Iron Craft #52- Bling

This week brings us to the final challenge of the year for Iron Craft. We were to add a little bling. Bling is so NOT me. I am a rather drab kind of gal who loves her black and gray. But when shopping for something to do for this challenge my eye was caught by a simple black and red chain of beads. Add a clasp to it and viola, a "bling" bracelet for me- or as much bling as I wear.



 I feel like I cheated on this one with only adding the clasp but with having company for Christmas for a week it is about all I could get together. Sometimes you gotta go with simple.

The Things and I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. They promise to be more present in the new year. They are looking forward to celebrating the New Year with Kathy from Just Crafty Enough and the annual banging of pots and pans at midnight. She taught them this trick that I am sure my neighbors just love.

 Happy New Year and see you back here in 2012!!

Iron Craft #51- Do Over

This week for Iron Craft we were given the option to go back and redo any of the 50 previous challenges. For my challenge I decided to make it also work with something I needed to get done for Christmas. We got my mother in law a Kindle for Christmas. I thought it would be nice to make her a cute cover for the Kindle and then if she wants something more sturdy she can find what she wants later. I know she does not read this blog so there is no harm in showing what I made.

 This was a super easy project. I bought some pre-quilted fabric, cut out the right dimensions and sewed up the sides and added binding at the top.

 Sorry for the photos. My husband took my camera with him for a quick meeting in Cairo so he did not have to drag along his big one leaving me with my phone. I don't even know how to turn his camera on :)

Happy Holidays everyone.  I am off to clean the house before the mother in-law comes today.  Hubby owes me as she will get here before he gets back in town.

Iron Craft #50- Wrap It Up!

50 weeks of Iron Craft- Wow! I can't believe it has been a year. This challenge is perfect for this week. About a year ago I had started to think that I wanted to switch from using wrapping paper to fabric bags. There were many reasons including it is less waste and I love to make bags. So I started buying fabric I could use for bags...I would wait until it went on sale or I had a coupon as well as I bought a bunch of dish towels the day after Christmas when they were super cheap.
 

 I have to admit, the dish towels make the easiest bags. You can fold in half, use 2 to make a big bag or cut and get 4 bags out of one towel and the best part is that you can use the finished seam so less sewing. I sewed up a bunch for this challenge but will make more as I need them.

 

 After I told Thing 1 what I was doing and got this response "Mom- the trees are already dead and the whole purpose of presents is ripping them apart" I realize it maybe a while before I get the kids in this house on board.

 It is a work in progress.

Iron Craft #49- For the Kids

This week for Iron Craft we were asked to make something for a kid. I am a little late this week in posting as we spent the 10 days after Thanksgiving in Breckenridge, CO.





The Things and their dad spent a lot of time on the ski hill.

We got home late Sunday and I did not get to this week's challenge until Thursday. I knew what I wanted to make when I saw the challenge. I had been seeing a lot a Christmas pillowcases and thought what a great thing to make for the Things. I used this pattern and love the results.



Thing 2 can't wait to go to bed tonight to use his new pillow.

 I am hoping the next few week's challenges allow me to participate and also get the house ready for the holidays. I have an idea for the next project. Now off to sew some more.

Iron Craft #46- Homemade Holiday

Wow, hard to believe it is week #46 on Iron Craft and also that we are talking about the holidays. I feel like I am stuck in September- however the cold weather is telling me something else. This challenge came at the perfect time as I have a way too long list of things I hope to make for Christmas.

 This week I am making a present for my husband, who I hope does not read this. He loves photography but is always misplacing the lens cap and when I saw this lens cap holder I knew it would make a perfect stocking stuffer for him . The project came together really quickly which is good since I had to hide making it from him. I hope he likes it.



 Now off to make the Things their annual Christmas pajamas.

Iron Craft #44 Rest Your Head

I feel like it is getting harder and harder to get something done for Iron Craft lately. This week my focus was on making Halloween costumes for Thing 2 and his best buddy. They had decided they wanted to be Mario and Luigi. Nothing against those who buy store costumes but I have a hard time not trying to create the costumes each year so I tackled this years costume head on. Here is what I came up with....

