I have a Christmas project finished!  Umm, a year or two ago (maybe more but I'm not going to check), I signed up for a block of the month club from Shabby Fabrics.  Christmas Keepsakes- Wrapped in Joy  Completed each square, then it sat for a bit, since I didn't finish it in time for the first Christmas.  Christmas was always really busy with work, planning for events the first part of January, then the plans would be thrown out and changed at the whim of my boss for the heck of it. So I was usually lucky to get Christmas shopping done and ready.

But enough of that, I'm ready this year with the quilt and love the little details supplied with the kit as well as ones I added in addition.  Shabby Fabrics has wonderful pre laser cut pieces which give you time to skip the part of cutting all the appliques and go straight to the quilting.

My first finish for quarter 2 of the 2019 FAL too.

 

 

 Posting also on Instagram:#2019falq2cgadkins

Starting again:

Well, lots has happened since my last post, and I'm semi retired now, with a limitation on computer time, so I'm going to start back again with short posts.  I'm participating in the 2019 Finish-A-long because I've realized that with working I had bigger anticipations of what I could finish than what I actually did, so the projects have piled up.  Also with a family wedding looming, I have projects there to finish also, as well as projects for the house.

So each quarter you post a list of what you anticipate finishing and the first quarter I posted on Instagram, short and sweet, but thought this would be a more cohesive way to post as well as Instagram. (if I can do it within a short computer use time).
So here is my list for the second quarter.  Smaller than last quarter, but wedding will take up a good chunk of time:
(Top left to right)

1.Denim Woven jacket
2.Toaster Sweater top
3.Shabby Fabrics Christmas quilt
4.Poppy Espadrilles
5.Stonepoint

6.Denim Artisan Apron

7.Strawberry Scissors caddie RSmith
8.Embroidered denim jacket
9.March Sew Lux bag
10.April Sew Lux Bag
11.October Cowl
12.Monochrome Cowl

13.Apples in Clover Tam

14.Batik wall hanging

15.Upstairs, Downstairs cowl

16.3 color cashmere cowl

17.Rehearsal Dinner Dress

18.Rebekah Smith- Wool Mitten








19.Tettagouche Hat
20. Grey Linen sweater

21.Barbados Bag Kit
22.Pastel Snow quilt

Of course this doesn't include 3 bow ties, 3 little girl attendant dresses, 2 alterations, table runners and little bags for the bridal party.  Yikes!

2019 Q2 FAL cgadkins

Organizing the studio space

They say that when you are stressed out or overwhelmed, organizing anything can restore calm.  Work has been a bit crazy, but it usually is, so not sure if that instigated the studio overhaul or the fact that Columbus now has an Ikea.  Ikea browsing inspires rooms that flow with organization, there is a solution for every problem or concern, you just have to go to the self serve area, find it and put it together.

Last Sunday, I dragged the hubby to our new Ikea and bought a small cabinet for fabric, this will prevent me from being buried alive in a fabric avalanche. /Hemnes Cabinet with two doors

Which I then added new pulls from Hobby Lobby, and promptly filled it up with fabric and projects. Amazing how that happened!    I do love the way it looks though, and placed my tapestry loom from Stephen Willette, on top as well as my small collection of handcrafted pottery yarn bowls.  I find those hard to resist, when I see one that I really like.  

I honestly don't use them when knitting that much, but love the display aspect as well as the organizational.  Each holds a small project with the needles that I'm currently working on.  I'm looking forward to getting that loomed warped shortly.

Next up, I have a magnetic bulletin board that I also bought from Ikea several years ago, basically a white metal box, with black and white round magnets.  Did not match the natural aesthetic of the room at all, but used quite often.  I bought some linen fabric at Ikea, covered the board, using spray adhesive and a hot glue gun.  So far so good, the magnets still stuck securely. I also then covered the magnets themselves with Krylon Hammered Copper Spray paint, which puddles a bit as you spray, giving a textural element to what ever you are painting.  I'm pleased.  The silver containers are also from Ikea and hold beads, wire etc. for beading and jewelry projects that I am working on.  The room will ever be ongoing, but as long as I can work in there and reasonable find things I'm looking for, I'm happy.

