Sewing Project- Gloves

 This project was my first attempt at sewing .... well anything! Now enter my lame diagrams. This diagram is for the making of one finger-less glove. This was my first attempt to learn how to sew and so I used VERY cheap fabric. More precisely, the fabric I cut off of the bottom of my Pon and Zi shirt. The original pieces of material have the dimensions of 9 inches by 4.5 inches. This all varies on the length of the glove one wants and the width of ones wrist. The length was good on my hand but the width could have been less. I'll probably end up adding a ribbon to tie it tighter.

Materials: 2- fabric 9 inches by 4.5 inches
                needle
               thread
               ribbon, 5inches long

STEP ONE!

Cut and then hem along the lines which I marked orange but resulted in a pinkish-red line. On B, one should cut off approximately 2.5 inches. On A, one should cut off a triangle of fabric from each side. The red/pink line on A is roughly 3 inches.

 I will attempt to explain the hem stitch my mom taught me. The well drawn diagram (*wink*) I created hopefully will show you how to line up the fabric. The black is regular fabric and the red/pink shows where the fabric was folded over.  If you can make any sense out of this picture I will be very impressed. The blueish/green is the string.

                  1. Start by threading your needle, and tying a knot on the end of your string to prevent it
                         from coming out of the fabric.
                  2. At the edge of the fabric, starting at the bottom, pull the needle through both levels of
                         fabric.
                  3. Thread the needle through the TOP layer only about
                         0.25 inches.
                  4. Thread the needle through a few stitches of the fabric underneath the top layer and
                        then up through to the top. This should bind the two fabrics together.
                  5. Repeat instruction 3 and 4 until you reach the edge of the fabric, then tie a knot and
                        cut the remaining string.

STEP TWO!

After the sides are hemmed to prevent fraying, you can start to sew the two pieces of fabric together. Fold slightly the edge of B before placing it over A and sewing. This fold once again prevents fraying and makes it look nicer afterwards.

STEP THREE!

Sew the ends of the ribbon to the tip A. I honestly have no suggestions on how to do this. I just experimented. I tied a knot on the end of the string, starting from the bottom of the hem on the INSIDE of the glove ( looks nicer if all the hems are on the inside), and then up through the ribbon. I then tied another knot and cut it, so far it's held up well. Another option would be to simply hot glue the ribbon to the fabric.

I apologize for the coarseness of the instructions. This project was pretty haphazard as my mom was trying to explain sewing to me :) I plan to attempt to add beads to the top of the glove for decorations and either more ribbon or a snap on the "backside" of the glove, the side pictured below to tighten it around my wrist.
This project isn't dressy, yet is cute for around the house or dress-up for a young girl.

S.A.D.D Middle School Dance

This last Thursday, I had the pleasure of DJing a middle school dance for Students Against Destructive Decisions. It was so much fun!

We did it as a Sweetheart's Dance. The Middle School TATU (Teens Against Tobacco Use) members helped decorate. They did a wonderful job. On the entry doorway, they hung a sign saying "love bugs only!" Also, there WERE balloons everywhere (most were popped within the first half hour.

Lastly, we tried to supply lots of goodies. We had a ton of cupcakes, Valentine's Candy, pizza rolls, pizza, pop, water, popcorn. I can't even remember everything!

The middle schoolers did surprise me with some of their music choices.

Group Dances/ Classic Dance Songs

1. Cupid Shuffle- Cupid
2. Cha Cha Slide- DJ Casper
3. C'mon N' Ride It (the Train) -Quad City DJ
     * Not readily known, no instructions in the song, but very fun!  
         Check it!
4. Macarena - Los Del Rio
5. Jump On It- Sugar Hill Gang
     * This was so popular I had kids asking constantly for it! I saved it  
         to be the third to last song I believe. They seemed tramatized at
        the thought it might not be played.
6. Crank That- Soulja Boy
7. Thriller- Michael Jackson
     * This went over very well because our local dance studio learned this dance, and many others just knew
        it out of love for MJ!
8. Stacy's Mom- Fountains of Wayne
    *Can you believe this!? 8th/7th graders knew the song... 6th GRADERS CAME UP TO ME AND
       SAID THEY HAD NEVER HEARD IT BEFORE! o.O
9.  We Will Rock You- Queen
   *Get the kids stomping and it is AWESOME!
10. Cotton Eyed Joe- Rednex
                                                                                                       
                                    Techno/ Remixes

 11.  Party on the Floor- DJ Earworm
              * Did not go as well as I thought... what's wrong with these
                 kids!?
 12. Sandstorm-Darude
     * It suprised me, hardly any kids recognized the song, as a result  
        we got on the mic and said "ON THE COUNT OF THREE
        EVERYBODY JUMP AS HIGH AS THEY CAN!" That got
        some results after we presented them with a challenge!