 

Now on to Iron Craft. This week we were challenged to make a pillow or something around that theme. Having made at least 3 pillows for earlier challenges I decided to head in a little different direction. We love to camp each summer. Part of our camping supplies are a stack of small pillows that we use instead of bed pillows.
The only problem with these pillows is that the covers don't come off and since they are used for camping they tend to get dirty. In the past I had made removable covers for the boys' pillows but needed something for myself. I used some fabric from my stash and whipped up a couple covers for my pillows. I still have to finish new ones for everyone else but this was a start.

Iron Craft #43- Nothing to fear but.....

Crocheting!

 Just last year I began to knit. And I love it and I am finally moving beyond hats and scarves. BUT, I love Granny Squares.  I would love to make a blanket someday. In order to do that I would need to learn to crochet. My mother-in-law had given me a book on crocheting so this challenge was perfect to give it a shot. Of course, this challenge came the week we were out of town and I did not have time to really try anything. I did however, open the book and try my hand at single crocheting.


 

This photo is what I did while watching football. A close game between the Packers and Vikings is not a good time to try and learn how to do something new! At least the Packers won.

I have a friend at work who crochets and I plan on bugging her until I get the Granny Square.

PPR #11- For the Birds

This week on Project Runway the designers were challenged with making a design inspired by a bird. I chose to go with the raven. I went with the black with a little bit of purple. I struggled at first with this dress but in the end I ended up pleased with what I am sending down the runway. Let's hope the judges are too. Let's hope that this week we don't have to be inspired by birds, paintings or stilt walkers.

PPR #10- Sew 70's

After a few weeks off to settle in to the school year, the House of Nodrok is back this week. The designs of the 70's bring back bad photo memories from my childhood but I embraced the challenge and went with it. This week the challenge was to look to the past to find your inspiration and create a sophisticated 70′s revival design. For my first design I decided to do an updated twist on the poncho with black suede pants.

 The judges agree with my assessment that the pants ended up being a little long but the model refused to wear the high-heel shoes I picked out and walked on the runway barefooted.

 I was rushing in the workroom to finish my second look (kids needed to be picked up at school and Tim kept telling me the clock was ticking.) This look is a simple one piece dress with a belt.

I feel lucky to have gotten the second look done but hope that it will get me to the next week.

Iron Craft Challenge #40- Bottles and Jars

I was not going to do anything this week... I did not have an idea and was short on time. Then my conscious got to me. I had not done a challenge in a few weeks and I was feeling guilty. I committed to this so I needed to follow through. While putting away canning supplies I remembered the mason jars used as a pin cushion. I had an extra jar, some fabric scraps and a glue gun. This was a pretty simple craft and is perfect for putting a few needles in, some thread and pins. I feel like it is almost to easy but it got me back in the swing of things. Who knows, next week I might even get my kids back in the action.

Iron Craft #38- Black and White

This week for Iron Craft we were challenged to make something in Black and White. Great I thought. Right up my alley. I knew right away what I wanted to make. It needed to be something quick as I have a super busy week and I had the perfect project. I had seen this little zipper pouch for scissors a few months ago and thought what a great idea.

I have a bunch of little scissors and usually carry one in my knitting stuff. A lot of the time I have a project in a plastic bag and those scissor points can do a number on the bag. This is what I came up with.



I added a dash of color but love the end results.



 I already have tweaks I want to do on a second one for a bigger pair of scissors.

Challenge #37 Shrink to Fit

This week on Iron Craft we were challenged to make something in miniature. Thing 2 and I both did not come up with anything. For me, a busy week and no idea got in the way. That and a new puppy. But, Thing 1 was up for the challenge. Actually, on almost any given day I can go in his room and find something made in mini form. As I have said before, he loves clay. He amazes me with what he makes.



This week he came up with a mini- apache helicopter. I love the detail that he has in this.

 

And he did it with out looking at anything. Way to go Max!

Project Project Runway #6- The Art of the Matter

The challenge this week was to pair with a young artist to use a work of art that they created as your inspiration. My work of art is a piece that we have hanging in my son's bedroom that he made with oil pastels 6 years ago when he was 6 years old. In his art class they were studying Andy Warhol.  I took inspiration in the colors and the idea of flight.

