What's Next?

Every year at this time people come together with one common goal...goals. I do not care for "resolutions", but goal is okay. Or game plan. Or even just "I wanna do this".

I have done a "what to keep" before and I actually did better with it than I thought. Not everything made it into the shops and not enough left to show much of a difference in styles. But it was there.

This year I am cutting back even more while expanding. The cut backs are bag styles and the expanding involve non-bag items. I wrote more detail about it on my other blog. Her I am just showing off the examples of what will be continued.

This sketch is a quilt I want to make...or wall hanging or table runner. I am not sure how large I am going to make it just yet. But it does represent something new I want to do. Although it shows it rather faintly...

Holiday Craft Gifts

First up - for my niece and nephew. My sis-in-law told me that they have their own table top trees this year. It was her idea for tree skirts....one I thought was just perfect. Funny thing is, I had just made a treasury post of some lovely full size versions I found on Etsy.

These were what I came up with...the red one for her & blue for him.



Second...through 18th....
I was browsing around online & found these cute little fabric stacking trees on The Small Object. And the tree skirt fabric bits were just perfect for this project. I gave out a tree to each family at the Xmas Eve get togethers.

As much as I love them, I will have to make a small change if I make them again...sturdier fabric. The solid color fabrics I used were too flimsy to hold up well. I suppose I could just use a fabric stiffener along the bottom edge if I had to. And I am sure to make them again - they were too cute & simple not to!

Lime Diamond Pillow

I am getting back into the swing of things...but still just for me. Although, this is something I plan to make more of for the shop. For now, it will be a much needed pillow to rest my arm on when I read on the couch. The colors are perfect for our new walls & couch.


The twin lines are supposed to be an abstract'ish argyle...kind of. I do like how it turned out. But I will fess up to a goof. I usually arrange my cut piles in order to be sewn. This pile apparently got knocked over at some point & not put back correctly. I had reverse appliqued AND sewn the argyle lines before I realized that they were put on what was supposed to be part of the back. Oops. I think I was just so excited to sew again that i forgot what size pillow it was supposed to be for. Easy fix though...I just made my own pillow form to fit.

The back side has a simple slit opening, but because of my goof the pieces were not quite wide as I like for the overlap. Solution: Use a snap on an extra diamond pieced onto the overlap.

I chalk this one up as a happy accident. I love the snappy piece on the back & plan to use this idea in the future...but on an opening with the correct overlap :P

Wordless Wednesday

...crafts of the past...

Wordless Wednesday

Whedonverse Ornaments

Last year I took part in Buffyfest's Whedonverse Ornament Swap. I had so much fun, I had to do it again this year. And now that Xmas has come & gone...I get to show off the goodies I made :)

This is my batch that I sent out....hand painted on canvas in a felt & fluff filled ornament...with snowflake brads....topped off with a stake to hold the loops:

Here are some of the goodies I received (some did not photo well, so no pics)


And the Whedonverse section of my tree:

...compare to last year's section...

September's Giant To-Do List

I have decided to attempt a giant to-to list for September. One creation - every day. What I make should be easy enough to start and finish in one day....usually with time to do my regular stuff. It could be anything & I will most likely not do a bunch of planning ahead, which will help keep the stress off. I don't want stress from this because I am doing it for the fun of it. For the challenge of it. And probably for the humor of it.

What brought this on? Well, I blame...I mean thank ☺...a fellow MICE member and next town over neighbor, Ashley, from Ashley Amanda Designs. I read about this challenge on her blog, Peacocks and Dragonflies. Want to join us? Are you up for a challenge? Just let me know & I will add you to my list at the end of this post.

I know there will be days that the only crafts I do will be those I do all the time anyway, like my bags...and that's okay. But I do want to use this challenge as an opportunity to try new crafts. I know I can't start & finish somethings I want to give a whirl in just one day (like knitting) but with my list, I am sure there are plenty of new or at least seldom done arts & crafts that I can do in a day.

So what will I do with all these goodies? Dunno. Some may go into my shops, some may be gifts and some may be just for me. I do know that I will take pictures everyday & post them here. I may have a running image list on the sidebar, not sure yet. Posting them will help keep me going....and you get to be my cheerleaders. Heck, I am sure some things may be a source of amusement for us all. And couldn't use a good giggle now and then?

Others up for the challenge:

Vendor Apron

I made a vendor apron for my last craft show. I wanted something with a pocket for cash, notepad, calculator & pens. I also wanted to make sure the cash pocket was front & center with no way of falling out as I moved around. So I zippered it shut.

I was going to do a simple cotton apron like the one I use in the kitchen, but it needed to be a tad more durable. So I used a denim fabric for the base & one of my fave florals for the pockets. Topping it all with a burgundy bias tape strip along the edges & matching fabric for the ties.

I love how it turned out. Everything fit in perfectly & the money stayed put! Too much unfortunately...but that was not due to the apron so much as the show being a bust. Here's to next time!





See the pins? "Make Art" and "Art for art's sake" from Barrel of Monkeys...my son wanted a bunch, so I got a few also. They go well with the apron I think :)