Shirt into a Skirt

I went to the Plenty warehouse sale last year and picked up a tank in red and white stripes.  I already owned it in black and white but I couldn't pass up the $3 price for a good quality shirt.  Yes, it was a medium with a sewn on bra look to it but I didn't care, I thought it would be great under cardigans and sweaters.  I haven't worn it once, even under closed tops it makes my chest look hilarious and awkwardly spread out.  I tried it on again last fall and noticed that it was very long and thought why not turn it into a skirt!

This is the original black and white (and I really hope the stripes aren't showing up on your screen all warped, it's doing it at my work computer but not at home).  I took the shirt, cut it in half (making sure it wouldn't be a micro mini of course) and took the top half, folded it (took off the straps and made the front cleavage area into a straight line) and sewed it to the bottom half.  I used this American Apparel skirt as the pattern.  And voila!

A simple skirt for all seasons that cost $3 and an hour or 2.

This weekend I'm going to turn a vintage full length dress into a mini-dress.  I feel a bit bad for cutting up a vintage item but it's also going to look so great.



Ugh, I really hope these aren't all squiggly on other computers, a bit difficult to see the details.

Finishing Projects

I'm starting the year off right. I'm working on projects that I've thought about for a long time and I'm just going ahead and making them. First off, here is my Christmas gift from my mom and it was well needed. A homemade knitting needle case! I've been using rubber bands but keeping them organised to see the different sizes just wasn't working and it doesn't help that rubber bands disintegrate over time. Gross.

It's absolutely perfect!

So, Project number 1. For years I've had issues with my feminine products, as in I have to make sure they are hidden in my purse, make sure I have some and how do I carry them in my gym bag because I'm always riffling through it and they are getting damaged. It's at the point where I'm throwing out more unused damaged ones as time goes on so I started carrying them in a ziploc, I know, just so pathetic AND they were still falling out of their individual plastic protective cases. During class this past fall I came up with the perfect idea, a little pouch made with fabric that is also lined with cotton batting so the products aren't getting damaged. I was changing my bags everyday, going from school one day to the gym the next and the ziploc really wasn't cutting it anymore. I measured the fabric to the size of the zipper and made sure it would be able to hold the larger pads and a few at a time. This is what I made:

I'm really happy with this as it didn't cost me much and it's sized specifically for the products that I use. I knew that if I looked for something like this it could have taken me months and it just wouldn't be right. The only problem is that I didn't use a pattern and I haven't worked with zippers in YEARS so it took an extra hour, and there are a few little bumps in it. But at the same time it's getting thrown around with my gym shoes so it's the perfect "back into the sewing game" project.

Next up, knitted socks!!!!!

Knitting Machine

These are the few little projects I was able to do on the side while working full time and going to school part time. Simple knitting projects. The first one is a tea cozy that I made for a new friend, it looks a little baggy but it fits her taller pot very well.

These are the many of mittens that I made for the Vancouver Sun charity. I have one more pair to finish and hope to drop them off next week. Looks like we have some clear skies coming up which means COLD. Perfect timing!

Oh and the weird purple squiggles are yarn that attaches the mittens to each other, I just tied them in a bow and since the yarn is crinkled it looks really odd.

And finally I made a circular scarf (that doesn't need to be twisted twice around the neck) that's chunky and GREY! I needed a darker one in my accessory pile. I wasn't too keen when I finished this, the first time it looked like a neck brace, the second time it still didn't look that great but now that I've worn it more than a few times it's relaxed and it's so cozy. It was the easiest scarf to make but I love that it's totally unique and no one else out there has it.

I also chopped the bob off but this picture was taken post workout/shower, have to show it when it's not flat on my head. It's the most amazing cut for my wild, thick and wavy mane.

After finding local wonderful knitting blogs, such as Nook, Sewaholic  , luvinthemommyhood and Miso Crafty Knits I've decided I need to challenge myself even more for this next year. I'm going to perfect the hat, finish a sock and make a cardigan or sweater, in that order. I have done all three but I'm impatient and just haven't been motivated to master them, but now more then ever I want to take the time to really see what my little hands can do.

New Year

The new year is almost here!  New projects, new job (when I get one), recently single so I can look for a new boyfriend, and a new gym, brand new fancy gym in downtown Vancouver that looks out onto the water and towards North Vancouver.  I'll get a picture of it when I go there in the daytime.  I finished my classes at the beginning of the month, had Christmas events to go to, then flight prices went down so I was able to get an affordable flight to my parents, and I go home tomorrow and get all this newness to myself.

Do these heels (that I won at a female adult secret santa party) make my head look big? No, well, they still aren't enough to have me eye-to-eye with my bestie.

Some shots near my parents and mittens I've been working on. My belated gift to lower income families of Vancouver. Found this lovely organisation here and will be dropping them off about 10 pairs to a school in January. In other quick new NEWS, I will be selling some of my knitted items. Still not sure how I'll do it, right now it's order it and I'll make it, but I'm hoping to have it well organised for next winter. Have a happy new year, y'all.

