Re-orienting

I've recently been motivated to start sewing again, a hobby which took a serious down turn correlating with kid1's mommy-time-intensive first year.  It's hard to know how to pick up a project you've let go for awhile.

Sometimes the results are good.  I recently moved my sewing machine downstairs so I could sew when kid1 naps and sleep.  Clothing repairs got tackled first.  I thought there was monster pile that would take hours to fix but, once I got started, I was done with everything except replacing buttons in 30 minutes.  Now I have an almost-new pair of PJ pants, a sweater, and 4 shirts!  It was great to actually finish something (feeding the family and dishes and laundry and cleaning house don't count... they always need to be done again!).

Sometimes, the results are ambivalent.  In the same sewing spree, I finished piecing together the rows for kid1's quilt.  Now, the pieces are in the right order because I pinned them all at the same time.  And the rows are in the right order (I think...).  But are they turned right?  I have no idea which way I was folding them months ago and which side is left or right.  So while I've definitely made progress, I have some more work to do to really get going with this project.

*Note: This is a great example of why it's important to document your long term projects with things like, I dunno, pictures and diagrams.  Whoops.*

And sometimes, picking up a project in the middle is just a no-go.  The memory game I'm working on was this way.  After the quilt, I tried to move ahead with sewing the patterned fabric into the felt frames, only to discover the reason I stopped months ago: no matching thread.

I'm happy to report that one trip to Hobby Lobby later, that part of the project is finished.  Now, of course, comes the part I hate: ironing seams and interfacing.  Can I outsource this somewhere?  ;-)

Do you have lapsed projects that you're having difficulty re-starting?  How do you get going again?

My Month

It's been a busy month around here.  As of today, the baby is full term.  Yesterday was our last birthing class.  Monday marked the end of my last pre-baby systems engineering class.  I'll have about 3 months off before taking my last two classes.  This last course was super-time intensive in the homework department, although I'm not sure it was as beneficial as other classes have been.  At least it's over now.

In between homework assignments, though, it's been baby, baby, baby!  All the furniture is assembled and, with the exception of some later arrivals, all the baby clothes and bedding are washed and put away.  Thanks to the much appreciated generosity of friends and family and some long term financial planning on our part, we're in the process of finishing off our registries right now.  I'm excited because our nursery decorations should arrive next week!  Pictures should arrive here shortly after that.  :-)

Speaking of pictures, here's some craft updates!

First, a transportable changing pad that I made last month.  It was a very easy sewing project using this online tutorial.  Actually, it was so easy I'm thinking of making more for several friends who are also pregnant.

Transportable Changing Pad

Instead of the suggested inside fabrics, I used some Yankees-themed fleece left from several earlier projects.  Fleece turned out to be much easier to work with than minky or chenille, not to mention less expensive since I already had some!  There's even a handy pocket for diapers and wipes.

Inside View

Fully Unfolded

Next are two of a set of eight placemats I made, inspired by the blue gingham I got at the $1 fat quarter sale.    Blue check patterns sort of scream summer, don't they?  Even though these were simple, they took more time than I expected, mostly because I wanted to add in some interfacing to stiffen the placemats.

Reversible Placemats

I'm actually not quite done with these next two pieces.  Our changing table came with a pad but no cover, so I decided to make a couple.  Again, it's a simple idea, essentially a pillow case.  Unfortunately, when I measured out the fabric, I was a little too exact... the finished project was exactly the length of the pad, without enough edge to tuck under.  Fortunately, Hancock Fabrics had a cute dinosaur fabric that matched both covers!  The borders are sewn on but I still need to finish one end.

Dinosaurs!

Little Boy Fabric

Lastly, a couple of quick cross-stitch ornaments.  These are for the daughters of a friend of mine who are moving away soon... their little sister's ornament is still a work-in-progress.

Lots of other projects happening, including baby-themed sewing and some Christmas cross-stitch.  Pictures soon!

PS- One bonus picture: Pointing the camera down yields some interesting results these days.  :-)

More Crafting

I took the day off yesterday to do whatever I wanted.  That mostly turned in to updating my Goodreads account and craft projects.  I decided, in my typical OCD way, that I should actually list the projects I'm working on right now.  Boy, was that a mistake... but one I'm happy to share for commiseration purposes!

