Kater's Taters

Mmmmm!

2012-02-10T19:44:00.000-08:00

Buffalo Chicken Dip!

Ingredients:

8 oz package cream cheese –softened

1 cup blue cheese OR ranchdressing

(I use ranch)

½ cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce(+ / – to taste)

1-1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

Directions:

- Mix in a baking dish.

- Bake @ 350*F for 20minutes or until hot and bubbly.

- Serve with tortilla chipof choice.

Ribband!

2012-01-25T09:06:00.001-08:00

Is it a necklace? A bracelet? Headband? Yes, it's all those things! In one simple kit you get the yarn, beads, bead threader, and clasps to make this cool jewelry piece. I did mine in about a day and the longest part is just threading on all the beads before you can start.

For information on how to get your own Ribband visit the Nelkin Designs website. If you're local to the Sarasota, Florida area you can also stop by A Good Yarn Sarasota to pick up a kit.

Aunt Pat's Cardigan

2012-01-20T17:43:00.000-08:00

The ONLY Christmas gift I made was for my Aunt Pat. Most of us don't give gifts but she still expects one soooo that's where this little gem came in.

The Kate Cardi was very easy and seamless which is always a big plus for me. I did this in a week working on it on and off and used Knit Picks Wool of the Andes because I didn't have much money and it was so cheap but honestly it was rough on my hands even though the knit garment wasn't too bad when it was finished. If I made it again I'd probably use Sprout by Classic Elite which is nice and soft and not so hot since it's cotton and not wool...which is nice since I'm currently living in Florida! Plus the colors available are great...I'm lusting after that green colorway!

To finished it off before sending it on it's way I made a little tag from the cuff of the yarn. Now she'll know how to care for the fabric! Hooray!

Cable Braided Accessory

2012-01-20T17:27:00.000-08:00

I was asked by my co-worker Amy to make her this Cable Braided Necklace. The pattern was very easy and rather quick but for me it got boring quickly and thus took me a couple days to finish. But it was worth it in the end because look how cute it is! And of course I'd wear it on my head like a headband or across my forehead like a hippie or even wrapped around my wrist like a bracelet! Very versatile. Love it.

The yarn I used was Koigu KPPPM and I think just on skein would be enough to make 2 or 3.

The only modification I made was to put a small loop of 1/8" elastic to secure the button instead of the knit loop. I believe it's much more secure that way. Take a look below:

THE Ohio State Hat

2012-01-20T16:22:00.000-08:00

Well, actually it's just the Turn A Square pattern in Ohio State colors. I had to make 2, one for each brother, and they had to match of course! Yes, I said brothers, not sisters! I love them for being little girls at heart. <3

I ended up using Berroco Vintage™ and had enough to make both hats and probably another! The hat itself was fast and easy to knit and I did most of it on the plane rides up and back to visit them. Now they're both done and one is already being enjoyed by Tommy while the second is on it's way to Chris so he will no longer feel left out.

Tommy and his girlfriend Michelle are both modeling his hat at the top while I am modeling Chris's hat down below. Hopefully Chris will send me a picture of himself wearing it for me to update this with!

Heartfelt Rings

2012-01-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

Tiny. Owl. Knits. Heartfelt Rings. My first of her designs!!!

She's one of my favorite knit designers right now and she's just a wacky little thing with a brain full of cute and clever things. How could I not make these rings!? They knit up fast and she even has a recorded knit-a-long where she'll make one with you. Niccce.

The yarn I used for mine was Cascade 220 Fingering. A million color choices and they felt loverly. Plus they're on the cheap end of yarn and that makes buying many colors even more appealing.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR !? MAKE A MILLION OF THESE STAT!

iPhone Cozy

2012-01-02T19:50:00.000-08:00

What happens when your boss needs a cozy for her new iPhone? You make this iPhone Cozy by Rachel Delphia with whatever leftover bulky yarn you have and it's totally awesome. There's a hole in the middble of it you say? Well duh, when someone calls you don't want to be fumbling to get it out to answer...just stick you finger in the hole and unlock! You can answer the call with the phone still inside the cozy. Aaaawesome!

My only recommendation would be to make the hole bigger than suggested in the pattern. I cast off an extra 4 stitches and might have done more...like 5 or 6 to really be able to get your finger in there and slide all the way across without problem.

Great pattern and a quick knit!

Highland Fling Sample

2011-12-17T09:21:00.000-08:00

So, I've recently gotten a job at my local yarn store. Dangerous, I know! Everyone I work with is so wonderful and our customers are the best. Plus, along with working in the store I also make samples for our displays! Here is the first one: the Highland Fling using Classic Elite Yarns MountainTop Vista.

The pattern is well written but a little jumbled order wise when you first look at it. Just take a minute, read through it, and you'll understand how it's set up.

With all the working I've been doing at the store this ended up taking me about 2 weeks to finish. It could have easily been done faster if I had more time because it's very easy but looks so impressive when it's done.

Here's how it turned out. I had a lot of fun styling it in lots of different ways on my dressform!

It could also be worn as a hood but of course without a head on my dressform it was a hard look to obtain, lol. I love this shawl/wrap so much I didn't want to give it away! Luckily I can wear it all day at work to show everyone else how great it is.

Wooo Doggies!

2011-11-16T21:31:00.001-08:00

Roscoe is a super model

Doggie sweater to be exact. I wanted to thank a friend of mine for hosting me by making her new dog a sweater to protect him from the very mild cool winter of Florida and the harshness of real winter when they traveled up north. I used the smallest size on the pattern and it was a perfect fit!

