craft:nosis

put a pin in it...

2012-01-20T14:17:00.004-05:00

Just a little post to prove to everyone that I am still alive! I have been traveling through one of those almost-too-busy-to-breath periods of time. Life is good, just a little overwhelming. I wanted to share some cute wrist pin cushions I made to sell a little while ago.

Fairly simple and straight forward: They are a 2.5" strip of fabric and some batting, folded in half wst, stitched and turned. Add a circle that has been basted, stuffed, and tied shut. I used a felt circle to cover the opening after I added the thread and buttons. [also, there is a cardboard circle in the bottom of the pin cushion to prevent pinning yourself] Velcro does the job of keeping it on your wrist and offering a custom fit.

This is a tutorial that I find pretty helpful, offering basic pincushion instructions. I do have some exciting crafty news to share with you! Check back here in the next few days :)

copy cat holiday...

2011-12-26T20:48:00.006-05:00

Imitation is the best form of flattery, right? I hope so. I fell in love with this beautiful wreath that Angela put together. Normally I am not into making exact replicas, but I liked the color choices, the positioning, and the types of flowers she used. I also got to experiment with some felt flower tutorials. Specifically, I used rolled, circle, and rose bud flowers. I am so thankful that she shared her project!

This was a wonderfully economical project - the yarn I used was some I found when we cleared out my grandma's farm before the auction, I had some of the felt, and of course I had spray glitter [how festive, don't you think? :] Normally I prefer 100% wool or wool felt, but all of the greens in this wreath are plain old regular craft felt. The bright colors are just not readily available in wool felt. Since this won't receive any washing and only light wear & tear, I am certain it will hold up.

It is hanging on the door to our pantry in our kitchen. Though I had dreamed that it would find a home on our front door, the doors are too close together and the flowers ended up smooshed. [at least it is hanging on the front door for my pictures]

Here are a few of the crafty Christmas gifts that I actually finished. I made a few festive tea towels; this deer is a copy of one I did last Christmas, which was a take on a paperchase design.

I also made some string block hot pads. I like the scrappy look of them, hopefully their new owners will enjoy them as well! I hope that you all had wonderful holidays - and perhaps there is still some holiday merriment in your near future)

** perhaps an important note: this wreath is just for my personal enjoyment, it's never proper etiquette to copy someone else's ideas and then sell them :)

around the house [in way less than 80 days]...

2011-12-05T22:23:00.004-05:00

This post goes out to those home dec/improvement projects that [sadly] do not warrant a whole blog post all to themselves. Above is the last of my outdoor-furniture-recovering-extravaganza. Again using my crazy low priced JoAnn's fabric.

My New York Beauty is finally quilted, bound, and hanging in its rightful place in our dining room. I still love the 'I-Spy' of it all - seems like a treasure hunt every time I walk by it! I have the pattern and the fabric stack for a pickle dish quilt, but it has to get in line behind my pile of UFOs. Also not quite ready for another intensive paper piecing project. [You can read all about my adventures with NYB blocks here]

New curtains for the bathroom! The former curtains were faded and on their last leg, so it was definitely time for a change.

This is the first time I have made a shade that operated like this one - fairly simple, but looks and works well. I used the same book that I did to make my roman shades in this post.

Currently have some top secret Christmas projects in the works. Hoping to share an update on my quilt swap blocks this week.

yes, my house is aqua...

2011-12-02T06:45:00.002-05:00

Did you ever [temporarily] forget that you live a small rural community, with traditional little houses painted white, tan, or grey? Where even a yellow house is a bold move? Only to drive home and see the 2" swatch of color you chose is now the entire side of your house? No? It's only me that thinks beach houses can exist in the midwest [hours from a lake, let alone the ocean]?

This summer our house underwent a transformation from unnoticeable to unmistakable. The house has received mixed reviews - but we get quite a few compliments and people seem to think it 'looks like me.' [hopefully this does not mean I look like a 2 story aqua house]

These are just a few of the before and afters I took. We had the front porch completely ripped off and rebuilt to look like the original. [on a funny note - at the 'porch ripped off stage' one of our neighbors shared how nice the house was looking... hmm wonder how bad the house looked before :]

We only intended to replace the floor, but apparently the two bricks serving as a 'foundation' do not meet current construction standards. It was fun to see the porch come back to life!

It may be worth noting that the 'before' pictures were taken after our house was power-washed - so we the paint was definitely in need of a new coat, but not as bad as in these pictures.

Lookey, lookey - no more suicide door! The former owners ripped a decaying balcony off the house. So for years we have been living with a door to nowhere.

We are enjoying our porch - as is Miss Sophie :D {new cushions for our wicker furniture made with my 60cent/yard home dec fabric courtesy of JoAnn's moving sale!}

past presents [aka aprons i made]...

2011-11-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

Here I am - blogging; astonishing really... Between two full time jobs, a part time job, technical issues, and a variety of other things [known as life] I have sadly neglected my blog, as well as my online persona. So let's give this a try - really, I have things to blog about, heck, I even have pictures edited of things to blog about :D Let's ease back into this, a few pictures, brief descriptions, nothing fancy...

I like aprons. I like to wear them. I like to make them. I like to gift them. The folks in my FCS classroom [I am long term subbing currently] think aprons are a strange, foreign concept reserved for black and white pictures of grannies. I however, know better - they are clothes savers and even fashion statements in their own right. Above is the one I made [for myself] that I wear when we cook in class. I love those crazy veggies! The Emmeline Apron is easy, fabulous, and reversible! This one has a Sweetwater floral print on the back.

Yes, it is another Emmeline Apron [I actually made 3]. This is my best pal Jordan - she works at a coffee shop and needed an apron [though she decided she didn't want to bleach it up, so she doesn't actually wear it to work...]

Nope, I don't know what pattern I used to make this apron for my sister's housewarming gift. I think it's super cute with a vintage vibe.
Well, that wasn't so difficult - hope to be back online Friday with some more things to share! Thanks for sticking with me :D

back online!

2011-10-30T16:11:00.003-04:00

for the past few weeks I have had a 6" black line running vertically down the screen of my computer... a new display later and I am back in business! It was incredibly hard to do anything, let alone edit photos in photoshop, so I am excited to share what I have been up to! talk soon :D

our first fair!

2011-09-23T06:11:00.002-04:00

For all of my local readers... We are having our first Handmade with a Purpose Craft Fair to raise money for Young Life in our area. There are lots of great vendors lined up and it's for a great cause - so it would definitely be worth stop by to check it out!

Here are the details:

When? Saturday, September 24, 2011
What Time? 10am-5pm
Where? Miller Avenue Elementary
Admission? Free!

recipe box redu...

2011-09-19T05:41:00.003-04:00

I have a crush on vintage advertising and labels. The wonderful artwork, the neat fonts, the retro colors - the sense of nostalgia. When we cleared out my grandparent's home for auction a few years ago there was no shortage of ephemera. My great-grandparents built the house, and like many during the depression years, they saved everything!

One of the carry overs of food packaging that has lasted to this day, is the inclusion of recipes. [usually the recipe calls for another product that the manufacturer makes] Some of the recipes I found were much more appetizing than others, but the artwork was lovely. I am a big fan of the old school Betty Crocker cookbooks with the 'sketchy' looking art, so I was super excited when I found these 'free with purchase' recipes.

I already had the wooden box, it just needed a handle for the top. With trusty modge podge at my side, I went to work. Some scrapbook paper, vintage images, and even a few of my grandma's handwritten recipes later, I had a great place to store my little tin recipe boxes and all of the misc. recipes I have printed off from websites that were previously hanging out in my cupboard.

The result is a little kitsch - just the way I like it. I hoping that it will encourage me to try out more new recipes and to cook at home more often [too bad I can't reach into the box and pull time out :]

baby bandwagon...

2011-09-12T06:33:00.002-04:00

This summer quite a few new additions came to our town. [which meant some baby showers were on my schedule] As I have mentioned before, I really enjoy making baby quilts - you get to try out new techniques, you aren't committed to a giant project, + I get to give a personal, handmade gift! I hope that these little quilts will see alot of snuggle time :)

This is Zak. [really wish I could take credit for the adorable cap!]

I was completely inspired by this retro-esque backing fabric! It screamed to be made into something for a little cowboy.

The stars are paper-pieced and [I think] go along with the western theme. The patchwork was a great way to use my humble stash of American Jane 4-in-1 prints. Awesome backing fabric + stars +knotting = a great vintage vibe!

This is Emili. [this is a pre-delivery pic - but take my word for it, Little Miss Calli is ADORABLE!]

This is their bedding - I tried to stay in a similar colorway and this line has some plums in it. I've always been a fan of coin quilts and with a candy bar of Fandango in hand, I went to work. It went together fairly quickly, more than a few layout revisions on the design wall.

To personalize it a little more, I embroidered her name. This is my first real attempt at machine quilting with a darning foot. Not terrible this being one of the few things I have quilted, I was fairly happy with myself. I hope both of these quilts will be part of many fond memories for these first time moms :)

months gone by [in the nittany block party]...

2011-09-09T07:04:00.000-04:00

Yes, I am a little behind in SHOWING my blocks for the past many moons from the Nittany Block Party, but I am happily on time with FINISHING them :) I'm not sure why a whole month to sew one block always seems like a stretch. Given the right month, I could probably push out a whole bed sized quilt. For me, it seems like there is always a bit of anxiety that comes with making a block for someone else - if it is a creative task, there is always the question of the other persons taste; if it is a 'make this block' month, I am worried about the limited amount of fabric provided in the event of an oops moment. I feel quite accomplished to be getting my blocks on their merry way home on time and in the correct month. April's block for Tracy - using THIS tutorial. Great block, definitely testing my hst skillz. May's block for Freida - love how the coal kona sets off all of those little colorful prints! The hst inquisition continues. June's block for Amanda - using THIS tutorial. Beautiful, simple... and, yes, filled with hst's! July's block for Jessica - using THIS tutorial. Definitely a new one for me. I really enjoyed building this one [even if it did end up 1/4" off - seriously not sure how that happened, perhaps something to do with not having a 'true' 1/4" seam allowance and tons of seams] I was up in August and I cannot wait to show you more of that project :) Block swaps are wonderful ways to connect with fellow crafters and to learn new skills! If you haven't joined in on the action, I would suggest you check out this flickr group. Remember not to over-commit; start out with one bee and make sure that you can keep up with that one.

aaahh! not real monsters...

2011-09-02T07:16:00.000-04:00

* no monsters were harmed in the making of these pillows :)
Following my last post, I am fairly certain my grandma never made any monster pillows.

I came up with these guys on my own - using the faux fur as inspiration. I can't figure out which one I like best - though the one with glasses bares a striking resemblance to my husband :)

I'm calling these guys book buddies [at least that's the name I have arrived at for now]. Great for old and young alike, the pocket in the back is the perfect stash for a newspaper, crafty inspiration book, or a favorite Little Golden Book. They are up for grabs in my etsy.

fun & games [outside]...

2011-08-15T07:02:00.005-04:00

Today we begin some work on the outside of our home, so I thought it only fitting to show you some projects I have worked on that find themselves in the out of doors. First up is a set of cornhole boards and bags. [I am not sure if the game cornhole translates everywhere, so here is a quick run through of the game]

This was definitely a handmade project - one of our high school friends built the boards for us and the I painted and varnished them. We used these instructions, and found them pretty clear and easy to follow.

I bought the home dec fabric for the bags before painting the boards, which meant I could paint them to coordinate :) Interestingly, I paid more for the half yards it cost to make these bags than I did a few weeks later for the entire bolt of fish fabric! [read more here] Always something new: to finish these bags I had my first experience at the feed mill! They were a little curious about what I was going to do with such a small amount of feed corn [perhaps they thought I had a really tiny chicken]

Another outdoor addition to our home is a lovely and relaxing hammock! Definitely not handmade, but we did assemble the stand all by ourselves :) We are enjoying these last days of summer. It's so strange; first it was too hot to enjoy the season, now it is beginning to feel like fall already! If anyone knows where the summer has gone to, leave me a comment, maybe I can get some of it back :)

not your grandma's crafter...

2011-08-09T06:58:00.000-04:00

Last week me and my friend Jordan went to see Death Cab for Cutie [and it was amazing!!]. I have seen Death Cab and Weezer in concert now, so I think I may just be good for the rest of my life. This is what I have been thinking this week...

My ipod is littered with the likes of Death Cab, Weezer, Mumford & Sons, Imogen Heap, MGMT, Edward Sharpe...
I get inspiration from indie [and indie-ish] films like Life Aquatic and Amelie...
My bff wears skinny jeans and has a feather in her hair...
I use words like bff, stellar, and occasionally epic...
I'm like this [picture middle finger crossed over index finger] with my imac...
Photoshop is my friend...
I have never met most of my quilty friends in real life, I know them through flickr and blogger...

In the words of my friend Wolf Boy 'this is me, this is who I am, this is real life!'