First, I forgot to post yesterday that I did end up repairing the dog blanket last month.  The replacement batting and patching I had in mind worked out pretty well.  It's not elegant, but then again it's for my dogs.  They seem happy to have their comfy blanket back and I'm happy to be done with another project.

This leaves me with 17 projects at various stages.  Yeah, that number's not a typo.  Shh, don't tell my husband!  Especially since he said something the other day about not needing to go back to a fabric store for a few years...

Without further ado, my list of projects (1-6 are current; 7-13 are doable but not started; 14+ need something):

1. Placemats - Found some cute blue gingham at the $1 fat quarter sale.  With the addition of some even cheaper red gingham, it will make 8 double-sided placemats.  Everything's cut, I just need to pin, sew, and iron.
2. Cloth Napkins - Coordinating yellow starburst/flower pattern to make napkins to go with the placemats.  Unfortunately, I underestimated the amount of fabric needed for this and actually have to go back to Hancock for another yard.  Who knew cloth napkins ranged from 16 - 21 inches square?!?  I discovered yesterday that this may be a good test run project for my new serger!
3. Picnic Bench Cushions - Blue leafy fabric I found back when we lived in Vegas (no comments on how long ago that was...).  The pieces are cut, the batting is cut, the straps are made (that was a pain); one cushion is even basted.  Just need to install that walking foot on my sewing machine and get going!
4. Memory Game - Made some progress on this last night.  Interfacing is all cut out, felt is all cut (including frames).  Now I need to start cutting squares of fabric to insert.
5. Baby Quilt - It's really a twin size quilt, which turns out to be a good thing.  Apparently all the crafty people in my family decided that making blankets for baby would be a great idea!  Plus, the 20+ receiving blankets we received as gifts are likely another craft project in the making.  They are all super cute but at least the quilt I make will be big enough to be useful for a long time.
6. Dragon & Castle (cross-stitch) - I've been working on this one off-and-on for over 4 years.  Just getting it set up to work on is time consuming.  It is a huge design and I'm probably 60% done.
7. PJs/Sleeper - Have the fabric (teddy bear fleece!) & pattern & notions & thread.  Just need to cut it all out and sew it together.
8. Gift for my sister-in-law - This is a stamped cross-stitch project kit, the first one I've ever done (the other type is counted and that's what I learned when I was young).  Not sure if she reads this blog or not; if not, pics may be coming after I start.
9. Crib Bumpers - I got the pattern from my mom and discovered last night that I may not have enough fabric (whoops!).  I based my cut size on another pattern I saw in a store, so I might just go back and get that one.  Once I decide what to do about that, it's cut and sew.
10. Clothing Repairs - Ugh.  What uninspiring sewing.  I think I need a basket, like my friend Jen suggested.  I need this more out of the way than I need it done right now.
11. Christmas Ornaments - Another cross-stitch project.  Each of these takes me 4-6 hours to do, so it's a good car-ride/TV-watching type project.  I make at least one for us every year plus a few for family/friends, but I'm running out of kits (only 5 left).  I haven't been able to find any at all the last two Christmases, so if anyone sees these (they generally run $1-2), please let me know!
12. Hand Towel - Cross-stitch pattern that took me longer than I estimated.  I intended to make 2... one is done and given to my sister as a wedding gift... now I need to finish the matching one.  Whoops.
13. Baby's 1st Christmas Ornament - Yeah, started this cross-stitch kit when I was 9... as in, for my new baby sister.  She's in high school now, so I should probably convert that to my baby's instead.  It would definitely take me less time now than it did then!
14. Bear Cross-stitch - Picked out the pattern, need to order it.  This is going in the baby's room... should probably get on that!
15. Curtains #1 - For that same sister, actually.  Still need the dimensions of her closet since she hasn't sent them yet!
16. Curtains #2 - Not sure if this is still valid.  I got fabric to make curtains for our house in Vegas and did about half of them before we moved.  Still have the fabric (and the curtains) but they don't fit this house at all.
17. Curtains #3 - These were for curtain sheers at the house in Vegas (it's very sunny there).  Never made any of them, but they might be retrofitted to another purpose through the sheer amount of fabric I have.

That's a lot and it makes me want to dive in and sew!  I also discovered that I have 9 fabrics with no plans.  I thought of uses for a couple, but still at a loss for the others.  It's good to have options, right?

Ever discover that you have more going on that you realized?  How do you handle the overflow?