My daughter and I have been taking a four part series of classes offered at the Franklin Park Conservatory on herb gardening, and we are enjoying it immensely.  My garden has been producing wonderfully this year, vegetables as well as herbs, so i've been busy making various herbal concoctions and just drying herbs for winter use.   Shown are red wine vinegar, with thyme and white wine vinegar with chives and basil.  Both are tasty, I used the red wine one on a quinoa salad yesterday to take to the Ohio State Fair and it was great.  I and a good friend demonstrated spinning and knitting for the Central Ohio Weaving and Fiberarts Guild.  She is much better at demonstrating than I, but it was an enjoyable morning.  We both resisted buying any more fleece!  I think I have three bags full ( just like the nursery rhyme) to spin and we will be picking up a fourth from Zeilinger's Wool Company at the Michigan Fiber festival.   

2017 Sewcial Event in Novi Michigan.

So it isn't May anymore, and I've decided I really need to either post on this blog or give it up.  I'm going to keep posting.  In February, I traveled to Novi, MI. about 3 1/2 hours north for the Sewcial event.  It was wonderful, and I went by myself, which was more relaxing than I thought it would be.   https://www.facebook.com/sewcialretreat/.

I won the early bird drawing for a Reliable iron, and at first thought, oh that is nice, I'll keep it around till my current iron goes.  After using Reliable irons at the event, I got it out right away when I got home. I love that you get absolutely no spitting of water when pressing, and if you shut off the steam, it is off, no spitting.  It's fantastic.

I arrived on Thursday so had some time to relax and with the shopping trip to Habermans leaving later in the morning on Friday, I didn't want to risk bad weather and arrive late.  I stopped at a yarn shop that looked interesting and then headed to the hotel.  At breakfast met a number of wonderful fellow attendee's, such a really interesting and friendly group of people!

Haberman's was wonderful and I enjoyed shopping around with another attendee from Boston, the kind of person you wished lived closer, because we would probably go to a lot of sewing events together. She was very creative and interesting and fortunately we were in the same group the whole weekend.  I had a blast at Haberman's and will make the trip up north at least once a year and especially when I need fabric for my daughter's wedding.  They had wine and lunch for us too, which was nice.

Friday night was an opening social event, and the exchange of the gifts.  They had sent us all yardage from Free Spirit Fabric with the idea that if you wished, you created a gift to exchange at the event.  I made a bag:

One of several i've made over the fall.  To my surprise, Linda Lee of the Sewing Workshop received mine, and she really liked it.  I've made a number, including this one, that I did for my daughter, and so now I am being encourage to open an etsy shop.  I'm leaning that way, because I really do like making bags. 

But back to the Sewcial.  Saturday and Sunday were all day classes, both were wonderful.  Linda Lee, The Sewing Workshop,  was Saturday with the Tremont Jacket.  I've got mine complete, save the button and buttonhole.  It is nice, but too plain, so will be adding some stenciling and sashiko stitching, channeling Diane Ericson.  I think i've worked out what I need to do.  The second class was taught by Janet Pray, Islander Sewing System, which at first I wasn't as excited about, but was so impressed with her techniques and the use of the semi industrial sewing machine by Babylock, the Jane.  (which somehow followed me home).  I haven't finished that yet, but will after this week.  I have a large meeting at work this week, as well as teaching a class on Sashiko on Sunday, so busy getting all that done first.  

I did finish up a new jacket to wear at the Sewcial: The Chateau coat, which was a pretty quick and easy sew.  I used a printed lightweight ponte, and work black leggings, and a denim 3/4 colored t-shirt under.

Me Made May:

Ok, I do not have enough clothing sewn or knit for an entire month of garments, especially in May when it is a lot warmer.  If it were Me Made November, I could regale everyone with handknit socks, sweaters, scarfs and shawls, with winter skirts and leggings.  I've never really found what I like to wear in the warmer months. I still work in an air-conditioned hell (the cold, not the job) where I feel like I should still be wearing winter clothing, only to go outside to the summer months. Stores all show sleeveless dresses and summer play wear that isn't suitable for work or the sub arctic office conditions.

