tj-crochets

[tj-crochets]

The rag rug is awesome! How is it done?

Thanks! The short answer is that it's a braided rag rug, using the braid-as-you-go method. Basically, this tutorial. I am not trying very hard to make sure the strips of fabric are the same size, and I'm not minding the edges of the fabrics being exposed. I'm also using the no-sew method of joining more strips of fabric as I go, and just kind of having fun with it? So far it's turning out well!

#ask away! #graaaaceeliz #wait I just realized my other rug in progress could also be considered a rag rug #I haven't posted about that one in a while though so I'm assuming you mean the braided one #someone suggested I could turn it into a basket #and I have done that with the sewn-and-batting version I've made before #but this rug has zero structural integrity #it's very soft and floppy and could not support itself enough to be a basket #so I will find a place for it to be a rug lol

[tj-crochets]

I have a quilting question! That being, I’ve never quilted before but I have a gazillion squares of fabric (thrift store whoops, didn’t realize it was cut) and I need a new quilt. If I’m trying to do a basic “I want a warm blanket” quilt, would I just… sew a checkerboard of the squares together, then get batting and idk, a piece of matching size fabric for the back? I have a sewing machine but nothing specifically quilting I don’t think.

Hi! You've got the basics down, that pretty much is the bare bones of quilting and if you want to start with just that you absolutely can. There are some steps that can make the finished product a little less lumpy and/or a little more durable (ironing, basting, stuff like that) but off the top of my head I don't have specific resources to point you toward? Let me see if any of the quilt youtubers I watch have some videos on it okay this quilter doesn't seem to have a "never made any sort of quilt before" tutorial but once you've made one quilt I recommend Just Get It Done Quilts (or if you want to be particularly ambitious about your skills, before your first quilt? I found a lot of technique advice only made sense to me after I'd made my first quilt, but you might learn differently than I do). She has a lot of pattern videos and a lot of technique videos. This seems like a decent very detailed step-by-step guide to making a quilt from start to finish (I just glanced at it), but I will tell you one thing that most of the guides you will read will disagree with: If you are making a simple patchwork for your first quilt (aka a checkerboard of squares) and you aren't super picky about the exact finished size, you do not need to worry about the 1/4" seam allowance. You can ignore all of that and come back to figuring out how to do it later. For simple patchworks, it's just important that your seam allowance is consistent. So, if you're not super familiar with sewing but are using a machine, just line up the edges of the fabric with the edge of the foot on your sewing machine, and whatever that is will be fine (as long as the seam allowance is large enough to not unravel. It'd work for all the sewing machine feet I have, but I have not seen all the options) also tagging in @creations-by-chaosfay, who has been quilting a lot longer than I have. Do you have a good step-by-step starting guide to making your first quilt?

#ask away! #writerproblem193 #once you make your first quilt it makes a lot more sense #but it's difficult (for me at least) to find online resources for people who have never made quilts #all the resources I've found assume a base level of knowledge most people don't have before making their first quilt #(about like the names of parts of the quilt and the names of steps of quilt making. things like that)

[tj-crochets]

Chaos rainbow triangle quilt is done! Definitely shows that I was making it up as I went but my cat won't care 🤣 though I may make her a different one in pink once I finish my next one 🤔

Made with random rainbow fabric from my makerspace and 2 layers of regular batting

I love the chaos rainbow triangles!!!

#ask away! #other people's art #smolfroglesbian #crafting for pets is up there with making monsters and crafting for babies #in the 'they will not care if it's not perfectly square' category #well okay monsters is more like 'there's no wrong way to make a monster. if it doesn't turn out as planned #you just made a different monster' #which is not quiiiite the same thing but I feel like it's the same vibe lol

[tj-crochets]

Progress! It’s about 7” by about 17”. Ish. I’m measuring with my hands instead of a ruler so those dimensions are very approximate lol

I felt like braiding something and had no projects currently on the docket that involve braiding, so I started making a braided rag rug! So far, it’s about a foot by about three inches

#rag rug time! #well it’s mostly rags I have started tearing strips off of some fabrics #now that I have a vague color plan for it #I don’t actually have much red? so I’m not sure how the red section will go when I get to it #also not sure where I’m putting this rug #this might end up being my piano bench rug #but then I’d need a place to put the other rug I have half done lol

[tj-crochets]

EYY CONGRATS ON THE BLOOD! That must be such a relief!!

Thanks!!! It really is!!!

