The Great Summer To-Do List, Vol. 3!

I started this blog two summers ago with the admission that I am a compulsive list-maker... it helps reduce stress, keeps me on track, and helps me feel productive. I've enjoyed keeping track of my crafting adventures with the blog, and the list format always makes sure I'm staying on target, so for the THIRD year in a row, I have made a to-do list for the summer. Here's all the ways I'm going to enjoy my teacher time off:

1. Read Books
I decided to go a little easier on myself this year... two books are fiction from my standard list of three (trying, as always, not to be too ambitious with my non-school reading). One is non-fiction but I've been on a non-fiction kick right now so it's probably the one I'll start with. The World is Flat is actually a book I picked up at a library basement sale for 50 cents. I have no idea what's contained within, but I definitely judged it by its cover. Looks interesting--I'll let you know.

        

I love Neil Gaiman and started following him on twitter just as he was promoting this most recent work. I snagged the Audiobook so I've got the wonderful advantage of not only hearing the book while I'm crafting (double duty!) but it's read by the author himself! 

I was wary of J.K. Rowling writing anything non-magical... angry about it even. Two work friends have read the book and said it was really good, and since they're pretty reliable readers, I thought I'd give it a shot. They told me the ending was a "surprising inevitability." Hmmmm....

2. Be Active
I almost changed this section to "sewing projects" but I will be a little more active than just that this summer. I've got two Grainline patterns I've been working on and I hope to produce some wearable clothes from them soon! My first Archer was a little intimidating--and I got my sizing wrong and now I'm pregnant so... I'll figure that out I guess. So the skill level says intermediate, and if I can pull this off, I think I'm there. I've been thinking my sewing skills have been improving well enough to consider myself at this level, but there's no graduation cap and gown or piece of paper I can hold that says "great you're intermediate." 

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There's a couple things here that I've never done before. Sleeve plackets, a real collar, and buttons. So many buttons.

If you haven't visited Grainline, go. Go now. This blog/lady/pattern store is one of the biggest reasons I got into garment sewing and she's the best. The end.

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The Maritime shorts are my newest purchase. I'm sure I can figure out how to make these maternity by fiddling with the band... that's what pinterest is for.

Mr. Kopf bought me a bike! Actually we both bought bikes to kick off the summer. We have some wonderful bike trails in our city and a growing bike community--the Kopfs are excited to join! 

See how pretty it is? Just picture it with a couple baskets on the back... trips to the farmers' market just got even healthier!

3. Follow Tradition

Pick bluberries, visit family, and try some new pinterest recipes. Maybe a lunch with a work friend here or there, when we're both not on vacation. And of course, it's wedding season, so for me it's also maternity dress shopping season. I'm looking forward to seeing how this summer turns out!

Anniversaries and Announcements

We're coming up on a year in this house and it has me doing a lot of reflecting on what kind of homemaker I've proved myself to be, and what kind I want to become. I haven't completed a lot of craft projects since our big move. I can look back through the blog and realize that I was much more productive in my apartments that I have been in my home, despite the awesome/ginormous sewing room and a pretty open schedule. The house itself has been its own project and I've been happy to dive into it--and there have been other things in the background that have swallowed my attention pretty completely.

Last night I sat down at my sewing machine and realized we had been separated for far too long. I've made bits of things here and there, and even completed a top or two since The Long Hiatus (or maybe it's The Long Winter... that sounds more epic, doesn't it?) but I never sat down without a certain sense of pressure. There were grades I could be working on, lesson plans to perfect, extra reading I could review before the lesson, or some other conflict that sucked away at my mental powers. It was hardly relaxing--it was an item to cross off a list, or a desperate escape from the rest of the world, and then not a real one. 

But last night was the Eve of Summer--it was the day before my last day of work. I had already checked out of my classroom. All my books are boxed up, my final grades entered, my students graduated and in the midst of summer already. There was a finality to my work and even though there are still things that sit in the back of my mind and nag at me, and still things to escape from, I finally found comfort in a craft again. I quilted and found peace in the steadiness of my machine and in the perfection of the little stitches that sit in the ditch of my seams. My points aren't perfect, and it is just a potholder, but it's more than just the pride of the finished product. It's the peace that comes with the process.

