2am

This is honestly the kind of stuff I do at 2am.
(my finished stuff will be up soon)

http://www.delightedmomma.com/2011/05/diy-polymer-clay-beads.html
http://www.dismountcreative.com/diy-geometric-necklace

Face towels, Face towels, Face towels, Oh my!

My mom and I love collecting.
I collect Depression Glass and books and old coins and other miscellaneous cool stuff.
My mom "collects" towels.
I don't know if she knows that she does it, but every time we hit the bathroom aisle of a store, her eyes dart right on to the towels. Hand towels. And face towels. And hair towels. And bath towels. And we can't forget the all important beach towels.
When she offers to buy me one, my internal dialogue fires up.

Mother: "Do you need...?"
Me: "Nah, we have plenty." (Gimme the towel! It's pretty! Just get it and go!)
Mother: "Are you sure?"
Me: "Mm......" (It's only three bucks! Not like you're paying for it!)
Mother: "Towel...?"
Me: "Well... Mine were getting a bit ratty..." (Yusshhh! Score one for the evil voice in the head!)

Usually it's me persuading my mother not to buy anymore, but hey, can't always be the good guy.


When I go on sleepovers, it's always a pain to get together a towel, toothbrush, toothpaste, and etcetera without taking ten minutes of my precious Kayla-Time. Too long. Much too long.
Anyways, we've accumulated a butt-load of these towels...
So I was like "HEY. LOOK. THESE TOWEL THINGS CAN FOLD. WE HAVE A BILLION. OH. I LIKE RIBBON, TOO. SO LET'S EXPERIMENT." And experiment I did.
With first try being the charm, I made....

When I posted this, I was assuming that no one would ask me how to make it... But someone did. ;_;  (My friend.) And for her, I created another for the express purpose of this tutorial. That same one I'm using as a gift for my friend (her).
(Did I mention that these are perfect presents? Because they are.)

If you're a first or second or three-hundreth-time seamstress, I took my instructions step by step-- so it's all good. <3.

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Good luck. Have fun. And Follow me. <3

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Approximate time: <1 hour

*******Whatcha'll Need: ********

*Sewing machine
*Face/dish towel (small towel, about 12in x 12in)
*Scissors
*Pins. (ones you can bend and then junk)
*Ribbon- 2.5 feet (more is optional)
*Ruler (Preferred: Gridded Rotary Mat)

Step 1.
Set out your towel/ materials and cut off your tag.
Put the design you want showing toward the top (like my stripe) and the side facing you will be where your pockets are. The back is what shows.

Step 2.
Fold and pin each side at one inch. Make it as straight as you can.

Step 3.
Get out your ribbon and keep it in one piece.
If the ends have pretty edges like /\ or /|  CHOP 'EM OFF and make them straight.

 Step 4. Figure out where the heck you want your ribbon. I suggest to center it around 3-4 inches from the top; if it is a larger ribbon, just try and be sensible (see mine for example).

Step 5.

For the LEFT side, fold your ribbon in this pattern, your preferred side facing inwards.

For the RIGHT side, copy this pattern, but have the long tail/ fold facing the right end instead (think of a flipped image).

Step 6. 

Take out the pins you put in only in the area you plan to put your ribbon + some wiggle room. Place the fold into the crease.

Step 7. 

Fold the flap back down and then lay the ribbon over it, pinning in place. I suggest placing 2-3 pins horizontally (not in the mess I made; I change it later on).

Step 8.
Measure out 12in/1ft from the edge of the towel and cut the ribbon there. If you desire for it to be longer, go ahead. If your towel is larger than mine shown, make the ribbon longer as well.

Step 9.
Tie the end and repeat on the other side. (Check out the neatened pins!)














Here's the other side as well :)

Make sure you have thicker needles and extras (mine broke once on the first one I made).
Your foot will *most likely* be pressed for room.
I use very small stitches to catch the terry and make the bag durable.
Kayla-proofed.

Step 10.
Sew across from top to bottom, being sure to go over the ribbon a few extra times.
It seems that I stitched at 3/8 in.
Repeat.

Step 11.
To keep the ribbon from swaying this way and that, sew the /ribbon part/ over at the edges a few times. Try not to go over. You want it to be close.
Repeat.

Step 12.
Pouch time! Measure to your desire length when folded up depending on use.
I made mine based on a toothbrush. I stuck in the toothbrush and folded up the towel so that my toothbrush had around 1/2 in from the top. Pin on sides. Make sure it is even.

Step 13.
We are doing the edges, not the middle. Sew from thickest (bottom) to thinnest (top) at around 3/8.
Make sure you are hitting all the layers.

If you don't want any more pouches for whatever reason, you are done here.
If not, proceed.

Step 14.
Pin this edge here so that it runs evenly.

Step 15. 

Divider time! 

*For my toothbrush, I measured two inches from the edge. 

Account for how thick your edge is i.e. 2 in. using my 3/8 in. edge. 

(Toothbrushes are cylindrical, so they'll need some wiggle room). 

If you are making it for an electric t.b., make even more room!

Measure your t.b. and add a bit of extra room. Test it to be sure.

Pin from tip to bottom/ or bottom to top.

*For my middle divider, I folded my bag in half and pinned the mid area. 

I highly suggest a middle divider, since it will make the bag easier to fold and adds structure.

Pin here as well from top to bottom/bottom to top. Make it even.

*If you want extra/less dividers, then do so. I'm not your boss ;)

You can sew on velcro, buttons, etc. later on if you desire.

