Muddlepud

Follow Me!

2009-07-02T23:06:00.004-04:00

I've moved! As noted in my last post, I'm now blogging from a new web address. Click on the image below to be taken there. Thanks for visiting!

Thought Bubbles

2009-06-30T17:30:00.000-04:00

You may have noticed I've been on a bit of a blog break. Here's why: I've been writing xhtml and css! Is that Greek to you? If it is, then let me explain: it's coding for websites, and it takes time. It takes some trial and error, some thought, and lots of tweaking. And there isn't much about it for me to photograph!

I mentioned quite some time ago that I was thinking through what I wanted this blog to be, who I was as a crafty person, and so on. Well, I've let all that marinate for way longer than I expected, and I think I have some sense of direction now. I'm not talking about huge changes from what you already see here, just a little freshening up, a little more intentionality and focus on my part. One step in this direction involves moving to a more "permanent" blog home (and a name change).

I've been working on pulling that together as of late, hence the coding. (I like to hand code my sites from scratch, crazy lady that I am.) Planning for a new website has been getting pushed aside for more entertaining projects, but a disadvantage of having small children who collectively don't sleep well at night is that there isn't much room for doing needlework or other such things. The hidden benefit has been that, when my son wakes up for the 76th time before 10 p.m. and I decide to wave the white flag and just go to bed with him, I can play around on my laptop while I cuddle him back to sleep. That has been happening a lot lately, which means that all the fussing with domain names and css and web design is finally finished!

So, what does that mean for you?

Well, this will be my last post at this address. I'll keep this site live to avoid broken links and to redirect anyone who may find me via old posts, but for anything new, you'll have to follow me to my new home. (All my current archives will be transferred there as well.) That means if you want to see my second memory pouch or more on the stamps I carved to make the image above, you'll have to click on the link: june at noon.

I've enjoyed being a part of the online craft community so far, interacting with all of you, and I look forward to continuing the journey together at my new site. Hope to see you there!

Always Love You

2009-06-24T08:24:00.012-04:00

Whew! That was a lot of writing yesterday. I need a break. Bring on the photos! (And some more writing. I can't help myself.)

Here we have one of the little projects I just completed. It's a little pouch for keeping written memories for my daughter. The idea came from here.

The basic idea is that you cut up small cards (I did 3"x5") and decorate them (we have used watercolors and markers so far). Then you store them in the pouch for easy access when something happens that you want to remember. It's the type of stuff that doesn't usually end up in a baby book, the type of stuff you want to keep forever. And the bonus is that the memories are written on a piece of the child's artwork. Double nostalgia bonus! The cards can then be put into a scrapbook, made into their own little book, or stored in the pouch permanently.

The design was inspired by this photo:

While we were on a walk, my daughter picked these wildflowers, and when we got home she laid them out on the walkway like that. I took a photo thinking that would make a great embroidery project. I stitched them on linen and used stem stitch, some satin stitch, and some other ... I don't know, freedhand stitch. I just made it up as I went!

The lettering was done freehand and says, "I will always love you," which is a phrase I've always said to my little girl. I used some fabric that reminds me of vintage bedsheets to line the inside of the pouch.

The whole thing was meant to be a little more organic--rustic, for lack of a better word. It was a nice departure from some of the super detailed stitching I've done in the past, and I have to say I'm really pleased with the results. I'm thinking it might even translate well to some little pouches or cushions to be sold some day down the road....

In the near future I'll share photos of the pouch I made for my son's memory cards. Have a good day!

The Honest Scrap

2009-06-23T23:03:00.007-04:00

Well, it was a slow crafting weekend, what with my spider monkey children and all, but I did manage to finally finish the small projects I had in the works.

The finishing should have taken an hour or so, but it ended up taking an entire day of very brief stolen moments. Sew a seam here, stop toddler from stealing baby's toys there, zip in another seam, feed a baby, and so on. But I did it! They're done! And I will write a full post with photos and details soon. For now, though, I am going to play along with Alison, who sent me the Honest Scrap award.

To participate I have to list 10 honest things about myself for your reading pleasure. I rarely do these, but I like Alison. ;) So, without further ado:

I really like the color red, but my favorite color is green. For cars, however, I prefer white.
I don't know how to drive a car with manual transmission. My husband does, and when we were young he drove me to school sometimes.
In high school I was part of the "drama crowd" and played "Ophelia" in a "rewritten" version of Hamlet.
I was one of a few students who could read and understand Shakespeare.
I can also read music. I play the piano, started when I was seven, but I don't have a piano or find much time to tinkle the ivories nowadays.
I worked as an in-house editor for two publishing companies and later stayed at home to work as a freelance editor for a handful of other publishers.
I am very good at deciphering illegible handwriting.
After publishing/editing burnt me out, I spent two years working at the front desk of a dental office, where we tinkled a different set of ivories. Thanks to that job, I know way more about teeth than the average person, way more than I ever thought I would.
Speaking of teeth, I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but I am a sucker for cookies or brownies.
I often talk way too much, and with carefully crafted paragraphs I can turn a 10-things meme into a 32-things meme in a single breath. I type at least 120 words per minute.

I'm not going to tag anyone else, but why don't all of you consider yourselves tagged. If you participate, leave a link in the comments so we can be nosy and learn about you too!

Back soon with some crafty posts and some bloggy news....

Remembering the Big Chief

2009-06-21T18:13:00.006-04:00

My dad is the person who taught me to crochet. How did he learn such a skill? The story goes that when I was quite young, he worked at a bank. There was a group of older ladies there too, and on their lunch breaks they would sit and crochet together. They convinced my dad he ought to learn, and the rest is history. He taught me when I was pretty young, and it was the first real craft that I truly embraced and, over the years, became fairly skilled at.

There's something very therapeutic about plugging away at row after row with yarn and hook and in the end holding up a closely twined fabric that somehow came together from all those loops and twists. While it's no longer my favorite craft, I still enjoy it and dabble in it from time to time. It led me to knitting and many other things that I enjoy, and it taught me about the craftsmanship to be gained from fine-tuning a skill, the necessity of learning to rip out and start over as part of the learning process, and the deep satisfaction of turning out a quality finished product after many hours of steady work.

And it was something I shared with my dad. Almost three years ago now we lost him after a long battle with cancer, and I miss him all the time. He didn't crochet all that much over the years, but while he was sick and undergoing treatment he picked up the hook again and made a few things, and we spent some hours crafting together and just enjoying each other's company in quiet. We liked to do that.

My dad wasn't perfect, but he passed on some good things, like his determination, his strength, and his abiding faith in God, among others. While crocheting certainly isn't the most important of those, it's still a special one to me. The photo above hangs in a prominent place in my craft area, and when I see it I'm reminded of all those things I learned from those early crafty days. I'm also reminded of my dad, who was a pretty special guy.

Thanks, Dad. Miss you. Love, Kitten.

We Shall Have Some Pie

2009-06-19T14:01:00.000-04:00

In lieu of a post about crafting, because there is absolutely none of that being done around here right now, here's a little story:

About five weeks ago we heard some thumping at the door to our deck and soon discovered that a stray cat (we've seen her prancing around the neighborhood) was trying to fight with our indoor cat through the glass. Hmmm.

The next day I was sitting on the couch and glanced out the door to see this same cat ... and a second cat. Why, suddenly, was my deck the new cool hang out for neighborhood strays?

Then the following day, my question was answered. I spied one, then two, then three baby kittens emerging from beneath the cover on our outdoor loveseat.

Mama Cat had babies under our deck furniture and had been living there with them for the last four weeks, totally unbeknownst to us. (We pieced this together after talking with a neighbor who had been feeding Mama Cat for the last year.)

Ah. Now what?

We decided to allow the kitties to live on our deck for a few more weeks, until they were old enough to be weaned. We named them and came to enjoy watching them throughout the day as they played together and huddled in a little heap at feedings and naptime. When they were ready (eating food we put out and climbing our umbrella were indications!) we brought them in, helped them adjust to humans and indoor surroundings (with help from my sister, the Cat Whisperer), and then found good homes for all of them.

One of them just happened to find his home on our sofa. He looks like he's adjusting quite nicely, don't you think?

Here's hoping for a much more interesting, creative-type post next week. Have a good weekend!

My Creative Space

2009-06-12T16:46:00.006-04:00

First things first: I should have said a big "thank you" for all the kind responses to my BMW project. It's one of my favorite things I've done so far, so I'm glad to hear other people feel good about it too. And, of course, comments are always fun to receive! ;)

Next, golly wow, has it been a week already? I had such nice, simple projects to work on, and they should've been done over the weekend. My children had other plans. Plans that involved clinging to me like spider monkeys and forgoing naps and waking at night afraid of the dark and midnight play sessions and ... Well, I'll spare you any more detail. Suffice it to say that all waking and many non-waking hours were consumed before I could even blink. This is not so conducive to needlework. So the wips are still wips. (sigh)

In the meantime, since I have nothing else to offer, and it is Thursday, here are some creative space photos. Above you saw some crayon nubbins that have been collecting on my desk and some Little People watching the rain outside (placed there by my daughter). Below is a glimpse at my crafty area (collecting random piles of things in this non-creative time).

More creative space fun to be had at kootoyoo. Back soon ... I hope!

Weekend WIPs

2009-06-12T09:25:00.008-04:00

Hello and thanks to all the visitors from the Creative Space game (and anywhere else you may have come from). It was nice to "meet" some new crafty types and discover some great new blogs. I tried my best to reciprocate comments and visit all the sites linked at kootoyoo, although last night was a tad ... bumpy, and I can't be sure I didn't miss someone. Thanks, all the same, to everyone who stopped by. Hopefully I will find time to "play" again.

As for actual crafting, I've a small project (two small ones, actually) in the works that I am hopeful will be completed this weekend. They're simple bits embroidered on linen, and I'm finding them incredibly relaxing after that last doozie of a project. And it's my first time to work with linen. Yum!

Hope you have a happy weekend out there in blogland!

My Creative Space

2009-06-10T22:37:00.005-04:00

I enjoy looking at other people's creative spaces. I like seeing how they store their supplies, how they've decorated their spaces, and I like seeing their little collections of in-progress bits. Since I like this so much, I also take photos of my own spaces, and you'll have noticed I occasionally post them here. This week I figured if I'm going to do this, I might as well participate with the My Creative Space project once in a while. So here are my photos this week, slightly wonky thanks to a toddler who kept lunging at my legs each time I pressed the shutter button. Head over to kootoyoo for more from other crafters.

Honey, I Got You a Car!

2009-06-04T22:27:00.019-04:00

At last! I have finally put the finishing touches on the big embroidery project I keep referring to. I am happy to present the BMW 325ci.

(The photos are not to my satisfaction. I am having lighting issues, but I was too excited to post this to wait for better light.)

It's a birthday gift for my husband, one of his favorite cars. When he was gone I stole the photo from his computer, turned it into a line drawing in Photoshop, and transferred it onto a piece of fabric cut out of an old bed sheet. I used two strands of black floss (1 strand in the BMW logo) and went to town. It's about 5.5 inches tall and 10 inches wide.

