Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Bye Bye

Never was I so happy to see two quilts leave.
















I will be taking a break from sewing for a little while, but until then I am leaving you with a clue each day about my next project. See if you can guess what I'll be making...

Monday, April 26, 2010

Done Again!

The last quilt for the Feeder Canal Alliance Basket Raffle is done! Isn't it a cute little baby blanket? I suppose it could be a wall hanging too, but really, who doesn't want to wrap a bundle of joy in this?

Let's recap:

53 x 69" blue lap quilt











34 x 34" pink/green baby quilt











Each a basket you could win at the Basket Raffle on Sunday, May 2nd, from 1 to 3 PM at the West Glens Falls Firehouse on Luzerne Road in Queensbury, NY. An admission ticket is $10 for 10 raffle tickets. Each additional set of 10 raffle tickets is only $5. There will be over 40 other baskets there to try and win, as well as door prizes, baked goods and a silent auction.

Help support a wonderful organization. The Feeder Canal Alliance maintains and preserves miles of trail and canalway that are free and open to the greater community. And it doesn't hurt to try and win one of my quilts!

Friday, April 23, 2010

Failure

Once upon a time I was a perfectionist. Shocking I know. Some of you who know me are reading this and saying "wait a minute, she's still a perfectionist." Yes, in some ways that is true, but I want to share a lesson I've learned about failure along the way.

I grew up striving for perfection, excellence, and success. I loathed mistakes and screwing up. But that didn't stop me from making mistakes. Instead I would wallow in my failure and beat myself up. I can still remember failing my cpr test in college, walking back to my dorm room and throwing myself on my bed and sobbing in dispair. Dramatic, right? Why do we think going away to college at 18 years old makes us adults? It doesn't. I was still a child. And in some ways I still am. Nearing 30 and I still have trouble remembering I'm an adult. But I digress.

I've even turned down opportunities to try new things just because I knew I would fail. Water skiing, rock climbing, social gatherings (yes I fail at social interaction a lot!).

Through the obstacles opportunities God has placed in my path I have learned a lot. I have learned that I am not perfect and thank God for that! Who wants to be perfect? I have learned that it's the process that counts, not the end product. Sewing has been the best outlet for me to learn about failure. It is one of the very few activities that I have perservered in, even though when I started I failed a lot. I still fail today. But it's not the end of the world. I carved out time to sew and create and that's what matters.

So today I would like to introduce you to some fails. I had fun making them and trying new things with them, but they aren't etsy shop worthy. It's okay though. They've helped me learn what to do better next time. Thanks fails.



















How about you? What fails have you learned from and now embrace?

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Earth Day

Oh Earth Day. I would love to honor you by making a few things from my wish list. Napkins. Gift bags. But these will all have to wait until the time around me stops swirling and settles down into stretches of freedom. Until then you can always take a look at these.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Done!

The blue quilt is done! Don't you just love it? I do. It's bigger than I anticipated, hence the intricate backing. I've always loved quilts that had just as decorative backs. It's like a reverisble quilt. I've just never made one until now.















Now to move onto the pink quilt. Any ideas on what clever pattern I should come up with? I am thinking the pink quilt will be a bit smaller than the blue quilt just to speed things up. Well lets be honest...I'm thinking baby quilt or table runner. I'm tired and pressed for time.

Friday, April 16, 2010

64 Pictures Later...My Arm Hurts

I've felt like there's been something missing from my Etsy shop. I have no pictures of my flowers and scarves while in use. Since people can't touch or feel these products it's important to give them a sense of scale and a wide range of how the product looks and can be used. At least that's what I've been told.

So I went outside during an afternoon nap and took pictures. I've avoided this for a long time because I hate taking pictures of myself and I hate looking at pictures of myself. Throw in the fact that sunshine, warm weather, being at home with free time on my hands and a sleeping toddler don't always happen at the same time. I thought this day would never come. But it did and now my arm hurts from holding the camera out and I hate taking pictures of myself even more! I literally took 64 pictures. Below is just a sampling (of the ones I found acceptable). Yet none are perfect, or the perfect that I envisioned. But I did it and I tried. Everything takes time and patience and I am no exception!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

First Sale!

I made my first sale on Etsy. I can't believe it. I was journaling that morning that I had my doubts and my fears that it just wouldn't happen for me. I prepared myself to acknowledge that I may never sell an item. I had to be okay with that because this whole idea was supposed to be about creating and the process. It's about fulfilling and expanding the creativity within me. But there was and still is a small part of me that yearns to receive recognition. Recognition that my products are valuable and wanted.

I struggle internally with checking myself and making sure my need for praise is not boastful or prideful. I know first and foremost I should only care what my creator thinks about me. I should seek His opinion before man's. And yet I know God puts desires in my heart and I truly want to follow Him. So as I second guess whether a desire is of God or man made, I remember to keep my ears and heart open and listen. Then I will hear the answer.

I believe the purchase of two flower hair clips was God answering me.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Nearing the End

Well I spent the weekend putting all the pieces together. Now all that is left is hand sewing the back of the binding on. I wonder if this will feel different because I don't know who this quilt is going to. This is the part of the quilt process where I put love into the quilt for the receipient. But how do I do that for a yet to be determined basket raffle winner? We'll see.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Burn Out

I knew this might happen. Over reaching to make two quilts by the end of April. I'm piecing together the back of the first quilt and I'm starting to feel it. The urge to procrastinate. The urge to sit in front of the boob tube and forget about the seams, bobbins, walking foot, pins and stitches. The all encompassing need to not sew for just one night, then two nights, then...

I can do this.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Head Over Heels

I am falling in love with my blue diagonal square quilt. Why does this always happen to me? I commit myself to making a quilt to give away and I fall in love with it. Here's to a quick and painless breakup come May 2nd.

ps- if anyone wants to purchase raffle tickets for the basket raffle that this quilt is going to, perhaps you could win the quilt and gift it back to a loving quilter *wink wink*

Monday, April 5, 2010

Buttons

Every once in awhile I get to mix crafting and family. I'm trying to see that more as an ongoing thing, but until then I continue to grasp for things that my 2 year old daughter might find enjoyable.


One such activity is playing with the buttons! I make sure to grab a DEEP bowl (helps to keep more buttons in while she's "cooking"). And while she's not looking I steal the colorful buttons and sort.


I don't know where her obsession with rainbows comes from.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Procrastination

It's hard to work on this...


When there's so much of this outside...


Maybe I'll just clean the house instead.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Upcoming Projects

Another reason I needed to finish up the Spring Circle Quilt was to make room for two more projects on my table (or floor really). I'm trying a blue quilt with 6.5" squares, but in a diagonal pattern.


And of course I always have left overs from each project, so I'll be making another pink circle quilt, but with a bit of a variation this time.


Both these quilts will be donated to the Feeder Canal Alliance's Baske Raffle. It's on May 2nd at the West Glens Falls Fire House on Luzerne Road in Queensbury, NY. I'll be working the ticket table.