#ask away! #itsbumblebunnybee #I'm actually HIGH on a vitamin now! #that's never happened before! I've been low on several #but never high on them. I mean. I'll probably just have to stop taking that supplement (which is fine) #but it means I'm finally absorbing nutrients correctly!!! #which may or may not be because I started taking long term corticosteroids a few months ago #so this might be a less inflammation = better nutrient absorption thing? just timing-wise #but oh my gosh am I glad that it's working #I was not looking forward to the inevitable Next Thing to find out I was low on #I mean I don't have high levels of iron. I am still well on the low end of that #but I might be processing B12 correctly now! :D

[tj-crochets]

I'm not iron deficient anymore!!! :D I just got the blood test results back and for once I had a fixable problem and it is fixed*!!!! *well okay my total iron saturation % is still a little low but the rest of my numbers are in the normal range! Even ferritin!! My ferritin levels have almost quadrupled and are now in the normal range!!! :D

#the person behind the yarn #medical mention #blood mention #my ferritin levels were 3 and now they are 11 :D #I am not at stop taking supplements stage but I think I won't need an iron infusion anymore! #I was really not looking forward to finding out if I was allergic to that #like. very grateful for the opportunity to get an iron infusion if I need one #but given all the other stuff I'm allergic to...I was concerned lol #also this doc was the first doctor to bring up testing me for the Significantly Worse version of a thing I have #like. I knew the worse version existed but no doctor had ever mentioned it to me #I do not have the Significantly Worse version. It's not the kind of thing you have for a decade. #and once I told her when my symptoms started she stopped talking about doing the test #but it was nice that she knew enough about it to bring it up and that she was willing to. you know?

[tj-crochets]

I felt like braiding something and had no projects currently on the docket that involve braiding, so I started making a braided rag rug! So far, it’s about a foot by about three inches

#I’ve never made a rag rug before #well. I kind of have one half finished? #made of jelly roll strips and batting and sewing #so I guess it’s more accurate to say I’ve never braided a rug before #I have no specific plans for this rug I just felt like making one #I mean. it’s probably going to end up rainbow because it’s me #but I’m really liking the blue and purple so far

[tj-crochets]

A quick little disappearing nine patch baby quilt top! Made using precut 8” flannel squares from a box of quilt scraps

#sewing #handmade #quilting wip #rainbow panda flannel scrap quilt

[tj-crochets]

I have more of this faux fur yarn, I should make another owl! Or another dog? Maybe both!

Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh look at this face! This yarn was such a good decision

I love this owl and I’m so glad I asked for suggestions and that owl was a suggestion

#crochet #amigurumi #owl #plushie #handmade #sometimes I forget how cute the things I crocheted were #it's been years but I think crochet is working its way back into my crafting cycle #I have a crocheted baby blanket about a third done at the moment? #it's a good 'keep my hands busy while reading or watching something I can't look away from much' project #because it's a C2C pattern so I really only have to look at it when I'm turning the rows #other than that I can crochet without looking

[tj-crochets]

Two more MRI questions! 1. the lady I spoke to said I could wear my own clothes as long as there's no metal. I don't think I have any pants that don't have metal except pajama pants; is it okay to wear pajamas? 2. if they are only MRI-ing my head and I can crochet entirely without looking at it, do you think they'd let me bring crochet and a wooden or plastic hook to keep my hands busy? wait no okay third question: if they are only MRI-ing my brain is my whole body in the loud machine or just my head?

Hey y'all! Weird question time again! I will be having my first MRI in a few weeks (specifically, an MRI of my brain) and I know nothing about it except No Metal Allowed. I will not be getting the contrast dye on account of I kicked up a fuss about potential anaphylaxis* and the doctor was kind of like "fine but if we find anything and need a clearer picture you'll have to get another one" Do you have any advice/suggestions/things I should know about MRIs? *if, as several doctors have suspected, my weird allergies are MCAS there is a good chance I am severely allergic to the dye. Also I am a bit paranoid about injections in general because my allergic reactions to injections are waaaaaay worse than my reactions to food, pills, or environmental allergies

#the person behind the yarn #I am not looking forward to this in the slightest! I'll do it but oh my gosh it does not sound like a good time #I am not good at sitting still #well. I mean I usually take my evening dose of my steroids sometime between 5-6pm #and my appointment is scheduled for 5 and to last a half hour #so if I hold off on taking my evening dose until after I might be able to be still? #but that might be a bad idea #most of the time it's fine if I push back the dose until 6ish but if I get too stressed in the late afternoon #I'll be shaky and dizzy until I take the evening dose. my theory is that that's the point where I am running out of the hormone #that the steroid is replacing/supplementing. hm. #okay maybe not on the taking the dose late. I'll talk to my doctor about that one #I really should stop having my train of thought entirely in the tags #or at least I should start doing it on purpose lol

[tj-crochets]

Thanks everybody! I texted my mom about this and she was like "Yeah, I'm not surprised you're ambidextrous, I am and at least one of your siblings is too" so it turns out like at least half of my family is ambidextrous and that's probably why I thought that everybody could do all those things

Thinking about my neurology appointment again, I have another weird question for y'all! My neurologist was surprised and said it was weird I was right handed, which I am assuming is because of the reflex and grip tests she did, not because I give off a left-handed kind of vibe Wait I was going to ask if it was weird that I, a non-ambidextrous person, hit and kick evenly with both right and left sides, open doorknobs with whichever hand is closer, and use the foot pedal for the sewing machine with whichever foot it ends up nearer but can't write with my left hand But I just tried it and I can write with my left hand??? Like, not as neatly or as quickly as with my right, but it's clearly legible and not difficult to do. Have I been ambidextrous this entire time??