I like to watch Portlandia...
[and I like to put birds on things]

I am not my grandma's crafter, but it is cool to be connected through an art form to generations past.

the loot. the warrant. the crook.

2011-07-26T07:09:00.003-04:00

This blog post is a tribute to the many hours of Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego that I watched on PBS at my grandma's house growing up. Anybody remember Rockapella? The LOOT? that would be the bolts pictured above. Yards and yards of some fun decorator fabrics. Some for totes, some for new porch furniture cushions, some with destinies unknown.

The CROOK? That would be me, at least that is how I felt when I left JoAnn's the other day. Our local JoAnn Fabrics is closing - but only closing to reopen about 5 miles away in a new, bigger location! Apparently the powers that be decided that it is cheaper to liquidate and re-buy for the new store than it is to move the inventory a few miles down the road. [this includes all of the furniture and racks in the store as well]

The WARRANT? Well, at least the evidence. I am saving this receipt, I have just never spent around $35 and saved over $400! The fabric was 75% off, then if you bought the whole bolt, it was an additional 75% off. [if you do some quick math, that means most of this fabric was 63 cents per yard] I also bought gobs of trim, including yards and yards of pink pom-pom fringe that had the same discount.

Before I go, I wanted to share a sneak peak of the latest 'in-the-works' project... Can't wait for it to be finished! I would love to hear about the greatest steal/deal that you ever got!

the age of aquarium...

2011-06-28T07:35:00.002-04:00

Meet the newest addition to our household: Steve Zissou. Of course named after Bill Murray's character in The Life Aquatic - a wonderfully quirky Wes Anderson movie. The backdrop is a print out of the opening credits from the movie - and Steve has his very own Deep Search mini sub! Interestingly, I have a friend who also has a fantail goldfish named Klaus. She has never seen the movie, but managed to name her fish after Steve Zissou's sidekick in the film. Hoping to carve out some crafting time today...

spring has sprung...

2011-06-25T06:23:00.000-04:00

Yep, spring sprung, and sprang out of here! I feel like my poor neglected blog missed a season. My sewing crafting space, however, was certainly active place to be. A combination inspiration and the need to save some pennies led to a few creations I sold through my etsy and my lqs. Pinnies have proven quite addictive. I found these egg cups and knew just what they were destined for.

It is always fun to dig through the scrap box and dig out the perfect little piece of leftover fabric and the button that adds a little extra.

Another find was this 9 compartment egg tray, it is still under construction :)

The spring line up doesn't stop there - I was looking through some vintage homemaker magazines and found this little applique pattern. Hubby doesn't quite get pink birds, but I enjoyed mixing up the colors.

I hope your spring was a memorable one - I have lots to show and tell!

lovely baby twisters...

2011-05-06T08:53:00.000-04:00

I've said it here before [and, you guessed it, I will say it again] I enjoy a good baby quilt. They are such great, personal gifts that last AND I get to try out some new patterns and tools in a relatively quick-finish project. Without further ado - Baby Miah's new quilt!

Though I have had my very own lil' twister for months, I have never found the opportunity to put it to work. Quilts made with this tool have been popping up all over the place with great result. You get a complex look with a little less complexity. My only issues: 1) I found it awkward to cut around all sides of the template, my arm/wrist just doesn't bend that way + 2) there is a lot of fabric wasted. I also worked on my machine quilting skills... kinda :) I chickened out and didn't use the walking or darning feet - I just used a wide stitch length, a lot of basting, and my regular 1/4" foot. Except for having to turn the quilt a little too often, I think it was smooth sailing and looks pretty good.

This project made quick work of a Lovely charm pack that I won in the Blogger's quilt along. I hope Baby Miah will have many happy memories with this quilt. What are you thoughts on quilts as gifts? [or any handy crafted gifts] How do you decide who will get something from the store or something from the sewing machine?

up next on the quilting block...

2011-04-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

As I shared earlier - I do indeed have another quilt neatly folded and ready for the quilting to begin. [alas, I still wish I had the patience or the machine or the skill to quilt a full size...] The Bloggers' Block-A-Palooza quilt is finished!

This is attempt numero 2 at on-point piecing. The basic on-point construction in my Diving for Diamonds quilt was simple enough. Upping the skill level for this quilt I attempted to add sashing. Which didn't quite turn out as I had planned [i.e. don't look too close at some of the point/intersections]. For the life of me I couldn't figure out what had to be sewn to what and in which order for those to work out - so if anyone has suggestions or a tutorial they can direct me to, I would love the help!

The leftover blocks I made are destined for pillows. This was a great qal - always something new to look forward to on Mondays and Thursdays! I was a little hesitant to make the cut into my Lotus stash, but I think it definitely paid off :) Well, a little dog is lovingly staring up at me asking for a food bowl refill - Have a great Wednesday!

stop, block, and roll...

2011-04-05T10:20:00.001-04:00

I sew and blog as a hobby... you know something that you do voluntarily, something with limited outside pressure or force... So sometimes, I get behind on my blogging and I have to force myself to be okay with that. No one will die, my income will not be affected - in short, no major tragedies are happening because I disappear off of the interweb for a time. And though I have not been posting, I have been lurking around some inspirational blogs and continuing to craft.
Keeping up with the Nittany Block Party has been going well. In March, Dena asked us to make mod mosaics using the Oh, Fransson tutorial. I really love this finished product and enjoyed the process to boot. Yes, there is a tinge of surprise in that statement. I was hesitant to dive in, but now want to start a quilt of my own using this technique. Oh the options - scrappy, coordinated, color wheel style, all of one line... I think they all have their particular appeal.

In February we made improv style rectangular and square blocks for Rachel.

I also wanted to share with you the final installment of blocks for the Blogger's Block-A-Palooza quilt along. Are you impressed that I had all of my blocks completed in a timely manner? [even before finishing instructions were posted!] In fact - these blocks are now in a completed quilt top that I finished two Sundays ago! [if you want to see these blocks a litle closer, click on the image to head on over to my flickr]I also have another top completed using an Odyssea charm pack and am putting the binding on a baby quilt made with a Lovely charm pack. So, no sewing slacker here [just a posting slacker :]

Last week was spring break around here... spring break with snow accumulation doesn't seem very springy to me. [this unfortunate weather is, by the way, why my pictures on this post are so muddy :[ Here's to hoping for sunshine [SOON]!

diving for diamonds...

2011-03-23T08:00:00.003-04:00

Many moons ago, in a place not so far away was a land of dolphins, and seals, and penguins, and killer whales. Amongst the plethora of now-defunct businesses in Ohio lies Sea World Aurora. One of my fondest childhood memories is an elementary field trip to Sea World that my mom and grandma came along to chaperon. From that trip I have 1) memories and 2) a Shamu made from really stinky plastic. One of the attractions I remember was pearl diving - divers are in a giant clear tank and you watch them swim to the bottom and emerge with a pearl. And that, my friends, was the catalyst in the naming process for my latest quilt finish: diving for diamonds.

This is my first 'on-point' quilt. It was really not all that complicated, I just needed to do some math and figuring before I started out - and thank goodness for a design wall to help me lay it all out before sewing! On-point just helps a quilt to shine, next time you are over on flickr take a look at how many quilts are posed in close-up pictures to look as though they are on point. Point envy, perhaps :)

A confession: I accidentally bought backing fabric twice, so the quilt got a border and a considerable boost in size. I am CONSIDERING quilting this myself [eek, I'm scared!] A few more practices with my darning foot, and I think I might be ready! My quilting templates are already drawn up for the borders :)

Want to know a little more about what happened to Sea World Ohio? There are details here and here.

hemisphere pillows...

2011-03-17T09:30:00.001-04:00

Though quilting hasn't even started, these pillows are ready to match the hemispheres quilt that I finished a few months ago. The plan is to use this quilt to freshen up the living room, and the pillows will be the finishing touch. It is always a struggle to figure out what to do with all of the leftover bits and bobs from a project - scraps, extra blocks, additional yardage. There is always a part of me that wants to keep all of these together, I'm not sure why, suppose it is 'just in case' I need to make something else to match. This is why I especially like to use as many of those extras up, and these pillows did just that.

My first crack at string blocks was last year in the Block Swap 2. The technique is super simple using a paper pieced method. I enjoyed playing around with machine quilting on these blocks. It's so neat how you get unintended patterns when you quilt - in my head I only saw the quarter square corners and not the overall cross pattern that appears.

Leftover circles made this pillow a snap to put together. This is my first attempt with a darning foot - I am not sure that it is perfection, but it really wasn't as scary as I thought! Practice will make perfect I'm sure. I actually made two of these, the other one is up in my etsy shop if you love it too ;)

The backing finishes off the remaining stash of my fave fabric from the hemisphere quilt. Sad to see it go, but glad I was able to use it in a larger piece. The piping [and other half of the backing] is a cotton linen that I had and happened to coordinate PERFECTLY! I have enough of this fabric to bind my quilt with - yay for using what I have!

I'm excited to see a little bit of blue appearing in the sky, though something about this weather and time change has given me the worst headache :( Perhaps some crafting and netflix will be the cure!

pin pals...

2011-03-14T08:15:00.000-04:00

Another VERY exciting round of the Scrappy Pincushion Swap is coming to a close. All of the wonderful swaps over on flickr make me a little nervous - the standards are pretty high, and of course, you don't want to disappoint your partner. From the looks of my partners mosaic, (s)he is into color wheels, modern designers, linen, stars... which leaves loads of possibilities! I chose to run with a sort-of homage to a Dresden plate. Some lovely 100% wool bits are top stitched onto a natural colored cotton linen. [many of the wools are hand dyed, which I love!]

Originally I had planned to put the cushion inside of a zinc lid, but it just didn't look right. Instead I hand sewed a wool circle on the bottom to cover the stuffing opening and to give it a nice flat bottom. It was difficult to package it up and send it off, I really like how it turned out and wouldn't mind having it sit next to my sewing machine :) All there is to do now is hope that my partner likes it as much as I do!

Enough about the pincushion I made, on to the AMAZING one I received! A current obsession is anything and everything aquatic, and my partner did not disappoint. This little octopus is practically perfect in every way. [a bit o' Mary Poppins there]

Adrienne really outdid herself on this one, she used wool felt and stuffed him with cleaned and carded wool from local sheep. The tutorial for him is over at futuregirl.com I don't know that I can stand to stab him with pins, but he will make a lovely addition to my crafty space!

I continue to work on my QAL blocks, though life has certainly picked up the pace and slowed down my progress. Here is to hoping that there will be more sewing and crafting time in the near future!

cotton candy pinwheels...

2011-03-10T09:41:00.005-05:00

I think now might be a good time to share baby Liv's quilt with all of you. I took the pictures while there was still green grass to be seen. At the moment we have brownish/green lawns, but the weatherman has promised to take that away from us and cover them up with 4"-8" of snow! This is a particularly depressing time to have another snowmaggedon... it was 60 degrees this month! 6-0, you know spring time, grab your sandals and leave your jacket at home weather. So in the meantime, let's look at little Liv's quilt [and the green grass]!

This is a fun little quilt that was inspired by Windham's Simply Baby fabric that I bought at my lqs. I love prints with writing and text! I made some simple color blocked pinwheels and sashed them in white to show them off.

The backing is a delightful teal flannel [really cozy and a great color]. I used a light weight poly batting and hand quilted it with long stitches and perle cotton in yellow, green, and pink. It is VERY simply quilted, but I like the minimalism + I am not a quilter, so this was manageable for me.

I made a few coordinating pillows, they are in my esty shop :)

nyb: tips, techniques, and a winner...

2011-03-05T09:38:00.000-05:00

Are you up for the challenge? Ready to put your paper piecing hat on? Let's take on some New York Beauty blocks! In this post I will share some links and tips to get you started [and announce the fabric winner!] Perhaps the most important tip I can share is: just go for it! Don't be intimidated by paper piecing or curved piecing [like animals, I think they can smell fear :] It may take a little practice, but I am confidant that if I can make these blocks, so can you.

First the patterns. There are books and free piecing patterns all over the place. The patterns that I used came from Ulas Quiltpage. [a note: some of them I slightly adapted/changed] These are great and fairly simple designs. If you check the pic above, you can see that I used a variety of patterns. If you are looking for something a little more complex, check out these patterns over - they are not necessarily more difficult, but many have multiple paper pieced sections. [the block at the top of this post is from those patterns.

Component 1: Paper Piecing
Once you understand the basics of how to paper piece - the sky is the limit. I recommend heading over to the Quilter's Cache. They offer great step by step instructions and diagrams to help you get the hang of it.

The biggest issue that I have with paper piecing is choosing the right size fabric. My recommendation: go big. Yes, it is a little wasteful, but choosing a bigger scrap and trimming the excess makes the process go much smoother. As you make your blocks and gain experience, you will become a better judge of what size piece you need.

