New York City Colors: Chelsea

Photo by the sloppy sewer © 2011

There's always a small rainbow outside the Krup's Kitchen & Bath store at
11 West 18 Street. Each day the manager carts out a few pieces of appliance eye candy irresistible to anyone (who's not in a rush)  armed with a camera/cell phone. And even those who are dashing by at a pace are uplifted by this blur of color. I often see tourists posing next to SMEG refrigerators as if they were mini-monuments and I'm  pleasantly jolted when there's a new arrival.

Update:

Good morning Susan, Thank you. I feel the same way when I look at them.

                   Mitch

www.krupskitchenandbath.net
Krup's Kitchen and Bath
11 W. 18th St
New York, NY 10011
p- 212-243-5787
f- 212-243-3205

Photo entry: "The Common Worker" by Judith Weller

Photos September 19, 2011, NYC,  the sloppy sewer

There's a man who's always working, always every time I see him.
This morning, there he was, in the middle of such busyness.
It was like we weren't even there.

What I Got for $33.02 Today at Jo-Ann...

According to the sales slip, I checked out at 10:55 am. Though I did take a nap today, I'd like to say that in the last 7 hours of just owning--not even LOOKING again at this abundance--I've gotten my money's worth! Fabric. Faaaaaa-bric.
(Did the last one sound a little zombie-ish in your head when you read it?
It should have.
Faaaaaa-bric.)

I'm thinking now it's no wonder I collapsed in bed after this.  Such a terrific haul.  I was way more tired than I  usually am after shopping.
Even for....faaaa-bric.
I like having a blog because when the fabric is gone, it can live on here. Like a fabric museum, or even memorial.





I'm never one for buying anything other than quilter's cotton, but at the half off remnants bin there was this wonderful piece of, let me look--"Rainbow Anti-Pill Fleece" (Anti? I feel a bit renegade myself.). It was 40% off (regular special for your highest priced item) the 50% off of $12.99 for the yard. Lets just say, cheap.

These days I like to make monsters mostly using yellow and green fabric. I was disappointed to not find any yellow fabric that suited  me (with some tone on tone design going on). But I did find these wonderful green fabrics:





Close-ups because these are really cool. The design of the one on top is eyelet! I just love eyelet. As far as the wonders of fabric go, I'd say eyelet is a calm-me-down fabric. So here it is, without the holes.  CLEVER! 
"Garden Party Eyelet" at the regular price: $9.99 a yard.

I love the swirls hidden in this green fabric AKA "Libby Bead Scroll"--$2.10 for a half yard:






On the goofier side I could not resist these two fabrics. A half yard each or I couldn't leave the store. They are "Fruit Spots Multi" for $2.10 the half and
"Tools on Red" for $4.19 the half (I hope this all adds up in the end. Let me know.)

You can't leave a fabric store without something animal-related. This is
"Multi Cats on Cream" which I got for $2.10 for the half.
SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT MORE:

Finally (I bet YOU'RE ready for a nap now. Right?). Four FQs that, at $1.49 each, are called "Assorted Light Fat Q" no matter which ones you buy. At one time, long ago, they had a fancy name, too. Not that "Multi Cats on Cream" is the best name ever.

These will also work great for monster-making. Subdued enough so that the face and other features I add will totally show off, but enough of a little something going on to make it interesting on its own.

This blog is in no way affiliated with Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores except that, really, they should be mailing me shares by now.

Susan
the sloppy sewer

One Pattern: So MANY Monsters!

Leslie and I are wrapping up our
Hungry Monster Nom Nom Swap over at craftster.org (see blog post of August 21 for free online pattern location).  The pattern is a simple one--a good one for even the beginningest of sewers.

As craftsters receive their swaps, they take photos and put them in a gallery devoted to that swap. The gallery for the Hungry Monster Nom Nom swap has been one of the most amazing I've ever seen. How people crafted around that pattern to create monsters so special for their partner is stunning.  You can feast your eyes on that gallery HERE

I made the yellow monster sitting on top of my sewing machine for Smmarrt who, like me, is a fan of the monster maker known as Junker Jane. This monster turned out to be one of my most favorite things I ever made. Her mouth pouch--which is designed to hold things like CANDY--was stitched up so close, that I could only fit a small roll of Smarties in the far right side. Her stringy hair is embroidery floss, the blush is real.