#the person behind the yarn #my mom did not say which sibling it was #but I immediately responded 'it's [clown sister] right? if she was not naturally ambidextrous she'd have trained herself to be' #my siblings and I were (almost) all super competitive as children #and that combined with all her hand balancing/trapeze/aerial silks/puppet/mime skills #means I fully believe she'd train herself to be ambidextrous to have more options for her arts #but also: most of my family plays multiple instruments #and my mom was a personal trainer for part of my childhood and taught me to do a roundhouse kick when I was like four #(side note: absolutely not a power I should have been given at that age lol) #and she emphasized practicing with both legs so I could do it with either leg #so like. Idk if I am naturally ambidextrous or learned it? #it really doesn't matter but I am curious lol #I also had my left hand/wrist in a cast when I was at the 'practicing writing a lot in school' age (either kindergarten or 1st grade) #so I might've been ambidextrous before then and forgot??? idk #my dad is not naturally ambidextrous but taught himself to do things left handed #both as a quarterback and as a mechanic #because it was just more practical that way lol

[tj-crochets]

Follow up question: When you are doing something that requires tools like a screwdriver, drill, or wrench (I'm thinking specifically of assembling or disassembling furniture) do you stick to using the tool in your writing hand or do you use the tool in whichever hand has a better angle on the thing you are trying to use the tool on?

Thinking about my neurology appointment again, I have another weird question for y'all! My neurologist was surprised and said it was weird I was right handed, which I am assuming is because of the reflex and grip tests she did, not because I give off a left-handed kind of vibe Wait I was going to ask if it was weird that I, a non-ambidextrous person, hit and kick evenly with both right and left sides, open doorknobs with whichever hand is closer, and use the foot pedal for the sewing machine with whichever foot it ends up nearer but can't write with my left hand But I just tried it and I can write with my left hand??? Like, not as neatly or as quickly as with my right, but it's clearly legible and not difficult to do. Have I been ambidextrous this entire time??

#the person behind the yarn #everyone just uses whichever hand is closer to the thing they are using the tool on right??? #and like if your hand gets tired with the drill you switch hands????

[tj-crochets]

Okay follow up they said the MRI will only take 30 minutes. Is that not how long they normally take?

Hey y'all! Weird question time again! I will be having my first MRI in a few weeks (specifically, an MRI of my brain) and I know nothing about it except No Metal Allowed. I will not be getting the contrast dye on account of I kicked up a fuss about potential anaphylaxis* and the doctor was kind of like "fine but if we find anything and need a clearer picture you'll have to get another one" Do you have any advice/suggestions/things I should know about MRIs? *if, as several doctors have suspected, my weird allergies are MCAS there is a good chance I am severely allergic to the dye. Also I am a bit paranoid about injections in general because my allergic reactions to injections are waaaaaay worse than my reactions to food, pills, or environmental allergies

#the person behind the yarn #I just had to play appointment jenga #...that's not the game I'm thinking of what game am I thinking of??? #I can't remember the name #I just had to call a bunch of doctors to reschedule stuff #because they scheduled my MRI for the one time in the next two months I absolutely cannot do #which is the same time as the hematology appointment that's taken like four months to get #and then I accidentally rescheduled the MRI for the same time as my allergy appointment and had to reschedule that #but everything is scheduled now! MRI and follow up appointment and hematology #okay the referral to an ENT has not gone through but I'm not really concerned about that one

[tj-crochets]

Thinking about my neurology appointment again, I have another weird question for y'all! My neurologist was surprised and said it was weird I was right handed, which I am assuming is because of the reflex and grip tests she did, not because I give off a left-handed kind of vibe Wait I was going to ask if it was weird that I, a non-ambidextrous person, hit and kick evenly with both right and left sides, open doorknobs with whichever hand is closer, and use the foot pedal for the sewing machine with whichever foot it ends up nearer but can't write with my left hand But I just tried it and I can write with my left hand??? Like, not as neatly or as quickly as with my right, but it's clearly legible and not difficult to do. Have I been ambidextrous this entire time??

