Libraries are AWESOME!

I already knew libraries were fantastic, I grew up a block away from my local library.  I spent a lot of time there in the summer and would check out as many books as I could at once then take them home, devour them and return them for more.

Hi, my name is Jenny and I'm a read-oholic.

I have grown up with a love of reading and books and libraries. So when I was looking for a way to get out of the apartment while I'm still job hunting, the best place to go to volunteer was the local library!  The beauty of libraries is they are all different, but they are a great resource for entertainment, education and research.

Which make my revelations today a little redundant.

Basically, this is how my afternoon of volunteering went down.  I was working with another volunteer re-shelving returned books, chatting, having a grand old time.  I picked up a couple books to re-shelve and one of them was rather thin.  I read the title and it was 'Working'.

I thought, "Hey, I saw a musical called 'Working' while I was at Central!"

OMG, IT'S SHEET MUSIC!

It has never occurred to me, until today, that a library could carry sheet music.  DUH.  How have I not thought of this before?!  Sheet music is expensive to buy, especially when you're broke, and what better why to continually having a fresh supply than the library!

I pranced walked over to the section where it needed to be shelved and found an entire section of musical sheet music, and stuff about the industry, etc.  I couldn't believe it.  I, of course, promptly pulled about a half dozen of the sheet music books onto the cart so I could check them out before I left. (insert excited squealing/squeaking here).

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

I continue shelving and chatting with M, and we're talking about traveling and living abroad (because Adam and I are talking about it a lot, France and Italy being at the top of the list).  I head over to the next row to shelve a different book, and BAM! I find myself amidst a bunch of travel books!  Again, never thought to look at the library for these things!  I mean, I usually spent my time in fiction, not non-fiction, so I suppose my gaffe can be overlooked, kind of.

GAH! I LOVE LIBRARIES!! They always seems to have another surprise around the corner!

So, go give some love to your local libraries, they deserve it!  How might you do that you ask?  Well, here's how!

1. Become a patron.  Go check out books!  Lots of libraries also let you borrow DVDs, books on CD, many of them have communal computers.  Some even partner with a website to allow eBook lending!

2. Volunteer.  Libraries LOVE volunteers.  You can volunteer for day-to-day assistance, volunteer to plan a fundraising event, or volunteer to work at a fundraising event!

3. Donate books!  Have some books laying around you'll never read again? Donate them! It's tax deductible!

4. Donate money. TAX DEDUCTION!

5. Ask them what they need help with, then help them with it!

Go love on a library, you will thank me for it!

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I Made Something Pretty!

This post was supposed to go up yesterday, but events that I will write about soon happened instead.  So enjoy this 18 hours or so later than originally planned.
-J

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So, as you all know, I received an Amazon Kindle as a graduation present from the awesomest parents in the world.

Now, this wonderful invention can't just sit in the box that it came in and it can't just sit out, I want to protect it.  IT'S SO PRETTY!

I spent some time searching the cases on Amazon, Google and Etsy, but nothing looked like it would work for what I want/need.  And they're expensive.  I want to be able to read the the Kindle anywhere, including the beach.  I want to have a personalized case, one that speaks to my individuality.  I want it so be soft, but firm to cushion and protect it.

Nothing I saw was what I wanted, or in my price range.  Then the thought struck me, or maybe Adam suggested it, to make my own case!

Hmmm...

Hmmmmm.....

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.........!

I didn't even know where to begin to make a pattern for a Kindle, no clue!  But, once again, Etsy to the rescue!  I stumbled onto Red Hippo Studio's Etsy Shop and she has a Kindle 3 Case pattern for $6 (and IPad and Nook).  It's a PDF that she created and sells. It is the same pattern that she uses to make the completed Kindle 3 cases that she sells.  Obviously, you can use it for personal use only, you can't sell the covers you make using her pattern.

This particular pattern is perfect for what I want in a case because I could easily adapt it.  However, I didn't make any of those adaptations for my first cover.  I also did a terrible job making the first cover, just awful.

I also didn't like the materials I had chosen (Vera Bradley Napkins bought at Trillium in Mount Pleasant)  together as much as I thought I would.

Because of this, I spent a considerable amount of time at the Joann Fabric and Crafts in Frandor on Friday.  I looked through all of their fabric, and I mean all of it.  I finally found a very pretty yellow fabric with bright pink flowers and a white fabric with swirly yellow thingies on it that matched very well.  While I was at the cutting counter, I saw a Belle applique that I really liked - she's my favorite Disney Princess, because she loves to read.  Then I saw a Minnie Mouse applique and the pink bow matched the pink flowers and would make my case a very personalized thing, just like I wanted!

I got the fabric I needed, the appliques, heavy duty pattern plastic, fusible fleece, table cloth plastic, a zipper and velcro.  I also got a magnetic pin cushion that I absolutely love and a seam ripper with a longer handle that doesn't hurt my hand.  Both of those impulse purchases turned out to be spectacular investments, I used the seam ripper A LOT on Friday and the magnetic pin cushion is just so handy.  You throw the pins at the head of the cushion and keep on trucking sewing.

I arrived home with my supplies ready to begin anew with my very own Kindle case.  Since I was altering the pattern to fit what I wanted it took several hours to complete.  I went through two pieces of table cloth plastic before I got it the right size, and a couple squares of the pink flower fabric for the corners.  I also broke my last sewing machine needle on the zipper, so I had to trek to Joann's again later, but ended up at Michael's, long story.

I cut out all of the fabric, fleece and plastic.  At this point I need to stop and apologize because I don't have in-progress pictures because I get so focused on finishing a project, that I forget to take pictures along the way. Anyway, I cut everything out and started stitchin'.  I also ironed on the appliques to make my case all fancy.  After several attempts with the plastic and the zipper and the inside of the case where there were several casualties of fabric, plastic and metal, I finished step one of my modification, a zippered, plastic pocket to keep the Kindle safely in the case, always.

My second modification was to insert a hard plastic in between the inner and outer shells before sewing them to each other.  Soft from the fleece, firm from the plastic and totally awesome.

I originally had ironed the Belle applique in what would have been the center of the front cover, but that was in the way of the velcro.  Whoops.

Of course, once I pulled it off, I couldn't iron it on again.  Shoot.  So I hot glued that baby right on there. I also realized that I had sewn the pieces together without sewing the spiky side of the velcro on.  So I hot glued that on too.  I'll hand stitch both once I find my cloth pin cushion.

Minnie Mouse!! Also, pockets that are big enough for my Kindle to fit in.  They are currently holding the Kindle User Guide that comes in the box with the Kindle and a one quart Ziploc (TM) bag. 

 You probably want to know why I have a 1 qt Ziploc (TM) bag in my Kindle case.

It's so I can have an added layer of protection for my Kindle whilst I am at the beach.

Yes, it fits, I checked. :)

And it's pretty.