Sunday, October 31, 2010

weekend finishes

okay, so this post is for my Mom, to show her what I've been up to this weekend.  So, Friday night after the laziest day ever I worked on the quilt a little bit.  Mostly just made more leaf and stem squares.  This is what I have so far:
quilt progress
I was thinking about it, and it turns out that I don't think I'm going to add in butterflies in with the large flowers.  Instead, I was thinking I'd border the "garden" and then do a little border of tiny flowers alternating with little butterfly squares.  Then, maybe another border?  Who knows, I'll figure that part out a little later probably.  You can see June's little paws down in the righthand corner, isn't she cute?  I know she sooooo wants to lay right on the squares, but she knows she'll get in BIG trouble.  Heee, hee.

And, I finished up this wreath this morning:
Steelers wreath
of course, I don't actually watch football, or even really know what's going on!  In fact, I'm just hoping it's still football season!  lol.  It's a little confusing because on facebook my bf Jeannette keeps talking about baseball games, but I haven't heard about the Superbowl yet, so I'm pretty sure I'm good.  But, all said and done, I love the Steelers!  Pretty much have to since my Mom is from Pittsburgh and I still have family back there!  All growing up I just knew that I loved them.  One of the trips back there, right before my Grandpa died, we were in town when the Steelers went to a playoff game, and boy howdy!  you've never seen anything like the love and loyalty Pittsburgh has for "da Stillers!"  Seriously every single person had either yellow and black or some form of Steelers clothing, flag, jewelry you name it on. At the Carnegie museum there was a yellow and black scarf on one of the dinosaurs outside.  A dinosaur at the airport had a "terrible towel".  Very cool.

So, now I'm wondering where to hide tonight while it's "trick or treat" time.  I just don't do the whole Halloween thing.  I mean, yes, I decorate.  But, since I was little I've always hated trick or treating.  I felt funny going to strangers houses and asking for candy.  I felt weird dressing up.  And, candy is bad for teeth.  So, frankly I just don't feel like advocating the whole candy begging shenanigans.  That sounded really harsh!  Really, it's just awkward to be home and not have bought any candy to hand out and I don't really want to listen to someone knocking on the door and feel funny about not answering, you know?

Friday, October 29, 2010

so I....

Have a confession.  Today is the absolute laziest day ever.  Seriously I'm surprised I even took a shower.  Sorry if that grosses you out but I know I'm not the only one that sometimes is too lazy to even bathe.  I slept until NOON today!  Okay, really I woke up, made coffee, drank the coffee and then realized I was too sleepy to be awake one second longer so June and I went back to bed for 4 more hours.  I have not even been out to the craft house (yet) and you know that's an anomaly for  a Friday.
The good news is that I have some plans to actually do something - which is encouraging.  I bought some fabric and tulle with the intent of making a skirt similar to this.  But, I'm going to use a pattern I actually have because every time I follow a clothes making tuturial I am horribly disappointed and have wasted good fabric.
The other good news and probably the reason I was so tired this morning is that I think the work thing is going to resolve that I was so worried about this week.  I think it was something that I was making worse in my own head - does anyone else do that?  Sometimes I think I am my own worst enemy, my thoughts can sabotage and steal my peace.  So, figuring that out is a relief and I could finally sleep!
In other news I have an idea for a fun new wreath!  Once I finally get it together and get crafting I'll start it.  BTW if anyone is into felt it's 4 for $1 at Joann's right now!  I totally had to restock some of my colors so was very happy to happen upon a good sale!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

snow already

This morning I woke up and looked outside and this is what I saw: SNOW! Ummm, yuck. Not ready for snow.
Boo to snow.  But, I suppose it sort of matched my mood the last couple days, cold and discouraged.  I've been a little stressed about something work related and it's got me down a little bit. 
But, I guess I'll just have to get over it a little bit because it's supposed to stick around for a bit. 
I'm a little hesitant to share the next item with you.  Because I brought her into work and it was a little of a mixed reception.  But, I think she's kind of silly, a little Coraline-ish.
halloween doll]

