I made these this afternoon.  Same pattern as below.  These were requested by a friend.

I made these baby shoes today.  They’re cotton and the sole is suede on the bottom and fuzzy on the inside.  I’m not too crazy about the fuzzy.  They’re a little messed up so I won’t be giving these ones to anyone but now that I’ve made them once, I shouldn’t have a problem making them again.  The instructions were a little confusing for a beginner but I still muddled through.

That pattern is from Star Dust Shoes and they’re very cute.  I’ll definitely give these another go.   If I hadn’t run into some (several) problems that were mostly my own stupidity, it probably would have only taken me about 20 minutes to make these.  I’d cut out the pieces another day and had I been thinking would have put the interfacing on at that time as well.

I’m going to look through my patterns and see what I want to make next and then cut out the pieces tonight.  Since I only have Saturday and Sunday to sew, if I can prepare everything ahead of time, it makes for a much more enjoyable day of sewing.

It’s been a little bit since I updated.  Busy busy.  I made something new but I can’t post any photos until it has been given to its intended owner.  As soon as it is, I will certainly post!

On a related note, I ordered some fabric from FabricLovers.com and it came yesterday.  I had also bought some really soft, lightweight fabric to use as lining.  It just so happened the blue lining fabric matches this new fabric beautifully and I’m SUPER excited to make a bag for MYSELF from it.  The question is, what bag.  I believe I have a yard of the new stuff.  If anyone actually reads this and has a pattern suggestion for a bag that would show off the detail of my fabric, please post.  Here’s a photo that I took with my cell phone:

Gorgeous right?

School wise, things are going well.  I can’t believe I’ve only got about 6 weeks left at this point.  I attended a supply teacher information session today and I’m going to take my resume down to the school district as soon as I can print it out.  I’ve also been accepted into the masters program at my university.  I’ll be starting that in September, hopefully.  Money is an issue but I’ll be living at home to help ease those costs.  All the same, if it’s not there, it’s not there.  This is something I’ve always wanted to do, though I always thought it would be in English Literature and not Critical Studies in Education!  Who knew I would fall in love with critical theory?  Not me, that’s for sure!  I’m hoping I can find a way to teach and go to school, even if it’s simply supply teaching.  But, I also need to do well at both so I don’t want to stretch myself too thin and I’ll certainly continue with other things as long as I am able and there is need.  Probably forever.

One thing I have learned from my friend Rachel is work ethic.  I used to be a slacker and I suppose being young had a lot to do with that.  My friend is one of the most driven and hardest working people I know as well as one of the most resilient, even in the face of slander and malicious lies, not to mention the many obstacles, she continues to thrive and work hard to ensure that the best product is delivered.  In many ways, it’s a case of, if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.  Not many people can take that kind of heat.  Most people do not have a solid work ethic or the drive to produce only the best no matter how much of a personal sacrifice it becomes.  I suppose this is simply to say how much I admire my friend (and I have many friends whom I admire for many reasons) and how much of an influence she has been on me, personally and professionally.  I don’t think I would have been able to handle the last few years without that influence and certainly I wouldn’t consider taking on full time work, part time work and full time school (whether folly or not) if it weren’t for that influence and the drive to succeed that it has instilled into me.

I have often said this poem reminds me of her.  I do believe it could have been written for her and since I am about to start teaching my grade 9 students poetry, it seems fitting to share it here:

My candle burns at both ends
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends -
It gives a lovely light.

~ Edna St. Vincent Millay

I finally completed the tote bag I was making for myself.  I don’t have time to sew during the week, between student teaching and prepping and marking and BME, I just don’t have time.  It’s unfortunate because I really enjoy the process of creating something and both photography and sewing are taking a backburner right now.

I based my bag on the Morsbags but I decided, in my infinite wisdom, that I didn’t need to follow a pattern or instructions and that I would make up the bag myself.  Well, I ran into problem after problem and the seam ripper and I got to be good friends.  Ultimately though, I think the process of doing this helped me because I was constructing, deconstructing and then reconstructing and I really got to see how to make things work.  I added a pocket to the inside of my bag.  I didn’t look for any instructions on making a pocket, I just used some logic and put it together how I wanted it.  The pocket is probably the only part of the bag that I did not screw up.  Anyway, here it is, in all its glory:

In other news, on Friday I got a letter of acceptance into graduate school.  I don’t know how I’m going to pay for it or what I’m going to do about my living situation but I’m in and theoretically will start working on my Masters of Education this fall.  Go team me.

Student teaching is chugging along.  I enjoy my students, they make me laugh and I think they’re pretty wonderful.  Parent/teacher interviews are coming up and that’s a little nerve wracking though I’m not sure why.  I guess it comes back to doing something I haven’t done before.  I won’t be there alone, of course, but I will be the one doing a lot of the talking.  In related news, we have professional development days at the end of April and I’m going to see Erin Gruwell, Alfie Kohn and Harry Wong speak.  There’s one other person I’m going to see speak and I can’t remember who it is at the moment, I’ll have to look at my registration sheet.  Kind of exciting, those are some big names in education.  I’m actually really looking forward to that.

Well, there’s lots to do and little time in which to do it so I guess that is that.

Today hasn’t been very good.  While I sat around waiting for some news, I made my 2nd sewing project, a little boxy pouch.

Credit for the tutorial on how to make this goes to three bears.  And please excuse the poor quality photos, I should post better but I don’t feel like taking out my good camera.

The fabric was something we had in the storage room of the house.  My mom has a bunch of old 60s and 70s fabric and there wasn’t much left of this one but there was enough to squeeze at least one little pouch out of it.