What Happens in Two Years?

I've been inspired by my friend Judy who has been writing a blog religiously for the past year or two. She is certainly not someone who I would have expected to start and keep up a blog but she has and she's done a darn good job of it.  I, on the other hand, have done a horrible job of keep up to date on my blog.  It's been two years since I put anything up on it.

But, I have managed to complete many projects in the last two years. I have gotten away from making pincushions like I used to and I haven't painted anything in a year.  I have instead started going through the many many containers of fabric that I've accumulated and I've been trying to complete some of the projects I said I would do when I retired.  Since I've been retired for 7 years it's only fitting I work on them.  I didn't realize I accumulated enough projects to keep me busy for at least 20 years.

Three years ago I found a part-time job at a quilt store on a whim.  So, that didn't help squash the project "bug".  I've tried very hard to not propagate the number of projects I have, but sometimes it's just impossible to pass up a truly beautiful quilt kit.  Although I now tend to start working on new projects and complete them in a timely manner rather than put them in a container to work on at a "later date".  I even "quilt" small projects on my own sewing machine at times rather than send them out to a quilter to be done on a long arm.  Still,  I have quite a "collection" of things in my Sewing Area that needs to be organized and cleaned out and donated to others who can make better use of them. 

Fortunately, my quilt guild in Jackson is having an Auction in the next few months so I have been going through many containers and finding things to donate to them.  It's amazing how difficult it is to part with some of these treasure though.  I have to be in a certain mind set to part with them.  Some days it's easier than others.  But I'd like to be able to move from this home in the next few years to a different place and I keep telling myself if I keep everything I have now, it will be impossible to move!  Do any of you have that problem?  Plus, at my age I just don't need everything I have.  Why on earth all these "things" were so important to accumulate at some time is beyond me!  Yes, I wanted to make sure I would have what I needed if I decided to be sewing at 2am...but this is ridiculous!  And with all that I have, I can't find what I need anyway!  I do believe there's something to be said about "Less is more!".

Well, tomorrow I have the day off and my goal is to go through a couple containers of "things" in the basement along with a few boxes of sewing books I can't fit on the shelves anymore.  Perhaps I can make room down there for a little more organized space and keep only what I truly need!

I'll let you know.

When Will I Learn to Say "No"?
I've been sewing and making lots of pincushions and quilts the last few years and taking care of my beautiful granddaughters. Mia is now 7 years old and Amanda is 4.  Mia has asked me to show her how to sew.  The other day when she was over she made three little pillows for her Barbie dolls and sewed together some squares of my leftover fabrics which I finished for her to make a sleeping bag for her Barbie.  She was thrilled with the results.

I also became the proud owner of a Pfaff Quilt Sewing Machine which has a large sewing bed so I can quilt some of my own smaller quilts. It also makes it so much easier when I'm making purses to fit them under the bed of the machine, especially when I'm using a stiff interfacing.

Last night I went to quilt group in Jackson and a gal brought a yummy dessert to share. It ended up being very simple to make.  It was an Angel Food cake mix, that she made following the directions, except instead of using the water it called for, she substituted a can of cherry pie filling.  Low fat too! I'm going to have to try making that soon.

How many unfinished projects do you have in your stack of things to make?  Today I tried to make folders for each of the upcoming classes I've signed myself up for, so I would be organized.  This is just for the next three months.  I made 7 folders.  I didn't realize how easy it was for me to not say "No" to a class one of my quilt guilds was sponsoring!  I've signed up for a Block of the Month at my local quilt shop.  It only lasts for 8 months, but that's a block every month for 8 months.  Early February I have a Modern Mystery quilt class I signed up for with my local guild.  Then I signed up for another Mystery type of quilt with my Jackson guild, along with a class at the end of February.  In March I signed up for a class to turn a picture of a flower into a quilt.  Not to mention a challenge quilt at both guilds...one due in April and the other in May. 

