tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51355412012-01-12T10:12:14.611-08:00because "mediocre" is only <i>half</i> bad!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.comBlogger321100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-1087118144696806202004-06-13T02:15:00.000-07:002004-06-13T02:21:33.813-07:00

Each new activity in life brings the opportunity for...new accessories! I started taking yoga a couple of weeks ago. I really like it. It is very relaxing, and I like being flexible enough to touch my toes every now and again. But how to lug around that cumbersome mat? Why, a yoga mat bag, of course. Instead of paying $$$ for a fancy yoga mat bag, I pulled out some 1970s fabric from my Aunt

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-1087117888358183922004-06-13T02:11:00.000-07:002004-06-13T02:23:40.500-07:00

Here is the finished bag on my mom and step dad's incredibly green lawn. Aside: They have not fertilized their lawn in three years. They have a well that pumps deliscious, chlorine-free mountain-spring water that tastes just like the stuff we pay $0.65 a bottle for in the store. Mom thinks that the lack of chlorine is what keeps their lawns so impossibly green.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-1087117460231617312004-06-13T02:04:00.000-07:002004-06-13T02:24:05.160-07:00

Yes, I love my new Yoga Mat Bag. I love it so much, I am tempted to carry it with me even when I am not going to Yoga Class.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-1087116577267978822004-06-13T01:49:00.000-07:002004-06-13T01:51:28.713-07:00

Now that the wedding is over and I have some free time again, I created a photoblog history of the wedding dress project. Check out Quest for the Dress for the details.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-1085824487207032832004-05-29T02:53:00.000-07:002004-05-29T02:54:47.206-07:00

Amanda hates Paseo Colorado. Click [here] to find out all the reasons why.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-1073353545329376982004-01-05T17:45:00.000-08:002004-01-05T17:49:09.013-08:00

I've decided on Vogue 2627 and Vogue 2134. We're going to combine the two patterns. We'll use the top of 2627 with all of that cool draping, and the princess-seamed skirt of 2134. I am very pleased with this, since I don't really want a bias-cut (read: clingy) skirt for the dress, but I love, love, love the detailing on the top of 2627. This skirt from 2134 a fitted, slim, A-line with

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-1071606449090027612003-12-16T12:27:00.000-08:002004-01-05T17:48:50.013-08:00

My mother laid out a schedule for the construction of my wedding gown. Very exciting. The not so exciting part is that she says she does not have time to make a pattern for the dress I had drawn up, so I must choose a pre-existing pattern by January 15th. I'm not particularly upset that I'll have to give up my first choice of gown. The strapless A-Line Wedding Gown seems to be everywhere

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-1071263994243714762003-12-12T13:19:00.000-08:002003-12-12T13:24:16.966-08:00

Looks like you made it...but you didn't. You went to Macy's or Nine West or some other retail sales store and paid mucho dinero for an item that looks crafty and/or hand-made. Shaaaaaaame! Cigar Box purses (like the one, pictured, that I found at Nine West for $65) and chunky knit ponchos don't require a whole lot of special equipment to make, but if you are dead set on buying, why pay $65

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-1059602774358588052003-07-30T15:06:00.000-07:002003-12-12T13:28:10.250-08:00

Before we became completely, itchily aware that our backyard is Mosquito Central, Jared got a small portable swamp cooler for the patio to keep it cool while we're lounging or worshipping the barbeque. It's been sitting out there for about a month now because a) we're rarely home and/or awake during the day; b) the above-mentioned mosquitoes. The swamp cooler was getting dusty, so I proposed to

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-1059080157256555442003-07-24T13:55:00.000-07:002003-12-12T13:28:30.360-08:00

I finished painting my Decadent Diva sandals last week. It took me about 3 hours to apply the five separate layers of Ceramcoat exterior varnish on Saturday. I like the painting, the variegated blue-purple background, and the shaded red cherries are pretty. I'm not completely satisfied with my painting job, but overall, it was a great result for a first try. The main thing I don't like about

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-1057701816777442892003-07-08T15:03:00.000-07:002003-12-12T13:28:54.530-08:00

After seeing the hand-painted wooden sandals at sites like Kiss My Feet that sell for over $100, I thought, "I can do that!" And thanks to all the cool crafting links on the web, I can. I found a pair of Dr. Scholl's Originals on sale at Robinson's May two weeks ago, and last week, I found a pair of Dr. Scholl's Diva's at 1/3 of their original price. I invested $18 in paint and sealer, and I'm

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-1057175020192902482003-07-02T12:43:00.000-07:002003-12-12T13:29:20.263-08:00

