well, wouldn't ya know, i made something.

too bad i don't have photos to show you yet. but i leave on Friday for Deutschland, and i'm hoping to gather enough pictures of my creations while we're there to provide you with a pretty peek into my very rare moment of productivity. new items may or may not include:

- brand new tote bag
- brand new cross-body bag
- brand new totally easy knit skirt
- brand new elastic waist skirt (yes, that kind everyone is crazy about. let me tell you: i now TOTALLY GET IT.)
- refashioned skirt made from and old pair of dress pants
- thrifted tank that needed mending after the stupid thrift store tag ripped a hole in it (staples? really. get with the times.)

but for now, i have a question or two to pose for our live audience.

first of all, has anyone ever traveled with sewing supplies? the last time i took a quick trip next door to Michigan, i left my emergency sewing kit and embroidery at home. but now that i'm likely to spend 16 hours on an airplane trying to distract myself from the complete and total terror of speeding over the ocean in a metal tube, i'd like to bring my happy toys along in my carry on. i've read on the TSA site that knitting needles, needlepoint items and some scissors are now allowed. has anyone tried to travel with items like this recently? how about the return flight from Germany? are they as strict with travel regulations as we are here? i welcome all informed thoughts and advice on the topic.

i want to be entertained, but i don't think i could live with myself if My Baby was ever confiscated at security:

photo courtesy of Amazon.com

my next question is for the craftiest of you. you see, a few weeks ago i was cleaning our bright white new kitchen sink with that handy spray cleaner, and about a half hour after admiring its gleaming wonderfulness, my husband casually asked "Hey, is that supposed to be there?" He pointed cavalierly at my favorite skirt, no, MY FAVORITE SKIRT, THE MOST FAVORITE, ALL-TIME FAVORITE, THE ONE THAT I HAD TO LOSE WEIGHT TO FIT INTO THAT FIT SO PERFECTLY FOR ONE WEEK BEFORE THIS DREADED DAY. and yes, i couldn't deny it: THERE WERE BLEACH STAINS. i cried. i'm not kidding. it might've been a slightly unstable day in general, but i wept like an overtired child who had just had his Huffy stolen from the bike rack at the local pool. no joke. of all the clothing i've ripped, altered or ruined over the years, this was BY FAR the most devastating. i don't think i'm still quite over it. anyhow, i've documented the carnage: 

being a spry, developing refashionista, i've done a lot of thinking on this. my first thought was to merely shorten the skirt, make it a little sassier, and remove the problem altogether. but you'll notice that the cargo pockets sort of impede a process like that. (and who wants to walk around with amputated cargo pockets? i know i sure don't.) every online forum advises the use of some kind of wacky markers to color in the bleach spot. this sounds too much like puffy paint for my comfort. my thought now is to try to dye the skirt entirely, hoping to cover the bleach spot. i wouldn't even mind trying out a deep indigo-navy color, in fact. has anyone tried dying stained clothing before? how did it go? did the bleached out portion take the dye the same as the rest of the garment? i'm wondering if i'll need to strip the color of the entire skirt before beginning the dying process. my fear is weakening the fibers, but maybe there's a safe way to remove the current color before re-dying. 

so with that, i'll leave you, Internet, to flood the comments section with your infinite wisdom.