UPDATE ;-)

I have had a bit of a social life over the past 8 weeks but not much of one. It's hilarious looking at the few pictures I've taken over this time (I usually have tons of pictures sitting on my computer), but there is only 4 more weeks to go and I can start job hunting! And I'll be able to go to the gym on a regular basis!

First off - Halloween. Spent the evening with my wife, bumped into the boyfriend and then her and I left him and went back to being fabulous. The best part of our costumes is that I'm 10 inches shorter than her (I'm Batman).

Topshop opened up in Western Canada, apparently it's the biggest one outside of London which is weird. I've been to the one in Manhattan and ours seems smaller. The layout is different than most stores, it does seem like you are going through an odd maze of medium sized rooms. I like their clothes, they look like a better quality then most brands but I don't know, it's very trendy. It looks like a higher end version of Forever21, which just opened up in Downtown Vancouver as well, so I don't know how much I'll spend at Topshop. But it is fun to walk through. Right across the street from Topshop is my fave, HandM, and lucky me I walked in during their $15 sweater sale, 2nd year in a row that I've caught it!

I'm very proud of myself over these past few months, my school is located exactly one block from these shops. I'm trying my hardest to not over-consume as it's not only hard on the wallet but also hard on the environment. Yes I donate as much as I can but what's the point of buying more so the companies have to make more clothes. There are too many shopaholics on this planet and I'm going to distance myself a little bit more from it.

I've invented a new meal during this busy time - the effortless omelet. I don't get to eat dinner that often (evening classes) and it's hard for me to keep food in the house when half of my week is only spent sleeping there. I really miss dinner, I really do. Eggs keep a bit longer than other proteins but sauteing and preparing vegetables can take away precious moments sitting with the tv. Simply whip up some eggs in a bowl, add a few chopped veggies of choice to the raw egg, maybe a bit of cheese and any spices you may like, pour it into a heated mini frying pan and you'll have an omelet in under 5 minutes. If you put a lid over the pan, keep it on lower to medium heat the egg should cook almost through and then flipping it over is no problem. No folding or tucking required with this guy, it's a college boys dream come true!

If you slice the veggies a bit thinner you don't really notice that they aren't fried, they still get nice and warm and the cheese melts and even gets crispy in some spots.

Wow, I can't wait to be done school. Accomplishments include not shopping and easy omelets?!? Haha, at least my relationships with friends and loved ones aren't being affected, they've actually improved and have become even stronger.

Well then,

I just started my first full week of evening classes (right after work) and it's what I expected. I get home and have enough time to breath and get organised for the next day. Lists to help with my organisation will be my best friend until December 10th when I finish the course. So here is a lazy post to keep things going.

AAAAAaaaaaaand I just burnt my tongue while waiting for this picture to upload. That is the wife and I having a coffee before our flight over to Victoria for her sister's bachelorette. Then a quick shot of me reading Joel Stein's new book (had to tweet it to him and he got back to me, still a little starstruck). And finally downtown Victoria was closed off and it was a pedestrian madhouse party with lots of chalk and artwork.

I got to hangout with little Miss Myra for a bit and then it was party time. Lots of events, food and drink to keep us going all night, I didn't go to bed until 4 am and I have no idea how I've survived this week. The bride to be ended up hungover and tired from the drinks and volleyball and still had a smile on her face, job well done!

This is me today, trying to fit in some studying so I can catch up but this mini bottle of orange nail polish is really distracting me. Must keep control until I watch a movie tomorrow night! Also, I've come up with a new project for ladies only, I'm really hoping I'll have an hour to make it this weekend.

Bridesmaid dress done!

I've finished altering my bridesmaid dress!  I just have to finish up the inside stuff that no one will see, a few loose threads, etc. I have to send out a thank you to Suzannah from Adventures in Dressmaking.  Her posts have taught me how to get back on the sewing machine and to just fix the clothes you already have.  Here is the original post and here is the dress in it's original form :

While working on it, I couldn't see the changes that I made, but now looking back at the pictures it was like a tent on my body!  And here it is now.  I got my friend to take a quick picture before we ran off for more accessories, sorry for the bad lighting:

I shortened the dress by 2.5 inches and I brought in the 3 seams that it has.  It also has a side slit that will be lengthened a tiny bit more, time to show off the gams!  And here is one last shot that was sent to the bride and the other bridesmaids - my strike a pose.  I wasn't planning on posting it here but it has better lighting and really shows how cute the dress turned out! (mind the loose threads)

The wedding is less than a month away, no traditional (Canadian) Thanksgiving for me this year, but it's so exciting now that it's all coming together. 

Tonight is back to school for me, it's been a couple of years since I've taken a course and it's time to upgrade.  In 3 months I'll be ready to work administration in dental offices.  No more ordinary administration jobs for me, and no more competing with thousands of other girls with the same skills.  The next 3 months will have very few crafts, oh so sad, but I'll still have the rest of the winter months to get my fill of knitting and sewing!  So I'll be around, just not as much, as I also have to find a bit of time for a handsome guy I've been dating - who will also be super busy with his 3 month intense course.  He's lucky he's handsome, considerate and polite, or I'd be a goner ;-)