wienerdog tricks.

I Already Threw That Other One Away.

Well, that's not true. I throw almost nothing of the Fabric Persuasion away. I did, however, FRANKENSTEIN that last cash wallet into these two (and in the process have finally stumbled on to the truly-best-designed cash money system wallet of my lifetime and--in the process--discovered something crucial about Making):

Okay, first--here's what's even better than day-before-yesterday's version of the cash wallet:

• Hidden snaps (none of those pesky Snap Backs showing their backsides to the world
• Handy zipper pocket for change
• Less Hot Dog-ish in proportion (I added an inch to the up-and-down measurement).

PLUS (But wait--there's more!) I made a mini wallet for all my CARDS. Dangit I'm so relieved to have finally done this. I have like 42 membership cards and insurance cards and weird grocery store discount cards and never the right thingy to put them in. So now I do:

It has hidden snaps too. It has hidden snaps too.

Do you all do the cash system? Am I accidentally sharing too much on the interweb right now and all of y'all are running around with no-end-to-the-debit-ing lifestyles and I have just admitted to being the girl at the party who (often feels like she) has (only ) 42 cents to her name? Awkward silence.

Dangit.

Here's the part about the massive inner self-discovery that happened as well: I realized that design takes time. And iterations. And tries and fails. And 3700 prototypes.

I had to make one of these before I could make this one before I could do this so that I could get right Here.

And all that making and waiting and testing and perfecting also meant that I could finally arrive at the best naming of my category for Entertainment that I have yet used:

Because nothing says "good times out with the family" like Sweaty Clowns.

And it's striking me too that sometimes I have to Life With Something for a While before I can truly figure out how to improve it. And also that if I keep at the Making of a thing over time, the Best Version will--by some, strange fairy-dustish magic--one day appear before me, like it really was plopped out of the sky.

The Evolution of a Cash Money Wallet

We interupt this endless blah-biddy-blah-blah about Craft Debt '11 (which is sending a message that I am MUCH more productive than I actually feel or am) to share a late-breaking _____ (that word that means when a story appears from nowhere).

It came to me while I was driving yesterday: the perfect, less bulky, wildly cute, heartily practical design for the cash wallet--the one that's been eluding me, the big one, the grandfather of good cash money wallet ideas. And when I drove into the driveway I jumped out and ran upstairs and drew it and started cutting and ironing interfacing (floppiness was a previously reported-to-myself problem) and measuring dollar bills and adding fractions.

Everybody sing it: HAAAAAAAAAAA-LAY-LU-YAH. HAAAAAAAAAAAA-LAY-LU-YAH. HA-LAY-LU-YAH. HA-LAY-LU-YAH. HA-LAAAAAAAAAAAY-LU-YAH.

It is smaller than its earlier cousin (apparently, roughly the diameter of a brick):

And, upon reflection, could quite possibly be constructed from an otherwise-abandoned potholder.

 

Its remaining limitations:

I added the snaps as a last step (which are a SIGNIFICANT practical improvement from the buttons I've used in the past to keep all the one dollar bills I carry around from flying out onto the street), but I added them too late in the game to make them easy to pound in place. Technical note to file under Things to Know About Old Polyester: regular sized-snaps can't make it through two thicknesses of double knit which have been sturdified by heavy-weight interfacing.

It looks, still, a little clunky in its proportions, reminiscent I would say so far, of a hot dog bun

Its song-inducing strengths:

It is really, quite sensible (since all four slots face "up" AND can be peek-a-booed with the use of just one snap or another.

 It still allows me to name my money categories better words than FOOD, GAS, ENTERTAINMENT AND MISCELLANEOUS, which I find to be words tossed about by The Man and phenomenally uninspiring when I'm already walking around trying to spend roughly 72% less money than I'd like to.

More updates as they unfold [oh--heh heh].

This One Has a Special Pocket

I made another one of these cash envelope system wallets because I wanted to try out the 4-slot design (instead of the big old 6-slot design).

 

 
 And also because I wanted a place to stash this (so I crammed it in that little denim pocket):

 

Because sometimes when I'm shuffling around with my cash and the people behind me in line are drilling eyeball holes through the side of my head with their can't-u-just-use-a-debit-card-like-the-rest-of-us stares, I flounder a little. Just internally. 

And so I am putting the note in the special pocket so that I can take it out and remind myself at any time I might need to.

