Happy Valentine’s Day

 

To you and yours, happy Valentine’s Day!

Year in Review

Well, I am going to do it. I am going to rate how I did last year on my personal crafting resolutions. Why? Maybe it will help me stay on target for 2010.

My day is mainly full of all the things we NEED to do or things others NEED me to do (and sometimes I WANT to do those, but they are not for personal me time). Go to work, laundry, get everyone ready for the day, get everyone ready for bed, play with kids, help with homework, read with kids, teach kids lessons, make lunches, clean, etc. A lot goes into having a family and attempting to be a great mom. But we all know it, there are times when you need "you" time, and as I said...there are times when I just need it. Creativity is an outlet. Running, shopping, sewing seem to be my "me times" - the times when I feel I am doing something for myself.

How does that relate to new year's resolutions? Sort of like this: keeping a balance between my time with/for others, and the time needed for personal, individual goals for ME: making things, staying fit, making a comfortable home space.

My 2009 resoltuions:

1. I want to finish up a few unfinished projects.


These include putting some printed photographs in real albums - the last of the printed photos I plan to have...digital pictures are so much easier to keep organized!


I have two pieces of furniture waiting for me to finish them. One is a rocking chair I gave to my son for his 1 year birthday. They love it unfinished, but the whole plan was to finish it and put it in his big boy room. I am not behind on this (yet).


The other piece of furniture is a bench given to me by my sister. Last summer I took off all the stain. I just need to give it one more nice sanding and paint it.

I did NONE of those! This will remain on my 2010 list.


2. I want to finish decorating my dining room and bedroom.

I did NONE of those! This will remain on my 2010 list.

3. I want to attempt sewing clothing again.

See my comment on #4.

4. I want to make Corinne a few summer dresses. I made two last year. I can do better, they are so easy!

I did make 1 dress for Corinne. I did not blog about it because I needed to move a strap on the dress and I didn't get to it. I made 1 shirred dress for Corinne out of pre-shirred fabric. It came out OK, but I am not convinced I like the way the pre-shirred fabrics work in dresses. Maybe next time I will try to cut off the shirred part as a top and add a skirt so the dress will be more full.


5. I want to make myself a quilt. I've got the pattern. I need to do a few items above before I give myself the pleasure of a quilt for myself.

Still have not done. Still have the pattern. Lots MORE ideas this year, too. This will remain on the 2010 list.

OK, so I didn't do so well on my list. I kept up with my quilting bee, and I got a lot of blocks back on that (to add to fulfilling #5 above), I started a roman shade for Nathan's room...(add that to #1). I made a few gifts...oh well.

I had a fun year remaining balanced in other ways. I played with my kids a LOT, I continue to teach them lessons, keep them learning right from wrong, and show them love every day.

I'll just see what this year brings. My goals will still be there. They are things to aspire to, things to do on a rainy day, or a big day of needed "me" time.

Another gift…

This is another gift that was made a few months ago.

A pair of flour sacks with decorative trim.  AND, a mini-punching bag.  For a co-worker who worked her tail off with me.  She just wanted a punching bag at times.

Knitting Needle rollup - again

I made another Knitting needle roll-up.  It was a birthday gift for my Mother In Law.  She had requested it months ago and was quite surprised when she opened this up. 

I am really happy with how it turned out.   I used this tutorial from Lupinbunny.

Fully opened up.

It flips over at the top to keep all the needles in.

It was a well-received gift.

Merry Christmas!

No handmade holiday for me this year.  Just finishing up on my PTQB blocks.  ALL CAUGHT UP!  This theme was “Trees”.  I was inspired by a Christmas card at my Mother In Law’s  house. 

A log-cabin-ish block for Rebeka from Artsy-Crafty Babe.  Hope she likes it.

Last minute Halloween costume

At the beginning of October ago, Corinne told me she wanted to be a mummy for Halloween.  Of course, Nathan chose to be the same thing as his big sister.  I had planned to make a mummy costume following this tutorial.  We had many things going on in October with Stephanie’s wedding, a week long vacation planned, and a very busy work schedule for me this month.  I was planning on spending nights last week getting the mummy costume together.  It really didn’t seem HARD, just a bit time consuming, but also worth it for the great looking end product. 

Well, on the way back from Florida, 1 WEEK before Halloween, Nathan decided he wanted to be a pumpkin.  Corinne followed suit.  With 1 week to go, where was I going to find a pumpkin costume?  I was so thankful that my friend Sharon, who has 3 girls, had a pumpkin costume she could lend me for Corinne.  I went to Target looking for something for Nathan and I did not find anything.  I did not get a chance to look for one at any other stores – again a busy week at work that interrupted real life (1 more week of this thank goodness).  So, I began thinking how can I throw together a pumpkin costume for Nathan?  Hmmm, paint some cardboard and hang it on him somehow??? 

Then I remembered an orange shirt, donated to me from Stephanie, that was in the Goodwill pile BECAUSE, although it was a cute shirt, the color reminded me too much of a pumpkin.  Wouldn’t that be perfect?  I so wish I had a before picture…It is a lined knit shirt.  The outside knit had some flowers throughout the fabric, but it would not be very manly.  Luckily the shirt was lined with a solid orange.  I cut off the sleeves (which were sort of capped, again – too girly), made the shirt inside out, attached black shapes for the jack-o-lantern, and stuffed it with newspaper.  We zip-tied the sides to sort of plump up the pumpkin.  I think it came out really well!

I took a lot of pictures because I thought he looked so hilarious.  Even Corinne kept laughing at him.

   

All in all, I think it came out well.  He was happy to wear it, we had to put it on and off for the fittings, the trip in the car, a trip to the neighbors, etc., and each time he was ok to take it off and put it back on again.

I think we are going to keep it around…if I just put it down on the ground, it looks like a great Halloween decoration.  Maybe the head of a stuffed person next year for our front porch…lol.  The Great Pumpkin landing at our house.  Yes, Charlie Brown, he will be at OUR pumpkin patch next year! 

Getting caught up

Back from vacation, with the fall feeling in the air, I am having the urge to do some sewing!

I really, really want to get to some fun stuff for me and my family (curtains, clothing, gifts, etc.), but I know I need to get caught up for my quilting bee.

I left for vacation with a 5 block backup.  I was able to get two done yesterday in my small amount of free time.  I have 3 more of my backup.  The problem is, I am going to get 2 more next month!  I hope to get caught up this week so I am not behind as we enter November.   Maybe then, I can get into something more fun.

Jodi’s block.

Samantha’s block.