September 4, 2012

• Getting Crafty

  My husband’s work schedule recently changed and I’m finding myself home alone more than I’m used to.  To fill those lonely hours, I have been getting very crafty!  Here is a sampling of some of the stuff I’ve been working on!

  Of course, I made the super cute crocheted bunny that you can read about in my previous post

  I also found an adorable little stamping, scrapbooking, and paper crafts store not too far from my home and I have been taking classes there! My first class was called Tags Tags Tags! and we made all these cute tags.

                                

  My second class was called Stamping 101 – so we learned all the basic techniques and all kinds of stuff about different types of inks and stamps and when to use what.  It was very interesting.  Then we made these cards using those different techniques.  We wrote the descriptions on the back so that when we are making our own projects and want to have a certain look, we can use these as references to remember what to do.

  

  But by far my biggest project has been my very first QUILT!!  Years ago I went with my mom to a quilt show (I mostly agreed to go to spend time with my sister and see my super cute nephew).  At the time, I was NOT into quilting.  My mom has quilted for a very long time, but our tastes are very different, and I never had any interest in making those kinds of quilts.  But this quilt show really opened my eyes!  There were so many styles!  Cute quilts, and modern quilts, and crazy quilts, and quilts that told stories.  I was fascinated.  I came home with a kit that day – a kit for a summery flip/flop quilt.  I had intended to make it into my bedspread.  But, also at that time I was committed to doing ONE project at a time and not starting a new one until the previous one was finished.  I had a series of cross-stitch pieces I was making, so the quilt had to wait.

  One day, in an effort to break me of this One Project At A Time slogan I had, a quilting friend came over and she and my mom helped me cut out all the pieces for the main quilt top. It required some hand stitched applique, so I started making those.  But everything else had to be machine sewn and I didn’t have a machine yet. Fast forward a LONG TIME and I was getting married and moving, so we got me a super cute absolutely tiny little wee sewing machine.  It is adorable.  And just the right size to fit in the tiny little apartment Andrew and I would be having.

  Before I made the quilt though I had to practice a lot on the machine because I was new at it and I didn’t want to make mistakes on my quilt.  Finally the time came when I felt comfortable enough using it AND I have all this time alone now, so out came the quilt.  I cut all the sashing for all the blocks and sewed them on.  Here is an example:

  

  You can see the hand sewn applique in that picture too.  Then when I had all the blocks done, I put them all together in different ways until I found color combinations I liked.  Then I sewed all the blocks into 4 rows, and then all 4 rows together.  I did all that in one day!  I can’t believe it!

  

  Look at that!  I still have to do the inner and outer borders, and then obviously the back, but this is such a huge accomplishment for me that I feel the need to show it off a little now!

  But I now understand the addiction of quilting and I can’t wait to get this one finished and then start on the next 3 quilt kits I have waiting for me!

   

  • 6:51 pm
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