Then I made my life miserable by deciding halfway through the project that I didn't like my stitch choice (back stitch) and ripped it all out. It's taken almost two months to complete because of this (and the always-present fact that I never have as much time as I'd like).

I was really looking to achieve a certain style, a sort of hand drawn or sketched look, but I couldn't quite get it, and I knew it wasn't right. I asked for advice from the lovely crafter behind doe-c-doe (she's very inspiring; thank you!) and from Craftster member Sheeena (have you seen her Delftware piece?), both of whom have done pieces that had a look similar to what I wanted. I also consulted some embroidery books and online stitch dictionaries.

And what did I learn? That you really can achieve similar looks with several different types of stitches. It's just dependent on your stitching style and technique, really. Each "source" recommended a different method (outline stitch, stem stitch, split stitch), yet each had the end result that I was going for. Interesting.

After some experimentation, I decided that outline stitch was the best option for my stitching style. I didn't want the individual stitches to be too obvious, but rather to flow together as lines in a sketch, for a more seamless look.

I have to say, I think it was a success! (My husband agrees.) I think you'll see more outline stitch from me in the future. It's so "me."

Stamp, Stamp, Stamp!

2009-06-01T22:08:00.001-04:00

I have finally finished my big embroidery piece, and I hope to be able to take some photos in the next couple of days. I'm really excited about this one, so I'm eager to post it.

I've also started to use my new stamp carving tools, but I haven't gotten very far thanks to a jumpy, bumpy toddler and a busier-than-usual schedule. Before I started with the new tools, I did get in some more practice on pink erasers with varying results.

The first one was still very crude.

I was winging it, just using an X-Acto and basically slicing away rubber where I didn't want it to print. I had no clue as to technique and wasn't sure how to achieve the carved look that I so admire. (That's half the beauty of the stamps, I think.) Despite all that, I still found it quite satisfying to have that lovely, stampy look when I was done.

Then I read some more tutorials, especially one with info geared toward using an X-Acto. That's when the lightbulb flashed on. I'm not sure I can explain it all that well, but I realized that all I needed to do was use the X-Acto to cut out the same sort of shape that a carving tool would, which would take two cuts as opposed to one. Aha!

My first try was pretty clumsy. I hate how crumbly it is, and I accidentally sliced the rubber in some places I didn't mean to.

Then I started to get the hang of it.

The tree is my favorite, and oh, do I ever have plans for more. I'm eyeing up several good doodles in my sketchbook. So far I have no real use for the stamps, as I am not really much of a stamper, but that doesn't seem to matter. I can't help myself!

P.S. Head over to Ravenhill for an awesome double giveaway! Her projects are always beautiful, and she's been featured in one of my favorite magazines!

Roooarrrr! (Translation: Thank You)

2009-05-31T22:25:00.000-04:00

You know, I don't really consider myself a card-maker. I have several friends who make beautiful cards with card stock and pretty papers and ribbons and stamps. And while I can appreciate them, it's just not "me," not something I've had an interest in. Yet, yesterday I found myself working on more hand made cards, and I suddenly realized, "Ah, I guess I sort of do make cards."

I thought about it some more and decided that I don't make cards because I really love card making itself, but because I enjoy giving a card that is hand made. It's just that I don't do it in the more common, "scrapbook-y" way (for lack of a better term). My way is rather "quick and dirty," a little more carefree, but I like it that way. And it's great for using up and sharing toddler art.

Here's how you can make this kind of card too, in five easy steps:

1. Get some construction paper and stamps and ink. I used a set of foam jungle stamps that I found for $1 at Michael's and the cheapest ink pads I could get (because I knew they wouldn't be treated with much care). Let toddler stamp to heart's content (or, if lacking a toddler, stamp the cards yourself in a toddler-ish way).

2. Cut stamped paper into appropriate sizes and shapes for pre-made blank cards (or your own cards made with card stock). I like using my accumulated scrapbooking tools to make decorative edges, and I rounded the corners of the cards.

3. Attach the stamped paper to the cards.

4. Add a few accent stamps to the inside of the cards and on the envelopes.

5. Use a pen to jot your desired greeting on the card. (I then use a different style and color of ink to write a more personal message, so the greeting looks like part of the card's design.)

Voila! It's another quick, simple way to make something that's a little more personal, a little more fun. I like the abstract, colorful look of these, people like having my kiddo's artwork, and she likes making a huge mess all over my craft space. Everyone wins.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-05-27T21:26:00.005-04:00

Oh, the hubs, he's good. Earlier this week he decided to give me an early birthday gift.

To start, there was a storage box. He knows I like to have things to put things in. And he even went to the trouble to pick a box with an interior paper that I'd like.

But there was more. Each part of the box had something else in it.

There was the much longed for Speedball lino cutting tool.

And a tin with a gift card, the tin also selected because he knew I'd like the print. It's now being used as a place to keep frequently used sewing notions in my embroidery bag.

And there were oodles of flossy goodness, with lots of bright, summery colors.

I told you he was good.

(I'll be back next week with more Adventures in Craftland.)

Because I Have So Much Free Time ...

2009-05-22T12:28:00.007-04:00

... (note the sarcasm) I decided to try something new: rubber stamp carving.

I discovered this craft through some of my blog browsing and found myself fascinated with it. I tried to resist, but I just couldn't get it out of my mind. I've been thinking about it and bookmarking tutorials and even bought some erasers, which is recommended as a cheap material for beginners to practice with.

Until yesterday, though, I hadn't done anything with them because, well, there's the little matter of all my time being used up already, but also because I was a little afraid to start. Yesterday, though, the urge was just too strong, so, using a Sharpie, I drew a simple design on an eraser, got out the X-Acto knife, and started carving.

It definitely took a while for me to get the "feel" of the carving, which is why the finished result is pretty crude and a little messy (crumbly), but I did eventually get it and started to really enjoy it. I have some practicing to do, and I have not-so-quietly hinted that I would really like carving tools for my birthday, but I don't think it's too bad for a first try. Now if I could just carve myself a few extra hours in every day....

This Is Love

2009-05-18T12:18:00.004-04:00

Here's another simple embroidered card. It was put together to send along with a baby gift, and since I know my friend received it, I can post it here. From the front I think it looks a little plain since I just used a premade blank card, but when you see it with the scrapbooking paper inside it sort of flows nicely. At least I think so. :)

Some of the stitching is by machine, some by hand, and the photos are taken from when my daughter was a baby.

Ah, new babies and embroidered cards. Some of the things I love best!

A Weekend Bouquet

2009-05-14T20:50:00.003-04:00

Big wip is still ... in progress. In the meantime I'm finding oodles of inspiration in all the spring that has sprung around here. This week we took a stroll through Gran's gardens and collected some spring blooms. Then we plopped them, toddler style, into a vintage puppy vase that belonged to my great grandmother.

Hope you enjoy your weekend!

It's in the Bag

2009-05-13T08:18:00.000-04:00

Last fall we bought some new bedsheets, and they came packaged in cotton drawstring pouches. I held onto the pouches thinking they might have some other use, and during a recent reorganization of our play area, I realized they were the perfect thing to hold all the many loose toy pieces we seem to have floating around. It's so much easier to chuck them all in a bag than try to keep them together when they're not being used.

For the first pouch, I took a couple of puzzle pieces and traced them onto the bag, added some letters, and started stitching. I especially like the lettering, which is done with two strands of each color twisted together. Unfortunately you won't be able to see it very well in the photos because I couldn't be bothered to iron a bag that will just get wrinkled again the minute it's thrown into the toybox.

The second bag is my favorite. This one will hold lots of Little People bits. (Again, pardon the wrinkles.)

I found some coloring pages at the Fisher Price website, which I put into Photoshop for some reworking until they were set the way I wanted them. Then I printed the final picture and traced it onto the pouch. I thought about using their official lettering too, but decided I wanted to keep this quick and easy, so I stuck with easy-to-read (kid friendly) lettering instead.

I'm currently plugging away at a more involved wip, so these were nice little diversions for the times when I didn't have the focus to do the bigger project. And even though they were fast and easy, they were really enjoyable to do, and I find myself enjoying cleanup time more with something fun to use. :) When I showed them to my toddler, she said, "Good job, Mama!" I think she likes them too.

Mom's Day, Belated

2009-05-12T11:44:00.007-04:00

I know I'm a little late with the sentiment, but Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas out there. It's hard work, all the face-wiping and boo boo-patching and diaper-changing and so on, but it's the best job in the world. I hope you got some extra kisses and cuddles and enjoyed your day.

I've been experimenting with new ways to use my interest in sewing and embroidery and have recently stitched up a few greeting cards. I'm really liking the result and decided that I wanted to make Mother's Day cards for the moms in our family. I kept the designs simple, using some 3x5" watercolor paintings done by my toddler and incorporating something that was unique to each person--a quilt design for the quilter, a flower for the gardener, a birdhouse for the bird watcher.

I think I'll be trying more of these in the future, using even more variety in the style and materials. It's really enjoyable to use a medium I already enjoy in a fresh way, and the possibilities are endless.

(As always, more photos on flickr.)

May Flowers

2009-05-11T08:21:00.002-04:00

I am in love with all the beautiful buds that are blooming right now. How can you not be inspired by all the colors and shapes?

We had a nice, warm weekend full of leisurely walks, visits with out-of-town relatives, sidewalk chalk drawings, and a little flower picking. I'd say it was a success.

A Creative Spot?

2009-05-08T09:04:00.007-04:00

Well, so, this rounds off my week of posting. Can you believe I actually did it? (Don't get too used to it. ;)) This may be a bit of a "cheater post," what with its brevity and lack of crafty anything, but it's the weekend, and after days of rain it's getting sunny and warm again, so I'm already on to lazier pursuits:

Surely I can get some creating done out here, right? Well, crafting or not, and weather permitting, we'll be spending our weekend planted right here. Happy weekend!

Chopsticks

2009-05-07T07:28:00.000-04:00

After stitching up the sushi napkins for my sister's birthday, I used another tutorial found courtesy of One Pretty Thing to make some complimentary chopstick rests. Three of them I really love; one of them is not my favorite, but I was limited by the rub-ons I had. Overall, though, I really like the look of them.

I had a red pouch on hand that I acquired at some point. I think it might have had a gift card in it. I saved it thinking I might use it for something down the line, and this seemed like the perfect thing to carry the chopstick rests. I removed the tag that was on the bag and restitched it, then used white floss to freehand stitch a few Japanese-looking flowers and leaves. It was a simple touch, but I think packaging and presentation can be just as important as the gift itself.

The whole project was quite easy and very satisfying. It required minimal effort but made a pretty big impact and went along with my napkins perfectly. I just wish I knew more people who used chopsticks so I could make some more!

As usual, more photos (copious amounts, actually) on my flickr page.

