Nnnnnnnow, we can talk about it.

It's that time again, ladies and gentledudes. Thanksgiving food is digesting in your bellies (if you're American) and you're pretty much sick of hearing out Thanksgiving and people playing Christmas music too early (if you're not... or even if you are.) that said, I'm ready to get this shit started! If anyone wants to give me shit for starting this before December has even started I have one thing to say to you:

Since this is technically a Thanksgiving post, here are the things I'm thankful for:

• The opportunity to become so much closer to many of my friends, and make new ones of old acquaintances 
• A healthy and only mildly dysfunctional family (although, what family isn't)
• communities of people who accept me and my insane pursuits
• the opportunities to continue and find new brilliant and terrible pursuits.  

That said, lets get this show on the road. The following is almost completely copypasta'd from the old post but I've made new friends and fussed a bit with examples. But just in case, read and get yourself a refresher.

Presenting the 2014 Holiday Wishlist Project!!!

So here we go: 

A few years ago- probably around 2009 as I was poking around DeviantArt, an artist I followed came up with this project. Here's how it goes:

The Basics:

You write a wish list, other people write wish lists. You peruse their wish lists and see if you can grant any of theirs, and others do the same. It's about making someone's holiday a little brighter, not OMFG GIVE ME PRESENTS. It's a nice feeling to give to others and grant their wishes, y'know?

Step 1:

Write a Christmas/Holiday wish list of 10 things. It can be any 10 wishes you'd like to have granted, no matter what they are, possible or impossible. They can be simple and fun (I'd love a drawing of my favorite fandom pairing) to medium (I would like a copy of Black Swan) to big and over the top (I want a new house/computer/mini motorbike) to kind of technically un-grantable. (I want to ace all my classes this semester) Just things that you truly wish for this holiday season.

Post that list on the Holiday Wish List Event Page as a SEPARATE POST. Let me be clear, EVERY WISHLIST GETS IT'S OWN POST. That way people don't get confused with who's wishing for what.

Step 2

Poke around on the event page to see what other people have wished for, and here's where the magic happens: if you see a wish that you can grant, do so and make someone's wish come true! Perhaps you have an old leather jacket that you don't want anymore or a gift certificate you don't use- or who knows? Maybe your cat just had kittens and someone needs a furry new companion! Are you an expert at Physics and someone wished for a good grade in PHYS 101? Why don't you offer your hand at tutoring?

Remember, the key to this project is not to put people out, it's just a chance to help people who you might not have known you could have helped in the first place. Gifts can even be made anonymously if you'd like.

---

And that's about it. There are no super specific rules, no guarantees, and no strings attached. Just wish and send it out and maybe it'll come true. Give and you might receive and you'll get the joy of knowing you made someone's holiday special!

And if you'd like to know: 

My holiday wish list:

1. To pass all my classes this semester and graduate in the spring
2. An internship and eventually entry-level job that asks me to use at least some of the skills I've studied here at Uni.
3. to learn to drape
4. More ballet shrugs and other dance clothes
5. a goddamn silicone mermaid tail (or at least the time, energy and space to make my own.)
6. Holiday parties. Lots of them. The dress up kind. Also just more get togethers with lots of my good friends
7. A new garment rack that is small enough to fit in my tiny bedroom
8. Time and funds for new costumes!
9. A banjo... and maybe lessons.
10. A mistletoe kiss. (traditional at this point)

the project event page is linked here so if you for some reason are reading this and aren't my friend on facebook: here you go!

https://www.facebook.com/events/529627010473706/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

Happy New Year, I'm Not Dead.

Just... look at the title. Happy New Year, from the Stitchin' Bitch. I'm not dead! Things are coming! Unfortunately, another year is passed and I totally forgot to finish the goddamn new years eve dress that I've been planning. (it's a thing. One day you might learn about it.) I'm still regrouping and figuring out what to do next... in the meantime here's a filler project for any of you that might still have belated holiday gifts to give out:

So, by request:

DIY Tea Bags!

I wish I had an artsier picture so here's the one I stole from the site that gave me the idea:

mine looks vaguely similar

For this project you will need:

sewing shears... because that's what I had.

• loose leaf tea
• coffee filters
• needle
• undyed thread (I just prefer un-dyed just in case the dye they use is bad for you.)
• scissors

How to do it:

1. Gather your materials in a dry place- I got about 15 coffee filters wet doing this project because I was too lazy to clean up earlier. Now I have about 15 unusable coffee filters. Thankfully these are sort of cheap.
2. Flatten out two coffee filters on top of each other. Sort of rub it around until they are flat... nothing fancy.

   
   

   nice and flat

3. Cut out your shape. I chose hearts and made an attempt at a skull. Anything symmetrical works out well because... less cutting...

   

   You'll notice I'm doing stuff with one hand, that's because I'm using a camera phone. Only the highest in production value for you guys

4. Grab your needle and thread. I use a running stitch- up, down, up down (pause to giggle for sex jokes) for those of you unaccustomed to the names of things- to go around the edges of the bag. Only go about halfway, you need a space to add the tea.
   
   

   

   this is how I speed up the process, fold and poke. 

    
   
5. Get a scoop, add the tea. It helps to compare the amount of tea you use to a commercial tea bag. Just remember that tea leaves need to... unfurl fully within the bag get into the water so don't pack it too tightly.
   

   

   Earl Blue, it's a  thing, apparently. It pretty much tastes
   like Earl Grey

   

   one handed.

     6.  Once you're finished filling, finish sewing it up. You can knot it however you want.

There you go, one skull... ish and a heart.

And that's about it. Tea bags, in any shape you'd like. They make great gifts and are faster to make the longer you do them. I'm looking into a faster way to seal them but as it is, this method works pretty well for me, it's just time consuming. It took me about 30 minutes to make 5.

What it looks like in cup. Kind of sweet, like a hug.

So there you go, enjoy your tea bagging... wow this post is less, curse-word-ridden and more sexual innuendo-ey.

All hipstered out (for finals week)
Mug courtesy of a fairy-god-sibling. And the Bloggess

Happy Fucking 2014, Bitches.