru this rocky start despite my being extremely sick!  Now on with the show!

Some of you may have guessed what I was making by the theme.  Other’s may have guessed based on Wednesday’s sneak peek.  Here’s a refresher:



The starting material for this project was a dark grey blanket.  I, also, used some “barberry red” bias tape that my MIL passed to me in a treasure trove of Great Grand’s old crafting supplies.  I had the thread for it.  So all together, this week cost me $0 of my project budget!  Such a spender, huh?  LOL

And here are the PJ’s:

Yup!  You guessed it!  PJ’s!  I didn’t make a top to go with it, because I knew I wouldn’t wear it.  I always wear Travis’ t-shirts with my PJ pants.  For the waist, I used the same bias tape to match the mask.  There is elastic hidden inside to keep them up.

Not bad for week #1, huh?

As of this morning, I am on antibiotics.  So as soon as I feel better, you’ll see me “hit it like a hurricane!”  (And return to my beloved kitchen!)  Keep coming back Friday nights for more of the 52 Week Wardrobe!  And catch bonus refashions as well as other randomness along the way!

I snuggle up in my PJ’s to some classic rock (old rock) as I leave you with a project that I found online that I really felt matched the theme.  It would be a great project to try next time I am robbing my bean bag toys for beans for hacky sacks!  LOL

Click here to check out Stuffed With Love Animal Scarves at Crafty Schemes.

<a href="http://henthornehandmade.blogspot.com" title="52 Week Wardrobe at Henthorne Handmade Button"><img src="http://i.picasion.com/pic37/ae663dc3a56197b17112bdceb6665903.gif" width="150" height="150" border="0" alt="52 Week Wardrobe-Fridays at Henthorne Handmade" /></a>

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New Project Intro and Sneak Peek

I wanted to post the introduction to this year’s major project sooner, but I’m off to a rough start due to being struck with the PLAGUE!  Everyone in our household is sick!  I’ve been struck with the worst of it.  Travis started having symptoms on the 4th.  And the fur-babies even have it!

But sickness or no sickness, I was determined to not launch this new project on a bad note!

I’m calling it my 52 Week Wardrobe.

In the 52 weeks of 2011, I will be replacing my wardrobe one refashioned outfit at a time.  I will even be making some shoes, purses, jewelry, and other accessories along the way as bonuses!  I am giving myself a total budget of $260 for the year.  (That comes out to $5 per week.  Yep!  That’s right…an entire outfit for $5!)  By the end of 2011, any remaining money in the budget will be donated to charity.  (The exact charity is to be voted on by you in December!)

Every Friday, I will be revealing the refashioned outfit of the week.  And look for bonus refashions throughout the remaining week days.

The first week’s theme:  Comfort the Sickies!

And here’s your sneak peek:

Not much, yet.  Just an eye mask.  Come back Friday to see the rest and what it was refashioned from! 

Random Goals for 2011

Happy New Year!

Here is a very short list of random goals for 2011.  Think I can stick to them?  LOL

~Refashion more stylish clothes~

I can’t say that I will keep up with the trends and styles that will be popular, but I do want to dress in ways that make me happier and feel more confident.  What I wear definitely affects my mood.  What woman doesn’t want to feel like she looks nice?  I do want to make rather than buy them.  (Keep an eye out!  A new project for this year will be announced soon!)  Plus, that will leave me more money to put towards this next one!

~Wear more shoes that make me happy!~

At risk of sounding commercial-ish, I must say this anyways.  I found this fabulous online shoe store.  I’m hoping to drop some hints to Travis for my birthday.  I’m not 100% sure how it works, yet.  But I get the impression that you take a quiz (which I have already taken), and their stylists send you shoe pics based on your preferences which you can buy for $40 a pair with free shipping.  You are able to rate styles to help the stylist better pick out shoes for you, too!  (Or you can just buy the ones you pick out yourself…)

~Become Healthier~

Travis got me (for Christmas) a Jack LaLanne juicer that I’ve had my eye on for a couple years.  I am so excited.  I am hoping that juicing will help me include more natural vitamins and minerals into my diet.  Hopefully even enough to correct the deficiencies that an American diet is prone to.  I plan to use juicing as one step towards trying to fix my body and become more baby-ready.  I’ve long given up the sodas, but bottled juices are often not really juice at all.
Do keep an eye on Henthorne Handmade for future recipes for juices as well as the pulp. (Why waste those vitamins, right?)
This includes working out.  An adequate work out plan is yet to be made, tho.
I know I’ll be adding to this list, but for now I wanted to try to limit myself to a small list so it doesn’t seem so overwhelming.
If you make a post about your 2011 goals, I would love to check it out! 

Kitchen Fluff

Ok, so this is a mix on the last project.

