A whole week already! What a sad state my sewing room looks like. Not much has changed actually. I left last Thursday for a conference and didn’t get home until late Sunday night, which really was early Monday morning because it was 1AM. Monday was spent cleaning up and getting ready for Halloween, and vegging – because I was just so tired from the amazing three days I had in Portland, OR, attending the first NIKE N7 Sport Summit. It was a fantastic experience and I am so excited to share what I learned! I’ll do a post here soon, I need to edit my pictures!

And so all that I managed to finish were my kids Halloween costumes.

But I can’t take credit for the hats! I bought them on etsy. I LOVE the blue one, it fits JW perfectly. I have to admit a slight disappointment with the black bird and green pig hats though. They are WAY bigger then my kids heads, bigger then I think they should be anyway, and the yarn that the green one is made of stretches very easily, so it’s totally stretched out already. Despite my slight disappointment, the kids loved them and wore them from the day they arrived and still do. I’m going to throw the pig in the wash and see if the agitation makes the yarn shrink.

Sure the sewing was super easy for the costumes, but I’m glad I got to work on a little something! I’m back now and am going to continue on my postage stamp project this weekend.

W.I.P. Wednesday Two is a post from: me being crafty

I am thrilled to join in my first W.I.P. Wednesday. I always have W.I.P.s (works in progress) and love looking at what others are working on. The majority of my W.I.P.s are quilts or table runners that I need to finish. Once I make a quilt top, I usually fold it and put it away. Since moving into this house (almost two months ago) I decided to have my completed tops in a separate space. For right now, that means a small pile on a short bookcase. This is a huge reminder to me that I need to get these quilted!

Two of these quilts are at the top of my priority list. They are for Operation Kid Comfort. I have the batting already and I am sure I have backing, I am striving to get them both done by next weekend.

Another W.I.P. I’d like to share is a postage stamp quilt. This is a quilt along that was published earlier this year over at P.S. I Quilt and I cut the fabric the same week that the quilt along started. And that’s where the similarities end. It was a lot of sewing strips, and then a lot of cutting, and I am still sewing my block together. I divided them into the two groups and just finished one group yesterday. I have a short stack of strips left to sew together, than I can move on to the construction of the quilt. I’ve enjoyed this and really love the fabrics I am using.

And of course since Halloween is right around the corner, here are two projects I’m working on.

I meant here is the fabric for two projects I need to make. Oops. The top fabrics are for a reversible wall hanging and the bottom is for a table runner. I am going to quilt them in glow in the dark thread. I also have fabric for a Halloween quilt, and I am making it a goal to have it done by next year.

I have the best intentions but just wasn’t able to get my Halloween projects done this year! I am going to work on them anyway, over the next couple of weeks and then quit. I don’t have too much sewing I need to do for the holidays so I won’t be behind like I am here.

First W.I.P. Wednesday is a post from: me being crafty

Last night she started quilting hers and I finished one set of three blocks for mine.

I made three of this block – I found the pattern on the Quilters Cache website, it is called Clay’s Choice. It called for three colors and I used four, but I really like how it turned out. And I’m quite proud that I can get the points in the middle to match up!

This morning I started this block! It’s not even sewn together yet. This one is also from the Quilters Cache – it is called Card Trick. But it looks totally different then the Card Trick! That’s because I used fat quarters, vs using something more like a half a yard. So we had to fudge and figure what would work with the fabric we had. And I like this! I like the blue marble and blue flower making diamonds and triangles, and I like how the dark brown airplane and paisley prints match up in the square in the middle. So it’s more like the Card Trick block was the inspiration vs the actual block. I like that block though so I’ll have to remember it for a later time.

I have two more of this one to make and then a third block. I’ll need to do sashing and a border, then finish. Luckily for me, Mom is way closer to having hers done so if the baby is waiting for a blanket, it won’t be too long.

Two Quilt Blocks is a post from: me being crafty

Right now we have three quilts at the machine quilters (conveniently just a few minutes away from us!) and two or three more ready to go to her. We are going to tie I think two others, maybe more then two I’m not sure. There is one in process on the table and two more that need to get going farther along then they are.

My crafting has been consumed by the sewing machine. It’s been so fun to see it all come together! We are leaving in about two and a half weeks so everything has to be done by then. We didn’t count to see how many we are taking back, but it’s enough.

I wanted to be sure to have two quilts done – one for one of my cousins and one for a niece. I need to double check I have that! I do have one for my neice but I’m not sure about the other. Considering I’m home and the kids are at camp all day all week, I can get another one done super fast.

I’m excited to see these finished. I have other projects I want to work on – sewing and otherwise – and once the planning and prep for Grandma’s Memorial is over I can get to work on them!

What are you working on?

Crafty Goodness Update is a post from: me being crafty

I’m not sure who is reading these days, but I’m going to keep things secret for the time being. Earlier this year I told Shannon I wanted to make something for Chris, she thought it was a good idea and wanted to make one for her husband too. I ended up talking to more people and so did she and I think at this point there are eight other people also making something for their husbands. How awesome for this to come from one small idea I had!

All in all getting the projects organized and working on them has been really fun. I’m done with one and started on another, and one friend is just about done with hers too. I will definitely have pictures and show everyone what we’ve been working on down the road. We have been working quickly and it’s amazing how fast you can get a project done!

I’ll leave you with a great necklace Chris picked out for me for our anniversary (which was in December) along with a cute fabric I recently bought. Secret project pictures later.

Secret Projects is a post from: me being crafty

Then I lay the smallest piece on top of the largest, so I can match them up and cut away the excess.