I got this pattern a while ago because it has a cute Yorkie on it. My roommate at the time had 3 of them and so every Yorkie thing I saw I got lol. The pattern is provided free by Caron and is called Rainbow Pooch Sweater. Overall it was an easy knit, but I wish it was done in the round...something to think about if I ever make another.

The yarn I used is actually the FIRST project using the large amount of recycled yarn I harvested from my old Wet Seal Duster which I blogged about a while ago. I held two strands together and still didn't even make a dent in the stash, lol.

Summerflies

2011-11-16T21:18:00.001-08:00

Well I worked on this, my first shawl, all summer and finished it just in time for fall. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a hard pattern or anything, it just took longer and longer to do each row the further you went along. By the end there's almost 400 stitches! WHOA!

Anyway, in general I'm not really a fan of shawls, but this one had a great pattern written row by row and that kept things interesting. Also, I used a worsted weight yarn so mine came out a little bigger and more substantial. Plus it works as a cowl too, which is more my style.

Want to try this pattern for yourself? Great! It's FREE! You can get it at Holly and Ella Knits or on Ravelry of course. The yarn I used was Berroco Remix™in a sort of off white.

My First Socks - Peds!

2011-11-06T11:42:00.000-08:00

  This project actually had a couple of firsts for me. First pair of socks AND first time using self striping yarn. Loooove the self striping yarn. Love.

  The pattern is called Pom Pom Peds by The Purl Bee and it's a great pattern. Lots of pictures and well written directions. I didn't have any problems with it and, again, these were my first pair of socks. They're worked from the top down.

  The yarn I used is from Knit Picks called Felici Fingering Self Striping Sock Yarn in the Afternoon colorway.

Here's a few things I learned in the process of making these...

When using self striping yarn DON’T use the first color, it probably isn’t the full length! DAMN!!
If you have a 10” foot you wont have enough of this yarn to do them both the same with one skein. If you don’t care about the order of the stripes then you’ll have enough of it and don’t worry! Have fun. I was seriously 1 and 1/2 stripes short. GAH! Luckily I saved the yarn I had to scrap because it wasn’t the correct color for the next sock and finished it with that.
I am not good at picking up stitches. Bleh, need to work on that, mine were a little holey and weird.
Lastly, I think I might try a size smaller needle for the next pair and add on an extra 4 stitches like Haramis did with hers.

Clear Project Bag

2011-11-05T22:06:00.000-07:00

  I believe the idea of this had been planted in my head for a couple days. How? Well, I recently discovered the Knit Picks Podcast and have started listening to them from the beginning while on my walks/runs everyday. Granted, they're rather outdate since the first one was back in 2007 but they're still interesting and make my runs more entertaining and I always learn a little something.

  So, where does that come in? Well, one of the episodes talked about their clear plastic project bags. They said they found that when knitting in public places the clear bags allowed people to see what's going on and more people an usual could come up an ask either what they're doing or what they're working on.

  I thought this was great and thought maybe instead of inspiring others to ask about what's going on with what I'm knitting that maybe the clear bag would inspire ME to work on my sweater project more. It's been stored in a box when I wasn't working on it and at school, but now that I'm home and have time I feel like it's time to finish. IT'S TIME!!!

  Thus this bag was born out of materials I already had. A last minute project before bed so I could use it the next day. I should have stored the plastic better...it was wrinkly from being mashed into my fabric bin. Oops! For future reference....store un-ironable fabric on rolls as not to wrinkle.

Want to make your own? You NEED...

- Clear or frosted (like mine) fabric
   - 22" wide x 26" long

- 1/2"-1" wide bias tape (I had 1" on hand)
  - 21" long for around the top
  - 18" long (CUT 2) for handles

Here's HOW:

- Fold the long side (26") of the plastic in half. Sew up the sides leaving the top open. 1/2" seam allowance.

- To make the gusset, pinch the 2 bottom corners and sew a 6" long seam. Trim the corner to 1/2" within the seam.
  - For more info and pictures for this step please refer to the purl bee's tutorial on an easy drawstring bag and go down to the "Make Gusset" section.

- Turn bag inside out.

- Pin bias tape around the top of the bag. Sew in place.

- Pin your handles on the inside of the bag. I measured one side of the bag and placed them 5 1/4" in on each side from the side seam. It was 1/4 of the total measurement of one side of the bag.

- Now I zig-zag stitched the handle's raw end to the bag. This will stop it from fraying. Then I went back and straight stitched the handle up closer to the top of the bag to stabilize.

DONE! It took me like 10 minutes total I think and only because I thought of using ribbon instead of bias tape at first lol. Much easier with the bias tape!

*One NOTE...I didn't line this bag because 1) it wouldn't be as see-through and 2) plastic doesn't fray! The thing about plastic is that it wont last forever. You could bind the edges in bias tape to make it look pretty but the more you stitch the plastic the more it will perforate and weaken the fabric. Plus I really don't think you'll even notice that it's 'raw edged'. If anything...if you really feel it needs 'finishing' I would heat set the seams. Turn your iron onto medium/medium-high and heat seal the seams together.

Knitting Swap Spoils

2011-10-24T21:31:00.000-07:00

So I was in a vampire themed Halloween knitting swap. Well you need to give a handmade item (didn't have to be knit) and a skein of yarn. The rest of the goodies were up to me!

So...I am not a quick knitter. So I decided to make use of my sewing skills to make her a project bag, keychain wristlet, and a mini wristlet to hold the stitch markers I sent too! I managed to find a fabric she liked through her Etsy favorites and used that for all the goodies. Check it out!