#the person behind the yarn #this post went off the rails in the middle #but I genuinely thought everybody could do that #like. I knew it threw people a bit when I was in martial arts and sparring #because I actually prefer to kick from my left side a bit but use whichever leg makes more sense #and also because I could change my stance for which leg was forward very easily and that was difficult for this one guy to do #but I thought it was just a that one guy problem! #I did not think I was potentially the odd one out #wait do you guys open doors with your off hand? #people who sew use both hands so they have one hand one each side of the cloth #and just use the hand on the far side of the cloth to push the needle back up. right? #I worded that poorly but I'm hoping it still makes sense

[tj-crochets]

Hey y'all! Weird question time again! I will be having my first MRI in a few weeks (specifically, an MRI of my brain) and I know nothing about it except No Metal Allowed. I will not be getting the contrast dye on account of I kicked up a fuss about potential anaphylaxis* and the doctor was kind of like "fine but if we find anything and need a clearer picture you'll have to get another one" Do you have any advice/suggestions/things I should know about MRIs? *if, as several doctors have suspected, my weird allergies are MCAS there is a good chance I am severely allergic to the dye. Also I am a bit paranoid about injections in general because my allergic reactions to injections are waaaaaay worse than my reactions to food, pills, or environmental allergies

#the person behind the yarn #I just had to play appointment jenga #...that's not the game I'm thinking of what game am I thinking of??? #I can't remember the name #I just had to call a bunch of doctors to reschedule stuff #because they scheduled my MRI for the one time in the next two months I absolutely cannot do #which is the same time as the hematology appointment that's taken like four months to get #and then I accidentally rescheduled the MRI for the same time as my allergy appointment and had to reschedule that #but everything is scheduled now! MRI and follow up appointment and hematology #okay the referral to an ENT has not gone through but I'm not really concerned about that one

[tj-crochets]

An update! They paved the road directly in front of my house today and I was totally fine! No asthma flare up at all, but it turned out to be a good thing I'd moved my work setup into my room because apparently the machine was hot enough it was causing like mirage-ish heat distortion that made for very flickery light, which is my nemesis (flickering lights are extremely disorienting to me) Well. I was fine, but then my brother and his family stopped by so I went outside with them to say hi and see my nieces and it turns out that fresh asphalt is, indeed, an asthma trigger for me, but that my new meds work super great! I didn't progress to wheezing but I did have a bad enough coughing fit I used my inhaler. It probably would have eventually resolved without the inhaler but it was painful enough I wanted to stop it sooner than that

So my neighborhood is getting re-paved (or whatever the word is for fixing the roads) sometime this week, and I don't know for sure that it will aggravate my asthma, but also like...I strongly suspect it won't help my asthma? I've moved my work set up into my bedroom, as far from the street as possible, and will have both my air purifiers in that room, but my sewing machine is harder to move so I may or may not be able to sew at all this week. Wish me luck lol

#it was great to see my family! my nieces are adorable #they both love cats and there's a very friendly neighborhood cat #I did have to stop my younger niece from throwing rocks at the cat #because she wanted him to come closer so she pretended the rocks were cat food and threw them towards him #but like. functionally that is just throwing rocks at a cat and it did not make him want to come closer #don't worry she did not hit him! and also she is three #she was not maliciously throwing rocks at a cat she just thought if she pretended they were food he would too #you and I can see the flaw in this logic but she cannot yet

[tj-crochets]

So far the only people who have commented/reblogged have said use a tag, so tag it is! I'm not sure what the tag should be, though? Like, should it be something generic like "Plushify this" or should it be a more specific tag like "TJs plushifying project"? But idk if it should have my name in it, I think the tag should probably be more general in the hopes that people other than me also want to plushify art

So I have had a ridiculous amount of fun this last week plushifying art and throwing my usual crafting rules out the window as I did so*, and I think I want to make plushifying art a more regular thing? I'm not sure how best to do that, though. Should I make a post that's like "reblog this if you want your art turned into plushies", or "reblog this with links to art you want turned into plushies" or suggest a tag that people can add to art they want plushified, and then I go through the tag when I want to make some plushies? *no paper patterns, just drawing directly on the fabric so each plushie is one of a kind

#I think it would be very cool if it became a common design challenge #like the month-specific art challenges or mystery knit/crochet alongs #but its like a challenge of a tag you can go in if you want to plushify art? #it's a very fun challenge #and it's really cool to be able to make someone's dreams a reality #like. not every time plushifying art is it the artist's dream #but sometimes you get lucky and the art you plushify is like The Thing that they made that's lingered in their head for a long time #like their own blorbo of their own work #and it's like when you compliment someone and accidentally hit on the thing they are super proud/excited/happy about #but more tangible? idk if any of that made sense #but it's a definite bonus of plushifying art