Creature of Mad Enthusiasms

In honor of the random websurfing I did yesterday:

The Shirt Skirt - Sew Like My Mom | Sew Like My Mom
http://sewlikemymom.com/the-shirt-skirt/

Sabby In Suburbia: Homemade Christmas: Pendant Necklaces & Glass Magnets
http://sabbyinsuburbia.blogspot.com/2011/01/homemade-christmas-pendant-necklaces.html

T-shirt makeover | NO SEW
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/117726977729513762/

upcycled shirt | COSTURAS, CUSTOMIZAÇÕES
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/511510470149579595/

WobiSobi: Re-Style#54, Five Minute Draped Vest #2
http://wobisobi.blogspot.com/2012/01/re-style54-five-minute-draped-vest-2.html

T-Shirt Remodel: A Tutorial | Diary of a Mad Crafter
http://diaryofamadcrafter.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/t-shirt-remodel-a-tutorial/

~Ruffles And Stuff~: Ruffly Shirt Refashion
http://www.rufflesandstuff.com/2010/03/ruffly-shirt-refashion.html

C.TA Glam Couture "Vaccinate yourself against bad fashion!"
http://www.ctaglamcouture.com/customize_2.html

{Refashion} Dress Mash-Up | All Glorious
http://allgloriousblog.com/2013/06/13/refashion-dress-mash-up/

My Gramma Said: Tutorial: Lighter Than Air Peasant Top
http://mygrammasaid.blogspot.com/2010/07/tutorial-lighter-than-air-peasant-top.html

C.TA Glam Couture "Vaccinate yourself against bad fashion!"
http://www.ctaglamcouture.com/customize_3.html

I think I owe reply comments to people... which is probably going to happen tomorrow, because right now I'm just trying to catch up on the last 48 hours online. Yesterday was a marathon. I put in a 9.5 hour day at work (I normally eat lunch at 11. I ate at 2:00) and then went straight to AACC for the Tiling 101 class. Which was supposed to end at 9 but was only beginning to wrap up at 10.

On the other hand, it was an excellent class. A couple of women who run their own constructing company (Ms. Honeydo) had been asked to come up with a class idea, so they came up with this one. We were introduced to the tools and concepts, given two different spreaders to keep, handed a 9.25 x 9.25-inch frame, and pointed at the materials. From then on, we added a backing board to bring the bottom of the 2" deep frame up closer to the top edge, chose tile, came up with a design, and cut the tile using our choice of tile nippers, tile saw, and wet saw. I used the first two, but my Daddy used to do a lot of wood working, and my Daddy still has all his fingers because he NEVER went near a saw with his hands. Everything was done with notched stick guides keeping his hands away from the blade, and -- having seen the state of other woodworkers' fingers -- that is the only way I'll ever get near a saw either. Especially as one of the teachers was cheerfully telling the story about how her partner partially amputated a fingertip.

The hands-on work was invaluable, and we also got our questions answered on such home improvement concepts I want to do as:
- add a tile top to an Ikea table
- lay tile on top of tile (you're going DOWN, cheapass fugly bathroom floor!)
- create a tile backsplash
- create a tiled flooring area (one of the "next year" projects is to essentially tile a permanent area inside the house doors to act as welcome mat and dirt catcher)

The project was described in the brochure as a "hotplate" - it's really more of a large blunt instrument by the time you get the weight of wood, cement board backing, and all that tile and grout. Mine is obviously novice work and my notions of freeform Arts and Crafts designs suck.. but y'know what? It's ( still a competent piece of work. )

I'm seriously kicking around the idea of the next class being one on glass painting. (We decorate, oven cure, and bring home a pitcher.) The only downside is that it's in the morning of a work day, but I could get to work after.

Heck, since it's a July class, keeping the thing in my car after work would probably count as oven-curing right there. The killing heat has come.