Skull and Crossbones Shorts

I remember the first moment that I realized that my kids could be stinky. It wasn't the poo or spit-up. Those stunk, but that's not what I'm talking about. I remember how when there were super little I loved their little bitty toes. I'd pretend to bite them and they'd laugh hysterically. And I kept this fun ritual up until one day. Yes, one day. The day when their beautiful, innocent, precious little feet started to stink.

<GASP!>

I was so shocked that something so offensive could affect something so very perfect. But, alas, the stink was to reoccur each and every day from then on out.

Sigh....


What made  me think of this is that this morning I went into my little guy's bedroom.


Me: "Oh, my gosh, what's that smell? Something happened in here?"

Little guy: "Huh? What? I don't smell anything." He had just woken up.

Me: "Did a cat maybe pee in here? It's really bad."

Little guy: "Oh, I know what it is. I brought my football practice clothes home to wash."


And now I miss those stinky little toes.


I made these shorts out of one of my kid's old, out-grown t-shirts. They are so incredibly comfortable! I wanted to put a pocket on them, but I just couldn't make one work that I liked. Maybe I'll hide one just big enough for a key on the inside. And now that I think about it, my kid's dirty football practice clothes need to be marked with a skull and crossbones. Danger, danger!

The front...the back is just solid black.

So comfy!!!

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Skater Skirt 2

My sweet husband is hanging some shelving for me today. It's that kind that you can just set a canvas painting on top of and it will just hang out there, perfectly happy. I'm super excited to have a way to have my art up in our spare room without committing to nails and such as my paintings are all different sizes and some only live here briefly until they sell.

Anyway, we looked everywhere for our stud finder so we could install the shelving correctly without making swiss cheese out of our sheetrock as has been our habit. We looked up, down, and all around and it was nowhere. Until....


Dave: "I found it!"

Me: "Where?"

Dave: "It's you!"


OK, dude gets points for accuracy. I did find him and marry him...and he is a stud.



Along with our stud finder search today I also made another skater skirt. I used one of the sleeves from the "Bag of Bones" bag I made over the weekend to create an awesome pocket.

Front

I love pockets!!!

Back

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Skater Skirt

I owe my original interest in sewing to punk rock. Back in high school I was constantly modifying my clothing to make it cool. I tapered all of my pants, I hemmed thrift store finds to make them fit, and I created a number of skirts out of fabric I'd found cheap or repurposed. One of those skirts got me sent to the high school principal's office and I was promptly sent home due to it being "inappropriate" in the length department.

Over the years I've kept on making and modifying clothes, bags, whatever, and I consider myself to be the "Queen of the Straight Stitch" as that's my "go to" sewing method. I'm not one to get all fancy, for sure.

As I was going through the t-shirts I'd collected over the years I found one that my lovely sister-in-law had gotten my big guy about ten or so years ago. Back then I knew I'd make something out of it someday. But I had a lot of waiting to do. The big guy wore it for a few years, the little guy wore it for a few years, and then it sat in a bag in our laundry room for a while, too. Today, however, was its lucky day.

I present "Skater Skirt" in all its rough, raw, and ghoulish glory. I'm so excited to wear it! (Please excuse the wrinkles...I'm restricted lifting-wise since the surgery and couldn't pull out the ironing board.)

Front

Mirror Shot

Back - I love the pocket!

Mirror Shot

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Batty for Austin, Texas

Well my "no pain after surgery" bragging rights officially came to an end this morning...in the most creepy way.

I had just taken a shower, reached in the cupboard to get my deodorant, and when I grabbed it my poor little innocent fingers encountered a great big cockroach. I flailed and screamed, of course. I mean, who wouldn't? And then I saw some serious stars and I wailed and wailed, waking everyone in the house up. It was the most unimaginable pain that is hard to even put words to. My flailing had affected the spot in me where there had been a rib just last week, and I'd made that and the surrounding area quite grouchy.

Five minutes later I was still quite shaken but back to my "no pain" state, thankfully. And now cockroaches have been moved to my "kill on sight" list. It's not a huge demotion from my "catch and feed to the chickens" list, but they should most definitely quake at the sight of me.

<shudder>


And I created this bag out of a shirt that had one of my paintings printed on it. The painting is titled "Congress Avenue Bats". The name of the bag, however, is "Batty for Austin, Texas". The strap is long enough to be worn over the shoulder and the bag itself is close to messenger bag size. I'm so happy I saved all of these t-shirts...and my sweet husband is so happy that I'm finally doing something with them.

"Batty for Austin, Texas" - $25

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Hey, Mickey!

I've been taking the most epic naps the last couple of days. Surgery, pain killers, and the time to do it have made for the perfect storm of nap time awesomeness.

Today I took a two hour nap on the couch. My little guy happened to be walking by as I was just beginning to stir.


Little guy: "What are you doing, mom?"

Me: "I'm trying to get it to come out again."


The thing is, my left ear sticks out. A lot. So much so that my parents actually considered having it surgically "fixed" when I was a wee one. If I sleep on my left side sometimes my ear gets uncomfortably smooshed and I feel compelled to pull it back out into its correct, Dumbo proportioned, position.


Little guy: "You look ridiculous, mom."

Me: "Don't make fun of the infirm and drug addled."


And I made this bag today out of a t-shirt featuring one of Dumbo's good friends, Mickey Mouse! I think Walt would approve.

"Hey, Mickey!"... $30

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Bag of Bones

While I'm recovering from the surgery I had last Thursday, I've decided to create a series of upcycled things (bags/skirts/etc/not sure where this will lead me) out of the big pile of outgrown/unwanted t-shirts I've been saving over the years. I'm finding that not having some creative outlet in my life is just not working for me. Seriously, I only made it two days without making something.

So here is my first. I'm titling it "Bag of Bones" and I love it! I remember purchasing this shirt for my big guy at least ten years ago and falling in love with the skulls print. My big guy wore it for a number of years, then my little guy, and then it sat in a pile in the laundry room...waiting, waiting, waiting. And since my surgery was to remove part of one of my own bones I think this shirt, bag, and title are all the more delightfully appropriate.

"Bag of Bones"

I'm not selling this one because I'm so madly in love with it, but others will definitely be up for grabs.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Moon Gaze - Part 3

I woke up the little guy this morning at the time he said he'd be getting up.


Me: "It's 7:00. I have to leave and I want to be sure you'll get up."

Little guy: "OK, mom." He leaned over and did something on his phone.

Me: "So are you getting up?"

Little guy: "It's a process mom."


"Process" clearly means several encounters with a snooze button. And so I left, hoping that he'd get up in time to get to school before the bell rang.


I'm having surgery tomorrow morning so I'll miss blogging and posting my art for the first time in over four years. I plan to be back up and running really soon.

Happily, I finished this bag for my big guy's girlfriend. Here it is shot from all sides.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!