In Your Words Blog Hop

 

I loved the idea of a blog hop focusing on a word or words that had a special meaning to us.  I already had too many projects to tend to, but felt that this was a blog hop not to be missed.  The project that I made was one that has been floating around in my mind for years and this gave me the added push to actually put my thoughts to fabric.

 

My word- Balance

My world- Unbalanced

 

My life is out of balance.  It's out of balance in a literal sense and in a figurative sense.  Physically and literally, my balance is out of whack due to a damaged inner ear.  I have been this way for many years, 15+, and have been on a rocky, wobbly road to adjust to vertigo and imbalance on a 24/7 basis.  I'm not always spinning off of my chair but there is a light headed wooziness at the very least.  It's not a great way to live life but I have managed to make the best of a bad situation.  Enough said about that.... I don't want this to be a pity post.

 

The figurative sense of my lack of balance is one that we all deal with.  How do we fit 40 hours of work, play, friends, chores, rest, and creativeness into a 24 hour day?  Even with my math skills, I know this just isn't possible so we have to make choices and prioritize.  Something has to give, something gets left behind, something doesn't get done.  What I've learned is that this is OK.  Stop adding guilt to the issues and making things even worse.  We can't do it all, although I will continue to try and balance my life while, at the same time, not being too hard on myself for what I don't accomplish. 

 

This is a little engraved stone that I have had for many years. Along with this stone, I have collected several items with the inspirational word "balance" on them.   

 

 

 

OK, here's my project.  It's 20" x 30".  All of the blocks are 4" paper foundation blocks.  I used a wonky alphabet and twisted side blocks from EQ.  This picture was taken in the backyard on top of the pretty snow.  I chose the black and white fabrics because it represents the stark contrast between being balanced and not being balanced.  The bright, peachy-orange corner blocks represent hope to me......God's promises of better things to come...... those bright spots in life that give us the courage to keep going.  It isn't quilted yet, but will be soon......no, really! 

 

 

 

Here's a close up of the fabric used in the twisted blocks.  I searched for fabric that looked "dizzy" and thought this one must look like the inside of my brain! (Warning.... don't stare at this too long!)

 

 

 

 

 

 Lastly, here's the scrap pile left after paper piecing.  That's the worst part of paper piecing, the fabric waste.  These are all pretty small scraps, too small to bother with really, but I always hate to toss them aside.  I should keep them as stuffing for projects like pin cushions instead of pitching them.   

 

 

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed your visit and will come back soon.  Here's the line up of the other bloggers for today.  Please visit each of them to see what words they have chosen and what inspiring projects they have created.

 

Monday, January 14 Schedule

 

Gracie Oliver Arts (Jeanie) You are Here!

Clothes and Crafts (Maria K.)

Cherrys Prairie Primitives (Cherry E.)

Simple Sew (Shirley T.)

Woolie Mammoth (Anna B.)

RocknQuilts (Mary Ann)

Celynn's Sunflower Patch (Celynn)

A Quilting Sheep (Amy)

Sane and Crazy Quilting (Cathy L.)

Quiltsmiles (Jane E.)

Feathered Nest Studio(Jennet)

Many thanks to Linda for hosting all of the bloggers in this hop and to Madame Samm who feeds us great ideas to jump start our creativity!  Thank you both... thank you!

 

 

Another blog hop is on the horizon!!  This one is extra special..... if you sign up to participate, you will receive a FREE pattern from the very creative Amy Bradley!  Click on the cute picture above and check out the complete rules for the blog hop...... then join us!

 

Don't forget to come back tomorrow and see what I have made for the In Your Words Blog Hop!

 

 

Just went to Tagxedo for the first time to play around with word clouds.  This cloud came from this blog.  I made several, but here's the one I liked best.... so far...it's a bit addictive.  Check out the link and have fun with this!

 

Just a reminder that the In Your Words blog hop begins on Monday, January 7th, and runs through January 16th.  We (almost 90 will be participating!) will be making a project using a word or words of our choice.  I think this is going to be a very personal blog hop, full of lots of ideas to inspire you as well as many wonderful stories to accompany the reasons behind the chosen word or words. 