Another tip - when you trim the paper pieced section, check your template/pattern and make sure that it has a 1/4" seam allowance on the outer edge of the section. Otherwise, when you sew the block together, all of your precious little points will be cut off! And that is part of the beauty of paper piecing - it is so much easier to get all those perfect little points using this method than traditional piecing.

Component 2: Curved Piecing
After paper piecing, the solid sections remain. To make sure that the sections line up perfectly, I fold each of the two sections I am going to sew together in half, making a crease. Then I match up the creases [with the sections right sides together] and pin. Then I pin the two ends, then pin toward the center.

Once the two sections are sewn together, notch along the seam allowance. Then press the seam allowance toward the solid section.

I would love to see any nyb blocks that you whip up! And now for the winner [drumrooolllll, please]: Cathy Tomm! I sent you an email! Just a note: Cathy was not my first random winner, the first person was a no-reply blogger and left me no way to contact them. Thanks everyone who played along - I enjoyed reading and responding to everyone's lovely comments :)

nyb giveaway...

2011-02-25T09:30:00.004-05:00

As promised I have a giveaway to help you get down to business with some New York Beauty blocks! One of my favorite parts of making this quilt was digging into a pile of bright colors and black and white prints. So up for grabs, courtesy of Old Country Store Fabrics, your choice of fat quarters! There are two bundles to choose from - each set has 8 fat quarters.

Do you need more brights? Check out the Happy by Moda bundle!

Do you need more black and white prints? Check out the Bali Batiks by Hoffman! [a note on these: YES they are batiks, but they are very subtle as you can see in the photo. Though I am not usually a batik kind of girl, I really like these!]

All you have to do to enter is JUST LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS POST! Let me know which bundle you like best and make sure there is a way to contact you. If you use blogger, make sure you have an email address connected to it [Great tutorial here].

I will pick a winner next Friday morning. [3/4/11]

new york beauties...

2011-02-24T10:00:00.000-05:00

Has it hit you? You know, that moment of craft inspiration. You are poking around flickr, reading blogs, at a quilt guild meeting and it just hits you... "I NEED that" says the little voice in your head. That moment of inspiration hit when I saw Jennie's gorgeous New York Beauty blocks. The love was so intense that the fact that I had never successfully done any paper piecing didn't even phase me. I had been bitten by the quilt bug. Next step: load up on more brights and small black and white prints.

It was a labor of love - and some of the blocks were completed with the help of my block swap friends. I couldn't help but add the paper pieced flying geese border. All of the little prints make it feel almost like an I spy quilt - which is pretty cool in my book.

Now, like many a project before it, this little quilt will be stacked on the to-be-quilted pile. Are you tempted to start work on some New York Beauties of your own? Stay tuned - I have a giveaway coming up in the next post!

extrinsic motivation...

2011-02-20T21:15:00.000-05:00

I'll admit it; gold stars were an important part of elementary school. Generally I am a pretty self motivated person - doing things because they are right or should be done, but occasionally I am encouraged by the promise of extras. John posted on the Blog-A-Palooza page that there are midpoint giveaways in the works. The fine print: all of our blocks, #1-#8 must be posted in the flickr pool. Now I have been doing pretty well keeping up with this quilt along [my block 8 was finished on Saturday] - but what I don't do well is take pictures, edit said pictures, upload, and blog about my projects in a timely manner. The promise of possible free loot is what made this post happen. Above is block #7. I like to think of it as a personal gift that Heather gave to me. Boy did I need a little break from flying geese and tiny squares! The block looks great and is easy to put together [there was a moment of pure bliss when I realized the relatively low number of seams I had to deal with when sewing rows together :]

Block #8 required the use of some applique muscles. No needle-turn here, thank you. Simple Heat and Bond Lite did the trick and I machine stitched around the shapes. Angela's basket is a little different. It isn't at all that I am super creative [especially since I borrowed this arrangement from someone else!] - my choice to change the layout was because I couldn't seem to fit all those triangles in a pleasing manner.

So there you have it... Block #9 will soon be awaiting my attention already :)

i'm a joiner [blog-a-palooza update]...

2011-02-19T07:50:00.001-05:00

As I shared with everyone a few posts ago - I got the bug and am swimming right along in the fast current of online swaps and quilt alongs! Here are the latest blocks I created for the Bloggers' Block-A-Palooza quilt along. I am doing fairly well keeping up with the blocks [just not so well with sharing them online!] Above is block #3 designed by Amanda over at Sasikirana Handmade. I love the incidental bear paw pattern that forms in the corners! It is like a tricky little optical illusion :)

Block #4 is the brain child of Cherri. The simple look of this block is really nice - love how it highlights the pinwheel fabric.

Moving right along is block #5 by Kaye. Did I mention they like flying geese in this quilt along?

And the flying geese just keep on flocking in with block #6 by Monica. Click on over just to see how fab her tutorial looks - amazing what a talented artist can do with Adobe Illustrator!

The sun may be out and about today - making it a record breaking TWO DAYS in a row! It never ceases to amaze me who exciting a 40 degree day can be as we approach spring.

animal house...

2011-02-09T13:48:00.006-05:00

There are a few creatures that I have been working on. The first is a model for work, showing off some of the new Max and Whiskers by Basic Grey for Moda. I was inspired by the scotties Denyse Schmidt posted. Since I was using a charm pack, I used 2 1/2" squares and a 2 1/2" strip. I think he turned out well. For a brief stint I was obsessed with organza flowers. I made 4 of them for headbands, pins, and barrettes - they really jazz up an outfit. My singed fingers need a break though [to finish the edges, I melted them with a lighter].

I will leave you with a sneak peak of a little mousie project that I am working on for a friend's wedding. Can't wait to show them to you all finished!

summer dreamin' with tula...

2011-02-04T09:34:00.000-05:00

I can tell it's February... the longer winter lasts, the colder it gets, the more snow and ice that pile up, the more I dream about the sun, the ocean, the beach... With that in mind I want to share my latest fabric purchase. A lucky find of some Tula Pink Full Moon Forest!!

I can't get enough of those jumping fishies and the gorgeous bright [sunny] colors! I am just dreaming and doodling what they could become.

Do you need a little sunshine too? I put some fat quarters in my etsy shop :)

boots made for walking...

2011-02-03T07:33:00.003-05:00

We are still in full on winter mode here in Ohio. The last few days we have been dealing with ice, lots of ice. Sophie is not a fan of this weather - poor thing, her back legs slip out from under her on the sidewalk and she falls through the ice when she tries walking on the snow piles.

Snow, ice, and the salt used to melt said snow and ice, are bad for little puppy toes. Armed with fleece, non-skid fabric, and some elastic I put together some simple boots to soothe Sophie's frozen feet. I loosely followed the general pattern found here.

She was a little skeptical of her new footware for the first couple of days - the shoes underwent some chewing and attempts were made to lose them on our walks. Now she has settled in quite nicely, and it is great to have dry feet when we come back in [less footprints on our sofa and bed!]

This is day three with no school. I have a love/hate relationship with being snowed in. It is nice to not be able to go anywhere, but since I can do alot of work from home it just means extra hours in front of the computer. Plus I am going a little stir crazy and running dangerously low on white thread [again!] Hopefully the winter blues will pass soon... can't wait for the sun to return!

new year, new swaps, new blocks...

2011-02-02T07:20:00.000-05:00

Blame it on the crazy number of snow days so far this year, or missing my online family, or the need to experiment and try out new blocks... Whatever the reason I am ready to get back into the quilt along and swap scene over on flickr and around the blogosphere. The block swap group I was in last year came to an end in December, so I was quick to find a new swap for 2011. The Nittany Block Party [and Heidi] welcomed me with open arms. Heidi took on January and sent us some beautiful Bliss fabric and Modify Tradition Magic Cross tutorial. I enjoyed this tutorial - fairly simple and great step by step instructions.

I am also excited that the Scrappy Pincushion Swap is entering round 3! I put together this mosaic to give my partner some inspiration. Can you sense that while my feet are in snowy Ohio my head is definitely at the beach?? Summer can't come soon enough!

Moving on to my current quilt along... I jumped on board with Quilt Dad's Bloggers' Block-A-Palooza - a 17 stop tour of some very talented bloggers. Each of the block tutorials will be completed using Sweetwater's new line Sunkissed. I, on the other hand, NEED to do some stashbusting [really, I prefer to collect and drool over fabric than actually use my beauties]. Nonetheless, I did it, I cut into my Amy Butler Lotus stash. So far I am not regretting it. The last stop on the tour is the actual quilt layout - I am thinking that I might want to set this one on point though. I think it would be fab to alternate the finished blocks with solid blocks of the tree peony fabric.

John put his creativity to work coming up with block #1. He calls it Flying Over Fields. I chose to put my flying geese together a little differently so you get a star-like design.

Then over to the amazing Oh, Fransson blog for Elizabeth's amazing block Word Play. True to form, she had us cutting [& re-cutting] lots of little squares for this patchwork. It definitely has an interesting look.

How 'bout you? Any exciting new swaps you are joining in this year?

the sea is calling...

2011-01-22T15:10:00.000-05:00

These lovelies have been on my 'have-to-have' list for some time now... and now they are eye candy on my sewing room shelf. Beyond the Sea by Cloud 9 is made with organic cotton - I got mine at Cedar House Fabrics. I love the colors and the beachy theme of the prints.

I think I have narrowed down the quilt I want to use them for, I even bought some Konas to match. Now all I need is the time [and some more white thread - how depressing to run out of thread on a snow day!] There are alot of great projects on Flickr using this line - check out Michelle from Cloud 9's photostream.

A few weeks ago I bought some adorable puppy themed fabric with the plan to make Miss Sophia a new bed for in the sewing room. Before I could finish finding the perfect pattern, she had made herself comfortable in an old crate with some fleece stuffed in it. So much for making something fancy for this little dog!

harry potter power...

2011-01-21T08:10:00.001-05:00

I am admittedly mostly Harry Potter ignorant... I have not read the books, I have not seen all of the movies, but sometimes things you aren't an expert in can make for great bonding experiences. I met my friend Jordan when she was in high school - now she, on the other hand, is a die hard fan. She pre-ordered and waited in line for the BOOKS [and then read them each in a day]. She introduced me to this mythical world. I'm still not a reader, so we watched a couple of the movies together. We went to see the latest release in theaters - she watches excitedly, I lean over and ask who the heck is that character and why are they doing that. [For Christmas my brother got me all of the HP dvds, so soon I will be in the know!]

I thought nothing could be more fitting than an HP purse. Here is my own take on it! The inspiration came from the paper piecing pattern I found designed by Jennifer Ofenstein and then enlarged. I love how the subtle colors take this purse out of the pre-teen accessory category.

This is my first attempt with the 'no tools required' plastic grommets. They get my seal of approval! Especially helpful is the little template that comes with the set so that you can cut just the right size opening. I used some fusible fleece to give the top more stability.

Best part of making handmade gifts is seeing them enjoyed!

framed...

2011-01-19T15:50:00.001-05:00

Continuing on with the parade of Christmas gifts, I made these for the moms - my mom and Derrick's mom. I have really gotten into anything with an adorable little face recently. Kawaii is a Japanese word that means cute - and those little smiles and big eyes certainly are cute! I love this line on the wikipedia page: "In some Asian and western cultures, the Japanese word for cute (kawaii) has joined a number of other Japanese words borrowed by overseas Japanophiles." The term 'Japanophiles' makes kawaii seem like some disease or jailable offense.

I bought some cotton tea towels by Paperchase at Borders that inspired this project. [These towels will never see a dish - I picked them up purely for the fabric :] I continue to stretch my top stitching muscles; I'm so glad that the sketchy look is in.

I have been getting my fill of paper piecing lately [still working on my New York beauty quilt]. This scene is collage of a couple different patterns found in the book Down In the Valley [a REALLY great source of paper pieced templates!] Derrick's mom's style is primitive, so I coffee stained it and baked it in the oven to give it a more distressed look.

I love how the red border gives it the look of being matted - completely coincidental, the finished piece was a little too small when it was completed.

Another little perfect-for-the-holidays project I made was this little headband. I am over the moon for all those little hair flowers that are popping up everywhere. This fascinator was easy enough - a purchased head band, some faux flowers, a feather, glitter, and a couple of buttons. I arranged and hot glued them onto an oval of wool felt. Great [simple!] accessory for a fancy dress party.

owl be watching you...

2011-01-18T21:49:00.006-05:00

Part of what has kept me off the grid is that much of my crafting energies were focused on top secret Christmas gifts. We had a spa/relaxation themed gift exchange for work. I whipped up this little owl sleeping mask. The inspiration for this mask came from a crochet version. Since the only thing I can do with yarn is knit a very simple scarf, I made my version using wool felt and backing it with terry cloth [from a washcloth].

I made a little net bag to hold some goodies from Bath & Body Works. I hope my exchange partner enjoys it!

Even Sophia likes to be a little night owl...

falling off the face of the earth...