Her name is Drucilla.  I made her Sunday night.  Mmmkay.  Let me explain.  I was browsing etsy and saw this doll.  And thought: I could make that and I should!  I tucked that in the back of my mind along with the million other projects I think I should make.  So Sunday I had finished the runner, the weather was ewwey and I didn't want to really work on anything serious.  and, let's face it - I love dolls!  I remembered the zombie doll from etsy and set about gathering supplies.  I have been making dolls since I was a little girl, and the thing I love about making them I finally realized this weekend.  As I make a doll, even just getting the fabric together, I start to think of their story, their personality, name, and usually a story comes along with it.  When I used to make the little dolls as a girl, let's say if it was boy doll.  I would think he might play baseball and what color eyes he'd have and who in my other dolls I'd made would be his friends and maybe he'd have a crush on a girl doll.  And on and on in my head it would go.  Sunday was one of those moments when I had to make a doll, no other craft would do.  I'm embarrassed that her shirt is made out of felt, but my other orange fabric I just could not figure out a pattern to fit her and I got lazy.  Plus this is just her halloween shirt.  I've decided that she will have other outfits.  I'm thinking I must make her a boyfriend, equally as eccentric.  I have a feeling they like rock concerts.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

with marshmallows please

Here's the table runner I mentioned yesterday. I am actually going to name this one! I've been calling it "hot chocolate on a winter's day" in my head as I was sewing. Fabric all from my stash, which was pretty much all given to me by my Mom :) I had a project last year (?) that was an advent calendar that I needed Christmas fabric for. She gave me a TON of the tan gingerbread man fabric, I still have lots. So, another disappearing 9 patch runner.  I just quilted it with plain straight stitching in the mid section and then random wavy lines along the border. I've decided something, and here it is: Quilting is very like scrapbooking! I usually look at the pictures I'm working on, pick a theme or color scheme, put a color behind the pictures which go onto a bigger piece of paper, matching everything and then adding embellishments. For this table runner I picked the gingerbread man fabric and built from there. So, really, since I've been scrapbooking for years, maybe I was just practicing quilting???

BTW, and this is totally random - next time you make hot chocolate you should totally add cinnamon to it!  And maybe some vanilla extract.  I'm always adding those to my hot chocolate and coffee too, I highly recommend it!  It's delish.



hot chocolate on a cold winter day table runner
I kind of feel like the brown with white dots is sort of like marshmallows :)  Back view:
table runner back side
By the way, I finished a book yesterday before making the table runner.  It was "The Telling," by Beverly Lewis.  This was the third book in a series about an Amish family whose mother disappears one night not telling anyone where she's going, and the subsequent fallout.  I have to say that there was one part towards the end when relationships are being mended that I cried, it was so tender and sweet.  I'll gladly cry over something like that instead of some of the books I read where it's heartbreaking!  I have to say I'm glad I finished it, I had started the book like over a month ago then set it down for whatever reason. 
I have a big box of books in the spare room that I really need to read.  A bunch of Debbie Macomber, the Traveling Pants series and some Karen Kingsbury.  I have to confess, though that they all seem too serious for me right now.  I'm really wanting something like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson - if only I hadn't already read them all!  Dang it.  Any suggestions???

Saturday, October 23, 2010

chilly

Right, so I know that it's not even Halloween yet, but I started a Christmas runner this morning.  Sort of.  I mean, it's not entirely Christmas, like more of a winter runner.  Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket.  Maybe because it's freezing cold today and rainy-ish and overcast and the trees have all turned.  And, because I can just tell that Winter is lurking around the corner.  Especially because Hubs said it might even snow on Monday.  Seriously? I really hope not.  Because it's not even Halloween yet for crying in a bucket!