This is the same person I sent the homemade marshmallows to as well! So along with the project bag (with hand painted accent glitter I might add) the wristlet, mini wristlet and marshmallows I also found a great copy of Dracula with Bela Lugosi on the cover, a great modern vampire novel, a BEAUTIFUL skein of red silk/merino yarn, a shawl pattern from her wishlist called Anonymous Vampire and stitch holders!

Oh, and did I mention the totally cute folder I made to put the shawl pattern in? BAM!

I just cut out the shape of the mouth and teeth I drew with an X-Acto knife and taped some red paper in the inside of the folder flap. Fun!

Anyway, it was a fun swap and I hope she enjoys all the time I put into the many handmade items!

Once my swap spoilee got her package she shared this very nice picture! Yay!

Gourmet Marshmallows Oo-la-la!

2011-10-18T22:50:00.000-07:00

After finding this recipe and instructions on Clock Work Lemon for making your own Marshmallows from scratch I was itching for a reason to make them! They just looked to lovely and puffy! One note about the instructions that I would suggest is using a pizza cutter to chop up the 'mallow loaf into the squares. It was so fast!!! Much better than using a knife.

Anyway, so I finally got a reason when the person I was doing a knitting swap with commented on how much she likes marshmallows of the chocolate variety. Soooo I made them and went to town on the melted chocolate!

Here's the results!

Then I thought....let's kick it up a notch! Why not add some peanut butter chips?! Try melting them too?? YES!

But it made SO many....and I can only eat so many crazy sweet marshmallows. So, I kept a small sampling for myself and my Dad, but then I sent all the chocolate ones to my swap partner...then I sent another care package of them to my buddy Lindsay for a congrats on her new job!

ADORABLE RIGHT? LOVE!!

PS, I'm not really a hot chocolate drinker but guess what? They work just as nice in your morning coffee. Mmmm!

Alteration Inspiration

2011-09-27T00:41:00.000-07:00

After doing a bit of altering to a pageant dress tonight I got inspired to give designing some a shot. Let me just disclaimer how I am NOT a evening wear designer. So this was my best shot at 3AM. Oh hey, kind of a decently lit phone picture! All right!

Marker flesh experiments. Need to remember how I did the one of the left! I think it was one dying marker + lighter marker = oh hey nice!

Armor Inspired Designs

2011-09-25T22:28:00.000-07:00

In order to beef up my portfolio I'm doing mini-design projects in a sketchbook. I think this is my favorite page of 'armor' designs for a Fall collection.

I always put an art filter over these digitally before posting since I don't scan them. Yet. It shows up better.

Next I'm going to do some younger girl designs.

Fabric Book Cover

2011-09-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

To organize my thoughts I bought a little journal to keep track of myself. But I hated the outside. There was a cute blue one at the store but it was damaged. Lame. So I bought this pink one and directly looked up a tutorial on making a fabric cover. I found this excellent video tutorial on About.com that explained it quickly and to the point. It shows you how to take measurements so you can customize a cover for any book!

Funny how I got this Michael Miller fabric to make gifts for my roommate and have been able to make more stuff with the remnants. Good buy! And so cute!

Knit Coffee Cuff

2011-09-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

This is the knit item that I use more than any other. WAY more! It lives in my purse and gets used for both hot AND cold drinks to soak up the sweat. Using the pattern Quick & Basic Coffee Cozy from Social Knitworking I created my own version with a little stripe in the middle. I used leftover cotton yarn, worsted weight, but I don't remember what the brand was. It doesn't even matter as long as you used worsted weight yarn. Great patter and a great item.

Repurposing A Reusable Bag

2011-09-24T18:29:00.000-07:00

Here's the deal. Sometimes you buy those reusable bags because you need .99 cents more to your total in order to use a coupon. That's what happened here. I started out with a bag like this from Joann Fabrics:

Made of sort of a cheap oilcloth type fabric. Well, I thought maybe I'd put it to good use and try to make a couple waterproof bags. I gave a little test to the fabric and it's at least 'water resistant' if nothing else. So I decided on making up a boxy makeup bag and a smaller bag for what was going to be my Kindle and ended up as housing my hard drive and it's cord.

First I cut up the bag into all it's pieces and cut off the binding. Keep the handles!

The big brown pieces were the front/back and the green pieces are the sides, bottom and handles.

First, the makeup bag. I was in need of a new, bigger one and the thought of having one that was somewhat waterproof was great in case something exploded in there, especially while traveling.

Finished product

Peek at the clear plastic lining inside

For this I used the big brown pieces and the green handles. Then, using the very excellent directions from It's A Pretty Modern Life I sewed it up. For the lining I used this clear plastic I had leftover from my Reusable Storage Bags to make it even more waterproof. The green handles became the zipper pull tabs and the strap on the side. The strap isn't part of the Pretty Modern tutorial but can be seen through the Drago[knit]fly tutorial. They look similar but the Pretty Modern tutorial shows how to make the bags fully-lined, which is easy and looks so much nicer, plus it will increase the life of the bag since the seams aren't exposed to fraying.

Next I did a smaller bag out of one side and the bottom piece of the bag pieces. I would have used the other side instead but that stupid logo was in the way and I was not interested in advertising for Joann Fabrics. Sorry!

Quilted lining.

So this pouch, more than a bag, started as a Kindle case so I could put it in my purse with a bottle of water and not worry about it sweating and killing my electronic book. I used the sewing tutorial for a fully lined zipper pouch from Skip To My Lou. I tweaked it a little by cutting 4 pieces of neoprene so I could pad each side of the lining (hedgehog fabric) and quilted it into place.

Initial measurments. Oops.

