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!