 

 I had a really hard time with this challenge this week. I think partly because I am so the opposite of avant garde that even the thought of it makes me stress out. I decided that I really wanted to make a dress using the colors of the picture as my basis. I started thinking about vintage flight attendants and what they wore. How things have changed. I knew I wanted to try and make a hat to go with the look.

 



I came out of the work room scissors flying. That is what happens when you have a sick child home on studio day. I may be missing a few darts here and stitches there but I did something. My only hope is that the judges give me a pass this week as making a hat was my something new and out there (for me at least). Here's hoping I am still on the runway next week.

Iron Craft # 36- Creative Activities

This week for Iron Craft we were challenged to make something that could be enter in the fair. The Minnesota State Fair is a big deal- it is know as the "Great Minnesota Get Together." Each summer it is held the last 10 days of summer- ending on Labor Day. School districts hold off starting school because of the fair- all the out state kids would miss because they are showing animals at the fair. We typically go to the fair each summer- my mom and dad come to visit just to go to the fair. From the fried cheese curds, pronto pups, bacon on a stick to the Giant Slide it is an event not to miss.

I have to admit though that I don't typically spend a lot of time in the Creative Activities building- it could be that the Things would rather ride the rides and eat than look at quilts. I did not realize until this challenge that there were so many more things you could enter into the fair than quilts, knitting and honey. There are 1309 to be exact. With those odds I knew we could find something for each of us to do.

I choose the tie dye and dye dipping category. Actually I decided on this after seeing the ad for Micheal's this week. They had a sale on t-shirts and they had a shirt in it that was done to look like a pumpkin. I knew I could do that myself. It was a pretty easy project.

I took some old t-shirts I had at home, bought black and orange dye and fabric paint. The dye even comes in bottles, with rubber bands and gloves. All you do is add water. Next I decided I need to do the starburst design. To do this you basically pull the fabric up where you want to start and put a rubber band there. You continue the rest of the way down the shirt. After your shirt is tied off you squirt on the dye. Once you have the dye on you let the shirt sit for 6- 8 hours ( according to the directions)- I should have left it over night. The black could have been darker. Rinse out the shirt, wash separately and let dry. When it is dry you can decorate the face of the pumpkin.



Thing 1 waited until the last minute to get his entry into the group this week. He chose his favorite- polymer clay. He kept telling me he was going to make something and then would find something else to do. At the last minute while talking to his dad he produced his creation- it took him less than 5 minutes to do.

Vader VS. Winged Pork

Thing 2 had been wanting to make a clock project that he had. So when looking through the list of things at the fair I noticed clocks as a category. He also wanted to do all of his photography this week. So other than the photo of him working this project is all him.

 

 He has a few finishing touches to do but for the most part the clock is ready to sit on his dresser.

Challenge #5- Off Track

This week on Project Runway the designers were challenged to create a look to go with Heidi's line of New Balance shoes. This look is more my thing as I am either in sneakers or sandals depending on the time of year. So off to the studio I went.

 I found this great denim fabric with some black floral print on it and had some suede in the workroom. I started out thinking long skirt but when Heidi showed up in the workroom she shook her head at me so I decided a short skirt was the way to go.

    

I finished off the look with a sleeveless knit top.

 

I could totally see running errands in the skirt and a pair of tennis shoes. The outfit for the mom on the go.  Hopefully the judges don't think it is too ordinary and that I make it through to the next challenge.

 The show it self was a little too much drama for me. And the run at the beginning was a little strange.

Iron Craft #34- On the Go

This week's challenge for Iron Craft was on the theme- On the GO! We have taken that literally and headed out of town on vacation.

 
Since we are out of town there is not much crafting taking place.

BUT Thing 1 and Thing 2 have been ON THE GO working on the craft of water sports...




We have boogie boarded, surfed, body-surfed and just plain old running on the beach. We should be back next week unless Hurricane Irene amends that plan. There are 2 little boys hoping for a little delay as they start school on Monday. We shall see.