Time for Sushi

2009-05-06T09:18:00.007-04:00

As I've mentioned before, I have a sister who is a big fan of sushi. Sometime last year I saw the Sublime Stitching Sushi Bar patterns and immediately thought, "Birthday gift!" I bought some plain white dinner napkins at Target with the intent to stitch them up in time for my sister's birthday. Unfortunately, I didn't leave myself much time to get them finished, and when I took a look at the SS pattern I realized I wouldn't be able to have it sent to me soon enough to get the gift done. So I just drew the pattern myself based on the SS version. I think I got pretty close.

My plan was to use black to outline parts of the drawings as in a sketch and then use some color to fill in a few parts. This was decided partly to save time and partly because I liked the look of it. You'll see lots of back stitch, some long and short stitch, some satin stitch, and a few french knots. I'm especially fond of the rice bowl. I made the rice by using six strands of ecru floss with tight, overlapping seed stitch.

I folded them up and put them back into the original packaging, then used the back side of the little cardboard inserts that came with the package to make a tag and some care instructions. I think they came out pretty nicely, and they were fun to stitch. There are lots more photos, including closeups, on my flickr page.

Stay tuned for an accompanying project tomorrow....

To the Races!

2009-05-05T10:32:00.011-04:00

When I saw a link to this pattern on One Pretty Thing, I bookmarked it with a certain little boy in mind. This little boy loves cars. He has been known to use the border lines on my area rug to imagine a road for his cars. I knew without a doubt that a racetrack rug would be the perfect gift for his fourth birthday.

It's a good thing I love this little boy, because having completed the project, I can now say there is no way I'd ever make this for anyone else! It was not hard to make at all, but it was a lot of around and around and around and around.... It's made with rounds of single crochet, just like Amigurumi. The big difference is that, with 40 rounds that work up to a total of 342 stitches in one round, it is way more taxing than a little crocheted bunny!

Nevertheless, I was happy with the finished product, and the birthday boy expressed his pleasure by giving the rug a big hug. Gentlemen, start your engines!

(Note: I did discover one major and one minor error in the pattern. The minor error is simply a typo in the final stitch count for two rows. The major error is a typo that throws off the pattern of increases in a round and can cause some head-scratching if you're not familiar with the way this type of pattern is built. The author suggests visiting Ravelry for any edits to the pattern, which I have not had the chance to do, but if you think you want to attempt this one, I'd recommend checking it out.)

UPDATE: I will try to post the corrections on Ravelry soon, but in the meantime, here they are:

Round 36 should read: ch 1, sc in next 17 sc, 2sc in next sc, sc in next 31 sc, 2sc in next sc, sc in next 14 sc, sc in next 54 sc, sc in next 17 [CHANGED FROM 23 TO 17 HERE] sc, 2sc in next sc, (sc in next 31 sc, 2sc in next sc) twice, sc in next 14 sc, sc in next 54 sc, sc in next 17 sc, 2sc in next sc, sc in next 14 sc, join with sl st to first sc (306 sts)

Round 41, total number of stitches should be 318.

Round 42, total number of stitches should be 159.

How to Write a Quality Craft Blog

2009-05-04T09:53:00.006-04:00

Every so often One Pretty Thing posts a "crafty reading" roundup with links to websites that have useful advice or information for the crafty folk. I always enjoy these, and I thought to myself, "Self, since you are such an awesome blogger, so regular with your posting and always offering such intriguing and useful posts, you ought to write up some crafty advice yourself." (You do sense the sarcasm, right?) So here is my contribution. I think you will find it helpful.

How to Write a Quality Craft Blog

1. Keep it relevant. Timeliness is key. While painting Easter eggs with eager little ones, take plenty of photos so you can write about sweet little hands swiping away with a variety of paints and total abandon. Plan to write about how one little boy painted every single one of his eggs red, how another grew frustrated each time he discovered he didn't have an egg in every single hole on his muffin tin, how a little girl concentrated fiercely on covering her eggs in every color of paint at once and refused to remove her art smock at naptime. Then most certainly do not leave all the photos on the camera until about four weeks after Easter. Do not then post a photo anyway.

2. Keep it interesting. This would decidedly not include a total halt to all crafting. It is difficult to write about crafts when there are no crafts being made. It would also not involve taking photos of daisies because there is nothing else to post about. (And then, of course, forgetting to take the photos off of the camera until three weeks later. And then posting them anyway.)

3. Keep it focused.... Oh, look, a bumblebee!

4. Keep it consistent. This involves regular posting. Perhaps more often than every four weeks. Maybe even two or three times a week. This is much easier said than done, especially when one has a backlog of unfinished projects. And several hundred month-old photos still sitting on the camera in need of Photoshopping. And so many distractions, what with all the lush green and the flowers popping up everywhere. (See #3 above.)

And that's all there is to it! My keys to successful craft blog writing. I'm sure if you follow these four easy steps you will find readers showing up in droves.

As you can see, I am a huge believer in practicing what you preach. Ha! Seriously, I have just been caught up in birthday parties (lots in our family in April) and sluggish, hot days and freshening up the garden and, yes, even some crafting that just didn't get blogged about because I was either working on all the projects all at once (after realizing in a panic that I had several upcoming birthdays and no gifts started) or because I hadn't taken photos or because I hadn't uploaded the photos or any number of other reasons. I hope to be able to pick up the pace again soon.

Since I did work on a few things while I was playing absentee blogger, I have some more posts up my sleeve, and to herald my return to blogland, I am going to post every single weekday this week. Please ignore the pig flying overhead.

P.S. I have been sadly neglectful of the many awesome blogs that inspire me so much. I am hoping to find time to make the commenting rounds very soon!

The MiniBoppy (A Tutorial)

2009-04-02T21:16:00.000-04:00

Toddlers have a way of copying everything we do, don't they? Since our new little one has arrived, my daughter has been extra careful to treat her baby dolls (and other "friends") just as I treat her brother. She even likes to "nurse" them! I often use a Boppy nursing pillow, and she likes to use it too, so I decided to make her version that was more her size.

Actually, I made several before I had the pattern quite right. Since my daughter doesn't know the difference and tends to get attached to things, we have several floating around our house.

Here's how you can make one too.

You'll need:
The template* (full size or top and bottom**)
About half a yard of fabric (each cut piece is going to be roughly 14" x 20")
Pins
Thread
Needle or sewing machine
Polyfil

*Please forgive my clumsy drawing. I'm still learning how to use Photoshop for this purpose.

**The full-sized version is too big for a standard sheet of printer paper. I have split the template into two separate files ("top" and "bottom"), which you can piece together.

First, use the template to cut out two pieces, being certain to fold your fabric and place the straight edge of the pattern along the fold as marked. You should end up with two identical, C-shaped pieces. (I made mine so the ends curve in a little. The actual Boppy pillow is a little straighter. If you prefer it that way, just redraw your pattern a little bit.)

Turn the pieces right-sides-together and pin in place.

Sew the whole way around with a 1/4" seam allowance, leaving a few inches open for turning.

Clip the curves if you wish.

Then turn right side out and stuff with Polyfil to your desired firmness.

Hand stitch the opening closed.

There you have it! It's nice for little ones to use to imitate mama, and it has other uses too. It's good for resting little heads ...

... or resting elbows whilst taking a drink.

Spring Cleaning

2009-04-02T09:02:00.000-04:00

I've been a little stalled. With the return of more spring-ish weather, I've found myself driven to tackle a host of chores that have been begging for attention, a spring cleaning of sorts. We installed ceiling fans and cleaned and organized closets and made charity piles and gave the house a much-needed scrubbing and ran errands and tackled piles of "to-dos" that we've been ignoring for months (my son's baby book!) ... so on. It didn't leave time for much else.

I did do some crafting, however, completing the aforementioned baby blanket, and then a second one of the same because I realized I had two babies to give gifts for. The blankets probably take a total of 6-7 hours to whip up, but when you're only working on them in 30-60 minute increments, they can seem to take forever. I didn't take photos because they look pretty much the same as the first one.

Beyond that, I have been brainstorming a bit for my "big move" to a new and improved blog with the hopes of an eventual Etsy store. That led to some indecision, which led to me really coming to a halt creatively until I was able to decide some things. (It's amazing how a simple non-creative decision will stop me in my tracks artistically; there's a part of me that just needs unresolved things to be "in order" before I can feel freed up to move on with other, freer pursuits.)

Before I hit this crafting lull, I did create one tutorial to share, and I'll be posting that later today or tomorrow, just as soon as I get it tweaked to my satisfaction. In the meantime I have been sketching and planning, and after I cross a few more things off of my chore list, I'll be ready to dive back into the crafting for crafting's sake once again. I'm looking forward to it.

Poof!

2009-03-17T23:11:00.009-04:00

As you can see, the work area looks pretty much the same as it did last time I took a photo (plus a few stray buttons).

Or maybe a tad messier:

I'm going to be pulling a disappearing act this week while I whip up another one of these. I'm using the same pattern and the same yarn again because I need it in a hurry and this one is a sure bet. Off I go!

(Apparently I get very thirsty while I work.)

Look, a Heron!

2009-03-13T21:40:00.004-04:00

You know that whole thing I said about posting a tutorial every Tuesday (because T, tutorial and Tuesday both begin with T!) and a freebie pattern every Friday (because F! You know, F!)? Well, it's Friday, and ... Yep, it's Friday.

I actually had a pattern in mind to share, but we've had some out-of-town visitors and have been too busy playing and enjoying to get much else accomplished. Beside that, I am in the process of rethinking this whole blog thing, who I am as a crafter, what I want this to be. I think I'm starting to see a clearer picture of how this should all go, and it will still include tutorials and patterns, but I'm not sure it will be Tuesday! and Friday! every week. We'll see. (I should warn you that all this thinking is going to lead to some change, including a likely name change. I am very fickle, my friends.)

Anyway, in lieu of a freebie, here's something for you to look at. I drew it digitally five-ish years ago after a boat ride through the Everglades in South Florida, where we lived for a short while. It was put together quickly and didn't take any great skill, but there's something about the colors that I like, and I remember it being an image that my dad really enjoyed. (Then again, he was always proud of everything I did. <3)

Happy weekend!

To Do: Done

2009-03-11T09:52:00.003-04:00

When I bought the fat quarters to make the pocket organizer in the last post, I had a hard time deciding which ones I wanted to use. My daughter's room colors are based on a mobile we hung in her room:

I knew I wanted the more saturated pinks or oranges but wasn't sure which combination I liked. I ended up just bringing home a bunch of different fabrics so I could test them out. Since I only made one organizer, I had extra fabric, which meant I could make a couple of pillowcases to go in her bed.

Ultimately, my indecision led me to create more work for myself, but I couldn't let such cute fabrics go to waste, could I?

Tutorial Tuesday: A Kiddo's Pocket Organizer

2009-03-10T10:36:00.021-04:00

This weekend I crossed several things off of my "to do, but to procrastinate because it's not terribly exciting" list, and I even managed to snap photos for a few tutorials and/or patterns that will be popping up here bit by bit.

Here's how you can make a little pocket hanger for a toddler bed* using two fat quarters, some batting, and thread.