Instead of using 2 sponges, I used only one small, thin sponge.  It was used to keep kitty toys straight in the packaging.  Instead of throwing it away, I made a mini bath time fluff with it, and used waterproof glue and part of the ribbon to attach it to the end of a thick chopstick.  Now it can clean where my hand can’t fit!

The picture was taken while the glue was still drying.  The ribbons will be removed after the glue is dry.  Isn’t it nifty?!

Bath Time Fluff

How was your holiday?  Mine was nice.  A little more stressful than usual since we had to celebrate with both families on the same day this time.  Travis and I have decided that will not happen again.  Next year, if the Henthorne’s celebrate on Christmas Day again, then we’ll just celebrate with them the following year.

So anyways…

I told my mom about my favorite lotion.  (Actually, I told everyone about it!  I was determined to drop hints until I got a refill!  LOL)  So one of my Christmas gifts this year was a hand arranged basket, from Mom, with the complete Vanilla Lace collection from Victoria’s Secret!  AHHH!!!!!  Lotion? Check!  Hand cream? Check! Body spray and perfume?  Check and check!  Body wash?  Oh so fabulous!

So now, all I needed was a fluff of fabulousness!  So here’s what I did:

  I picked 2 new sponges out of my cleaning supply drawer. (I bought a bag of mixed sponges and scrubbers when we moved.)  One is very dense, and would likely be great at polishing my skin.  The other was very porous and fluffy, so I thought it would create a great lather.

  I used my straight edge pocket knife to cut the dense sponge into 4 equal pieces, lengthwise, and the porous sponge into 5 equal pieces, crosswise.  Then arranged them in a checker board pattern with the mid-section of every piece lined up together (like in the picture.)

  Then I wrapped a scrap piece of ribbon around the middle, tied half of a square knot, and pulled tightly before completing the knot.  As a last touch, I tied the ends of the ribbon together for it to hang by in the shower.

  And, yes, it is just as fabulous as I hoped it would be!  YAY!!!

T-shirt Yoga Pants Tutorial (my version)

I'm sorry I'm late with the tutorial. My wireless went out Thursday. I am using Retta's until she kicks me off. So this is kinda being rushed.

Here Goes:

***Make sure the distance from armpit to armpit on the shirt you are using is bigger than your thigh measurement. For the waist you can use the sleeves of the t-shirt, a skort like my last pair, another shirt like this pair, or just any fabric that you can get to the measurement needed. For drawstring you can use ribbon, rope, long boot shoelaces, one of the sleeves cut into a spiral so as to make a long string, etc.

Also, for the waist, make sure your fabric doesn't fray, or extra steps will have to be taken.***

Step 1: Lay your T out flat, making sure to line up the bottom front with the bottom back.

Step 2: Cutting thru the front and the back at the same time, cut the sleeves off at the seams. (Cut so as to leave the seams on the sleeves, not the shirt.)

Step 3: Cut from the armpits to the bottom sides of the shirt, following the folds made from it laying flat.

Step 4: Cut the neck and shoulders off by cutting straight and even, thru both layers, from one arm to the other, just below the neckline.







Step 5: You now have the 2 (unsewn) legs. Set one to the side. Fold the other one, lining up the 2 edges you cut in step 3, with outsides facing in, pin and sew securing ends. Repeat for other leg. (The red yarn shows where was sewn.)







Step 6: Turn them right side out. Line up the arm holes, outsides facing in, pin and sew from the inside, securing ends.

Step 7: Try them on both ways. Determine which side will be the front. Now measure from the back seam of the pants up to where you want your waist to end. Multiply that by 2 and add seam allowances at both ends. (I used my finger to measure. My waist just happened to be the same measurement as my index tip to knuckle. It is easier and more accurate than a ruler, which you have to distort yourself to read the measurement.)

Step 8: By whatever means, make a rectangle that is (your waist measurement+ seam allowances) by (measurement from step 7.)

Step 9: Outsides facing in, line up the shorter edges, pin and sew securing ends.

Step 10: Lay your pants flat, right side out. Take the waist tube you just made, turn it inside out, and put around top of pants with the tube seam lined up with the back pant seam. (If you used 2 equal pieces to make the waist tube, line the seams up with the side folds of the pants as they lay flat.) Line up, pin, and sew around, securing edges.







Step 11: Now fold the waistband in (If using elastic instead of a drawstring, now is the time to put it in.) Line up the edge of the inner waist band, with the edge of the seam, pin & sew, securing edges.

Step 12: Now that your pants are sewn, all that is left is the drawstring. Move to the middle of the front of the waistband. (use pant seam to line up.) Half-way up the waist, outer layer only, fold over and make 2 small vertical holes. (The front seam should line up right between these 2 holes.)







Step 13: String as shown below:

If any of this doesn't make sense to you, please let me know.
Also, I would love to see any that yall make.

And yes I did lose weight. Don't I look good!?! LOL