Portable Magnetic Needle Holder! Upcycled project

Upcycled Project: Project Magnetic Needle Case

I got inspired one day at hancock fabrics when I saw a case with a magnet in it that was meant for bringing your needles everywhere. I was not going to spend $10 on something I was confident i could make at home!

Items you will need:
1- small case. I used an old case that used to have eyelashes in it that I no longer used.
2- Glue: in the picture I have E6000. i wound up not using it b/c it was clogged and I was impatient. I wound up using GS Hypo cement. It is thin, quick drying, and strong.
3- Old free refridgerator magnet and a pair of scissors.

Instructions: Cut the magnet to the size of the case. Glue in! Done! 1 minute craft project


I added my needle and they stuck here is a picture of it

Look mom no hands! As a point of refernce I had a needle with a piece of thread in it ... See how it hangs :)

Wow, this is a handy case to have. I can put it in my purse and take it with me whereever I go to sew! It won't ruin my needles. They won't get lost in my purse or bag. And it is just nice to have something to organize my working needles at home period! :)

Hope you enjoy this project

Happy 2011!

Wow it is 2011! Can you believe it? Seriously? Holy cow! Now to set up some goals! Instead of lumping it all together, I am going to segregrate my "resolutions" as follows

General 2011: Use up what I have!!!
That's the theme! Use what I have! I have so much stuff. Just stuff everywhere and I feel like lately we are just trained to want stuff that we don't need. Seriously why do I want more stuff? I started a bit last year to use up my stuff but I am carrying it over to more parts of my life. So let's use up all my stuff!

1. Decrease fabric stockpile by ~50% (so there is no more out of the closet).
I am going to do this by practicing my sewing and making clothes. This was the reason why i bought the fabric in the first place and now I need to follow thru on my behavior.

2. Decrease my debt 50%.
Well if i am going to use up all my "stuff" lol this should just happen naturally. I can totally do this!

3. Reduce my craft projects. This includes the following...
- stuff turkeys and pumpkin for mom
- snowmen cross stitch stockings (2 of them)
- lion latch hook
- light up santa cars
- penquin snow sign
-bless this house needlepoint
- advent calendar
- ADPi tshirt quilt (started and never finished)
- iris latch hook
- budha cross stitch
- cuba cross stitch (there are 3 i would love to have 1 done!)
- christmas stockings with lions (there are 2)
- felt christmas card holder
- cross stitch ornaments
ok i'm going to stop now there are so many crafts I have purchased over the years (and hence why I have so much stuff!)

4. Don't buy any more new manufactured clothes for a minimum of 6 months if not a year.
- this is the pledge i took to start out the new year. Its the 3rd day of January and I have resisted all temptations to go out and shop but Ive got 362 more days to go!
- I would like to refashion some items. My goal 1 refashioned item a month for 12 total refashioned items. :)

5. Belly Dance Goals: learn 5 more dances by myself. Should I teach them to Baklava then so be it. If not then I know something that I can use when I have to perform by myself. I have many choreo DVDS so 5 is very reasonable. :) Again its this whole stuff issue.... ah!
- and get a kick ass floor layback. my standing laybacks are getting better but floor ones I am not strong enough yet to do. :( this will be the year!
- choreo sabri aleel
-choreo fan veil dance
-finish veil poi dance that I started over 2 years ago
- finish my glass dance

6. Career Goals
- get renewed
- publish 2 papers
- get my own grant/funding!

7. Bellydance Costume goals
-finish harem pants
- finish black ab bra/belt set
- finish pink patchwork set
- corset tops
- fix red costume
- make my indian sherbert costume (pink and peach fun!)
- pink leopard set
- sequin dot costume- sounds bad but i guarantee you its going to look awesome!
- fix black costume from ebay.
- make a sewing form for myself

8. Use up all my perfumes, lotions, candles, shampoos/conditioners, etc that I have.

9. Random goals
- run a 5K
- use up some of my beads and make 2 necklaces (minimally)
- organize my recipes
- don't buy anymore fabric
- sell some of my stuff
- send out a picture instead of a christmas card
- get that thing that i really want :) I am not elaborating more. Guess!

Ok I think that is enough for now. I know its some lofty goals but I think I can accomplish it! I want less stuff!!!

Let's use up my stuff! :) wahoo Here's to 2011 with less stuff!

2011 New Years Goal

Could you give up conventional clothing shopping for an entire year?? Could you only make your own clothes? Could you refashion items from goodwill or ones from your closet?

Think about it..... could you actually do that? For an entire year??? Did you know that clothing is one of the biggest things filling up our landfills? (I had no idea)

I know many people are not as crafty or into sewing like me, but I thought I would take this challenge. There is a growing trend of people out there on the world wide web turning hideous clothing into wearable, cute outfits. Many of which offer tutorials on how to do it! And another plus is its greener for the environment-you are recycling clothes!

