Cuppa' Joe

This Dame loved her Joe.
 
She was hooked.  Grandma slid her a creamer cup full as a baby; she hasn’t been able to shake it since.
 
Come Christmas time – the 'fiver' for a fix just seemed too off the cuff.


I wanted to come up with something better, more thoughtful.  Of course that meant hand-made...
 
I’ve been trying to sew more.  It’s not something I’m naturally inclined towards but I’ll be damned if I let that circus trick beat me.  So I took out two birds with one stone: some sewing and a Christmas gift.  
 
I rolled up my sleeves and got to work on a ‘Belly Cheat w/ Mud’.  Here is the print:

  
 
Christmas morning sis slapped that on apron right over her PJ’s.  She's 18 and screwy.
But it saved the threads from the ‘Blonde With Sand’ and it even came in handy servin’ up some ‘Cluck&Grunt’.  


Not a bad deal: Two birds and some tasty grub.   
 
The only thing I did wrong was not getting a shot of this vintage frock all put together but I guess that gives me an excuse for getting another meal out of it...you know for action shots! 
 
 


P.S.~Check out these old diner slang Links:
 
 
http://www.dinerlingo.com/dictionary/a/

http://www.chucklingpigblog.com/diner-lingo-list

Sure Thing...

I've often thought while elbow deep in a friend's gift the night before I had to hand it over - it was either really bold or really stupid to make a gift for someone.

God forbid I mess up or I make something they hate...

I have seen the aftermath of hideous crafting bestowed on a recipient too kind or too practiced to recoil.  (To be fair -gasp- I'm sure I must have been the bearer of such a present!)

Speaking of being on the verge of yet another gift being given an honorary space in the back of someone's hall closet: It was my Mamacita's b-day this weekend.  Since I was at a loss of what to get her, I decided to go with a sure thing.

Halloween.

Oh yeah - Halloween.

My Mom loves Halloween as much as I do.  So a Halloween themed gift is as close to a safe bet as I could get.

So of course I ignored common sense and made her something.

Well honestly, I only made a part of it.  I found a panel with a Halloween apron printed on it which really spurred the theme.

The directions were sparse to be honest...so I improvised.

The material was a bit thin so I doubled it and made the straps thinner but more sturdy.

I ran the straps along the curved edges at the top of the apron since I knew the stitches would be visible.  Also I hoped it would be sturdier than simply stitching the edges.

I think she liked it...I'll know once I check the hall closet!

The Gauntlet Has Been Thrown

Lamenting the length of my recent posts, my Craft-Nemesis smirked and replied, "Do three steps...even if it's impractical".

Hear that?  That's me cracking my knuckles sucker - 'cause it's on:


I give to you a mask that I made for my cousin for a Masquerade themed party she attended:

1. Cover store-bought mask in desired material (Stretchy fabric like Spandex exists to mock you - Just sayin), snipping holes for the eyes & smoothing the material flat, pulling it down around edges before the glue dries(Super 77 is great glue for this kind of project).

2. Glue desired feathers/flowers or other ornamentation to the backside of the mask before covering the back with matching material.  Keep in mind this bad boy is going to rest against your face all night so keep those pieces thin & make sure not to glue the mask strap into the decor or material. Because gluing the mask to your face is a great idea until that meeting with the boss Monday morning.

3. Decorate the mask with rhinestones and other flourishes - it is a mask, so don't hold back...save the restraint for that Monday morning meeting...

Let 'em know Pratt sent you...

I got a hot tip on a bunch of bolts bein' moved fast and cheap and well, I was just the sucker to spend my first Saturday of Spring traipsing between here and the the middle of nowhere.

I was bringing backup in case this turned shady as these word-of-mouth deals have a way of going.  We met up in the parking-lot and headed north in search of this back alley bargain. I stopped for some strong coffee.  I had no idea how long this was going to take.

We made our way out of the city, beyond the shipyard,  past the train tracks and down into the sticks.  The scribbled directions on the crumpled napkin ordered me to turn off on to the dirt road after the ranger's station.  We came up to a hook of homes, a few trailers and a tiny shed.  I pulled across the long yard up to the shed and a woman popped her head out of the door, "You Pratt's friends?".

"Yes M'am".

"Well, Come on in".

As we dug through the thinning bolts she relayed how her supplier closed shop and that she'd only have this inventory for a week.  She eyed our stacks, "Don't worry, I'm generous with my cuts" she smirked.    

100 yards later and chunks of paychecks handed over and recounted we were on our way.  "Now, be sure to send Pratt by".