That doesn't cover the unfinished projects I already have started that are patiently waiting to be completed.  I'm working on fabric pages to hold the postcards that I swap with members of a Yahoo group.  I've made several pages of the book, but I haven't mounted the fabric postcards on those pages yet.  Plus I continue to swap fabric postcards, so that's an ongoing project.  Plus I joined a swap for a monthly mixed media journal page.  I have an almost finished kaleidoscope quilt I've been trying to finish for about 3 months and a Periwinkle Quilt that is all paper-pieced, but just has to be sewn together.  Then there's the snowman tissue holder that needs one more side embroidered in the hoop and put together.  And the small landscape quilt challenge that needs to be completed for next month.  I still have to find a backing for my step-son's T-shirt quilt and get it quilted...the front has been done for almost a year now.  My son's quilt also has to be quilted...that's been done for a year also.  I've been working on my son's T-shirt quilt for the last 8 months, but it keeps getting put aside.
I have a teddy bear to make for a friend which is long overdue.  My 7-year old granddaughter asked me to make her a princess dress when she was over the other day because she doesn't have any "dress up" clothes here, like her little sister does.  And my husband has a pair of blue-jeans he gave me two days ago which he wants shortened. 

Did I mention I became President of our local Painting Chapter this year?  I've been trying to find a day to schedule a Board meeting.  I also work part-time at a quilt shop.  That part-time job was supposed to be three days a week, but it's more like four to five days a week.  The only day I can be sure I won't work is Sunday because the store has to be closed on Sunday.  I love working there.  I started that part-time job a little over a year ago.  I'm glad I did because the extra income certainly came in handy when my son lost his job and we had to help him through being unemployed.  Even when he did have a job, minimum wage doesn't support bare expenses. 

Well, I don't have pictures of the projects I've mentioned, but soon I will start completing them and stop complaining about not being able to say "No".  Writing it all down has helped me put it all in perspective at least.  Now I know why I sometimes feel overwhelmed.  I just have to write it all down on a list for myself and cross it off one by one as I finish a project. 

I can't say I won't add something to the list before I finish something because I just know that's not me.  At my age, I need to keep trying all these things I still have on my "to do" list.  After all, I only have about 20 more good years left, if I'm lucky. 

Sewing, Painting, Cleaning

I'm not right on top of this blogging thing. Perhaps some day I'll get the hang of it. I have done a lot of sewing and painting in the last several months though.

My friend and I went out east to Connecticut to a 5-day painting seminar with Ros Stallcup in early October. We spent 8 hours a day painting projects on wood, canvas, or tin and finished the project each day. I learned different techniques and had to try very hard to get my brain to let loose so I wasn't painting so rigidly.

From Connecticut we drove Massachusetts to another 5-day Decorative Painting convention, New England Traditions. I took about 6 different classes there from various teachers and again learned different techniques. I also entered a piece I painted into a competition against other hobbyists. My piece was about 3-feet tall, an old spindle onto which I had put wood putty to look like Santa's face and arm. I added a wooden base onto which I painted a scene of a living room with windows and reindeer looking in at the Christmas tree and presents. Onto the top of the spindle I added a table top and painted Santa and his bag of toys with holly leaves and a faux finished circle around Santa. I'll have to find a picture to upload so you can see it.

To my surprise and delight, I took first place in the Holiday Division and then I was really delighted when I won Viewers Favorite in Hobbyist Division! There were many wonderful pieces in this division so I was really thrilled to receive such an award.
I've also been in a few swaps in the last few months on Art4Mail and I would love to share pics of these. Back in July we had an Animal Pincushion Swap. My swap partner loves hippos so I had to make her a hippo pincushion! Couldn't find a pattern for a hippo so I had to create my own. It took a few attempts but I came up with one. What do you think? She love it

We also had a needlecase swap. I decided to make a pattern I've had for years from Crabapple Hill, called Wild Rose Sewing Wallet. It turned out well, although somehow I got the front of it backward. I haven't been a great paper piecing fan, but I decided to try to again. Since it was only a small bit of paper piecing, it was doable and turned out pretty well.

Then we had a Fall pincushion swap. I received a wonderful Acorn pincushion from my swap partner and I sent a round felted wool pincushion with a 3-dimensional mum on top in fall colors.

For October we had a Halloween pincushion swap. My swap partner sent me a great coffin pincushion! It's covered with fabrick and decorated with creepy things. She found the coffins at Michael's.

I made a "Great Pumpkin" pincushion for her. On our trip out east we found a wonderful Gourd Place, that had laser cut gourds that were painted or dyed. I found a sweet little jack-o-lantern with a handle and put it on top of the felted wool pumpkin pincushion I made.

The rest of the time I've been organizing and re-organizing rooms and getting rid of 20 years of saving things I thought I might have a need for someday.  I've run out of room in the house! I need to get control of my house again!

