Reorganized Cupboard

So, here's the thing. I love neatness, I love organized spaces, I love being able to find things when I'm crafting. But that doesn't necessarily mean I'm neat, organized, or able to find things when I'm crafting. I've pretty much perfected the throw-everything-in-the-cupboard move when our dining room table needs to be clean.

A couple weeks ago however, the situation became really severe. We're talking DEFCON 2 in the cupboard. When I opened up the door, piles of fabric and a jar of supplies fell out onto the floor. I couldn't even shove it all back in, I don't know how it was in there in the first place.

So, I embarked on a mission of epic proportions: Get all my shiznit to fit into the cupboard. In a neat and organized fashion. And have it stay in when I open the door.

It took a while, this mission of epic proportions. A couple hours and a piece of chocolate later, my cupboard reached the neatest state it had ever been:

Seriously, LOOK at that! Isn't that so incredible?

I sorted the fabrics by kind and LABELED them. Now even my family has no excuse to put supplies in the wrong spot.

I even sorted our patterns, too, so next time I go to make something, I can actually find it.

It's pretty exciting. Unfortunately, we all know it's not lasting long. You'll get a new post about my cupboard in a couple months when I have a new organization system cause this one didn't work.

See you next week!

Taft WK

Reupholstered Chair

This one has been in the works for a looooong time, my friends.

We saw this chair while driving home one day (just sitting on the sidewalk next to some other free stuff) and my friend and I walked back to it and walked it home on a couple skateboards.

I loved the shape of it and, after getting rid of my desk, really wanted a chair in my room. However, this thing was pretty gross; the fabric was ripping and stuffing was falling out.

My mom and I got to work (I don't think you realized how long "in the works for a looooong time" means: we started in January 2013. Yeah.) and used upholstery fabric samples to recover the (chair.

I really don't know why we have (well, had because it's mostly on the chair now) so much upholstery fabric samples. They just seem to appear in our closet at all the best times :)

My mom did the back and seat (isn't she just magical? It fits like a glove.) and I took care of the skirt (LUUUURRRRVE the polka dots!).

Unfortunately, the staple gun we used the first time around was not quite strong enough and the skirt started to come off last winter. During Ski Week, I finally got around to getting the heavy-duty staple gun from downstairs (nothing like a heavy-duty staple gun to make you feel like a badass) and reattaching the skirt.

The leopard fabric on the seat is one of my favorites. As long as I can remember, we've always had a little of it left in the closet. We used it when we decorated my bedskirt and made my curtain (also from upholstery fabric samples....where is it all coming from?!) and now there's just a little left in the scrap boxes (Yes, that was plural. We have multiple scrap boxes and Sheldon tried to start another last weekend.). I'll make sure to do something extra special with it.

I'll keep you posted on the status of our scrap buckets :)

-Taft WK

Yellow and Blue Party Dress

Remember that pattern I sewed for Winter Formal?

This dress is the first time I sewed the pattern (Formal dress was second).

The yellow teardrop fabric was picked up at Britex last summer (yay for discounts!) and the blue floral fabric is a Pottery Barn bedsheet. I'm really appreciating the clash going on here :)

The pattern is from this book, with a few alterations to make it fit properly.

Much of what I said for the Formal dress goes for this one: comfortable, flattering, not too difficult to sew, and totally on my list of things to make again.

Keep up the crafting, y'all's.

Taft W-K

Winter Formal Dress

*sings loudly and off key* ALL THE SINGLE LADIES, ALL THE SINGLE LADIES!

Yes, my friends, it is that time of year. Winter Formal has come and gone, along with being the lucky every-fifth-person breathalyzed ("Just breathe into the straw until it beeps, and then we'll see if you're in trouble") and the spectacular people-watching at our Hollywood-themed dance.

And of course the eternal problem when faced with a school dance: What to wear?

I solved this problem myself this year by dropping some serious cash at Britex Fabrics (shout out to the employee who helped my mom and I!) and making my own dress, using a pattern from this book, written by Mary Adams.

The dress is a princess-seamed bodice with a circle skirt and a sheer, sparkly overlay. Here's the bodice partway through construction:

(Ignore the awkward black bra straps. The mannequin's boobs are ridiculously small, so I had to stuff an old bra to get them to the right size.)

Of course, time-management-skills-lacking me was sewing this dress when my friends showed up to get ready, 2 hours before the dance (hence the unfinished overlay hem in the night-of pics).