July's Cross-stitch Projects

Okay, craft update time.  I'm pretty sure that all the things I've finished since my last update were gifts.  I'm hoping to get to more me-crafts this week.  Either way, it feels good to finish some projects!

 Wedding Gift: This was for a very good friend of mine but was severely tardy (worked on it for close to a year).  The corner pieces are from a different pattern, but I adjusted some things, selected the verse (from Hamlet), and arranged the whole piece, so it's a semi-original design.  I would never have guessed that a red/silver double matte was the way to go, but it definitely trumped the blue design I was considering!  (The date on the pattern has been blurred out for information privacy reasons... I'm kinda big on the subject.)  Sorry that the pictures are a little blurry; I only had my sister's camera and it's not quite fancy enough to make up for a poor photographer like me!

Matted Final Piece

Close up of Verse

Better shot of stitching (wish I could get these two pics melded!)

Baby Gift: This piece was slightly less tardy but, because it was a little late, I was able to give it in person rather than having to mail it!  My friend Amy and her husband decided to do an arctic animals theme and she made an adorable quilt to match.  I was so pleased to see that this piece went with it!  She also made us a very cute amish puzzle ball, themed to match our teddy bear nursery.  I haven't taken a picture yet, but she posted a good one on her blog.  (Again, the little one's name is blurred out... no reason for an infant to have an online presence yet!)

Frolicking Orcas!

Thank You Gift: We got thank you gifts for everyone who threw us baby showers, but this is the only one I made.  My sister-in-law is a big Winnie the Pooh fan and I've looked for years for a cross-stitch kit to do as an ornament for her.  As luck would have it, I found one this summer instead.  Guess I'll have to do something else for Christmas!

Pooh Bear Says Thank You

Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of this one with its matte.  DH procured it (and picked out a good one) and we gave it as a gift right after.  I'll have to try to get a picture the next time we travel to see her!

That was a lot to finish in one month, but it was mostly matting and framing that was needed to complete these projects.  As I mentioned in my last post, I'm almost done with my current class, so the next couple of weeks should be crafty ones!  I intend to get the quilt front pieced, make some placemats and napkins, start on crib bumpers, and make some progress on the memory game.  What are you working on these days?

Before I forget!  My friend Amy is also interested in doing an internet-based fabric stash swap.  I will definitely be participating!  If any of you are interested, let me know and I'll put you in touch.

In Which I Do My Version of Nesting

It's a well known feature of pregnancy that most women like to "nest" towards the second half of their baby-carrying time.  For most women, I would assume that this takes the shape of doing some long forgotten house projects and decorating a nursery.  Me, I apparently sew.  And sew some more.

My friend Amy has started a weekly "works in progress" update on her blog.  Not sure I could do this weekly, especially with my crazy July schedule, but it did inspire me to stop and take stock of what I've done recently and what projects I'm still planning to do.  Here's what I came up with:

Projects that are nearly complete:

• Wedding gift for a friend: Cross-stitch piece is done, mattes are on order, frame and mounting board are purchased!  I will finish this between trips to see family, which is when the custom mattes will arrive.  So excited to finally give this one in person (8 months late)!  Not only is it for a very good friend, but I (sort of) designed it myself.  Pictures will be posted after it's given.
• Baby gift for a friend: cross-stitch piece is done; mattes, frame, and mounting board are assembled; just need to put it together!  Probably finishing this tonight.  Also very excited to give this one (less months late).  Again, pictures will be posted after the gift is given!

Projects that are in progress:

• Baby Quilt: blocks are cut and sewn, piecing is organized, working on sewing the whole front together.  Updated pictures coming after that's done and I pick out a backing fabric.
• Picnic bench cushions: All the pieces are cut out.  This was on hold while I looked for a walking foot for my sewing machine.  That finally arrived a few weeks ago, so I should really get to this soon.
• Various clothing repairs: Very back-burner.  It's hard to motivate myself to do these when I don't fit in those clothes right now.  Although it would be nice to have the space back!
• Doggy Blanket repair: One of my dogs ate a hole in his blanket (he's not a destructive chewer so this was very unusual).  Plus, he pulled the batting out.  I cut away all the chewed up fleece, but I need to replace the batting in about a quarter of the blanket as well as patch the hole and I'm still not sure if I've got a good idea on how to approach this.