As many of you know I LOVE CLOTHES. I think its actually an understatement. I am also a collector of clothes. I have a wooden brace for my closet so i don't tear a hole in the wall of my apt b/c the bar sags. So yes I have a lot of clothes....I love being able to walk into my closet (s) and put together a different outfit all the time. Fortunately my weight doesn't fluctuate much so I also usually keep clothing for a long time. However, I do get these streaks in me where I go on shopping sprees (though its never full price) and i do love my shopping. and it just adds to my collection..... Now i have tried to debulk my collection and cut down on my shopping a lot for the past few months. My credit card has been happier and I'm working on paying those puppies off ..... But I find myself occasionally bored with the same items in my closet.... and want something new. In this vicious cycle, I get tempted to buy newer items but I need to stop this.

And I do have lots of fabric in my stores. I could make a couch out of all the fabric i have all folded up and in storage. easily. I bought a stash of fabric (for almost like 10 cents a yard) off another crafter looking to move. I did not realize what all I was getting into and I need to use up this fabric. I initially bought it b/c i wanted to learn how to sew better and I would not feel bad if i completely ruined something sewing it and then tossed it. But i have not gotten around to using it much. I blame Lisa's wedding and beading those cranberry sets.

Thus bringing me to where I am now. I want new items but shouldn't be spending money on my closet (i do want a new car within next year or so, a house would be cool, same with zero balance on my visa). But I am really creative and crafty and into sewing, painting, and bedazzling so why couldn't I take the challenge? Why not let my creativity run wild?? So for the year of 2011, I am going to take the challenge of not going to the mall and buying new clothes (thus the term conventional shopping) I am either going to refashion an item from my own closet, an item from goodwill, or sew something with the fabric i have in my apt.

Let's see if i can do it for an entire year. I even think 6 months would be impressive. :)

If you are curious as to what others (and those people who have heavily inspired me) check out these websites.

http://www.newdressaday.com/

http://refashionista.net/

some of these befores will make you cringe!

Mom's Christmas Fla Ornaments are done!

Finally these babies are done I am so happy to be finished with them. They look great! Here is a pic from camera phone. having a problem uploading to blogger grr.! finally done! on to the next project!

Review of 2010 resolutions....

What to do again just like the crafts post i'll do the same with the general post....

So my new years resolutions this year is to ....
1. reduce my fabric collection by 50%. this mean make those costumes for bellydance for me and baklava LMAO um i actually made my fabric collection bigger. what was i thinking.... eek!
2. reduce my craft projects by 50%. this includes the christmas felt projects, the cross stitches, and the pumpkin sewing projects. all which if i focus i can crank out fast! well i actually did i'm giving myself this one. i also added to the craft projects so if you put them together. the answer is YES
3. stop looking like a slob when i get out of bed and go to work! yes i had to i work in a glass jar!
4. finish my glass dance beep the answer is NOPE.
5. reduce my debt to 50% of its current status. (very feasible) i sort of did. ive done really well lately!
6. sew each of the following: sweater, dress, skirt, shirt, and a jacket. they have to be non-bellydance related! doh no
7. volunteer a little more this year! um i did volunteer at RMH with the girls this year. i helped out with a couple of events. i don't know how to score this?
8. stop getting sick! actually i did. ever since i left COM i haven't had a head cold or bronchitis for a long time. ive been pretty healthy!
9. Run at least 5 5Ks! (this will have to wait about 2 months) FAIL
10. Finish using up everything I have!... I started this resolution last year and was very successful. I never realized how many hair care products, body lotions, face treatments, masks, perfumes, etc i have and that I have stock piled. I made the resolution to not buy any lotion or soap, etc last year and i can say i am still not done with everything! And now i'm back stocked up again from the holidays with my family! let's see how long i last! :) YES i got rid of a ton of makeup, lotions, shampoos, perfume, etc. i may have to go and buy bodywash now! i'm on my last bottle! wahoo!

RESULTS: 6 OUR OF 10!! that is 60% so more than half! With that I can say this year was a success! (for the general resolutions list-i can't say much for the crafts list!)

Review of the 2010 craft resolutions

Well 2010 has flown by! I thought I would review what I initially wanted to do with my crafts and etc. My "craft resolutsions". Reading them is almost comical. What was I thinking? Though I did mention that I would be happy with half. Let's see if I got half!

Items in bold I completed. Red is side notes lol!

1. lion latch hook (its going in my closet to replace my barbie rug) Nope in my closet in the box :(

2. fall leave and pumpkin table runner. its a cross stitch that i will back with material and serge to finish. Yes I did and mom used it for thanksgiving this year. It looks fabulous. I even blogged it.

