Donna of Gailavira made a camera bag based on our instructions. She says, “See, to me, any new “toy” is just another excuse to take out the sewing machine and make something to keep it in.” Yup, toys have to have homes, and we all need excuses to make stuff. Very nice, Donna! And I like the fun butterfly fabric.
Vintage software documentation often comes in 6″ x 9″ three ring binders which are just the right size for a small handbag. Many of them are cloth bound, making them ideal for reuse. Tech surplus stores such as Weird Stuff are good places to look for interesting covers, like this Pepper Graphics user’s guide from Number Nine. With the addition of a fabric liner and handles it has become an excellent geek purse.
Continue reading Vintage Software Documentation Purse
This trombone cozy was necessitated by a skin allergy to certain metals. It is a rectangle of soft cotton material with velcro sewn on so that it wraps snugly around the portion of the horn that comes in contact with the trombonist’s neck. I measured the length of the tube we wanted to cover, and wrapped a string around it to get the circumference. I added a bit seam allowance and overlap for the velcro to start with a rectangle of material about 3″ x 7″ and a 6.5″ strip of velcro. I rolled a hem around the four sides and sewed the velcro on. Problem solved– no more neck irritation makes for a much happier band member.
We used to live in Austin, Texas, and welcomed the Austin Maker Faire this past October as an excuse to go back and visit. We had a great time at the fair, where our high tech pumpkins (especially the snapping pumpkins) garnered several editor’s choice ribbons.
It was really fun to be back in Austin and remember what we loved so much. One of the things we really miss is the food. I took the picture above of the beautiful neon sign at Magnolia, one of the best of restaurants. Not only do they serve really good food, but they’re open 24/8. The distinct lack of independent 24 hour restaurants in silicon valley is somewhat depressing, but we’re glad to see that the culture is still thriving in Austin, where Magnolia has opened a second branch.
Of course, we inevitably also were reminded of what we don’t love so much. You know how they say that everything is bigger in Texas? Well, it’s true about the bugs.
This Galaga quilt from Carolina Patchworks would make the perfect present for the retro arcade game fan. According to the etsy listing, it “is fully compatible with the XBox 360, Wii, PlayStation III, all high-definition televisions, most models of fireplace, and a wide variety of good books.”
However, only one lucky geek in the world is going to get this seriously underpriced masterwork as their Christmas present this year, so make sure your trigger-finger skills are in tip-top shape before you head on over to etsy.
Thanks, Sean!
Related: QuiltBert
Although I do love my Prius, at heart I’m a fan of old cars. Real cars, not the indistinguishable bubbles they make now. I’m not an expert, and I haven’t even learned to drive a stick (yet– that day will come). But I do know what I like, and as far as I’m concerned, the more chrome, the better. Bold grilles. Bright flashy emblems. Lots of curves. Really curvy curves. And hood ornaments. Very elaborate hood ornaments.
After going to a neighborhood holiday parade (with lots of cars!) I realized that my photo collection is getting ridiculously large, so I finally put my pretty car pictures all in one spot. You can check them out in this flickr set. Don’t worry, I’ll still keep the art cars in their own set.
For more vintage car fun, my favorite places to look are the Hemmings blog and its associated flickr group, Hemmings Nation; Telstar’s car photos on flickr; and the Chrome, Smoke and Fire flickr group which has, among others, Coop’s car photos. And Coop really knows how to look at a car. He knows how to look at girls, too, so use caution before clicking over to his photostream (definitely NSFW). I know there’s a group for every possible car specialization out there, which makes me all the more glad for sites like Hemmings and Chrome, Smoke & Fire that are more general and inclusive for folks like me who enjoy whatever shiny things come their way.
While staying in Sydney last month, I spent a lot of time at the botanical gardens, and, since it was spring, there were ducklings. I watched one family go from sleeping under the tree to swimming in the pond one morning, and I took a lot of pictures.
What follows after the jump is an annotated photo essay in which one duckling is forced to answer the question, “If your siblings all jumped off a cliff, would you do it, too?”
Continue reading The Ducklings go to the Pond
We are crazy about Thanskgiving, both for being the only real food-centric American holiday and for giving us an excuse to make all kinds of things that we don’t make the rest of the year. One of the few downsides is that we usually end up eating the same leftovers for days on end afterwards. These can be amongst the best leftovers that you get, however even your favorite dish can start to wear on after having it reheated for the fourth meal in a row.
The solution? Food hacking– a tasty form of recycling! Incorporate your leftovers into new recipes to bring them back to life. While reworking leftovers certainly isn’t a new process (Bubble and Squeak, anyone?), it is one that benefits from a fresh approach from time to time. After the jump, a few of our favorite out-of-the-box approaches to eating well on Black Friday.
Continue reading Five Tricks for Thanksgiving Leftovers
Adding a seat belt buckle to a commuter bag improves its accessibility and usefulness. It’s a pretty easy modification, and super cool if you can find just the right buckle. Airline safety belt buckles (fasten low and tight across your lap…) are becoming more readily available and have a certain industrial charm.
Continue reading Seat Belt Buckle Bag Mod
This updated bat costume puts wing spreading at your fingertips where it belongs. It also boasts a more impressive and slightly more dangerous wingspan. Watch where you point your wingtips!
Continue reading Umbrella Bat Costume Update: Now more anatomically correct!