From the same pattern, but for a different partner I made a cat along with a mouse bookmark.

I had planned to put some fruity candy in the mouth pouch (one of the sweets that this partner--edenkitty--likes, but the monster had plans of her own...

The thing was, this cat looked suspicious as soon as those eyes were sewn on! I really should have known.


Susan
the sloppy sewer

I'll Craft for Three Bloggers if They'll Craft for Three Bloggers...

I heard about Pay it Forward on Leslie's blog--  Lesliesartandsew.blogspot.com.

Here's how it goes. If you're interested in giving a little bit of your craftiness to others and in receiving a little handmade something from me--the sloppy sewer--here are the rules:

1. I'll sew a little something for the first 3 bloggers that comment on this post.  It will be a surprise and will arrive sometime in the next 365 days (though I'm way too obsessive to wait a year).

2. You have to promise to send a small handmade gift to the first three people who comment on your blog post.

3. For this event, you have to have a blog.

4. After commenting on my post, you have to post this (or something similar) on your blog within the next few days.

If you're game, comment below, include your blog address and post about Pay It Forward on your blog in the next couple of days.
A flickr group has been started so that we can see what we've made/received for this event:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/handmadepayitforward/

Susan
The sloppy sewer

Just rollin' with your gnomies

One of my favorite things about living on the internet are downloadable PDF patterns. There are loads of PDF patterns for stuffies and other little things. Some are free, some seem overpriced and many really good ones cost very little.  For an impatient sewer like myself, PDF patterns mean that, with the help of Paypal, I can have a pattern waiting in my inbox within hours, maybe less if the seller is as impatient as I am. (They usually are, hooray!)

"When you’re just rollin’ with your gnomies, these adorable guys are perfect company! Fill their bottoms with beans and use them as bowling pins, snuggle up when you're reading a book. They are certainly ready for an adventure!

This pattern is for Beginning Sewing Level."

Sounded good, plus the accompanying picture with five fabulous Garden Gnomes, made me feel so middle earth, like I never had before.  At the time, I was just beginning to make a gnome-themed apron for fiddlegirl8. This looked like the perfect extra.

Was it going to be quick sell, a no-sell, something I had to think about?
(I don't want to think when I want to sew.)
$3.00 seals the deal in a heartbeat! A gnome's heartbeat which must be pretty fast, right? They're so small. Not only that but the pattern is drawn to give three different-sized gnomes to make over and over and over again.
And look how cute it turned out. It lives in Kansas now. I'm not kidding.

Just telling you in case you need to know: the "My Friendly Garden Gnomes" pattern is on etsy.com, in a store called artistry.

Susan
The Sloppy Sewer

sitting on the porch, saying goodbye to summer

When you sew you are always just a little bit of fabric away from having a friend. If you slept with a stuffie as an infant, if you threw parties for them as a toddler, if they still had the best places in your bedroom as a teenager, chances are you still get something--a little bit of an ache over there--when you see one that feels special to you.

I had that bond with a slew of stuffed animals. That's what we called them back then, in the day before cute monsters, aliens and critters became part of the species. There was a time in elementary school, that's what we called it back in the day, when I was sleeping with about a dozen: a giant snake, a dog,  a Raggedy Ann, a teddy bear, I can't remember who else right now. We were all best friends, this worn-out, colorful group of inanimates and me. And I really felt love for them.

This summer I made quite a few stuffies.  Most of them--including the little green monster at top, the pair of primitive cats above and the fox, below, were sent to "swap partners" including in the UK and Finland.

 

After finishing them and leaving a little bit of time to hang out with them, I carefully packed them up. In each box, I included treats. The intention was for my swap partners, but maybe not. Maybe I was caring for the stuffies the way I cared for my childhood stuffed animals;  when I went from my bedroom to the bathroom to the bedroom, until each one had a goodnight drink of water.

Goodbye summer and summer creatures. May you be very well taken care of.

Susan

The Sloppy Sewer