No, I do not have a heretofore-hidden identical twin. Francesca is my new dress form. She arrived last Friday, and I wasted no time getting her set up in my sewing room. I adjusted her so that she matches my measurements, and Sunday I started work on Vogue pattern #2429. I learned about this pattern from Mena's Revolt Dress project on SewWrong.com. She made the strapless version (C) in

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-958758152003-06-20T14:35:00.000-07:002003-06-30T16:10:48.930-07:00

Knitting Update: The Fancy-but-Boring-Shawl So one thing I did with my tax return money was invest a small chunk of it in some really fancy yarn. Ashley at Elegance Designer Yarn in Pasadena had this pretty hand-dyed two-strand Italian mohair and silk/rayon yarn. It is sooo pretty and she had the loveliest shawl made from that yarn on display. Ever since I first draped that shawl around my

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-944193662003-05-15T17:15:00.000-07:002003-05-15T17:15:25.000-07:00

Knitting Project I'm using some old purple yarn my mom gave me to make the headkerchief project on jejune.net. I'm really liking the pattern, it's simple, but it makes me feel like a real knitter.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-942382762003-05-12T18:40:00.000-07:002003-05-12T18:42:44.000-07:00

Adventures in Cooking: Red Velvet Cake & Chocolate Kahlua Cake So lately i have been obsessed with cake recipes from a book called The Cake Mix Doctor. The Cake Mix Doctor (CMD) tells you how to make cool, fancified cakes starting with a box of cake mix. I used the CMD recipe to make my Red Velvet birthday cake, and I think it came out better than the Red Velvet cakes I've made from scratch.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-929989302003-04-21T12:36:00.000-07:002003-04-21T12:47:34.000-07:00

Adventures in Sewing: Angela's Chinoiserie Shirt & Pattern Alteration On Friday, my sister and I went downtown to the garment district to buy fabric for a shirt for her. Angela fell in love with a blue and gold chinoiserie print of pagodas and weeping willows on black polyester satin. Really, it was much classier than that description makes it sound. She wanted a shirt with a vaguely Asian

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-927375812003-04-16T14:10:00.000-07:002003-04-29T16:00:31.000-07:00

Needles, Yarn, and Other Paraphernalia: A Report on the Addictive Qualities of KnittingFriday I gave Valerie a few brief knitting lessons. She called me Sunday to say she was having a few problems so we got together again Monday to set her on the right track. She started knitting a scarf out of red chenille, like the one I made for her. She finished it by Tuesday evening, just in time to take

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-924403892003-04-11T10:47:00.000-07:002003-04-11T10:47:05.060-07:00

The Knitting ProdigyLadies and Gentlemen, my esteemed and loyal audience of two, I have witnessed an amazing thing - I have seen a knitting prodigy. Jenny Smith found a yarn she adored at Michael's and asked me to either knit it into a scarf for her or teach her to knit. So we went to get the pair of needles I was going to lend her, and she said, "So, show me how to knit," and I cast on

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-923754022003-04-10T11:35:00.000-07:002003-04-10T11:35:15.840-07:00

Pom Pom Madness!Since I was home from work Tuesday, I took the opportunity to finish up the Pom-Pom Hat. It looks lovely, though I think I was a bit off on the guage, as it's a tad too big. Still, it is very cute, and kinda silly. I'll post pictures as soon as I can. Now I want to make a scarf with pom-poms on the end to match!

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-921816562003-04-07T16:30:00.000-07:002003-04-07T16:30:00.153-07:00

Pom-pom HatI started on the hat this weekend. Friday I bought double pointed needles, a set of circular needles, and a ball of Lyon Brand Homespun yarn in "Barrington" to go with the "Waterfall" yarn I already have. I had a few problems getting started on the circular needles. I even tried to start out on the DPN's. That put everything in perspective, and I went back to the circular needles.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-920173472003-04-04T18:10:00.000-08:002003-04-11T10:48:25.000-07:00

Pom-Pom EnvyMichelle of quidnunc.org is one of my new heroes today. (The other is Kathryn who did her new site all in php). Michelle knit the cutest Pom-pom Hat, and then was kind enough to post very thorough instructions. I have yet to knit an item that is not a scarf, but I think I'll make the pom-pom hat my first non-scarf project. It will also represent my first foray into the mysterious

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-917991622003-04-01T14:33:00.000-08:002003-04-01T14:34:05.000-08:00

Project Completed! The Yumiko ShirtI finished the Yumiko Shirt Saturday afternoon, but it was too big. I was about to tear my hair out because I figured I'd have to take it apart and recut all the pieces. I finally broke down and told Omniscient Sewing Mom about it when I went up to Leona Valley to see the poppies on Sunday. She said I should take the shirt in 0.75 inches at each seam and a