However, I can easily do a Me Made May with jewelry, with some clothing thrown in during the event.  I'm not sure if that is ok, but I'm going for it!  To me, this is an event to challenge you, and so i'm game.

Today I wore a J.Jill dress with a white sweater, and an enamelled necklace that I made.

The cord is hand painted fabric from the Design Outside the Lines retreat that I attended in September in Taos, and the medallion is from the enameling classes that I attend.  The strips of color on the medallion are very fine shards of colored glass that melt when you put the piece in the kiln.  

Two Classes:

With the holidays being over, one turns to organizing. I've always thought it is interesting that we have such an abundance of excess from Thanksgiving to the New Year and then suddenly, everywhere we turn it is either diet, exercise, resolutions and getting organized. What to do with a New Year? How do we shape up and accomplish all that we should?

Well for me, my thoughts turned to where in the heck did all this yarn-fabric-beads come from? Surely it must multiple while I'm not looking, so when at the quilt shop, I signed up for a monthly get organized "club", which consisted of sewing various organizing projects over the year as you buy more fabric etc. to make them :)   The first one was the first Friday in January, and I can say i'm pleased with the project and it is finished. Stash and Dash.  The first one is ok, I plan on making another soon, i'd love to have one for travel, one for sewing classes, one for embroidery classes and then one for knitting supplies, but that may be too much organizing for me. The next class is the pattern- Nesting Baskets.  The club is a Friday night, 5-10 so albeit after a work week, either very relaxing or tiring, with dinner included.

Folded with clear pocket holding my Eiffel tower scissors that my daughter in law bought for me. 

Open showing inside of bag.  We used the type of zipper that you can
take apart and then pair with a contrasting pull tab, as well as making the zipper
itself two toned.  I did black and white, and think that this would be neat in
garment construction, pockets perhaps?   Anyway, three mesh pockets on the inside.

Just a closer look at the insides and contrasting fabric

Rolled up and secured with buckle. The pattern calls for rounding out the
edges, but we left it squared.

The second class that I took Saturday is one that I have been intrigued with for a bit, and finally decided to just take it. It was creating a Sami Bracelet, which is basically a pewter braid couched onto a leather piece, and then finished off with a small button. This technique is a handcraft of the Sámi who are the indigenous people of the far north in Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. The leather traditionally used is reindeer, as well as the button being from reindeer antlers. In addition to fishing and farming, reindeer husbandry has been an important part of their livelihood. Right now, Sami bracelets are in style and examples can be see in the  a number of places on the net, such as:

Swed-art and Anita Gronstedt, which are far more complicated than the one I made.  For another source or if you live near this center:

The National Norwegian-American Museum and Heritage Center

I chose black as my first one, a good friend Lois made her's in red leather and it's beautiful:

 I plan on making more and want to experiment with creating centerpiece type beads for necklaces with the same technique.

I took this week off, and though spent a good amount of it cooking and baking for Thursday's dinner, I also have had some time for shopping, decorating and creative fun, something I badly needed. I've been so busy at work, honestly, that when I get home, I am mentally wiped out.  First thing up for Christmas is part of my bottle brush collection, with a new addition on the far left.  I took my oldest grandson to the Franklin Park Conservatory , Friday to enjoy the displays, make a gingerbread house and ride the horse drawn sled ( though actually a wagon, since we don't have any snow yet). I bought that tree in their wonderful gift shop and enjoyed a wonderful afternoon with him.

Today though, all the men are off watching the OSU v. Michigan game ( that is now over, and OSU won, so I can be assured that they are all happy, save my middle son, who likes that team up north) and I've spent it doing more sewing, knitting and crafting.  One of my favorite blogs is A Spoonful of Sugar and she created a neat Christmas season sign with her Silhouette machine. Copying her, I did too, but used a chalkboard easel instead.