Friday, October 22, 2010

June the model

modeling
I think I mentioned that my Mom sent June this adorable neckerchief??? Well, here she is modeling it, she loves it! Here's an up close of the fabric, I love it!
June
And, then June was pretty much done with showing off her new duds!
modeling is tiresome!
So, I participated in a swap on Swap-Bot that was an amigurumi swap. We were to make any kind of ami and send it to our partner with a list of their "favorites". This is what I sent out, I hope my partner likes it!
Ami swap sent out
Here's a close up of her little face! I think she turned out cute.
Ami swap sent out
Here's what I received:
Ami swap received
I totally squealed when I opened the box! This bear is stinkin' cute!!!! I haven't named her yet, it needs to be something earthy but cute. I love the little poof on the top of her head! And the little card with her favorites is so creative! Love.
So, last Friday I think? I made this wreath for the front door. It was so easy to make! I am totally digging wrapping wreaths in yarn and then decorating them, pretty much like the last 3 wreaths I've made that way. It's kind of a pain in the rumpus to wrap the wreath, your arm starts to get tired. But, the finished look I love.Halloween wreath
So, here's what I'm wondering - do you ever have so many ideas in your head that you can't even stand it???  That's kind of what I've been feeling of late.  I have like 3 quilt ideas and a bunch of wreaths and table runners and and and and.  I'm so glad it's the weekend and I can work on some of them!

Oh, yeah!  This past Wednesday night I went to a concert, actually here in town!  10th Avenue North, Addison Road, and Matt Maher played in town.  It was a great concert and super fun!  We bought our tickets, all us bible study ladies like 3 months ago to get the group discount and we had the whole front row!!  I was totally cracking up the whole time because like maybe 4 rows back was this group of teenage girls who were screaming and going crazy when 10th Ave N was on stage, and I was thinking how much they would have just loved to be front row!  The message from all the bands was great, so real and applicable and funny too.  The lead singer of Addison Road was so stinkin cute!  She was wearing a cute dress with boots, I think it's great when ppl can pull that look off!  She also has a blog which I've added to my link list because I just loved reading it.  Her husband is the guitarist in the band and they have a little girl who they take out on the road with them, and her blog posts are just so honest!  All of the bands were fab, and our little town is lucky that they came to sing to us!

Friday, October 15, 2010

Scrapbook Retreat Eve

I know it's only 3 o'clock, but I can still refer to this as an "Eve", right?  Totally!  So, can I please tell you that I am super excited about the scrapbooking retreat I will be attending tomorrow with Jan???  Seriously, I can hardly wait!  This morning I was kind of worried about what exactly I am going to work on this weekend.  You see, funds are super low right now so I was thinking of all the things I need to buy for what I want to work on, and pictures to develop, and snacks and whatnot.  So, I was like "God, what should I do???"  Now, granted I don't normally pray about such trivial things as scrapbook supplies.  I guess I figure he's got more important stuff to take care of.  And, then I thought, holy cow, it's not like I don't already have pictures of a different event already printed out, and a TON of stuff in my rolling cart!
Then I heard the mailman walking up.  June started barking like a wild dog.  And then there was a knock.  Hmmmm, the mailman doesn't usually knock - ever.  Almost skeptically I opened the door, and he handed me a package!  June, of course, was wagging her tail by this point - I'm telling you there's no follow through!  What if it was an ax murderer????  Okay, back to the package.  From my Mom, so you know it's going to be fun..........The new book "Material Obsession 2"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  EEEEEEEEEk.  OMG, I was so surprised!  And, tucked inside the card was a check for me, with a note "to your creativity".  Can I please tell you that I started to cry right then and there.  It was such an answer to prayer, even a prayer I thought was a little ridiculous.  She even sent this super cute little denim and fabric dog kerchief for June!
I'm also looking forward to the drive up there.  It's definitely Fall here, and in between the evergreen trees the aspens and sycamores will be brightly colored and beautiful!  Hope you have a great weekend!

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Fall Runners

Okay, so the bottom line this weekend is that stippling and I are not going to be friends for awhile.  Like a loooong while.  We just weren't seeing eye to eye, which is actually my fault since I still haven't bought the darning needle.  But, at least I can admit when I'm wrong ;)  I sure did try even with my regular foot since I finally found the part that covers the feed dogs.  But, I had to really pull the material and I don't think that's how it's supposed to go.  Anyways, on to the reveal! 
I'm on my way (after this post!) to deliver this to Savannah.  She had tried her hand at quilting and didn't totally love the outcome.  So, she gave me the fabric that she had bought to try it out.  So, I used some of the fabric she gave me, and some from my stash to make her this table runner:
Table runner for Savannah
I really like the way it turned out!  I really just made the pattern up as I went along.  So, then I thought I need a table runner!  And I really liked all the fabrics I used for hers except I pretty much used up all the light colored fabric in the pinwheels.  So, I went by the tutorial for the disappearing 9 patch on  p.s I quilt.  I used the same fabric as her backing and binding on the binding for mine, because I love it!
table runner
100_2345[1]