3. matching pumpkin cloth napkins (this again is for mom!) yup. see #2

4. Turkey and pumpkin stuffed projects. I have like a gazillion of them too. this is a first for me, may take some time to tweak. again for mom and family for fun times at thanksgiving. nope but recently pulled the fabric out b/c this could be an easy project to complete.

5. Snowmen pre-printed cross stitch stockings. they are so cute. will probably be gifts but i'm guessing i'll fall in love with them and won't want to part! there's 2 of them tho! no opted to sew bellydance costume

6. cuban cigar cross stitch. this will be my grandmother's christmas gift. i never finished it this year. counted cross stitches at times get on my nerves and i want more instant gratification. nope probably opted to sew a bellydance costume

7. finish my silver hipbelt that i made to match my silver bra from china. :) yup blogged about it too! it still looks great!

8. Make matching gold and black hip belt for the bra i beaded. i also need to add the glass bead fringe i got from egypt too. no :( i don't know where i want to go with this yet.

9. make matching crimson and black hip belt for the bra i beaded too. nope this costume is changing

10. Asian halter tops for me and baklava! i have this gorgeous asian brocade fabric that is just being called out to be used up! :) this will be corset tops instead. we recently decided to try this out

11. Pink leopard costume set. Skirt is almost done. Need to bead it and then cover a bra. You will probably see me from space that fabric is so loud but so cute! nope had to quit.

12. iris latch hook (dreaming but would love to get this out of my closet!) no but i would love to!

13. vintage light up santa cars. its a felt kit, very cute. nope did others first!

14. penguin noel wall hanging. this is for joan for xmas. she loves penguins. Working on it now. i'm going to count this

15. christmas at the beach felt ornaments. don't know who they are going to but someone in south florida! going to mom. 1 more ornament left! wahoo!

16. finish up my small asian "bless this house" needlepoint. i already have one done, this would match! wrong again. still in the craft box

17. finish up all the small cross stitch ornaments. they take me no time to do and it would get rid of some clutter! i'd say there are almost 10??? most can be easily done in 1 night. i got a few of them done

18. flame skirt. and i think make a matching halter for it. could be a bellydance costume, could be a halloween costume if i throw on a pair of horns (or just let mine grow out according to some people) and get a pitch fork. waiting. this fabric is difficult and i'm trying to get a good pattern.

19. sew the following fashion items
A. Dress
B. Sweater
C. Skirt
D. Jacket
E. Shirt* (open to what i actually make)
nope they were all bellydance items i sewn! ;( bummer maybe next year!

20. advent calendar, easy sew project! thought about it. does it count?

21. valentine wreath finish yup in a blog too :) yay

22. Make beaded heart necklaces with the monofilament yup gave one to mom :)

23. Peacock feather bellydance costume???? :) oh yeah! i'd like it to be functional in either the tribal fusion and cabaret worlds too. nope i need more practice with it

24. Pink pearl necklace! um i don't even know what i was intially thinking so i don't even know!

25. Gold chain beaded necklace. no i needed more practice beading first.

26. Make a quilt/blanket for Project Linus (www.projectlinus.org) would have had i stayed in my crochet class. lol

27. Zipper heart pendant nope

28. fix, sequin, and line those spandex skirts I also got from china yes i did. though now i think i want to pull the sequins off. the belt's fringe get's caught in the sequins (esp the pink one)

8 out of 28. eek! that is 28.5% so i didn't make my cut off here. but got slightly higher than 1/4th of my projects done!

Now here are my excuses .....

1. i wanted to practice on other projects first before i started some of these
2. my train of thought changed
3. i saw somehting else that was sparkly and decided to do soemthing with that inside.
4. i needed better patterns for skirts and tops.

i am sure i have plenty more excuses but i'll spare you! now onward to thinking for next years craft to do resolutions......

Yay these costumes are done!!! :)

Here is my finished product of the costumes we designed for Lisa's wedding. Man let me tell you this was one heck of a project. Props to Laura who got thrown into a sewing bead nightmare and she's never sewn before.

Basically there are about 6,000 beads per costume. I spent many weeks on ebay buying silver stardust beads and clear ab swarowski crystals for this in order to save us some money! We have gone thru probably 11 packets of those red silver lined beads we got at hobby lobby (thank god at half off!!!) and we are now starting our 3rd packet of red 5mm bicone beads (each pack has 2450 beads!).

Unfortunately we did not finish lisa's costume in time for her wedding to give to her so the sewing is not done either!!! but we need to fit her for a belt. its a bit tricky to get the belt even on each side since the belt has shape to it.

I have countless holes in my fingers. I broke 1 stainless steel needle. I have dulled another needle. But all in all the costumes look great and Lisa was very happy and pleased (and excited to get her own).

Stay tuned I actually practiced this costume before I started to sew it and now I have decided i love it so much that I will actually finish this costume!! Its black AB beads all over it! It will take your breath away! :)