Easy Peasy Projects: A Pillow Case & Also A Thrift Store Scarf Shirt

I had a busy weekend for simple craft projects. It started out with me scanning the living room and noticing a visual atrocity that has long made its home on the couch. It was a large, square, zebra print pillow, which was acquired at a time in my life when I considered hot pink, lime green and all animal prints to be necessary fashion staples because they “go with anything.” (The jury’s still out on why I have not yet been featured on the Sartorialist for my preternaturally amazing sense of design and color.)

I decided to make a pillowcase for it from the navy blue fabric I once purchased to make curtains, which I never made (yet!). At first I thought I’d make a slip pillowcase by simply stitching together two blue squares with one open end, but I realized that would leave one edge of ghastly zebra print peeking out, so I decided to make the slightly more complicated kind.

I started by cutting a square for the front using the pillow as an outline. Then I cut two more pieces that were the same height as the initial square, but each a little longer than half of the square, so as to create two overlapping pieces that would form the slit through which the pillow could be stuffed. Make sense? Yes.

I hemmed the edges of the two smaller pieces, then sewed one (with the inside facing out) to the square piece. If you want a particular one of the smaller pieces to be on the outside, remember to sew that one to the square piece first, because when you turn it right-side-out, that one will be on the outside.

Next I simply sewed the sides of the other small piece to the square, overlapping the other small piece, and voila! A pillowcase!

I actually overestimated the size, so I made one edge a little smaller after taking Ol’ Stripey for a pillowcase test drive. Now it’s nice and snug in its new fashion forward casing.

Additionally, I made a shirt. A while ago, I saw this link on Reddit: http://www.starsforstreetlights.com/2012/03/diy-how-to-make-scarf-shirt.html It’s a blog post about a girl who made a shirt by darting together two square scarves from thrift stores. I thought it looked comfy and awesome and set out to make one for myself.

After scouring some thrift stores, I found several nice square scarves, but no solid colored scarves, so I decided to buy a yard of poly-satin fabric to be the back of my scarf shirts. This one is actually the third one I've made. The first was a cotton scarf, which was a little rigid. The flowy, satiny ones drape better on the body.

To start out, simply cut a square of the poly-satin slightly larger than the scarf you’re using. Then, hem up the edges of the poly-satin. I only hemmed three edges on this one because I’m a bit of a lazy crafter and I figure the bottom will always be tucked into a high-waisted skirt.

Next, place the poly-satin on top of the scarf, inside-out style, so the seam edges and the back of the scarf are facing out. On the top part, where you want your head to stick out, make a dart, or a small stitch at the very corner ends, and then also a few inches in from there on both sides. I went back and forth over each stitch a few times.

Turn it right-side-out and drape over yourself to get a feel for how you’ll wear it on your shoulders. Is the head hole too wide? Are you going to be wearing it off the shoulder? Adjust to your liking if necessary. Personally, I really like wearing these off the shoulder. Also, get a feel for where the arm hole should end. Hold or mark that place, then take it off, turn it inside out again, and stitch from the spot where you decided the arm hole should end down the side. You can stitch all the way to the bottom, or stop a little from the bottom.

At this point, you’re probably thinking, “This isn’t a shirt! Why, this is just two squares of fabric that have been tenuously connected and now you expect me to drape them over myself like some boho peasant potato sack?” Well, yes, but probably with a high-waisted skirt or shorts. (Maybe there are other ways to wear it. I don’t know. I tried rocking it with a belt and jeggings and it really wasn’t happening for me.)

Again, I know what you're thinking and, yes, I did take several weeks of modeling classes in Gulf Breeze when I was in grade school! Thanks for everything, Mary Lou's Models!

Emily's (Soon-To-Be) Famous Veggie Stuffed Peppers

I wanted chile rellenos, but they’re typically breaded, fried, stuffed with tons of cheese and meat, and most conveniently available at the nearest Mexican restaurant. I wanted something homemade, relatively healthy and vegetarian but still protein packed, and I knew there had to be a better way to some yummy stuffed peppers, so I set out in my usual manner—scouring the internet for recipes, combining several of those with my own “whimsical” culinary know-how, and hoping for the best!

