The Big Reveal

After about a 3 week process, with a few stops and starts in between, my new and improved sewing room is finished! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!  This is so exciting. I could just explode. Molly did a wonderful job painting my room. She did it for my birthday which was this past November, but there was so much going on with Thanksgiving and Christmas that it had to wait until after. She had a bonus day mid January to get the project all done because of a snow storm, so she had a snow day and didn't have to go to school. I never thought I would say I was glad for a snow storm. It was perfectly timed, because I didn't have to work that day either. She worked really hard to get it done. Enough said, Here it is.................

Molly in painting mode with her favorite paint shirt.





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Ta Da!!  I absolutely love the idea of my cutting table in the middle of the room. I had it the far corner where the peg board is now. This was Nathan's idea. And it was a great one. Now I can cut things from all sides. I made the skirt and attached it with industrial Velcro. Sometimes I scare myself I am so ingenious.

Bill put up the peg board for me. This was definitely a family effort.



This area serves a double duty. The kids can do their homework and I can do what ever.



I love the picture with the bunnies and teddy bears. I cross stitched it for Molly before she was born. She tossed it aside so I snatched it up.

I thought this was a great idea. I saw it in a sewing magazine

I got these buttons and scissors for 60% off at Joann Fabric. I can't resist a good deal. I based everything in the room around these, even the paint. I guess you can consider this the focal point of the room.

My first project in my newly decorated space will be a baby quilt. I better get moving, I only have till the end of February!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Happy New Year!

It is already 5 days into the new year. The presents have been unwrapped and everyone is enjoying their gifts. The wrapping paper has been picked up by the trash men and all the decorations have been put away.  Wow! Now it is time to relax and take a break from my projects.
Today I  dropped off my sewing machine to be cleaned and serviced. I take it in this time of year for a little TLC. Now I have an excuse not to sew. Now if I can just shut my mind off from planning other projects. My head keeps swirling with ideas for sewing and scrapbooking projects. I lost the remote to my brain so I am not able to shut down just for a littel bit. One of my craft related wishes is to organize my ideas in a journal so they can be readily available and not forgotten. I tend to be the type that will write an idea down on a napkin because nothing else is available only to have my son wipe his mouth with it or my husband blow his nose with it. Tragically,  that is how some of my ideas get lost. I am excited to try to be a bit more organized this year so I have a better chanceof putting my thoughts in action. Maybe that will help the flow of creativity be a little smoother.

Now that the Christmas gifts have been given, I can proudly display what I have been up to these past couple of months. I must say I enjoyed making these gifts this year.

These are journal covers that I made for the ladies in my Sunday School class. They nicely cover a plain composition book. I love the colors for the fabric. Each cover was machine quilted. Each journal also has a built in book mark!

Ths is the quilt I made for Molly. She absolutely loved it. I didn't think it would go over as big as it did. It is always nice to have your work appreciated.

And finally the big finish. I made this doll for my friend Terri, the quilter.. I love reproducing things in miniature to look like the real thing. She comes complete with thread, scissors, a reproduction of a pin cushion with real pins, and a shopping bag full of fabric. I used my embroidery machine to fashion her a name tag. The doll came out really good.

Well Happy New Year everyone! I am going to take a brief break for at least a week until my sewing machine comes back.

Christmases Past

This tree skirt is the first thing I made to decorate my house with as a newlywed.



An ornament framed with popsicle sticks to create the Nativity circa 2000



I love getting out the Christmas decorations. They bring back memories of past years. There are the ornaments marking special occasions like our first year as husband and wife, or the kids first Christmas. I even have ornaments for our pets. But nothing can beat the handmade decorations that the kids made in school or Sunday School.







Gotta love the tiny hand print. Nathan was only 2 when he did this.



I a m not sure why, but I love this simple paper ornament colored by one of the kids. I should have been keeping track of the artist for each masterpiece!



Molly did this jigsaw puzzle ornament in school

 

This is one of my favorites




This is an ornament that Nathan made while he was in school.

Like the kids, I too have made a number of things for Christmas decorations over the years. I am in the process of creating a new batch of decorations to help update the old.  Here is a sampling:






These stockings were made when the kids were born.