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-917456682003-03-31T17:40:00.000-08:002003-03-31T17:40:03.513-08:00

Sewing Update: Yumiko ShirtI finished it. And it was too big! I followed the pattern fo my measurements and it came out too big! I was ready to tear my hair out by Sunday afternoon when I confessed the whole tragic ordeal to Omniscient Sewing Mom. She said, "Oh, of course those patterns never fit right! They're always a lot bigger than they say they are." I was all, "Woe is me...I have to

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-915611782003-03-28T11:13:00.000-08:002003-03-28T14:29:43.000-08:00

Sewing Update:Yumiko ShirtLast night I finished cutting out the bias binding for the neck and arm-holes. I sewed the shoulder seams and put gathers in beneath the bust. I had hoped to do more, but early on I stitched the wrong sides of the fabric together and had to undo the seam with a seam ripper and start over. Maybe I'll have time to get a little done tonight.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-914981422003-03-27T11:52:00.000-08:002003-03-27T11:53:29.000-08:00

Cut!: The Boring part of the Yumiko ShirtLast night I cut out the Yumiko Shirt. It's trickier than I thought it would be because some of the pieces want to be cut on the bias. The pattern instructions provide helpful fabric layout tips, but since I am using two different fabric types (the Yumiko on top, and plain black on the bottom) the layout tips weren't too helpful. Plus, I only had one

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-914312922003-03-26T12:18:00.000-08:002003-03-26T12:24:05.000-08:00

Adventures in Sewing: Patterns and Fabrics and Thread - Oh, My!The pattern I've been waiting for finally arrived in the mail Monday. Tuesday, I made a lunchtime excursion to the $2 Fabric Store. I bought four different fabrics to use for two of the dress patterns I picked up at the JoAnn's Fabrics pattern sale last Saturday. Two of the fabrics are $1-a-yard bargains, and the other two serious

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-910900112003-03-20T16:02:00.000-08:002003-03-20T16:04:27.000-08:00

Adventures in Knitting: the Meetup So I went to the knitting meetup last night, and it was fun. There were about eight people there, and most of the knitters were much more advanced than me. They knit things that aren't scarves. There were two women there who knit socks, which has frightened me because the process usually involves the use of four or five double-pointed needles (DPNs), and it

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-910037512003-03-19T10:11:00.000-08:002003-03-20T16:04:55.000-08:00

Adventures in Sewing: The Yumiko ShirtSo I wanted to make a top to go with my Yumiko Fabric Skirt. I wanted to make a pattern from a shirt that I already own, but that shirt is two-way stretch, and I don't know nuthin' 'bout makin' no patterns, so if I wanted to make a pattern, I'd have to ask Omniscient Sewing Mommy to help. I heart my dearest mater, but seeing as her time is scarce, and this

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-909465442003-03-18T13:21:00.000-08:002003-03-18T13:21:03.733-08:00

Sock Dog: Christy's Get Well DogI finished the blue and beige sock dog last night. Sunday Jared and I went to PetsMart and used their pet tag machine to engrave a tag that says, "GET WELL SOON / WITH LOVE, / JARED & AMANDA". I had wanted to personalize it for Christy, but at the last minute I became very nervous that we would misspell her name. What if she spelled it with a "K" and not a "Ch"

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-906050772003-03-12T12:17:00.000-08:002003-03-12T12:21:53.000-08:00

So, I said I would post here on my projects, and so far I haven't. That ends now. Sock DogsFor those of you (all two of you) who have been reading my regular blog, ...or die trying! you'll know that the Sock Dog is my current obsession of the week. I downloaded a set of directions from a cotton propaganda website - after seeing the absolutely adorable ones on Hugo the Ferret's website.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-902667672003-03-06T15:37:00.000-08:002003-03-07T10:57:36.000-08:00

Obsession of the Week Hairless Dogs, Decorative Painting, Blasted Chicken, Knitting, Sewing, Pansies, Roses, Cannas, Blogs. Some close friends and relatives have observed on more than one ocasion that I tend to become obsessed with any new subject I set out to learn. Rather than bore them to tears with endless musings on whatever topic I'm currently obsessed with, I decided to keep this blog.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5135541.post-1171154099606163232003-02-10T16:33:00.000-08:002007-02-10T16:34:59.616-08:00

If you're looking for a Dry Cleaner in Pasadena, California 91101, read this before taking your clothes to Round the Clock Cleaners: http://whyihateroundtheclockcleaners.blogspot.com

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638034004616326646noreply@blogger.com0