Mini quilts

Pinterest can sometimes be the devil.

I know many of you know this, but I just wanted to say it again, because honestly!! I see all these cool ideas and projects, and think, "I'm TOTALLY going to do that! I'm just gonna get the supplies this weekend, and it'll be done by next week! Yeah!!"... Ha!

Colors for project 1

Then weeks, maybe months pass after I get the fabric or beads or whatever supplies....and here we are again!

Colors for project 2

I am hoping one day to work on at least one of these perhaps, maybe posting and sharing with you will encourage me to do something, but I'm pretty sure my sewing projects are going to take a backseat for a little while longer while I catch up on my cross stitching projects that are sitting unfinished...

Colors for project 3

Anywho! I can't recall if I've shared with you yet, but I happen to think miniature just about anything is the most awesome things ever!! It's just amazing sometimes how you can take something that is a lot of work in regular size (say, a quilt) but then make it in miniature form!! 

Project 1 - Pattern/instructions can be found here.

Honestly, the idea itself is cute to see something smaller than it's meant to be (kind of like when I re-create my art canvases from those BYOB classes into little 2"x2" or so canvases), but it also serves a purpose of practicing techniques or skills when you make a smaller project, before you go all-in for a much larger project and perhaps might ruin or waste the materials you had purchased, and then you're super sad and have to decide whether you have the will power to re-do, re-purchase the supplies, or .... try to turn the large failed project into perhaps a smaller successful project, because really, who's gonna know!?

Project 2 - Blog and pattern/instructions found here

So mini quilts sound like the most awesome idea to practice measuring, and being precise when it comes to sewing together the squares (or for Project 2 above, triangles!!) to make an awesome picture in the end, and I can't wait to give it a go!!

Project 3 - Square patterns for whole quilt can be found here and instructions/tricks for making it easier to sew the quilt blocks and make it look super awesome here courtesy of Angela Pingel's blog Cut 2 Pieces

One day, when I finally do end up making any of these, at least you know I'll share them with you!! :D

I sure hope that's at least....within the next 6 months? With a stretch goal of 3....yeah......

Craft ya laters!! :) 

Monthly Flowers Calendar in Cross Stitch - Update 1

I told you all back in November last year that I was going to start a "Monthly Calendar" in flowers cross stitch project, found here.

I haven't worked on them in quite a while, but I wanted to update you on how far I did get before life got in the way!

Straight lines and single Xs are so easy, but it might get tedious after doing this border 13 times.... lol

First off, January - Carnations:

Started with the leaves first on the carnations

Got really excited and ran through the greens I did have, then started on pinks...

Previous pic, no flash

Got some darker pink added

Previous pic, no flash

Carnations done!!

Carnations done!!!,... no flash

 Next up, February - Violets:

First sitting working with the violets for February

First violets sitting, no flash

Little more work on the violets

And a little more... 

Almost there.....

Almost there, no flash

And done!!

Done, no flash

I hope I can get started on the March flowers soon, but I have a lot of unfinished projects I need to work through at some point!

Craft ya laters!! :)

Xmas Tree and Ornaments

I didn't realize I'd drafted this post, and never published last Christmas season!!

I guess I've been busier at the new job than I realized!

Well, here goes the share!

I tried to do a natural looking design for the Xmas decorations this past season, and may do the same again this next year, we'll see!

I spent hours as well as lots and LOTS of hot glue sticks to make the tree skirt:

I used natural and chocolate brown linen cut in strips of about 3" wide, and as long as the fabric was I got cut at the store, then hot glued them on the base muslin I used. I was a bit messier, but you can see a great tutorial here.

These guys were pretty easy; just take out the metal tab at top, pour in some very diluted dish soap ad water and swirl it around to get a thin layer on the inside of the glass/plastic ornament, pour it out, and then you can pour in some extra fine glitter. Roll that around inside to cover the entire inside layer, and then pour out the excess, et voila!! You have completely non-messy glitter ornaments!!

These are fun... I made 3 yarn chains of varying lengths, the 3 paper fans with a rhinestone glued to the front middle, glued the backs of the fans to push pins to put in the wall, and then just draped the yarn chains on the push pins.

Close-up of the middle paper fan. I used an old book I got at Half-Price Books for all of these ornaments for the natural look and feel.

The smaller fans for the outsides. I love this yarn y'all!! It's a nice brownish color with gold threads woven in for that extra shine.

And then there's the tree topper itself. I just made 7 fans of differing sizes, glued the rhinestones in the middles, glued them together in a pleasing design, and then the special ingredient: sprayed with aerosol adhesive and sprinkled with extra fine gold glitter for extra shine!! :D

No one ever sees the back, right? This is how I kept the base fans together to create the whole piece.

Close-up so you can see the glitter a little better...

I also created more yarn chains out of dark green yarn to drape across the curtains behind the t.v. and to hang tiny little ornaments from.

A sort of full shot so you can see more of the draped chain on the curtains, the tree, and our cat!! I made the little Santa hat out of felt with a piece of elastic string to keep on his head. Btw, that cat isn't just a Xmas decoration; we keep him up there all year round... I'm not sure why exactly except that my hubby and I just thought it'd be funny. The original intention was that every season we'd put a hat or ears or whatever fit, but Xmas seems to be the only time I actually do it. Yes, we're the odd ones out, but at least we're odd together! :)

And last but not least, my paper cut-out ornaments. I got this awesome circle punch at Jo-Ann and it works fantastically. Just punch a bunch of circles and then glue them on a Styrofoam ball with hot glue, like fish scales  Don't forget to glue on a string/loop to hang them with! I just used thin jute that I tied a knot in on the tips, and glued the tip into a hole at the top of the balls.

And one hanging on the tree.

Craft ya laters!