2011-01-15T17:33:00.002-05:00

I'm still around - even if my online persona has been mia for quite a while now! Again real life has taken me away from my computer. Between the holidays, pre-classwork, a masters level course intensive, and being stuck in Georgia any spare moment has been filled. Rest assured, my crafting addiction has not taken a holiday. I have projects to complete, pictures to upload and edit, and lots to post about and share in the coming days. Above is the final block for the Block Swap I was a part of in 2010. I joined in on the Nittany Block Party and my first fabrics have arrived - can't wait to get back into the swing of things!

How do you keep up with posting when life gets crazy?

hemishperes quilt...

2010-11-29T19:01:00.004-05:00

I added another one to the needs-quilted pile! I started this quilt months ago, but lost a little momentum along the way. Following this tutorial over on cluck cluck sew, I used my handy dandy circle ruler with my rotary cutter.

This block goes together pretty quickly - there is alot of waste left over from trimming the excess fabric off the back of the quadrants. I'm not sure what to do with a million or so [not uniform] triangles.

I used up nearly all of my coveted bubbles in gray by Kaffe Fassett. I wanted to add on a border but couldn't find any additional yardage [that wasn't $20+/yard].

When I finished the individual blocks I was just not thrilled with the way they looked right next to one another. I am not sure if it was the fabrics I chose or what, it just looked too dark. Then a serendipitous moment, when I layed the blocks out on my sewing table I loved the off-white of the table separating the blocks. Enter Kona in bone... Sashing proved to be the perfect solution.

I would love to have it quilted with swirls in the circles and some kind of grid quilting or pebbles in the sashing. I have still not had any luck finding a machine quilter. Many of the quilters I have contacted don't do the free hand work and some I have emailed haven't responded at all! Do you have any recommendations for a quality quilter at a reasonable price??

of benedryl & pillows...

2010-11-20T08:58:00.004-05:00

Oh the agony of sick days... If I were to be forced to take nearly a week off of life, I would have preferred to be able to function! I mean how much fun is a week off where you can't manage to even sew?! [I think missing my sewing machine may even have made me sicker] But I am back in action [mostly]. I wanted to show you the latest addition to my pillow obsession. Meet the crabby pillow!

Inspired by the Caribbean. We have many grand adventures while cruising, some more comical than others. At one of the beaches, they had these collapsible 'tents' for shade. So we picked one up and when we did the tiniest, and daintiest of crabs wandered out. Surely, as a lover of nature and crabs, I lept for joy and scooched in for a closer look.... umm no, I squealed fearing certain death if it came near.

This crabby pillow is much more cuddly. I am very proud of my original design. He was a time consuming little number. I made about a billion half square triangles to make up the zig-zag wave. It was lots of fun to use up a bunch of scraps: Summer in the City, Amy Butler, Flights of Fancy, and MoMo coupled with kona in bone. Then the million lines of zig-zag quilting :)

I was disappointed to have to miss out on this round of the Pillow Talk Swap... Just too many other life commitments this time of year. But if my crabby pillow has peaked your interest, and you are looking for more pillows - check out the flickr group!

berni's work wear...

2010-11-06T08:05:00.003-04:00

With my craft space all decked out, Berni [my Bernina 1008] has a new home sitting flush with the my sewing table. This means that the on-the-go cover that I made is now too long. What can a girl do but stitch up a fab new cover?

This one is kind of special. The patchwork is actually a little quilt top that was rescued from the trash before my grandma's farm was auctioned. I just added a few more strips of fabric to make it the appropriate length. It is so fun to look at some of the colors and patterns and see how modern they look. I layered it with a warm and natural scrap and a fun repro print, quilted it, then bound it and used some twill tape/rug binding to make ties.

Don't look too close, this is my first time using a walking foot - I felt like this should be soooo simple, but tackling the walking foot is a bit of a challenge to me. Some stitches are super tight while others are really long. A skill in process for sure!

One of the great things about it is it fits over the back of my chair when I am working in there. Handy - one less thing on my sewing table is ALWAYS a good thing :)

I woke up to a white lawn this morning! Last night I did some baking and couldn't resist putting on some Christmas music; there must have been something in the air!

btw: I am still in need of a couple of pattern testers for Berni's New Digs sewing pattern... Let me know if you are interested and I will send you the pattern!

swap-o-rama...

2010-11-02T10:42:00.006-04:00

Yes, this is another post about swapping :) I'm not sure if you know Ayumi, if not then you definitely need to meet her! Maybe you just don't realize you know her, she has several projects that have been featured in the beloved Stitch magazine [which is going quarterly next year! yay!] She not only makes lovely things, she has a kind heart. I have been oohing and aahing over some Mister Donut fabric that keeps taunting me around blogland.

On special occasions my mom and I would go to Mister Donut before school. I always loved the twisted creamstick/glazed donut things covered in chocolate. They are special memories, the Mister Donut was replaced by a Donut Connection, and then finally a pizza shop. Many have forgotten the smell of fresh baked donuts [we don't even have a Dunkin Donuts in our area]. Anywho, I gushed over Ayumi's stash and she agreed to a swap. What did she want? A crabby pinnie of course :) So meet Miss Crabby, all decked out in pink!

If you want to make one for yourself, my humble attempt at a tutorial can be found here. I am pleased with how she turned out and glad that she has found a happy home!

For the Block Swap 2, miss rabidchipmunks asked us for a disappearing nine patch using some funky Halloween prints. A lot of fun, even if I did cut one of the blocks wrong :)

I am enjoying seeing all kinds of beautiful color outside my window - I love fall. Hoping to fit in a few more warm days though!

quilt festival...

2010-10-29T06:40:00.004-04:00

Though this post may look familiar, I assure you it is new :) I didn't expect to be chatting about this quilt again so soon, but I am excited to be participating in Amy's Online Quilt Festival. I loved looking at the quilts last year, but was new to the online seen, so I didn't jump in. I wanted to share this quilt because it was my introduction to the online quilting community. I had just started blogging and fallen head over heels for the new modern look; the brights, geometric shapes, lots of white, random/free-form piecing - I was hooked. I joined in Quilt Dad's round of the Old Red Barn Quilt Along and this quilt is my finished product! Life is better with my flickr and blog friends around, I enjoy the inspiration and community I find. This is the first modern bed sized quilt I have finished and the first quilt I have completely finished since Derrick and I were married. Definitely a memorable quilt in many ways!
Be sure to check out the many beautiful quilts that have been entered this year! Amy does such a wonderful job of organizing the Quilt Festival!

mon espace de création...

2010-10-27T08:38:00.003-04:00

Amazing how translating a title into another language makes the post seem so much more interesting :) I wanted to show you around my newly improved creative space. If you have been following me for a while [that always sounds like a stalker to me], you may remember the crafty disaster that I posted here. I am happy to say the mess is gone, and in its place a space I truly want to create in!

Take a moment to 'oooh' and 'aaah' over my table - my wonderful husband made it! The sewing machine sits on a shelf held on with carriage bolts [that made it easy to achieve the perfect height]. I borrowed my mil's extension table [until I save up enough to buy my own] and took off the legs. Sewing with a nice open surface really spoils a girl! It was also built to accommodate a large cutting mat - goodbye 18"x22" cutting mat! [of course I actually throw nothing away, even if I should - the little mat is 7+ years old and I am beginning to see daylight through the back]

My two caddys, one with patterns and one with crafty bits, fit perfectly under the table with a little space on the top for my rotary tools/rulers. I love the 'x' cross beams on the sides of the table. ooh, there is my ikea jules chair - a swivel chair makes it much easier to move from sewing to pressing. And, yes, that is a design wall with a project on it in the background. I used blue insulation board and two layers of white felt to construct it. The lint roller has found a new home in my craft room for cleaning the wall in between projects.

Colorful spools really brighten up the table, and I am surprised how much a $6 investment can save me time. I had a little vintage spool bag, it meant searching through tangled strings with each thread change. I also keep necessities handy: a scrap bowl, a little trash can, pins, basting supplies, bobbins, seam ripper, labels, etc.

Search around flickr and you will come to the conclusion that you simply cannot have a craft room without an expedit bookcase from ikea. Why? Because they are affordable, BIG, and a great storage space for fabric. We actually have two of these in our house and, get this, the other one actually has books on it - go figure!

In this corner I store my scrapbooking supplies in the cupboard on the right and all of my stamping supplies are in/on the green tin. It's actually a holder for flour, sugar, etc. that was my grandma's we found it in one of the outbuildings when we auctioned her farm. Lots of wonderful memories, I am glad I was able to use it somewhere I see almost everyday.

Now my only problem is I really can't spend all day in this space [even though I want to]!

pièce de résistance...

2010-10-22T07:42:00.004-04:00

How very international of me to have a blog post title in French :D I am so excited to FINALLY be able to share my finished wonky log cabin! All quilted up by the wonderful ladies in the quilting group at UCC. I love the finished look - clean, modern, fun, bright.

The quilting is simple and clean - a diagonal grid. The grid on the center is slightly larger than the one used on the border. A quick job of marking with a quilting ruler!

And no bed is complete without a mountain of pillows! These were some of the first pillows I made [and clearly I liked them as I haven't been able to stop making pillows since!]

Best of all, the warm and white batting is so cozy; and that's important as the nights get colder! Sophie definitely approves :D I have to add that, even though this photo looks posed - there is no other photo I could have taken. I tried to take a pic without her in it, but she is a persistent little bug and kept jumping on the bed!

another one bites the dust...

2010-10-13T07:53:00.005-04:00

It's official - I completed another unfinished object [ufo]! Last year I set off on a mission, a brave mission to root through my box of half-finished projects and work on those before starting any new projects.

Happily this lasted for a while until I remembered why I had thrown these projects to the side originally - no longer my taste, ran out of fabric, too tedious, or just plain bored... Perhaps, [and these are the words of a fabric/craft addict for sure] it isn't my fault - it is the blogs, magazines, fabric designers, etc. who flood my world with way too many exciting and inticing projects that I just CAN'T pass up! I press on, though, using the box of neglected and rejected craftiness as my 'go to projects' whenever I need to grab a quick take along craft. But today, today is a good day - this post is about a finish after all :D

Judging by my fabric choices, I put the checkerboards and appliques together about 4 years ago. I pulled them from the ufo abyss, added borders, quilting, backing, and piping... et voila, lovely little pillows [I actually made 2 of them, so yes pillowS].

They turned out well, and I am surprised to see so many elements that are me now as a crafter: little checkerboard, somewhat bright colors, modern tree design. My house is beginning to overflow with pillows, so this little number is in my etsy. [I think my new motto is: a chicken in every pot and a pillow on every chair. Thanks HH :D]

pinnie & pillow love...

2010-10-11T10:05:00.004-04:00

Before the great flickr incident of 2010 [where I accidentally deleted all my flickr photos], I had plans to show you the phenom pillow that I got in the Pillow Talk Swap! So without further ado, here it is:

This pillow was made by the wonderful Louise [she has a primo blog: lululollylegs], she also included some of her own patterns - I am so excited to give them a whirl! The colors are so bright and clear and really stand out on the black and white background. I just l-o-v-e it!

Another round of the Scrappy Pincushion swap has also come to a close, and check out the goods! I am super impressed with Michelle's crochet abilities and the blues and greens are just perfect! Swaps are so fun - I think what I enjoy most is getting in touch with people from across the country and the world! Makes our online community seem a little closer when you get a package in the mail.

Well, back to it - Mondays are super busy days around here, plus I am keeping an extra watchful eye on our little pooch who stole a box of raisins from the trash last night...

pinnie swapping [round 2]...

2010-09-30T13:32:00.000-04:00

Well, my pincushion for the scrappy pincushion swap is officially on its way! As with every swap I participate in, I was overwhelmed with all the options and want to make just the right thing for my partner. I got the book Pretty Little Pincushions from the library - and it was too wonderful, ack! even more options! Recently I have been drawn to the simple 'tomato' style pincushion. They are great for showcasing pretty pins and gorgeous fabric. I focused in on making a little sewing kit!

Fro those who sew alot on the go, this little tube is perfect! The pincushion is attached to the underside of the cap.

Contents: tiny fold-up metal scissors, thimble, white/black thread for repairs, a variety of safety pins, some needles in a scrap of pinked wool, a needle threader in its own little case, a tape measure, and a sampling of white buttons. I made one for myself and it is wonderful for perle cotton or a skein of embroidery floss!

summer swappin'...

2010-09-25T07:30:00.000-04:00

[can you hear the Grease music?] summer swappin' had me a blast, summer swappin' happened so fast... Those of us in the Block Swap 2 are headed into the final stretch, the bee started in January and will end in December. I have really enjoyed tackling new challenges and learning loads of new techniques! My month was August and I fell in love with the New York Beauty blocks that Jennie was making! [check her beauties out here! The tutorials are here] [more details on my blocks when I receive them all]

For July, Cindy wanted to make a color wheel quilt using the Pieced Scrap Border Quilt tutorial over on Red Pepper Quilts. It went together really easy and I love the final look - this will be great once the rainbow of colors is set together!