I never used to cut a square away in the corner, but after doing a few blankets with diagonal cuts I realize cutting the square makes a cleaner corner.

Then cut the fringe – I always do a what feels like a natural cut with my scissors – then it is just one cut versus a couple of short ones. Plus I like this length – not too short it can’t be tied and not too long.

Here is a shot of the fringe tied.

I finished one side yesterday and will have another side done tonight. It doesn’t take too long to cut and tie so these are quick and easy gifts to make. I bought a lot of solid pieces on the Friday after Thanksgiving a few years ago and am finally using them!

Pictures of Fleece Tie Blanket is a post from: me being crafty

There is a pink and purple fleece tie blanket – basically you lay two fleece fabric pieces together, cut fringe and then tie the fringe twice. The bottom fabric tie will end up on top – see how it is darker on top? That’s the purple.

And here is the fabric for one blanket I am making for a gift this year. I admit I was not too happy with having to use orange – another thing I am trying to do is use what I have, and I already have orange! – but after looking at it all day long, I think I like it.  Once it is all together the orange around the edges (since that is all you would see when you look at the print side) will look nice.

I did get started on the other crochet blanket tonight as well. I did the starting row and then about 1/3 of a second row. It’s been cold here so I’m thinking of lounging on the couch with a blanket and a good movie and I should have a good bit of it done. Do that a few times in the next couple of weeks and done! The fleece blanket is much faster, maybe 15-20 minutes per side is all.

More on Fleece Blankets is a post from: me being crafty

Here is the squares laid out and then one square already done. I have a large piece of white felt hung up on the wall to layout material – I’m not sure where I read about that tip but it is a great one. The only reason there are pins in the top left row is because I hadn’t ironed down the seams and the fan was on so it kept falling off, otherwise material stays on there so well.
Can you see the spiral? Start at the top left corner and then go! I have extra squares that I took out of the layout and will probably use them as a border of sorts. I’m not sure what I am going to make but I felt so good getting back into sewing. It didn’t take too long to make these two squares and I am hoping to get the other two done today. Mom is coming back next week and I am going to have her help me figure out border material and how to put it together. Since they are 2 inch squares the end result is 1 1/2 inches and then all together that is what, 7 1/2 inches square? That’s not too big. I probably won’t make a blanket but maybe a wall hanging for the craft room? I haven’t decided.
I have these same squares in 1 1/2 inch size but I’m really not sure what to do with them. Maybe I can use them as a border as well?

Quilt Squares is a post from: me being crafty

Fred Flare hearts me! And I heart them right back. Have you been to Fred Flare? I usually go look and I just now realized they had a blog. I ordered a few items and they showed up yesterday!

PLUS

And you get this:

Is that not the cutest magnet board you have ever seen? I love it! This is right above my sewing machine and I plan on using it as an inspiration board. There are so many things I want to sew, work on or finish I can easily put them up there. I am also going to make a covered corkboard and hang it next to the bird.

Emotibuds too! These are little clip on things for your ipod earbuds. I’ve been looking around for new headphones/buds but not finding anything I love. But the emotibuds are very cute! Alice loved them and she wanted to open all three packages but I stopped her. These ones are the starry eyed, I also got the smiling and laughing ones.

And for a bit of crafty – I laid them on the baby blanket I a crocheting. I think I am 10 rows in now? It is fairly long though so I wonder what I got myself into…

[tags]Fred Flare, bird magnet boards, emotibuds, crochet blanket[/tags]

Bird Magnet Board is a post from: me being crafty

Today I started and restarted the blanket at least four or five times. I’m not sure what was going on – clearly I shouldn’t have been trying in the first place! But I got it and so far have six rows done.

Of course I misplaced the charger for my camera battery so no pictures until that is found!

Showing my OCD is a post from: me being crafty

Actually, that isn’t finished but I know my camera battery is charging right now. I made two of these per poncho – one for my daughter and one for my niece. And today I should be done with the last of the four. I need to get a knitting needle so I can sew them together and do the edging and the tie. I’m excited!

I finished Alice’s pieces in about two weeks and I worked like mad and finished my neices two pieces in five days. Yep, five!

I’ll grab more pictures today and share – I’m so proud of myself that caught on to crochet fast, that I can read a crochet pattern, and that I sat and (almost) finished my project.

Poncho 90% done is a post from: me being crafty

I love this material – the colors go perfect with each other and they are bright and vibrant. I think it is a wall hanging? Just according to the pattern I found with it and if I remember right, my Mom and I bought the material together as we were both going to make one. I think this will be next on my sewing list of to-dos ~ after a few doll pillows and blankets my daughter has requested.

Really, it’s the cutting that always slows me down. I admit I’ve usually had my Mom around to help me with the cutting of material – or she does it for me and mails it to me. I’m spoiled like that. But now that we are across the counry from each other, at least I’m finally doing all of these projects I was supposed to do!

I even found material for a skirt for my daughter. I know it was for a skirt, now to just find the pattern for that.

A *new* sewing project is a post from: me being crafty

So far here is what I have done:

See those three pins? I think I have a total of seven pins in there. I know! It’s barely inches on that thing. *sigh* I know I need to just sit and get it done, but I just feel stuck. I almost feel like putting it away and coming back to it after I do a few other things. But my girlfriends baby is due in two months (from today!) so I know I can’t put it away for too long.

Maybe I’ll just put it away until the end of August. Then I can finish it in a couple of days and still get it in the mail to her in time. Hhmmm, there’s an idea….

Stuck on the binding is a post from: me being crafty