In the autumn I perfected a comfort food that reminded me of a dish my mom used to make. The original dish was a beef and rice stuffed acorn squash, but I turned it into a black bean, roasted corn and quinoa stuffed version. This chile relleno-like stuffed pepper recipe is something of a summery adaptation of that recipe, and, I must say, it turned out pretty awesomely. This dish could also easily go vegan; just omit (or replace with vegan alternatives) the cheese and Greek yog.

Ingredients

2 ears of corn, still in husk

Olive oil

Half of a red onion, diced

About a cup of mushrooms (optional)

Clove or two of minced garlic

Red wine vinegar

Liberal spoonful of cumin

1 cup of your favorite broth

½ cup white quinoa

Can of black beans

2-4 poblano peppers

Cilantro

Shredded cheese (I used a cheddar jack)

Tomatoes

Lime

Greek yogurt

S&P

-Roast corn in the husk on 350 for about 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through.

-Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add onions mushrooms and sauté until shrooms are tender and onions are translucent, then add garlic and sauté lightly. Add black beans.

-Mix in cumin, two small splashes of red wine vinegar and salt & pepper to taste. Scrape corn kernels into black beans, but save some corn for a side salad. Corn is great in salads!

-Bring a cup of broth to a boil and add slightly less than ½ cup of quinoa. Boil for a minute, then cover and simmer 15-20 minutes.

-Place poblanos under broiler and char evenly all over, about 15 minutes. Move the oven shelf close to the top broiler to get a reasonable char.

-When quinoa is cooked, add it to the black bean corn mixture. Add a bunch of cilantro.

-Split the charred peppers open with a large slit, (but don’t cut in half), then scoop out the seeds with a small spoon. Place peppers in a shallow baking dish and put a little cheese in the bottom each pepper. Stuff each split pepper with lots of the black bean and corn mix, making it overflow with black bean quinoa corn goodness, and top with more cheese.

-Place back under broiler to melt and char the cheese.

-Make a quick salsa with diced tomatoes, a little diced onion, cilantro and lime juice. Put on top of cooked, stuffed peppers.

-If you like sour cream, take plain Greek yogurt (which tastes the same but is more nutritious and protein rich) and scoop some into the corner of a plastic zip top bag. Cut a teeny tiny bit of the bag’s corner off so it’s like a pastry bag and make an ornate squiggle of Greek yog over your pepper. If you’re serving people who think Greek yogurt doesn’t belong on a stuffed pepper, just tell them it’s sour cream. They won’t know the difference.

-Serve with a colorful side salad topped with corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and/or whatever pretty veggies you have lying about. Shake up a lime vinaigrette using lime juice, olive oil, a little honey, maybe some hot sauce (I used an aji amarillo paste) and S&P, all to taste.

-Take a picture and then enjoy your scrumptious meal with a Mexican beer! Ole!

Refurbished Craft Cabinet!

Nope, I'm not letting this blog die--11 month hiatus, be damned! I recently acquired a cabinet after lusting after it on Craiglist for a week. It was a good cabinet; tall, spacious, all the things a cabinet should be. But it was kind of ugly, so I decided to customize it to my liking.

It started out looking like this:

I took off the ugly knobs and sanded it down for a long time. Then I went to Lowe's and a helpful lass in the paint department sold me two sample sized paints of this pleasant green. I applied three or four coats.
Also at Lowe's I picked up a spray-on sealant and two new knobs. I applied the sealant liberally many times over because if lugging it in and out of the house while working on it is any indication, this cabinet is going to take a serious beating in my possession.
Last, I hauled all my craft stuff out of the big cabinet in the office, organized the supplies within--much of which was haphazardly stashed in a series of plastic bags in various states of tatters--and put it all in new, more organized containers in my new cabinet.
Now I don't really have any excuse not to be crafting. All my stuff is organized and in one spot. I can only imagine that my many dear readers can expect a sudden burst in activity on this here blog. Yessiree. So...See you soon, then!

More Apron

I wanted to make another apron. This time, a full version.

Instead of using a thrift store skirt, I used a thrift store dress. This cat helped me out. Her name is Ollie, Design Consultant at Felt Up Goods, Inc.