In September, I got to refine my curved piecing skills with a drunkards path block for Frieda. She sent us over to the Sometimes Crafter tutorial and all the pictures made it super easy to follow.

I love stalking all of the wonderful swaps over on flickr, but am hesitant to commit to 'one more thing' - what swaps do you just love?

in search of + a winner...

2010-09-21T13:54:00.004-04:00

Have you seen this fabric? I am in process with a quilt and am nearing the end of my stash. I have scoured the web and only come up with one site that has it listed. I am not sure that they are in business any more as they have not responded to my emails. So here is my plea: do you know of any Kaffe Fassett Bubbles in Grey GP15?? I am looking for at least a yard - email me if you have some to sell or if you have a source.

Also: I drew a winner for the pillow giveaway! Congrats Nannette, the pillow will soon be traveling to you!

pillow basics: three...

2010-09-18T10:12:00.008-04:00

If you've just tuned in, I have been laying out a few ground rules for making fab pillows and cushions in the Pillow Basics Series. Today will be the final installment [Hurrah!]. I typically finish my pillows with either piping or a traditional quilt binding.

If you are binding your pillow...
Take your 2.5" strips and press it in half so that you have a long 1.25" strip. Layer your pillow with wrong sides together and the binding on top of the front. Sew the strip around the edge of the pillow using a 1/4" seam allowance. [Here is a great tutorial for mitered corners] flip the folded edge of the binding over to the back of the pillow and handstitch in place - yes, handstitching does take a while, but you have a very pro looking end result!

If you want to use piping...
First we are going to make our own piping using the 1.5" strips you cut. I generally use 3/8" cording from JoAnns, but you can choose the thickness you like best. Lay the cording in the center of your fabric strip.

Fold the strip in half around the cording, pin.

I have an ab-fab foot that is made for sewing piping - it has a groove in the center that holds the cording in place. You can make piping this way with a zipper foot as well. I like to set the needle position to as far right as it will go and the stitch length as long as it will go. Begin stitching 1" from the 'start end' [rember when we talked about the selvage in lesson two?]; stitch.

Pin the cording in place along the edge of the top of the pillow. Ease the corners by snipping into the piping. Tuck the end under the 'start end'

Using a wide zig-zag stitch [with the regular sewing foot], sew along the edge of the piping to secure it into place.

Layer the pillow back over the pillow front with right sides together, pin. With the zipper or cording foot attached, move the needle position all the way to the right and then move it back to the left one click. [This will ensure that none of those basting stitches show on your finished pillow] Stitch tightly along the edge of the piping. If you are using a thick fabric for your piping, you may want to switch to a denim needle in this step.

Trim the corners, rounding them to match the piping. Turn. VOILA! You're pillow is finished and ready to spice up your sofa!

This wonky star pillow is up for a new home in my shop!
THERE'S STILL TIME! Don't forget to sign up for the pillow giveaway!! Comment on this post...
ps: If you are enjoying these tutorials, feel free to add my button to your blog :]

beachy keen...

2010-09-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

I am an unabashed purse junkie - all colors, all sizes, all shapes, but never any money to keep inside :D I have been needing [read wanting] a new beach tote for a while now. Pleated bags have been showing up everywhere and I am definitely on the bandwagon! I really liked the Birdie Sling, but that was a bit more bag than I needed and I'm a slacker - Amy Butler patterns are extremely well written, but make me tired around step 37 [she has loads of details and lots of steps in her patterns!]

I modified a tutorial I found on the Warehouse Fabrics website. I changed the pleating pattern and slightly altered the shape. I also wanted to use a big button with a loop - I find that having some type of closure prevents me from accidentally dumping the contents of my purse out at inconvenient times [i.e. in a restaurant, grabbing it out of the backseat of my car, in the movie theater, etc.]

With all the accessories that I carry around - cell phone, ipod, journal, pens, keys - pockets are a must! The tutorial included pockets, but these are my own design [easier when you don't have to follow instructions :]. I used duck cloth for the lining, it gave the bag alot of support and structure.

Sadly, I have no use for a beach bag as we are quickly heading into fall! There are, however, things to rejoice in: football games, chili, baked goods with cinnamon, fresh apples, brisk mornings snuggled in a quilt, and beautiful new colors for the trees.

THERE'S STILL TIME! Don't forget to sign up for the pillow giveaway!! Comment on this post...

the long lost giveaway...

2010-09-10T06:20:00.001-04:00

Don't pass out... the giveaway that I have been telling you about for months now is FINALLY here! What else would I give away on my blog but my current obsession?! Up for grabs is a handmade [of course] pillow.

I used Blush [Basic Gray for Moda] to make a bunch of half square triangles and then set them out in a zig-zag pattern. The pillow is machine quilted for extra durability and has an envelope style back [complete with a handmade pillow form!]. It measures approximately 12.5" square, the perfect size for the back of a chair or front row on your bed! I drew inspiration for this pillow from some previous projects - my snow trails pillow and my pillow talk swap pillow.

Here's the deal:
* Leave a comment [1 entry]
* Become a follower, leave another comment that says that you are following me [1 entry]
* Blog about my giveaway, leave another comment with your blog address [4 entries]

Sweet and simple! I will draw a winner next Saturday, September 18th...

crabby pinnie {the tutorial}...

2010-09-08T11:10:00.002-04:00

Scrappy. Pincushion. Swap. My new favorite swap! I really enjoyed round 1 so I have signed up for round 2 - I think the hardest part is deciding what to make. Last round I made 3 or 4 different pinnies before ending up with crabby {who I think turned out quite nicely}. He is happily living in his new home across the pond. Perhaps you would like a crabby to call your own? Here is a link to his tutorial {I put the pdf up on google docs - PLEASE let me know if you have any trouble accessing it!}.

I would love to see a picture if you make one :D
enjoy.

ties that bind...

2010-09-02T16:18:00.003-04:00

This handy little potholder is just one of the many things I have been binding lately! This was a fun little foray into the world of potholders [I have been seeing them everywhere and had to try my hand at it]. The main panel is a piece of osnaburg that I drew on with a pigma pen, colored with crayons, and then heat set. This has been hanging around the UFO bin for no less than 7 years [yikes!] I actually liked working with the InsulBright batting - I am always a little scared to sew through something that appears to contain metal, but the needle cruised through it! I backed it with a scrap of Arcadia and added a handy little hanger on to the back. [Does anyone how to make the binding loops like on the store bought potholders?]

So lots of binding going on around here - which means lots of finished projects to show you soon! And I haven't forgotten about my promised giveaway - it will be a handmade little number and it is ready for finishing as well!

pleased as punch...

2010-08-29T09:40:00.005-04:00

I am officially back - just 88 posts and 158 re-edited and re-uploaded photos later! What better way to celebrate than a welcome back party! I thought we could start with some punch - so here is a little [quick & easy] recipe for you that I slightly adapted from one I found in Kraft Food and Family magazine. Be on the lookout for more additions to the party this week - including some gifts :D

[click on the picture for a bigger view]

Like the felt party hats? They are available from Modern Lola in stripes & polka dots! The kawaii faces are by iKyr over on deviant art.

PS: this post had to be on the 'picture light' side as I am currently at 99% of my flickr capacity for this month...

Flickr help needed...

2010-07-28T17:32:00.006-04:00

[8/26] ANOTHER UPDATE: Only 3 more posts to bring back to life!! Then some new posts, and a giveaway to celebrate!

UPDATE: My blog is coming back to life [slowly]! I am re-uploading my pictures and working from my oldest posts to my newest. So I hope to be up and running very soon :]

HELP! I accidentally deleted my flickr account :[ I don't think there is much hope for me, but if anyone has any suggestions I'll take them! I tried to change my primary email address and it told me that another flickr user already had that email address - meaning I had 2 flickr accounts, 1 I used and 1 I didn't. Long story, short - I deleted the wrong one!

So sad, now entering a period of mourning...

crabby pinnie...

2010-07-14T19:49:00.005-04:00

I have been dreaming of a tropical vaca and it's showing up in my crafty life! I joined the Scrappy Pincushion Swap over on swap [Thanks Corey for 'forcing' me into another swap!] - it has been so fun to watch the AMAZING ideas people come up with. Today officially ended this round for me - I have both received AND sent my pinnie!

This is crabby - I am really pleased with how he turned out. Swaps are always so much pressure for me. 'Will this be good enough?!?' I am so intimidated by the beautiful things that everyone else creates. My partner seemed to like animal/item shaped pinnies [check] and modern & bright colors [check]. Fingers crossed s/he likes it!! By the way - tutorial for crabby pinnie coming later this week :]

This is the fantastic pinnie I received from Christy. Can you believe all of those gorgeous Heather Ross fabrics?? She also included a seam guide ruler and a couple of great buttons. I really lucked out having her for a swap partner!

gadgets & gizmos...

2010-07-10T21:59:00.003-04:00

I'm a huge Alton Brown fanatic - I'm a little bit of a food science geek :] My degree is in Family and Consumer Science Ed [that is the new name for Home Ec - the curriculum really has changed alot from the '50s, so a name change is somewhat warranted]. In college I loved learning why things cooked, froze, turned into ice cream, caught on fire, etc., etc. Anywho, Alton has a motto when it comes to buying gadgets and gizmos for your kitchen: no one trick ponies. i.e. no avocado slicers or corn butterers, you know those 'must have' kitchen tools that only perform one task. I kinda forget his valuable advice when it comes to crafting tools - and I'm kinda regretting it with this next tool... Anyhow here's a review:

Problem: Making piping that has a perfect quilter's 1/4" seam allowance. I noticed that I was cutting off the points of some of my pillow tops because my piping seam allowance was too large. So I thought, 'Gee, if I could only make a ruler that would have an indent for the piping bump - then I could trim the piping down...'

Gizmo: Simplicity Studio Simpli-EZ Piping Wizard

How it works: Cut a wide strip from your piping fabric [I cut mine 1.5" for 1/4" piping]. Fold the fabric strip over your purchased cording. Using a zipper or cording foot, machine baste the piping. [see the first photo above].

Find the measurement on the ruler that coordinates to the size piping you have. Place the ruler over your piping, cut with your rotary cutter. Slide the ruler as you go.

Bottom line: Great idea, poor design. The piping doesn't fit tightly into the grooves. I ended up with a varied seam allowance anyways because it moved back and forth while I was cutting.

The bigger problem is that because the ruler is so thick, my rotary cutter can't be flush against the side of the plexi-glass. This resulted in several cuts into the ruler - you know those annoying nicks that dull your blade and make the ruler inaccurate.

I wouldn't recommend this product - at this point I am just glad I had a 50% off coupon when I bought it! Have you used this? Do you have a swell 'perfect cording' trick? Do tell...

life in the real world...

2010-07-09T10:00:00.001-04:00

I had to step away from my crafty/online/blogging life to be with a bunch of high school folks I love in my real life! We just got back from an amazing week of Young Life camp - the best week ever if you ask most of our kids. This year we were in Virginia at Rockbridge Alum Springs. Look for crafty posts soon, but for now I am still recovering :]

note: click on the links to learn more about Young Life or Rockbridge

pillow talk swap...

2010-06-24T18:37:00.007-04:00

If you have been following along for a little while, you know that I have been overcome by pillow fever. They are just such quick projects for the wow factor that they provide. Plus they have given me the chance to practice my machine quilting [still nowhere near ready to take on a full size quilt]. I joined the Pillow Talk Swap in round 3, which is currently wrapping up. [WHAT?! you haven't checked out the beauties in that swap? You need to click on over there right now... well finish readin' this post first maybe :]

I didn't realize how much of a challenge this would be. The bar for quality and creativity in this swap is set very, very high. I went through no less than three pillows and zillions of design ideas, before I settled on this pillow. This isn't exactly like any of the pillows in my partners inspiration mosaic, but all of her/his faves seemed geometric and I think this fits the bill.

This block is a combination of different patterns: kaleidoscope [using my new ruler!], coin, and bunches of half square triangles. Fabric used is Blush by Basic Grey for Moda and a white Bella Solid - and a tiny bit of French General. The binding fabric is something from my stash, so I'm not exactly sure of the designer or line.

Hope s/he likes it - I'm super nervous!

pillow basics: two...

2010-06-23T08:00:00.001-04:00

When we last left our pillow, we had basted and quilted our pillow front. A note on the size of your pillow front: for a really full pillow, add 1/2" to your pillow form size; for a more relaxed fit [I prefer this] add 1.5" to your pillow form size.

Now we are going to cut out the rest of the pillow. These instructions are for an envelope style back. I tend to use this method because: a) you can easily remove the pillow form for cleaning or when changing decor; b) it's fairly simple; c) no scratchy zipper.

From your backing fabric cut 2 rectangles. In this equation y = the measurement of one side your pillow [this is for a SQUARE pillow]. Measurement of each rectangle: y" by [(y/2) + 4]" For a rectangular pillow you will have two different side measurements, just plug these into the equation.

