Crocheting: Scarf

Work In Progress

I started this scarf many weeks ago. It was still quite cold. I got so close to finishing it and then nothing... I just put it aside like I so often do. I posted it in hopes of reminding myself to finish it so it can sit and wait until the late fall to be used. It is quite large, but I used felting yarn so it will shrink up quite a bit. I made 9 large granny squares and joined them together. I just need to attach two more squares, weave in some ends and throw it in the washing machine.

Doodling: 17 New Doodles

I finally scanned in and uploaded my most recent doodles. You can check them out on my website. On my site everything from the treetop down is new! But below are just a few of my favorite new doodles:

I finally scanned in and uploaded my most recent doodles. You can check them out on my website. On my site everything from the treetop down is new! But below are just a few of my favorite new doodles:

Fabric: Stash

MANY WORKS IN PROGRESS

It was a great week to live in Chicago and be a crafter. On Friday I attended the International Quilt Festival. It was my first time going. I really enjoyed it. But I'm sad because after 8 years of being in Chicago they are moving venues and will be in Cincinnati next year. So I guess this was probably my last year in attendance. They had some beautiful quilts on display both new and antique! And they had tons of vendors for me to throw money at. Below are my fabric purchases:

The fabric on the left is going to be turned into some placemats for a friend. The green in the middle was just too cute to not give a good home. The newspaper fabric has dog articles on it and it will be used in one of my quilting bees and become a blanket for Peanut and Lucky. The black/white/gray/red fabrics are going into my stash I am starting to collect also for a quilting bee project. The black stripe fabric will probably go into the quilt I am planning for Jason. I can't find enough boy looking fabrics I like though.

These are two fat quarter bundles I got (both for $20 - great deal!) at the quilt show also. They are Amy Butler Daisy Chain. I'm not sure what the plan is for them yet... I just couldn't pass them up.

My next crafty event was yesterday. The Chicago Craft Mafia hosted a craft rummage sale of sorts. They accepted 32 sellers who were there to sell unwanted crafty items. I was hoping to find some washed up metalsmith who was letting their equipment go dirt cheap, so they could afford to buy booze... but alas not luck! If anyone know of someone like that I will trade booze for metalsmithing equipment. Back to the sale, to be honest there was a lot of crap there, A LOT, but I feel like I found the one gem...

You are looking at over 13 yards of Heather Bailey Freshcut fabric. It is out of print. And it is all mine! I bought it as one bundle... it was a good deal... a great deal... how much you ask? Well I'm not willing to give exact details. I prefer to keep my spending on items I don't really need private. But let's just say that it retailed for about $9/yd and I paid well, well under that price for all 13+ yards. There are a few full yard cuts, mostly fat quarters and a few large scraps. Who would let something this fantastic go? Granted I have zero plans for it at the moment, but I will come up with something.

If there is rehab for fabric purchasing you are going to have to drag me kicking and screaming. I'll probably steal the bed sheets and curtains in the facility just to get a fix.

Sewing: T-Shirt Embellishment

FINISHED

I was at Old Navy the other day and I saw this cute little cardigan with these almost origami like fabric squares sewn on. I immediately decided I could do that only better. So today I succeeded in completing a similar (but better) project. I used an Old Navy v-neck t-shirt and dipped into my fabric stash and this is what I came up with:

I also photographed the process:

I used a square quilting template that was 3"x3". I used two different fabrics and a piece of fusible applique to join the two fabrics together.

Once I had my little fabric sandwich I used my iron to press the square in half and then in half again so I could easily find the center point.

Since I wanted the pink fabric to be the inside color I started with the pink side up. Just like folding origami (but with an iron) I pressed all the corners up to the center.

Then I opened the piece back up and flipped it over so I could trim off just the slightest bit of fabric from the triangle pieces I just created by folding. That way the pink can show through a little more.

Flipping the square back over to the pink side I had to refold the pieces I just unfolded to trim and gave them one more quick press. I flipped the fabric over so my print/grey side was facing up and once again folded in the corners to the center and pressed them down.

I repeated those steps two more times so I had three squares. And then because I will take any excuse to use my dress form:

I put the shirt on my dress form (or Duct Tape Lisa as I like to call her) and pinned on my fabric origami squares (finished they are 1 3/4").

Final step was to sew them to my shirt. I didn't use interfacing on the inside I just made sure the shirt was flat and not pulled too tight to stretch the fabric and sewed them down. I used a pink thread and just sewed backward/forward a few times down each spot where the pink was peaking through. This not only attached them to the shirt but it held down the folds I made.

And the finished piece you obviously saw pictured above. I am going to fabric origami everything!! It will be my new obsession... I can never have too many craft obsessions! Right? Luckily this one isn't expensive like some of my most recent obsessions... metalsmithing... quilting.

Quilting: Quilting Bee/Sew2Speak

FINISHED

I completed my April blocks for my quilting bee Sew2Speak. It was Elaine's turn and she wanted wonky houses. There are a lot of great ones in our group's pool. I struggled on my first one, the orange house. I didn't really know where to start and my machine was acting up. As a result of my troubles there are some tiny little seam allowances on the house part. But I caught on and my second one, the green house turned out much better. Although I got carried away and the block ended up on its way to being too tall so I had to hack out part of the middle of my house. But I think it turned out just fine. Look at me pointing out all my mistakes, I bet no one would have even noticed.

Sewing: Sara's Birthday Present

FINISHED

I celebrated my friend Sara's birthday with her today (a couple weeks late!) I made her a Buttercup bag and I also made the gift bag to put it in. It is fabric! The gift bag I just sort of made up as I went along. It worked out alright. I had some difficulty sewing the bottom piece on, but I think it turned out pretty darn cute. She commented on how much she loved my Buttercup bag when she got in my car. Little did she know there was one waiting for her. I used this fake suede looking fabric and since it was difficult to sew through multiple layers of this thick fabric I opted to make it a clutch.