*Please note: You should always follow the current safety standards for items used with children. This is not intended for infants or children who are too young/small to use this safely (read: avoid entanglement, suffocation, strangulation, etc.). Use wisely and at your own risk.

You'll need:

2 fat quarters. I like to use contrasting or coordinating fabric.
Thin quilt batting.
Coordinating thread.
Scissors or rotary cutter and mat.
Ruler.
Iron.
Sewing machine.

Step 1. Cut your first fat quarter (FABRIC A) into two rectangles measuring approximately 17.5" x 10". I was able to achieve this by simply folding the fabric in half width-wise and cutting. (Afterward I did a little measuring and trimming to make the rectangles match each other more precisely.)

From your second fat quarter (FABRIC B), cut a piece that is approximately 17.5" x 13.5".

Cut a piece of batting that is slightly smaller than the two 17.5" x 10" rectangles.

Set all of these pieces aside.

Step 2. With the remaining fabric from FABRIC B, cut eight strips that measure approximately 1.5" x 8.75". (If you want to skip this and the following few steps, you can substitute lengths of ribbon instead. Just finish off one end of each ribbon strip and you're ready to go.)

Fold each strip in half lengthwise with right sides together. If it's helpful to you, use your iron to press them in place. Sew one short end and the open long end of each strip using a 1/4" seam allowance.

Turn each strip right-side-out. (I found a knitting needle to be helpful in doing this.) Use the iron to press out any wrinkles gained from the turning. Top stitch around both long sides and the closed short side of each strip. (You can stitch the open end, but it will be hidden eventually anyway.)

(Please pardon the wobbly stitching. I was not particularly fastidious with this project.)

Step 3. Take the rectangle cut from FABRIC B and fold it in half lengthwise with wrong sides together so you have a double thickness. Use your iron to press the fold for a nice, clean edge. Top stitch along the folded edge for a finished look.

Step 4. Now's the tricky part. It's not hard, just requires that you be sure everything stays in place. You're going to layer all of your pieces into a nice sandwich for sewing.

First lay down your batting. Then lay down one of the 17.5" x 10" rectangles (FABRIC A) right-side-up. Next position your pocket fabric (FABRIC B), also right side up, lining up the ends with the ends of the other layers and the bottom with the bottoms of the other layers. All of these rough edges should be caught in the same seam once you start sewing. You should see a few inches of FABRIC A above the folded edges of FABRIC B. At this point you may want to place a few pins to keep your layers from slipping as you work with them.

(A rather lame attempt at photographing the "sandwich.)

To add the ties, use two strips for each corner. Place them side by side (if you place them directly on top of each other you're adding layers to sew through), lining the raw, open edge up with the edges of all the other layers. The strips should be lying on top of the other layers and pointed in toward the middle of the piece, not extended out from it, so that they are in the right place once you're done sewing. Also, learn from my mistake: It is best to position the ties close to the outside edges of the piece. Otherwise when you add cups and books, the piece will sag and pull in.

Baste the strips into place. (You don't have to do this, but it will keep them from shifting when you're ready to sew, and it will add a little strength, too.)

Place your last rectangle right-side-down on top of all the layers. Again, some pins might be helpful here. Now you're ready to sew.

Step 5. Sew around all four sides with a 3/8" seam allowance. Remember you're sewing through a lot of layers, so use the right needle and go slowly where needed. Leave an opening of at least 3" or 4" for turning. (I recommend the opening be somewhere at the top of the piece where there are fewer layers to deal with when you close it up.)

Step 6. Turn the piece right-side-out and use a knitting needle or something similar to push out the corners. Close up the opening with some hand stitching.

Step 7. Top stitch around the entire piece.

Then top stitch a divider in the pocket, if desired. Simply position your needle where you want the divider to be (I measured mine in 6.5" from one side) and sew from the top to the bottom of the pocket, through all the layers.

Tada! There you have it! Tie the pocket onto a bed rail or some decorative hooks or knobs (you could omit the bottom ties in this case) and load it up with books, toys, and a sippie cup. Your little one will have easy access to the "necessities" for naps or early mornings when you pray he stays in his room just a little longer so you can snooze!

Freebie Friday!

2009-03-06T22:21:00.004-05:00

You thought I wouldn't make it in time for Friday, didn't you? Ha! I'm sneaking in at the last minute, but I'm here.

A couple days ago I finally got around to making these great kitty toys. I put them together as a gift for my sister's kitties, mainly because my sister loves sushi and I thought they were cute. They are super quick to whip up and take very little fabric. The green for the nori belt isn't quite right, but I didn't feel like going to extra effort to get the right green for a couple of cats! I cut up an old terry wash cloth to make the "rice" and used other fabrics I had on hand for the egg, shrimp, and wasabi. Also, I used peppermint oil instead of catnip because catnip doesn't do it for her cats but they're batty for peppermint.

The pattern is not my own, but it is free, and you can find it here. Meow! Happy eating Hama, Higa, and Molly!

Tutorial Tuesday! A Hooded Towel for Sally

2009-03-02T22:29:00.034-05:00

We like to play with baby dolls around here, and we love "props." Here's how you can use a spare hand towel or cleaning rag* and a baby washcloth* to make a doll's hooded towel. Yay for repurposing! This is a quick and dirty version, because I have limited time and I know my daughter won't care how fancy it is. There are plenty of ways you could put a little extra into this project, and I'll try to mention a few of those ways as we go.

*You can really use any fabrics you have on hand if you don't have towels or wash cloths to spare.

Supplies

A hand towel or cleaning towel. If it's already square, that's nice because you won't need to do any hemming. I used a "multi-surface" towel that came with a package of cleaning supplies. You'll want to measure and cut this to fit your doll and hem if needed. Mine happened to be just the right size from the get-go.
Baby washcloth. It's nice to use a contrasting color or print. I used a cheapo baby washcloth that came with a bath set someone had given us. If you need to trim this piece to size, you can leave the edges raw.
Scissors.
Thread.
A water soluble marking pen, or something of that nature. (Or you could skip this one and just wing it.)
Cutting mat and ruler, optional.
Sewing machine or needle.

Instructions

1. Lay your hood fabric on top of the towel fabric, lining up one corner so you can see how far down you want the hood fabric to come.

2 & 3. Use the diagonal lines on your cutting mat and your ruler to mark a diagonal line across the hood fabric, making a triangle. Or, eyeball it. Mark with the water soluble pen. Be sure to allow for the hem you will add to the bottom side of the triangle.

4. Cut along the line.

5. Hem the long side of the triangle, the side that will go across the baby's forehead. (Why are my pins facing the wrong way? I don't know.) Because I was using a fabric that will fray, I used a zigzag stitch. I chose to fold under the hem and stitch, but you could zigzag or serge over the raw edge or straight stitch over a folded hem, depending on your fabric and preferences. You could also use some bias tape along this edge.

6. Lay the hood fabric and towel fabric right sides together with the corner lined up. Pin the layers together, if desired.

7. Sew the two layers together with 1/4" seam allowance (or whatever you prefer). I chose to round the corner on mine.

8. Because you're stitching these with wrong sides together, you are actually folding in the sides of your towel fabric, which you'll see when you turn the piece right-side-out. That means the sides of the towel are going to roll in a little below the hood piece. (You can see it a bit in photo 9.) If this bothers you, you can angle your seam out at the very end of both sides. Once you're turned right-side-out, you can then hand stitch a few stitches to sort of flatten this out. Or, see other options below.

9. Trim seam allowances as needed. You may want to clip your corner; I chose not to because of the fraying nature of the fabric. Turn right-side-out.

If you don't like the look of the raw edges inside the hood or of the curled sides of the towel, you could do either of these instead:

a. After turning right-side-out, top stitch around the entire piece, making your allowance wide enough to enclose the raw edges inside.

b. Lay the towel fabric down right-side-up and the hood fabric on top of that, also right-side-up. Attach bias tape around the entire piece, enclosing both layers. Now they're stitched together, the towel stays flat, you have no raw edges inside, and you have a nice, finished look.

10. Wrap up baby! (This is Sally. I know she isn't authentically bathing, as she is still fully clothed, but we prefer to keep our babies dressed in photos, ha ha!)

I hope this all made sense. (Please let me know if I've confused the bejeepers out of you.) There are a lot of ways this project could be improved on if you wanted to make it a little more "professional" and better constructed. I hope showing you the quickie version will at least get you started (or be just the ticket for those of you who are like me and don't want to expend too much energy, ha!).

Now you can get started playing. Bath time!

The Comeback Crafter

2009-03-02T14:48:00.013-05:00

I was going to take pictures of the mounds of wadded up, used tissues overflowing from wastebaskets, stuffed in pockets, collected in little piles on side tables, to show you why I've been silent so long, but I decided that would just be gross. And I don't want to spread my germs. So instead, here's a photo of a different sort of pile.

I was all set to start crafting again and building back into more regular, serious creating and posting when whammo, I am hit with The Cold That Won't Go Away. Normally when I catch a cold I am miserable for two or three days and then life returns to normal, but this one is just hanging on. And on and on and on. I'm sure a lot of that has to do with the fact that I'm just not able to rest much, even at night. Children are tough task masters. They prefer you not call in sick. So I've been rather out of commission, and my little stack of ideas and project hopefuls has been growing taller and more precarious.

This is, in part, thanks to this:

and this:

I have so many other things to finish, yet I am itching and scratching to try something new from one of these lovelies. I may be entering another shift, in which I leap to a new medium* and get obsessed with it at the neglect of all other interests. Hmmph.

*Are you watching Lost? Can you see the influence?

Anyway, back to reality. I did manage to put together one simple project, which I'll post tomorrow, complete with a bare-minimum-to-get-it-done tutorial for ... Tutorial Tuesday! I'd like to start a semi-regular habit of posting tutorials on Tuesdays and/or freebies (patterns, likely) on Fridays. I can't guarantee it will happen every week, and I might just point you to someone else's instructions if I like them a lot, and this might fail miserably and I'll quit, but we'll see where it goes starting tomorrow.

Until then, I leave you with one more crafty space photo. I promise it is completely devoid of snotty tissues. It was late last night, but I swiped the tissues to the side of the frame just for you.

Freebie Alert! Snowflakes That Stay on My Gingham Eyelashes

2009-02-18T23:19:00.029-05:00

[Note: This post has been edited to sound more like the usual me and less like the overtired, whiny me who wrote the original thoughts. It's still the same, just a little less 'tude. For those who read the first version, my apologies!]

Because I haven't gotten beyond merely glancing at my pile of projects-to-be and thinking about them late at night after choosing sleep over creative fulfillment (so not like me!), I've decided to encourage others in Blogland to craft so that I might live vicariously through them. Stitchers, I give you ... my original Chicken Scratch Snowflakes.

They took quite a few hours to work up in a readable format, and if I was wise I would attempt to sell them before carelessly tossing them into the wide world of Internets as a freebie, but I am feeling generous (and too tired to figure out how to sell things). It is probably not that hard to figure these out without the pattern. Nevertheless, some people like to take all the thinking right out of it so they can get down to the crafting, and this--this is for you.