Well, what I SHOULD have done was cut the outer fabric about 3/4" bigger than the lining since I bulked it up so much with the extra padding. Mine didn't lay flat and was too tight for my kindle to fit into it with ease. Hence why it is now housing my much smaller hard drive and cord.

I had notes on what my measurments were but since it didn't turn out as well as planned I didn't keep them. Basically I cut the fabric to be about 1" bigger than the kindle but should have made it 2-3" bigger. Again, the bulk of the quilted lining made it much smaller on the inside.

Anyway, here's the finished product. Tight squeeze! Sorry, Bingley! (That's my Kindle's name.)

All and all, for a bag that cost about a buck. I think it was worth it!

Cowardly Lion

2011-09-24T16:01:00.000-07:00

Roar!

What do you do when an adult male needs a Cowardly Lion costume for a work event? You get sent a hoodie and told to get to it!

"With pleasure!" I replied.

So I ordered up 3 skeins of 100% polyester yarn from Dick Blick for it's sticky quality, making the lion mane more of a single entity instead of individual strands.

Want to make your own? Easy!

Cut a million pieces of yarn 12" long and sew them in half along the edge of the hood of a hoodie. Then, cut a million more pieces of yarn 10" long and do 2 more rows behind the original row about 3/4" away. I then did 2 more short rows down the crown, between the seams if you your hoodie has them like mine (see image 1). I also did a row of 10" long pieces around the arm cuffs.

Next you need some ears. I got a fluffy, almost felted, fabric that was a near exact match to the hoodie color. For the ears I drew out a rough ear shape and cut 4 (see image 2). Sew two together on the curve but not the flat bottom, then turn them right sides out. I also opted to fold the ear in half and sew a small (about 1/2") dart in the fold so that it would curl like a real ear (see image 3). Then hand sew the ear onto the hood! I placed mine at an angle going from the longer middle mane rows to the side (see image 4 & picture 4, which is the hoodie front).

Next is the tail. Using the same fabric as the ears, cut a 5" wide by however long (mine was 42") and sew it with right sides together, leaving one small end open to turn the tail right-side out. Use Fiberfill to stuff the tail. I also inserted wire from Home Depot that came from the electric section that was sold by the foot. It was about .40 cents/foot and I got 4 feet so I could bend it in half to have a double sturdiness once inserted into the tail. Now you can curve it and it will stay! I don't remember what the name of the wire was, only that the guy said it had the most resistance and it was dark gray/blackish in color.

I was also in charge of making a way to attach the tail to a belt or belt loops. So, before I sewed the top of the tail closed I also put in a length of bias tape I had on hand so he could tie it to the back belt loop. (see picture5)

4 5

Tada! Finished and so cute. They also bought the Cowardly Lion Pendant which he gets from the Wizard to add to it once it gets sent back.

UPDATE!

Pictures from Fred, my commissioner of this costume. He looks GRRRREAT!

Bar Towels

2011-09-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

I'm realizing just how many projects have slipped through the cracks here! Here is one I did about a year ago. They're bar towels based on the pattern Back to School by Star Athena. I just replaced the study related words to bar words. The yarn I used was Hobby Lobby I Love This Cotton! Solids.

But why did I make these? I was going to my cousin's new house for the first time and wanted to make a house warming/bar warming gift. He's got a GREAT bar called Big Time Scott's in his basement.

Here's how they turned out!

Beer, wine & booze. All a bar needs.

Fits in nicely!

Whew!

2011-09-22T23:13:00.000-07:00

WOW! I've done a lot of updating tonight. Now it's time to go to bed. I have a few more things coming up once they're finished so until then I'll leave you with this sketch of some designs I've done to keep myself fresh! I put a cartoon art filter on it so that the details could be seen a little better since it's mostly a light pencil drawing with some skin tone marker. I think I'll upload more of these eventually, Joie has really inspired me with all of hers!

Senior Collection

2011-09-22T23:00:00.000-07:00

Ah yes, the reason why it's been SO LONG since I've updated! The last year of my life was devoted to my senior year in fashion school's personal collection, like a senior thesis.

It all started with designing a 4 look collection:

After multiple muslins through the fall semester the final garments were then constructed and perfected the following spring semester. All the hard work was worth it for this final outcome:

To see more of my work and photos of my senior collection visit my website!

KatieRempe.weebly.com

Pink Dress!

2011-09-22T22:36:00.000-07:00

Ever since I saw this pattern at Joann's all sewn up I was surprised at how lovely it looked! You go Cynthia Rowley! Anyway, it can be found in the Simplicity section pattern number 2443 at your local fabric store or Simplicity Online.

It was an easy sew, I cut out the patterns and fabric one day and sewed it all up in the next 2 evenings. The only thing I would caution is that you may want to make a size larger than what you normally would. Since you put interfacing in the waistband it eliminates any stretch in that area. If only I could go back in time! Oh well, I would probably make this one again at some point anyway.

Better pictures on the way soon!

Recycled Yarn Experiment

2011-09-22T22:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I came upon a group on Ravelry called UnRavelers that unravel old, ugly sweaters for the yarn then reuse it to make a cute modern garment or item. Oh yeah, I was intrigued. So I went right off to my local Goodwill thinking I would score an old ugly man sweater in some awesome fiber like cashmere for $5 and then dance all the way home. Well it turns out that Florida is NOT the place for that to happen. But I was still eager to try unraveling something! So I went back home, looked through all my old stuff, and found an old duster from Wet Seal!

Well, it wasn't exactly the dream garment, it was acrylic yarn, but at least it would have a lot of yardage and give me a chance to test the waters. Sooooo....the duster went from this...

