Recycled!

Ernest and Eileen had another baby!

So, how surprised was I to receive a photo from Eileen with New Baby Cuteness in her older brother's recycled fleur-de-lis onesie I made 2 years ago!

As we say in Louisiana when we see something cute ~~ shaaaaaa!

Flannel burp cloths

Made a stack of flannel burp cloths for my breeder friend and embellished with owl appliques and stitched initials.
Here baby, puke and spit up on my hand wrought work.

Baby pants!

Watched "The Baby Show" on Martha Stewart's television show and Heather Ross demonstrated how to sew baby bloomers from her Weekend Sewing book which I just happened to own. Woo Hoo!



Will totally make more but next time, I'll sew French seams instead of the prescribed pinked seams. The elastic thread in the bobbin trick was super easy. And of course, I couldn't leave well enough alone so I added a tattoo inspired bird on the back. It's almost like baby's very first tramp stamp!

She's got all the charm of a Pie Hole

Looka!

My friend Vcards12 made a custom and personalized silver Pie (Hole) charm for my buddy Dawn's bracelet.

Vcards12 sells cool stuff on etsy -- check her out.

Plan to order one for myself but haven't decided if I want:

• Leezra Hole
• Skitz Hole
  
• Bung Hole
• Cake Hole
• Shut Your Hole

Any suggestions/thoughts?

Cuff made o' stuff

Being a bit of bead and button hoarder, I had to prove to myself I could either use it or lose it.
Beads
Sequins
Buttons
Silk fabric scrap


It's a cuff, I tell ya!

Who's the hoarder NOW? I gave it to RikkiTikkiTavi.

Linen handtowel

To tell the truf', it's a linen place mat but it's folded to become a fingertip-type towel. (Marshall's $3!)
Wonder Under iron-on stuff, vintage fabric and appliqued with satin stitch. WooHoo!

What's old is new. Again.

"What are you doing?"

The question took me by surprise when baby sister Rikki Tikki Tavi called last Saturday afternoon. Sure that she was imagining my slothful self sleeping or napping, "I'm a little ashamed to say" was my response.

"Oh gross! Are you in the bathroom?!"

"No, it's worse. I'm watching a quilting show on television."

"Ugh, you shoulda let me believe the first guess."

Rikki Tikki Tavi doesn't mind having a sister/free tailor but the last thing she wants to hear is sewing talk but I am feeling a bit more special today after reading that Julia Roberts is taking sewing lessons. How about that? I think we've reached the stage of Sewing Is Now Officially Cool.

While perusing sites such as Craftster.com, I am impressed by the young age of fearless sewists with no formal training. Those teenage chicks are seeking old sewing machines, vintage fabric and patterns to make their own mark.

Back in Mom's day, every female took Home Economics courses and knew how to sew. In my high school days, it was an elective but because my elective was already fulfilled by music, I wasn't able to take any Home Ec classes, ever. Even if my casual interest in sewing had been explored, I didn't really want to be a part of what I considered kinda pathetic path. Home Ec in the 80's is what you did when you had no collegiate or career future.


Brought on by television show Project Runway, perpetuated by Anthropologie marketing and augmented by online commerce site etsy.com, personally crafted items are still (or yet again) appreciated even in our current age of cheap factory made everything. Our eye zones in toward the imperfect handmade touch and it's not the first time in our history. The Arts and Crafts movement (1860-1910) was a reaction against industrial consumerism. And what better rebellion from 1970's plastic than macrame and pottery? It ebbs and flows, my friend.

When I sit in my craft room, late at night, mending a favorite clothing items or rummaging through the buttons, I wonder what my great-grandmothers would've thought of my late-bloomed passion for sewing. What would they say about massive craft room? Or online sewing blog?

I hope they're proud.

Water meter cover of the day

Looka what I saw last weekend. Who'd expect a New Orleans water meter cover in a Dallas, Texas flower bed?
Huh, wonder how that happens?

My new black drawers

You checkin' out my black drawers?
Huh.
My drawers were grey and little rusty.
I bought them second hand
at a flea market.
Ever bought used drawers
at an open air trading post?
You'll need to wipe
or vacuum them out.


How's about some black spray paint?


Um, no.
Paint FAIL!
Look at the bubbling mess.