I've tried to be as detailed as possible; please do let me know if there's something I could do to make the patterns better, as this is my first attempt. Because these are so simple, they are not drawn to scale; these patterns are more guidelines or instructions for where to place your stitches. You'll see what I mean.

Each of the snowflakes can be found in stitched form on my flickr page. I have drawn them up as if they are stitched on the traditional gingham background, and as a result they look a lot cleaner and more precise than they may turn out in actuality, depending on your foundation fabric. Most of my stitched versions are a lot more free form because I didn't use a gridded background. I like them that way, but do as you wish.

And now, enough babble. Enjoy! (Click to download a full-size image.)

Exploring Chicken Scratch

2009-02-13T22:43:00.021-05:00

Ah. So. Here we are. January was a bust, in terms of crafting. It was for good reasons, of course, but I found my fingers itching to get back at it. Mustering up the energy to do so, however, was easier said than done.

Last year, knowing that I was going to find my time and energy more limited with the arrival of another wee one, I thought that a little monthly kick in the pants would be a good thing. Thank goodness for Stitch Explorer 2009! I signed up for it in the hopes that it would keep me motivated and accountable to my crafting once I hit the new year. It's just in the nick of time, but here I am, skating in at the last minute with my sample pieces.

The first challenge was chicken scratch, a stitch I, being pretty new to embroidery, had never heard of before. It uses a double cross stitch, a straight stitch, and lacing, and it's typically done on gingham. The challenge suggested taking the basic stitch and expanding on it by changing from the traditional foundation fabric, trying different stitches and colors, and so on. I've been working on variations for a couple weeks now, and I've found this pattern and its possibilities quite enjoyable. I also got a bit snowflake obsessed, as you'll see as you make your way to the end of this post.

First, I did the traditional version for practice, with some scrap gingham and white floss.

Then there was a brighter pattern with a different fabric that maintained the square idea but changed it up some ...

... another pattern on another fabric ...

... and the same pattern with different colors, done two different ways ...

... and another two pieces done with leftover colors and fabrics because I was too lazy to go upstairs for new materials.

And then there were the snowflakes. Oh, the snowflakes. We haven't had a lot of snow this winter, so I made my own. First the gingham ...

... and then the freehand versions that were sort of eyeballed for evenness and done on a charcoal muslin.

(Detail photos on my flickr page.)

These might have been a stretch in some ways, as I strayed a little more from the traditional method, but I really, really love this piece best of all.

There might be more chicken scratch to come--but I'm looking forward to the next challenge for something different. There also might be more posts and a snazzier site design to come--but I'm looking forward to the day when I once again get a good night's sleep, and the former is directly dependent on the latter. Ha!

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

2009-01-04T21:53:00.018-05:00

This Christmas, as friends and family were opening the gifts that I had put so much time into making for them, people kept commenting, "You really did a lot this Christmas!" or asking, "When did you find time to do all of this?" Let's just say that, starting in early November and going straight through to Christmas, I spent a lot of stolen evening hours at home with my projects, and there were quite a few late nights thrown in for good measure. It didn't really seem like that much at the time, and looking at it all laid out in a mosaic makes it seem minimal, but whew!

1. Quilt Love, 2. Corner Bookmark (2), 3. Sachets! (2), 4. Hummingbird (5), 5. Isshinryu, 6. Decking the Halls, 7. Knotted Bracelets (3), 8. Become the Change (2), 9. Notebook (2), 10. Looooo-cy! (3), 11. Sachets! (6), 12. Coffee Cuffs, 13. Birdhouses for Grandma, 14. First ATCs, 15. Frank Lloyd Wright in Stitches (2), 16. Gift Card Holders (2)

I haven't found time to return to crafting yet, but I'm already getting the itch. When the new little one gets into more of a routine with his sleeping habits and actually has a bedtime to speak of, I will get some "me time" back. Until then, looking lovingly at my newly acquired crafting goodies (yay for Japanese craft magazines!) will have to keep me satisfied. (Not pictured: Awesome sewing machine cover made by MIL. Detailed notes on my Flickr page.)

P.S. Coming soon: Design and other changes for the new year!

Love's Labours

2008-12-29T17:01:00.016-05:00

I hope you had a Happy Christmas. As previously mentioned, crafty activity has come to a temporary halt, hence no posting for me, but I have one project still up my sleeve to share. This is the last one I completed before Christmas.

I will preface by saying that normally I intend to keep this blog strictly craft-related and leave out the personal stuff. I'm not a huge fan of over-sharing on the web, and that's just not the purpose of this site for me. That being said, I'm going to break that rule this time because this project has a story to it.

First things first: It's a decorative piece for my brother-in-law, who is a ninth degree black belt in Isshinryu karate. He and my sister are very passionate about karate and Okinawa and have lots of related decorating in their home. I wanted to do a piece for him that reflected his interests, and this is what I came up with.

I started with the Japanese lettering, which says, literally, "Isshinryu" and means "One Heart Method." I found the lettering at a web site that sells embroidered karate gear specific to one's school of training. The fist you see on the right is called the Isshinryu fist, and this fist position is unique to their style of karate. I found this at an Isshinryu web site. Then, because it needed a little something more, I downloaded some lotus flowers after searching for "Japanese design" and sort of sprinkled them into the empty spaces. The idea behind Isshinryu, if I understand correctly, is that you strive for peace but are prepared to defend yourself if need be. I think the addition of the softer flowers represents this, and also represents Okinawa.

I arranged the design in Photoshop, printed it, and transferred it onto the fabic with a light board and a water soluble pen. I stitched this on plain off-white muslin with black thread. I was going for a very organic look and wanted to keep it simple. It's stretched over a piece of wood and stapled down, and my brother-in-law can now hang it or set it on a shelf or whatever he chooses.

The satin stitching on the Japanese calligraphy took the longest, and I started with it first. I was on-again, off-again with it while working on other projects, but finally finished it after a few days. The flowers and fist are mostly back stitch, and those came together quickly.

Now here's the story: At the time that I was working on this piece, I was, oh, 9 months pregnant or so. I was expecting Baby any day--my due date was a week earlier, in fact--and we joked that I wouldn't go into labor until I'd crossed everything off of my to do list. Ha. It turns out that my labor started to turn more "real" just as I was sitting down to work on the final section of this piece. I had had a false alarm before and was determined to keep working on my embroidery, so I just kept going even when the contractions started getting tougher to work through.

When I finished I took the piece downstairs to show my unwitting husband, who took one look at me and said, "We need to call the midwife." I went upstairs to rinse out the ink marks from the fabric, still certain the labor wasn't for real. When the midwife arrived, we learned that I had stitched myself right to 8 centimeters dilated! The project was done, and I had the baby a couple hours later. How's that for timing?

So now you know why my craft life is on hold. We're busy getting to know Baby and fighting yucky viruses. (I am flat on my back with a 103 degree fever.) Christmas was very busy, but everyone loved their gifts. My father-in-law immediately hung up his Frank Lloyd Wright piece and has placed it behind non-glare, archival glass so no one can touch it. Other responses were just as positive. The more I watched people open gifts, the more I realized just how much I'd tackled in less than 2 months and felt quite satisfied, but I also made a mental note to start earlier next year. And we'll be skipping the baby part next time 'round, too.

All in all, it was a successful holiday craft marathon, especially for someone so new to embroidery, and now it's time to rest. I hope you have a happy new year, and I'll see you again once crafting resumes.

Holiday Hiatus

2008-12-23T11:49:00.007-05:00

Public domain, 17th century artwork. Gerard van Honthorst.
Adoration of the Shepherds. Image found here.

As a word of crafty update, the last big embroidery project is done. It has been for a few days and I'm very happy with it. I need to get it stretched onto its frame now (it's intended for a wall hanging), so I haven't taken photos yet. So no new post. I may squeeze one last one in before Christmas, but that remains to be seen.

Non-crafty life has been full of change and very busy for the last week, and with Christmas coming as well, I don't anticipate any creative activity for a few weeks. Because I've decided to keep this blog strictly art/craft related, that means I won't be posting anything new for a while--or my posts will be erratic at best. Hopefully when the dust settles in the new year I'll be back to crafting--smaller, simpler projects for a change--and regular updating.

In the meantime, thank you for all the visits and kind words and entertaining blog posts (I'm still reading even when I'm not posting myself). Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and I'll "see" you in a few weeks.

Sashay on Down!

2008-12-18T21:07:00.009-05:00

Or sachet. As it were.

Here is my basket of lovelies.

This was the last of the small projects I had on my list. I have seen several tutorials for these online (this and this, for example) and decided they would be another easy but impressive gift. They are filled with flax seed and lavender and can be chilled in the fridge or warmed in the microwave or used to make things like dresser drawers and clothes smell pretty. They have a nice hefty but floppy feel to them, and the scent is so soothing. (Although my hubby disagrees.)

They're also very cost effective: I used fabrics I had on hand. The flax seed was found at my local organics store, and even though that felt pricey to me, it still came out to about an average of $1.50 per sachet. (This, of course, depends on how big you make the sachets and how full you make them.) And my aunt gave me the dried lavender, so that cost me nothing, although even if I'd paid for it, the total cost per sachet would still have been under $3 each. Can't beat that!

I made two sets, each set including a 4" x 11" sachet that can be draped over your eyes or neck (inspired by this tutorial), a 4.5" square, and a 5.5" square. And then I made one more as a thank you gift to my aunt for giving me the lavender ... and one for myself, because I wanted to keep them all and scatter them all over my house. I decided that keeping one to set on my desk and sniff at random would have to suffice.

It feels so satisfying to cross the last thing off of a list, doesn't it? (She says, not mentioning the large embroidery project still looming over her shoulder.)

Bits and Bobs

2008-12-17T00:30:00.012-05:00

I've had this list of projects to finish. I purposely started with the biggest things so that if I got caught up in busy-ness in December I could squeeze in little projects here and there with minimal stress. But a couple weeks ago it started to really bother me that I had a list of small projects looming over me even though I still had one big project to go. It bothered me more than the idea of getting all the little ones done and having one big one hanging in the wings. So I reordered my list. I'm still working on the bigger one, as mentioned in the last post, but I've been making time for the other bits as well.

Here you see what I've been up to today.

I made corner bookmarks to go with a book purchased as a birthday gift. (These recycle old envelopes! I used fancy paper and stamps. Some of the ones at this link are so impressive. I decided to keep it simpler, but I may enjoy exploring more creative options some day.)

I made knotted bracelets as another part of the same birthday gift. (Couldn't find the width of cord recommended so used 2 mm and it worked out fine.)

And I made a notebook as a stocking stuffer for Christmas. (I particularly like this one, for no reason other than that I like to look at it)

These were all great projects in that they were very easy to do (check out the tutorials!), took minimal supplies (most of which I already had), and were very satisfying when completed. I will definitely keep them in my bag of tricks for future quickie-but-impressive gift needs.