 

My day to reveal my project and my word(s) is January 14th.  I hope you'll stop back and check out my little project.  Here's a tease.......

This was MY New Year's Eve!  Tucked in bed by 10 PM and eventually joined by my sweet Oliver.  No kiss from Oliver, just a gentle touch on my face with his paw before he snuggled in.  A perfect New Year's Eve!

Happy New Year to you all!  May your year be full of God's blessings and the hope of better things to come!

Happy 2013!

Here's one of the gifts that I made for Christmas.  The final product is a sleep shirt with writing on it made with a dye resist.  If you go to my sidebar and click on my Pinterest button, you can see the full tutorial that I used to make this sleep shirt.  My Pinterest pins are not in any kind of order, so you'll have to search through the pictures until you see a pinkish shirt with writing on it.

 

I started with writing my words on a piece of paper and enclosed the paper in a page protector.  I didn't want to write  freehand and I was afraid that the ink might leach off onto the shirt.

 

 

 

Here's the shirt, all ready for writing with the dye resist.  As you can see, I've found yet another use for the Clover Wonder Clips.  I put a cutting mat between the layers of the shirt (between the front and back) and slid the page protector between them too.  I taped the page protector to the mat to keep things from potentially sliding around.  The shirt was dampened before writing.

 

 

 

This is the shirt after I've applied the dye resist for the lettering.  In this case, the dye resist was Elmer's blue gel glue.  The directions specifically called for this glue, not white glue. 

 

After it sat overnight to dry, it looked like this.  My neat letters spread out, although I don't feel like I used too thick of a glue line.  It could have been my t-shirt fabric, how much water I used to dampen the shirt, etc.  Most of it was dry by morning and the areas that weren't completely dry were dried with a hair dryer.

The t-shirts are in the dye bath.  I used good ol' Rit dye, the powdered version, for the dye.  Again, following the Pinterest instructions, not the instructions on the dye box, they were died in a cold bath.  I guess a hot bath would have melted the dye resist.  Just not sure about this but my color was not very dark, in spite of a long bath (over 30 minutes).

 

 

Here's the finished product, after being washed and dried.  The color is much lighter than I wanted and I expect it will fade fairly quickly after further washings.  The overall effect is what I wanted, but I think I can improve on the process if I do this again.

 

 

 

 

I made two shirts.  One that says "Patti's Husband" and the other which says "David's Wife."  They were fun to make and I can see using this glue resist for other projects  too.  I've always used hot wax as my dye resist.  Although it may be tough to get out of the fabric, I think it would do a much better job than the glue gel.  Now back to my favorite crafting.....sewing!

Happy Day after Christmas! 

I just wanted to show you the sewing/quilting goodies that I received for Christmas.  Mostly fabric, a few notions, and an Hawaiian applique pattern.  Kathy suggested that the trivet at the top could be used as an iron rest.  The oak quilt pattern is really pretty.

As I write this, we are getting our first significant snow of the season.  Within the past hour, we have gone from no snow on the ground to a winter wonderland!  I'm hoping that we won't get too much so that my back can hold up under the shoveling.  It's a perfect day to stay inside and let the sewing machine hum.  Hope your after Christmas day is also cozy, comfortable, and peaceful!    

 

Here's the revised button for the Nancy Drew blog hop with the new dates.  My day is March 13th and I don't "have a clue" yet about what project I will be making!  Better get sleuthing.....

I just wanted to show you some of the labels that I use on the inside of my sewing projects.  There have been some wonderful tutorials on making labels and I think this is certainly one of the easiest.  I use a standard label template found in any writing program.  Avery labels even has a software  program out there and tons of free templates on their web site.  In any case, just choose the size you want.  There are much smaller ones and much larger ones, depending on your usage.  Check out your writing program to see what sizes are available in your particular program.  This template has 30 labels to a sheet of 8 1/2" x 11".

 

I like to use one of these templates because it's really easy to design your labels, change fonts, add pictures, etc. It's easier than using a blank page (no template) and cutting and pasting your design several times.  If you've tried this method, you know what I mean.  Setting the borders can be a real challenge.  These templates take care of all that for you.

