Stained Glass Quilt

I did it. The afghan is done. That took much longer than I had hoped, but I am super-excited that it has happened.

 I may eventually add more border stitches and a flannel backing.

Putting It Together

So...have you ever bared your soul to the unseeing public and then felt like an idiot? 
After throwing my loving boyfriend under the bus this week, I felt a bit like a heel. He was okay with it, thankfully. I used that energy to work on the afghan. Yep, I am still talking about that stupid afghan. Good news though: PROGRESS!

Brushing Off The Cobwebs

You hear the same thing every year, right? This year will be different. This year, I will change. I am going to be more (fit, frugal, relaxed, your preferred adjective here) this year. 

I have said the same things myself. I said it right here on this very blog last year...and promptly stopped blogging at the end of March. It was easy to write off: I was busy, I had other priorities, who really reads it anyway? It's not like I am Julie Powell over here. I highly doubt there will ever be a movie based on me because of this blog. I mean, I can hope, but I doubt it.

Why did I really stop blogging? Was it just because I figured that I was only talking to myself? I think that may have been it on the surface, but truly, I think it was because I didn't want to admit some things to myself.

My much-delayed and sporadic afghan is the physical manifestation of those things. 

Let me explain: when I came up with the wild idea to make a granny square afghan, I was enthusiastic...even gung ho. I made Pinterest boards, I started a Facebook group, I dashed to JoAnn's to purchase scads of skeins. I rushed into making squares based on a vintage pattern from my boyfriend's mom. See this optimistic post about it all!

Picking My Battles

Did you ever have what you think is going to be a great day, just to have your body let you down? Yeah, me either ;)

After having the tea bar/embroidery shop brainstorm yesterday, I have been having a hard time concentrating on anything else. I have sought out some drawing instruction and an entrepreneur workshop. Likely, nothing will come of it business-wise, but it will at least improve my skills. Meanwhile, I am still struggling with a stomach bug combined with a chronic headache. Oy. New glasses are on the way...

Luckily, I have good friends who bring me chicken soup. I even cancelled set construction tonight, no small thing for me.

I plan on resting and reading, gathering inspiration and lightening my mood.

I will also crochet as long as my eyes will allow me...

...and sleep when they do not.

2013: The Year of the Blanket

When I conceived of this Granny 365 project, I oddly didn't have a plan in mind for what I would do with all those squares. I realized, of course, that it would be enough to do at least a couple afghans but didn't have a color plan or even a recipient in mind.

Luckily, at Christmas, I was hanging with my sweetie's mom, who is a very avid crocheter. She drug out pattern magazine from the 70s. There it was...my inspiration!

Only 80 to go!

I will be making an afghan for our bed of classic solid color squares. Once that is done, I will make a bunch of multi-colored and multi-patterned squared for a crazy quilt-type afghan!

I also received a great 40th birthday gift, a US map quilt template from Haptic Lab. I will be embridering the entire US on the quilt face. I may even do some piecing on the states. Eeek! I need a very large quilt frame, stat!

New Year Reboot

Hello world! I am definitely still here and still making. That is actual l part if the reason that I have not been blogging--I have been super duper busy making things! All but two of my holiday gifts were handmade--many embroidered, several crocheted, some artwork, some needle felted--and they all took lots of time.

I have been making in the new year too. Several friends and even some strangers and I have embarked on a project: Granny 365. We have all committed to making at least 1 granny square a day all year. We will all be making different things with them, but it is great to have a tiny creative goal everyday. Please join us!

I have also recommitted to a healthy lifestyle. My running injury really had me down on myself and I let things slip. But in the new year, I have begun tracking my food, I have gone to the gym several days in a row, and even went for a teeny run. I know that zillions of people make this resolution, but I am looking forward to a lifelong lifestyle and attitude change. I have found tons of healthy and tasty recipes at Cooking Light and Skinny Taste and of course, my most favorite food bog, The Cozy Herivore. Her absolutely amazing quinoa porridge recipe may be my new favorite food.

I have been working on my creative spaces, doing a little sprucing up and 

making things even more my style.

Above is one of the projects that took me away from the blog for so long. I am really happy to have taken the time to make this for my 4-year old "niece" who is just learning the alphabet.

 It is a wonderful pattern from Sublime Stitching. 

Jenny's patterns are great to work with and most are available as PDFs.

As we roll further into 2013, please stay with me as I grow (yet shrink), create, cook, and take joy in the little things!

Facebook Fan Bonus

Hey guys, I just posted a free pattern to make crocheted 5-point stars on the Weasinart Facebook page. Become a fan and get stitching!

Merry Monday: Crocheted Snowflake Garland

As the days get colder and the nights darker, I find myself snuggling in and just wanting to sip tea and and make things. I have resolved that at least 85% of my gifts shall be hand-crafted. Between embroidering, crocheting and sewing, I decided that my house needed some handmade holiday cheer of its own. 

