I know, a weird title for  a post, but seriously, something about that “cuchunk” just drives me wild. After much thought, deliberation, and number crunching, I took the plunge. I bought a ream cutter so I could trim Craft Leftovers Monthly myself. Not to mention a million other paper based project. I’m really excited. I can cut up to 360 sheets of paper all at once!

The paper cutter came in the mail today and I immediately went to work cutting down more issues of Craft Leftovers Monthly.

I’m not sure if any of you remembered the winter issues and how when you got to the center the pages were sticking out further than the rest and caused some reading awkwardness. Well, no more! I was getting them trimmed at Copy works and a lot of times they would give me a heavy discount because I was in there so much, but I know it’s supposed to cost 1 dollar a cut and since you can only trim about 4 issues at a time, that’s an extra .25 cents/ issue. Bah to that.

This little beast cost $300, but I’ve been saving up for a long time and I think it is worth every cent. I bought it from Factory Express. They were pretty slow to ship it out, but once they did it got here really quickly. From order to in my studio it took just 8 days, that’s not bad at all. I guess there are a lot of counterfit ones on ebay, so be careful.This little guy is made out of cast iron parts and aluminum. It has bolts instead of screws and is really well constructed. Very sturdy. Very heavy.

I’m happy to say that this little beast was completely as advertised. You can clamp down you paper so it won’t shift and “CUCHUNK!” use the lever to lower the blade and cut your paper.

With the edition of this beast to my studio, Craft Leftovers Monthly is now produced 90% in my studio. Only the covers get printed at copyworks now. My toner won’t stick to the recycled grocery bag card stock. I print, cut, and fold every issue by hand in my studio. That is exciting! Before I know it, I’m going to have my own little indie print shop. :)

And on that happy note I’m going to call it a week. Or call it the weekend and go play for a little bit before I jump back into the insanity of finishing those projects I overloaded myself with.

Happy paper cutting!

Kristin

My dad and I love this dish. We are the only ones, ha. It definitely is only for those who love sauerkraut. If you are counted among those who do, you will love this dish! For me it’s the ultimate comfort food, and because Jason doesn’t care for it, I get it all to myself.

Ingredients:
1 package of sauerkraut, I like the kind in the frig section next to the pickles
10 small red potatoes, cubed
1 package polish sausage, cut into 1/4 thick slices
Heaping 1/4 cup brown sugar
A dash of salt
1/4 t pepper

Directions:
Place all ingredients into a big slow cooker and stir well, cover and turn on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Serve with sour cream and fresh parsley, if available.

Yum yum yum!

I’m sure I’ve mentioned my tendency to say “yes” to everything. “Can you help me do ________?” and “no problem” is my default response.

This has lead to endless opportunities, good experiences, and an adventure of a lifetime. It’s also lead to being overburdened, tired, and “Miss Crabby Pants” as Jason puts it. I know I’ll never be balanced, but I would like to maintain my sanity and not pull all nighters each month.

As I get older, meet more people, and put myself out there as someone who is reliable and honest, I get contacted about helping out more and more. I’m not talking about only online blog-o-sphere topics here, but in person too. It’s easier for me to say “no” to an email, but, wow, face-to-face I’m the hugest sucker ever.

I say “yes” even when I know I have a bazillion things to do. Usually it ends up either sucking for the person who asked me (because I might have to get out of it at the last minute) or sucking for me (pulling all nighters because I over committed my time). I’m not doing them a favor if I can’t do what I say I will. And I’m not helping myself if it ends up stressing me out.

I’ve been making an active effort to say “maybe” as my default or “I’ll think about it.” To me that seems a lot easier than just a straight up “no.” Keeping my calendar on me at all times has helped too. It gives me a very realistic picture of how much time I really have to spare and what I already have going on.

A year ago I felt like I couldn’t turn down any opportunity or project or task. I was desperate to build my business, to make friends in my new town, to learn, to share, and to do it all. Maybe I’m getting comfortable. Maybe I’m getting older. Maybe I like a little bit of calm and time off. Anyway you look at it, I’m not feeling so desperate any more. And that feels good.