 

 

 

 

Not a great picture, but here's a sheet of labels.  If you click on it, you can see it a bit better.  I print mine on fusible fabric sheets.  I like to use the fusible sheets because they are nice and firm and I can iron them exactly where I want them before I finish the edges with a satin stitch, zigzag stitch, buttonhole, or whatever.  No slipping around while working on them.  I don't turn the edges under, I just leave them raw and then stitch them down.  By using the fusible fabric sheets, I have very little fraying of the labels.  If you wanted to turn your edges down, you'd have to use a template that gives you enough space (extra fabric) to turn under or make your writing and pictures smaller. 

 

Play around and print your labels on a regular sheet of paper until you get the desired label, then use the fusible fabric or any fabric sheet for your finished product. 

Have fun!

(Photo courtesy of Madame Samm )

 

Although I don't have the goodies pictured above yet, they are on their way to my grubby little hands.  Thanks to Madame Samm's giveaway and Pellon's sponsorship, I will have all of these Pellon products shipped to my home very soon.  Thanks so much!

 

NO! ....NO! ..... I can't join any more blog hops!  But how can I resist?  This one is all about words.  Words.  I love words.  Words that mean something special to us.  Who can resist words?  I think it will be great to read the stories behind the chosen words and see all of the creative projects inspired by words. 

 

Note:  The Nancy Drew blog hop has been put on hold due to a delay in fabric distribution.  It's just now getting to the retail stores and for those who have orders to be mailed, it will take even longer to reach them.  The blog hop is not canceled.... just delayed until March.  When I have more specifics, I'll let you know.

It's officially the Christmas season!  My Elf on a Shelf has arrived right on time, December 1st!  He must be a pretty smart elf because he immediately found a stack of quilts on top of my TV armoire to rest his weary self.  He's brought along his peppermint pal too.  I'll try and give you periodic updates as he travels back and forth from the North Pole to my humble home.  Safe travels to all!

 

 

 

 

 

 

November's Fat Quarter Shop BOM is done.  I'm running a little late this month, but as least it's finished before the December BOM arrives.  I still need to make some more blocks with the excess fabric and hope to do this soon.  I hate being behind schedule, even if it is a self-inflicted deadline.

 

 

My sweet friend, Kathy, delivered this little fall wall hanging to me over the weekend.  It was a belated birthday gift and I just love it.  Fall is my time of the year and if I were in a bit better shape, I'd actually be the one jumping into these leaves!  Thank you so very much, Kathy.... I love it!

 

 

I decided to put up a few Christmas decorations yesterday and my trusty assistant, Oliver, was happy to help me.  In spite of his help, I did manage to put up the tree and a few other festive items.  I didn't put out much since my health has been a bit iffy and didn't want to get in over my head.  You know the saying, "what goes up, must come down" and it's a lot of work!

 

 

 

Here's my little 3' table top tree, wearing only lights and a star.  (I truly only put up a few things.)  I like to turn the tree lights on in the evening and just enjoy the peacefulness of its' presence.

 

 

 

 

I did add a few other things around the house, a Christmas wall hanging on the door, Christmas place mats at the tables, a few figurines, that kind of thing.  Again, easy to put away at the end of the season....very little muss, very little fuss!

 

Forget Hallmark......Mutts always says it best!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

There's a new gadget on my sidebar...... another blog hop!  I wasn't going to sign up for ANYTHING until next year because of holiday obligations but couldn't resist this blog hop.  It's a Nancy Drew Blog Hop!  Go HERE to find out the specifics.  Sign ups are open until November 25 as long as spots are available.  If you are "blogless" you can still participate.  Basically, you can make anything you want (I might only have time to make another coin purse, who knows?) as long as you use some of the new Moda fabric line, Nancy Drew, in your project.  Pretty small commitment, in my opinion.  The hop runs from January 7th through the 17th, plenty of time for one small project or two.

I loved the Nancy Drew books!  My brother always had a Hardy Boys mystery hanging around too, so I read those as well.  Hope you'll check out the link above and sign up for some sleuthing fun!