Finished Pincushions

I've worked on many different pincushions in the last few weeks. I finished a few bunnies, worked on a turtle, found a great thread prince, finished a trio of painted and felted pincushions, and made some teacup dolls. Want to see them all?
First, here's the pincushion bunny I made. It's a Tilda Finnager pattern I downsized a LOT to get it to be this small (pincushion size). I made it for a pincushion swap on Art4Mail and liked it so much, I had to make one for myself. And someone else wanted to swap, so I made another one yet. So after making three of them, I think I'm done making these bunnies for awhile....

I swapped with a friend in England and she sent me this lovely bunny pincushion in exchange. She designed Ms. Bunny herself and appliqued the sweet little flowers and pink ears. Looks like Ms. Bunny is searching for carrots and is very hungry!

One of the online groups I belong to had a challenge for a turtle pincushion, so I quickly made one up and posted it for the challenge. Mr. Turtle turned out ok, but not as well as I would have liked. I'll have to work on him later. My friend brought me a kit of three pincushions that needed to be painted and made into the pincushions from Rhode Island painting convention last year. I couldn't attend the convention with her but she knows how I love pincushions and she couldn't resist. It took me a while to get these painted, but I did! They turned out cute I think and now that they are done I'm planning on perhaps making some more to give to other friends who have admired them (not as a set of three, mind you. . . just ones they've really liked!)
I found this wonderful Thread Prince at a Quilt Shop I visited. I don't know who made him but he is made out of repurposed pieces, such as an old salt shaker, some tatting thread and old laces, along with an old spool of thread, buttons and beads. His head is formed out of clay or wood putty and painted. He is really a lot of fun to look at and can really be used as a pincushion!We cannot forget the little teacup girls I've worked on. These are such fun to do. The patterns are from Happy Heart Patterns and can be bought and downloaded from her site. I have plans to make several more of these. The body is basically the same pattern, you just change what she is wearing and then embellish her differently each time. I've made the garden fairy and then used ideas from the various patterns I bought to create the gardening fairy, based on the teacup I used. What do you think? My sweet granddaughter has turned 6 months old. Time flies so quickly when we get older! She can sit by herself now and she babbles all the time. She is the perfect baby. She only cries if she's hungry or wet or absolutely wants attention! Other than that, she's smiling and laughing. Who could ask for a better child? We definitely have been blessed with her.

Time Flies, eh?

So much for keeping up with my blog.

I've been making lots of pincushions since January. One I made was a crazy quilted cat I designed. It was for a swap. My swap partner lives in England. It was made entirely out of velvets. I actually hand sewed all the crazy quilting on it instead of using some of the crazy quilting stitches on my machine. I enjoyed making Mr. Cat. I learned quite a bit designing him. Next time I will make him wider and his face will be a bit diferent. I liked how I made his front. His back was crazy quilted instead of formed to look like a cat sitting as his front was. I've been meaning to make another one just like him for me, but haven't found the time. Perhaps his picture will just have to do.

I also made a dragon from a pattern I bought several months ago. I though I could make"Daisy" dragon and use her as a pincushion, but after she was completed, I knew she would never be a pincushion. She's just too adorable to have pins put in her. Her arms and legs are movable and bendable. Her wings are bendable as is her tail. But the most adorable part of her is her eyes. They are glass eyes, covered with eyelids, which have eyelashes attached. Her tummy has flowers sewn on and her tail has yarn and fibers coming out of it, as does her head. She definitely was a challenge to make, but she was well worth it!

Of course, in between making pincushions and dolls, I've been taking care of my sweet little granddaughters. Amanda is now 4 months old and she is a dear! She had put on lots of weight and has grown quite a few inches. She's always smiling and laughing tries to talk with little coo's. Her big sister, Mia, is still learning to share but she does love her little sister.

I'm working on painting some boxes that I want to make into pincushions. I hope to finish them soon and as soon as they're completed I will post pictures.

Happy New Year!

I didn't do very well at keeping up my blog more often, did I? So much to do and so little time to get it all done.

Since the last time I posted I have a new granddaughter, Amanda Rose, born on December 1, 2010. She is so beautiful and so tiny! I forgot how tiny newborns are. She was three weeks early so she really was a tiny little thing...5lbs, 13 ozs. I saw her being born and it was the most beautiful site! I didn't think I could handle it, but it happened so quickly I didn't have time to get queezy or anything! My son cut the cord and DIL held her. She has beautiful blue eyes, long eyelashes and auburn hair. Her big sister, who just turned 3, is thrilled too!