Future projects:

• Curtains: These are actually for my sister's closet.  I've had the fabric for awhile but misplaced the finished dimensions I needed.  I should probably call her and ask for them; this would be a pretty easy and quick project to finish.
• Crib bumpers: Fabric is purchased for two sets, but I'm getting a pattern from my mom next week (mostly for the dimensions).
• Baby romper/sleeper: Just got the fabric and pattern for this today (and discovered that there are a lot more clothing patterns for girls than boys).  This may wait till the quilt is mostly done.
• Unknown baby project: Purchased some very cute blue boy-themed fabric today for $0.85/yd!  Not sure what I'm doing with it just yet.  It's just over 1 and 3/4 yards, so I'm thinking maybe a onesie and something else.
• Memory game: Again, kudos to Amy for pointing out this blog project a few weeks ago.  It's a cute way to use up some fabric remnants from my ever-growing stash.  Thinking about doing two sets, one as a gift and one for our future little boy.
• Cloth napkins/placemats:  I got some cute blue gingham print fabric at a recent $1 fat quarter sale.  Just need to see if I have enough to do placemats or napkins.  This should be a quick project and I should at least try to finish it before summer's out!

I'm sure I've forgotten something, especially considering the incredible stash of fabrics I'm staring at in my craft corner.  How do you keep track of projects?  Do you work better when you know exactly what you're doing or are you more creative without organization?

Quilting Progress

I had lunch with my friend Leah today, who is very crafty and is making me an awesome baby carrier that I will be sure to post pictures of once it's home!  But our talk about sewing reminded me that I haven't said much about my quilt's progress recently.

First, the promised picture of the border fabric:

Another friend of mine pointed this out to me at the local quilting shop.  At first, I couldn't see how to incorporate it, even though I liked it.  But when I discovered that I needed a border fabric, this was perfect!  It's hard to see between the pictures, but the colors of the letters match the solid block colors.  I can see now why so many quilters keep fabric "stashes" for just such an occasion.

Tonight I completed sewing all the squares for the quilt!  Here's the stack:

And here's an idea of what they look like unfolded:

I still have to iron out all blocks and then square them off, which might be a little tricky (yay rotary cutter!).  But after that, the piecing can start!  I'm not sure how I'll arrange the blocks, but I enjoy organizing things (I know, weird), so I'm sure to have fun!

I'm trying to finish piecing the front before I travel to see my family next month.  It's going to be tight, but I want my mom's help with the backing and some serious advice on the actual quilting part.  We're going fabric shopping while I'm there (yay!) so my mom can pick out some fabric to make nursery paraphernalia.  We have a teddy bear theme going for the room and I was able to score a great deal on two teddy bear fabrics at Hancock last month:

Aren't they cute?!  I especially love the green one.  The tan-ish one is a regular cotton, but the green plaid is just a little heavier.  There's enough fabric of each to make crib bumpers and plenty of the green fabric to do something else.  Both fabrics are licensed prints and for $2.00 and $2.50 per yard, they're even cuter!

I also have a cross-stitch project I need to finish before the same trip. I think I better start devoting more time to crafting!

The Beginnings of Quilt 1.2

I finally uploaded the pictures of the new quilt I'm making to the computer last night... sharing time!

First, I'm using the "orange quilt" pattern on Cluck Cluck Sew as my template.  I love the white and orange look; I originally meant to make a quilt with solid tan blocks (for the teddy bear decor in the future nursery) and different colored patterns.  But, after finding some good deals ($1 fat quarters!) at a local quilting shop, I'm going with something a little different.  Instead, I'm using three different solid colors (red, green, & blue) and tan patterned pieces.  Here are some pictures, including gratuitous shots of my new (50% off!) self-healing cutting mat:

This is the selection of solid colors (the red one has a nice little texture pattern to it).  The teddy bear & ducks design is a cross-stitch pattern that I'm buying soon to stitch and hang in the baby's room.

 Four of the six patterns I picked out.  I wanted to make an 8x12 pattern and counted total squares in the store, not a per pattern amount.  Didn't realize I'd need six till I recounted at home (whoops!).

A close up.  My favorite is the paisley!

 The pieces of future blocks in order and pinned for sewing.  I used the recommended stack 'n' whack method to cut them all out and it was much quicker than measuring and scissors!

A close up.  You can see some of the color combinations here.  This is only 4 of the 6 tan patterns.

