Well now. Ute and I are simply blown away by the enthusiastic response to the Secret Valentine Exchange!! It’s been so enthusiastic that my server crashed a number of times last week. It’s true that I have a wimpy, tiny server, but still. I also think there’s something problematic about multiple people trying to fill out the form simultaneously, but that’s an uneducated guess on my part. We’re approaching 130 sign-ups!! If you were one of the folks who couldn’t access the form to sign up, please email secret.valentine.exchange@gmail.com and we’ll send you the form directly. Quick reminder: the deadline is this Wednesday, January 13th!
Today, though, I’m talking more faux fur. There’s a pint-sized fabric store near my house called District Fabrics, and during the holidays they sold these infinity scarf kits. For $10, the kit comes with a 19″ x 30″ faux fur piece, a spool of coordinating thread and instructions. I thought it was a decent deal and a good idea, particularly for a little someone obsessed with all things wild and animalistic in my household. Plus, I’d just seen something similar in Anthropologie, so it was totally on trend (not that we’re ever on trend or ever feel the need to be).
I didn’t get around to sewing it up in time for Christmas, but I did find a few minutes to bang it out this weekend. So fast! It was done within 15 minutes, and then I realized I didn’t follow the instructions because I’ve made so many infinity scarves. Instead of sewing the ends right sides together, leaving an opening and hand stitching the opening closed, the instructions call for finishing one end of the tube, slipping the other end in and sewing through all four layers with the right side facing out. I guess that part would end up at the nape of the neck so the flattened section won’t show, but I’m glad I did it my way for the overall fluffiness.
K decided that she would create a special ensemble – a faux-furnanza, if you will — and I’ve dubbed her “mini sasquatch”. Actually, with the ear muffs she looks like the love child of Princess Leia and Chewbacca (yes, we’ve seen the Star Wars movie that just came out).
And here she is, playing the part of an infirm Victorian poet with a furry ascot — or is it a cravat?? She’s engrossed in a game of Mancala (an African game with which she’s obsessed).
There’s a little twist to the front of the scarf, which I like, and because of the thicker material, it’s a simple circle scarf, meaning it doesn’t loop twice like most infinity scarves.
At any rate, after sewing the vest, the trim on the jacket, and now a scarf, I’m all faux furred out. I have an extra kit, but I can’t bring myself to sew it. Would anyone like it? This one is a lighter shade of brown, sort of chestnutty or squirrel-colored. Even if you don’t end up using it as a scarf, there’s plenty there to make at least one side of a pillow cover, which happens to be all the rage right now — something that mystifies me. Or you could add a fur trim to a garment. So many possibilities.
It seems like I should ask a New Year’s Resolution type of question, but I’m going to turn it on its head a bit: what worked for you last year that you want to continue? So often it seems like we try to change when we flip the calendar to January 1st. But there are so many things that we already do right and well and I’m a firm believer that those things ought to be acknowledged. Last year I met with at least one friend a week for coffee or some sort of get together, and it was so uplifting and wonderful, it’s something I’m very conscientious about continuing this year. Another funny little thing that worked for me last year was getting rid of the word “busy” from my vocabulary. Whenever people would ask me how I’m doing, my automatic response used to be, “Good, but so busy!” I can’t remember where I heard or read it, but I came across the term “glorification of busy” and how it’s become so normal in our society and is essentially a humble brag or a way to feel important. So I experimented with not saying that I’m busy for the whole year. And you know what? It was awesome! I felt like I was less in default mode and it forced me to pause to think about how I’m really doing and what I’m spending my time on. I’m going to keep up this habit of not saying I’m busy for sure. What about you?
I’ll leave the giveaway open until this Friday, January 15th and will announce the winner on Monday. Entries from around the globe are welcome. I hope someone’s interested – I’ve had enough of faux fur for the time being!
A faux furnanza!! That is hilarious. You two have so much fun. I really liked your idea for New Year’s resolutions. And yours were so good, I think I will let them be mine,too!!
So pretty – love the faux furnanza! Please enter me into the drawing – I’d love to look “on trend” too!
Oh, I have a 7 year old that would love a faux fur scarf like that! 🙂 I have been more conscious of sewing stuff for my kids that I know they’ll like and wear and involving them in the choosing process. This results in a lot more clothes getting worn. So I’d like to continue that trend.
My daughter would love this and I recently saw a pillow tutorial in Thread’s magazine using faux fur. As for resolutions and what works for me is planning my meals. I feel that if I do that, I can get a quick meal on the table. Maybe I should start that with sewing, planning out my projects.
Please don’t enter me in the giveaway drawing pool … I just wanted to say, the Mancala game, we have one too here in Indonesia. It’s the same I think, but the wooden thingy is kind of different and we use seashells …
I wanted to include a link to the google images page but somehow I don’t know how to LOL …
Please google “congklak” and check out the image to see the base wooden thingy and seashells …
I used to play with my mum, she was so fast …
Oh and one time a friend in Australia asked my mum to bring a set for her to play with her sons (they’re Indonesians), and I didn’t know my mum put it in my luggage. And I got stopped by the officers at the airport and was interrogated … They were so mean (I was still at uni so they seemed mean), I was so scared …
I didn’t know it was in my bag, I had no idea about anything related to it I nearly cried LOL …
They let me off and I asked them “aren’t you going to keep the thing?” LOL … You know because it was such a big deal to them that I “smuggled” this wooden prohibited thing.
