AfricanKelli

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The bag where all of my fabric scraps have gathered for the last several years, including lots of teeny tiny worthless pieces that leave me scratching my head. What did I think I could use that tidbit for?

Old wool sweaters, felt, and gobs of cotton.

It wasn’t pretty.

Phew. Better. That bag is full of smaller scraps to be sent off to a teacher friend. The box is full of folded larger scraps for a quilt I’m putting together as a wedding gift.

Much better.

Next up? Notions. How is it that I have safety pins, spools of thread and pairs of scissors in 45 places in my house? No longer.

Before. Oy.

After. Better.

The knitting bin wasn’t looking any more organized. With stacks of half completed knitting projects that needed to be frogged and a fair collection of teeny tiny balls from left over projects, this bin was crying for attention.

And also pleading to ignore that tempest JoAnn and her mighty coupons. Not a thing needs to be added to this department.

Instead, with a bit of planning, I divided up this nonsense into future projects. There are lots of babies coming this Fall to friends who may need a soft cotton washcloth or two.

Or a pretty pink wrap cardigan.

Or perhaps a felted market tote or two.

I think I’m addicted to productivity. It is disgusting how much pleasure it gives me to clean, organize, send excess off to a better home and make a lengthy list of future projects. Not to mention the joy I get from documenting such nuttiness.

~K

It seems the professional stars have aligned to collide this week; so many of my friends are having hard work-weeks. Yesterday I got home unexpectedly hours early from an afternoon meeting and by 4 pm I was in my pajamas, under the covers with a glass of Cabernet so big, I think it might be illegal. About 6:30, the fuzziness started wearing off and I decided it just might be a good idea to not become the crazy 20-something who comes home from work early to lounge around in jammies and drinks the afternoon away while talking to Rachael Ray on the tube.
I pulled myself together, washed out the glass and made some dinner. I also decided the evening wouldn’t be wasted; there isn’t enough time in my day to stress about my job. The only thing it does is make my hair fall out and make me eat my weight in frozen yogurt. Neither leave me feeling terribly attractive or too great about myself. A sense of accomplishment, however, is a sure fire self-esteem boost, and considering I’d had all that wine, it was impossible to drive to the Golden Spoon.

Instead, I wooed my Singer and a new Amy Butler pattern. Voila — a pink iPod case. I bought this Amy Butler fabric on eBay years ago and have been nursing the one yard through several projects. I think I’m going to make a couple more of these as gifts. And yes, the seams in those photos would be much straighter without the trip down Cabernet street. Stop judging.

With the same sense of using what I have in the craft studio, I pulled out some paper and ribbon to make some new cards. I am a bit of a correspondence junkie and it was so fun to use ribbon scraps to make these.

I’ve got a stack of June birthday cards ready for the mail and am working on July. Mozambique doesn’t have postal service in Beira, so it is wise to get these done now. (Ah, junk mail. I never thought I’d consider you a luxury.)
Also, I decorated some notebooks with leftover fabric scraps and stamps for friends who are also traveling this summer.

And maybe a fabulous giraffe journal for moi aussi.
For waking up with a mild hangover, I was pleasantly surprised to see my studio table covered with completed projects. Now, about that packing…

~K

Pachamama is beloved in South America and I find the idea of an earth goddess looking over us endearing. Rather than bemoan all the recycling we should be doing for Earth Day (Soapbox tone noted, Erin), I’ll say:
Querida Pachamama,
Thanks for all the cool stuff here on this third planet from the sun that doesn’t cost a dime: dark African nights with the Milky Way strung across the sky in a tangle of cosmic creation; the first sight of an ocean or the Grand Canyon, sunsets in Phoenix in August when the sky seems to be on fire, butterflies swirling about when you are on a long hike, silky white saguaro blooms gathered in late Spring crowns, shocking peonies, forests of tall pine that smell like butterscotch, animals so pretty they make you blush in awe, the smell of the desert after a long rain, monsoon season, honey, coffee, grapefruit, wine and the humans who once upon a time came up with the bagel/tortilla/bakery.
Gracias Mama Earth!

~K

P.S. I’m sporting my Chacos and birdie messenger bag today and trying yet again to make sense of the public transportation available to East Valley residents who work downtown. Carpooled in, bussing/walking home. I’ve got my camera ready for another fun urban adventure.

Take one $.99 Ikea bag, a bit of canvas for the lining, a square of cotton for the front key pocket, some yellow thread and voila: le Chevroleg, 2.0.

For Salty. Next sewing project: girl’s dresses made from pillowcases. Have you heard of this?

~K

P.S. I’m doing my first Splash and Dash tonight. I’m a bit nervous. You’d think by now I’d be comfortable swimming in Tempe Town Lake, but it still panics me a little. I did a 2.4 mile open water a couple weeks ago and once again I was one of two idiots without a wetsuit. I was so cold, I couldn’t get my breath under control for 1000 meters. Thankfully, tonight the race is just 1000 meters and then some running (hence the dash). And no, this idiot still doesn’t have a wetsuit. Oy. Full algae and hyperventilation report tomorrow.

A stack of vintage linens found at a Boy Scout garage sale this weekend, including those flags I turned into bags.

This is where everything comes full circle. So, how can craftiness improve the public’s health? Well, a bit of creativity always helps when trying to use, eat, drive and waste less. Crafty — in a Beastie Boy use of the word — is a compliment to all folk who use their creativity for the betterment of humanity, not just to fulfill their own desires. They thrift to find materials instead of heading off to yet another big box store. They spend the extra 20 minutes waiting around the bus stop to use public transportation in lieu of driving their own car. They move closer to work to minimize the commute. They bring cloth bags to the market. They wear hand-me-down clothing with pride.