I also made some homemade peanut butter dog biscuits but did not take photos. For some reason our family always gives gifts to each other's pets. I ate one to see what it was like, and I have to say it's a good thing dogs aren't terribly discriminating in their tastes. (At least, the ones I know aren't.)

I've one more small project that I hope to complete tomorrow, and otherwise it's back to the larger embroidery. Almost all of the gifts are wrapped, the cards are mailed, the candy is made. And there are still eight shopping days 'til Christmas!

P.S. Thanks to One Pretty Thing for all the great links to these and other projects.

Decking the Halls

2008-12-14T20:01:00.018-05:00

Let me begin by saying, for the record, that I am actually working on my last big embroidery project/Christmas gift. See?

I'm just dragging it out by doing other things at the same time.

Ahem. Onward.

Every year for Christmas I put together a little gift box of goodies for our closest friends. It usually consists of a couple different kinds of candy, and I usually stick with quick, easy things. This year I've gone a little overboard. Not only did I make two kinds of candy (tiger fudge and peppermint bark), but I also made two different kinds of freezer jelly (strawberry and my favorite, grape) and a little felt ornament for each box.

All of these projects by themselves are pretty easy to do and don't take much time. In fact, I made the strawberry jelly in November so that I would have less to do now. But when you combine all of them and add to that the fact that I just realized what the date is and that I am running out of time to see these friends and deliver the gifts before we all get lost in the holiday rush, you have a bit of chaos. I spent a couple of days getting it all pulled together and have finally finished. I may have done a bit more than I needed to, but the boxes look lovely and full of Christmas cheer.

(Individual images on my Flickr page.)

So these ornaments are what I've been spending my recent time on. I kept them simple. I used craft felt and embroidery floss and just free-stitched a design on each of them. I made multiples of each one, too, so it went faster once I had the first of each design figured out. The little trees have a bit of batting stuffed in them, but the pointsettia and star looked funny with stuffing, so I skipped it. I really enjoyed this project because I was able to just be creative and enjoy the process, and they stitched up quickly so I had more instant gratification than usual. Next year I hope I have time to do more.

Now it's back to finishing the big project. Has anyone noticed the date? Christmas is on our heels. Eep!

Fancy up the Gift Card

2008-12-10T23:59:00.014-05:00

While I've been taking a break from bigger projects (read: avoiding starting the last "major" Christmas gift), I've been working on simpler things, and it has been lovely being able to start and finish something quickly. We're giving away a few gift cards this Christmas, and I wanted to package them a little more personally than with those cardboard holders they come with, so I whipped up my own design. (I mentioned in the last post I was going to use some online tutorials. I had thought about doing a few paper crafts for card holders, but eventually decided to just stick with my own plans.)

Each one is a little different, and if you want to see all of them up close and personal, they're on my Flickr site. But for this blog I've decided to do a little tutorial for one of the designs. They're very simple to make, but I know some people really like the photos and written instructions, so here they are.

First, your supplies.

You'll need some craft felt, cutting implements of choice, a needle, and some embroidery floss. I personally like to use my rotary cutter to make the rectangular pieces and then use my shears or embroidery scissors to cut out an applique, if I'm using one.

You'll want to cut two rectangles approximately 2 1/2" x 3 5/8" (or just measure around a gift card). If you want to add an applique, cut that out too.

Next you're going to do your applique and/or embroidery. Now's the time to do as much or as little embellishing as you want. If you look at the individual card holders, you'll see that I chose to only embroider some of them, but the one in this tutorial makes use of an applique as well.

Use whatever colors and variety of stitches you desire to attach your applique and make your design on one of the rectangular pieces. (Set the other piece aside for now.) The felt is not going to fray, so you can be fairly decorative with your attaching stitches without worrying about making it super tight or folding under edges. Also, don't worry too much about perfection, with the stitching or the cutting that comes later. I think imperfections give the pieces a more "folksy," homemade appearance that is quirky and fun.

And there you have the finished embellishments:

Then the cutting begins. You'll still be working with just the front rectangular piece. You can choose to skip this part if you like (and you'll see that I did so with one of the designs), but I personally much prefer seeing a bit of the card peeking through.

I used my embroidery scissors with the teeniest points so that I could make smaller, more precise cuts. Whatever you use, cut carefully and be sure to leave pieces of the center design still attached to the outer edges of the holder. I learned as I went that it's better to make sure the attached pieces are reasonably thick; otherwise the felt could get strained or tear.

This is another area where you can get as creative as you like. My favorite design just involved cutting around the center design to look like a frame, but on another holder I used the scissors to free-form cut the design itself into the felt.

Once your cutting is done, it's time to attach the two rectangular pieces with your stitch of choice. I preferred whip stitch for most of them, but you can use a blanket stitch or a straight stitch or anything else that suits your fancy. When you get to the edges where you want your opening, simply stitch on each individual layer instead of going through both at once.

And then ...

Tada! Simple and sweet, it costs almost nothing, takes no time at all, and you've got an impressive way to present your gift. Enjoy!

If you think of something I could add or change to make this tutorial more usable, please feel free to let me know!

A Lovely Little Break

2008-12-08T21:56:00.007-05:00

I've only one major embroidery project left to complete for Christmas, but I have yet to really figure out the design, so I've taken some time off to work on a few quick things while I think/procrastinate. These are two ATCs (artist trading cards) that I made for my sister-in-law, who has recently started making them herself. I needed to keep them simple, in the interest of time, but I'm happy to say I love them anyway and have learned that simplicity can be good for me sometimes.

This one is embroidered on cheapo craft felt. I just designed on the fly, stitching as I went, and using a variety of stitches. It's called "New Path." I attached it to a second piece of felt after sandwiching a piece of cardboard in between to make it a little more sturdy.

This one is a digital image that I created in Photoshop. It's called "Fresh Start." It's printed on photo paper and attached to a piece of cardboard.

I don't imagine I'll take a lot of time to make these in the future, as my bookmark folder of project ideas is overflowing, but it was fun to do something on a smaller scale, so I might throw in a few here and there.

Next I am going to attempt to make some gift card holders using online tutorials. And continue thinking about the big embroidery project to be. Maybe.

Become the Change

2008-12-07T00:05:00.010-05:00

As promised (maybe a teeny bit late), this is the other big project that I recently completed.

It's for a family member who worked for AmeriCorps for two years. She has made strides to be more "green" and really likes the "Become the change ..." quote by Ghandi.

I used the Pupcat font and a downloaded image of the Americorps logo to create the design, printed it, and transferred it to the fabric (another piece of the recycled bed sheet), which I machine stitched to the tote when I was finished. All the lettering is done in satin stitch (whew!) and the logo is done in long and short stitch and back stitch.

This was another project in which I promised myself I wouldn't be so insane about perfection. I can see the flaws. The words aren't evenly spaced; the letters aren't always a consistent size or shape; the logo was too small to capture some of the detail well (such as the pointy borders around and inside the logo).

Nevertheless, after finishing it and taking a few days away, I can now look at it and say, "That's awesome!" I'm really proud of it and especially like how it looks with the dark blue fabric of the tote.

(Oh, and by the way, the tote is made using this pattern and with leftover twill that I had on hand. This project cost me nothing to make! Woohoo!)

I think it will be the perfect gift to be practical, "green," and reflective of the receiver's passions. Thanks for looking!

P.S. I realize my banner and design are sadly still fall-ish and not at all reflective of the season. It's bugging me, but it will have to wait until I come up for air. Christmas presents are almost done, and then I'll play with the blog some more. ;)

Lucy! You Have Some 'Splainin' to Do!

2008-12-05T22:41:00.017-05:00

At long last, here is one of the two big projects I recently completed. Check that off the Christmas gift list. (The colors in these images are not quite as vibrant as they are in real life. I haven't had good lighting lately.)

I found a drawing from Google images, enlarged it, and printed it in gray scale. The simplistic style of the image appealed to me because it lent itself well to embroidery, it seemed simple enough to tackle, and it was different from anything else out there. I then used my "light board" (a piece of Plexiglas that I suspend between a desk and a rolling cart, with my OttLite underneath) to trace it onto the fabric, which is cut from an old bed sheet.

The stitching didn't take as long as I anticipated, which is not something I can often say. The entire piece is satin stitch except for the little title heart on the bottom right, which is long and short. When you see the second completed project (hopefully tomorrow), you'll understand when I say that I do not care to do any more satin stitch any time soon! Really, it was very good practice, although I still need to do some work on getting the floss to lay nicely and getting my edges more even.

Going into this I promised myself I was not going to be as neurotic about every detail, and it's amazing how much faster it went that way. I allowed myself the opportunity to tear out and redo stitching that was really off, but I did not nitpick or obsess over teeny imperfections. And looking at it as a completed project, I can see that the piece is perfectly nice and way more pleasurable to me because it didn't turn into a huge headache.

It's been turned into a throw pillow (about 16" square), using more fabric cut from an old bed sheet and a pillow form. It's a gift for my sister, who has a room in her house decorated with Lucy paraphernalia. I think she'll love it--and if not, she has some 'splainin' to do! (A few more detail photos can be found on my Flickr page.)

More Fluff

2008-12-03T01:22:00.007-05:00

See this?

I found it on eBay, and now I am wishing I had some place in my crafty area to put it. I would love to put all my lovely flossies in it. I found one listing that was selling eleven of these boxes with floss in them for $850.00. I was drooling. But if I don't have room for one box (and I really don't right now), I certainly don't have room for eleven. Bah. (As if I have $850 for eleven floss boxes. But nevermind that.)

As of tonight I have completed two out of the three remaining "big" embroidery projects ("big" meaning they're time-consuming and likely to make me tear out my hair). All except the finishing, that is. One is to be a tote bag, and the other a pillow, so whipping them up should take no time at all, and I hope to have some fresh posts for you on Wednesday and Thursday. Or Thursday and Friday. Or ... We'll see how lazy I am about taking photos.

I need to design the last one and get that going, and after that it's just smallish projects that I can fit in much more easily. Given that December is going to be a very busy month due to some changes in our family (good things, but change nonetheless), I am thrilled to know the bulk of my Christmas gifting is done. Phew!

Place Holder

2008-11-26T19:47:00.015-05:00

Since I'm still working on the same project--which I hope to complete tonight, fingers crossed--I thought I'd share some inspiration from the Flickr embroidery pool. (Click on the links if you'd like to be redirected to the page that has the individual photo and information.)

First, just some lovely stitching that makes me happy.

1. PB040022, 2. Lavender Loveliness, 3. Hey Diddle Diddle, 4. Tree, 5. Little Yellow Flowers, 6. cat tree tea towel, 7. Felt House, 8. Doll quilt with tiny bluebird

And then, a few things that have gotten me in the holiday spirit already.

1. Gingerbread.Felt.Biscuits.Trio.1, 2. string of lights, 3. Cosy Gingerbread Home, 4. Christmas applique cushion, 5. candycane fairy_, 6. Christmas cards, 7. tree family, 8. Redwork Mini Quilt for Christmas, 9. DSC02211, 10. christmas lights holiday hoo no. 2, 11. Embroidered Felt Advent Calendar, 12. Mr Claus

Lastly, there have been some gorgeous ornaments appearing in the pool. These are mostly recent uploads with a few older ones mixed in.