Maybe it’s the beggars can’t be choosers things. I kind of feel like I’m not a beggar anymore. I’m meeting my bills each month, steadily paying down my debt, and I’m loving my work. Anything else is gravy at this point, so I make sure only say “yes” to things I really want to do.

What to do about the things I’ve already committed to?

Right now I’m in the midst of finishing up a rash of too many “yeses.” They were hard to say “no” to, and they were things I really did want to do, but going into this year, I’m saying “no” a lot more so this fall will be less crazy. Then I can focus on what I really want to be spending my time on, you guys! Craft Leftovers! I love this website and I have so many ideas for it. I can’t wait until I have some more free time to spend on the site. Maybe I’ll even do a few indie craft fairs come the holiday season.

Do you have a tendency to over commit? How do you say “no”? How do you make sure to keep enough time for yourself and your family?

Have a great day and happy crafting!

Kristin

Last week I told you about the shirt frenzy I’ve been under lately, cutting out the patterns for 3 shirts in one day! Well, I actually got one finished!

I did exactly as Design-It-Yourself Clothes spelled it out, and it worked! Check this out:

Rah! The most awesome shirt ever! It was a little too big in the shoulders and sides. In the book they talk about how, depending on the knit fabric, you might need some negative ease–I definitely did. I took in the sides and arm holes about 1 inch.

I am so excited that my sleeves actually fit into my arm holes, perfect!

I love my new shirt. I’m going to grossly admit to wearing it just about non stop since this weekend, haha. Okay, so I’ve washed it, not completely gross, maybe just without a little fashion conscious. I always hated the “different outfit each day” rule in high school. I’ll wear what I want…just so long as it’s clean, right? :)

One question I did get asked a lot while working on this shirt was, “Isn’t that a lot of work?” Well, honestly, not really. Think about the last time you found the “perfect” shirt in the store. How many shopping trips did that take? For me, I usually come back dry, no luck. Loads of trying clothes on. Something always wrong–the fit, the pattern, the style, bah.

If you make your own shirt with the pattern drafted for you, tried and true with unique variations, it doesn’t take that long at all. This knit shirt that I love? Three hours! Most likely it’ll be less time on the next go around. I won’t be altering it as I go along because I’ve corrected my basic pattern.

So three hours of fun sewing vs. countless hours of shopping and trying things on with no guarantee you will end up with anything for your efforts.

Oh, not to mention that the cash cost is less. You can get high quality fabric and designer styles for a fraction of the cash. Which is awesome for me because cash is something more sparse than time right now.

Happy stitching!
Kristin Roach

p.s. You can thank Jason for the photos.

Diane and I have a giveaway going for the next two weeks, compliments of the nice folks at Elmer’s.

If you order a copy of Card. Paper. Ribbon. before Monday, March 8th, you’ll automatically be entered in a drawing for these Elmer’s products: Elmer’s Glue All, Craft Bond Tacky Glue, and Carpenter’s Wood Glue. Read more →

This month Craft Leftovers Monthly is taking a nice long look into the world of plush! Recycled stuffing, knitting, crochet, stitching, and a little corned beef and cabbage for good measure! Lions, Tigers, and Bears, oh my!

+Knit a panda bear
+Crochet a Tiger Cat
+Stitch a Lion from the imagination of Claire Chambers
+Learn about Art Tales’ creative process
+And the best recycled materials to use for the plush we love the most.
+So much more, but it’s a surprise!

Craft Leftovers Monthly is printed on 100% recycled paper. It is 36 pages of crafty goodness. Two guests grace each issue’s pages and the Crafty Life Comic is a regular feature.Craft Leftovers Monthly is all about making with what you have on hand. Living life Creatively!

Pick up the March issue of Craft Leftovers Monthly here or

Sign up for a Year or Half Year Subscription here.

