New dock lines for Irie

If you remember from my last post, I told you all about the crappy weather we had on our Spring Fling trip to Port Arthur. Well, one line snapped....

And the rest of them look like this, or worse....

So when we returned from our trip we made all new dock lines for the boat! Luckily for us, we had found a bundle of line that was just over 300' long for $60 bucks at the boater's resale shop awhile back. That was way too good of a deal to pass up and we knew we would need it eventually....looks like "our eventually" has showed up! 

Can you believe the marine store wanted twenty-something bucks each, to splice the rope themselves....they said, it was "labor intensive"? Um, no thank-you, we'll do it ourselves!

Ripping the duct tape off my legs wasn't near as eventful as when Joe ripped the pieces off from his legs! Hahaha, if only I would have snapped a photo of his bald spots!! 😂

Getting the line ready to splice it....

Not too shabby for my first attempt....

Joe using his mad-sewing skills...

And viola....the end result!

All new dock lines!!

A closer view....

And, we made up a couple spares....because apparently, you can never have too much rope, I mean line, (but really, it's rope)!! 😉

Another sewing post

I am by no means a professional sewer, but I can usually get the job done, if I really want to. Up until now, the job has mostly been pillows and a few hooded towels for baby gifts.

I have sorta a love/hate relationship to sewing. It's not so much the sewing that I struggle with {although, there are some days I want to strap dynamite to the machine and throw it overboard} rather, it's all the prep work of measuring and cutting out material. If you feel the same way I do, let me suggest to you how I overcame my sewing challenges. 

First & foremost, if you have been using scissors to cut your fabric. Stop it! No seriously. I have always most always enjoyed sewing, but I loathed all the measuring and cutting, so much so that it would deter me from making whatever project I was working on. I would rather wash dishes than cut fabric with scissors. Ugh!

I got a couple gift cards for Christmas so I decided I to buy myself a rotary cutter and mat. Best sewing decision I ever made! 

I bought the material on a whim! I didn't have any projects going at the time, but it was cute and nautical and on sale, so I just got it and thought I'd figure out what to do with it later....that's the kinda sewer I am!! We had some leftover memory foam from our vberth mattress making, so I cut it into a couple squares and two smaller rectangles and thought I'd make some cushion/pillows from it. 

Ahh! That's how I'll use that material!!

Cutting out the material went by quickly and then it was time to start sewing! 

Again, they're not perfect, but I think they turned out pretty good, especially since it was my first time sewing box-style pillows and adding in zippers! 

We have three of these lower windows that I wanted to cover for a little privacy. And I'm sure the neighbors are happy to not have to see us eating dinner & watching tv every night. 

I used up the remaining fabric and made of few window visors. I cut up a car windshield visor and sandwiched it between the two fabrics, so each one is reversible! 

Now, that I've successfully learned how to sew in a zipper, I'll feel like I might be able to accomplish something bigger. I think it's time I attempt to turn this into a quilt....

Wish me luck!!! :)

**If, like me, you are nervous about sewing something with a zipper, check out this simple how-to video! I found it super helpful!!

http://youtu.be/NV0bSkEniQg

Rainy days = sewing days

This post is probably going to be more interesting to our women readers rather than the men.....unless, there's men out there that sew, which I'm sure there is. Joe can sew, though he rarely does. He saves that talent for days when I'm ready to strap dynamite to the sewing machine and throw it overboard {or out the window when we lived on land}. 

Seems I have a bit of a blue/green addiction!! :) 

Today I'm {attempting} to sew pillow covers for the cockpit pillows{that aren't really pillows}, a yoga mat bag, and I'm revamping our salon curtains.....now I need to get to work! 

He cut....

I sewed.....and together, we spruced up our salon curtains!

Then, I whipped up some pillow covers for the cockpit pillows. Which, as I said before, are not really pillows, but rather beach towels rolled up. I think they turned out pretty good!!! Especially, since they started out as kitchen towels from IKEA! 

Most items on the boat are dual-purpose items....Meaning, we can't just have 20 million throw pillows{I so wish we could...well, at least we could have twenty pillows} but the towels need someplace to go when not in use, hence the dual-purpose! So, basically, I made pillowcases....but, pillow covers sound way more complex...so that's what I'm going with! :)

Next up, is my yoga mat bag! 

After a short geometry lesson from hubs, I  re-purposed my laundry bag into a bag to hold my yoga mat....and, I love it! Now, let's just hope I'm coordinated enough to survive yoga classes!! :/

I'm sure there will be more sewing in our future, but for now, the rain is gone and the sewing machine is back in storage. 

Now, it's time to go enjoy the rest of Joe's sunny, warm-weather weekend!!