Create: Clipboard Notes

My life is hectic, or at least it seems that way when things aren't organized.  I have a full time job that pays, two part time 'jobs' that don't pay, and other assorted groups and responsibilities.  All of them have due dates and things that need to get done.  I can make list after list, but something will probably get lost in the shuffle.

I decided that rather than making one list that could easily get lost or could forget a group/due date, I'd make a list for each.  But where would I put them?  A single piece of paper in my house becomes a needle in a haystack.  Four?  No way would I ever find that.  Instead, I made a clipboard with a bunch of paper dedicated to each realm in my life.

During a previous project, I glued two sheets of cardboard together.  I still had some of that left so it became my base.  If you are gluing cardboard, I've found it best to set them so that the support line thingies running inside of it are perpendicular to each other.  You know how cardboard boxes are easy to fold one way and harder the other?  How they have little support slat things in them?  That's what I'm talking about.  Once you glue your sheets together, put them under something heavy and wait for them to dry.

Since I have a fascination for half sheets of paper, I used that size for my notebooks.  Measure your paper and add however much ease you want on each side.  My paper 5.5" so I cut my cardboard to 6" wide.  Luckily the piece of cardboard I was working with was a great height with a two inch or so ease at the bottom so I didn't have to measure it.  Do the same thing you did with the width and add a couple extra inches to the bottom of your measurement.  This gives you space to write what the clipboard is for.

Once your boards are cut out, (I used an exacto knife and didn't cut myself, yay!) pile up your paper and secure it with a binder clip.  Now where to put them?

Mine are hung under my white board with thumbtacks.  I used medium size binder clips because the top loops are perfect to go over the tacks. 

Now I when I am thinking of one particular responsibility, I can jot down my deadlines and compare them with the rest.  Yay, organization!

Create: A Dirty Place

This week has been a rough one.  I've had a bunch of stuff come due that I haven't been planning for.  I have three swaps due and two concerts this weekend.  I've known it's all happening, but I just haven't felt motivated to get it done.  Well, I've had a bad case of anxiety over a swap project and that's put a halt to the whole process.

I couldn't get my crocheted swim bag done for today, but I found something even better to make.

I've been planning on making some sort of bag to hold my napkins, tissues, and towels from the kitchen.  They have a tendency to pile somewhere and then I can't find them to wash them, and then I can't tell if they are clean or not.  This project from Cornflower Blue was exactly what I was looking for.  There's no sewing like I was planning, and I didn't even have to go buy supplies.  In addition, I get to use the really nifty pillow case that I haven't used in the bedroom because the colors clash. 

The colors are much, much brighter in real life.

All I had to do was attach a hook to my laundry room door, put a pillow case in an embroidery hoop that I don't use, and poof, I managed not only to round up all my little pieces of dirty laundry but I washed them too!  Fantastic!

If you use cloth napkins, how do you keep them all rounded up?

Create: A Cloth for the Nose

It seems I'm always sick this year.  When I'm not sick, I'm still dealing with a runny nose.  I get so tired of my nose getting all red and sore, not to mention how many tissues I throw away!  So, I did some research.  Supposedly, it is the wood pulp in tissues that irritates your nose, not just how many times you rub it.  Yet another reason to make cloth tissues.

I always thought it was pretty gross to blow your nose in a cloth and then tuck it back into your pocket.  However, that's kind of what I do with my regular, disposable tissues.  When I'm on the road or not near a trash can, it gets tucked back in my pocket.  Now that I have a washing machine at home, I don't have to worry about having snot rags piling up before I go to the laundry mat.  Now all I need is to make a bag to throw them in.

I used an old bed sheet to make my new tissues.  It had been hanging around in my fabric stash for years.  I had used a bit of it for another project.  It was nice to be able to use it again.  The sheet was very thin and soft so it makes great tissues/handkerchiefs.  To make the pattern, I unfolded a Kleenex and traced around it on a scrap file folder.

I used pretty much the same technique for these as I did my cloth napkins.  These ones are just smaller and I did the corners differently.  I folded over an edge, ironed, then folded it over again.

Instead of mitering the corners, I folded one edge, then folded the other on top of that.  It made the corners a little bulky, and my sewing machine a bit sulky, but I thought it worked pretty well. 

Now I just have to make sure I don't throw them away when I use them!

Create: Something from Nothing

As my dear readers probably know by now, I am part of an art group that hosts a variety of different events.  The group is called Ames C.art and one of our events is the Sew 'n Swap.  It started off as a 'bring your project and extra fabric to swap' and has ended up as a 'here is a project to work on if you want, but you can bring your own as well.'  ...Okay, it's a little better than it sounds when I put it that way...

The last meeting we had, we made market bags.  We never got around to making produce bags, but that's on my list of things to do at home.  As I stated in a previous post, I helped others during that meeting but took the pattern home.  I also took home some wonderful fabric that just happened to be a pair of pajama pants.

A little careful placing and cutting, and tadaa!

I have a bag!  The wonderful thing about this pattern from BurdaStyle is that there is a little pocket it for it to fold up into when you aren't using it. 

Have a crafty weekend!  I'm, hopefully, going to be making Kites!

Create: A Jar and the Sun

This time of year is one filled with bbqs, picnics, and outside fun.  All of which I have yet to do... hopefully this weekend!  One of my favorite things is sun tea - no matter whether it's winter or summer.  Unfortunately, I have a problem with the commercial sun tea jars.  They always develop a leak and then I can't use them anymore.  I for one, do not want water or tea leaking all over my fridge.  I tossed (I know, I'm horrible!) my old one when moving since it had just developed the leak.

When moving, I grabbed a glass bottle of tea from a convenience store (I know, horrible, right?  But it was glass and I was really thirsty.)  I hate buying tea from stores because it's so easy to make at home... unless you don't have a jar!  But I discovered a few days later is that any jar can be a sun tea jar.  I'm sure others already knew this, but I'm slow.

Tadaa!  Conveniently sized take-along sun tea.  I also found a use for the half gallon glass milk jug I've been holding onto since my ex-boyfriend brought it home.  The commercial sun tea jars are just a little bit too much.  Towards the end it always gets murky and icky, but the half gallon size is just perfect.

Now I just have to create a cozy bag for the half gallon jar to take it to events with me.

Happy crafting!

Create: Plastic Bag Keeper

I have a tendency to forget my reusable bags when I go to the store, or I don't plan on going to the store and end up not having them when I need them.  Either way, I've ended up with a lot of plastic bags.  What better way to keep them than to stick them in this thing? 

This has worked for me for awhile (when I don't over stuff it with plastic bags).  I took a bandanna, sewed one side together to create the length.  Then, I sewed casings for the elastic on top and bottom.  And last, I added a strip of elastic as a hanger.  That was one thing I would change.  Rather than elastic, use a ribbon or cloth for the hanger.  It works really well.  Just pull a bag out of the top or bottom when you need it.

Happy Friday!