To THESE!!

I'm not sure what I'll make from it...if anything...but it was a good experience if nothing else!

Smurf Hat

2011-09-22T21:56:00.000-07:00

Well it wasn't SUPPOSED to be a smurf hat, but after a comment my roommate made...well she was spot on. Just look at it! I had to make it in white lol.

The REAL name of the project is The Slouch Hat by Diane Serviss and is $5 through Ravelry. It seems like an easy pattern because it's all just garter stitch, but when you review the pattern skills you see that it's really a great project to build your skills! For this hat you need to know how to do Provisional Cast On, Kitchener Stitch, and Short Rows! Don't worry! YouTube is full of videos showing you how to do all those things.

The yarn I used was by Misti Alpaca called Chunky Solids. It is SO SOFT but sheds like crazy! My black coat is now kind of gray. But whatever because my head and ears are always 100% warm!

I ended up making mine longer because I thought my first attempt with the recommended CO wasn't going to make it slouchy enough in the back. Thus I OVER compensated and had to brim the front quite a bit for the hat not to be hanging halfway down my back, lol. At least all my hair would fit into it if need be! Anyway, it's still cute and warm and soft so it just ended up being a 'design detail'.

Sassy Sam Cat

2011-09-22T21:37:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I've gone all this time and never had one post about my cat, Sam!

AKA Samuel Catson, AKA Samwise, AKA Sammy, AKA Puppy, AKA Poopy, AKA Family Puppster, AKA Fuzz-Butt, AKA....

...ok yeah he just has a lot of nicknames. No wonder he doesn't know his name.

But ain't he so cute and STYLISH!?

Oh BABY!

2011-09-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

Ok so here's the deal. I don't have a baby. Will never have a baby. But a friend of mine did have a baby. Thus this very cute baby sweater. It's actually the FIRST sweater I've ever finished! I have an adult size one for me in the works but it's taking forever because I keep putting it down.

Anyway, I actually had this yarn and pattern laying around from my Sophomore year in college when I was planning on making it for my professor's baby. Well that didn't turn out so it got a second chance with my friend's baby instead! Better in the long run.

What's great about this project is that the yarn, buttons, and pattern were all included in the $15 price! There was enough yarn to make 3 different sizes (I made the middle one and there was plenty of yarn leftover), and two pattern choices. It's from Plymouth Yarn, the design I made was called Baby Placket Pullover, and that was included was called Cotton Kisses. I tried to find a link to the Plymouth site for the project but it doesn't seem to be available through their official site anymore, hence the link to the Ravelry page. Also included on the other side of the baby placket pullover was this pattern for a very cute Baby Cardigan. Anyway, the pattern was written pretty well, some of the details were a little abbreviated but manageable.

If I have one gripe it's that I don't think the slubby/nubby yarn was a great choice for this pattern. It didn't really let the details you knit into it stand out as well as they could with just a regular yarn. Either way, it was a pretty fast knit (ran into the 'putting it down' problem since there was two sleeves and front/back) but still got it done before winter which is always a plus haha. But for once I didn't mind having to seam up everything. It was so small that it was fast and easy!

Green Christines!

2011-09-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

My friend Christine and I decided to do a little project swap. I asked her to make me this crocheted Katamari ball that I've always wanted but never made because I don't crochet (IT'S AWESOME!!!), and in return she wanted a pair of mittens in green! So I decided on these great Mobile Mittens by Maria Moesby. It is a free pattern through Ravelry and well written. I made them in a couple of days worth of knitting...just not all the days were one right after lol. I tend to make one...wait a long time...then make the second of whatever I'm knitting if it's something like mittens. Anyway, here's how they turned out!

I love the erratic stripe pattern. I feel like it was fun and fitting for her personality. The yarn I used was called Julia by Nashua Handknits. So soft!

French Press Cozy

2011-09-22T20:19:00.001-07:00

Based off of this pattern from Design Sponge I created my own version of a French Press Cozy. I had to invest in a French Press at the beginning of the summer and love it! So easy, so yummy.

Using left over Lily Sugar'n Cream Solids in white, blue and a little pink, plus some buttons from my collection, I was able to make this very cute cozy.

Ready to protect and serve my coffee!

Coming soon!

2011-09-22T00:11:00.000-07:00

A big update. Followed shortly by my first ever FOOD post. Oh happy day! Here's a tease:

Baby Sweater

Smurf Hat

Mobile Mitts

Coffee Cozy

Senior Collection

Pink Dress

Summer Flies

More Boxy Bags

Swap Items

LION!

and.....Marshmallows!

Xmas Gifts!

2011-01-29T22:45:00.000-08:00

Finally! What I worked on over Xmas for giftings. First is the hat I made for my brother Chris!

Second is the headband and mittens I made for my roommate Lindsay:

Last is the cosmetic bag, key fob wristlet, and travel tissue pack cover I made for roommate Courtney.

Hooray presents!

Knits up!

2010-12-23T08:57:00.000-08:00

2 projects in 2 days!

First is the Anthropologie headband knockoff:

Second is the Marian cowl. I wish Lion Brand had a better color selection in this yarn. It's so nice and soft but the pink is kinda eh.

Lots more done but they're Xmas presents! So I'll be waiting till after next semester to update with those.

YAY!

2010-12-17T12:56:00.001-08:00

Big crafting plans for the 3 weeks of winter break! Come back soon!

Reuseable Plastic Storage Bags

2010-08-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

After seeing several version of making these environmentally friendly bags, I chose this tutorial:

Dabbled Reusable Sandwich/Snack Bags

Other ways of making them used oilcloth for a lining and a cloth fabric for the outside. Those are great options for making sandwich/snack bags as they're food safe. But, personally, I like seeing what's inside.