Fold one long edge of each rectangle over about 2" and press.

I will show you two methods for finishing the edges of the pillow.If you want to bind the edges like a quilt: cut 2.5" strips the width of the coordinating fabric. If you want to add piping/cording: cut 1.5" strips the width of the coordinating fabric. The amount of strips you will need is determined by the size of your pillow. To be safe I usually add up all of my sides [find the perimeter] and then add 10-12".

Look at the selvage edge of your strips. [A tightly woven edge that runs along both outermost edges of a fabric's lengthwise grain. Selvage edges keep the fabric from fraying.] Generally one of the ends will be printed like the rest of the material i.e. it won't have words or be a different color. If your fabric has fringy edges, carefully cut the fringe off. Using this method will lessen the bulk where your ends meet as you sew around your pillow. If the fabric you are using no longer has a selvage or both ends are printed, just fold one end under [WST] 1/2" and press. This is your 'start' end once we begin adding the binding or cording to the pillow.

Leave the 'start' end alone - go to the other short edge of your strip. Take another strip and lay it perpendicular over the other strip.

Sew at an angle from corner to the other. Trim off extra triangles. Press seam open. Repeat this step until you have one long strip. Using this method as opposed to sewing the strips end to end reduces the bulk.

ps: If you are enjoying these tutorials, feel free to add my button to your blog :]

year one...

2010-06-21T07:30:00.002-04:00

We celebrated our first anniversary yesterday - it is hard to believe 365 days and all four seasons have gone by already! Many have asked what has been most difficult, what we have learned about one another, and what annoying habits have been discovered. I have no real answer for these questions, we dated for a very long time and knew each other pretty well before we got married. Certainly we grew together over the past year, but there have been no major hiccups or aha moments - it has been a wonderful year for us :]

I wanted to share some wedding cake pictures. I made the topper myself, and it turned out to be the jewel of the wedding decorations, certainly my favorite thing. Recently, I finally threw away the five or so 'test birds' that were in various stages of completion. For being only inches tall, they certainly took quite a bit of work!

I used several pieces of vintage lace and trim that came from my grandparents attic. Nearly everything is made from scratch: the top hat from cardstock and glitter, the birds are entirely hand sewn, the legs are wire wrapped in strips of papier mache and then painted, the beaks are a sharpened dowels that have been painted... lots of work, but great results :]

The cake is vanilla with layers of raspberry cream, made by Camelot Cakes. She is a wonderful baker and decorator. Aren't the flowers lovely? The fondent 'branches' are great touches.

On Sunday we unwrapped our cake topper. Layers and layers of aluminum foil and saran wrap inside and outside of a Tupperware cake saver. I'm happy to report that it was just as delicious as June 20, 2009 :]

Still to come this week:
* Pillow Basics #2
* Pillow Talk Swap Wrap-Up

disappearing june...

2010-06-11T12:41:00.003-04:00

Who finished their swap block in the first half of the month? [hand raises] It's me. It's me! The rest of this month is going to be gone in the blink of an eye, so I thought it best to get Leslie's little block on its way. This was an easy-peasy month - she sent nine 5" squares and asked for a disappearing nine patch. This was my first try at these and I think it has become a new fave. [tutorial for disappearing 9s] I have a charm pack that 'needs' to be used. I love how people have used solid fabrics to make the finished quilt look like it has sashing. Here's an example of what I mean.

I finally closed in on my design for the Pillow Swap - let's just say lots of half square triangles in the works!

the loo...

2010-06-09T17:20:00.005-04:00

Yes, I did have to google 'names for bathrooms' to find the correct spelling for loo [formerly I thought it was like 'in lieu of']. We have several friends, both online and the neighborly kind, that make handmade soaps. I really love how clean they get your hands without being harsh on your skin. I was, however, tired of cleaning soap gunk off of the sides of the sink and also a little tired of having the soap slip into the sink bowl. Then I remembered this post, which links to another post, which references a tutorial found here about a dish drying towel made from old bath towels. [there's another tutorial here] In a few frenzied minutes of cutting and stitching had this:

Very, very simple:
1. cut 2 - 4.5" x 5.5" rectangles [one from a quilters weight cotton and one from a towel]
2. with right sides together, sew the two pieces together. leave a small opening on one side.
3. turn, press, sew a scant 1/4" along each side. quilt as desired [I used a 1.5" grid pattern]

I also wanted to share a space saving little number that I made for my jewelry. Again, not my idea - it's just an old frame that I painted white and stapled screen to. Little bent wire hooks hold things in place.

I need to make new curtains for the bathroom as well... another project for another day...

pillow basics: the series...

2010-06-08T13:32:00.004-04:00

My obsession with pillows has led a couple of people to ask if I have any tips or a basic tutorial. I love to share and teach, so over the next few weeks you can watch as I put together a pillow with step by step instructions. There is nothing new or amazing with my instructions - just things I have picked up along the way or have found to be time saving. [after all, pillows aren't exactly a new thing] I created a button that you can add to your blog it's on the right sidebar -->

Step #1
I usually use a pieced or appliqued top, so that needs to be finished first. note: squares work best as the majority of pillow forms are square and come in 2" increments [i.e. 10", 12", 14", etc.]

Take your finished pillow front and lay it over a slightly larger piece of cotton batting. Smooth it out flat, then pin baste. [here is a tool I use that helps this process along] I do not find it necessary to add another fabric layer to this sandwich because when I wash my pillow cases I simply safety pin the back of the pillow to the front.

Machine or hand quilt however you would like. If you machine quilt, trim the threads on the back as you start and stop sewing, but leave the ones on the front long.

After quilting, remove the basting pins. Now, take a needle and thread it with one of the loose threads on the pillow top. One at a time, bring each of these threads through the stitching line to the back. This leaves you with a nice top - no little tiny thread-ends sticking out.

Trim the excess batting so that it is even with the pillow front.

WOW - I bet you are so excited for step #2 - it's coming soon...

spring block swappin'...

2010-06-07T10:53:00.004-04:00

Well April may not have had the whole lion/lamb scenario happening, but May certainly did! May ended and June began with terrential rain storms and on Saturday we were visited by a tornado! Many folks near us had shingles torn off their homes, trees uprooted, and flooded basements. We were lucky with only 'secondary damage.' You may be wondering what I mean by secondary damage... Living in small town America means that a tornado is the talk of the town - and yes, that means you have to go drive by it [and not watch where you are driving]. So as I was stopped behind someone turning left, the person behind me rear ended me. Apparently watching people pull a giant tarp over their house was the thing to look out for. No major damage that I know of - we will probably take the car to get checked out at the dealership to make sure that is the case. Nothing says Sunday like hanging out on the side of the road with our friendly neighborhood police officer :] storm details

On a friendlier note, we had some little visitors in our yard the other day! Three little birdies were scattered around our yard last Tuesday. Momma bird was responding to their tweets, carrying worms around to each one of them.

Oooh, look - something crafty on a craft blog :] Mary sent us on an adventure, this was my first attempt at foundation piecing. She provided the fabric and the printed muslin squares. I was able to finish 1 1/2 blocks, it was fun to learn but I still struggle with choosing the right size fabric piece to use.

p.s. still looking for a couple of testers for my sewing machine cover tutorial - any takers?

still alive and crafty...

2010-05-27T08:56:00.005-04:00

Yep, I'm still here. During my first year in the blogosphere, I have definitely noticed some spring/summer trends. There is a sense of remorse and abandonment when nearly a month goes by and my blog has gone untouched. I am consoled when I check in with google reader and see the multitude of post titles with sentiments like 'I'm back,' 'missing in action,' 'sorry it has been so long,' etc. It looks like the spring and early summer months are universally busy, and my life is certainly no exception. Regardless, I have managed to eek out a few projects that I hope to share with you soon [even some UFOs - imagine that!]

For now, I'll share with you my swap blocks for April [no worries - they were finished and sent long before this post, in fact my May blocks are posted at this point] Jennie requested blocks using Riley Blake's All Star fabric. We were given creative control over the design with the only requirement being the block would be 9" finished. This was my first wonky star attempt - I really enjoyed it! I have already made nearly 20 stars since this one. Super easy following the tutorial over at The Silly BooDilly.

This was a wonderful opportunity to hone my skills with the kaleidoruler I recently purchased. I love these blocks and I am finally getting the hang of this ruler and the ABSOLUTE need for cutting accuracy [I'm afraid I've grown far to fond of the 'wonky-modern' process :]

What has been keeping you consumed this spring? Any projects coming together for you? I'd love to hear :]

note: I am looking for a couple of people to test out my sewing machine cover tutorial. Anyone interested? It's my first full on tute and I want to make sure it's accurate and clear.

pretty penny...

2010-04-20T08:00:00.001-04:00

I am back on the unfinished object [ufo] bandwagon! Over the weekend I chalked one up on the finished list. A long time ago in a place far away I made these pansies out of hand dyed wool. [seriously a long time ago; like 7 years ago!] I rediscovered them while sorting the massive pile of UFOs. I put it into the 'this doesn't have too much work left on it' stack.

Anywho, I had 4 pink and 4 purple pansies finished and out of those I made one large penny rug and two small penny mats. I love the coffee colored wool next to the purple and pink.

The small mats would be perfect on a table or even for a trivet. the original plan was to stitch 4 flowers along the edges of each of these mats. Ultimately I thought it looked to crowded - one per mat really helps the pansy to standout.

Are you working on any ufos right now? Would love to hear about your progress :]

pink + blue + patchwork...

2010-04-14T14:00:00.002-04:00

Surprise, I made a few more pillows. I'm sure that you hope to stop by here and see something different, but right now I am enjoying cushion making. I just love them - I can be creative, try out new ideas, but not be committed to a full size quilt. It also allows me to continue honing my skills as a machine quilter.

I am still working through some of my stash [hopefully back to the ufo challenge soon!] These panels were the remainder from a baby quilt I made for a friend. The fabric is from the line Simply Baby by Windham Fabrics. The blue one took quite awhile to complete with it's little checkered border, but it is probably my favorite of the three. I tried out a new-to-me finishing technique for the pink bear pillow. It's so simple - the pillow top and back are layered wrong sides together and then it's bound just like a quilt! I really like the clean lines you can get with this method; nice square edges! Need one for your nursery or a baby shower? All three are hanging out in my etsy shop :]

a change of season...

2010-04-07T11:00:00.003-04:00

Spring has finally decided to show up, and it seems as though we may have skipped right into summer - it was in the 80s this past week! I think that the last of the winter decorations has finally made its way up to the attic. [how is it that there is always one snowman lurking around after you have lugged the last box upstairs?!]

I took some time to re-purpose some centerpieces we made for the Young Life banquet. This is a really simple project. You need: a clay pot [painted or unpainted, these were left from my wedding!], floral foam, newspaper, moss, a tree branch, and some trimmings. The foam is nestled in the clay pot, then surrounded by crumpled newspaper to hold it tightly in place. Insert tree branch, cover base with moss, decorate tree.

These tiny mushroom birds are perfect, I think. I couldn't resist them at the craft store. I like that they add little splashes of color to the project.

My garden gnome [on sale from JoAnn Fabrics!] keeps watch over the tree and his feathered friends. Gnomes are really everywhere, aren't they? It seems they are no longer relegated to 'pink flamingo' status, but are now posh and modern :] Do you have a gnome lurking about?

spring trading post...

2010-04-05T07:40:00.003-04:00

I am kinda hooked on swaps - it is so exciting to send off a special gift to someone that you've never met. [and then to wait for the mailman to come each day :] I like researching; checking out their blog and flickr photostream - finding out what they gravitate towards. The ORBC quilting group is in the middle of a May swap, and here is what I sent off to parts unknown:

I really enjoy re-purposing vintage items. I used a raw edge applique technique to bring this tea towel back to life.

I also sent along a set of six Hunky Dory prints by Moda. Hope she enjoys :]

block party...

2010-04-03T14:02:00.008-04:00

Can it really be April already? Didn't 2010 just begin? I'm not sure where the time goes, but it certainly does go by quickly. March was Carin's month for the block swap. We are both avid followers of the Oh, Fransson! blog - which you simply must peruse if you have not been there! Elizabeth offers up a variety of fabulous tutorials [in addition to some for-sale patterns]. Carin asked each of us to make a block using the 'Map of the States' tutorial. The process was a little time intensive, but I liked the finished product.

While I had the waxed paper out, I decided to try my hand at a block using my stash. I think it turned out pretty well - and SURPRISE it's a pillow now . [YES, the obsession continues]

I have a tiny bit of this Japanese print left in my stash - I love that I could use it as a focus fabric is in this project.

I am enjoying playing around with machine quilting. I am certainly not ready to take on a larger project, but making quilted pillow tops is fun for the time being!
This pillow is looking for a home in my etsy shop.

how 'bout that...