I'm super proud of the zipper on this dress. I was able to completely encase it in the lining, so no raw or serged edges on the inside.

I did have one little mishap with the iron, though. I ironed the fabric for the overlay on too high a heat and accidentally melted off some of the glitter (don't worry, there was plenty left to spare).

Party iron!!

Overall, I loved this dress. It was super comfortable to dance in and moved so nicely! I would definitely recommend this pattern and book to other people.

Party on, Single Ladies!

Taft W-K

Interview with Lick-Wilmerding's The Hyphen

Last week, I had the pleasure of talking with KK and Zoe of The Hyphen, our school's online newspaper, about my Etsy shop and blog. They asked excellent questions (good job, ladies!) and I really enjoyed talking with them.

Here's the interview: http://sites.lwhs.org/hyphen/2014/02/crafts-with-taft-lick-student-turned-blogger-and-business-owner/

This was the first time anyone has ever asked me questions such as these about my business and I really enjoyed the experience. KK and Zoe were genuine, curious, and have great senses of humor :)

After talking about them about the history of my Etsy shop (how it got started, what I've learned from it, etc), I'm inspired to revamp my Etsy About page and rewrite my story. It's been three years since I wrote the original and the only edits since then have been changing my grade and the name of my school. I've got a week off school coming up, so be on the look out for a fresh, new About page.

On a completely unrelated note, I will be taking a cue from The Hyphen (who posts a new article every Tuesday) and updating more regularly. Starting with this post, I will be updating the blog every Wednesday (because I know how much you all miss me when I'm gone for so long).

Thanks to KK and Zoe! You two are doing such amazing work with the Hyphen (I'm in love with their new section, Humans of Lick-Wilmerding: http://sites.lwhs.org/hyphen/category/humans-of-lick-wilmerding-holw/).

Street Art found at Ames @ 22nd Street, San Francisco

-Taft WK

Writer's Notebook for A

My friend A's birthday was a couple of weeks ago, and coming out of the holiday season I was a little short on gift ideas, but after some long thinking sessions I came up with the perfect gift for an aspiring writer such as her... (drum roll, please)

A writer's notebook!

It´s just a regular composition notebook (picked up on sale at Target, you know how I love my bargains) that I covered in quotes about writing and books (her two loves). The fun fonts are all from this book that was given to a member of my family a couple Christmases ago and has never stopped giving back.


Duct tape is a must with all good crafting projects, so I upped the fun factor with MUSTACHE duct tape! How do you like that, internet?

Finally, it's all topped off with a ribbon bookmark and a bead that I dug out of my mom's crafting stash. (Yes, each member of my family has their own crafting stash. That's just how artist families work.)

Can't wait to see what A writes about next! We all know she's going places :)

Happy Winter! (Speaking of winter...expect a post about my Winter Formal dress to go up soon!)

Taft W-K

Fall 2013 Technical Arts Projects

*Shouts over a canyon* HEEELLOOOOOO INTERNEEEEEET!!

This post is not within my usual theme of sewing, but it's still something I'm really really proud of.

My school (LWHS) has the most wonderful technical arts program and this past semester I took Circuitry and Electronics: Digital and Analog in the Electronics Shop and Joinery and Turning in the Wood Shop. (Next up: Private Skills for a Public Purpose in the Metal Fabrications Shop.)

In wood, I started with this box made of black walnut and poplar, and let me tell you, I got WAAAYYY in over my head. I've never made something on my own in the wood shop before and something with this many cuts was way too ambitious.

I cut out each individual triangle on the table saw (had to start over once 'cause I got all the angles wrong) and glued them together. Then I mitered wood to make the inner box so the lid would stay in place.

This project took me forever and I ran into a lot of problems, but I'm so glad I stuck with it. It's currently holding all my inspiration photos and souvenirs from places I've been.

In my electronics class I made these speakers:

I designed it so that, unlike our current amplifier, the speakers would project the sound up and out and wouldn't be blocked when sitting next to something.

Clapper:

Y'alls will love this one.

This is a clapper my teacher helped me code (Arduino, circuit board, microphone). When you clap twice, it will turn it whatever is plugged into the power tail on or off.

Guess what I plugged into it? The power strip connected to all my sewing machines. That's right, all I have to do is clap twice when I walk into the dining room to turn them on. It's terribly exciting!

(See the other wood project I made for my brother here, just scroll to the bottom.)

Have fun, Makers!

Taft WK