The crocheted snowflake garland was the perfect solution.

To make the snowflakes:
Ch 5 on hook size 3 mm  and form a ring with 1 sl st in first ch.
Row 1: ch 1, 11 sc in ch-ring, finish with 1 sl st in first ch.Row 2: ch 2, * 1 dc in next sc, ch 6, 1 dc in next sc *, repeat 5 times, 1 dc in next sc, ch 6, finish with 1 sl st in 2nd ch from beg of round = 6 ch spaces.Row 3: ch 1, * 1 sc between the next 2 dc, 4 sc in ch space, ch 3, 4 sc in ch space *, repeat from *-* a total of 5 times, 1 sc between the next 2 dc, 4 sc in ch space, ch 20, 4 sc in ch space, finish with 1 sl st in ch from beg of round. Fasten off.

I made a snowy pile of flakes, some for the garland and some to give as small tokens.

To make the flakes more defined, I used t-pins to stretch out each one on a cardboard copy paper lid covered with wax paper. The lid allowed the pins to do as deep as necessary and the wax paper kept the cardboard from getting soaked with the starch.

I sprayed them all liberally with laundry starch and let them dry overnight.

I tied each snowflake to a string of white lights and finally wrapped a doubled length of strung sequins around the strand. I love how the lights shimmer off the sequins and the silver threads in the snowflakes. Because the garland is not Christmas specific, I plan on leaving it up though the winter for a little glow on those dark winter nights.

Sometimes life gets in the way

Everyone that I know is busy...work, school, family, hobbies, chores, the holidays. Life happens and sometimes it can throw you a curve ball.

In the three weeks (arghhh!) since I last posted; I turned 40, the show that I directed was produced, some major health issues have cropped up, Thanksgiving has come and gone, I have learned a new skill, and I have been making if not sharing.

  The last morning in my 30s, I taught myself to needlefelt. I love it and have lots of projects in my mind. Stay tuned after Christmas for some photos of an applique/embroidery/needlefelt project. Can't spoil a holiday surprise though...

Sunday Funday: Doing What I Love

This was one of those weekend that a crafter dreams of: research, projects, new skills, progress. It was a balm for my busy week and cluttered mind.

 I had an absolutely stellar trip to my local library!

 I am so excited to dive into these books as I plan projects, posts and gifts :)

  We also had a great stop at our local reclaimed sewing supplies store. 

I was able to score this awesome horde for only $16.74!

 Weekends were made for this kind of dinner with my sweetie. 

Cheeses, rice crisps, apples, olives, almonds...LOVE!

 Followed by pumpkin carving...so much fun!

 I indulged in some awesome treats for myself. Yay for 50% off coupons and inspiration!

Spent some time redoing my double crochet/lemon peel project. 

It will make a great holiday gift!

Stay tuned for some great roasted pumpkin seed recipes. As you can see, it was an absolutely wonderful weekend full of many blessing, quality crafting and bonding time, yummy dinners and much project progress. I am one lucky girl!

Thankful Thursday: New and Improving...

In the last 45 days, I have been undergoing a major attitude adjustment and it has truly changed my life. I am not at all ashamed to say that I started an antidepressant and knew that I had to do some work to make that a major life change. I have been learning to let things go, not to take things personally and what really truly matters to me. I have little post-it notes around my desk at work on my lap top with gentle reminders to keep things in perspective. Rather than being stressful though, the effect has been lightening and has allowed me to really devote time that I used to spend worrying or catastrophizing or getting bent out of shape in creating and learning. I am so much happier.

With this life change has come a better mood, a sharper dresser and a new zeal to learn. I just completed my first ever crochet project and as you can see above, I am working on my second. I am about to start my first knitting project done from a commercial pattern. This weekend, I am going to try my hand and wool felt applique. I have cooked and prepped food for the next two weeks and have all my meals planned through early December. Blog posts are also planned that far in advance and I am happily working on projects to share. 

My life has become my own and I am thankful daily. 

WIP Wednesday: New Craftventures

 I love to learn new things. It makes me seriously happy. I went to the craft store to get transfer paper today. Sadly, they did not have any any. Th did, however, have yarn, beautiful embroidery floss, and wool felt. It all jumped right into my basket. It wouldn't have been right not to bring them home.

I have decided recently that I wanted to learn to crochet. Luckily, my dear friend Paula is a wonderful teacher.  This is my first ever piece. I am making a cowl (yes, another one) out of just single crochet. Tonight, she also taught me double crochet and shell stitch. Yay for new skills!

I also bough several pieces of wool felt (and ordered some other colors) to start some brooches. I have not done applique before, but I did some research and our local library has several books available. I am super excited to try it out!