needlecraft | whollyKao

nike+

July 10, 2011

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We’re a little over a month into marathon training. It’s been both challenging and rewarding: it’s been neat to see my endurance building up, and great that I get to eat what I want without feeling too bad. The downside is that Jeff and I get so tired (and sometimes grumpy!) after our long run on Saturdays. So half the weekend ends up in a fog.

Since we’re on to longer runs (today’s was a 10-miler), I wanted to get some kind of pedometer. I really like the GPS/heart rate watches, but wasn’t sure I wanted to invest that much money into one. So I defaulted to the Nike+iPod thing. I’ve used it before and it’s been really helpful. Bad thing about it is the battery life for the foot pod only lasts for a year. The other con is that if you don’t run in Nikes, you need to have a little pouch to hold the sensor. And unfortunately, I just switched from Nikes to a pair of Brooks. And I didn’t want to buy a pouch ($10).

So I made one.
I used black elastic that I had on hand at home (you can buy this by the yard at Jo Ann Fabric). The measurements in the picture were measured to fit the sensor snugly. If you use non-stretchy fabric, you might have to start with a slightly larger piece.

I sewed black ric-rac on the front to give it a little personality, making sure to center it on the elastic so it’d look right when it was done.

Then I rolled the elastic into a tube and sewed the ends together.
(front of the pouch)

Next I cut 2 strips out of more elastic to make the band that would be used to hold the pouch to the sneakers. I sewed these on to the top edges of the pouch.
The last step was to attach snap-buttons. That’s what I had at home. If you happen to have velcro strips lying around, I’d recommend sewing that on instead of buttons. I think it’d be easier to put on/take off your laces.

Voila!

Now this would be great for my next run, except I lost my Nano today. Sad.

father’s day tie

By: whollykao

June 21, 2011

3 Comments

It’s kind of understood that ties are the quintessential Father’s Day gift. I mean, even google’s image of the day involved a necktie on Father’s Day.

I decided to do as most Americans do and give my dad a tie this year. But I made my own. I had been itching to make one, ever since I saw the PurlBee’s tie tutorial a couple months ago. This came after I made Jeff’s skinny ties.

The pattern is for a standard tie, but I decided to make mine a skinny tie. Give my dad some style. I chose to use linen fabric for my tie.

The PurlBee made it really easy to make a tie. Her tutorial included a downloadable pattern that made things so much smoother. Making the tie was time intensive because I had to do lot of ironing. However, the sewing was minimal and could all be done by hand. The only thing I wish I had known before making this is that if you follow her pattern, your tie will end up too short. So I ended up making the middle piece of the pattern longer. 9-inches longer, to be exact.

I added a loop on the back-side of the tie, too.

And of course, no gift is complete without a card. I made one that I had wanted to get him last year at CVS. (By the way, shopping for Father’s day cards is fun. Most cards are quirky and quite humorous, as opposed to the sentimental ones with the roses on the front that you’d give your Mum for Mother’s Day.)

card cover

card interior

Funny, right? Anyhow, I hope you liked the tie, Daddy! Happy Father’s Day!

birds & burlap: a home esthetique

By: whollykao

June 6, 2011

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A month ago, we moved to a new apartment. Our new place hosts alarmingly orange accent walls and hardwood floors. To help the place feel more homey, we decided to buy a rug for the living room. The color options? Limited to something that would match the neon orange walls.

We ended up getting a mostly chocolate brown one, which we got for a good price.
[By the way, Jeff and I have started a list we call Household Items That Should Not Cost As Much As They Do. Rugs are definitely on that list. Other things on that list include lamps, sturdy wood tables, dressers, and laundry hampers.]

So we lug the rug home and do a quick evaluation:
Rug matches walls. Check.
Rug matches coffeetable. Check. Oh wait…

So our coffeetable has this glass-top that allows you to put fabric or a collage underneath, and we happened to have this fun orange and gray cloth for this purpose. You don’t have to be an artsy fart to see how poorly these swatches go together:

My solution? Replace that fun fabric with something better suited:
Rummage in the arts and crafts box for some burlap and some paper birdie ornaments (the birdies were left over from our wedding and just simple shapes). Grab embroidery thread that matches orange accent walls. Trace birdies onto burlap. Embroider objects onto burlap. Trim fabric to fit glass-top on coffee table. Display proudly until 15 minutes later, when husband throws place mats and a beer on top of it.

Here is a pic of the table in all its burlapped glory (please excuse the mess!):

Here’s a closer shot of the embroidered birdies:

— whollyKao

nike+

father’s day tie

birds & burlap: a home esthetique