Friday, October 8, 2010

projection for the weekend

I'm thinking about what is on the "menu" for the weekend, and I'm thinking super low key, and lots of sewing!  I've been feeling like I'm about to get sick for a few days now, so I think I just need to chill out and be a homebody.  Which is kind of perfect timing since I was perusing flickr, as I regularly do and in one of came across this tutorial, which I think is also on Moda?  I've been wanting to try out a disappearing 9 patch pattern for awhile, and have also wanted to try again at stippling so I think this could be perfect.  A nice, smallish project to practice.  And I have a table in need of a pretty Fall table runner. 
I am also going to finish up another table runner that I started last weekend, and it will be a gift so no pics until it's given away.  I have to confess though that it's going to be hard to actually give it up!  I think she'll really like it, though, so it'll be worth it.  I'm also almost done with the HP wreath, just a few finishing touches.  Oh, yeah!  I did start another wreath this morning, I had like 1/2 hour to kill before meeting Charese for lunch at the Mermaid Cafe.  Which, can I please tell you - was ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!!!  I had the Med. Veg. wrap which has feta, calamata olives, cucumber, hummus, red onion, spinach and tomato and it's soooooo yummy.  And, I really shouldn't have eaten the whole thing because now I'm a tad uncomfortable ;)  I know you know what I mean!

Monday, October 4, 2010

big nerdy reveal

Okay, remember the post where I mentioned I had a super secret idea brewing??? So, are you ready for the reveal??? I have to warn you that it's super dorky, but I can't even help myself sometimes! In honor of the last Harry Potter movie coming out in November, I am working on a Harry Potter wreath!
Harry Potter wreath
It's not completely done yet, but I thought I'd share what I have so far. If you have read all the books (like I have) or watched all the movies (like I have) you'll recognize the hippogriff from the Prisoner of Azkaban, and there's the golden snitch from Quidditch, a broomstick, the Hogwarts castle, Harry's snowy white owl Hedwig. I'm going to fill in with some more flowers and a wand. I also might add a toadstool, because I'm just digging toadstools right now. I might try and figure out how to make the Sorting Hat, but I'm a little stuck there.

Friday, October 1, 2010

butterflies and reflections

This morning I actually slept in until like 9!!!!! Ya-hoooo! I probably would have slept even longer except the phone rang. And, instead of going straight out to the craft house like I normally do on the weekend, I did a day of my bible study :). We are doing another Beth Moore study, this one is called "Living Free" and it's a combo of Breaking Free and Praying God's Word. It is just a study book, no videos. I have to tell you that our group kind of needs the direction of a video. Not that we can't do a study, it's just we're a little chatty. Which is good, we really like each other, it's just that usually (unless Jan is there) we don't exactly stay on task! Or get done by 8pm. Whoops. This past week really kind of made me realize how much I value all these ladies that meet together with me once a week to discuss God's word and what He's doing with us. We recently changed the night of our study to try to accomodate everyone. There is one lady who has chosen to go to another study through church instead of stick with our study and the temporary night change. Which is totally fine, but it really made me think about how much I would not choose anything else over the study because it means so much to me. Even when I don't finish my homework, I go because I know that God will have something for me anyways. And, I want to hear how everyone else is doing, how their weeks have gone. And, we are all different ages and different churches so the points of view are varied, and I think that's good. Just knowing that God gave a group of ladies that I'm pretty sure care about me makes me want to cry sometimes. I'm very thankful!

So, after that reflection and study this morning I promptly went out to the craft house and gave myself the time it takes for my hair to air dry to craft before I needed to go out and run errands. I of course did not actually follow the tutorial for the butterfly square. I just sort of made it up as I went.
butterfly square
I think that for the next ones I am going to try something a little wonkier to get the butterfly to be turned like it is going to try and land on the flowers. And, intead of using butterfly fabric I think a more solid-y pattern would be better for the top wings. But, it's not a total bust, I think I'll still use it.