I spent a nice day at the library with my quilting friends today.  Since I had some extra hands, plus some open space, I had them hold up my Giant Grannie Panties Quilt Along quilt top.  It's really a lap quilt..... maybe something like 70" x 70".   The top is complete and is ready for basting and quilting.  Naturally, it will go into my "to do" pile o' stuff until I can get back to it.  At least it is together and ready for the last stages.  For me, that's pretty good.  I'm going to machine quilt this on my regular sewing machine and it will be the biggest quilt that I've attempted on my home machine.  I'll be keeping this one (I think), so I won't feel too stressed out if it doesn't turn out as I'd like.

 

 

 

 

I stopped at the grocery store after the library meeting.  I live in a large Amish area and many of the stores have special parking places for the horses and buggies.  As long as I've lived in this area, I never tire of seeing these sites.

 

 

 

To all Veteran's...

past, present, and future...

my deepest gratitude for your service!

 

My Dad, WW II, 104th Infantry (Timberwolf)

 

 

                                                                                                



My Brother, Vietnam, 101st Airborne (Medic)



Welcome to Day #2 of the

UR Priceless Blog Hop!

I hope you enjoy my little show and tell today.  I'd like to thank Katherine from Sew Me Something Good for hosting this huge blog hop.  I'm sure it's been quite a lot of work to organize and communicate with all of the participating bloggers.  And another thank you goes to Madame Samm, who is the wind beneath the sewing machines of these blog hops.  She is one busy lady!

On with the show!

Purse #1...... a little functional purse for the sewing room.  I've used some cute sewing themed fabrics to make this purse.

 

 

 

 

 

It's purpose is as a thread catcher at my ironing station.  I just hate it when I find loose threads when I'm ironing a block or any sewing project.  I always think I'll go back and clip the threads later, but it can be hard to find them afterwards.  I just keep a little scissor and the thread catcher right by the iron and the threads are captured right away and put into the pouch.

 

Purse #2 ...... my coffee money purse.

 

 

 

Here it is in action, holding some coffee money.  Is it really cheaper to use those little K-cups or should I just pick up a coffee-to-go once in awhile?  Oh well... sip... sip... slurp...

 

 

 

Purse #3...... a little purse to hold some Christmas money, kind of like an honor system Christmas club.

 

 

 

The other side.......

 

Purse #4......Oliver, my cat and always present sewing assistant, decided that he wanted to have a little purse of his own.  He has no money, so I wasn't sure why he would want one.

 

He picked out what he thought were "manly" cat fabrics.

When it was finished, here's what he wanted to use it for...... a little pouch to hold some kibble!  I guess it would be easy to take it into the other rooms of the house, as the kitchen is the only room with available cat food.  (I'd better not find crumbs in his cat bed!)

 

 

Mmmmmmm...... this looks pretty good.........

 

 

Munch, munch, munch!

Purse #5....... a little Fall themed purse..... good for holding little treats.

Inside.......

Things were going pretty well until someone smelled the candies.  I guess it's always good to share!

I have a few more purse frames left and will be making more soon.  After the first purse, they went together fairly easily and quickly.  They will be probably be given away as little gifts, used to hold even smaller gifts. 

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed looking at my little coin purses.  Now you will want to move along and visit the other bloggers that are showing off their creations today;

 

The Crafter's Apprentice

Jane's Fabric and Quilts

Rosemary B

Why-Knot- Kwilt

Random Thoughts.....do or "di"

Mary T

Supermom No Cape

Lily Pad Quilting

Quiltscapes

Stitch, Stitch, Stitch

Rose Creations

The Treehouse

Quilting Prolifically

Stekje

Grammie Q's

Enjoy the UR Priceless Blog Hop!

Important PS: Please VOTE today!!!!
It's a right, it's a duty, and it's a privilege!

UR Priceless Blog Hop starts Monday!  Click on the picture above to get the full schedule of bloggers that are participating.  My day is Tuesday, VOTING DAY, so please come back and see the little coin purses that I have made...... then go out and VOTE!

Have a great week end!