The center squares and flaps are sewn and ironed.  The pattern on the right is the missing fifth pattern and has some cute stars and swirls.

And, in this picture, the pattern on the right is #6.  It's darker than the others, but I'm planning on a dark brown backing (I think!  You know how these things go.)

Next step is pinning the strips onto either side of the center strips and sewing and ironing them.  Then they'll be ready to finish piecing!  After cutting out most of the blocks, I discovered that by using the stack 'n' whack page, I had cut blocks that will finish at about 1" too small to make an 8x12 quilt approximately twin size.  So instead, I got to return to the quilt shop and buy not only 2 new brown/tan patterns but border fabric!  The fabric I picked was one a friend pointed out to me on an earlier trip and it is super cute... tan with solid color letters everywhere.  I forgot to take pictures of that but will add them soon.  I also have two new teddy bear fabrics (Hancock Fabrics was running some great deals!) that I will post projects for in the near future.

So far the quilt has gone together easily, although I'm slowly remembering why quilting is so expensive both in time and money.  I'm excited to see the finished blocks and to play with the arrangement for the front!  What do you think?

Dogs and Quilts

Being pregnant has lead to some odder-than-usual observations; for instance, it makes me understand my dogs better.  They're beagles and they're known for a number of traits: their enthusiastic greetings, their loud beagling (beagle literally means "to trumpet"), their insanely sensitive noses, their insatiable appetites, and their willingness to nap on the couch at any time.

I can't compete with the noise they make (or their joy at meeting someone!), but in the first trimester, my hyper sensitive nose revealed all sorts of smells of which I was previously unaware.  For instance, I now know why my dogs run over every time I open the fridge or pull the kitchen garbage bag out.  Even though they never get anything out of either event, it smells like food... all the time.

Now that I'm past that stage, my sense of hunger has returned.  I'm actually supposed to eat every couple of hours because of sugar problems, so I'm also never allowed to over indulge.  This leaves me in a perpetual fix-food/eat-food/hungry-for-food cycle.  I often joke that my dogs will eat anything that will stay still, or occasionally just move slowly (Dog #2 and grasshoppers are great entertainment!).  In any case, I'm beginning to seriously sympathize with their continual drive to eat!

As I write this, both dogs are lounging on the couch "watching" the Yankees game with us.  Even with the increased energy of the second trimester (relatively speaking) I'm spending more time resting these days and can tire myself out in a hurry.  And when I need to sit and rest, it is nice to have two warm dogs to lay next to me on the couch.  :-)

In the mean time, I'm (ambitiously) starting my first quilt this weekend!  Well, let's be honest... my second quilt.  I started one way back when I was... 8?  9?  Anyway, it's a patchwork quilt that never got past the piecing stage (I'm seriously considering seam ripping the squares and using them for other projects).  I've meant to learn some quilting techniques for several months now and, as so often happens, it looks like I'm largely going to teach myself.  Pictures of the pattern and fabrics I've chosen are coming soon!

Yankee Beagles

If you've ever met my husband, you know he's a Yankees fan.  Actually, maybe even if you haven't met him... his fandom is that strong.  Since the Yankees are on a bit of a dive this week (as in, 3-1 against in a 7 game playoff series) I decided to finish this project.  And by "finish" I mean "do" because even though I've had the material for over a year, I hadn't actually cut anything out before today.  Take a look:

Yankee capes

These are little capes for the dogs.  Those of you familiar with my Facebook page know that a couple years ago I made some bandannas for the dogs which have our football teams on them.  Specifically, they are reversible so the dogs can "cheer" for either the NY Giants or the SF 49ers (guess who cheers for which team?).  George has wanted some similar doggy gear for the Yankees, so today he gets his wish.  And they only took an hour to do!

Close up

I'm not sure why I cared enough about dog gear to really work on those straps... they were the hardest part with all the turning inside out.  Other than that, the cape material is fleece, so not much sewing is required.  Very easy!  And hopefully they'll bring some luck to the Yankees tonight!

Further dog-modeling pictures are likely coming soon.

New Blanket

I went on a bit of a creativity spree yesterday and worked on a couple of lapsed projects.  I was going to take pictures of the dog blanket that I finished last night, but I encountered a problem:

I thought the pictures could wait and I intended to try again this morning.  This was the result:

I guess I must have done alright.