The design is available on the Silhouette website, $.99 I believe and done in white vinyl.  Next on the list of finished little projects were the 10 snowflakes crochet for a Ravelry snowflake swap. I added a small snowflake crystal to the center, so those are ready to go in the mail now. 

I also recently bought a new serger at Quilt Beginnings. A babylock and I think that I will absolutely love it!

A set of buttons:  My daughter and I have been taking an enameling class at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center, not only a wonderful place for classes, but our teacher is fantastic.  With that being said, among other things, I've made a set of buttons to hopefully use during the Design Outside the Lines retreat in Taos.  The buttons are a lot of fun to make, perfectly round as you start with copper pennies.  They have to be before 1982, or they are not pure copper and will not enamel in the kiln.

 I plan on making more, but these are at least for the retreat and fit in with my colorscheme planned for my fall wardrobe.  Colors such as the photo below, I took from Pinterest and do not know the source, but the colors are perfect.

I'm still in the process of preparing for the retreat, which is coming up quickly.  One project I did for the retreat are Bendy bags, hopefully one for each participant, so I've made 20.  Very cute, quick project, even if you are making that many. They would be a perfect holiday gift project, by the way.

Lastly, I finished this little quilt up last fall, but not in time to display much for Halloween. This year, I'm ready.  I bought a stand through Connecting Threads , so it's ready to go.

 I also embroidered some towels for Halloween. Easy but cute.

  

That is all then until the retreat!  

Time to get busy!

I'm going to the Design Outside the Lines retreat in Taos in September. I am very excited of course, but a bit creatively intimidated.  I need to start really stretching the creative wings, so that I can take full advantage of the entire week.  In other words, it's time to stop thinking and start doing. It can be so easy to get caught up in spending the creative time I have in reading wonderful blogs, looking at interesting pins on Pinterest and dreaming of various projects, only to be tired enough at the end of the day to pick up something to knit, weave or sew that only improves my technique or skill as I follow someone else's design idea.  This is all well and good, but you only improve your technical skill, or satiate your creative need for the day by reading or viewing it on the computer.

I've really been inspired and challenged by several sewing blogs not only for the wonderful projects but the insight. Myrna Giesbrecht, I love reading this one and really look forward to a new post.  Not only does she share a variety of projects and challenges, but the books she reads are wonderful.  She shares her creative journey as she pushes herself to grow creatively.

However, today I have the house to myself, and it's pouring rain.  First up, just finishing a tank top for summer.  While that in of itself, is more just a project to get down for a summer top, I did stretch a bit and add a cut piece to the neckline, cutting against the grain of the knit for a contrast.  It's a start. The pattern is Ann's Cardigan and Tank, by the The Sewing Workshop. It's a very good fit, easy enough, and a bit interesting with the side vents and shaped hem.  The neckline in the pattern is serged and turned under, I added a 1" strip of the striped area of the fabric, stitched and turned that under.

The second piece finished for the day.  There is a particular

 vendor that I look forward to her booth at various fiber 

shows that I attend Small and Beautiful Beads. 

 She carries these wonderful metal, patina pieces in verdigris,

 I don't think she has them on her website though.  

For this necklace, I wanted to use something with

 a different texture to contrast with the metal. 

 I dyed natural wool roving a turquoise color, with a

 bit of green dye swirled in.  To create the felted beads, I first needle felt the wool into a larger round shape, and then finish them with wet felting until they are compact and the size I want (they shrink a bit when dry).  This also has two polymer clay beads that I purchased somewhere, and had in my bead stash. The leather cord is knotted between each element as it was strung.

 Back to the studio, i've got a few more hours of quiet creativity to fill!

After a full week at work, traveling from Cincinnati to Cleveland and 3 large meetings back to back with events each night ranging from dinner out with a group to a Cleveland Cavalier's game, I finally got a little time to relax this afternoon.  So I headed for my studio of course.

First up, just a quick finish and I really haven't any plans for these two items yet, other than they are done and off the sewing table.  They are quilted postcards, I think the idea is that you turn them into the quilt shop, they send them to a central  location and then send a batch back, so you get a different one back from the one you turned in.  I didn't do that, just finished the two and will use them next Christmas.