2010-03-31T18:35:00.003-04:00

Dear Internet,
Please excuse Heidi from blogging because [reason for absence]: life happened. Her homework and additional studies will be made up before she returns.
Signed, Dr. WhoCanDoItAllIn24Hours?

I shall return, my friends, with more posts, more pictures, more projects, and more progress. [this post brought to you by the letter 'P'] Seeing the sun shining puts me in the mood for a giveaway...

wild thyme on the couch...

2010-03-15T15:05:00.005-04:00

Did I mention my current obsession with pillows?! I think so. Here is the latest addition to my collection. Our couch needed some sprucing up, a combination of reasons really: bought from value city + 7 years old + light beige + a little dog who has claimed a section for her own + hundreds of kids who like to 'wrestle' [not at one time, that would seriously mess up the couch] = a tired, slightly dingy sofa. Oh yes, we have steam cleaned it and that helps [some]. Anyhow - what can bring a couch back to life better than a throw pillow?!

The center square is Wild Thyme by Carolyn Gavin and the border is a cotton linen. I am way in love with the Wild Thyme line. I didn't realize how in love until I found an eco*jot journal I bought a year ago with the same pattern on it! I layered the completed top with warm and natural batting and machine quilted a grid onto it. The process went fairly smoothly; it took a long time to tuck in all of the start and stop threads. [I just threaded the threads into a needle and pulled them through to the back]

Again with the piping. It takes a million years and a billion pins, but I think it looks really spiffy when it's all said and done!

I kinda went crazy and made five of these pillows. I only need two for my couch, so you can have a Wild Thyme of your own over at my etsy! [haha - it's a pun :]

ooh! a free camera...

2010-03-13T07:57:00.003-05:00

short and simple: if you were ever going to enter a giveaway, this is the one you want to enter! Alexis Miller's Photography Tips is giving away a very gently used Nikon D80. Also, her blog is definitely worth a peek :]

one. two. tree...

2010-03-08T15:23:00.007-05:00

Is it really March? No, it can't be - it was just January! My life in the spring is chaotic and overwhelming. Crafting and blogging are two of my sanity savers and it has been hard to get either of them into my schedule lately. [so, basically, I'm without sanity = crazy] I shared my block for the February swap with you here. I liked the challenge of being able to design my own tree and worked on several variations before deciding to send the one I did. I decided to turn the blocks that stayed with me into pillows [my current obsession :]

::tree #1::
This is my first attempt at needle sketching - I drew the pattern onto white duck cloth, then stitched over it with black thread, twice. I like the sketchiness of it [my mil said it 'looks french' which is good :] I raided my scrap box for the leaves and the little patchwork border. This guy is available in my etsy shop.

::tree #2::
This is like the primitive relative of tree #1.

The tree and the leaves are hand-stitched [I used a buttonhole stitch for the leaves]. Then I coffee stained the center panel. I already have a home in mind for this pillow.

Overall I really like how they turned out - I got to use my piping/cording foot and add my twill tape labels to them. They both have envelope style closures so that the pillow form can easily be removed.

note: can we say 'HELLO SUNSHINE!!' Finally the sun has seen fit to shine on Ohio and I am lovin' it! yeah vitamin d [I love when people talk about how hard the winter is because they don't get enough vitamin d from the sun - while I will give you that the sun is a source of vitamin d, the average Ohioan can stand outside all day even in the summer and still not get the amount of vitamin d that the body needs]

cold day / warm soup...

2010-02-23T10:09:00.007-05:00

I haven't shared a recipe lately, so I thought this might be a good time of year to share a hearty soup. This is super simple [my favorite kind of recipe] and involves few pots and pans [can it get any better] and it is almost better the next day as leftovers [don't pass out on me :] Our oh-so generous boss has given us a turkey breast for Thanksgiving the last several years and this is a wonderful way to use it. You can use cooked chicken, I'm sure it would be just as scrumptious! The hubby says that you know a soup is good when it prominently features 'exploded rice' - the rice is dropped into boiling water and then simmers for a long time, when it soaks up all that broth it... well... explodes for lack of a more culinary word.
Without more wordiness, here is the recipe:
Turkey [or Chicken] and Rice Soup
makes 12 cups

:ingredients:
2 c turkey or chicken, cooked & cubed
1 c carrots, chopped
1 c celery, chopped
1/2 c onion, diced
2 Tbsp dried parsley
3 Tbsp chicken bouillon [if using cubes, enough for 10 c water]
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
3/4 c rice
10 c water

:directions:
Bring water to a boil; add bouillon
Put all other ingredients in; bring to a boil
Cover & simmer for 45 minutes

note: this soup works wonders to combat the bajillion inches of snow we have seen this winter in Ohio [and the rest of the northeast]

swappy...

2010-02-22T16:17:00.005-05:00

Finally finished with my February swap block! Melissa asked for a machine appliqued tree block similar to the cluck. cluck. sew. tutorial. I auditioned alot of designs to try and incorporate a little bit of me into the design. I actually drew this pattern out with my tablet [getting a little better at drawing on my computer, yea for me!] She sent along steam-a-seam 2 and I LOVED working with it :] Because of the tackiness of the adhesive, you could play around with where you wanted your pieces until you ironed it to make it permanent. Another plus was that it was much easier to take the backing paper off of the fabric without removing the adhesive in the process - I end up with alot more frayed edges when I use wonder under. I think with my next JoAnn's coupon I might experiment with it some more!

Oh, by the way: you MUST check out the giveaway over at a la mode fabric :] she is a little crazy and it is showing up in what she is voluntarily giving away!

the intersection of craft and theology...

2010-02-16T08:43:00.005-05:00

Just a quick post here today - I am still diligently working on Berni's tutorial [kind of excited about it too], but life has gotten in the way of craftiness again. I am finishing up some papers for a seminary course I'm taking. One chapter of the book deals with addiction and here is the line that caught my eye:

"Also on the growing list [of addictions] are shopping, religion, exercise, video games, money, and going to the movies. One writer who follows the trends in fashionable dependencies cites a confession in Pittsburgh of a 'sewing or fabric addiction.'" -C. Plantinga

Just something for all of us with those stacks of fabric resting in closets, on floors, in cupboards, and in our dreams :] The little plaster plaque hangs on my design board in my craft room, it was my grandma's. A little reminder for life inside and outside of the four walls of my studio.

"wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong,learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." -Isaiah 1:16-17

berni's new digs...

2010-02-12T08:15:00.003-05:00

Ever since Berni got back from her day at the spa, she has really turned into quite the diva - requesting her cover on when she isn't in use, the diligent use of the little dust brush she came with, and even demanding the use of a denim needle when sewing through 8 layers of fabric and a layer of peltex stabilizer. She has been sewing like a pro, so I can't complain. She has been content with the plain-jane vinyl, generic, red and white cover she came with for her whole life. The girls over on the ORBC discussion board started chatting it up about making new covers shortly before Christmas. I am proud to say that Berni is now sporting new digs - featuring some really lovely fabrics by Art Gallery [lining], Amy Butler [main panels and sides], and even some designed by the hub's mom, Marlene [polka dots on the pockets]!

I came up with the pattern on my own, modeling it after her plain-jane original. It's completely lined and has an opening for the handle. [most of the patterns/tutorials I found online left out this important detail!]

I am a little impressed with myself - I printed out the logo for Bernina, transferred it onto wonder under, ironed it on, then free-form outlined each of the letters with the machine. I am not real adventurous with machine applique, but this was fun and easy and turned out like I envisioned.

The back shows off my love for those ticker tape quilts that have [seemingly] been showing up ALL over Flickr and the blogosphere - I would love to do a bed sized quilt with all my scraps, but haven't found the time or energy to take on this pursuit [yet!] Really they're everywhere: here, here, here, here, and even here...

Look for a tutorial for the cover coming to a post near you!

napping at the zoo...

2010-02-10T15:10:00.001-05:00

I am excited to share with you a FINISHED ufo! Can you believe it?! Last summer I pledged [well, sorta - maybe hoped is a better word] to finish work on my massive stack of unfinished objects before begining anything new. So... I definitely have started new projects since this summer, but I am still steadily working through lots and lots of un-done craftiness.

This blankie was started a several years ago for a baby who no longer needs a baby blanket. It's pretty simple: I just fussy cut the animal blocks and added borders around a teal flannel center. This is the point where progress stopped. Time at the 'zoo' stood still. It was really tough to pick it back up - how do you make that project that has been lying around [I've looked at it a million times] exciting and new? I decided to back it with some oh-so-soft baby lime green fleece and incorporate knotting and some long stitch quilting using perle cotton. I think the finished project is a very cuddly one. As an added bonus, finishing this project required not one trip to the fabric store - binding, backing, and perle cotton were all located using my stash.

Seeing as the intended recipient isn't in need of a baby blanket, it is in my etsy for another tot to try napping at the zoo :]

snowy zig-zag...

2010-02-07T10:00:00.005-05:00

I apologize for my absence here on the world wide web - life moves as an incredibly fast pace [moving faster some months than others]. My crafty pace has not slowed terribly, however. I have been busy, unfortunately very few of those projects are anywhere near finished. I prefer to share only 'done' craftiness with you so that you don't get bored looking at the same colors, patterns, techniques, etc. for weeks at a time.

As some of you may know, I closed my eyes, crossed my fingers, and dove into the wonderful world of online quilting this past summer. I joined the Old Red Barn Quilt Along over on Flickr and finished the top for my wonky log cabin quilt [it's in line at the church to be put on the quilting frame - but it will have to wait until this summer!] Wonky was round 3; zig-zags were round 2. I have been so tempted to try zig-zagging, but the occasion never presented itself... until now! I am working on a little quilty project [to be seen later] that featured pinwheels. I ended up with quite a few leftover 3.5" squares - which I turned into half square triangles. And then inspiration struck... and this zig-zag pillow was the result [I'm calling it snow trails]. Half square triangles are like the cheese of the quilt world - you can add them to anything and organize them in so many ways - oh the versatility!

So I made the back envelope style - I always like that you can remove the pillow form and replace it if the need arises. [plus - there's one of my little tags! yea!] The pillow is currently hanging out in my etsy shop.

I hope you're digging your way out of the snow if you are reading this in the northeastern US! [and bracing yourself for more of the white stuff :]

berni & row...

2010-01-26T08:41:00.001-05:00

This post is dedicated to my two beloved friends, Berni and Row. Berni and I have been friends since 2001, while Row and I just met in June. Row is a slick piece of quilting and crafting necessity. I truly enjoy ironing now that my Dollar General-$10-Proctor/Silex-goo encrusted-leaky iron has been kicked to the curb. Lovely Jordan was SO kind to gift Row to me as a wedding present.

Berni and I have whipped up more than a few projects together. Recently she got a new foot - 12c to be exact. Now [hopefully] I can make pretty pillow cordings with ease! I never can sew close enough to the cord when I use my zipper foot. Incidentally, when I was paying for the foot at Chestnut Ridge Sewing, I thought to ask the kind sales lady if they did cleanings for the machines. As the words, 'There is really nothing wrong with it, but I have had it for about 10 years' slipped out of my mouth, she cringed, 'You've not had it cleaned?' I told her of my diligent use of the tiny brush that came with my machine, but that was not sufficient. Apparently one should have their sewing machine cleaned once a year as opposed to once a decade. Berni recently got back from a day at the spa and is good as new :]

make your mark...

2010-01-24T12:50:00.002-05:00

For a while now I have been experimenting with labels for quilts and other sewing projects. When I was in college, I was priveleged to hear from a quilt historian. She came with boxes filled with quilts and each of those quilts had a story to tell. Some of them were silent - little was known about who made them or when. I think it is important to make your mark, to think of each project [especially quilts] as a potential heirloom.

There are ALOT of ideas out there on how to make labels or where to buy labels [I'll add a few links at the end of this post]. The web is getting way too crafty :] Here are a few samples I came up with recently along with brief how-to's for each one:

Label #1: inkjet fabric
This label is for my ORBC quilt back. I love the way it turned out. I am an unabashed photoshop fan - this project was no exception.
1. To make the label, I went online and got the fabric card [pdf file with all of the fabrics] for the Moda Blossom line.
2. I opened the pdf file in photoshop and copied and pasted the design elements that I liked in the fabric card into a new document. I have a tablet and that made it super easy to 'cut out' the flower and such.
3. I added my initials, the date, and other info to the label.
4. Print onto inkjet fabric. [I got a roll of it at JoAnn Fabrics; it's great, you can cut it to any size you want! The link is to the product I used, couldn't find it on JoAnn's site]
5. Follow the fabric instructions: for mine, that meant letting the ink set for 15 minutes, removing the paper, and then rinse with cool water.

Voila, you're a fabric designer! I did a sample and put it through the washer and dryer, the color stayed with no noticeable fading.