Have a great weekend!

Happy Crafting!

Kristin

In fall 2008, I made this really sweet neck warmer inspired by the autumn trees. Since we are heading into spring, I thought it would be a good time to dust it off, spruce it up, and re-release it.

I learned a lot from laying out Diane’s and my ebook and tried out some fun new ideas with this pattern. There’s a title page, conversions to metric, hyperlinks back to the site, and, best of all, a printer-friendly page so you don’t have to print out all the images.

I also fixed some typos and re-worded the pattern a bit so it is in line with crochet pattern writing standards.

Let me know what you think about the new pattern format!

Have a great weekend and happy crocheting!

Kristin

House cleaning is a hassle. Period. And no book will ever change that. Period.

That being said, reading No Hassle Housecleaning by Christina Spence left me feeling like  cleaning could be less of a hassle than it currently is.

I’ve been working with the fly lady system of housecleaning for awhile now. I have to admit it’s only semi-working because let’s face it. I’m a slob. I’ll never be a perfectionist cleaner and I think I’m finally okay with that. It’s my nature.

My friend calls my apartment’s general state as “creating in action.” I would have to agree that is true. Jason and I both love making things, so it will never be 100% clutter free. I’m not concerned that every piece of this and that be put away precisely, more that my home meets these main conditions:

1. Doesn’t smell too much like ferrets

2. Have clean clothing to wear at all times

3. Have my kitchen pretty clean

4. My home is not a health hazard: dusted, vacuumed, picked up so I don’t stub my toe on everything

5. I’m not embarrassed to have people over because of the above 4 points

That’s why I’m taking a lesson from the Happy Slob. Christina Spence has a really fun writing style that makes the first half of the book fly by. She writes about low stress cleaning, cranking the music up and dancing it away, and even offers up her favorite homemade cleaning solutions, which is the part I love the most.

She has a whole chapter devoted to homemade cleaning recipes, what they are good for, and how to use them.

The last half of the book is a little bit drier, but you can read it as needed. Cleaning floors today? Look up Chapter 7: the F-word for all the info for getting the job done.

She has her own system of course, which seems to me an abbreviated, less dictator like fly lady system. She’s just more my style–less purple, more retro starburts.

Christina really advocates cleaning for health reasons more than “because that’s what you are supposed to do” or “you aren’t a good wife unless you take care of your husband.” I like that. That makes sense for me. Me spending time cleaning because I’m “supposed to” makes me not want to. Cleaning because it will help with my sinus issues and make my (our) quality of life better. That sounds reasonable to me, which means I’m more likely to stick with it.

I enjoyed reading though the book and have been working on establishing my new routine. I’m always trying new ones to see what works. Maybe by the time I’m 40 I’ll have it figured out. Maybe I just like trying new things. :) Either way, the apartment is, on average, cleaner. Success is mine!

It’s a good source book and has a lot of lasting content (recipes and room specific cleaning methods/ideas) and I’m happily keeping it in my permanent collection of books.

From one happy slob to another,

Kristin

p.s. Yes, that is Superman on my bookmark. I love my library. :)

Usually I use Wednesdays to post about crafty business in general, but today I’m going to write about my crafty business specifically. I just hit a few amazing goals I set at the beginning of the year. I want to share with you a little bit of the back end success that’s not immediately apparent on the front end.

Working ahead on Craft Leftovers Monthly

I just posted the new themes for the next two deadlines: reading and miniature crafting!

Check it out.

You may notice, I’m finally transitioned to proposals coming in 5 months out from the issue’s publishing date. This gives plenty of time for me to look through the submissions, schedule reasonable deadlines for contributors, and then have time to put it all together a month before it’s published!

This. Is. Huge.

Providing income for others

In my own small way, I’m helping to provide more freelance oppertunities for indie craft writers. And it’s working. I tried it out for the first time in the Winter issue, and for the 3rd month in the row I have enough money to pay my own income and contributors! Hooray! I didn’t break the bank!