 They use a fusible foam between the two layers which makes them slightly stiff.  The pieced design was a freebie from The Red Rooster  specifically for these postcards.  

Second up to be finished:  My local ASG chapter put out a request for pillowcases with a Valentines day theme for the James Cancer hospital here in Columbus. I finished three today.  The tutorial that I used is here: The Seasoned Homemaker.  Done burrito style ( I know, I wasn't sure what that meant, until I read through the tutorial, and then it makes sense), they are very quick.  The only thing I changed was to serge the inside seams rather than french seams.  

 The one in the front is my favorite, love that fabric!  

Now I am off to cook up dozen's of Italian meatballs to stock the freezer before the SuperBowl begins.  

Some sewing!

I've joined the Shabby Fabrics Christmas Keepsake Block of the month and received the January block a few days ago.  I did the lazer cut option, which makes it ridiculous easy, but I do want to be able to put this quilt out right before Thanksgiving as I start to decorate for Christmas 2015, so easy is fine with me! The last mailing is in October, but I am determined to have this completed on time.
The finished quilt is  36" by 36" and can be seen on their website.  It's really cute.

The first block is done.  The ribbon embellishment on the top of the ornament is added when you are completely done, and doing the finishing touches, so later this year.  I used Floriani threads and did just a blanket stitch around the pieces and voila!

Another finished item:  for a swap on Ravelry, I made a valentines theme fabric sock project bag with some heart shaped stitch markers.  No pattern, but a tutorial that can be found here.Notes from Terry Ann.  It went together beautifully and I plan on making more, for gifts and for me.  

I love the little side pocket!  it's big enough for a tape measure, probably a set of double points and your stitch markers.  The fabric is All My Heart by Josie Celio and Sally Griswold of Iron Orchid Designs/ Clothworks.  Appropriate for Valentines day but not too cutesy.  I purchased it at Red Rooster Quilts

Back from an incredible trip to the Republic of Ireland!!  Pictures and more to follow but in the meantime I've added my blog to Blogloving.

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A Sewing Storm.

My youngest son was married at the beginning of October and I've been busy helping and sewing for that event. I made two flowergirl dresses: Pink Imperial Batiste, a round yoke style with english smocking below the yoke, as well as a Tiffany blue dress for the youngest granddaughter.

Once those were done, I hit the sewing room to start working on my wardrobe for an upcoming trip to Ireland.  Marcy Tilton has a new top pattern out, and I got it just in time.  It's a wonderful pattern, fits perfectly, and goes together well.   Vogue 9057.

This is a sweater knit that I actually bought at Joanne Fabrics, a place I usually avoid, as their customer service, their lines and the sense of hopelessness when you see the cutting counter, turns the trip into something that is less enjoyable than perhaps getting the flu, or worse. However, I did like the fabric.  It is a sweater knit, with a black/charcoal mesh between the large dots of grey wool knit.  

Two more of the same pattern, The solid black tank fits under the other tops, for a layer of warmth if needed. It is also a black sweater knit, but very fine and lightweight.  The solid green is a cotton jersey knit.  Not too much to say, but will go with the items that I have knitted for the trip well.   The one below is an lightweight jersey knit, bought online.  I wasn't sure about the print, but it does go with the whole travel wardrobe, so we will see.  I like it better than I thought I would 

I would highly recommend this pattern, there is also included a standard t-shirt as well as the tunic styles and I will be making that also.  

I just took an all day Fitting seminar with Louse Cutting from Cutting Lines Designs. It was held in Cleveland at Janie's Sewing Corner.  Fantastic!!!!!

She covered a variety of fitting issues, and we worked with small scale pattern pieces  I also bought fabric and patterns.  Will cover those tomorrow!

One thing that always sticks out for me with the independent pattern companies...besides the better quality fit and construction, I wish they would have photos of the actual garments on the pattern.  A number of the patterns, including other brands when I see the actual garment, it looks so different from the illustration.
I bought the One Seam Pants, which by the drawing, I thought would be a baggy, elastic pants but though they are elastic at the waist, they fit very well.  Another pattern I bought, Simplify Your Life, is a wonderful top with two versions, and "Take Me Anywhere" will be a Fall coat out of some beautiful novelty wool, I bought today at Janie's.