I chose the filmy vinyl plastic because it was way easier to sew. It didn't actually stick at all on the foot, which is a HUGE bonus when working with plastic.

I bought the fabric at Hancock Fabrics and it was only about $1.29 for a whole yard! I got half a yard and still have enough to make probably...10 more of the size I made? I made mine a little on the bigger side with finished measurements of 8 1/2"x7 1/2".

NOTE!!! I've since learned that this particular fabric I used isn't food safe. It contains PVC which has bad stuff for your food to be in contact with. This is why it's now a storage bag only.

BIG Boxy Bags!

2010-08-23T16:34:00.000-07:00

This one I made for my sewing supplies for school. There's a lot of stuff I need to have with me and I think this will be perfect! Plus, look at the amazing scissor lining!!

Mom made this one with me. Mother Daughter sewing project! It turned out great, love the fabrics!

ON A ROLL!!

2010-08-17T15:13:00.001-07:00

I had the whole day to myself so I'm getting a lot of sewing done! This iphone/ipod wristlet was another project by Pretty Modern!

Mine seemed to turn out a little small, but it's the PERFECT size for my iphone with it's slightly bulky cover. Nothing else is fitting in there other than maybe some cash and a card though! It would make a cute little wallet without the phone too.

Looooove it! The only mod I made was doing a zig-zag around the inside so that the lining wouldn't be totally raw. No fraying and it looks pretty good!

Key Fob Wristlets

2010-08-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

After seeing these on Etsy I had to have one!! I found a bunch of tutorials online of slightly varying techniques and after compiling them all this is how I made mine. I couldn't find any key fob hardware at Micheal's, Joann's, or Home Depot, and I didn't want to buy any online since I'm leaving for school again soon, so I found someone who made them using D-rings instead. Genius!

So these are how they turned out. I only had 2 D-rings on hand otherwise I'd have made more! Such a great little project.

Want to make your own? These are the directions I followed:

Buttercuppity's long-awaited-ummm-yeah-sorry-key-fob Tutorial

The mods I made were at the end. Like I said, instead of the key fob hardware I used a D-ring.

1) Slip on the D-ring to the middle of the strip

2) With right sides together, sew the two raw ends together.

3) Trim the seam and flip so that the seam is now inside.

4) Now slip the D-ring over the seam.

5) To finish the raw edge and secure the D-ring sew a french seam which will encase them both.

Hopefully that's not too confusing without pictures! If you need any help or clarification just let me know.

Properly Packaged in a Pleasing Manner

2010-08-16T22:33:00.001-07:00

Hannah's legwarmers are ready to be shipped cross-country! I hope they enjoy their new home and bring much happiness to their Halloween!

Hey, Barbie, how do you keep in such great shape??

2010-08-14T20:52:00.000-07:00

"My legwarmers, of course!!!!!! GOSH!"

Thus they're done and going to Hannah this week. From the East coast to the West coast! Have fun, Barbie!

Japanese Box Bag!

2010-08-10T22:08:00.000-07:00

I was recently surfing Etsy when I came across these types of bags called Japanese Box Bags. After looking around to see others that people have made I thought I might buy one. But, upon further consideration, I wanted one like right now. So I looked online and found a couple tutorials on how to make them! I used this one, which was great because it makes a fully lined bag, which a lot of others didn't:

It's a Pretty Modern Life

I also ended up buying that blue nail polish!! <3

Anyway, here's how it turned out:

I used fabric I had left over from making a jacket for my Mom and some muslin for the lining. Since one of the only zippers I had on hand that was long enough was red, I found some other old red fabric to use as the little pull tabs on either end to match.

I think it turned out super cute and I will be making one for myself soon! Already obtained super cute fabric and I'm going to make it even bigger than the tutorial directs! Hopefully it'll be big enough to carry my sewing supplies!

Great Shape Barbie!

2010-08-10T09:04:00.000-07:00

So I only have one done as of right now, but the second will only take a couple days now that I've figured out how to make the first. Here's a little preview!

Those pictures were taken before I wove in all the ends and closed the little color change holes. Can't wait til their done so Hannah can wear them with her costume!

Changes

2010-08-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

Somtimes change will do you good. In this case, it's really good! A fresh new feel to my little blog here with an improved name, logo, and wallpaper. Plus, you now have the quick and easy option of commenting on posts with the Reaction buttons below. Oh, and say you want to share a post via a social networking site? There's now an options for that too!

Ahhh....the improved goodness. Enjoy! More projects are in the works to be posted soon...

Preview of what's to come:

-Great Shape Barbie legwarmers

- Japanese box bags

Get excited!

Summer Knitting

2010-07-20T17:02:00.000-07:00

First off, 3 bar towels made for my cousin Scott's bar:

Next, a day project that I found online and had to make immediatly. A doo-dad holder!

Summer Dress

2010-06-20T23:08:00.000-07:00

So my cousin is getting married at the end of June and it's very casual. So I decided to make this dress to wear since it has a nice beachy summery feel. The wedding itself will be outside so I think it will be perfect! I have plans for skirts and maybe another dress before the summer is over.

Bella's Mittens from the Twilght movie with matching hat

2010-06-20T23:02:00.000-07:00

Over the summer while I'm off from school I decided to get some knitting done for the upcoming winter. I decided to make these mittens and hat over Spring Break and I finished everything last week! It's impossible to knit during school.

Even though the pictures seem like the mittens and hat are two different colors, trust me, they are the same. The light was just different plus one I took using my computer webcam and the other was my actual nice camera. Go fig.