These could have easily been thrown away, but thankfully they were at the sale. I used the disposible casserole to deliver that chicken pot pie. The jars I filled with sun tea and lemons and delivered to friends. The paper bags I’ll use for wrapping during the next year.

If we in the “developed” world use, eat, drive and waste less by instead looking at what we have and really need, we’ll improve our community’s health locally, nationally and globably. We’ll let less go into landfills. We’ll become less of a disposible culture. We’ll respect well-made products instead of cheap consumables. We’ll have cleaner air and rely less on oil from any country. We’ll eat until we’re statisfied instead of until we’re stuffed, know that taking food home in a doggie bag means spending less on food (and a bigger belt) tomorrow. We’ll have more money for organizations that matter to us. We’ll live simply so others can simply live.

An Army bag that I’m going to use this summer, when — fingers crossed — I’ll be traveling through Africa. A new trip is brewing… All these items cost $4. I gave them $7 because that’s what I had in my wallet. I would have spent that on the jars and dish alone at the market!

Imagine if the United States was once again known for our philanthropy, geneorosity and creativity? That’s that land (and people) I love.

~K

My friends have started having wee-ones at a lapinian rate. Hip hop. In turn, I’m enjoying trying to keep up with the gifts and celebrations. Scratching my head last weekend and going through my stash of fabric, I realized I had four sweet Gocco squares Lynn sent me quite a while ago. I could certainly put these to use with a few onesies ($8, pack of five) and some embroidery thread. I went through my yarn basket and found one giant spool of kitchen cotton white and spent an additional $4 on two other skeins of Peaches and Cream. Washcloths and new onesies — both fairly easy to create and from my observations, both regularly needed.

Voila — one week later, a series of baby gifts that I dropped in the mail. Being a pseudo-auntie is such a delight. I love watching my friends with their children and seeing who we are becoming. One of my girlfriends somehow manages to balance a successful realty career and three small boys. And she doesn’t just muddle through. She loves it and to watch her with these kids — it is incredible. I ask her regularly after watching her praise/scold/teach one of boys, “How did you know how to do that?” And she just brushes it off and smiles, either too busy or too tired to explain. Amazing, this motherhood thing.

When I think of my dreams for the future, one is crystal clear: I know I’ll adopt a little girl from Africa. I can see myself in the orphanage. I’ve got a running list of names. I’ve been putting money away for years to prepare for the fees and flights and craziness of becoming an international adoptive parent. One day I’ll be making these onesies for my little girl. Just the thought gives me goosebumps.
There is something about having all these little ones in my life that makes me want to be better and make me more hopeful than ever.
~K

We are one step closer today to having Madame President, who would be sworn in by our Madame Speaker of the House and holy moly I can barely contain the feminist in me from doing cartwheels around the office. Yahoo!

To celebrate Spring, the changing of the political tides, puppies, fresh flowers and all the other nonsense that makes me giddy on an 80 degree day in Phoenix, I pulled out my cruiser bike for a ride. The tires were long since flat, so I cleaned up Esmeralda {She’s green, and there is a theme here. Her perkier cousin Ruby wasn’t too pleased I was cheating on her with the older, more established model. Then again, Esme has never not once dumped my ass in traffic. I still have scars from my last crash with Ruby. Just goes to show you there is often something comforting to the wider, softer, sweeter model.}

Esme needed new tires ($25) and to be hauled to the bike shop in my trunk. She’ll be picked up and ready to go by tomorrow, when I plan to ride her all over Tempe to get my groceries and errands accomplished. Exercise, enjoying the beautiful weather and not a bit of carbon wasted in the process. Ah, life is good. January 20, 2009 cannot get here fast enough.

~K

I wish for “green” gifts.
Cloth napkins anyone? How easy are these to put together! Just grab any heavy-weight fabric, such as decor, and cut rectangles of the size of your liking. Double fold the hem and stitch away, or single fold the hem and zigzag/serge stitch along the edge. Bundle with a pretty ribbon and voila — and end to the purchasing of paper napkins.

When I received a set of fabulous cloth napkins from Meg this year, I knew what I was going to do with that stack of toile fabric that had been gathering dust in my studio. Three hours later, I’ve got six more gifts wrapped and under the tree.
{Technically, my tree is fake and 2 feet tall, also a nod to the green movement. So, they are on the mantel.}

How are you being green this holiday season?
~K

P.S. Anyone in Phoenix know where I can buy fresh cranberries? I’d even take frozen over the canned/jelled variety. They are the last remaining ingredient on my Christmas dinner menu and I am kicking myself for not picking up a couple bags two weeks ago when I saw them at the market. You find them and I’ll trade you baked goods of your choice!
*UPDATE* I found them! Thank you Tambra and Erin!

Brown bag to be reused in the spirit of being green + international posting box. $37 for all countries, up to 20 pounds.

When Donna emailed in August asking if I’d be interested in a Secret Santa Swap, I thought, “Sure!” I didn’t have to mail anything until December and that seemed so far away. October was kinda busy. And then November rolled around and I got wrapped up in Urban Dares and ditching Ruby for a kayak. Even though Donna has got this international swap exceptionally organized and even kept us all up to date with postal delivery times around the world, I started sewing yesterday. It needed to be in the mail tomorrow.
Procrastination is how I roll.

I wanted this gift to be artsy, but also earthy. I took a well-loved handbag I had and added some pink and orange love, paired it with a sweet zippered pouch and stuffed that international postage box nearly to my 20 pound limit. My recipient will receive chocolate, yarn, a design book, a journal, an ink pen, a quilted pillow case and a lucky giraffe in addition to the purse.

Now, on to that holiday sewing I’ve been thinking about…
~K