I've been participating in Knitting Sarah's, KAL for 2014- Socks with Sarah.  As I perused the two bins of sock yarn I own, and while I browsed among the online shops for more sock yarn, I wondered just how many pairs I had already knit in the last decade or so?  (I really do not need more sock yarn)

So, channeling Susan B. Anderson's sock drawer post , I pulled all of mine out for a photo.  21 pairs, though pair # 22 is drying right now, after being blocked.

 I really like to knit the wilder self striping yarn, but I've also noticed that I wear the more subdued ones more often.  Drying right now is  a pair made with bits of sock yarn from other projects. This is the link to the Ravelry page :Sock Opus, definitely not subdued!

Sock Knitting

I've decided to join the KAL that Knitting Sarah has organized for 2014, called Socks with Sarah. I love the idea.  After we all saw the incredibly wonderful sock drawer belonging to Susan Anderson,, I know, as many knitters did, wanted to finish up my own over abundance in both sock yarns and socks already on the needles.   The plan with her KAL is to just knit a little each day on a sock, that is it. No deadline, etc. No specific pattern to use, thought she has several suggestions, just knit.

So, I just finished up a new pair!   I've called them my Monet socks, as the yarn reminds me a bit of an Impressionist painting.  Again photo to come tomorrow in the daylight.

2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   A new year is so full of promise, love it!  So given to New Years resolutions, of the top of my head, I really need/want to knit up a chunk of the stash of yarn I have on hand.  Not only for the decluttering and space issues, but I find if I have too much on hand, I become just a machine churning out article after article, and not really stretching myself creatively. I hope to do both this year.

I have a new sewing machine, bought the Friday before Christmas, and newly decked out sewing room with a new table and storage.  Pics to follow :)

While we were on vacation in Georgia to see Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, at the High museum, we also stopped at a sweet quilt shop,  Cottontail Quilts.  I picked up with cute apron panel, and finished it up today.  Very cute!

Not really that difficult sewing, but having not sewn a lot in recent years, fun to stitch up and get the machine cranking again. Very cute quilt shop, by the way if you are in the Kennesaw area!

I'm doing a block of the month group at Quilt Trends, using the book "Toes in the Sand" and some beautiful batiks in blues, purples, and greens.  Each month, you pick up a packet of the materials, and have at it. Though there is a class each month as part of the program, I've not been able to get there yet.  Here are the first two block designs, you end up making 2 blocks each month, sort of a light and dark variation of the same block.

Another weekend ends, but went Saturday to a wonderful class at Knitting Temptations, with Michelle Hunter, of Knit Purl Hunter, almost done with a sweater, and then to the Ohio Theater to see Wicked with some good friends.  Today a work out at the gym, breakfast with my youngest, Mass with my oldest and gardening with my daughter!   

Memorial day weekend so far!

Yesterday I spent a wonderful few hours at Clines Plant Farm- The Mustard Seed Retreat taking a Succulent wreath class.  Clines is out in the country, so the setting for the class is beautiful, and so relaxing. We sat outdoors, birds chirping and  a couple of 4 week old kittens jumping out of their bed to explore.  One in particular was determined to go find her mom on her own and kept meowing loudly until the mommy cat appeared to take a rest with the kittens and feed them.

The making of the wreath was really enjoyable, very easy and I would highly recommend her classes if you live in the Columbus Ohio area.

Close up of side

The wreath will sit flat for two weeks to allow everything to take root and then I can hang it up in the garden, probably on the brick fence.  Clines also has all sort of neat items to repurpose and I did. My son has an internship at Scotts in Chemical engineering this summer, so when I saw a vintage Scotts spreader, I bought it.  I cut a piece of shelving down to fit inside the spreader, and bought some petunia's at Lowes and voila!

Next I plan on filling in around the planter with some pebbles and potted plants but this is so far.