Now I think about it, such a stupid question to ask … But I was young and innocent, that’s my excuse 😛
And they did not take the thing, which is weird since they made such a big deal out of it for what seemed like ages …
Oh my granddaughter is obsessed with infinity scarfs and would love this one. What worked for me last year was being kinder to myself. We fill our calendar and project list and then feel bad about ourselves when we can’t get it all done. I am trying harder to see myself as my grandkids do…it’s such a great feeling!
What a cute little scarf! I would like to continue the habit of doing one load of laundry a day, instead of letting it pile up for a week/weeks. Blessings to an awesome new year!
What a great scarf!
Over the past year I’ve been trying to be a bit more open to other people. I’ve always struggled with low self esteem and always assumed that other people didn’t like me at all, but I’m slowly learning that this is mostly my own brain trying to sabotage things!
I’m not sure I did anything right last year :O
I agree with you on the busyness thing. I definitely have to try to stop saying that so much, even if it is true. I’d say that the things I loved doing last year that I’ll continue doing this year is helping out at my daughter’s school. It can become a bit much over time, but once elementary school is over, parental involvement really isn’t wanted or needed as much, so I’m going to do it as much as I can until they don’t want me anymore.
Oh, I wanted to make a fur vest but decided I wasn’t fancy enough. A scarf would be perfect. I’d like to keep trying to teach my kids chess. The 4 year old kind of understands and the 3 year old just wants to knock them down, but I’ve read it’s really good to teach critical thinking. We shall see.
Love the fur ensemble! We have Mancala too, but we mostly play a giant Congolese version of it called ngola. It’s fun AND it’s great for maths skills!
I’m really not one for new year’s resolutions, but every year I vow to expand my repertoire of evening meals, because as the sole cook in the house, I struggle to think of things to cook that will please everyone. Over the past year I’ve had success with falafel (homemade, including the pita bread), mushroom curry and fried rice. Yum!
I have two girls crazy about fur and animal prints (and one more too young to understand yet) so that scarf would get put to use here 🙂
Last year I signed up for a meal ingredient delivery service (plated.com) and while it expensive I think it is less expensive than eating out/getting takeout because I haven’t planned + throwing away unused food bought for recipes I didn’t get to. It isn’t perfect (my kids won’t eat the fancy food) but my husband and I are eating better and more creatively than before and I have fewer 5pm grocery store panic visits.
Wow, thanks for the opportunity! My daughter would love it since she loves animal prints as much as your K does. Last year I started with being more assertive and pro-active. Don’t wait around for things to happen but making it happen myself. It worked out really well and I plan on continuing doing so! Marjolein
What a pretty fur! 🙂
I don’t “do” resolutions, so I cannot say I did anything in particular that worked and that I want to continue. The “busy” thing is a good one though, I’ll try that. Maybe I should throw “the usual” out as well then, those are my main 2 replies. 😉
Something that does work for me is listening to my body, I tried that more & more the last few years and it works quite well. Meaning, taking a break and leaving the damn laundry if I need it. Or eating just enough, not too much ’cause it tastes so good. Currently there’s a baby ruining that part and I already feel less good than I did last year. Hope that’ll come back though. 🙂 Otherwise, I hope I can convince myself for once that meal planning is a good thing, but I haven’t succeeded yet. I keep blaming the store for the lack of good & tasty veggies. :>
Thanks for the opportunity! 🙂
Oh my word – I used to have the mancala game too when I was little. I had forgotten all about it until I saw your post so I will have to see if my mum still has it in the loft. My daughter would love the faux fur scarf. I am going to keep on sewing and also keep removing the word “just” from sentences, as in “I just wondered” or “can I just” so I am not making excuses for what I am saying/doing!
Last year I learned that it’s okay to change my mind. Try something new and have it not work out so well, be okay with that. I want to continue that this year. Not be so afraid of a less than perfect outcome. Thanks for this giveaway – it looks like a fun and quick project!
Lovely scarf, looks so soft….I did two things last year that I want to continue – I kept up my resolution from the previous year to do something creative every day, even if that’s only a couple of rows of my knitting. I also started a ballet class which I adore,definitely going to carry on with that, too.
I got into a good work ethic last year, that is going to be great to continue this year. That’s my “continuing resolution”. 🙂
Faux fur would be a new sewing experience for me and would be well received by my daughter. I’ve made a resolution to not make resolutions, but my mother in law taught me when feeling overwhelmed with the to do list, just to commit 5 mins to something/anything. I’ve become much more productive because of it. I love your idea of meeting with a friend every week, I might steal that!