First I cut out an apron shape from the front of the dress. I had some navy blue fabric from a bunch of curtains that never got made, so I used that for an accent. I made the straps same as the other apron, except with an extra one for the neck. Additionally, the skirt is very A-line, so I mimicked that shape by making the pockets inverted triangles just for visual interest.
To make the pockets, I had to use forethought and planning, which is a huge step since I'm usually more likely to put the bulk of craftime forethought into what kind of beer I'll be drinking for its duration than how to make a conceptually and technically solid creation.

This time I outdid myself with a delicious Trippel Belgian style beer from North Carolina (Thanks, Sam & Brandon!) and by folding back and ironing the edges of my pockets, along with a strip of the turquoise dress fabric for a little detail. I sewed only the top part, then sewed the edges back while simultaneously sewing them on to the actual apron to avoid double seams on the pockets.
I only pin when I ABSOLUTELY have to. In this case I just put two pins in the top of each pocket while sewing them to the apron fabric to hold them in place and remind me not to accidentally sew them shut, rendering them useless.
I thought I was finished, but then decided it needed a tiny bit of the navy blue to balance the design by pulling the eye back to the top of the apron. I cut out a quick little square and stitched it to the piece of fabric between the breast triangles.

Next weekend, perhaps I'll snap one of a person wearing it.

I Invented Owls

Owls are so in right now. Just look at Etsy. They should call it "Owls & Octopuses-tsy." Well, may I just say that I created these owls at least seven months ago--waaaaaay before owls gained the popularity they enjoy today. I'm not saying people who like owls are just jumping on a bandwagon that I'm driving through the Hip Animal Rainforest Nature Reserve. I'm just pointing out that I basically invented the owl when I birthed the first one in a PBR-induced labor after a dance party at a vegan bar when I was like 20.

These are my owl babies:

This is the little guy. He's kind of understated and a little goofy, but he's really deadpan about it, like a British comedic actor. His head is square-ish and he has rosy cheeks.
Several hours after a meal, an owl will regurgitate undigested bits of rodent bones, teeth, claws, plant matter, fur, insect exoskeletons and whatever else its glandular stomach failed to digest in the form of a compact mouth turd called an owl pellet. Have you dissected an owl pellet? I have. It's both awesome and disgusting. These softies come with biologically correct accessories--handmade pellets.
Owls.

Sister!

A while ago I made a doll of myself (left). Then I made one of my sister Elise (right). I never photographed the latter...until now!

I needlefelted and embroidered the details, and I put pipe cleaners in the arms and legs because pose-ibility makes a softie 38 percent more fun.
Here is Doll Elise on a stack of books, though some might say this pose is misleading. While Real Elise does enjoy reading, at the moment she's more likely to be surrounded by scholarly articles or books pertaining to her thesis research than, say, anything by Nietzsche or Shakespeare.
This is Elise Doll and Me Doll playing in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, as represented by a Harry Potter pop-up book. You might be wondering why I own a Harry Potter pop-up book. If so, do you know me? Why are you even reading this? STUPEFY!

An Apron & a Drink Recipe

This is me standing in the kitchen wearing the apron I made out of a thrift store skirt, just for anyone who doubted it was actually a human-sized, well-fitted apron. It is pictured here along with a talented party hostess holding a delicious beverage I will now describe how to create yourself.


Milky Joe's Hard Thai Tea!
ingredients:

-Bigelow Constant Comment Teabags

-Firefly Sweet Tea flavored Vodka
-Sugar

-Can of coconut milk

-Tangerine slices (for garnish)

Directions:
1. Brew some Constant Comment tea and sweeten with sugar to your liking. Chill it.
2. In a highball glass, pour a generous shot of Firefly Sweet Tea vodka. Fill with ice.
3. Pour the sweetened Constant Comment until glass is about 75 percent full.
4. Top with coconut milk.
5. Stir with straw and garnish with tangerine slice.

Constant Comments:
I made this cocktail for a Pan-Asian themed dinner party as a play on Thai tea. It has a nice spicy tea flavor, with subtly citrus undertones, almost like a Thai version of a White Russian, except less filling and more refreshing. I used "lite" coconut milk, which appeared a little grainy, but no one seemed to mind. Lastly, I initially brewed the Constant Comment super strong, which made the drink taste too tea-ish, so I watered it down to perfection and brewed later batches at normal strength.

Enjoy!