                                     "Dance offs"
13. Get Low- Lil' Jon
14. You Shook Me All Night Long- AC/DC
     * Prize for best headbanger/ air guitar!


Other good songs!

15. Hey Baby Drop it to the Floor- Pitbull
16. Save a Horse (Ride A Cowboy)- Big N Rich
17. 1-2 Step- Ciara
18. Super Bass- Nicki Minaj
      * Goes over WAY better at High School dances
19. Club Can't Handle Me Right Now- Flo-Rida
20. Honky Tonk Badonkadonk- Trace Adkins
21.I Know You Want Me- Pitbull
22. Yeah! - Usher
23. Say Hey I Love You - Michael Franti
24. Low - Flo-Rida
25. Party Rock Anthem- LMAFO
26. Give Me Everything- Pitbull
27. 2012- Jay Sean

Requested were:
28. Young Wild Free- Wiz Khalifa
   * It surprised me- the kids REALLY danced to this.
29. The Final Countdown- Europe
   * Yeah.. they didn't dance....or even really care...

Then there were plenty of slow songs added in there for Valentine's Day. Just some ideas :) Also, If anyone has any suggestions I'd love to hear them to add to my playlist!



           

Happy Valentin'e Day

Happy Valentine's Day everybody! Well today was interesting, nothing too exciting however. I went skiing this last Sunday with a bunch of friends... It ...was...so....awesome! Also, I have to admit, I was pretty skilled for my third time skiing and the first in about two years. That is, until I fell! I pulled on and had a fun rest of the day. However, the next day my thumb was swollen and bruised. I was further worried when a friend of mine told me one of HIS friends had bruises and pain in the same spots... which resulted in surgery. That day I went to the doctor's to see if any bones were broken. Luckily nothing was broken but I did have a fun time doing x-rays. Unfortunately, I can't play piano for about two weeks or hold my flute up, and the last pep band is this Thursday.... *cries*. What was I talking about? OH! Valentines Day. Uneventful. Thumb hurt, had enchilada for lunch, now watching Oklahoma. (Geez, this is sounding like a pointless facebook status!)

Glass Charm Necklace

This is my most recent necklace. I think it is quite beautiful even thought it is hard to see clear on the photos. My main supplier of beads and charms come from Hobby Lobby or Michael's. The charm I was lucky enough to find on sale for about a dollar in clearance section of Hobby Lobby.

My next step was tying measuring and tying three strings to the end of a clasp. Laying taunt, the necklace is approximately 11 inches on each side of the charm. From there I beaded each string a different color, a royal blue, sea green and finally a gold. Before I tied the three strings to the other end of the clasp, I twisted the gold and blue string around the green.

My last step was attaching the charm to the necklace. I had to experiment, due to the fact I did not possess a large enough loop to fit through the whole of the charm. Therefore, I got wire, wrapped it the charm's hole and from there wrapped it around the loop. All in all, I believe it turned out quite nice!

Quick note: If anyone is considering getting jewelry pliers, I'd say great idea. I use mine extensively to wrap wire around shells and charms; and, it works wonders!

Rest In Peace Herb Conn

On February 1st, a legend passed away- famed climber, Herb Conn. However, it is not for his achievements which I am writing this. This dedication goes out for what Herb, and his wife, Jan, stand for, despite being temporarily separated in body.

I first met Jan Conn almost six years ago, playing with the French Creek Folk at the local senior center. I was just starting to play flute in band and was interested in taking private lessons. Impressed with Jan's spirit, my parents arranged for lessons. Immediately, Jan struck me as a free spirit and vibrate despite being in her 80s then. As the time came I grew to respect her will and the sense that her values were undeminished. She would do anything for a friend, loved her family dearly, supported creation and knew that materialistic objects were fleeting.

After I had had lessons with Jan for some time, she invited me for a lesson at her house. It was the neatest think I had seen in a long time. It was like stepping back into another world. They're house was small and surrounded by forest. On a small hill they had a craft like building. It was small, covered in maps and posters of the surrounding caves; books, carvings and music were scattered around. In making these connections, I also began to learn more of Herb.

