Check me out

Me! On the home page of CRAFTSTER!!
Totally a surprise. Totally not submitted. Totally a fantastic craft blog day* to see my cat food bags on the Reusable Shopping Bags page! It's on the top row, I tell ya!

Thanks to Moesha for cluing me in to the screen shot save.

Cat food messenger bag

How "green" is this?

A messenger bag I made from a cat food bag and free notions. You heard me.

Cleaned and rinsed cat food bag and then kinda made it up as I went along. Instead of attaching a button or closure, I fashioned a tab with a heavy but sparkly belt buckle from the People Give Me Stuff stash. Give me something and I will eventually use it, I tell you. The weight of the buckle will keep the flap down.

Lining made of quilting cotton with a scrap fabric pocket for interior. "Boxed" the corners for a flat bottom.

Because men's neckties are cut on the bias and thus, not very stable, I zigzagged the crap out of the necktie strap. The quilting effect feels fabu.

One side of the strap was long enough to double on itself to form a pocket with the broad tip plus a cell phone pocket.

Look closely for the tie point below the orange stitched strip.



Opposite side of strap with a toggle closure to hold keys.

Just in case you're afraid that I don't know this bag is as ugly as homemade sin, let me assure you, I do. Heinous, perhaps. I was playing around and didn't wanna "waste" good bias tape and a pretty necktie if it didn't work. Thinking I might wanna make another now that I've learned a couple tricks.

Check out my previous cat food tote.

Oh wait, there's more!

A wallet made of the remaining piece with bias tape and a snap.

That's one cat food bag with practically no waste!

Baby gift idea

For my sister Rikki Tikki Tavi's first baby shower, Dad and I worked together to make a couple baby clothing wooden hangers with pet heads on top. When hanging, the cat or dog head appears at the neckline.

I printed out a dog head and cat head.

Dad used the paper print outs to trace and cut the wood.

Wood was painted white.

Cat head and dog head decoupaged to wood.

Metal hook installed.

I made a cat head hanger for myself to model my "coming home from the hospital" outfit that my mom saved all these years. My Sammy-head-wearing-my-baby-dress hanger is on display in the laundry room.

Funny thing: each time Rikki would remove the dog hanger from the closet, her Welsh Corgi dog would bark like crazy.
Was the dog scared of her own image or mad that her likeness was sporting boy's clothing?

I spy

cats looking at me

Sammy

at Icanhascheezburger.com

Cat food tote bag

Inspired by this

Thinking that folks can make a tote bag from juice bags, why not a cat food bag?

Hey, looka, polka dot lining!

The interior green ribbon is a key loop and the tote strap is made from a plaid necktie.

What's your style?

I subscribe to the weekly e-mail of free clip art from Dover Design Publications and each week I peruse the offerings and download my favorites. Almost always, I pass on the Asian graphics, Southwest American or any phantasmagorical stuff.

No thanks

Instead I'll take a Victorian era black and white pen and ink skeleton

or a monkey or cat with a hat,

Tea towel swap

My new craft buddy Anary and I arranged a 2 tea towel swap and she put put so much thought in to my most perfect towels. TRULY, it is one of the most personal and touching gifts I have ever received because it was ALL ABOUT ME! And my fat cat Sammy. Anary took a look at my blog and incorporated all kinds of SkitzoLeezra-isms into her work.
You know I love me some use of SHUT UP!

Anary's needlework and stitching is sublime and DANG, it is impressive! I cannot even imagine how long it took her to make those towels and feel guilty that I contributed to her possibly being a crafting shut-in lady that never ventures out of the house. A crafting agoraphobic, if you will.
And I used to think people that don't use items because they are "too nice" are stoopid, but I think I understand now. Those towels are FRAME worthy!

Big thanks to Anary for one of the nicest and the most thoughtful items ever.
The shiny "caw, caw" shout out goes to the Silver Bullet can of Coors. And the kitty claws are stitched with glow-in-the-dark embroidery floss. You heard me. Glow-in-the-effin'-dark! Love that.

Origami boxes

Looks like a kitty catcher to me.

