Friday, December 31, 2010

Crafty Resolutions 2011



In the spirit of the New Year I feel like making a list of Resolutions but not for weight loss (which I could) or regarding my finances (which I should) but for crafting! There are so many things that I'm dying to make but never seem to find the time for. So here's a list of hope to makes for 2011.

*My advent calendar! This has been a WIP for over a year now. I worked on it quite a bit in December but had to put it down to finish some gift sewing and hopefully I'll pick it right back up when I return south instead of postponing it until next December!


*A Summer Quilt. I picked out fabrics for this project over a year ago, black, white, and green mostly Sweetwater for Moda fabrics (see below) that I want to work up in a brick pattern. I'm hoping it will be a much more finished looking quilt than any of the ones I've made before.


*These little potholders. I love that they allow you to grip easily although I worry about heat resistance. I'll have to look into thermal resistance before I begin.

*A dress. I don't know yet what pattern, but I'd really like to make something that I will wear. I made a dress last year and wore it and was pretty pleased with it. I guess one a year might be my limit.

*I really really really want to make a point of taking a bookbinding class this year. They offer them several times a year at my local contemporary art center, Space 301. I meant to do it last year but the timing didn't work out. The summer session ended up being the one weekend that my mother was coming to visit and I just missed the winter session all together.

OK, I think that's a pretty do-able but productive year of crafting! Wish me luck and hopefully you will see all of these projects on the blog in the year to come!

*Loving the Calendar above! Surround yourself this year with beauty whether you make it yourself or buy handmade!

Gathered Clutches



Every year I enjoy a few days visiting and catching up with my college friends. After Christmas I had just enough time to whip up some cute Gathered Clutches for my girlfriends. I had been planning to make these little purses for at least a month before I came to Maine for Christmas but in the end I had to pack up my fabric and cart my supplies north.


Luckily my mother has a good sewing machine and important things like a cutting matt and rotary cutter, so I don't have to bring those things with me. I love these little clutches so much I ended up making three assembly line style, one for J, one for C, and one for me!


The cream colored one with the navy batik print is mine. I think they came out really well and I hope the girls liked them! I got the pattern from Noodlehead, thanks!

White Christmas 2010


I'm so lucky that even though I now live in the warmth of Alabama, I still get to enjoy white Christmases! Here are some pics of the tree and my cat Elliot, who lives in Maine with my parents. It was a blessed and beautiful Christmas spent with lots of family and filled with joy!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Tini's Wedding Jewels


Last weekend I was delighted to see my friend Tini walk down the aisle toward wedded bliss wearing a custom EJewelryDesigns earrings and necklace set. Tini had first asked me to do the bridal jewelry this past summer and I was thrilled to be able to participate in her special day in any way I could.



I made her dangling white pearl and sterling silver earrings and a three tiered hand-knotted pearl choker that can actually be worn as one long chain or doubled or tripled depending on her mood and clothing. It all came out beautifully! And Tini made such a lovely blushing bride! I also made platinum colored pearl and sterling dangling earrings for the bridesmaids in a slightly smaller scale that the bride's, but I don't seem to have any pictures to post of those.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

So Proud!



This past week I traveled to South East Alabama to visit a recent transplant and dear friend and taught her how to sew. It was a fabulous week! And she was a quick learner, well, not really learner since she already had a bit of knowledge but it was an easy job for me. We started with a few burp cloths, easy rectangles, stitched around, turned inside out and stitched again. Then D made a sweet bib and a kimono. Check out the kimono! So Cute!!!!! I'm so proud!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Giraffe Baby Wall Hanging



My dear friends D and J are having a baby! And I wanted to make them something extra special to show how excited we all are about their upcoming arrival. So I instantly thought of making a wall hanging for the baby's room, something bright and colorful to match the style that D is looking at for decoration.



I think the final product came out pretty darned cute! I only wish I had taken some close ups before I gave it to D! I used a few scraps of Laura Gunn Lantern Bloom fabrics. The center panel is leftover from the wall hanging that I made for myself a few months back, Laura Gunn's Lantern Bloom line Climbing Lantern Pod in Turquoise. I also used the Hanging Cages in Lime from the same line but in two different directions. The star of the wall hanging is the little white flannel giraffe silhouette; he came out so much better than I had hoped! He was free-hand stitched on the machine and then cut out. I hand embroidered the eye on him and mad a little brown tail that hangs off the wall hanging for a little 3D addition!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Bridal Accessories for S & C



My cousin S has found a wonderful woman to share his life and luckily they share some of the same passions for hunting and fishing :) I was honored when they asked me to create signature bridal garter belts and a ring bearers pillow for the wedding! The wedding colors are green and brown, colors to match the mossy oak camouflage pattern that will also be found on the men in the wedding party. Yup, camouflage. Not my style certainly, but I was happy to create something for them! Here are the results!

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Easter Pineapple Cake


Happy Easter! I haven't been posting lately, mostly because I have nothing to post about. I haven't had much time for making and creating. But I had to do a little something to make this drab weekend feel like Easter, so I made a Pineapple Upside Down Cake. One of my favorites. Now if only I had people to share it with!