Feeling crafty

Lately all I want to do it make things. I can't stop looking at fabric online. I don't know what has gotten into me. Maybe I've been unemployed for too long. So, this weekend I whipped together a tote bag for my friend J's birthday. My goal for the year is to make most of my gifts. Not really because it is more economical, and it is definitely not easier that just buying something off the shelf, but I think the personal touch is so special.

I love how simple it is, yet still has a punch of fun. The exterior is a simple brown linen, and the lining is fabric a friend brought me from Japan recently. I looked online for free tote bag patterns/tutorials, but didn't really see any that I liked. They weren't box-y enough. Instead, I used a bag I already have as a rough guide.

Ringed

Recently I was a temporary warden in the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer and had the privilege of 'ringing' my husband! This is the Iron Ring Ceremony where Canadian engineers acknowledge and commit to the moral, ethical, and professional obligation to humanity in their work. They receive an 'iron ring' as a symbol of this obligation. It takes place in an engineer's last term of school and most students are more excited to get their ring than their degree. It is a private ceremony and only obligated engineers and the candidates are allowed to be present. Close friends and family who have been obligated can come to the ceremony as 'temporary wardens' to place the ring on the little finger of the candidate, in place of the Camp wardens. So, that was me. Most temporary wardens are friends, fathers, or grandfathers, so I felt especially special to be the only wife giving her husband a ring in our ceremony!

Coverings

This weekend I tackled two projects I've been meaning to do for quite a while. First, I recovered our cube. Before the makeover it was bright yellow with a fuzzy texture. Super fun, but didn't really fit with our room.

I wanted the cube to have continuous pattern around the sides of the cube, so I only cut out two pieces - one for the top and one long panel to cover all four sides. Then I pinned them together and went to work sewing. The corners were a little tricky because I used just one panel for the sides, but they turned out fine, especially considering I haven't touched a sewing machine for years! I considered making it removable, but I wasn't in the mood for velcro or elastics at the time - stapling the bottom seemed like a much easier solution.

I had also picked up a bulletin board to recover with the same material. I wasn't sure how to deal with the frame. I considered recovering just the board and have the original frame showing, breaking off the frame and having smooth edges, or covering the board and the frame.

I went with the last option. It was the easiest, and I think it gives it a unique look. All I used was hot glue to attach the fabric, and I tried to get nice definition around the inside of the frame. Voila!