1. Hot Chocolate Ornament, 2. forest of tree ornaments, 3. 2006 Holiday Ornament Swap, 4. First Snow Heart Giveaway, 5. late night ornament making., 6. Horse, 7. Little Bird Tree Decorations (Red), 8. Cuckoo Clock Ornament, 9. ornies all done--front, 10. "Up On The Rooftop..." Blog Giveaway, 11. felt ornament dove, 12. 2008 Christmas Ornament Swap #2

Enjoy. Hopefully more to come soon!

And So We Wait

2008-11-22T23:48:00.009-05:00

This little guy is waiting around for me to finish something new so I can post about it. He's a pencil drawing I did many years ago when I first started feeling inspired to be "artsy" again. My husband wanted to encourage my creativity and bought me some drawing supplies, and this is one of the first things I did. I modeled him after a wooden sculptural piece in my house. (Poor quality scan, I know, but it's what I've got on hand at the moment.)

As an update, I'm maybe halfway through another larger scale embroidery project and hoping to finish it up early this week so I can move on. I will simply say to you that I may not do satin stitch ever, ever again once this is finished. Ha.

After that I have two more ambitious pieces to complete and then I think I can move on to simpler things. Ah. That sounds lovely.

P.S. Thank you so much to all of you who commented so kindly on my Frank Lloyd Wright project, both here and at Craftster, as well as on the few websites that featured the piece. It was insanely flattering and has encouraged me to keep experimenting with this new craft!

Suntop Homes, Built 1939

2008-11-18T19:57:00.011-05:00

I have a family member who works with and very much likes architectural design. I tried and tried to think of a fitting handmade Christmas gift for him and was drawing a blank until it suddenly dawned on me: Why not stitch a blueprint? I did a Google search for Frank Lloyd Wright blueprints (he loves FLW) and settled on one that was simple enough that I felt it was possible for me to accomplish it but detailed enough to please the architect.

The stitching itself wasn't complicated. It's almost all backstitch in blue floss. (My husband picked the floss color for me in an attempt to get as close as possible to true blueprint ink.) How much easier can it be? Famous last words.

I cut up an old bedsheet for the background fabric, which worked out nicely. I reversed the image on my computer and printed it on photo paper, then transferred it onto damp fabric. This was a new technique for me and worked pretty well, although I had to do some tweaking and definitely learned some things for the future.

My biggest headache was struggling with fabric tension, as I was using a larger Q-Snap style frame and having some difficulty with it, and the weave of the fabric was causing my lines to look not so straight despite my following the printed lines exactly. The obsessive-compulsive side of me took over and turned this into a monster of a project, but I finally stepped back, looked at it from a distance, and pronounced it acceptable. I'm not happy with the puckering where I did the long and short stitch on the thicker lines--another tension issue--but I am certainly not redoing it. Ha!

This was definitely a nice change of pace from what I've been working on, and even though my critical eye can get caught up looking for all the flaws, when I can step back and be objective I'm really quite pleased with myself. My husband framed it in a nice black frame for me, and I printed out a Wikipedia entry that gives background info on the building, which I attached to the back of the frame. I'm hoping it will be a hit when Christmas rolls around.

Long Time Gone

2008-11-17T23:53:00.016-05:00

I may have chosen a bad time to start blogging. There's a lot going on right now. Because I have a pile of Christmas gifts in the making and limited time for personal reasons, I have been spending every spare second working on the actual projects rather than photographing and writing about them. But I haven't disappeared entirely. I've tried to keep up with some blog reading and commenting, and my thanks to those of you who have been kind enough to comment and continue to check in.

I've just wrapped up a couple of time-intensive projects, so I'll perhaps post a little more frequently until I get swallowed whole by another one. That's the other problem: I'm doing such major, time-consuming projects and complicating them by being obsessive-compulsive and picky about them, so I am not turning out completed pieces with great frequency. There's not much to write about when I'm still stitching the same thing that I was three days ago and agonizing over which of three different fill stitches I ought to use. I think once all these gifts are finished I am going to focus on simpler, quicker things for a while.

But enough about me. On to the craft. One of the projects I recently completed was this little pillow for a grandmother who likes birdhouses. (The pattern/design is my own.)

The stitching has been done for some time, but I've just now gotten around to sewing it into a pillow. The more I look at it, the more I like this one. It's a little simpler, although still full of fill stitches, and I think the colors and style are just right.

I used mostly long and short and split stitch, with some satin thrown in, and I backed it with a little bit of a fat quarter I had on hand. This essentially cost me nothing, since it was made of supplies I already own. That's the best kind of project, don't you think?

Something I learned? Pencil marks don't always erase or wash out easily, but Tide to Go pens are the greatest product ever invented and will take out any stray marks with ease.

(The posts are not as crooked as they appear in this photo. The rounded pillow and the camera angle had something to do with that.)

Tomorrow, a little Frank Lloyd Wright stitching for you.

And Now for Something Completely Different

2008-11-03T16:23:00.010-05:00

I'm still working on embroidery projects. Since I've been doing so many for gifts and making them to suit the tastes of the recipients, they're not necessarily my style. They're nice, and I'm proud of them, but they're not really "me." Because I've done so many in a row, I think I'm getting a little burnt out on this particular style. After the current project is finished, I should get to switch things up some (think blackwork and architectural design!), and I'm looking forward to it.

In the meantime, did you know I like to draw too? I discovered a few years ago that, besides drawing with pencil and paints, I really enjoy using the computer to draw and illustrate. I could spend hours and hours lost in drawing and experimenting--part of why I don't do it much anymore. It soaked up so much time!

Anyway, since I'm tired of embroidery, and you might be too, I thought I'd dredge up some old files for a change of pace. These were done for Illustration Friday, way back when. Looking at these again makes me want to get out the Wacom tablet. *sigh* After Christmas, I suppose.

Hummingbird for Grandma

2008-11-01T20:34:00.018-04:00

My grandmother loves hummingbirds, and I often get her some little trinket for Christmas. This year I decided to do something a bit more special. I bought a plain wooden box with an inset that can be customized and decided to embroider a hummingbird image to fit in it. The hubby is still staining the box for me, so at some point I'll post again with a totally finished project photo, but--hooray!--the stitching is done.

I started by doing a Google search for hummingbird photos, looked at about 573 of them, and then sat down to draw my own pattern based on what I'd seen. (I am beginning to wonder if I ought to try selling patterns, as drawing them is the part that comes easiest to me....)

I decided to use a pink, floral fat quarter from JoAnn's for a background, since it matches my Grandma's style and decor. I've never stitched on anything but white or tan before, so I wasn't sure how it would work, but it turned out better than expected. I intentionally allowed the fabric to show through in some areas in an attempt to reflect the variation in tones and shades in the photo, but I'm not sure if I'm 100% happy with that. I knew I wanted to keep the flower white to stand out from the fabric.

For the bird I once again searched Google images, and I'll tell you: I never knew there were so many different types and colors of hummingbird! I found one that seemed most suited to her taste, printed it out for reference, and did my best to match it while not going overboard. There was so much color variation, highlights, low lights, etc., in the feathers that I couldn't possibly tackle it all-especially if I wanted this done in time for Christmas!

There was a lot of stopping and starting with this since I was filling in the colors as I went, tearing things back out, rethinking stitch styles, and so on, and this took way more time than I expected (a familiar theme with me!). I'm so pleased with it that I almost don't want to give it away ... but hummingbirds aren't my style and it ought to go to someone who will enjoy it completely. I hope she will.

Now it's on to the next gifty project, and I'm going to do my darndest to keep it simpler this time around. Ha.

Reuseable Coffee Cuffs

2008-10-27T21:52:00.010-04:00

At last, I have something to show for myself! I found the idea for these reuseable coffee cuffs on Craftster and decided to make some for Christmas gifts. I made up the pattern myself using a cardboard cuff from Starbucks, and I drew the designs myself as well. (This resulted in variations in sizing from cuff to cuff.) I should note that the guitar design started as free clip art that I modified to suit my plans, and the font is Pupcat, which is widely available for free download online.

These two are hand embroidered on muslin with a batik backing and a layer of batting in between. They're for someone who has gone green, and I thought these would fit the bill. (For more detailed photos--complete with coffee cup--check out my Flickr page.)

And these two are for someone who likes quilts. I used reverse applique (on batiks, with a layer of batting) for the first time here, so I kept the designs simple. I still have some learning to do with this technique, but it's good enough for a first try, I think. (Again, there are additional photos on my Flickr page.)

All of them have elastic loops on the back to allow for different sizes of cups. I wanted to use fancier elastic cording that matched better, but it was too thick to work with my design. Ah, well, I learned as I went, and this can be a revision for next time. So ... Whatcha think?

P.S.

2008-10-27T00:17:00.007-04:00

Least Favorite Things of the Moment:
1. Pleats (baby sling in progress)

2. Burning myself twice with the iron because I am tired and should go to bed.

Most Favorite Thing of the Moment:
Brand new fabric scissors. My old pair came from ... I don't even know where they came from, and they were getting so dull and hacking up my fabric. I decided to invest in a very nice pair since they were 50% off at JoAnn's last week, and I tell you, I had no idea what I was missing, and I will never go back. They are fabulous. Using my old pair was like trying to cut steak with a butter knife and not knowing that steak knives existed. I am now happily gliding through fabric and gloating over the fact that I got the new shears at such a good price.

Static

2008-10-26T23:20:00.001-04:00

Do you ever get so buried in your ideas that you stall out and fail to actually execute any of them? That's what happened to me last week. I started making a list of all of the Christmas gifts I intended to make, and when I plotted out how much time I thought each one would take, I began to realize just how tight it is going to be. I went into a frenzy of planning and prepping but couldn't seem to actually get started on anything. My workspace started to grow little piles of WIPs everywhere.

Midweek I did get a few things going, but I didn't really finish anything. Each project took (or is taking) longer than I anticipated, and sometimes I'm not even sure why. Add to that the fact that my crafting time is very limited (maybe a few minutes scattered here and there throughout the day and only a couple of hours each evening), and it's been slooooow progress. But I am making progress, and hopefully I will be able to post something more exciting tomorrow.

On another note, I totally scored on supplies this week. My mother-in-law gave me two boxes full of embroidery floss that she doesn't need, as well as some frames and hoops and other goodies.

Then I hit JoAnn's Midnight Madness sale and stocked up on floss and ribbon. (I mean, it was on super sale. I had to do it, right?) I am in that state of euphoria that can only be achieved after procuring gobs of gorgeous new supplies that are just waiting for a use. I like to pat it and sigh as I walk past it on my way to an actual in-progress task.

I am hopeful that all the new flossy goodness that is lying around waiting to be put away will allow me to continue carefully ignoring my "timeline" and the fact that I am way, way behind and at this rate will be doling out gifts for Valentine's Day.

