Monday, October 18, 2010

i {MADE} something! :)

Wow so I actually sat myself down and followed instructions and made myself something. :)

I have decided I really want to improve my sewing skills, and learn to quilt as well. I have sort of a goal to do this just so I can get better, and also when someday I do have kiddo’s, I will already be decent at making things lol.

It’s been a while since I actually threw anything together. I’ve got plans for baby stuff and what not, but I haven’t actually put all the things together yet.  Well, I used some leftover fabric and some new fabric and made myself a camera strap!

strap

It just fits over my regular one for my digital SLR camera. It’s got some mistakes but that’s okay-next time I can fix those :). overall I am happy that I finished it, and that it turned out cute, and that it is functional!  Not quite 'gift’ quality, but I’m much closer to that now.

If you can’t tell, the front is gathered, covered with 2 ribbons down the center, and backed with a padded damask material.

After this picture I actually took it back off, fixed a few things, and ironed it flat. It looks better now. Maybe I should take another picture?

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So for my sewing machine I recently purchased 2 new accessories. I got a walking foot and a free hand quilting foot. I have played with them both and think they will both be great. I actually used the walking foot to help me with the gathered fabric on this project today. The quilting foot will take some practice before I’d use it on a ‘real’ project, but I think I can get the hang of it and enjoy it.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

drought

That’s about the only word I can think of to describe my craftiness of late.

In July Josh’s mom Jackie was able to come and spend a few days with us. That got me the motivation to turn a messy storage room into a guest room. I sorted through boxes, got rid of stuff, put stuff away, and moved storage elsewhere. We got a queen bed, got a frame, and put it in there. I found a tiny dresser and night stand at Goodwill. I also found a little ugly lamp there too. Okay-it was all ugly lol. We moved things around to make stuff fit-the new stuff along with a tall fan-that room just likes to be hotter in the summer than the rest of the house-a bookshelf, and a gun safe. Magically it’s all in there somehow. I  totally scored at walmart finding a pretty comforter set on sale and sheets for the room. It just happened to match the existing window treatments and even the paint on the tiny dresser. I also found a small old mirror to top the tiny dresser and a little basket from another 2nd hand store. I painted the night stand and lamp and dressed the lamp and basket up with some ribbon and scrapbooking flowers. All I had left was something I wanted to hang on the wall, which I finally have finished on the computer but haven’t sent to be printed or purchased frames. Oops.

The room was a total transformation and served its purpose well. Now it’s just a spare bedroom with the occasional pile of stuff on the bed. I haven’t taken any pictures-so I will try to do that.

That was my big craft project of the summer. All I’ve been doing is working and working and working. Time off is spend with Josh on his adventures or catching up on much needed rest.

The garden has pretty much all died except for some peppers in pots on the deck.  Too bad we have to do the work to prepare it for next year! lol.

I have started a new project-painting the deck. It looked horrible. All the paint has chipped and faded. Yes, paint. The previous owners painted it red. Then the sort of repainted it when we moved in-with really crappy paint. Hopefully the paint I got-specific for this-will last a bit better. I’ve painted a lot but still have a lot left to go. I haven’t had any whole days to devote to only painting the deck-and some of my planned painting days turned into rain days. I’m working on it though! And when I’m done it’s going to look great. It already looks so much better even though its a mess.

Next is…yes..finishing that curtain project. That same ol’ one. It’s so nearly done. I don’t know why I haven’t finished it. I guess just all those other little things have come first, like work, school, cooking dinner, etc. lol. But I will do it before I start my next sewing project-which I am totally ready to start-so that is my new motivation.

After the curtain, I am going to make some baby stuff. A girl at work is having a baby boy in February and I have planned a few things to make for her. I’ve already scouted out the instructions, made the plans, and purchased the fabric and supplies. BUT I cannot start cutting and sewing until that curtain is done-so guess what i’ll be doing soon!

Don’t worry-I’ll tell you about the baby stuff-later. :) It will be fun (hopefully) and cute! (also hopefully!)