In November we had a baby shower for her. Amanda's due date was December 25th so I painted pink Christmas ornaments with a lace design and put her initials on the bottom for everyone to take home. I think they were a big hit.

My online group, Art4Mail, had a pincushion swap for December with a holiday theme and I received some really wonderful pincushions from my swap partners. Aren't these adorable?

I made each of them a cardinal out of wool felt, sitting in a nest, holding a pom-pom snowball. It was rather large for a pincushion but I had seen a decoration similar to it somewhere and re-interpreted it into a pincushion. I made several muslin patterns for the body before I got it right. Then, of course, legs were out of the question because it wouldn't make for a very steady pincushion. So I had to come up with something to set the cardinal on that would steady him (it had to be a him...they are the colorful ones!). The hat was made from an old felted sweater. The snowflakes were punched out of felt. The beak was a challenge. I took some tim-tex and used a black permanent marker to color it black and cut out the beak shape, upper and lower and glued the pieces together and onto the face. The one in the photo is one I made for myself to keep. I made a total of four of these little guys and it will be a while before I make anymore. They weren't hard, but they were quite a challenge to figure out.

I'm still trying to move my scrapbooking/painting room from the first floor down to the basement and turn that room back into a bedroom for guests and for my granddaughters to stay in overnight. I've been working on it for months, it seems, but it's difficult to take everything I had in the little room and build the shelves I need in the basement, while trying to work around the stuff that's still in the basement. There is just too much "stuff" in this little house and I know I need to purge some of it, but that's a very difficult thing to do. Now mind you, I have carried out at least 4 huge garbage bags full of stuff from the little bedroom, but that's still not enough purging. I come from a family who has a history of saving "things". My father had a three-car garage and could only fit one car in it. When my dad passed on, my brother spent a year cleaning out that garage and a lot of that "stuff" found it's way to brother's garage. You can't even fit a car in his garage.

I'm working on a dragon right now. I found a pattern for a wonderful little dragon (doll) when I was up north this fall with my friends. I don't usually make dolls, and this is a jointed pattern made with chenille for the fingers and wire in the body parts so they can be shaped. It's been quite a challenge. As soon as I'm finished, I'll post a picture. I'm learning quite a bit making him. I might even be inspired enough to take out some of the other doll patterns I've collected over the years and try to make those.

Till later.....

New Pincushions

I read lots of other people's blogs but somehow don't update mine as often as I should. I do keep busy with family and friends and sewing and painting. My granddaughter is growing by leaps and bounds and talking up a storm. She's getting close to being 3 years old. Her new favorite show to watch is Dora the Explorer. She loves to play in the yard with me and pretend the growth at the side of the shed is the Spooky Forest. She makes up Dora stories about the Spooky Forest and the Troll Bridge and makes me laugh. Of course, I don't understand most of what she says because she talks so fast, but if I follow her she's happy.

When she's not here, I spend time making lots of pincushions and other "things". I had great fun making a mouse in a matchbox.

I didn't have an actual matchbox, so I had to make one out of cardboard and cover it with left-over bits and pieces of fabric. Then I found a small piece of fabric I had already quilted and used it for the blanket over the mouse head. Stuffing under the blanket and tacking the blanket down so the stuffing wouldn't stick out completed the top. I then found some color coordinated buttons and stacked them on the four corners of the bottom of the box for feet for the bed to complete the pincushion. It turned out rather cute, I thought. This was sent to someone for a swap, so I couldn't even keep it for myself. I'm working on making another box so I can make one of these for myself. I'll get it completed eventually.

I'm working on a swap right now from CAPC where I was sent two fat quarters of fabric and I have to create a pincushion or pinkeep from the fat quarters. I have two pincushions made already. I just have to take pictures of them. I want to still make a small needlebook for one of the pincushions before I take a picture.

Another swap I'm a bit late sending out was to use hexagons, prarie points, or some other typing of piecing in the pincushion. I just took pictures of my pincushion tonight. I have to upload it and mail it out. Hopefully that will get done tomorow.

Great news....I will have a new granddaughter in December!!!! Yeah!!! My son and DIL are expecting and we found out early this month they are expecting a little girl. We thought she was expecting a boy because of how sick she had been throughout her pregnancy, but we were wrong. I'm thrilled. Little girls are wonderful to spoil and make pretty things for. And her big sister wants to have a little sister to play with!

Well, hopefully it won't be so long before I post again. Perhaps I'll get those pictures uploaded tomorrow and get them on this blog. Until then, have a great day!