Of course, I've been learning for quite some time that lasting peace, in truth, comes from Christ. This is going to be intentionally vague and that may bother you since I'm usually a pretty private person--maybe this is treating the blog too much like a diary, which I never wanted to do--but it's an idea that's been inescapable lately. Things are entirely out of my control, and I must make peace with the one who holds them. Maybe my relationship with my sewing machine is more about seeking to control something--even if it's just a little potholder--since I've had to learn to give so much of that up. 

If only I could unite all the relationships in my life as easily as I put two little scraps of fabric together... but I must leave that up to the master craftsman and ask him to patch up all the missing pieces. 

If you want to read a blog that does a much better job of describing God's goodness in times of uncertainty, you should check out the blog of my cousin-in-law (is that a thing?) Brittany Hess. I only met her one time, but following her blog I feel like I know her heart incredibly well by now, and it's a good one.

While this seems like it's gotten pretty mopey, there's certainly a silver lining that carries Mr. Kopf and I from one winter to the next. In the Fall, we'll be expecting our first little Kopf drop and we couldn't be more excited! Here's our "first family photo" we posted on facebook to announce the news.

Gender announcement and baby clothes projects forthcoming, of course. And this weekend, we'll be celebrating five years of marriage. 

And two days after our anniversary, that little one in the middle will be getting married. My mom made those dresses by the way! Sewing was in my blood.

So with summer comes another round of to-dos, but the good kind. My big summer list will be the next item I prepare for the blog, and once Mr. Kopf and I return from the anniversary trip, the crafting will be in full swing. I hope you'll join me.

The Fall

Any teacher will tell you the fall semester holds the longest stretch of the school year. Kids get breaks but teachers end up doing professional development and from Labor Day to Thanksgiving Break we have no free time off. It's amazing how just coming close to a break can reinvigorate you. As we neared Thanksgiving break, I jumped back into crafternoons after school. It was a great time to de-stress and process the upcoming break.

So how about those big Fall plans? Well, here's how they worked out for me: 

Isn't she cute? I even gave her a little fox tail, complete with a button!

The original image on Pinterest didn't feature arms or legs, but what can I say? I got a little ambitious.

My fancy sweatshirt plans stalled when I couldn't find a pattern I wanted. I ended up using the hemlock tee pattern from Grainline studios. It's free and super simple. In fact, I made several other knit hemlocks. Again, Liberty fabric makes an appearance in the facing in the neck and on the sleeve cuffs. I thought it was a fun, feminine detail. I am still thinking about adding a hood, maybe lined in the same.

I'll post pictures of the finished product in a later post, since I technically made THREE hemlock tees recently...

I've had bad luck finding a good mustard fabric to make my pleated skirt. I am not going to spend too much time and money on a fabric I only kind of like. That's the point of making my own clothes in the first place! Getting exactly what I want, in the perfect fit. I did find a really beautiful plum fabric, so I used that instead. I used the perfect pleats tutorial from one little minute, and it turned out wonderfully! I had a little bit of Liberty of London fabric that I got for cheap since it was a misprint--fun pockets just for me.

Made some yummy, yummy soups, found some fancy boots for the season, and ate apples, even if I didn't pick them. But... I didn't make those homemade graham crackers... or bake as much as I thought I would. I did however cook my first Thanksgiving turkey ever, so I still spent a good amount of time in the kitchen. Cooking Thanksgiving dinner = instant respect for every woman that's ever done that ever. I also attended my first ever Black Friday sale. It was Joann's fabrics... and I was one of like ten people in there at six in the morning including employees. I didn't go anywhere else because, quite frankly, Black Friday scares me and there was no trampling danger at Joann's. 

I hope your Fall was fantastic and filled with lots of family fun!

Hello Again

I have made several attempts at this first post "back" to blogging, but they all ended in rants about the nature of social media, relationships, and why sewing is the best thing ever and someday I'm going to make my whole wardrobe, garden, have chickens, etc. All attempts became tedious, and all I really wanted to accomplish was a simple "hello. I'm back again."

So hello again. Nice to see you. I have some projects to show off soon. I hope you have had a wonderful Fall and I can't wait to catch up.

Hiatus

Hello lovely readers! I am taking a short hiatus from my blog and crafting to work on some projects around my home. Hopefully it won't take too terribly long! Thank you so much for stopping by, and if you're looking for crafts, feel free to check out the blogs I have listed in "further prescriptions" on the sidebar. I'm also still updating my instagram and twitter if you want to follow me there (also linked in the sidebar.)