Forget Autumn; Santa Has a Looong List!

2008-10-20T10:05:00.005-04:00

Christmas gift spoiler alert! Let me say right now, IF YOU ARE MY MIL, LOOK AWAY!

Truthfully, I don't think my MIL knows about this site, considering I haven't told anyone about it, but if you are reading this and recognize the projects or the style or the writing and think there's even the slightest chance you may be the mother of my husband, consider yourself warned. This is the big "pow!" gift for you, and you'll have to act surprised and impressed on Christmas day even if you see this now.

So. Out of all of the things I worked on last week, there's one project I'm most proud of. My MIL is a professional seamstress and expert quilter. She has always been incredibly supportive of my crafty endeavors, and since I found my love for embroidery, I wanted to make something for her that captured both of our interests. I drew up a pattern for embroidery, keeping it fairly simple but allowing myself the pleasure of adding some detail since I am a detail gal. (It's hard to see in the photos, but there is even a single strand of ecru outlining all of the smaller squares on the quilt.)

Then I taught myself how to make it into a square in a mini quilt. I can sew, but I am not highly practiced at it, and I have never done "real" quilting before. Thanks to YouTube and online tutorials, I figured it out and I think it's not half bad for a first quilt.

She loves batiks. They're not my personal favorite, but I wanted to really make this something she would love. I tried to keep the design traditional but also make it more modern, since she is moving away from "country" decorating in her house. I was very happy with how the fabrics complimented the floss colors on the embroidered square.

I put this one off for a while because I was intimidated by the idea of learning to quilt, but now I'm so glad I did it. I can see myself doing many more of these in the future, especially as I will be able to combine the quilting with embroidery. I think my MIL will be thrilled with this. (The real test will be to see if it makes her cry!) I know I am quite pleased with the result.

Autumnal Inspiration

2008-10-18T15:03:00.001-04:00

While out for a walk I found these little bits of fall on the ground. I loved how the leaves were still in the process of changing colors and were doing so in an almost organized pattern. They reminded me of a watercolor and I couldn't resist taking them with me. I have wanted to make a fall wall hanging for my house and have several ideas floating around. These pretty pieces might serve as inspiration.

Happy weekend!

For Kassidy

2008-10-17T15:03:00.015-04:00

Here, as promised, are the baby blanket photos. Considering what a frustrating project this was in the planning stage, I think it turned out ok.

I usually do patterns that require holding two strands together for a squishier, softer blanket. (I think the extra strand makes the stitches bigger, thus allowing the yarn to lay looser and feel softer than when worked up in a single strand.) I also wanted a pattern that would work up quickly, since time was tight.

I started by looking for suitable yarn and found the local selection sadly lacking this time 'round. Since I needed this blanket done, oh, three or so weeks ago, I had to settle for what I had, so I chose Bernat Softee Chunky Twists in Tangerine Twist.

Alas, everything I tried using two strands just wasn't right. I experimented with patterns and needle sizes, knit and crochet, for several days and finally admitted defeat. Desperate for a finished gift, I downloaded a free pattern designed specifically for this yarn, switched to a single strand, chose a needle one size larger to get the look I wanted, and got to work.

The pattern is incredibly simple--way less complex or interesting than what I prefer to do--but it did whip up quickly, and I still think it's pretty. Now it's all wrapped up and ready for the post office. Whew! Better start making reminder notes about these things, as my brain seems to have turned off!

Deep Breath. Happy Dance. Carry On.

2008-10-16T21:57:00.009-04:00

Whew! It has been a busy week! Since the weekend I have been wrapping up all sorts of projects and am finally feeling like my wip basket is under control. I have a couple more "personal" projects that need to be finished, and then I am back to being creative. Hopefully I'll get a few more fall-ish items done before I have to start plugging away at Christmas gifts.

One teeny project I completed was a baby turtle, Amigurumi style. I've done this pattern before, but I made it smaller this time by using a smaller needle. It's meant to be a "big brother" gift to a little boy who just recently gained a new sister.

I also made a weensy little felt teddy to go with the baby blanket. It has a yarn loop at the top, and I will tie it onto the blanket when I wrap it up. It takes no time at all to make, and I think it adds just a tiny bit extra to the presentation of the gift.

(Photos of the blanket will have to wait until tomorrow when I have better lighting.)

There's another big project that I am quite pleased with (you can see it a bit in the first photo), but that will have to wait for another day and another post. Be warned that if you think you may be one of my family members, you may want to avoid this blog for a while or risk spoiling your Christmas surprises!

Bless This Mess (and pardon all the photos)

2008-10-10T21:44:00.010-04:00

As I mentioned in the last post, my super-fast-needed-this-yesterday baby blanket has not gotten off to a good start. I'm still fiddling with yarn and needle size and patterns trying to get just what I want. Since I'm not getting anywhere with that, I decided to take a little bit of time to put the finishing touches on an embroidery project that has been in the works for months.

My husband's aunt has a bathroom decorated with outhouses, and while it isn't my personal style, it always catches my attention for some reason. When we visit I always find myself staring at all the outhouses while I brush my teeth! A recent trip to their house inspired me to draw up a pattern for a little wall hanging that could go in that bathroom, and this is what I came up with.

I sketched it out with a pencil and then traced over it with a Sharpie pen, then traced that onto off-white muslin with a water-soluble pen. I wanted to add so much detail and so many different types of fills that the stitching took a lot longer than I'd thought it would.

I had the stitching finished quite a while ago but procrastinated on the finishing because it was the first time I did backing and binding and I was intimidated. Turns out it wasn't as hard as I thought.

(There are a few more photos on my Flickr site if you haven't had enough!)

Program Interrupted

2008-10-09T23:48:00.004-04:00

Blanket knitting woes abound. Poor yarn selection, wrong size needles, stalling, stalling, ack, ack, ack! In the meantime, I've uploaded a whole lot of photos of older projects to my Flickr page and will be able to post a new embroidery project tomorrow. Maybe this baby really won't get her blanket until she turns one.

Screeeech!

2008-10-08T23:48:00.008-04:00

All other crafting has come to a halt while I whip up a baby blanket. I always make one for each of my good friends' new babies. Since we're at a place in life where we're all building families, that's a lot of blankets! In mid-2007 through early 2008 I had five or six in a row before it finally slowed down. Then, suddenly, I got word a couple days ago that a good friend who lives two hours away just delivered her second baby and I realized I hadn't even thought about a blanket. It totally skipped my mind! I used to be able to throw these together in a day or two, back when I had unlimited time, but now I've got more on my plate. That means I have to concentrate on this blanket when I can or the baby will be having her first birthday party before I get it to her! I have an almost-finished embroidery project to share soon, but in the meantime, while I am putting nose to grindstone, here are a few photos of baby blankets I've made in the past.

Feeling Fall-ish

2008-10-05T20:54:00.008-04:00

As promised, here are some autumn decorations.

These were a real exercise in restraint for me, because I have a tendency to want to add tons of detail and fill everything in. They're little pillows made out of fuzzy fleece in plaid and stripes and stuffed with polyfill and pumpkin spice potpourri. (I sewed them on the machine.) I drew the patterns myself and stitched them onto burlap, which I then attached to the pillows. I used some ribbon for hanging, and that was all there was to it.

Stitching on the burlap was tricky, as I expected, because of the loose weave. I used Solvy to transfer the pattern, which held everything in place while stitching, but I had to be really careful about where I placed my stitches so they wouldn't disappear or get wonky once the Solvy was dissolved.

The most challenging part was getting the burlap onto the pillows, because it frays so easily and didn't hold up well from all the handling required to pull 6 strands of floss through the fleece. I'm not sure I want to work with burlap ever again--but I like the look.

These took almost no time at all to stitch up. In fact, the worst part was hand stitching the opening shut after everything else was put together. And the fleece made my hands sweat. But for the minimal amount of time involved, they look great, smell great, and really spruce up my house!

And Off We Go!

2008-10-04T16:17:00.058-04:00

Sometimes I like to torture myself by saying that I can't move on to something new until I've completed something in progress. I might want to do X, Y, and Z, but I am not allowed to start Y or Z until X is done. This is usually when I am having trouble completing X and would rather be doing Y or Z.

I suppose in some ways it helps me finish what I start, but sometimes it just completely stalls any progress at all. Since I don't feel like doing X, I just don't do anything. I've had that problem a few times with my crafty projects recently, and the worst has been the setting up of this blog. I have been working on other projects, but I have told myself that I am not allowed to post about them here or on Craftster until I get a suitable banner and design layout for this blog. So I have completed projects piled up and WIPs galore, but no posting. And I am going mad.

I finally took myself by the shoulders, gave myself a little shake, and said, "For goodness' sake, you don't even know why you're blogging or if you're going to keep at it, so just slap something together and get going. You can work on a new banner later." And now here I am. My intention is to make this a place where I can discuss my projects in more depth, maybe post more photos, and see how it allows me to connect with the crafting community. I don't know if I'll be good at this or if I'll keep it up. I don't know what it will be or what it will turn into. But I'm going to give myself permission to just see what happens. I'm trying to be better about that. In the meantime, expect design changes and new banners as the muse strikes me.

And, for a little while at least, expect loads of crafty goodness, because I have a backlog of things to post about--and I am in a fall-ish mood! (Can you tell?)

Muddlepud

Follow Me!

Thought Bubbles

Always Love You

The Honest Scrap

Remembering the Big Chief

We Shall Have Some Pie

My Creative Space

Weekend WIPs

My Creative Space

Honey, I Got You a Car!

Stamp, Stamp, Stamp!

Roooarrrr! (Translation: Thank You)

Happy Birthday to Me!

Because I Have So Much Free Time ...

This Is Love

A Weekend Bouquet

It's in the Bag

Mom's Day, Belated

May Flowers

A Creative Spot?

Chopsticks

Time for Sushi

To the Races!

How to Write a Quality Craft Blog

The MiniBoppy (A Tutorial)

Spring Cleaning

*Poof!*

Look, a Heron!

To Do: Done

Tutorial Tuesday: A Kiddo's Pocket Organizer

Freebie Friday!

Tutorial Tuesday! A Hooded Towel for Sally

The Comeback Crafter

Freebie Alert! Snowflakes That Stay on My Gingham Eyelashes

Exploring Chicken Scratch

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Love's Labours

Holiday Hiatus

Sashay on Down!

Bits and Bobs

Decking the Halls

Fancy up the Gift Card

A Lovely Little Break

Become the Change

Lucy! You Have Some 'Splainin' to Do!

More Fluff

Place Holder

And So We Wait

Suntop Homes, Built 1939

Long Time Gone

And Now for Something Completely Different

Hummingbird for Grandma

Reuseable Coffee Cuffs

P.S.

Static

Forget Autumn; Santa Has a Looong List!

Autumnal Inspiration

For Kassidy

Deep Breath. Happy Dance. Carry On.

Bless This Mess (and pardon all the photos)

Program Interrupted

Screeeech!

Feeling Fall-ish

And Off We Go!

Poof!