I pay between $25-45 for previously published work and $35-75 for new work. I also swap for content.

Even though it’s not apparent on the front end, the Summer issue is in the works and I’m expanding the page count again! And adding another contributor! Hooray!

Going Wholesale

It’s almost happened a few times, but fell through. But now it’s official. Yesterday I shipped my first wholesale order to this great indie craft shop in Wisconsin. Once she gives me the thumbs up, I’ll add the shop info to the Craft Leftovers Monthly about page and post more details about it.

Do you want Craft Leftovers Monthly to be sold at your local craft shop? In your craft shop? I’m looking for leads. Having Craft Leftovers Monthly distributed at indie book stores and craft shops is the next big goal on my list.

Send me leads on shops to contact or if you own a shop and want to carry Craft Leftovers Monthly, email me directly. Send wholesale leads and inquiries to kristin [at] craftleftovers [dot] com. It’s been so fun to see Craft Leftovers and the zine grow like they have.

Interview on the CraftyPod

Diane interviewed me a few weeks ago and just put it up on her site. Go check it out and hear me ramble about what I’m up to, including this next one (okay, I mention it just a touch because I can’t talk about it too much).

My first Book!

This has been in the works for a few months now and I officially started writing at the end of last month. I am so excited! I feel like this is a big stamp of “you are doing good work, keep it up.”

Storey Publishing approached me towards the end of last year about doing a book for them on mending. Of course I said, “Yes!” The book is a nice blend between authoring and compiling.

Just like Craft Leftovers Monthly, I pushed to have contributors paid for their work. And Storey agreed! It’s exciting getting a budget specifically for contributors.

We are also hiring a local photographer! I love making my successes other people’s too. :) And I feel good providing a job for a local artist.

That’s about all that I can say on that topic because other than “general mending book” and “authoring and compiling” I need to keep everything a surprise.

Next up: Getting an Intern

This one isn’t quite there yet, but wow do I need some help in the studio. So as I learn how to take these steps, I’ll share what I learn. Because let me tell you, right now it is getting a little overwhelming. Anyone want to help me make kits and test patterns and do data entry? Haha. If you live in Central Iowa, seriously, contact me.

Crafty Business Coming Up

I was thinking that each on of these topics would be great Crafty Business topics: creating opportunities for others with your work, going from direct selling to wholesale selling, writing a book, hiring help in the studio/getting an intern. What do you think? I’m game if you are.

Happy crafting and good luck to you and your business!
Kristin

I’m making a little shirt dress with pockets from a store bought pattern. I pinned the pieces out on the fabric and have just barely enough to make it.

I need to iron the fabric out and I’ll be all set to cut. Those little flowers are so cute! They look like lady bugs, but they are not.

This is the pattern i drafted using Design-It-Yourself Clothes: Patternmaking Simplified book. So far so good. I am wearing my first shirt right now.

I’m keeping my patterns in this little bag with descriptions of what is in it. The Judith Collared Shirt is a pattern I wrote based on my favorite shirt–which is beyond repair and too small.

I ripped the shirt’s seams out and drafted a pattern from that. Then altered the pattern so it was my size. Then I cut the pieces for it with this fabric:

Since the fabric is so similar to the original, I just had to use it for this project. I picked it up at a second hand shop, a buck fifty for 3 yards! I had enough to make this shirt and about a yard leftover. Nice!

I saved the buttons from the original shirt and will use them on the new one. I may need find a fifth one since I extended the length by a few inches.

Sweet little cowboys and horses, how could I resist? It will be the second test of the full length sleeve knit basic tee shirt. I’m excited to see how it works out.

I was going to sew the last one this weekend, but ended up not going down to the studio, which was kind of nice I have to admit :) So I wrote the pattern for my other shirt and cut out those pieces. Hey, maybe by next Tuesday I’ll have them both finished! Wouldn’t that be sweet?

Happy sewing!

Kristin Roach