Now go jump in some leaves and hug your loved ones. Cuddle up with a good book and some hot cider. Take a hike in this beautiful fall weather. Maybe get off the internet for a bit and assess your own home.

Whatever you do, I hope you're having a great day.

Homemade Wardrobe: T-Shirt Dress

Let me just tell you about today: it was fabulous.

As I’ve gushed about before, I teach High School full time. This year we rearranged our schedule to include a big chunk of time in between block classes for things like assemblies, awards, athletic signings, and clubs. I thought this might be a good opportunity to get a small group of adorable girls together for some sewing and snacks. I called it “The Sewcial Network.”

I was going to call it “The Sewcial Club” but a student showed me the error of my ways. Thank goodness!

I was expecting maybe 12, 15 kids tops? (And all girls of course.)  What showed up to my classroom today was a tidal wave of human bodies, sharing seats, sitting on the floor, all crammed together and all with their lunches in their laps. I had over 50 people in the tiniest of tiny classrooms, and yes, that included boys!

(Mr. Kopf, as wise as he is, says that these boys are the smart ones—they go to where the girls are)

I’m so excited about my little/big club! I don’t doubt attendance will wane as the year goes on, but today was pretty affirming. I ended the meeting by shouting “WELCOME TO THE CRAFT REVOLUTION!” and we cheered and most of them left.

A few stuck around to talk projects and pinterest, and I had a hilarious discussion with one of my most avid seamstresses. I told her she should make herself a shift dress.

“What’s a shift dress?”

“It’s just a straight dress, like a long tshirt, without any darts or tucks or a waist or anything.” (Ok, sometimes it can have darts... but mine never do.)

“I can do that! I can sew rectangles! It’s like a pillowcase!”

“And a lot of skirts are like pillowcases! And a tote bag is like a pillowcase with a handle!”

At this we all had our minds blown by how easy sewing is when you realize how many projects can just be rectangles.

This is a kind of silly face but I wanted a closeup of the boat neck so that's what you get

I am on my way to a closet full of these dresses. They’re absolutely perfect for work. I can dress them down with a little sweater and some flats, or dress them up with heels and a structured blazer. I feel incredibly comfy while I’m teaching and I don’t have to worry about… not looking professional… when I bend over. Of course, it meets the ultimate wardrobe requirements for work clothes: they must look nice AND feel like pajamas. Check and check.

Model pose = no one ever stands like this

Though it looks more summery right now, Mr. Kopf's assessment is that this dress is very seasonally transitional. He expressed as much to me when he pointed out that I looked like a candy cane. If you invite me to a holiday party I will wear this... with green tights and pointy shoes.

P.S. Participated in my first hashtag-crazy-talk-to-everyone-sewing time on twitter the other day, under the hashtag #sewingsocial. It was so much fun! I found several more seamstresses to follow and blogs to read. If you're interested, join us! It was hosted by Tilly of Tilly and the Buttons blog. As I just popped to her blog to provide the link, I see she's working with striped knit too... maybe I should add sleeves for Autumn.... hmmm

Bags and Blogs

Whenever I pop on here to write a new post or to show and tell my latest project, I'm always genuinely surprised and humbled by the amount of people who have stopped by to read. I sometimes wonder if it's just my mom checking it every hour or so, but that takes a lot of time out of one's day, and my mom has lots of things to do. I sincerely appreciate every comment, view, facebook like, and retweet. You guys are the best.

I'd like to take the blog further but I'm really not sure how. I'd like to make it look nicer for a better reading experience, take better photos, and really do justice to all the fun I'm having in my craftroom. I could probably figure these things out on my own, but they'd take a lot of time, and I've got myself a full time job teaching. It would be years before I got this to where I wanted it to be, so I looked around online for some help.

Several blog ladies I've been following for years seem to learn a lot through sewing conferences, and many have advocated for the Altitude Design Summit. I figured that was a total pipe dream until a few weeks ago, when they announced an online version of the conference, Alt for Everyone. I'd like to virtually attend, but it costs money and it's money I don't really have to spend right now. Mr. Kopf and I are both teachers, and with him in grad school, we try to be pretty careful.

