Finished Project Day!! Take One!

I've done it!!

I have a finished project!

Well, actually, I have TWO finished projects!

Today, though is all about the first one, which is the last one that I started. Yeah, that's right. I'm working my way up the "must finish" list backwards.  That seems to be the story of my life. LOL Doing everything either backwards or in reverse.  Not sure what that really says about me, but there you go.

So, I've really loved making this one.  Want to know what it is?

Okay, here ya go!

 See?!?  It's Hobbes!!

A friend of a friend has a new baby girl, and the proud Daddy is a huge fan of Calvin and Hobbes!  Not that long ago (Oh, wow, longer that I realized!) there was a cartoon strip of Calvin as a dad and he gave his daughter Hobbes. I'm thinking that is what the inspiration was for Grif to ask for a Hobbes for his Sprite. :-)

Either way, this was a fantastic toy to make.  

 I made just a few minor adjustments to the pattern that I found.  

I figured out that as you are working in the round, it is really, really simple to just drop one color, and move to the other color as you go without cutting the yarn!  This would work for one to three rows of maybe up to four different colors.  After that, it might be best to just cut and weave in ends like normal.

As you can see I added buttons to the legs.  This allows them to move!!

See!!  Hobbes is standing on **one** leg! He only holding on to the sofa for balance, you see. 

;-)

The next one will have the hinged arms too, so that his arms can be more poseable. I will try to remember to take pictures as I make him next time. That way I can show how I just carried the yarn, and how I sewed on the buttons so that they are sturdy enough for a one year old, and still allow for his leg to be movable.

It is so thrilling to know that I have two of the three projects that are due for other people done.  I'm so, so very close to having the last one done too!  Then, I can move on to sewing garb again!  And I can get back to the bliaut! :-)

Have a Tigger-ific day!!

(Yeah, I know, that's the other Tiger, but still...)

ttfn

:-)

The Finish Line!

This shall be the summer to Finish All the Projects!!  No, really. All the projects.  

How many is that you ask. Oh, well, let's see. 

I have the

embroidered pouch,

the scarf,

 a Hobbes tiger,

a crochet bag,

a Cranach dress,

and the mother of all dress research projects: The Bliaut! 

Well, the bliaut doesn't really count for a summer project, that one I'm going to be debuting at the next Kingdom Art/Sci event, next year. :-)

But, why, oh why is it so hard to even begin some projects much less finish others?  Maybe it hast to do with the "Crafty a.d.d." that I suffer from?  I have so many ideas, colors, patterns, fabrics, textures, silhouettes, and styles running around in my little brain that I'm surprised that it's not scrambled. Oh, and foods. Since I've started cooking feasts for my group, and now other groups, I have foods, ingredients, Tea Parties, teas, desserts, meats, veggies, and how to make food not look like food is also running around in my little brain.  Mad Hatter's Tea Party is the next feast I'm working on.  A couple of idea I have for it include all finger sized foods, and many dishes made with tea as a main ingredient. Oh, let me tell you the recipes I have be finding that have Earl Grey, or other teas listed are just fantastic sounding!! Really, really yummy, droll inducing listings of treats.

So, any bets on whether or not I get all these projects done this summer?

ttfn
:-)

Crafty.  I have been feeling oh, so crafty and creative lately.  I just didn't know what I wanted to create.  I kinda feel like doing it all, I just don't have time, resources or the energy to do everything.  Pinterest is blame for this. Yes, Pinterest.  How many of us spend way, way too much time on that site and get the "Maksies"?  You know, as in "Oh, I want to make that!"  Or "Oh, I can do that!"  Well, that is me.  Oh what plans I have, what foods I will bake and what gardening I will get done!!  

In the meantime, I have been creating small, fast things.

Jewelry.

I love jewelry. Wearing it, looking at it, and making it.

 

It has been forever and a day since I have crafted any of my own jewelry. 

To that end I pulled out my stash of beads, gems, findings and stuff. 

See?

  Shiny, shiny.

Pretty, pretty.

I can't resist jewelry making supplies.  I am afraid that much of this stash has been sitting around for almost 4 years without being used to make glorious sparkly things.

 I was so tickled when I started.  Inspired by the colors of the peacock, I knew just what I wanted to make.

And make it I did!!  I love it.  I have worn my shiny, sparkly new jewelry almost everyday this past week.  (Yeah, I made this last weekend.  Late posting...I know.)

I created a necklace, earrings, and a bracelet. 

I think the bracelet is my favorite.  I do believe I shall make many, many more.  

Want to see what I made?

Do you? 

Ready?

Okay!!

Here it is!!

 

See my new pretties?

I am so thrilled with them.

Now, what can I start next?

:-)

ttfn

illy

One question leads to two and then to Grace

As it is warming up and we are having a fantastic spring; we are finding ourselves at more events.  I love the SCA. I love the dressing up, the Tourneys, feasts, sewing, socializing, eating, camaraderie and joy of being "lost in time". 

 My darling husband marshaling the field during the main tourney. 

 Me, sitting under my pavilion, embroidering in the company of good friends. :-)  I love hanging out with these ladies. We giggle so much!

As we are getting into the full swing of event season here, I have been pondering the thought of what makes a Lady.  What inspires the gentlemen of sca to Chivalry?  Well, as is practical I posted just that question on one of our fb group pages. And that first question pretty much ended with this answer : "1. Be honest to herself first and foremost and to others. 2. Be courageous, for true courage is in the heart and in day to day things, not only for the battlefield. 3. Be at ease with who and what she is, for the ability to "be" comfortable in your own skin is a rare and beautiful thing 4. Be intelligent, for it is the trait that most distinguishes ourselves from others. 5. Honor herself, her deeds, and accomplishments but move passed them, for they are done and she needs to live in the moment, but our personal past makes us what we are. 6. Have faith in herself, for a person who believes in who and what they are can be a force of nature. 7. Have humility to understand that any of us no matter how great is still just human. Humility is a quiet beauty that gives grace to all who possess it."
 In this answer I see Honesty, Conviction, Confidence, and Humility as the main driving forces.  I think one could add Grace; not in movement, but in attitude.  I think we are lacking in Grace and are having an over abundance of ego in our Society today.  Maybe the issues we as ladies are having in our Society, is not with Chivalric behavior, (or lack) but of Courtly behavior (or lack).  Maybe we would be better as a Society if we explained that we expected daily "Courtly" behavior. But then, that lead to the thought back to what do the Fighters expect to see from the Ladies?  Which lead me to ask them about icons.  Who do they personally think of as the modern embodiment of a Lady?  I got many answers I was expecting, and a few new to me names.  However there was a common factor with all icons. Grace.  Grace is the sum of that answer, but not in a straight line. 
Honesty + Conviction + Confidence + Humility + Hospitality = Grace. 
One must live and breath these traits....No, let me rephrase that. I desire to live and breath these traits. 
Let me say that again. 
I desire to live and breath my life as an embodiment of Grace in what I say and do. Both in and out of the SCA.
ttfn