NYC semester

2010-06-20T22:45:00.001-07:00

Spring 2010 in NYC was a good semester. First off, I have a new website!

KatieRempe.com

Now, lets get to what happened sewing wise in NYC after the 'wetsuit':

100% hand sewn pleated dress. No cuts were made for this dress which is made from 2 continuous yards of fabric.

This Menswear project includes a fur vest, belted, a knit sweater, and denim jeans.

Wet Suit

2010-02-28T09:53:00.000-08:00

Well not a functional wet suit of any kind. This was made for the Radicci project where we got a pile of fabrics from their company and were told to make either evening wear, lingerie, yoga, or swim wear. Guess which I chose??

The idea was that you'd go to the beach in the early morning to catch the surf, but by the time noon came it was warm and you were tired. So you zip off the legs, arm, and neck section to make it a swim suit.

Junior Year - Fall 2009 - Florence, Italy

2010-01-10T20:49:00.001-08:00

The project are actually in backwards order of how we made them but who cares!!

First up: Bustier Project
Make a dress with a bustier under structure. Ta-daaaa! We made many attempts to accurately describe this dress. My favorite was it looked like the lost souls that Ursula captured in The Little Mermaid. Very short and since gifted to my friend Hannah.

Next, Jacket Project
Wool fabric was provided by the school....in a round about way. Inspired by armor from the King Henvry VIII, Dressed to Kill exhibit in London. Hand embroidered tutor crest applique on the back. Lined with silver silk.

My favorite project as it turned out, the swim suit!
I really enjoyed this one. I'd like to try to make another with a more complex design now that I know it it's limitations. LOOOOVED the fabric, bought from Spandex House online before we left.

Prada Keyhole Knock-off

2009-05-25T16:18:00.000-07:00

Last semester (Fall 2008) for our final project we were assigned to find a designer dress with sleeves, a collar, and waist detail to do our 'knock-off' project. I chose this Prada keyhole dress that I LOVED and was able to find this fabric with a print in similar colors. Since the original had less white than my fabric, I chose to change the color of the bias tape from black to white.

If only I could have made the shoes too!

'Circle Project'

2009-05-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

This was our first draping project since the beginning of Fall semester. It was a little daunting because we hadn't done draping in so long but I LOVE how everything turned out.

My original design idea was to do something with a big hood and it evolved into a backless dress where the shoulders are attached to the hood and nothing else. I also needed more circles in my design, that was part of the project, so I put one that's folded at the waist in the front and 2 big circles in the back as a bustle.

I love the fabric I found. It's got a great texture and plaid it one of my favorite prints to work with.

Abercrombie and Fitch Project

2009-05-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

Spring semester brought our first project where we designed a whole collection in drawing class and then had to make one outfit from that collection in sewing class. This was a group project...which had its share of drama...but I really liked how my stuff turned out. Even though we had NO time to make the final garments everything still came out well and looked very professional.

Pieces include:
- Denim skirt with Fitch embroidery on the inside waistband, moose button, and distress holes backed with pink gingham fabric.
- Tank top with pipping at the empire waist and straps that cross in the back.
- Fully lined jacket with large puff sleeves and wood buttons.

LBD-Finished

2009-03-07T15:00:00.000-08:00

Here's the finished product of the little black dress I designed for my school project. It came out really cute and I love it.

We had a 'walk off' to see who's dress from each class would be picked to be in the senior show at the end of the year also. I didn't win...but the girl who did is super nice and her dress was amazing. If I'd lose to anyone else I'd be VERY upset. Here's some runway pics. Thanks to Krystal for modeling my dress!!

Little Black Dress - Muslin

2009-02-19T15:18:00.000-08:00

Hello there. Today I'm updating with pics of my LBD in muslin. The final will be due on 2-35-09 for my draping/pattern making class and will be made out of black (obviously) duchess satin. Hopefully it'll hold my pleats...somewhat.

Alice Cullen Scarf

2009-01-12T20:30:00.000-08:00

I decided to make my own little pattern for the blue striped scarf that Alice Cullen wears for like a second in the Twilight movie. This appears when they're on the field trip. It's really easy and I based this original pattern on the limited views in the movie. Now I see it's a little more varied in the length of the stripes, unlike mine which I made all my stripes the same length. Oh well, close enough! Mods can be EASILY made.

Materials:
#10 1/2 US needles

1 skein of Vanna's Choice worsted weight in each of the following colors:
- Colonial Blue
- Navy
- Silver Blue
- Dusty Blue

Directions:

Cast On 30 stitches starting with Colonial Blue. The whole scarf is done in stockinette stitch(Ss).

Ss for 5", change to Navy

Ss for 5, change to Silver Blue

Ss for 5", change to Dusty Blue

Ss for 5", change back to Colonial Blue

Repeat this pattern for as long as you want the scarf to be, then Cast Off.
Mine was 85" total.

You can try blocking to prevent curling but it's hard with an acrylic yarn. Wool yarn would have more success. To prevent curling, try knitting the first and last 3 stitches on your purl rows.

NOTE! Make sure you end with the same color you stated with! (Colonial Blue)

That's it! Easy! You don't need to see the future to whip this one together!

I put two extra pics up for color reference in different light than the first one, and another of Alice!

Joie's Arm Warmers!

2009-01-05T23:40:00.000-08:00

Two months after she ordered them from me I've FINALLY got them finished! A mix of school up until mid-December and those tiny needles kept me from getting it done sooner. But they are finished and awesome! I love the colors and the design. It almost seems sporty to me, like baseball for some reason.