Step 16.

When you do go to sew it, be careful (needle breakage alert) and go from bottom to top.

Bottom to top/ thick to thin here, folks!

*You don't have to worry about sewing all the way from bottom to top.
Once you finish sewing the double-layer, go at least an inch further and you're done there.

Lookie here, you're done!!

Here's my finished product:

Step 17.
Share this with all your friends  >x<

How long did it take you to make?
Were the instructions clear?
Send a picture!
And keep blogging!

Enjoy :)

WIP CONT.

Step 15. I'm almost there :)

My next post will be post #100.
How nice.

W-I-P (Because WIP Looked Too Crowded)

I have the pictures for the washcloth pattern... Now I only need to write the instructions.
Hang tight, folks. ;D

*I'm up to Step 8. as of 3/5/12.

A Year Behind, Psh

Happy 40,000 view anniversary, my dearies. <3

Flash Fiction #1: Ms. Chealsea

Ms. Chealsea

                "So, how's Jerry?" a short man asked nonchalantly, leaning against a brick wall.

                "Same as always, the lying bastard," a dark-haired woman muttered with a grimace, kicking up loose asphalt with her foam sandals.

                "Cheating?"

                Her laugh was full and woody, like talking over the flames of a late night bonfire. "When isn't he?"

                With a flick of his hand, the man's cigarette butt drifted to the ground where he crushed it underneath his size eleven foot; moments later, another replaced the first, scenting the air with the fine quality of unfiltered French culture. "You hate him enough to do this. Takes guts."

                She took a long draw, blowing out a perfectly rounded set of os with her red, puckered lips. "If I didn't love him so much, I wouldn't be. You should know that better than anyone, Mr. Jack."

                "Have we ourselves resorted to chilly formality? Didn't you just call the man a bastard?"

                "I did."

                "Then treat him as such," he suggested, his eyebrows raised in question.

                The woman adjusted her faded red blouse, biting the inside of her mouth until she tasted iron. "I am, Richard. That's why I'm here."

                "You'd be here regardless, wouldn't you, Chealsea."

                "The money's good for an old broad like me."

                "I hardly call thirty old, Chealsea."

                Her eyes burned with the same intensity of her hand-rolled durrie. "If you're part of the business, twelve's an old maid."

                "Plenty would pay." He gestured to each empty street, each alley, each store and home. "You should know that better than anyone, Mrs. Grey."

                "Misses. Not quite sure I like the sound of that. Been much too long." With another puff, she blew out the remainder of her straight, the ashes landing on the pocked skin of her foot. She hardly gave notice.

                "Sometimes, it is indeed better to forget…"

                Suddenly, the door behind them opened to reveal an unshaven man with sweat over his brow, the rusted door he held eerily illuminated in the streetlight. "Break's over! Get over here, Angel. You have three waiting for you over in the back, Blue Room. Emerald Coat's the host. Give 'em the special treatment."

                "Yessir." She turned back to glance at Richard once the door closed, her gaunt cheekbones pulled tight. "I don't forget," the woman began, knuckles white as she held the crusty handle to the door. "Because that's not why I'm here."

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 444 Castro Street, Suite 900, Mountain View, California, 94041, USA.

Delving into Flash Fiction: Ms. Chealsea

Ms. Chealsea

                "So, how's Jerry?" a short man asked nonchalantly, leaning against a brick wall.

                "Same as always, the lying bastard," a dark-haired woman muttered with a grimace, kicking up loose asphalt with her foam sandals.

                "Cheating?"

                Her laugh was full and woody, like talking over the flames of a late night bonfire. "When isn't he?"

                With a flick of his hand, the man's cigarette butt drifted to the ground where he crushed it underneath his size eleven foot; moments later, another replaced the first, scenting the air with the fine quality of unfiltered French culture. "You hate him enough to do this. Takes guts."

                She took a long draw, blowing out a perfectly rounded set of os with her red, puckered lips. "If I didn't love him so much, I wouldn't be. You should know that better than anyone, Mr. Jack."

                "Have we ourselves resorted to chilly formality? Didn't you just call the man a bastard?"

                "I did."

                "Then treat him as such," he suggested, his eyebrows raised in question.

                The woman adjusted her faded red blouse, biting the inside of her mouth until she tasted iron. "I am, Richard. That's why I'm here."

                "You'd be here regardless, wouldn't you, Chealsea."

                "The money's good for an old broad like me."

                "I hardly call thirty old, Chealsea."

                Her eyes burned with the same intensity of her hand-rolled durrie. "If you're part of the business, twelve's an old maid."

                "Plenty would pay." He gestured to each empty street, each alley, each store and home. "You should know that better than anyone, Mrs. Grey."

                "Misses. Not quite sure I like the sound of that. Been much too long." With another puff, she blew out the remainder of her straight, the ashes landing on the pocked skin of her foot. She hardly gave notice.

                "Sometimes, it is indeed better to forget…"

                Suddenly, the door behind them opened to reveal an unshaven man with sweat over his brow, the rusted door he held eerily illuminated in the streetlight. "Break's over! Get over here, Angel. You have three waiting for you over in the back, Blue Room. Emerald Coat's the host. Give 'em the special treatment."

                "Yessir." She turned back to glance at Richard once the door closed, her gaunt cheekbones pulled tight. "I don't forget," the woman began, knuckles white as she held the crusty handle to the door. "Because that's not why I'm here."

Ms. Chealsea by Kayla Balda is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at Kaylakulture.blogspot.com.