Monday, January 20, 2014

HST Layouts

Today I made 84 HST blocks. Tonight, I am playing with layout. It's harder than it looks; keeping color with color and contrast with contrast. lol I had to look away a lot just so I could refocus. 

My first two efforts....


Not really loving the swirl...even if I made it all scrappy like, it just doesn't suit my fancy.


This one I like... a little modern and little classic. I may keep this layout.

Tomorrow I will try a couple more layouts and see which one I like the best. Wish me luck! 

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Sew Prepper

Being a prepper is very in right now. I am a little prepped, but not anywhere near tv show prepped. LOL

I decided I, and a few of my crafty chicas, needed to be prepped in case of a sewing emergency. Seeewwwwww  I made a few little travel-size sewing kits. I made three, working on number four and one is already been given away.

Bonus....I made them in a Team USA kinda color scheme in honor of the upcoming Olympic Games!! 

Bonus two....itty bitty biscornus too

Oops! and Surprise!



I used some 'Old Glory" mini charms



Luscious linen for the inside
As you can see, buttons, a snap, needles, thread, pins, bandaid, threader, 
even a little paper tape measure



And some baker's twine to hold in the matching scissors

Closed, it's only 3 x 4 inches...perfect for a glove box or suitcase or beach bag. There is even a little room for them to add s few things I didn't think of. 
Make one for yourself or a sewing buddy today!

Monday, January 13, 2014

New Year Ponderings

As I sit up in my bed, nose plugged, sinuses pounding, sleepy as all get out yet wide awake, I wonder about stuff.....new year evolutions, resolutions, challenges etc..  I also need something to do that won't wake the entire household or get my adrenaline pumping so Pinterest and the WWW it is. 
Keeping the light to a minimum as to not totally send my circadian rhythm into a tizzy...I scan

There is just so many things out there that you can grab a hold of to get your new year off to a bang...
2014 things challenge
Just One Thing
Just one word
get in shape

hundreds of ideas.....millions even...it's overwhelming....it's overkill

I like the idea of many of them, but what can I realistically accomplish? What makes sense for who I am, how I live, distractability and just plain practicality? 

in church today, we learned about choosing one thing and really committing ourselves to working on it. 
For most of us, that one thing will be hard to pinpoint unless we are brutally honest with ourselves. It's just too easy to pick weight, health, read the bible.....all good stuff, don't get me wrong, but not soul shattering. I want to have my soul shattered. huh, what? Wow, guess I found my one thing.....I best be careful how I pray for that...lol

I am also attracted to the 2014 things challenge. http://kathilipp.com/pages/2014things/
Let's be honest, there is no way I am going to actually track what leaves/enters my house on a spreadsheet....oh, I would be awesome at it.......for about a week. lol. I decided on a better, more reasonable approach that I think I can actually be committed to......I can clean just one thing a week! A drawer....a shelf....a box.....52 in all. I am quite sure I have more than 52, but boy howdy, that will sure make a dent and a half in making my life more simple and less stressful! I have already cleaned out two shelves in my bathroom...one just a little while ago...insomnia....it's a good thing...not, 
I am not gonna make a spreadsheet or a tally or take pictures..okay, not often with the pics, but I am committing myself to the process. I think I may even count emotional baggage too..no? Oh well, thought I could get a twofer with the soul shattering thing...lol

I still want to drop a few pounds and improve myself in lots of ways, but I think just letting go of stuff and being a better finisher are my evolutions this year. Lightening my loads, yep, sounds good and doable to me!

What will you commit yourself to this fine 2014?


Thursday, January 9, 2014

Itty Bitty Biscornu

biscornu is a small, 8-sided, stuffed ornamental pincushion, usually made out of Aida cloth or linenEmbroidery or cross-stitch is used to decorate the top and bottom of the cushion. A button is typically secured in the center of the cushion to give a small depression on the top. Beadstassels and other objects can decorate the biscornu. They are typically able to fit in the palm of your hand. The name is derived from a French adjective, meaning skewed, quirky or irregular.

Well, skewed, quirky and definitely irregular......that is my biscornu. lol

I used 2.5" squares from the 'old glory' collection and some antique shell buttons. 




things I learned:

When sewing this small, mark all sewing lines
hand sewing is your friend, although I did use the machine
fiddle and make the stuffing a little more even on the "hand close" side
enjoy the wonkiness 

There a lots of free tutorials and patterns online....just type in b i s c o r n u.

I made this is less than thirty minutes from...."hey, I could do that" to posting a pic. If I can, you can...trust me! Speedy is not my middle name.

Happy sewing!

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

First finishes of 2014

And they are on the ACSA 2014 flickr page.
http://sewmuch2luv.blogspot.com/2014/01/after-christmas-sew-along-2014-begins.html


Although not the most exciting of sewing, sometimes you just gotta be useful. 

shortened and hemmed sweats for the mil


 little bitty pincushion
I tried to make it look like the bee was buzzing...

I've got more  planned for the sew along, won't you join in?

Monday, January 6, 2014

AFTER CHRISTMAS SEW ALONG STARTS TODAY


 Start the New Year with a bang!!
It's a festival of creative crafty joy over at Sewmuch2luv, 
and I am not going to miss a minute of it!
Join me!! Sharing and prizes and fun will abound.
Even some discount codes to some great etsy shops!!

 

Saturday, January 4, 2014

That's right......Who's Your Mama?

My old computer died....the amber light of death appeared and it wouldn't go away. No matter what I unhooked, it just wasn't a hardware issue. * S I G H * 
Soooooooo I bought a sata to usb adapter to see if the hard drive was dead. Nope...yay!
Wait, the computer can't talk to the hard drive...boooooooooooo
It knows it's there but I can't get into it...."access denied"  I was not a happy camper, nosireebob
I changed ownership to the new system.....no luck
I changed ownership back to me......no luck
I changed ownership to everyone.......wait!! now I can see the files.....I'm in!
Wait! I still don't have access....WTHeck!
I had to go into each file, change ownership and include all subfolders and inherited something or other and guess what.......let the file transferring begin!
I still have about a zillion files to change, but the info is there, backed up onto a portable drive and the important stuff moved.
I said I would figure it out and I did!!! Woot Woot!!!


TECHIE CHICKS RULE!



old drive getting backed up into portable....that little blue light means it's working!!
Hal le lu jah and a half!


******update******
got the old palm desktop to recognize the z22.......life is gooooood

Friday, January 3, 2014

The Next Generation.....

Ha! I bet you thought I meant Star Trek!

Nope, the next generation of sewistas......

Her first project and quite a good start......


I give you a proverbial classic.......jammie bottoms


You have straight seams, curved seams, hems, a casing, tube turning, pockets and buttonholes.
And you can even leave out the pockets and tube and buttonholes and you still have a great project.
She is well on her way to becoming the next cosplay queen.

Well done, Rachel!