What's a crafting skitzo to do?
Paint that shit again.
Paint it again.
Layer the paint until the
bubbling texture looks smooth.

Slap some labels on it.
Be proud of your OCD.

Welcome to Skitzo Leezra's New Studio

Greetings to all you Anonymous Craftaholics out there in the Intranet! Linda checked out my craft room pix on the Skitzo Leezra Studio blog and flickr photos and saw my old craft room but meanwhile, I was expanding and growing to a bigger craft room studio.

It began with a box under my bed and grew to an entire room dedicated to craft, but always with organization as key. With a handful of Lowe's gift cards, a rough graph paper draft and a love of organization, my 10' by 12' craft room evolved to a 21' by 14' studio.

Plan your work, work your plan. It's all about space planning, people!





Using things for other than their intended purpose, that's me! Metal gutters become ribbon storage and an old library card catalog holds embroidery floss and beads.


Creative storage solutions? How's about storing sewing notions in these old (antique?) enamelware refrigerator boxes glommed from my mom's stash?

(Who doesn't love a label maker?)

Thanks for checking out my craft studio and here's hoping you carve out your own happy place. Check out my other postings for more details and some how-tos or "tutorials" as craft folk call them.

Play that funky music, frog boy!
We gotta get our craft on!

((HUGE thanks to Linda
for inviting me to hang out with you!!!))

I got you pegged

Not gonna lie, my fabric covered peg board is something to behold.
AND, I'm gonna tell ya how to make one for your very ownself.

Materials needed:

• pegboard
• frame
• spray adhesive
• fabric, wrinkle and crease free
  
• scissors
• iron
• pegboard hooks
• awl
  

Find a frame.

Purchase some pegboard at a lumberyard or Lowe's or Home Depot. Or totally luck out like me (because People Give Me Stuff) and snag brother-in-law's leftover pegboard material.

Cut pegboard to fit inside your frame. (Don't install pegboard into frame yet.)


Walk yourself outdoors with a can of spray adhesive. Spray the pegboard with adhesive.

Carefully smooth your fabric over the tacky pegboard. Get it right the first time because there isn't much forgiveness between the fabric and glue. Trim excess fabric.

Install the pegboard into your frame. Stand in awe of your near wonderful creation.

Install two Gorilla hooks to balance and level your framed pegboard.


Now we're getting to the fun part. Drag a finger across the fabric to select a pegboard hole. Grab your handy awl and gently poke through the hole. Aggressive poke-age will result in stretched and unfortunate fabric puckering.

Insert a pegboard hook.

Start filling that mutha'!

Don't forget to add a disco ball, fool!

With remaining pegboard material,
I repeated the procedure for
three smaller framed pegboards.




You like?

Inch by inch

My good buddy Elizabeth picked up this cool yardstick thing at a yard sale. She knew I would love it and she was, as the French would say, "correct".


Look at it installed on my wall.
Woo Hoo!
Merci beaucoup, E!

Feline helper

Maybe Sammy thought the frames would blow away.

Or perhaps 3 wooden frames are more comfortable than carpet.

Meet my furry assistant.

Never underestimate the power of whimsy

Perhaps your craft room doesn't include the following but why the hell not?

anthropomorphic kitties

disco ball

boombox toting frog

lava lamp

a visual reminder
to get the finger outta your ass
and make something!

She's right

Yesterday, Kristie left a comment that included the following:
Congratulations on what must feel like Utopia to you now.

What a generous thought.
Thank you, Kristie!
You're right, it is my own "happy place" and I'm gratified the picture in my head now matches the new studio down the hall.
It's been a fun project and it's nice to have ya'll check it out.
'Preciate your interest!

Watch yo' shelf

While mapping out the room, I decided match the shelving depth to the 24" work surfaces for a more cohesive look.
Edsal shelves were on sale at Lowe's so two went home with me. Metal posts and shelves were spray painted ivory to coordinate with the purposely neutral walls and floor. The wood shelf inserts were black and not raw wood as shown online or on box. Woozy from spray paint fumes, I opted not to paint the shelves.


Word to the wise: have a buddy assist when assembling. The pieces aren't heavy but must be level.


The posts and supports are metal thus magnet backed glass top boxes are perfect storage for extra needles and such.

WooHoo! It's time to fold some fabric and sort and alphabetize it accordingly.