Into the Year!

I can't believe that we're already 14 days into the new year.  I'm still finding stray Christmas decorations around the house.  It happens every year...I go around the house making sure I've  got everything then BAM...all of a sudden there's a cute little Santa looking at me...right out in the open.  Do these things hide during the day then come out when we're sleeping?  That's my theory...and I'm sticking with it!

When I'm not finding Christmas decorations, I've been sewing.  I've really missed this.  I love the feel of the fabrics, the colors, the threads all over the floor!  I haven't been doing anything too elaborate...more aprons and few surprise projects that I can't reveal until our Spring Art Retreat.  But I am having a great time!

My granddaughter went shopping with me and decided she needed a new apron so she could craft with me.  We came home with the cutest fabric then added a few pieces from my stash and came up with this cute little apron.






As simple as it is, it was a real pain to make.  Ruffles are not my friend.  Her comment when she tried it on..."Mamu, I think we have a problem!"  I looked over at her and the bib was almost at her waist.  Once I shortened the neck strap we were ready to craft.  Now her sister wants one.  Back to the store!














Or maybe I'll convince her to shop my stash!

Crafty Girls Club

Lindsay with a hand painted ornament, Cory with her ceramic ornaments and me with a mixed media canvas.

You know all those craft fairs that go on in the fall?  And how we always say we should be in one, selling our little works of art.  The only thing that gets in our way is time...we start too late.  


Well, here come my friend Lindsay Ostrom to the rescue.  She is starting the  Crafty Girls Club.  The idea is to motivate us to get an early start so we can be the one's selling instead of buying someone else's stuff.  .  When you join you commit to make  1 large project a month, 5 medium projects a month or 10 small projects a month. Then put them into a brown grocery bag and staple the bag shut until the fall. You will then have enough goodies to take to a craft fair or at least give as gifts.  There is no cost to join.  Just a commitment to create all year.  
Go to   http://lindsayostrom.blogspot.com/ and get all the details.

No ideas...check out PINTEREST...it's full of great ideas.  Be warned...it's a time sucker, so much to see!  You'll get caught up in the creativity and lose track of time.  Set a timer so you still have time to make those lovely little items!


Good idea?...I think so.  I did 2 craft fairs last season.  They were small ones but I made enough to make me happy!

A FRESH START FOR THE NEW YEAR

Happy New year, my friends!  May this year be filled with hope, good health and laughter! I think there are times when a fresh start is needed.  2012 is going to be a FRESH START for me.

My lonely unused sewing machine

Some of you may know that I used to sew...a lot!  I loved to make baby quilts with hand appliques.  Hand applique was my favorite part of making those little labors of love.  As my fabric stash grew and grew, I was sewing less and less.  The  arthritis in my hands was making it hard to hold that little needle and sew those tiny stitches. One day, after painfully trying to hand stitch a little wall hanging, I threw my hands in the air and decided I wasn't going to sew any more.  It was just too frustrating.  I gave/sold a lot of fabric but kept more than I planned.  Maybe there was something in the back of my mind that said I would use it...someday.

Fast forward to a few days ago.  I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself.  Just because I can't hand stitch doesn't mean I can't run that lonely sewing machine again.  So I decided to make a quick apron..easy pattern, no hand sewing, nothing fancy or complicated, about an hour of time...maybe I could do this.  Guess what...that apron was a piece of cake!  It went together so fast and easy that I decided to make another one, then another and another.  Yes, four...count 'em, four aprons in three days.  And I took down the tree, did laundry and visited my mom...all within that time.  Ready for the best part?  My hands didn't hurt! 

My sewing machine is now happily humming along, I have a few new aprons for work and one for my daughter-in-law and I'm ready to try a few more things.  Of course this could be a dangerous thing...I may need to start adding to my fabric stash again...just saying!

This is my favorite. 

This is for Mondays when I need a coffee jolt!

A reversible apron...for when one side gets really dirty!

And this is what awaits my FRESH START!

You know that old saying...when one door closed, another one opens.   I found that open door.