Label #2: twill tape tags
Super simple to make: I bought a couple of sizes of twill tape [or rug binding], picked out some stamps, and, most importantly, purchased a fabric stamp pad.
1. Cut twill tape to desired length; fold in half.
2. Stamp, stamp, stamp
3. Heat set on high [I used steam]

Label #3: stamped fabric
Okay, enough with the steps: stamp on your fabric using the fabric ink, heat set.

Here are some other resources for labeling your quilts:
Iron-On Transfer Tags
Custom Manufactured Labels
Fabric Paint Stamp Pad [note: this is a great method for larger stamps, not so great for stamps with small, fine details]

Do you label your projects? How do you do it?

when craft rooms go bad...

2010-01-22T10:52:00.007-05:00

Can someone come over and dig me out? Even Sophie looks frightened! It's a sad, sad thing when a good room goes bad... I have made some progress since this photo was taken, but am in desperate need of a craft room overhaul. I L-O-V-E to work in a clean and tidy room, it just doesn't stay that way very long. I am a saver, a clutterbug, I like to keep things for the 'what ifs' in life. This predisposition doesn't mix well in a room with little storage space [or maybe too many crafting supplies]. I have one closet which is helpful, but shelving is at a premium, and because the walls are plaster, putting shelving up that can hold any weight is nearly impossible. It seems like everyone around me is remodeling, and I am jealous ;] I want something sleeker and more streamlined - and something very budget friendly. I am liking the idea of a long table in the middle of the room [kinda classroom style]. My dreams are not of Fabio riding a horse on the beach, but of sewing a quilt together without knocking everything off my table. And of course said table would be customized so that my sewing machine could sit down in, level with the table top.

What do your crafty rooms look like? Have you seen one on the web you love? Any suggestions 150% appreciated!

hitchin' a ride...

2010-01-19T10:11:00.003-05:00

This little guy is one of my favorite winter creations. I made him using a pattern from Sassafras Hill Primitives. He is made out of warm and natural batting, then stuffed, then painted. A pretty easy-peasy project, just a little time consuming [and I'm a mess when it comes to painting anything].

He looks alot happier than the muddy melting snow outside my window. From what I hear, though, winter is far from over [snow is predicted in the near future]...

building blocks...

2010-01-15T14:13:00.005-05:00

This is my first official contribution to a block swap! I was persuaded [it didn't take much] to join in the fun of a swap - and so far, one month in, it has been great. This month's block was for Hope from Going Sew Crazy, she sent some lovely strips of fabric, many from the Be Merry line by Riley Blake and a coordinating linen. I hadn't made a string block before, but it went together like a charm. [I used the Film in the Fridge tutorial] I hope she enjoys it; can't wait for February!

note: i'm not sure I could have fit more links in this short post :)

there's those wise guys...

2010-01-09T23:58:00.001-05:00

Did you know that the wise men finally arrived? January 6th [twelve days after Christmas] is considered old Christmas or Epiphany. Biblically the wise men didn't make it to Bethlehem for some time after Jesus birthday. Old Christmas marks this occasion. I thought that this week would be a time to show off my sweet nativity set. Love it...

The set clearly has a modern, clean look - but I do love the very stylistically different manger! [yep, I picked that baby up at a thrift store :] Derrick is still unsure that the figures 'match' the stable.

Love it...

winter makes me wonder-land...

2010-01-08T08:31:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to let y'all know [I'm now totally southern :] that it is SNOWING in Georgia right now. Like, inches of snow snowing. I really thought that going to the south meant that it would be warmer, but no dice. I opted to save space in my luggage by not packing my winter coat, b i g mistake, so I am stuck with my zip-up fleece jacket. I really liked this pic, Iucked out at an estate sale and scored these sweet vintage deer ornaments [one is blue and two are gold].

Back out to the snowglobe...

yummy in my tummy...

2010-01-07T10:00:00.001-05:00

This year’s all-gals Christmas party was a hit – Jordan and I served up a yummy dinner. I love these little muffins/biscuits. They are made using a slightly altered version of a recipe in the Kitchen Aid cookbook that came with my stand mixer. Thought I’d share…

Cheddar Herb Muffins
Yields: 24 mini muffins or 12 regular muffins
• 1 C buttermilk
• 1/3 C butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 C flour
• 1 C shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp thyme
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
→ Place buttermilk, butter, and eggs in mixer bowl. Mix on medium speed for one minute. Stop and scrape bowl. Combine flour, cheese, sugar, baking powder, herbs, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Turn to low speed and add flour mixture, mixing just until moistened, about 30 seconds. Be careful not to overbeat.
→ Fill greased muffin pans 2/3 full. Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm.

yum.

leavin' on a jet plane...

2010-01-05T05:00:00.004-05:00

"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go, I'm standin' here outside your door..." oh, excuse my Armageddon moment... But really, I'm off to Georgia. [to sit and listen to a professor for 8hours/day] The pic is some vintage Samsonite luggage that belonged to my Grandma & Grandpa - instead of clothes, they're filled with fabric :) The Moravian paper stars are so fun. My templates came from a very old homemaker magazine [not really a magazine; more like copies made on construction paper bound with staples] but I'm sure you could find a tutorial somewhere on the world wide interweb. First you make a bajillion sided base out of cardstock, then you make the points. The points have tabs so that they can be glued on to the base. The top star is made with vintage Christmas cards, the lower one with old sheet music. They make quite the statement, but are incredibly time consuming.

note: I have a few posts up my sleeves for while I'm away so keep your eyes open...
note #2: I am very honored to be featured on ModgePodge Rocks today!!! My little file cabinet, all grown up and famous!!

okay... also - this was supposed to post yesterday, but I have been having some technical difficulties with the wireless internet here...

up, up, & away...

2010-01-04T08:32:00.002-05:00

I really should be finishing my assignments… but I wanted to show you my little travel wallet!

In January I will be flying to Georgia for a training intensive (basically a graduate level course in a week - yikes!) I saw this pattern in the spring 2009 issue of Stitch magazine – which is fabulous btw, even if it is a little on the pricey side.

Made from wool felt, there is a place for a license, passport, and e-ticket. I love the plane! I added the button and elastic loop – it makes me feel safer carrying my ID through the airport. My only regret is that I should have used a heavier interfacing. I thought two layers of felt (unwashed) fused together with wonder under would be enough, but it’s still a little on the weak side. I’m excited to use my handy-dandy travel companion! Maybe I’ll even get my luggage tags finished before I go…

note: this was a ufo (unfinished object) – so excited to scratch it off the list!

shiny new year...

2010-01-02T17:56:00.010-05:00

Where-oh-where has 2009 gone? It is strange to think that we are already on day #2 of 2010. I hope that last year brought you many blessings and this year brings much hope! I have several new things to post soon [2010 looks like it's going to be a busy year]

Haven't had enough Rankin and Bass stop motion this holiday season?! Check out the classic Rudolph's Shiny New Year [youtube link] Gosh I love these classics!

little christmas elf...

2009-12-28T19:16:00.006-05:00

Here she is - the newest woodland elf: Serenity! I loved making this little hat for her - I think it's the bees knees. The hat is from the book bend-the-rules Sewing - it combines some of my favorite elements: quick, easy, and so darn cute.

Initially, as a 100% wool purest, I had my doubts about wool felt. While I still won't be making any heirloom pieces with it, I have grown quite fond of the material. It's great when you need something sturdy without the aid of a stabilizer or interfacing. I was excited about how well the flower turned out. It's one of my few attempts at machine applique (I'm a hand stitcher) and I made the wee pom-pom in the center.

ahem... yesss... it is a little big for miss Serenity's head - but hey, the only model I had was Sophie :) She looks pretty swell in it too!

You'll have to excuse all of the camera shake. I really don't like to use the flash (it just looks too harsh even with some photoshop help).

christmas in the kitchen...

2009-12-26T22:38:00.004-05:00

At our house the holiday decorations stick around until at LEAST New Year's Day. I think if we can start listening to Christmas music on November 25th, we can keep listening and looking at pretty ornaments beyond Christmas day. This past summer Derrick and I put up some shelves in the kitchen. The boards are from an old barn we tore down at my grandma's farm before the auction. I painted them with a light coat of white paint and we put them over an antique cupboard - we call it our hutch. (this is where our little village of houses is this year)

I l.o.v.e. my feather tree and snow-head ornaments! The gingerbread guy was a wonderful handmade ornament from Marlene - I see him alot during the day as he is right next to the cookies :)

up on the roof top...

2009-12-23T12:24:00.008-05:00

Looks like no snow again today, I am still hoping against hope for a white Christmas and NOT the rainy-green one that is predicted. Oh well, the inside of the house is still lookin' pretty cheery. Last year Derrick and I started making these little 'putz' houses. The history of putz houses is really neat, I'll leave explaining it to the experts.

We like working on them - he is the architect, tracing the house outlines and wielding an exacto knife, and I am the decorator adding all the little embellishments and glitter. They are incredibly time consuming for such a little house. This year I put them on our 'hutch' (well, it's a cupboard with shelves above it, kinda like a hutch).

Looking through the window of this house, you can see a picture of my mom as a little girl sitting next to their tree with a Christmas village nestled underneath.

My little hand-dyed trees worked out beautifully! I use vellum for the windows - I think it lets the perfect amount of light through.

This year we made time to put together three houses - two for others and one to add to our little collection. (the one in the picture above lives with us now :)

"A merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night..."

the dog ate my christmas tree...

2009-12-22T18:35:00.012-05:00

Well, fortunately she wasn't able to devour the entire tree. We thought we would be really tricky and only put vintage plastic bulbs on the lowest branches... all except for one gold bulb apparently. Which coincidentally happens to be the one Sophia knocked off the tree. Seeing the sparkle and shine of a ball falling through the air, she had no choice but to attack it, and crack went the Christmas bulb. Luckily, no glass shards were ingested (phew!) I should mention this was in the middle of our dinner service at last nights Christmas party. Never a dull moment...

So here are a few more snaps of our tree since yesterday I talked about our tree but didn't get around to showing it to you.

Here is a close-up of my improvised tree topper. I've noticed that the latest trend is to have greens sprouting out of the top of your tree - and I love the look. So I took some shiny, glittery stems that complimented the ornaments and wired them to the top bough. Then I covered the top 'branch' with one of the vintage bulbs (I just took the hanger part off). I think it's fun.

See that snazzy gold bulb at the bottom? Rest in peace little gold bulb...
Hope your holiday decorating is going great - only a few days left!

I'll leave you with a special holiday treat from Late Night with Conan. (yes. I do realize that this clip is not remotely related to anything crafty. You never know, a good laugh could give you energy to go and finish those last handmade gifts.)

beginning to look alot like christmas...

2009-12-21T07:36:00.002-05:00

Okay, so it isn't an original title for a blog post this time of year - but it is very appropriate. With a week left, we finally got our decorations out and our Christmas tree put up. Who knew all it would take is a little snow to get me in the holiday spirit?! This week I hope to show you a little peek into our home in all of it's winter glory.

Sunday night we put the tree up. Normally our little tiny Charlie Brown-ish tree is plastered with all of our childhood ornaments. This year (especially since we were so late) we went simple; just using vintage bulbs. They're a mixed lot of my grandma's bulbs and thrift store finds.

One of the boxes we opened had no metal hooks - so we improvised with some wire. (note: this paddle wire is perfect for crafting hooks, if you snip the wire in the center of the flat sides, the bends in the wire are perfect for making a loop on each end)

I'm off for a busy day of prepping for our Christmas party tonight (and watching the snow out the window :)

they're available...

2009-12-18T20:26:00.004-05:00

Added a few last minute holiday items to ye olde etsy shoppe...

pink & blue hand-dyed trees

4" & 5" plain trees (ready for you to hand-dye them :)

springy snowman

is it snowing in here or is it just me...

2009-12-16T18:20:00.003-05:00

Shhh... don't tell, but this little guy might end up being someone's Christmas gift! The inspiration for this project came from the rusty spring. When we cleaned out my grandma's farm for the auction there was a HUGE pile of scrap metal (which actually was one of the more profitable items at the auction - who knew?!) Amongst the rubble were a bunch of old bed springs. I knew I had to do something with them, I just wasn't sure what. This snowman is a compiliation of a pattern I saw for a much smaller snowman head and my own creativity. I think he turned out pretty swell.

He is mostly made of muslin that is painted after sewing (his head, hat, and holly leaves). His nose is a painted 'twistie pod' - and no, I'm not exactly sure what a twistie pod is except to say that it is some kind of natural element that is intended for snowman noses. I love his scarf - a coveted piece of Westfalenstoffe fabric that has been in my stash for quite some time.

My most favorite part is the little red bird - he started life out as one of those pink-flocked-1970s-wedding birds. I pulled out his wings and tail feathers (ouch) and painted him red, then I painted his wings with tacky glue and sprinkled some chunky vintage glitter on. He's too cute!

I would love to hear some more ideas on projects to use up my nostalgic rusty spring collection - what do you think?

note: I made this snowman a friend - they didn't get along too well, so he's looking for a new home. He'll be in my etsy shop soon!