So what happens when you don't have money? You make it. Or you make things, I guess. I've whipped up some tote bags and put them on my etsy store. Shipping is not included in the prices, but if you're local and send me a quick message, I'll give you a coupon code so your shipping will be free and I can deliver it to you in person. Some bags are paired with key fobs! And of course, there are still some pincushions...

Why yes, that's a chalkboard wall there. It's in my kitchen and it's pretty awesome and super fun. We love how our friends have decorated it!

Here's our vote on Star Wars vs. Star Trek... and someone included Battle Star Galactica. What?

This bag has cats on it... and I think I'm going to make one of my own!

All the money I make from these bags will go straight to my registration for the conference, and the conference experience will go straight into making this blog more fun, more entertaining, and more attractive! Hopefully you can find a bag you like and help me out!

It's The Great Fall To-Do List, Charlie Brown!

I can tell it by the smells... Pumpkins, apples, cranberries, crunchy dead leaves! Fall is coming!

After the moderate success of my Great Summer To-Do Lists at keeping me on track and productive, I decided I would make a real one for Fall. If you’ve hung around me long enough, you know I had one for Spring Break last year, and if I can pick one up for Spring, why not Fall as well? I’ve referenced before that my Fall list usually consists of “stay alive, grade papers, and make anything pumpkin (or apple)” but it’d be nice to be a little more specific than that…

I took a different approach to this one: the Pinterest approach. I pin so many things and then instantly don’t care about them, but they are so neat! I wanted to go through my boards and see if there was anything that jumped out at me to make or find or craft, and to finally accomplish some things from that ultimate to-do list/time suck that is Pinterest.

So here we have it, the Great Fall To-Do List, v. 1!

1. Mustard or Yellow Skirt

If I’ve pinned it twice (as well as a yellow dress), then it must be something I want. I especially like the polka dots in the blouse of the first image. I happen to have a polka dot blouse… I’m 1/3 of the way to owning this whole outfit!

2. Fancy Sweatshirt?

I can see skinny jeans happening with this one. This is a kind of intimidating project for me, since I’d classify it as “outerwear” and I’ve never done “outerwear” before, and never “innerwear” either, just things you “wear.” I am going to search for a pattern somewhere, but if anyone has an idea where I can get one without me having to spend a considerable amount of my life on the internet, please let me know!

3. This Fox Plush

Because it is just adorable. I have been wanting to make these for a while. Maybe they would be good Christmas presents for the nieces and nephews… Hmmm….

4. Homemade Graham Crackers

Why not try this in the Fall, when I’m craving cinnamon-sugar things? (Cinnamon Sugar Grahams = the best!)

5. Soups!

I’d like to learn how to make a good soup, and there are so many you can do in the crock pot. Perfect for chillier and chillier evenings as we head into winter.

6. Follow Tradition: Pick apples, make pumpkin bread, wear fancy boots, cuddle with my sweater collection. First I have to find fancy boots, since my old ones died. Anyone have any shopping suggestions?

Flying Geese

The fourth block I did for Amy Smart's online quilting bee featured four flying geese wrapped around a little square. It was the first time I had ever done this particular quilt block, and I was intimidated. Oh my goodness, what is this little square on a rectangle and you cut away half the square and what is happening what am I doing aaaaaannd there's a flying goose. Hooray!

I try to push myself in both sewing garments and quilting. Earlier this year, I worked with triangles for the first time and did my little warm and cool zig zags. Now, I'm not only doing a new block, I was really focused on getting a large quilt together.
A substantial quilt! A full quilt.

I wanted to keep it as simple as possible so I could focus on the construction without worrying about colors and pattern placement. I'm sure most quilters spend the majority of their time like I do--planning, rearranging, playing with pattern scale--but I knew I wanted to eliminate that process in order to actually accomplish the biggest quilting endeavor I have ever attempted.

I know myself, and if I start something this big and it takes too long, I will put it away for a long, long, long time.

Thankfully, Mr. Kopf was out of town for three days in a row and I was locked in my sewing room with my wheat thins and my diet coke all by myself! I booked it, and got all my rows of geese finished.

I knew I didn't want to do the whole thing in black and white flying geese, but by arranging them all at the bottom, I made a little forest. I love my little, mysterious, fancy quilted forest. I can't wait to show you the finished top!