These are pictures of the nativity scene that I made when I was first married. All the details were cross stitched and machine sewn together. Nathan has asked that I  finish the set with the wise men, angel, camels, sheep and donkeys. So I will definitely have to start now to be ready by next year!



Here is the updated version of the Christmas elf. I am wondering if I should change the shorts to red like the tie and hat and boots?

It's That Time of Year

I am a few weeks behind where I was last year. Early October is usually when I start to get my creativity in action by preparing for the Christmas season. Christmas is now only a little more than a month away away, and I have a lot to do. I usually sell my tote bags and get most of my business from the girls at work. Last year I made about a $250 profit. This year I am going to sell scarves as well. So far I have gotten good reviews.

Here are some samples

My daughter makes a lovely model doesn't she?

I have found these scarves to be very versatile. I can dress up a plain t shirt,  or wear them with a coat. They are made of a silky fabric I enjoy making them because they provide instant gratification. They only take about an hour from start to finish. I have about 10 done so far, but between Molly and myself we will be keeping the above four. Oh well that's one of  the hazards of the job!
Well that's a start. Will keep you posted for more items. I will also have some thoughts on Christmas presents for my friends and family.

My Birthday Present

Very exciting news. In less than one week, I will celebrate my 48th birthday.  All be it a great accomplishment to almost reach half a century, that's not the exciting part. My daughter Molly is giving me a wonderful gift for this birthday. I bought a couple of gallons of paint, and she has announced that she is going to paint my sewing room for me as her present for me. We moved into our house in 1998.  Molly was only 2 years old at the time. The house had just been built.Over the years, all the other rooms have been either wallpapered or painted except for the sewing room. Molly  has gotten to be a pro at painting. She spent a week this summer in Pennsylvania on a missions trip painting the house of an older woman who had originally paid someone else to do the painting but that person ended up taking her money and not doing the job.  She also painted our bathroom a couple of months ago. I am so proud of her! Not only is she a great painter, she is also a very compassionate person who enjoys helping others.
Well anyway I spent hours at the paint store looking at sample colors. I agonized to find just the right color. Originally I wanted a burnt sienna. That is one of my favorite colors, but it probably would not go with the sewing accents I bought for the walls at 60% of at Joann Fabrics. I finally settled on a Williamsburg paint called CW317 or Brush Damask Wallpaper Gold.  I decided that neutral was the way to go.

This should go with most of the stuff I have already

Now the hard part is getting the time to have Molly paint it. She is a busy girl. It may not get done until after Christmas because our weekends are so busy. And this is  big room, so it will take a bit of time to do. Molly also tends to be a procrastinator like me. But it will get done eventually.  Now the only thing I have to worry about is my son Nathan wanting to take over the room as his own bedroom. His room is only half the size of the sewing room and he has suggested that we swap. No deal! In the meantime, I will keep on sewing.

My Latest Project

Fall is here,and I needed  a new tote bag to go with it. . I found the perfect fallish fabric to make my tote. The great thing about making my own tote is I can do it with my own specifications. I love pockets, so I made it with lots of em! Take a look from beginning to end


First I had to machine quilt the fabric

                                                       

Then I added the zipper and straps

Then comes the lining and pockets. I love the leopard print. Note to self, I will have to make a leopard print scarf next!

                                                         

The finished product. I used it today and have already gotten a lot of compliments.

                

                                

           I love the inside pockets. I have room for my cell phone and date planner plus a whole lot more.

An Introduction

Hi and welcome! I have wanted to start a "crafty" blog for quite some time now. Well, I have put it off long enough. Today is the day!




I love fabric. I have a lot of it. It is almost like therapy for me when I can create a tote bag or a quilt with the right combination of just a few fabrics. It is a great feeling of accomplishment. I have been sewing for a long time and have made so many things, but was always inconsistent  with documenting the creative process from an idea in my head to the finished product. I hope to do that here. My goal is to keep on sewing!





A sample of my fabric stash.
                                                                 
 I like to organize my fabric in clear plastic boxes. I attempt to keep them organized by color family so I can easily find what I want.

  Okay, It's time to create. I'll be back soon!