My buddy Trixie avoids the devil's workshop by using her nimble fingers to fold these numerous origami boxes. She tells me that "Cat Sadie took off one of the boxes but Cat Mojo, bless his heart, isn't smart enough to be curious about much other than what's in his food bowl. I'm his mama so I can say things like that."

Love the origami installation, Trixie!

Kitty loo curtains

Elizabeth purchased one curtain panel from Lowe's ($4, make ya holler) and we cut it up to make a lavatory skirt (photo to appear in upcoming blog entry) AND curtains to hide the kitty's litter box. Welcome to the Pooh Loo Lounge!

More wallets!

Wallets for days!

Some of cotton broadcloth - easy.

Some of upholstery sample remnants - not so easy.

Idea: add grommet or eyelet for earbud wire and tuck an Ipod in that wallet!

Kitty on MY shirt!

Finally, an embroidered T-shirt for myself!

Stitched with an Aunt Martha iron-on design.
Employed Ultra Solvy stabilizer.
Mostly backstitch.
Satin stitch on nose and thread spools.
Couched threads held by kitty stitcher and thread hanging from spool.
Laced backstitch on dress hem.
Vintage mother-of-pearl buttons sewed where buttons appear on pattern.

If the kitty stitcher looks a little cross-eyed, give her a break!
Hours spent hunched over a hoop, but happy hours, I tell ya!

Cat on your shirt

* Created some craft karma with a gift to Chrysanthemum and stitched this kitty cat on a knit t-shirt with an Aunt Martha iron-on transfer.
* Reinforced the knit with an interfacing product called Ultra Solvy to avoid stretching out while stitching in a hoop. The clear interfacing can be used in the hoop or applied to shirt. If applied, remove by dissolving in hot water.

* Grey outline stitches did not show up well on blue background so I filled stitches in with white floss.

* Petticoat effect created by interlaced backstitch. Also on bonnet.

* Lazy daisy stitch flowers on dress.

Older than my years

Now that I am a Southern female of certain age, genetics and heritage have kicked in and I have taken up embroidery. I LOVE it and am so content when I have a free night to stitch in front of TiVo enhanced television. So far, mostly experiments on linen teatowels but yesterday I purchased those old fashioned iron-on patterns of cats performing household chores. You heard me!
I draw a line at the stoopid Holly Hobby bubbleheaded bonnet girls but a cat going to market or a laundry washing feline cracks me up.

What's in the bag, pussy?

Electro-Cat

Purchased a box of fabric at a recent estate sale. It was chock full of high end upholstery remnants, ribbon, trim, doll clothing, you name it. Found this piece of cat print fabric with faux cross stitch and lace. Well, that kind of artifice just galls my inner crafter and I was wondering WHO the HELL I was gonna pass it on to. I mean, it was ugly but I am not one to THROW AWAY perfectly good fabric and by now you should know that I don't really do "cutesy". Then it hit me. It could be MY version of cutesy.

Electro-Cat was born. Though Electro-Cat has mutant pink claws, it has the ability to stun objects with its X-ray sequin and bead eyes. Even appliqued cars with metal snap wheels. Who knows where Electro-Cat will reside, a tote, a jean jacket?

Keep your eyes peeled for Electro-Cat but don't hold Electro-Cat's gaze too long. You might just get Hyp-No-Tized!

Kitty cat baby onesie

Another iron-on pattern by Dimensionals Crafts

Savvy Stitches kit, this one is called "Fun Things".

Check out the wrapped package with "old school" diaper pin.

Dolores Umbridge inspired cat brooch

Sis and I saw "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" last weekend. The Dolores Umbridge character is Hogwart's new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and is evil packaged in a saccharine pink cloud complete with touches of feline fake sweetness. Dolores sported a cat brooch with each of her oh-so-gag-from-the-pinkness ensembles. My inner crafter was distracted by the feline pin. So, as soon as I got home, I crafted up this tribute to Dolores' accoutrement. AND, Sis WEARS it! Yay!

(Blurry photo due to glossy plastic "gem".)

More Tea Towels!