Carried

Carried

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

I LOVE my new E-reader!

 So, I got a Kindle for my birthday this year from my parents and I am in
 L-O-V-E!

 (I need to preface this posting by saying that I am not a "techie". I do not have a Smart Phone or one of those new "Pad" things but what I do have is a Kindle. )

It is the Coolest thing I have and I love it! Anyway, today I was looking at my Kindle and thinking about how I should be taking better care of it seeing that I AM in Love with it and all.

Before you know it I am off to my sewing room to make a Kindle cover. I pick out some of my most favorite fabric that I use to make aprons out of and a few embelishments I think I might use. I even manage to print out an "e-how" on how to make a Kindle cover.  So with Items in hand I set out to accomplish my task.














Next, I read the "E-How" and then I decide I can do better than this one....


 I toss it in the trashcan because I am BRAVE!!!

So now, I am feeling so very BRAVE
 and Daring
 and quickly realize I have no idea what I am doing...


I pull out the measuring tape and begin to "figure" as my Grandmother calls it. 

I decide to use a 1/2 of a handtowel to make the cover and then cover the outside with cute fabric.
Next I sew it into a tube thinking I am going to insert some sort of hard board to make it more durable.



Quickly, I scrap this idea after deciding that I'd rather make it look cute and do some quilting. At least that's what I think you call it. (I've never done this before so I sort of work my way through it.)





So I SEW.


And I Sew
And I SEW...

BUT THEN!




My needle breaks!!

SIDEBAR:
(Now begins my adventure in replacing the needle. Mind you, I'm not a sewer. Not really. I've had one lesson from my Grandmother on "how-to" set up my sewing machine and make a blanket which consisted mostly of her doing it all and me watching because I was too chicken. 
Also, one lesson from my Mom when I wanted to make curtains which is another post in and of itself. I am basically self-taught. I don't use correct terminology, I don't know what the standard widths, and hems and even tools are. I just make it up as I go along. Most of the time thinking that there must be a better way than this.)


SO... I get the broken needle out and find a new one.
 Then the needle drops out of my fingers
and
 down into the bobbin part of the sewing machine.

 IT DROPS DOWN INTO A TINY HOLE! With only the tip peaking out...


DO you SEE that tiny Gold thing sticking out of the middle part of the picture?
That is the head of the needle!

I take a deap breath a try to remember that I wanted to do this.
I chose to do this and it is supposed to fun.

 So I look around.

I see small scissors. I think, "I'll use them like pliers..."




OMG!!!! They worked! I AM McGyver!!!

I compose myself and remember I have more to do.
But then,
I have an epiphany. I'll use the manual...


(Insert angel voices singing "AHHH")

AND it has pictures!

I get the needle aligned and inserted into the tiniest hole
 in the most akward position for my hand there could be
and then,



I stab myself three times...


Then I sew.

BUT

Then my needle breaks! Seriously, it breaks again.
I have another epiphany and realize that I must need a stronger needle...
(I know, I should've known this the 1st time it broke but like I said, I'm new at this.)



I finally get it finished and it's too short.

BUT

I'm part McGyver now so I grab some large Ric-rac and make it look like I meant for it to be like that.

I get it pinned all the way around the top and think I'm almost done and realize...That I can't use the sewing machine for this part.


(Now what McGyver?)

I dig in my other Grandmother's sewing basket and find Embroidery Floss!



So I stitch and I stitch and I stitch.



I add a cute Button and loop to keep my beloved Kindle from slipping out of it's case.



                                                         I do a few more minor things and

"Tah-Dah"


The Finished Product!




A Beautiful, Most Adorable, Quite A-Maz-ing Kindle Cover. 
 This project was made with Sweat, (a little bit of blood this time),
LOVE and my own two hands.
All of it was
Handmade by JillyG's.

Now I'm gonna go pass out...


3 comments:

  1. Love this!!!! And reading the process I laughed at ur awesomely funny way to relay ur adventure!!!!!!! Proud of you!!!!! Can't wait to read more!!!!

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  2. Reading this was great! The only class I ever failed was sewing in middle school. The worst part: my mom was a home ec teacher. As an adult I've tried to master my traumatic sewing past. I can proudly report I've made a pair of curtains completely on my own. Using a pattern even! I came to appreciate that sewing lingo is actually an entirely different language--why this fact is kept a secret, I don't know, but it could explain that F in middle school! Congrats on your persistence and creativity!

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  3. Thank you Everyone for the encouraging comments! Colleen, That is so funny! Thank you for sharing in my "fumbling through". If I remember correctly, I didn't do too well in Middle School Home Ec. either (but My Mom wasn't the teacher)!! I do come from a long live of very Creative Women to live up to though.

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