In time, I was also attending Jan and Herb's presentations at Jewel Cave and places around the Black Hills. I had always known of Jan's wit but this was when I began to learn more of Herb's also. I don't even recall any specific conversation with him, but I do always remember him running the project or standing off to the side grinning to himself at some story Jan was relating or a song she was singing.

My most memorable experience of these performances was Jan singing a song about how, in a cave, the small man always prevails, and then in another verse (or song?) where Herb hands her a cup of water and she sings underwater!

Herb was always kind to me. When I would call their home and ask for Jan, it would sound as if he was smiling. He was quiet but when he talked, there was no doubt he had something worth saying.

I stopped taking lessons from Jan about a year ago, our paths were different and eventually out contact diminished to simply seeing each other around town. Her and Herb's lifestyle was so beautiful and they by the bare necessities but they lived for everything else. I envy how simply they could live and I hope that I find as much happiness in my life as they did. I do not know whether or not Herb believed in an afterlife, but I am convinced that he and Jan cannot be parted, even for a brief amount of time.

My condolences to Jan and more so, the pray that Herb passed in peace and is having fun exploring his new-found kingdom.

Check out these websites I have found, You'll be amazed:

http://southdakotamagazine.com/explorers-of-an-unseen-world

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1740864/R-I-P-Herb-Conn-of-Needles-and-Jewel-Cave-fame

Pon and Zi Shirt

Back of shirt

Front of shirt

This is my latest shirt... PON AND ZI! The front of the shirt is a classic Pon and Zi design, while the back is something of my own along the main theme. This is my first shirt done with color acrylic paint rather than black and white or sharpies. Like the other shirts, I'll hand wash first in cold water, let sit, hand wash with warm water/soap. I have discovered that the washing machine doesn't like the acrylic paint. It works ok; however, the color does fade, so I stick to hand washing. For awesome official Pon and Zi check out their website: http://ponandzi.com :)

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)

Aren't these some simply intriguing quotes from the completely vile Lord Henry Wotton: 

"I choose my friends carefully. 

"I apologize for the intelligence of my remarks, Sir Thomas, I'd forgotten that you were a member of Parliament. 

"I like persons better than principles and persons with no principles better than anything at all. 

 "I suppose in a fortnight or so, we shall be told he's been seen in San Francisco. It's an odd thing, but everyone who disappears is said to be seen in San Francisco. It must be a delightful city and possess all the attractions of the next world

 "There's only one way to get rid of temptation, and that's to yield to it. 

 "If I could get back my youth, I'd do anything in the world except get up early, take exercise or be respectable.

"One of the great secrets of life. Most people die of a sort of creeping common sense and discover too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes. 

"But adoring someone is certainly better than being adored. Being adored is a nuisance. You'll discover, Dorian, that women treat us just as humanity treats its gods. They worship us and keep bothering us to do something for them." 

" I'm analyzing women at present. The subject is less difficult than I was led to believe. Women represent the triumph of matter over mind, just as men represent the triumph of mind over morals. "

Sir Thomas:  You must admit that women give men the very gold of their lives. 

Lord Henry: But they invariably want it back in such small change. Women, as a witty Frenchman put it, inspire us with the desire to do masterpieces and always prevent us from carrying them out.

Art Within- 2

As promised, a few pages from the book I was making. When done, I tied all the pages together and burnt a CD to go along with it. I think I'll make more books of this kind for possible birthday gifts. Sappy yes.... but oh well.

Art Within-1

This is the cover of my latest project! When I get home I will be able to show everyone more of it, but for the moment, I'll settle by just giving a little bit of a low down on my "Art Within." This project was inspired by a friend of mine who was feeling a little down, and so I felt like making a "booklet" of drawings/photos which had to do with a song lyric which in turn expressed how that person made me feel or their good qualities. It was so much fun to do! I searched through my old photos to find memorable moment, even working to make my own photo mixes as you'll see. Afterwards, I made a mixed CD of the songs I incorporated into the art work, bound the pages I had made together and put them all into a vibrant red folder, which I labeled "Art Within." Lastly, I was mildly entertained by drawing... squiggles... on the front. 

In the mean time, I am looking forward to posting more photos and example when I get a chance. There's a Valentine's Day dance tonight which I have to help with... gotta run!  

By the Way: Yes this is the larger project which I made my "I Miss You" photo for!