Day: January 28, 2008

Wherein I Get Really Crafty, Really Fast

26 Comments

Sew, Mama, Sew!

I have a bunch of hip college girls who special order verse packs out of cool fabric two or three times a year. I had to turn them down in the fall because I still needed to sleep in the fall in addition to everything else, but when I was emailed with their latest request last week, I said I would. I then went to work finding a website to supply me with cool fabric because I’ve had mucho trouble finding a decent fabric shop here in St. Louis.

I’m not a snob about many things, but I’m well on my way to becoming a fabric snob. Hancock’s is generally good for cheap patterns and on-sale notions and an emergency fabric need (yes, there is such a thing), but specialized retro prints? Nothing. The chain stores lost their appeal to me soon after I stopped working at ClothWorld and it was taken over by Joann’s, wherein it turned from a fairly decent chain fabric store into another craft explosion in a building with fabric thrown in for good measure – like a Hobby Lobby on speed.

Okay, so I got way off track there. Anyway, I sent the link to Sew, Mama, Sew to this college gal and had her choose some favorites. I then added in a few favorites of my own. The order came today and all I can say is that I so do not want to make verse packs out of these. I don’t know exactly what I want to make, but I want to make something else, something way cute, something I get to keep. I like the fabric that much. Never mind the fact that I have a floor-to-ceiling length shelf packed full of fabric I’ve been stashing away ever since my job stint at the above mentioned ClothWorld in, ahem, 1990.

Nobody can exactly mistake my blog for a crafty-blog, but every once in a while the bug bites and I must sew. Having super cute fabric really helps.

Advertisement

Party Planning

10 Comments

Katie turns 6 next week and she’s never had a “friend” birthday party before. Everyone else had a family-only party for this last round (party season in our house goes from August-February), so it’s Katie’s turn. We’ve always done “do-it-yourself” parties to keep costs down, but this year I scouted around various places to see what the options were. The options told me I was still better off with a “do-it-yourself” party.

I usually look around on a bunch of party websites to get ideas, but one popped into my head tonight that I think will be perfect. It should be low-maintenance, low-cost, and a lot of fun. The theme is Almost-a-Sleepover.

Katie has been begging to either go on a sleepover, or have a sleepover for about a year. We’re of the opinion that 5 is too young for this sort of thing, so we’ve avoided participating in them thus far. This theme gives the appearance and fun of a sleepover, minus the super late bedtime and cranky kiddos the next day. It’s a win-win. The girls will come in jammies and with a pillow.

Sleeping bags are optional. We’ll eat pizza, play some games, and watch a movie. Perfect Friday night activities.

For me, coming up with the theme is always the hard part and everything else falls into place after that. I’m glad this one came so easily. Now then, crossing my fingers on the low-maintenance goal of the party…