Also, I wanted another shot at labeling my categories, and I'm even happier (if that's possible)with these:

 

And also since I figured out the little change in the design difference between the 6-slot wallet and the 4-slot wallet, I've updated the tutorial so that you can make either one. And I named them: The "Skipper" (he's the big guy) and the "Gilligan" (his little buddy).

Right: : Where was I in the early 70's? In front of the tv.

Thing For Me #7: Messenger (Finished!) & Thing For You #2: Cash Envelope System Wallet Tutorial

Hello, People. Yesterday marked the very superduper last day of Sew Sew Selfish Month. So it looks like I've got to start thinking about OTHERS now. Yeesh. But first, this:

I made it, unmade it, and then remade it. 

So now I'm dragging it around full of heavy books and tablets and list-making notepads. And it gives happiness to my insides.

I also made another one of these (the much-loved Cash Envelope System Wallets):

  
And I like it even better because that bottom pocket is functional now and not attacked by the buttonhole and the zipper is also on the outside. Two nifty upgrades.

And here's the part about you: I'm putting the final touches on the tutorial for this project, and I'm going to offering it up as my very first FOR SALE tutorial. (Oooooooohhhhhhhh. That's faaaaaaancy.) It'll be 3 bucks--not bad, not bad.

But before I start selling them, I want to offer them FOR FREE to a big handful of you who are regular friends over here at Wienerdog Tricks. So if you're interested, just send me an email today or tomorrow (gingerhendrix AT charter DOT net), and I will very happily email you one. (I like to share.) Then in a couple of days, the tutorials will be for sale--good plan, good plan. UPDATE: Hey there--I sent a big handful to some of you good WDTBPF's, so if you'd still like one, just click right over here.

I think you guys are great, my Wienerdog Tricks Bloggish People Friends. (WTBPF's).

Thing for Me #4: Little Cash Wallet

A Sew Sew Selfish Month Update

Okay, it's not really for me--it's for my 9 Yr Old Man Boy, but it's for me because he keeps asking me for it. And I, um, want him to stop. Plus, it was really fun to take this and scale it down to this:

He saw mine and wanted one. He picked his own categories: LEGOS & DECKS (as in the top of a skateboard). And yes, that's old polyester that's made to look like skinned Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, I think.

Here's the front:

 

His brother picked these categories:

 

Gotta go finish one for the 7 Yr Old Man Boy. Super fantastic.

Thing for Me #1: Envelope System Wallet

(This just in--for those of you interested in making one, the PDF pattern for this CASH ENVELOPE SYSTEM WALLET is available from Weinerdog Tricks right over here.)

A Sew Sew Selfish Month Update

 

We do the cash envelope system over here. Why you ask? Why not just keep accurate track of your spending utilizing the multiple technologies currently available as a result of the industrywide availability of banking's willingess to interface with personal budgeting softwares?

Yeah, it's because if I have .37 in my checking account, I just have a hankering to spend it. Or maybe spend it twice sometimes. Good one.

So, in an effort to remain solidly planted in Marital Mostly-Bliss, we do the cash envelope system.

But I need a cuter way to pull it off. So, I am thrilled to move from this:

 

 

Which has been an upgrade of sorts from this (which made me feel like a 7th grader for some reason):

 

 To this!:

 

 

It has a lot going for it, and a couple of kinks I'm going to work out before I write up a tutorial for how to do it (because it is SHOCKINGLY easy, people.)

GOING FOR IT: 

1. It's made out out of old polyester. As I've mentioned and mentioned and mentioned, I love old polyester. It is agreeable, funky, and available everywhere. This particular fabric came as a surprise gift from my friend Banana. 

2. It's marked with the names of categories that make me much happier than I would be if they said office-y sounding things like FOOD, GAS, ENTERTAINMENT, PERSONAL.

 

3. It has a handy coin purse thingy designed right into it. Haaaaaandy. This was a workaround for a wallet just like this one that I made for a friend for Christmas. I cut the fabric too short and needed a way to piece it together. "A zipper!" I said to myself. Handy. Handy. Handy mistake-turned-good-idea.

 

KINK

1. It's wonkier than some other polyesterprojects I've done.  I have a pretty high Wonk Threshold, but I think I'll need to come up with some How to Handle Stretch answer to this reality. 

2. The bottom category spot turns out to be too short because of the topstitching. Hmmm. Back to the drawing board. Right. 

This is my report. I was up early this morning finishing it up because I just am absolutely ready to carry it everywhere with me.

And I'm trying not to take it too personally that the just-under-2 yr old picked it up and blew her nose with it. Right.