And, of course, I had some fun taking a few pics with them on before I sent them away!

New stuffs!

2008-12-22T18:41:00.000-08:00

Made for my friend Becky, this is a 2x2 rib knit which I liked much more than the 1x1 and was made holding a red and a white yarn together to get an awesome texture! Made in 1 day!

This 1x1 rib knit was made for my mom's coworker. Made in one day too!

Joie's arm warmers are going slow but steady! I finished the first one and am on my way to having #2 done soon...I hope!

Finished Shrug

2008-08-28T14:11:00.001-07:00

Finally finished the Love in Music Shrug by Ruby and it looks great! Sorry the pics are a little low lighting, but it still works.

Lost in Music Coverup...AGAIN!

2008-08-01T21:14:00.001-07:00

IMG00269
Originally uploaded by relena15195

Like I said on Ravelry, I had to frog this like 3 times and now I'm finally doing the pattern correctly! YAY. So I'm almost done, just have the cuffs to finish then I'm done. FINALLY!

Old and New!

2008-06-11T13:02:00.000-07:00

First let's start with this new project I did yesterday. My first time making stitch markers!

Cute right? I did them in 'Slytherin green and silver' for my HSKS5 partner!

Now the old:

First the 'Hannah' hat by Blake Ehrlich

Ok now the ' Dream Swatch Head Wrap' by Wendy Bernard

Finally Calorimetry by Kathryn Schoendorf

Thanks to the designers for being so awesome and releasing their patterns for free so that we can all enjoy their brilliance!

New LYS!

2008-05-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

Today me and mom went to find this LYS that I found through Ravelry. It's in Bradenton and it's called A Yarn Outlet. They also own a fencing outlet so if you call and get their machine saying they're a fencing place...it's OK! My first phone conversation was like this:

"Are you calling about fencing?"

Me: No....

"Are you calling about some YARN?"

Me: ....yes....?

"Yup that's us too!"

Me: ...kaaaaaay?

So yeah, good times. Anyway, check them out if you're in the area. It's a cute little place and right off SR 70.

Check out their website!

Embossed Velvet

2008-04-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, so today in Fabrics we embossed velvet! It's SUPER EASY and comes out really nice. Basiclly you pick out a rubber stamp or stamps you want to put on your velvet, place the stamp rubber up, place the velvet face down over it, place a buffer fabric like cotton/muslin over that and place your iron over it and press for 10 seconds NO STEAM! And when you take it off...BAM! It's in your fabric and looking very awesome.

Now, if you find you get holes when you remove it then you might need to get a cheap iron that doesn't steam because it's the steam holes coming through.

Also, you can do this with a lot of pile fabrics. Corduroy, Velveteen, etc. Just keep in mind that you can't wait velvet so your embossing wont come out, but if you wash your corduroy after embossing your pattern will come out. Which is kind cool if you want to change it up!

Pictures of mine coming soon, probably after the weekend.

Ok, not an awesome picture by my phone, but it'll work til I get back to my room after the weekend.

Marble Dying

2008-04-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

So today in Fabrics class we did marble dying. First impression: omg that tray is full of goo. I don't want to do this. But then Prof. Chids demo-ed for us and I was like...holy crap that's awesome. Let's rock this. So after getting over the goo I made these two designs. The pink/black one first and the green/black one after. You can see a little of the pink got on the green one too from the first batch.

If you've never done this before but are interested definitely look up how to do it and what you'll need to make water into this goo, and where to buy the correct dye. I just wish we had more than one sink to clean up with because we could have done more but wasted a lot of time waiting in line. OH! And since the fabric is specially treated to take the dye, once you place it in the solution it sucks up the dye and you can go right over and wash it off and the dye wont come off. It's magical!!

I would totally do this again. We got a hand out of instructions so that was a bonus! If anyone wants a copy of my handout and I scan it and send it to you.

[Edit]
Got the directions scanned if anyone's interested.
Front of Handout

Back of Handout

Workroom II: Final Project

2008-04-20T20:26:00.000-07:00

So this is the finished product of my coat I had to make for Workroom II. I had a lot of problems with this one for some reason, even with it being a commercial pattern. Anyway, I ended up having to make some adjustments to make up for things as I'd screw them up, hence why there's no buttons on the front like there was supposed to be, and there's a tie instead. I think it adds more fun to it. Plus it's light so it's better for cool weather.

Don't mind my shirt. I didn't want to change into something else. lol.

There's a back shot of the belt loops I put on. They're too high when I wear the jacket, it looked more normal on the dress form.

Finally, here's the lining I used. I wanted a bright yellow, but they didn't have any in lining fabric. BOO! Plus it matches the buttons and button holes on the fake pockets and epaulets.

That's it for now. Yay for my first sewing post!

New Buys!

2008-04-14T21:04:00.001-07:00

coverupprogress
Originally uploaded by relena15195

So I've started a bad habit of buying materials to make things without having time to make them anytime soon. With school being such a trouble right now thanks to my horrible fashion drawing class, I don't have a lot of time to knit.

Buuut, when I do, I work on the Lost in Music Coverup. I finally got a progress picture with my lovely green yarn. I can't wait to be done, though it's going really slow right now since, agian, I don't have a lot of free time. It probably wont be done til this semester's over. Btw....BE OVER ALREADY!!

That's about it. If you're interested in looking at the materials I bought for my upcoming legwarmers and goat (for my friend Helena) then feel free!!

Welcome!

2008-04-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my Craft Blog. Sewing and knitting is what I'm doing most of right now so that's probably what most posts will be about!

Have fun looking and let me know if you have any questions.

Katie