Weak week for travel photos

I _really_ meant to post yesterday. I brought some travel photos on a USB drive to work so I could post.
I didn't get to it.

So I'm going to re-post a photo from our old blog, Iowa Summer. It's a nice reminder of springtime during this midwestern heat-wave we've been having--though next week I'm sure we'll be back in the depths of winter. I didn't even take the photo, in fact -- my boyfriend's friend Maria did. This is from a fantastic park near Maria's house in Japan.

Making a place to make things

This might be first post I've made here that is really truly relavent to the name.

There's an alcove in my apartment, about three feet across and two feet deep. For a couple weeks I had a little table there, but it didn't fit very well and things just piled up on it, because it was not a nice place to work.

Then I fixed this problem.

First I tried to find an appropriate desk or bookshelf--it didn't happen. So I took the sensible course of action, and roped my dad into helping me build something.

I made the basic workplan, and then my dad and I put it together. When I told him, then, that I was going to cover it in wallpaper, I think he was skeptical.
But he need not have been skeptical.


Progress!
It's not even real wallpaper, I think it was supposed to be wrapping paper, maybe?


And the finished product:


Nothing could fit more perfectly into this little space, and it all came together for about $60--way less than a pre-fab desk OR bookshelf.

So now I have a place to make valentines! And as soon as I get a sewing machine... so excited.
Now this is a making-place.

sewing projects

One of my goals over winter break was to sew more of my own clothing. I even got a new book, Sew U: Home Stretch, and am attempting to learn how to sew with knits and make my own t-shirts and a knit dress. So far, it's challenging. So I stuck with what I'm more familiar with, and made this skirt.


I already love wearing lots of shades of grey at once, so this just makes it easier.


The yellow on the hem is just the bias tape on the inside, it's not really visible when I wear the skirt. I didn't really use a pattern, so I am really happy that it turned out (almost) just like I pictured it in my head. It feels just a little bit cheerleader-ish, which is fun.